Concrete Sealers – How To Apply Concrete Sealer And Stain

Although concrete is a pretty hardy material and wouldn’t be assumed to require a protective layer over it, sealers are a good idea for making sure that your concrete project is kept immaculate for a much longer time. [Read more...]

How To Compare Replacement Window Prices – Vinyl Replacement Windows, Wood Replacement Windows

If you’re interested in learning how to compare replacement window prices, the best place to start would be the type of window you’re after. If your focus is low price, then vinyl window replacements are a good place to start.

Most salespersons are professional enough to ensure you get exactly what you want at the price you’re expecting to pay, but there are those who give this noble profession a bad name. A base model vinyl replacement window shouldn’t cost you more than about three hundred dollars or so. At the other end of the pricing spectrum are wood replacement windows, with some ornate or antique models costing a thousand dollars, or more.

The basic consideration when deciding how to compare replacement window prices depends on your perspective on long-term savings versus short term cost. All that vinyl replacement windows need is a good wipe-off with a damp cloth, and they’re good to go. However, there’s a catch; vinyl insulation might be perfect for electricity, but they’re not such star performers when it comes to heating.

Long term heating costs may go up with vinyl windows, balancing out the initial low price. Wood, being an excellent insulator of heat, will considerably bring down the cost of heating. However, they have a down side too – maintenance. Wood needs regular painting, which can be expensive.

Time, cost and quality are common to most projects, and finding the right windows is no different. Time is a borderline unethical ploy that many companies use to get you to buy quickly, so don’t fall for it. Often they’ll say that a cheaper piece you really like will take about three weeks or more to be in stock, while the more expensive one that they want you to buy can be delivered within 48 hours.

Natural human tendency is to grab the bird in the hand and not think about the bush at all. Yet, if you put your foot down and say that you’re thinking of shopping somewhere else where they’ll fast-track your order at no cost, you’ll find that an extra set of replacement windows magically appears in their warehouse ready to be shipped to you. However, custom-windows actually do take about three weeks or more, and your bluff won’t make the least bit of difference.

Quality is something that is usually linked with cost, but not always. Even similarly priced windows may have minor differences in quality – like finish – that will tip the scales in one direction or other.

Unless you’re confident that you’ll be able to handle the job yourself, you might also want to hire a contractor for the job. Make sure you get quotes and references from at least two or three so you can make an informed choice. And finally, check thoroughly if the job has been done to your satisfaction before you pay; you can’t go back to them later and ask them to finish the job properly.


How To Stash Your Weed

This article begins with a disclaimer that the writer has no idea what the words weed, grass, pot, skunk, boom, bomb, giggle weed, Aunt Mary, or bong mean. However, in professionally and objectively researching this probably-illegal but well-paid-for article, he accidentally came across some tips on how to stash your weed where the folks-you-don’t-want-to-know-you-smoke-weed won’t think of looking.

Here are the results of that tedious but perception-enhancing search. And don’t worry if the techniques are complicated – you probably won’t remember the title of the article by the time you reach the end anyway.

The spice rack is reportedly a perfect sanctuary for your own brand of herb. The oregano dispenser will work if you don’t have lovers of Italian food at home constantly giving you heart attacks when they’re browsing for just the right spice for that meat sauce. Better yet, put it in a small plastic bag and hide it in the middle of a full dispenser before you try this, unless you want a houseful of Rastafarians with a capital P.

Another supposedly great spot is a potted plant; and won’t you, please excuse the pun. They’re known to be the most neglected members of the household, which means they’re perfect for you. Remember to put them in watertight bags, unless you want to have to put them in the drier every time you need a toke.

If you want to know how to stash your weed functionally, put it in your wallet, or so says one of the interviewees for this piece. The flattening effect will make the resin ooze out and make your next hit literally mind-blowing. Besides, nobody’s going to raid your wallet for anything but cash. A kind-hearted pickpocket might even do you a favor and return it to you cash-free with your stash intact.

However, another purportedly perfect way is to use a thick tome with a hollowed-out innards, but this is too obvious. Besides, there’s not much you can tell your Mom when she asks you what happened to the middle 35 books of the family Bible.

Another great how-to-stash-your-weed tip that might work but has never been and never will be tried by this writer is to keep it in a small cubby-hole that you’ve been digging in an iced-up part of the deep freezer for the last few months with the help of a plastic toothpick and your little brother posted at the door as a look-out. This is sure to preserve your weed in perpetuity. You can even go off to college and come home to a truly meaningful Thanksgiving.

The very fact that this article has been written by a person with no experience with grass of a higher kind should give you a clue that it takes years of practice to make something look natural, even if you’ve got no grounds for authenticity. Off the record, this article must end now due to foggy conditions and generally poor-visibility.


How To Unclog A Toilet: Unclog Toilet Repair Tips

If you’ve ever taken the plunge and volunteered to unclog a toilet, either because you lost a bet, or because it is your innate nature to be considerate and a masochist at the same time, fear not. A few well-timed toilet repair tips can show you how to unclog a toilet in no time; or at least no longer than a few minutes.

An abnormal water level is usually the best clue to let you know that the toilet should not be used without first unclogging it. The worst time to face a clogged toilet is the exact time that you were hoping to use it. It is recommended that you seek relief elsewhere first, and then come back to tackle your porcelain problem. This way, you won’t be cursing right through your cleaning task.

If, however, there was no indication of a clog, and you did use the toilet, you’ll figure it out as you hit that flush lever. The worst kind of toilet to clean is a just-used toilet that’s threatening to overflow onto your bathroom floor. It’s a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it.

Your first step would be to get a plunger. A good plunger should have a tapered lip that allows it to form a good air-seal. Plunger in hand, you are now ready to unclog the toilet. Gently introduce the plunger all the way in until the lip surrounds the opening.

Push firmly until the stick depresses the cup as far as it will go, then pull back. Repeat this step a few times until suction is created that will dislodge the block. You’ll know when that happens by the sounds that the plumbing will make – it really sounds like a happy gurgling if you listen hard enough.

To be sure that the clog is removed, do a short flush if available on your model. If not you can open the top of the reservoir and gently press the float down or operate the water release mechanism manually. If the water in the bowl retains its normal level, you have just successfully learnt how to unclog a toilet.

Sometimes the clog may be caused by foreign objects. This doesn’t necessarily refer to a bottle of French wine or a piece of Australian leather – merely stuff that may have fallen in, like a toy that a toddler brought along for the company, or a pack of cigarettes that accidentally fell in and got flushed.

In that situation, you can use a tool called an auger or snake, consisting of a plastic sheath over a spring core. Push it in until it touches the object, and then move it back and forth to try and dislodge it.

If all else fails, call a plumber and hope and pray that you won’t end up paying for a major plumbing overhaul.