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You are probably planning to do a kitchen renovation or thinking of adding an additional room soon but have you also considered improving the exterior of your home? Well, we are not just talking about beautification. Making an upgrade on the façade of your home also keeps you protected from natural onslaughts. If you currently have the goal of doing so and you are not sure what specific type of siding to choose, this blog will help you get an idea of what type of siding best fits your taste.

When engaging to an exterior siding project, it is also vital to consider the exterior trims. These are the casing treatments that are utilized around door and window openings. If your existing siding has hit the skids, chances are that the exterior trim will be needing replacement as well. They key is to match the new trim with your replacement siding in terms of appearance and function.

Engineered Wood

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Engineered wood are made by binding bits of scrap wood, shredded wood fibers, real wood to make siding that looks like wood and functions as wood but are formed to be more efficient in terms of durability. There is a vast selection of engineered wood siding you can choose from. Clapboards are the most common choice. They are made from resin and wood flakes and come with a primer. There is also the T1-11 plywood panels that come in 4×8 size. These panels can be installed straight over wood framing and has lapped edges which make the overall look of the siding seamless.

Wood Shingle

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There are cases that wood siding can be installed on existing siding. You can install wood shingle siding over an aged wood panel siding or clapboards. But it is best to remove older siding before installing new wood shingle siding and prior to putting the new ones in place, make sure to replace damage trim around window and door openings.

As for maintenance, check for cracks or damages for repair every year. It is a requirement for wood to be refinished every four to six years depending on what type of finish you make use of.

Pine Wood

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One of main wood species that are used for exterior siding is pine. It is the most common as it not costly. The only downside of pine is that it cannot hold out against rot and insects. To prevent this, it is advisable to use protective finish. For extreme weather and UV protection, use solid color stain or paint. But if you are aiming for a natural wood grain appearance, look for a clear finish that is intended for wood siding.

Cedar

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Another wood specie that is widely used as exterior siding is cedar. Unlike pine, they can resist rot and the dimensional stability of cedar wood is more commendable as they do not contract, warp, crack, and expand. There are certain types of cedar including red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, and eastern white cedar which colors are true to its names.

Stone Veneer

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If you are a fan of stone, stone veneers may float your boat. Stone veneers are much cheaper stone siding option than natural stone. Its price can vary from $6 to $9 per square foot compare to natural stone siding that can cost $15 to $30 per square foot. They are made from cement, pigment, and other materials such as aggregate. There are a variety of stone veneer styles you can choose from. They are usually installed on the lower half of level walls and are frequently used to embellish the fireplace surrounds, driveway pillars, and interior wall accents.

Vinyl Siding

Without any doubt, vinyl siding is the most common choice of homeowners to use for the exterior of their home. Vinyl siding is easy to install. They are reasonably priced and above all, they are long-standing. There are different styles of vinyl siding readily available on the market. The color is part of the material when designing vinyl siding thus, scratches and marks do not show.

Vinyl siding can be installed on walls that are newly erected or built. They can also be installed over existing siding on the exterior home. There are vinyl siding with high-density insulation creating the ideal exterior for any home. The insulated vinyl siding has a support of solid rigid foam insulation which is filled on the voids that is behind the stepped profile of the siding. Go for brands with exceptional R-value (resistance to heat flow) because they are more energy-efficient to achieve comfort and perfect temperature for every corner of your home year-round.

These are just some of the options you have if you are on the market for improving your exterior and upgrading the total curb appeal. In choosing the best type of siding for your home, make sure to note certain things: cost, energy efficiency, and maintenance requirements.

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When it comes to usual toilet problems, some homeowners prefer to leave the work to the plumbing professional. And although there are a lot of licensed plumbers within the area ready to help with the job, a few homeowners would rather do it on their own. Which is totally okay considering the household wants to save a little money by taking care of the plumbing needs by themselves.

So what if you encounter a toilet repair dilemma and would rather apply a Do-It-Yourself strategy? Roll up your sleeves and pay attention to these compiled toilet problem strategies to help you get the job done without needing the assistance of pros.

Before you read on, be sure to make yourself familiar with the parts of the toilet tank and their function individually to make your DIY repair easier.

Toilet Handle Won’t Flush!

Ever experience having a wiggly toilet handle? When you depress it but there is no resistance and the toilet does not flush? Well, there might be a problem on a certain connection inside the tank or the chain has possibly come loose. Although tank interiors do not look the same, they certainly have a lift arm which is a thin metal or a plastic rod and a rubber stopper situated at the bottom which is connected to the lift arm via a chain. In the event that the chain is detached from the lift arm, the rubber stopper definitely won’t lift inhibiting water to drain from the tank thus preventing the flush. Same case can happen if the nut securing the handle to the lift arm has come unsecured.

BobVila has provided four simple steps to help you get that flush working again.

• 1. Turn off the shut-off valve that supplies water to the tank located on the small hose behind the commode.
• 2. Remove the tank cover. Locate the chain connected to the flapper and pull it upward. This will lift the flapper and allow the water in the tank to drain out.
• 3. If the chain has come loose from the lift arm, reconnect it (you should see a notch or a hook). If the chain has broken, buy a new one from the hardware store (for less than $5) and replace it.
• 4. If a loose or broken chain isn’t the problem, the nut that secures the handle (just inside the tank) may have loosened and worked its way down the lift bar. Retighten the nut to the back of the handle, using your fingers, until it’s snug, and then turn on the water supply to refill the tank.”

Water Too Low!

There are a few reasons why your toilet bowl has low water than it should have. It can get frustrating to figure out what seems to cause this problem so we have listed down four of the most common and possible reasons to help you get more water in that bowl.

• 1. The fill tube of the tank may be damaged or somehow positioned in the wrong manner which causes the water level to fail from reaching the proper level. To fix this, position the fill tube just so the water can flow into the overflow tube. Another reason could be blocked plumbing vents. You would know this if you hear a gurgling sound from the toilet after using another one or emptying the bathtub. All you need to do is clear the vents from the roof by spraying water into them using a hose. To prevent blocking of plumbing vents, it is best to cover the opening with a grid to hinder objects from falling inside of the vent.
• 2. Check the water level after the fill valve has shut off. It should be around 1 to 2 inches below the overflow tube and the fill valve. If it is below the indicated level, there will not be enough water to fill the bowl after a flush. To fix this, adjust the float by screwing the ball on the end of a float arm in a clockwise manner. This will shorten the arm.
• 3. Check for cracks. If you are certain about all possible reason and could not find any other, it is best to look for cracks around the base of the toilet. Repairing cracks in porcelain is not consistently good. So if you found a crack that is causing the low water in your toilet, it is time to replace it.

My Bowl is Overflowing!

One day the water is too low, the next day your bowl is overflowing! It should not be a problem. The main reason why a toilet overflows is because it is clogged. This is probably one of the most common toilet problems everywhere. But the repair is so easy. It is time for your toilet plunger to steal the spotlight and do wonders! Clearing the clog with a plunger is the simplest most common repair for a commode that is overflowing. Just make sure to apply the proper way of using it to avoid dirty water splashing all over your bathroom.

It Won’t Stop!

In the case of a noisy toilet even if you are not using it, adjusting the fill valve or replacing it should solve the issue.

• 1. A toilet that won’t stop running can be due to a high level of water in the tank causing the water to flow over the top of the overflow tube then into the tank. To fix this, you will need to adjust and bend the float arm downward so the float reaches the level where the water gets shut off. Finding the correct level may take many trials.
• 2. Another possibility could be the flapper is not positioned well or is not sealing the opening of the flush valve. A shabby flapper will make water drip from the tank to the bowl. Remove the flapper by disconnecting the flapper chain from the flush handle lever. Slide the flapper off the pegs that extend from the sides of the flush valve tube. Attach the new flapper by hooking each ear of the flapper onto the pegs and connecting the flapper chain to the lever. If you think the flapper needs replacement, do not hesitate to do so.