How To Professionally Install A Wood Floor

Installing a wood floor in your house is not that difficult to do if you know what you are doing. I will explain how to professionally install a wood floor in your house. The tools you will need are some shims, hammer, flooring nail gun, drill, and nail punch. I would recommend renting a flooring nail gun from Lowes or somewhere for this job because it will make the job a lot easier. You want to start installing the wood floor by putting some shims against the wall so you have some space between the wall and the floor. You want to install the floor before you install the shoe molding.

On the first row of flooring you need to have it lined up straight and have the shims behind it when you nail it down. It is important to get the first row lined up straight or you will have gaps in the floor on the next rows. You will have to nail the first few rows with your hammer because the flooring nail gun will not work up against the wall. When you lay down the second row you want to make sure that the ends of the floor pieces do not line up at the same area. Your floor instructions will tell you how far apart to put the nails in the floor. Sometimes the nail gun will leave the nail sticking out some. When that happens you need to use the nail punch to hit the nail all the way in. My advice when you have pieces of flooring that are bowed is to only use the long pieces. You can usually straighten the long ones out when you nail them but the short pieces do not seem get straight.

Take you time when putting the floor down so that you check the pieces to make sure they do not have any defects. The last thing you want is too have nailed a piece down and then notice a defect in the wood. Once you worked up to the other end of the room you will have to hammer the nails without using the nail gun. For the last two rows you will have to drill a hole straight down through flooring and then nail it down. The last piece will usually have to be cut long ways to fit. Once you finish the wood floor you put the shoe moldings down. That pretty much sums up how to professionally install a wood for in your house.

How to Install a Window

Windows come fully assembled when you buy them so the job of installing them is easier to do yourself. When you buy a new window it comes with instructions so you want to install the window as specified. The following are general instructions on installing a new window yourself.

Prepare the window opening
You must first decide where to install the window. If you are replacing an existing window then most of the work is already done for you. If you are adding a new window you need to measure the window area and drill a hole through each corner. Next use a level to draw lines which will mark where to cut the window opening. Start cutting the window opening from the outside and then cut the cut from the inside. Now place your window in the opening to make sure it fits. Put two small spacers at the bottom of the opening and check with a level. Add a shim or two if necessary. Nail the spacers and shims down.

Install the window
Place the window into position from the outside of your house. Start by placing the bottom of the window on the spacers and then raising the top into position. Make sure the window is level and then nail the corners into place. Finish nailing the window as specified in the instructions. Apply the sealant on the outside and inside of the window.

Finishing the installation
Now you nail the molding to the inside and outside of the window. The inside window molding should need to be painted. Paint them after it has been installed. The inside window molding are usually not included with the windows. After you install the outside window moldings caulk the space between the window and siding.

Refinishing a Wood Door

If you have ever had an old door on your house that has cracks and peeling paint you know how bad it makes your house look. I had a wood door on my house that had small cracks on the bottom and a surface that was not smooth. The door also had chipped paint and really did not look good. Since it would be expensive to buy a new door I decided to refinish the door. What I did first was take the door off the hinges by removing the pins that hold the hinges together.

The first step in refinishing the door is to start sanding the old paint off  the door. I used a power sander because is easier than doing it by hand. I started with a rougher grit sandpaper and finished with a smoother one. To fill in the small cracks on the bottom of the door I used wood putty. You have to wait a certain amount of time for it to dry before you can sand it. Once the door is completed sanded and the surface feels smooth it is ready to be painted. I used a wood paint and gave it two coats of paint. When I put the door back on I put new door handles and locks on it since the old ones looked bad. The end result turned out good and it really makes the house look better.

Ways to Improve Your Homes Appearance

Clean up around the house.  A good way to improve your homes appearance is to clean up around the house. Any clutter should be removed from the house and put where it belongs. Any trash should be picked up and thrown away. All the leaves around the house should be swept up and taken out of there. A leaf blower is good to have to take care of the leaves.

Keep the grass cut. You should keep the grass cut and bushes trimmed. There is nothing worse than having overgrown grass in the front of your home. Cutting the grass regularly will keep it looking good and green. Keeping bushes trimmed will keep them from getting too large.

Painting doors and windows.  If your house has old flaking paint on it then it needs to be painted. A lot of times when paint gets old on doors it will chip off. Painting the doors on your house can make them look new again. Windows are another area of the house that usually could use new paint if they are old. Most newer windows have a plastic frame so you don't need to worry about painting them.