| |
| |
|
Home Improvement Information |
|
|
|
Planning Your DIY Project
Ready to start your first serious DIY project? Read through the checklist below to make sure you are well prepared to start - and finish! - the job: 1. Do an overview of the project, making sure that you understand all its requirements. Sometimes imagining that you have been hired to do the job may help you take a better perspective on what it will take to complete the task. 2. Be realistic about your expectations. If you are just a beginning DIYer, consider completing a few small projects (like putting up shelves or fixing a garden fence) before attempting a major one. Ideally, for your first big DIY project you should select an area where it will least affect your lifestyle if left unfinished - for example, your basement or outdoors. Don't attempt replumbing the house as your first project! 3. Know where to seek help if needed. Your sources might include DIY books and magazines, relevant web sites, and DIY-savvy friends and relatives. If you are about to venture into a completely new territory, you might find it helpful to hire a professional for a few hours and try to learn the essential techniques from them. 4. Make a list of materials you need - and buy them all BEFORE you start the project. This will minimize the need for frustrating runs to the store, allowing you to completely focus on the job. There are many online tools available for estimating the quantity of materials (like paint or tiles) that you need for a project - make use of those to save time. Some useful online estimators can be found here: http://www.construction-resource.com/construction-calculator.php. (It is also a good time saving idea to add about 10% to your calculated material requirements to allow for waste.) 5. Make a realistic budget. Remember to budget for little things such as nails, screws, hinges etc. The little things, when combined, tend to add up to significant amounts that are often overlooked during the planning stage. 6. Make a schedule. Be sure to allow for unexpected delays or having to redo parts of the project. If you project is based outdoors, don't forget to take weather conditions into account. Consider how possible interruptions in the project are likely to affect your daily routines, and plan accordingly. For example, if your place has only one bathroom, you would want to finish any bathroom renovation project as quickly as possible. As with material estimators, there are time estimates available online and in printed sources on how long it takes to complete certain tasks. Again, adding 10% to the suggested time requirement may save you unnecessary frustration. Remember that every project is unique. Think where you are most likely to encounter problems, and allow extra time for figuring out solutions. Some problems are fixed pretty quickly - it is figuring out how to do it that can be time consuming. 7. Know what motivates you best and have a strategy on how to stay motivated. It is important to understand what motivational strategy works best for you, and use it consistently. Have a clear goal in mind all the time while you are on the project. Asking yourself two simple questions - "what will happen if I do?" and "what will happen if I don't?"- is one effective motivational technique. This is especially true in the case of DIY, where your actions or lack thereof are likely to have immediate - and tangible - results. 8. Last but not least - don't beat yourself when something does not go according to plan, especially if you are just starting out. This includes bad time estimates that tend to be the number one cause of frustration in DIYers. Remember that no job is exactly the same no matter how many times you do it, so you cannot possibly plan for everything. That said, your estimating and project management skills should improve over time. Alan Woodbridge writes about DIY projects, home improvement, and personal motivation. He is a member of the team that runs DIYProjects.info: http://www.diyprojects.info
MORE RESOURCES:
Home-Improvement - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Getting the Power to Control One of the advantages of using machines to control processes for you is that you can harness tremendous amounts of power and energy which humans do not possess.By a flick of a switch, huge sliding flood gates can move to allow large quantities of water to flow out of a dam. Laminate Flooring - Cleaning & Maintenance One of the biggest advantages of laminate floors is that they are made to look good for many years with a minimum of effort. Most laminates come with a 10 to 25 years residential warranty against staining, wearing and fading, depending on the brand. Seven Energy Conservation Tips to Help Homeowners Save Money In an effort to help consumers in the Atlanta area combat high utility bills, RS Andrews provides this consumer awareness release to advise homeowners on seven ways that they can conserve energy to save money each summer.Tip Number One: Set the temperature on your thermostat a little higher. Do You Have a Master Bedroom? You Shouldnt! Tips for Remodeling Your Bedroom The word "master" is an antiquated term that suggests control, domination, and inequality, and in today's cooperative partner and/or single parent household, the label "master suite" has become obsolete. In that light, master bedrooms would more properly be called "main bedrooms" in today's society. Deck Design - Why Firm Foundations Are Essential Preparing a deck design for your backyard is all the rage as a home improvement project for this summer, however there is great temptation to build a pallet like structure that just sits on the ground outside your back door.Yes there are many ways to prepare the ground so that an unconnected deck design structure will sit level to the ground, for example by using concrete slabs in four corners. The Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Shopping for a Mattress Buying a new mattress is a daunting task that few relish. The range of prices, features, and stores can make your head spin. New Construction Windows Or Replacement Windows? Which Is Right For You? Hello, my name is John Rocco.I grew up around the window and door business. Heres What a Jacuzzi Will Do For You Jacuzzi's are a great recreational and health benefit for a home. Having some idea what type and what uses you will have for it, are keys to purchasing the right one for you. Window Dressing from the Outside Looking In Window coverings are important to the overall look and feel of a room, of course, but when designing window treatments, don't forget to take into consideration what your overall design will look like from the outside of your home.As a general rule, window coverings should all be of a similar coloring, which will significantly improve the look of your home's exterior. Planning Permision Tips UK - 6 Common Design Mistakes When Extending a Residential Property Don't you just love the design of some of these alpine chalets??!!**??One year we were given a loft bedroom that you couldn't stand up in with no wardrobe space and another chalet only had 2 bathrooms for 18 occupants. Still, skiers are the kind of people that can ruff it for most times so its no major hassle. House Plans - Where To Start You have found the perfect lot on which to build your new home. Now you have an abundance of decisions to make. Bathroom Magic Believe it or not, the bathroom is one of the most magickal rooms in your house; Your make up box and medicine chest can be treasure chest of tools , the bathtub and shower are wonderful place to conduct cleansing and attraction rituals, and the toilet can be a handy mechanism for flushing away negativity.Here are some examples of positive magick that can be performed in your powder room. Physiological Response to Window Coverings Nothing soothes the brain like Mother Nature, whose intrinsic scenery relaxes and refreshes us, consciously and subconsciously. Therefore, a view of nature should never be completely covered up during the day. Whats So Special About My Front Door? "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." - Flora WhittemoreYour front door welcomes all to your home. Does Your Home Need Concrete Waterproofing? Many areas of your home can benefit from concrete waterproofing. If you have a concrete deck, patio or driveway, many waterproofing methods can extend their life and beauty. House Plans - Research Is Key When you think about building your new home consider your needs and your lifestyle. If you are newlyweds your choices will be different from a couple who is ready to retire and is looking for a smaller home. Traditional Interior Design Traditional interior design encompasses a great variety of elements in a home. From the ceilings to the floor; including the trim, the wall finishes--all the way to the window treatments and the furniture. Have You Considered Fluorescent Lighting for Your Home? Many of us know that fluorescent lighting is common in work areas and schools. It is the long tubes that run in ceilings, right? Fluorescent lighting is more then just that. Building A Pair Of Heavy Duty Saw Horses Start out by measuring and cutting all your stock according to the cutting list and set it aside. Take the legs and mark out the tapers. Planning Lightning When you are choosing a color scheme for any room in your home, the first thing to take into account is how that room will be used and, thus, the type of lightning you will need. Light is very important in a room, because it affects colors and makes them seem lighter or darker.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
