Most people get a smile on their faces when they hear you talking about their wood burning stoves. You may picture yourself sitting next to your stove spending quality time with friends and family while listening to the crackling sounds coming from the fire in your stove.

It certainly creates a cosy and comfortable feeling, knowing you will feel warm and safe sitting next to your woodburning stove. There are certainly more advantages than disadvantages when it comes to installing a Wood Burner. One advantage is the eye catching appeal of a really good looking woodburning stove.

Some people do not like putting up with the hassle of smelling smoke, seeing root stain their walls, or complaints of neighbors, should they be living in a built up area. But, installing a Wood Burner is a valid lifestyle choice that can even add to the value of your property. It will get your bonus points in the eyes of your Realtor when it comes to selling your property in the near future.

The Main Reason Why People Consider Installing Wood Burning Stoves

It has been said that Wood Burners are highly efficient and way cheaper to run than electric heating systems, conventional gas, or oil heating systems; we are talking about three times cheaper if not more in some situations.

Another reason why people are strongly considering using woodburning stoves instead is that it is environmentally friendly. Every electric or gas bill is a constant reminder that we are contributing to damaging our planet’s atmosphere. There is a pressing need to come up with alternative ways to help save our planet from harmful gases and making use of Wood burners prove to be very effective in a way that makes logical sense.

The way it works is like this; because you are releasing carbon into the atmosphere through burning logs or wood pellets, it actually forms part of what is known to be a more balanced carbon cycle. The carbon you get to release was taken from our atmosphere in the first instance by the tree that supplied you with the wood; carbon dioxide plus solar energy contributes to making a tree.

Once a tree gets harvested as a renewable source, the ones planted in its place absorbs the exact amount of carbon dioxide released through the burning process of the tree that just got burned. This very fact is a major plus and the main reason why people are now considering buying woodburning stoves.

New Building Regulations May Require Installation of Wood Burners

The rising costs of conventional fossil fuel as well as tough building regulations and legislation calls for alternative sources that are considered to be renewable energy sources.

In the case of new buildings, which include new extensions to existing properties, the building regulations nowadays have become tougher and require both builders and architects to motivate their reasons behind installing energy sources that are harmful to the atmosphere.

To save themselves a lot of trouble, they opt for the installation of woodburning stoves and Wood boilers that actually complies with the latest building regulations in Europe.

The Many Uses of Woodburning Stoves

Heating

One of the main uses for Wood Burners are to supply us with heat during colder days. This is particularly useful during cold winter nights or in countries where there is hardly any sun to provide some warmth. The only drawback is that once the fire gets burning inside your stove, it will keep on producing more heat that cannot easily be switched off, should you get too warm.

Cooking

People also use woodburning stoves for cooking purposes. Some of these Wood burners are equipped with special removable plates so that you can distribute the heat more evenly should it get too cold in a specific area of your stove. For this you would ideally need cast iron and other thick metal cookware.

Hot Water

You could use a suitable kettle that is made from stainless steel and use it for making either tea or coffee on your woodburning stoves. As wood is freely available in the USA it is a great idea to even use your woodburning stove for producing hot water for washing or bathing. All you need is to have specially tested water heating attachments installed that will produce enough hot water without risking your safety. It is well worth considering installing woodburning stoves when you think of the many ways you may benefit from it.

Most poeople are afraid to try tiling as they think it is for proffessionals.I will now give you  some easy to follow instructions which show you how to tile a backsplash by yourself.The first thing I would recommend is to remove any decorative pelmets from the kitchen cabinets,as this will save you having to make any unnecesary cuts & also remove & isolate any electrical sockets.

Begin by marking a vertical line in the centre of the area where the cooker hood will be.This is to be the centre line of your tiles & you can now work away from either side.When starting with the bottom row of tiles,it is a good idea to place them onto tile spaces,leaving a gap between the worktop & the bottom tiles which make it easier to remove the worktop in future years.

How To Tile A Backsplash

Start applying the tile adhesive using a notched trowel & spread a small amount to one side of your line.Fix a few of your first row tiles to the wall using a gentle twisting motion,which makes sure they get a good hold.Use tile spacers in between the tiles to ensure an even gap,repeat this proccess up over until you are almost up to your kitchen cabinets.Carry on like this, moving along the full length of the wall.Any straight cuts can be done using a tile cutter,there are many different types on the market,it all depends on your budget to what quality you actually buy.Thes are easy to use,simply mark your tile,put it under the wheel of the cutter,score the tile & then snap it perfectly down the score mark.

If you need to cut a corner out of a tile it is much easier using a electric tile saw,which has a tipped blade & the tile is pushed onto the blade cutting the tile easily.To finish off a row of tiles on your backsplash that has no cabinets above will need a tile trim.This is quite easy to fit,plan where the top of the tiles will finish & the trim can either be tacked into place using a few small nails,or by temporarily fixing a tile to either end of the trim,which hold the trim in place while the other tiles can fixed into position.Once they have been fixed,remove the 2 end tiles & re affix permanently.

There could be any number of reasons why your toilet is blocked.Unfortunatley the most common resons for blockage is usually down to a combination of human waste too much toilet paper.Whichever way you finally decide to tackle this DIY job,it may get a little mesy,so it is advisable to wear gloves & possibly glasses to for your own safety.

How To Unblock A Toilet

In the past I have found a few different ways on how to unblock a toilet,the most common ones being a toilet plunger & a  more robust tool called a toilet auger(sometimes called a toilet snake)A toilet plunger is basically a larger version of a cup or sink plunger.To use the toilet plunger,you simply enter the rubber plunger into the bowl & push down & release a few times which in turn forces water down the pan & it is hoped this will then push the blockage away,I have had some success with this method,but if it is a rather large blockage it may not always work.A toilet auger (toilet snake)is a tool that usually comes coiled up in its own casing.To use the toilet auger is quite simple,there may be a few slight variations on this tool but they all work basically the same.A nylon or plastic cable is enclosed in a metal coil,which is rigid but still flexible enough to push down the pan & can be fed around the bends in the waste pipes meaning it can get right into the blockage.Again the idea is to push & pull the auger into the problem area hoping to break up the blockage which will then flow away as the pressure of water behind it forces it down the pipes & clears to the drains.

Both of those methods are fine & those tools can easily be bought in local stores or online and can work in most instances,but if you have a length of plastic hose lying around your workshop or garden shed you can probably acheive the same result for next to nothing.If you have a plastic pipe,cut it to  3 or 4 foot long,then simply push this down the pan & give it a few pushes & this should clear the blockage almost immeadiatley.It may not be as pretty or last as long as the toilet auger.but it almost does as good a job.

Cleaning  Wood Floors

Before attempting to clean any wood floor, it is advisable to find out what kind of finish the floor has on it as using the wrong cleaning solution to the wrong type of finish can actually make the problem worse.A quick tip to check if the floor is finished(maybe a polished effect similar to a coffe table etc.) or unfinished(similar to a shed floor etc.) is to put a drop of water on the surface,if it remains as a bead,it has a finish on it,but if it soaks in it is untreated.

Ok,now that you have determined the finish on the surface ,you can proceed with cleaning wood floors.You only need a few things:

Vinegar

Washing up liquid

A Bucket

A Micro Fibre Mop & Cloth

Add a capful of vinegar (vinegar is a great disinfectant & will help remove grease etc….I will explain some great uses for vinegar in later posts) & a few small drops of the washing up liquid to a bucketful of hot water.Soak the mop head in the bucket for a few moments to soften & then mix the  the vinegar & washing up liquid around with the water.Squeeze the mop until it is almost dry as you don’t want puddles of water lying on the surface of your wood floor.Starting in one corner of the room,move the mop from side to side creating a “S” pattern as you go,remembering to regularly clean the mop along the way.All that’s left to do now is quickly go back over the cleaned area with a dry micro fibre cloth,wiping gently to remove any water or streaks that may be left behind.

Dovetail Joint

Many woodworking enthusiasts have told me they are put off trying to make dovetail joints as they think it is too difficult for them to try,so I have decided to explain how easy this joint  is to make by hand.

Once your wood has been cut to size, you will need to mark a gauge line on both pieces to form the shoulder line to cut to.Place one of the pieces in a vice & begin cutting the tails using a dovetail saw(there is no exact formula for these,but I usually cut 1 tail per inch – eg. if the wood is 3″ wide,I use 3 tails if it is 6″ wide I use 6 tails & so on)the tails can now be cut out either using a coping saw or a chisel,depending on the size.

Now put the second piece of wood in the vice & place the first piece on top and use this as a template to mark the position of the cuts for the tails to fit into.Again cut these using a dovetail saw & finish off with the coping saw or wood chisel,you may have to gently go over again with a chisel if your joints are a little tight.If this is the first time your attempting this joint,I would recommend using a few scrap pieces of wood first,until you get the hang of how to make this nice strong dovetail joint.

How To Replace Roof Shingles

A good quality shingle roof should last you quite a few years,but from time to time for whatever reason-maybe due to a storm or extremely windy conditions,your roof shingles may require replacing.It is always a good idea as part of your home maintenance routine to go outside now & again to look at your roof for any slight damage,it is always best to repair the damage before it gets too severe.Now although this job is quite easy,some people may not be too keen to climb up onto a roof with tools to carry out this repair,in which case it is best to call out a specialist.

I always explain to people when they ask me how to replace roof shingles the easiest & best method. Using a putty knife or something similar gently ease up the damaged  shingles from the bottom edge,now all you need to do is pop out the nails which are holding the roof shingles in place using a small nail bar,there should be 2 or 3 about halfway up & another 2 or 3 at the top.Sometimes it can be a little tricky but persevere & they will eventually come out,now remove the old shingle & repeat the process if any others need replacing.

If the new shingles need cutting to length,try using the old shingle as a template & it can also be used as a straight edge,they can be easily cut using a utility knife.Line up the new shingle with the neighbouring shingles on either side & nail in a similar position to those used for the old shingle.It will probably be neccessary to lift up the shingle above to give you access to nail the top part of your new shingle.Repeat the proccess with any others that need replacing.You may also use these shingles if your building a shed,or simply replacing the roof on a shed-in fact in may actually be a better idea to try this on your shed before attempting your house roof,enabling you to become familiar with the process.

How To Bend Wood

If your quite a keen woodworker you may have made a few different projects over the years.But one day you might decide to make something that needs a few bends,follow this short how to bend wood explanation as I show you ONE of the ways it can easily be done.

You will first need to make a form (or template) using 3 pieces of 3/4″ MDF cut to the required shape.Once you have built your bending form,you can move onto the next step,which is cutting the strips of wood which actually make up the bend.This can be done quite quickly & easily using a table saw in your workshop.As you will be cutting thin strips from you length of wood,there is a possibility they may be dragged down into the saw,so it is best to make sure you have a throat plate with a minimum gap.

Set your table saw fence so that it cuts the minimum amount from your length of wood & make the first cut.Now set your fence in at 1/4″ intervals until you have cut the required amount of strips.Apply a light coating of glue to all sides of the strips of wood,placing them on top of each other as you go.Once all pieces have been glued,place them on top of the forming template,& using a scrap piece of wood to protect your strips,start clamping from the centre out over,this is how to bend the wood,working from each side at a time.Leave the glue to dry for at least 8 hours somewhere out of the way like your garage,workshop or garden shed,before removing the clamps.Once this is done you will now have a perfectly bent piece of wood,which if done correctly,will look as if it is 1 solid piece of wood.

How To Use A Rivet Gun

There are usually three types of rivet gun widely used today.Air operated & electically operated guns are more common in an industrial environment,but I will explain how to use a rivet gun  for the home workers & DIY enthusiasts as this is the most popular.

Fantastic Discounts on Rivet Guns Here

A manual rivet gun usually has various sized tip attachments located on the gun to fit the type of rivet your using.Unlock thepop rivet gun & hold it in the open position,the rivet should fit snugly into the attachment without force & shouldn’t be loose,ensure the long shank of the rivet is placed into theattacment & push it in until it reaches the collar on the rivet.

A hole can be drilled through the two metal surfaces your planning on riveting together,making sure the hole is the same diameter as the the shank of the rivet.Using the rivet gun,place the shank of the rivet through the hole in the two surfaces & now firmly squeeze the two handles of the  rivet gun together.As your pushing the handles together,this will force the shank of the rivet down through the two surfaces & into the collar on the back edge,this in turn will expand the collar making it tighten onto the surfaces.As it becomes tight the gun will automatically “pop” the rivet off,leaving you with a nice neat & very strong finish.This is a  handy tool to keep either in your garden shed or in a garage workshop.

I’m sure we’ve all done it a few times at some stage of our lives.You know what I mean,taking that hot dish or plate straight from the oven,or putting a hot cup of coffee or tea straight onto a bare table – then finding to your horror it has left an ugly white ring mark or stain,which no matter how you try, you just can’t get rid of it.Well I have a very quick & simple solution which will show you how to remove a white heat stain from a table,requires no tools & which works like magic in only a few minutes !

How To Remove A White Heat Stain From A Table

Ok,what you need to carry out this neat DIY trick is a white cotton towel (or something similar) & an iron which has a steam setting.All you have to do is place the towel over the white heat mark & simply run the hot iron on top of the towel using circular motions,occasionally blasting it with the steam.Carry out this process for only 20 seconds or so,lift up the towel & you will be amazed at how easily the stain has gone.If some of the stain is still there,just repeat the process until it has all disappeared.

Sometimes when making a larger woodwork project that requires the frame to be perfectly square,it can be quite tricky at times to achieve this.On smaller jobs  checking for square is easier using a small try square,or by measuring the two diagonals – if the two diagonals measure the same,this means your project will be square.

Here is a simple tool you can make from waste materials leftover from a previous job,that can be quickly made in a matter of minutes & will be a handy addition to you tool collection.

This handy gadget can be made any size you like,to suit whatever job your busy with.First of all simply cut a length of wood to your required length ,then cut it approx. 1 1/4″ wide  x  1/2 ” thick,making sure cut a point of equal sizes at both ends.A second piece should be cut slightly longer than half the length of the original piece,again with a point cut only to one end this time.Lay the second piece on top of the first so that both points match up exactly then tape the two pieces together,now measure exactly halfway between the total length from point to point,drill a hole & secure the two pieces using a small bolt or something similar which mat be lying around your shed or utility area.Remove the tape & check that the smaller top piece lines up exactly at both ends.

To use this tool is very simple.Fit the short arm into the corner of the frame & allow the other two points to touch the frame,if all three points are touching,you now know the frame is square.If the two points are too loose,this means the angle is too big & if the short arm is too loose the angle is too small – a small adjustment either way will eventually correct this.I haven’t seen these is a store anywhere so go ahead & make your own virtually for free.