One of the improvements I wanted to make to my home immediately was to replace some of the residential exterior doors. When we went through our first walk through the property with our realtor, I had decided if my family bought that house then those doors would have to go. And I stuck to my promise and replaced all of the exterior wood doors.

As usual though, I discovered that replacing those doors was a bit trickier than I’d thought at first. In fact, just choosing the right doors was a challenge.

Choosing Materials for Residential Exterior Doors

Your exterior doors need to be chosen carefully for a couple of reasons. Unlike your interior doors, these doors are going to be exposed to the harshest things Mother Nature can throw at it. From hail to snow to wind, your door needs to be able to stand up to it for years.

Many doors, particularly in older homes, are made from wood. Wood can be very attractive, but it does pose some durability problems. For one, the weather conditions can warp the door meaning eventually it won’t fit as snugly into your doorway as before. The result is a reduction in energy efficiency because more air from outside can get into your home.

When you start looking at new doors, you’ll find that there are more energy efficient models available. The most cost-effective are probably the steel variety. They cost around $150 at the low end and can be painted so they match the rest of your home. The steel won’t warp, and they handle wear and tear pretty well. Fiberglass and composite doors are two other options. These cost $300 and up. They aren’t quite as energy efficient as steel, but they have a more upscale look. If you or your spouse hates the idea of a steel door, either of these options would be a better choice than wood.

Residential Exterior Doors & Safety

One of the big concerns when you are replacing exterior wooden doors on your home is safety. When I was door shopping, for example, I found a beautiful model that had lovely windows around the edges. Another shopper saw me admiring the door and warmed me against buying it. His son-in-law had installed the same door a few weeks earlier, then a burglar broke one of the glass panels, reached inside, unlocked the door, and robbed their family while they were away for the weekend.

Those windows are beautiful, and they do let plenty of light into your home. However, you have to weigh those benefits against the safety risks. Look for doors that might allow you to have both by placing the windows in strategic locations or by including other safety features. Remember that the glass could also be broken by a careless paperboy, a neighbor kid playing ball, or even a particularly bad storm.

My advice for buying residential exterior doors is to stick with metal, particularly steel. It’s affordable and durable. If you love the wood look and can afford a little more then give the composite or fiberglass versions a whirl. But never make your purchase without thinking about your home’s and your family’s safety.

Repairing drywall is definitely an art. Sure, it’s always easy to cut through drywall to get access to a leaking pipe or run new wiring, perhaps for the new ceiling fan you’re getting ready to install. But repairing holes in drywall where access was made is a bit more difficult than making the hole in the first place.
Not long ago, I was forced to cut a hole in the drywall of my kitchen. I had a water leak in one of the copper pipes and there was a puddle of water forming in the basement. It took a bit a research and finally found the leak coming from one of the pipes going behind the toilet.

Anyway, cutting the hole and fixing the section of pipe that cracked was easier than I thought it would be. In fact, even the drywall repair went really well – I marked the drywall with a pencil where I wanted to cut the hole. I used an exacto knife to cut the line half way thru the drywall and then I used a drywall saw to finish the cut.  I like to use the exacto knife first to create a clean smooth cut so when it comes time to fill the hole the edges of the drywall are smooth creating a nice butt joint. I took my time when cutting to prevent damaging the drywall so I could reuse the cut piece to fill the hole.

When it was time to repair the hole I used a small piece of 1/4 plywood as backing and screwed it to the existing drywall with a 2-inch over hang. I used the overhang to screw the piece of drywall I cut out. Saving the cut out piece I could use it again. I used sticky mesh tape over the joints and applied compound lightly to the tape building it up just a bit higher than the mesh and then feathered it out over the wall. In no time at all and the wall was all patched up and repainted, just like new.

Most houses have gutters and that means most home owners need to be out there cleaning those gutters periodically.  Unfortunately, it’s not a pleasant job so most people let it go.  The results are usually clogged gutters and downspouts, foundation damage, and water damage to your home.  Plus, clogged gutters can become so heavy with rain and organic material that they literally are pulled off your home by the weight.  You don’t want that to happen.

The good news is you only have to clean your gutters three times in an entire year.  The bad news is shortcuts don’t work that well.

Gutter Covers:  Are They Worth the Money?

You may have heard about products that can be installed on your gutters that prevent them from being clogged which means you don’t have to clean them any more.  This type of gutter guard sounds amazing, but it can be costly.  You’re usually charged by the linear foot for the material so depending on the amount of gutter around your home you could end up paying a small fortune for this protection.

The good news about gutter covers is they seem to do a decent job of keeping out the big pieces of debris, such as leaves.  The bad news is you’re likely to still see regular build up of smaller debris, such as pine needles.  These small items can work their way through the holes and become lodged.  Even with the gutter guard protection, you’ll still need to clean your gutters periodically, just maybe not three times a year.  You would have to decide for yourself whether the financial sacrifice is worth it or not.

Gutter Cleaning Steps

When we first moved to our home, I had to clean the gutters after a big rain storm.  I didn’t know what I was doing and seriously considered calling in one of those gutter cover companies for an estimate.  Then I did some research and realized the job wasn’t pleasant but it also wasn’t too difficult.

For starters, you have to know when to clean those gutters.  Through trial and error, I’ve discovered the best times are twice after the leaves begin falling (right now would be a great time) and again after all of the leaves are gone from the trees.  If you have a particularly nasty autumn, you may want to watch for water dripping from the corners of your gutters.  This could mean your actual downspout is clogged.  You may also just need to seal the corners of your gutter with a sealer – you can find several available on the market.

When you start gutter cleaning, you’ll need to make sure your ladder is secure.  Most accidents that happen do so because of ladders slipping.  If you can’t secure it, make sure to have someone else available who can hold the ladder for you.

When I clean the gutters, I always wear rubber gloves.  The gloves protect me from the sharp edges of the gutter and from the debris I’m cleaning out in big handfuls.  That’s right.  I recommend starting by cleaning out the gutter using your hands or a scooper of some kind.  Once you have most of the debris out you can use a hose to flush out the rest.

Of course, you also have the option of hiring someone to do your gutter cleaning for you.  But the job really isn’t difficult or time-consuming if done regularly and that money could probably be spent more wisely on other parts of your home.

I love tackling home improvement projects myself.  The satisfaction and gratification of remodeling and completing projects is such a great feeling.  However, if there’s one sure thing I’ve learned over the years in the process, it’s that it always pays to get a second opinion on your home projects before actually beginning the work.

Simply asking a neighbor or friend, regardless of their expertise, can save tons of trouble in the long run.  I’ll attest to this first hand.

Just a few months ago, my wife and I were watching our favorite weeknight T.V. show when she noticed water slowly dripping from the ceiling.  Well, we have an upstairs bathroom directly above the site where the drip was occurring.  I was less than thrilled to say the least!

Anyway, I managed to shut off the water and resolved to dig in and fix the problem the next morning.  After analyzing the problem the best I could, I basically conceded to the fact that cutting a hole in the living room ceiling’s drywall to get at the issue was the only reasonable solution.

When I mentioned this to my neighbor, who’s sort of an expert handyman, he suggested accessing the leak from the inside of the bathroom vanity instead – just cut away the drywall inside the vanity and simply replace it after the leak is fixed with plywood painted white, which will also allow easy access in the future.  Why didn’t I think of this solution in the first place?  I don’t know, but I’m sure glad I mentioned it to my neighbor before creating a gigantic mess out of the living room.

This serves as proof that it really does pay to ask for advice on any home improvement projects you’re getting ready to tackle, whether it’s a full blown DIY interior remodeling project, designing and building a new deck, turning that extra bedroom into a new home office, or even just basic decorating.  In the end, you’re not required to abide by the advice, but I can almost guarantee you’ll end up appreciating the insight offered!

Hiring a roofer is a challenging proposition.  After a bad storm in our area, I realized our roof had been damaged and had to start contact roofers about taking care of the problem before it got worse.  What I learned right away is that you will find big differences between these professionals in terms of cost and professionalism.  Let me share with you some pointers that will help you when you find yourself hiring someone for installing roof shingles.

Finding the Right Roofer for the Job

In most cases, the first place you’ll start your search for a roofer is in the Yellow Pages.  That’s a big mistake.  When you look in the phone book, your eye is going to focus on the largest ads and those are the folks you’ll end up calling.  The bad news is that big ads don’t translate into the best service, just the highest prices (at least most of the time).

Instead, you should start by talking to your friends and family members who’ve had roof work done.  They can give you the names of people to consider and people to avoid.  After you have a list of potential names, you need to make sure they are licensed contractors for your area.  To do this, you can go to www.cslb.ca.gov which is the Contractor’s State Licensing Board (CSLB).  You should never hire a roofer who is not properly licensed.  You want to find someone licensed to provide residential roof shingles.

Before you settle on a roofer, you should have multiple professionals give you an estimate on the work and their opinion of what needs to be done.  What surprised me most was how different the recommendations were for our roof.  One roofer even said we’d have to strip down the entire roof and completely redo it!  Remember you need a second, even a third or fourth opinion, before you make a decision.

Questions to Ask Potential Roofers

When you’re comparing roofers, you have to ask a few important questions.  For starters, ask what types of shingles they will be using in the work.  Make sure you do your own homework about the different shingle materials – asphalt roof shingles are a common choice -  and styles so you’ll be able to make an educated decision.  The golden rule is the more you pay for your shingles the longer they are going to last.  Basically choose the most expensive shingles you can afford.

While not really a question, you should also ask potential roofers for at least three references.  These should come from people who have recently worked with the person – not some guy who had roofing work done five years ago.

You should also go over the contract thoroughly before signing it and ask questions about anything you don’t understand.  Make sure all of the terms are spelled out clearly, including the specifics of what needs to be done, when work will be started, what materials will be used, and how much the work is going to cost.  While we’re on the subject of cost, be prepared to pay a deposit to get the work started.  However, that deposit should be the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the total estimate.  Make sure you pay that deposit and all future payments by check or – if you must pay in cash for some reason – get a signed receipt from the contractor.

The bottom line is do not rush into a decision about a roofer just because you’re desperate to have work done to your roof.  A bad choice could lead to bigger problems down the road.