Circuit Breaker Type - Circuit breakers are one of the most important safety devices in your home. They help prevent electrical fires as well as electrocution. Be very careful if you decide to diagnose problems when a breaker trips. You could easily injure or kill yourself if you come into contact with a device that has a short circuit. Always hire a licensed electrician to make repairs.

Located inside your home is a circuit breaker box or panel that contains circuit breakers. Some homes have more than one panel. There may be a main panel plus one or more sub-panels in other locations.

There will usually be a large main breaker at the top of the panel with a high rating. The breakers for your branch circuits are physically smaller and have a lower amp rating. Be advised that shutting off the main breaker will also shutdown the branch circuits, but there is still high voltage in the breaker panel. The main wire leads into the panel are still active, and shutting off the main breaker will not stop current flow to these main leads.

A circuit breaker provides protection for each of your circuits by stopping the flow of current if an overload occurs. When the load on a circuit becomes too great, the breaker on that circuit trips and ceases the flow of current.

Jotul Wood Stove - Wood stoves add a nice touch to your living area. Since the stove is completely exposed to surrounding air, most of the heat is radiated into the room. When the snow is falling and temps hover just below zero, we light our stove and dim the lights. It's very relaxing to watch the flames dancing around through the glass door. It also keeps the furnace from coming on and that saves some money on heating bills.

Wood stoves require regular maintenance in order to remain efficient and safe. Creosote (black flammable tar deposited from wood smoke) builds up inside your chimney and must be removed to prevent a chimney fire. Ashes have to be cleaned out of the firebox and disposed of properly.

Clean chimneys at least once a year. This tends to be a messy job, so it's best to call a professional chimney sweep. The creosote is removed with stiff brushes designed for the purpose. This will allow your wood stove to continue operating efficiently and also prevent a fire hazard.

Painted Kitchen Cabinet - Installing a new set of cabinets is a great way to upgrade your kitchen. The job is not too difficult and can be accomplished over a weekend. Before starting, see if the existing cabinets can be refinished or resurfaced. You might be able to achieve the same result with less expense and work.

If you decide to go ahead with new cabinets, plan your job. Take measurements, make note of appliances and fixtures that have to be moved. Are you changing the color of the entire room? What about new light fixtures? How about the floor? This might be a good time to install new ceramic floor tile.

Get brochures from several cabinet companies and compare features, warranties, and prices. These will tell you what standard sizes are available, finishes, styles, materials, and hardware options. You may have to order a custom size to fit your area, but it is usually much less expensive to use standard sizes.

Draw a layout of your cabinet plans to give you an idea of how everything will line up and fit together. Make sure to include appliance and fixture locations. Check for interference with existing fixtures and lighting. If you are not going to install new light fixtures, make sure the new cabinets do not create shadows on the counter tops.

Look for interference with cabinet doors when they are opened. If you have a built-in range, will it fit the new opening? What about the exhaust fan - will you have to relocate the exhaust pipe and electrical connections?

Check the cabinet heights. If you are especially tall or short, see how far up you can comfortably reach. Many upper cabinets are designed to have an empty space between the tops and a standard height ceiling, while others will extend all the way to the ceiling.

If one of your cabinets will go over your sink or stove, make sure to allow space underneath it for working, and to attach lighting or a stove hood.

Be sure that upper cabinets line up with lower cabinets, and allow for windows and other features in the wall. Consider how you use your kitchen.

Items Needed for a Professional Job:

• Several carpenter's levels or laser levels of different lengths

• Lots of wood shims for leveling

• Clamps to hold cabinets together while you are arranging.

• Stud finder

• Counter top

• Two 2x4s or a cabinet jack

• Hinges

• Drawer pulls and door handles

• Any sinks, faucets, or other fixtures you will replace at the same time

• Paint and replacement flooring

• Caulk

• Basic power tools such as circular saw, drill, jigsaw, and screw gun

• Screws for hanging cabinets

Empty the old cabinets completely, then remove the doors and shelves before unscrewing the cabinets from the walls. Most shelves simply lift off of pegs, but some need to be unscrewed or pried off their supports.

Make certain that you support the upper cabinets as you remove the mounting screws. If the upper cabinets are a one-piece unit, you may have to separate them to avoid damaging adjacent walls.

After the old cabinets are removed, do any painting and floor work before installation begins. This would be a good time to do plumbing work if needed, assuming the pipes are exposed. See my post on how to sweat solder copper pipe if you need help with this.

Assemble the cabinets, but do not put the doors on yet. Take the time to make sure that the cabinets are assembled as securely, squarely and evenly as you can. Install upper cabinets first if possible, so that you will not need to work over the lower units.

Locate studs with a stud finder and use a level to draw a line down at their locations. Measure from the ceiling to mark the height of the cabinet brace or rail you will fasten to the studs.

Upper cabinets go first, starting at one end or in a corner. Be sure to arrange for a helper to lift and support them during installation. Follow all manufacturer instructions for installation.

Now mark the locations of your studs for the lower cabinets. Move them into place and check which cabinet sits highest. It's easier to shim the others up to this height than to shorten the tall one.

Make cutouts for plumbing, electrical, etc. Be sure these are accurate, and leave a little extra room so cabinets can be moved a little and not interfere with pipes or wiring.

Level the top of the cabinets by shimming under and behind them. Remember that you will install a counter top on the cabinets, so you want this reasonably level and all the joints flush. Also look at the appearance of the cabinet fronts and make sure those are even.

Mexican Ceramic Floor Tile - Ceramic floor tile is a great way to upgrade your home. Ceramic tiles are very durable and easy to clean. But in order to achieve that pro look, you must take your time during the initial planning and surface prep stages.

Preparing the Surface

Surface preparation is crucial for a professional looking tile job. High and low spots must be leveled or you will have difficulty aligning the tiles. Low areas can cause tiles to crack. Remove any contamination so the adhesive will adhere to back of tiles.

Snap chalk lines with a 90 degree intersection, preferably in the center of the room. Be patient. The more time you invest in laying out your area the better your project will go. Solve your layout questions before the adhesive is even mixed.

For best results, all tiling materials and adhesives should be at 50 to 70 degrees for 24 hours before and 48 hours after installation. Thoroughly mix the mortar with clean water to a toothpaste like consistency. It is best to only mix what can be used in 30 minutes. Stir mixture occasionally to maintain consistency. In the event the mix becomes stiff in the pail, discard and make a fresh batch.

First apply the mortar using the flat side of a trowel to promote substrate contact. Then, using a notch trowel at a 45 degree angle, spread the Mortar uniformly in a ridged pattern. Continue applying mortar in a straight pattern. Do not swirl the trowel, as this creates uneven heights in the mortar. Spread only an area that can be tiled in 10 to 15 minutes. Press tile into Mortar with a slight twisting motion. To prevent any voids or air pockets under the tile, use a small block of wood or rubber mallet and carefully tap the top of each tile to insure complete contact with mortar. Be very gentle here. You don’t want to crack or otherwise weaken the tile. Stay off the tile for 48 hours.

Marine Lumber - Softwood lumber is graded for construction or remanufacture projects. Construction lumber first processed by sawing, surfacing, etc., then graded. It is the most commonly available product in lumber yards. Lumber for remanufacture will undergo secondary processing to create a product that may differ markedly from the original piece.

Lumber intended for general construction is subdivided into stress graded, non-stress graded, and appearance categories. Stress graded and non-stress graded lumber are required to have consistent structural integrity. With appearance lumber, visual quality of the piece is most important and structural integrity is a secondary requirement.

The term "yard lumber" is often applied to the non-stress graded and appearance lumber that is sold by retail lumberyards. With such lumber, grading is done on the better side of a piece after drying and surfacing, and grades are designated by specifying the allowable size and number of defects (e.g., knotholes). This contrasts with hardwoods where most grades are determined from the poorer side of each piece on the basis of a specified number of clear cuttings. Another distinction is that hardwoods are typically graded prior to drying and surfacing.

Non-Stress Graded Lumber

With non-stress graded lumber, pieces are graded primarily for serviceability but appearance is also considered, especially in the higher grades. Imperfections such as knots and knotholes are allowed to become larger and more frequent as the grade drops. The primary product is boards that are less than 2 inches in nominal thickness and 2 inches or more in nominal width. Common nominal widths are 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches. Lengths are usually from 6 to 18 feet in increments of 2 feet. Three to five different Common grades may be applied to boards in this group depending upon the species and the lumber manufacturing association involved. In descending order of quality, the grades are:

No. 1 (Construction) - Moderate-sized tight knots. Paints well. Used for siding, cornice, shelving, paneling, some furniture.

Concrete Pumping - Concrete projects are quoted by the cubic yard. In order to simplify things, the generic term "yard" is used. A cubic yard contains 27 cubic feet of concrete and measures 3' wide, 3' high, and 3' long. So 3' x 3' x 3' = 27 cubic feet. The following discussion will show how easy it is to calculate the amount needed for your project.

Most concrete projects are measured by the foot for length and width, and inches for thickness. So how do you determine the cubic yards of concrete to order?

Let’s say you are pouring a slab that measures 20 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 4 inches thick. Start by calculating the square feet of surface area. The formula is:

Stucco Siding - Stucco is very durable. The newer types have a long lifespan and are resistant to the elements. But small cracks do occasionally appear. There is also the problem of mechanical damage from something hitting the surface. Use acrylic latex paint to cover small cracks. You can also fill them with latex caulking compound and then paint with acrylic latex paint. For larger cracks, chisel around the edges of the crack and brush away loose material. Paint the edges with concrete bonding agent and allow to cure. Then use a trowel to fill the crack with stucco patching compound.

Make sure the color and texture are similar to the stucco around it. Matching the texture and color is the hardest part of stucco repair. Make a few trial patches on scrap wood before applying to your house. Keep the patch damp for 4 days to allow it to cure.