Caulk may sound like a dirty word (I’ve got a million inappropriate jokes), but it’s one of the most essential and versatile building materials in the world. It’s used in nearly every facet of the building industry from showers to roofing to fireproofing, and that’s just a few of its many uses. With so many different types of caulking available on the market — which one should you use? The answer is probably bigger than the question. In fact, it’s at least 800 words worth of answer. So settle into your favorite easy chair, get comfy, pull out your caulk and find out which type works best for your next building project. We’ll cover ten of the more common (and a couple not as common) varieties here. [Read more...]
Which Caulk Should I Grab? 10 Types of Caulk and Their Uses
How YOU Can Be Classically Tacky—With Just a LITTLE Pair of Brass Ones!
For those of us “blessed” to own an old home, it’s common knowledge that one measure of “character” is the lack of a single plumb, level or square surface in the entire house. A second indicator of character is the complete absence of identical windows. [Read more...]
Vinyl is Final – Vinyl, PVC and uPVC for Building
Vinyl Siding after a Tornado
Five Simple Steps to Installing a Prehung Door
Live from Los Angeles, California; it’s the Doors! Jim Morrison may be long dead but the doors are here to stay. No matter where you walk around your home’s interior, there’s probably an interior door to enclose an interior space. Closets, bathrooms and bedrooms almost exclusively use a 2-3 hinged style prehung door to keep areas secure when you’re doing the stuff you don’t want other people to see (or smell) you do. Installing a prehung door is a snap, so whether you want to replace your old doors or you’re starting from scratch with a new home or room addition, you can use these five simple steps to get your door hung right—without the job looking like Mr. Magoo did the work. [Read more...]
How to Replace the Screen in Your Windows – Before the Town Condemns You
How many of you out there have let your screen go? I’m sure most of us have a small hole here or there. Like closets, our screen windows are usually the last thing we think about. What makes it worse, as least for me, is that we often think ‘Oh well it’s just a little hole’ and let it go until it’s big enough the feral neighborhood cats can pass through it like it’s a cat diner. To make matters even worse, my black lab goes a little nuts when cats or people walk by and he’s managed to knock several screens out with his enthusiasm. So with a little nudging from my wife, I went ahead and replaced the screens on all the front windows and the screen door. Yep, it had gotten that bad. [Read more...]
Hand Made – Some People Still Make Things By Hand
Photo - Cut Brooklyn
Curtain-less Privacy For Your Windows – Gila Window Films
Last year my wife and I purchased an older home with the intention of fixing it up, and, well, it’s been a slow process. I’ve painted and in some cases repainted everything, and we’re about 75% through the job of updating the wiring from the old knob and tube. For the most part it’s still an old house in need of some TLC. It’s drafty and because of our geographical location, it is always very humid, especially in the summer. [Read more...]
Flashing Tape: Redundant But Often Necessary
Even with the use of flashing, water penetration may continue to be an issue. High winds are often the culprit and as seen in this picture, rot and warping can be the result. Flashing tape is a good back-up in these cases. Ideally, it should be applied under the flashing. It’s also used to cover the seams under siding and shingles. In this case though, we used it over the existing flashing to cover and seal a gap that had been missed during the original door installation. [Read more...]
SureSill Flashing Products – ‘Cause Replacing Rotted Door and Window Frames Sucks
SureSill is an easy to use flashing system designed for installation on both windows and doors. It protects against moisture, rot and mold resulting from water seepage through jambs and around doors and windows. The “Sloped Sill Pan” offers structural support along with a positive slope to the exterior, so water drains away from your window or door. The pan accommodates any door or window up to 12 1/2 feet wide, although custom sizes are available on request. Sills and pans can be cut to the desired length and installed easily using PVC cement. Additional flashing products include the Sloped HeadFlash and SureCorner. So why use SureSill? [Read more...]
Reclaimed Windows for Decorative Home Use
As you all probably know by now, Home Fixated is always looking for ways to use reclaimed material. Reclaimed windows offer quite a few options both decorative and practical. I have a friend who just hung one on his living room wall as-is and it actually looks pretty cool. But, here are a couple projects for those who are a bit more ambitious. [Read more...]
