Reliable Remodeler Blog

Pliers: The Indispensable Tool for the Home Remodeler

woodrow — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:06:59 PST

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the selection of tools at your hardware or home improvement store. As a general rule, I rely on the old adage that you get what you pay for. That means, on a limited budget, I pay what I can for what I consider specialty tools and spend the most [...]

Best of Reliable Remodeler Blog 2009

Hugh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:34:06 PST

…a few great posts from the past year you may have missed: Home Greening and Tax Credits It’s time to revisit the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and its energy improvements section. Expert Interview: Green Building with Joel Fraley of Neil Kelly Co. The Neil Kelly Co. based in Portland, Oregon has been dedicated to [...]

Return on Investment for Home Improvements

woodrow — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:03:50 PST

Let’s face it: money is tight today. If you’re looking to get the most bang for your home improvement dollar, think about making improvements that make your home more livable today and valuable if you plan to put it on the market when times improve. If you have the budget or access to a reasonable loan, [...]

When Your Faucet Is Clogged

woodrow — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:48:36 PST

You’d be amazed how many people ruin their kitchen or bathroom faucets and shower heads attempting to remove the aerator and clear mineral build-up. While clearing a faucet is a simple job, you still need basic skills in how to protect your hardware from tool damage. It’s part of your Basic Home Repair 101 course, [...]

Weekly Digest of Reliable Remodeler Tweets

Hugh — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:00:00 PST

Choosing the Best Flooring: Unique Kitchen Remodeling Ideas - http://bit.ly/4qrvJ7 # Five Inexpensive Kitchen Makeover Secrets Shared by Kitchen Designers - http://bit.ly/2kDX5U # Modern Kitchen Designs with Cork Floors - http://bit.ly/4hFGsE # Kitchen Countertop Ideas: Why Laminate Countertops Make Sense - http://bit.ly/22VzLN #

New Year’s Remodeling Resolutions

woodrow — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:23:14 PST

As the winter months advance, we’re all making resolutions for the New Year. Not all of them are about personal habits that need changing. Home repair buffs and gardeners all look toward the new slate of months as an opportunity to begin and complete projects we’ve only daydreamed of undertaking. You might begin drawing plans for [...]

A Homeowner Lesson: The Importance of Home HVAC Maintenance

Paige — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:47:05 PST

One of our recent blogs mentioned how important it is to keep your thermostat serviced and maintained. This is sage advice. When you are faced with a home HVAC system that needs repair, you’ll wish that you had done a better job of doing routine HVAC maintenance, but also that you had an HVAC professional [...]

Time for Kitchen Track Lighting

woodrow — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:55:34 PST

Kitchen track lighting allows you to aim light where it’s needed most. Whether you want to spruce up a dark kitchen or target your lighting on critical work areas, custom or off-the-shelf track lighting can add functionality and warm up the aesthetics of the kitchen. There are basic kits to get you going, as well as [...]

Weekly Digest of Reliable Remodeler Tweets

Hugh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:00:00 PST

Top Green Kitchen Renovations: How to Create a Sustainable Cooking Environment - http://bit.ly/2Xwtx8 # Cheap Home Renovations That Pay Off - http://bit.ly/4CLOIT # 10 Tips for Cleaning Ceramic Tile - http://bit.ly/15ngH4 # The Best Kitchen Lighting is Practical and Dramatic - http://bit.ly/LKxtB # Granite Countertops: Pros and Cons - http://bit.ly/274P6j # Tie Everything Together with a Stunning Kitchen Backsplash - [...]

Caulk Talk: Draw Your Guns

woodrow — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:21:50 PST

If you’ve never sliced the top of your thumb cutting open the edge of a tube of caulk, you have greater dexterity than most part-time home handy workers. I grew up around ratchet-rod caulk guns and cursed a few. Today’s drip-free caulking guns operate by a spring-loaded pressure rod that works smoothly from the pressure [...]

Preventative Plumbing for the Winter

woodrow — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:19:23 PST

It’s neither fun, nor cheap to repair and replace burst pipes in the winter. If you live where outside temperatures drop below freezing, you can spare yourself money and heartache by wrapping your exposed pipes with insulation. The process is straight-forward, and you should be able to complete it yourself. There is a wide range of [...]

Weekly Digest of Reliable Remodeler Tweets

Hugh — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:00:00 PST

Green Your Home With Eco-Friendly Flooring - http://bit.ly/1gNqay # RT @Webinetry You’ve got to check this out. Watch the video. The Sliding House by dRMM http://bit.ly/1qpGSm - Wow! # RT @remodeling: Helping the Third World Get On Its Feet: There’s a charity out ther… http://bit.ly/39vu7r # RT @cavinskitchen: Good article! RT @DanzeFaucets Liked this article from kitchens.com about [...]

On-Demand Hot Water Systems: Are We Ready?

woodrow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:35:29 PDT

Years ago I was visiting a friend in Tokyo and was astonished that she took water from the tap for tea, and it was too hot to drink. This was way back in 1979. I was amazed that all the hot water for the home’s kitchen and bath came from a heat-on-demand water tank powered [...]

Anticipating Thermostat Problems

woodrow — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:52:58 PDT

Your thermostat, when working properly, runs on a transformer to set and adjust the amount of heat your furnace delivers to your home. Imagine how you might feel one cold winter morning when you adjust your thermostat and nothing happens! Brrr! There are simple ways to troubleshoot your problem, but ultimately you may have more [...]

Building Your Home-Repair Toolkit

woodrow — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:58:37 PDT

Here are suggestions for building your own home-repair toolkit.