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Top ways to boost curb appeal

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, September 25, 2008.

You've no doubt heard the term "curb appeal," which is the first impression that your home makes when a visitor arrives. Whether you have your home up for sale or just want things to look a little nicer when you or someone else pulls up out in front, the best place to start is by giving the front of your home a critical examination.

Driveway: A driveway, by necessity, tends to be a fairly dominant feature, and it is often one of the first things that a person sees when they arrive at your home. more...

Miter saw great for DIY projects

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, September 18, 2008.

If you're framing a new deck one weekend and then installing some intricate stain-grade crown molding the next, you might be wishing for one saw that could handle both those tasks -- and everything in-between. If so, then you don't need to look any further than one of the big and versatile 12-inch compound or sliding compound miter saws that are now on the market. Tough and powerful yet remarkably accurate, these saws can power through wet framing lumber or handle delicate cuts on fine trim. more...

Buying remodeled home can be hassle

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, September 11, 2008.

Q: I'm currently in the process of buying a house. The home inspection revealed problems, and then it was discovered that many electrical and plumbing "improvements" were made without permits. The town refuses to issue permits retroactively, because most of the improvements were made by a previous owner and a plan of the actual improvements is not available. So, basically, there will be no official permit or approval of these projects from the town, so this is very bad for the purpose of homeowners insurance. Would you avoid buying this home? more...

Staging home for sale worth the cost

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, September 4, 2008.

If you're selling your home, you obviously want to get it sold quickly and for the highest amount possible. One very important strategy to keep in mind is staging, which is simply the process of arranging the inside of your home so that it shows off to its full potential. more...

Don't let home inspector out of your sight

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Q: In as much as there are a great number of current issues regarding disclosure to the purchaser of real property, when, if ever, is it going to be the responsibility of the purchaser to investigate particular items of relevance to them? --George D. more...

Power tools make house painting a cinch

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, August 21, 2008.

A sure-fire way to make your home look better, prolong the life of your siding and add resale value all at once is to give the exterior a fresh coat of paint. But with a contractor paint job running in the thousands of dollars, you may be considering undertaking the task on your own this summer. If so, here are some tips and a couple of new tools from Wagner that will help you get the job done quickly with professional results.

Proper Preparation more...

Composite decking not infallible

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, August 14, 2008.

Check over the results of virtually any home improvement survey, and you will see that adding a deck consistently ranks at or near the top of the list in terms of both desirability and payback on investment. If a deck is high on your wish list, one of the primary decisions you are no doubt struggling with is what type of decking material to use -- natural wood, or one of the new plastic composite materials that have been getting so much attention lately. more...

Want a fancier-looking room? Try wainscoting

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, August 7, 2008.

One way to really dress up a room and try your hand at some different decorating techniques is to consider wainscoting. There are a number of ways to combine materials to create some very attractive wainscoting effects, and the cost doesn't need to be prohibitive. more...

GFCI electrical outlets are lifesavers

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, July 31, 2008.

Q: What is a GFCI electrical outlet? Are outlets of this type required in all homes, and if so, where? --Allen D.

A: GFCI stands for ground-fault circuit interrupter. A GFCI outlet reacts much more quickly to the presence of an electrical short circuit than a standard circuit breaker does, so they provide additional protection against the possibility of injury should an appliance, tool or other electrical device malfunction. more...

Excavation's the first step in deck building

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Summer is a great time to add a new deck to your outdoor living space. And large or small, attached to the house or standing alone, it's a sure bet that before you starting cutting lumber and laying deck boards, you'll need to do some excavating to get the site ready. more...

Backyard deck a perfect DIY project

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, July 17, 2008.

Building a deck remains one of those perennial favorite projects. A well-built deck definitely adds to the enjoyment of your home, while also adding resale value. With a few carpentry skills and tools, the construction of a basic -- or even not so basic -- deck is something that's well within the reach of most do-it-yourselfers. And there's something about that combination of fresh air and fresh sawdust that's irresistible! more...

Put lawn upkeep on autopilot

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, July 10, 2008.

Everyone loves a nice-looking yard, but dragging those hoses and sprinklers around to keep everything watered can be a real chore -- especially when you add in the different watering cycles required by some communities and the adjustments that are often necessitated by seasonal weather changes. more...

Vinyl adhesive a nightmare to remove

By Paul Bianchina, Sunday, July 6, 2008.

Q: Do you have an easy way to remove adhesive that was used to put down vinyl on top of concrete? I would like to stain the concrete instead of tiling. I don't mind the imperfections in concrete, but I do want a continuity look of imperfections. My biggest hurdle is that it's a great room and half of the room is vinyl and the other half is carpet. I will have to patch holes where the tack strip comes up. I don't want to paint just stain. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. --Jayne P. more...

Some remodels endure endless inspections

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, June 26, 2008.

If you're thinking of doing some improvements on your home, especially extensive ones, chances are you'll need a building permit. So you head down to your local building department, fill out an application and provide whatever information they require, and a short time later you have your permit.

Once you have your permit, it's important to understand how the inspection process works, and what you need to do to be ready for it. Knowing when different inspections are required and what the inspectors are going to be looking for will help everything go much more smoothly. more...

Some plumbing materials shouldn't be mixed

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, June 19, 2008.

If you're doing any remodeling or repair work on the plumbing system of an older home, it's a pretty safe bet that you'll encounter the need to transition from an older type of pipe to a one of today's newer materials. It might be a transition from threaded galvanized water pipes to copper pipes, or from old cast-iron sewer lines to today's ABS.

Luckily for all of us, these transitions are common enough that there are a number of fittings on the market that make dissimilar pipe connections quick, easy and safe. The fittings are readily available in home centers, hardware stores and plumbing supply retailers. more...

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