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Adding a sunporch or bedroom makes more room in your house, but it also necessitates expansion of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, system, even if the system consists of only a heat pump. If the only expansion necessary is adding ducts to the system, often a homeowner with a pair of gloves, safety glasses and a few specialized tools can complete the assembly. To maintain the balance of your system, however, an HVAC engineer should design the size, run and placement of your new ductwork.
Houses in warmer climates sometimes don't have heating systems because they stay naturally warm throughout the year. While this is more efficient from an electrical standpoint, it puts you in a bind if the temperature unexpectedly drops. Installing a furnace is usually the most viable long-term solution for unheated homes, but this may not be cost-effective in the near future and should be done professionally. It is also not an option if you rent or otherwise share the home. Other options exist if you need to add heat to the second floor of an unheated home, but multiple devices are…
A sensitive voltage detector can be built from one to three transistors, which are semiconductors that amplify voltages and currents. A single one can amplify an electrical signal hundreds of times. The degree of amplification is known as the gain. Use a copper strip for an antenna, and a voltage equal to 6V or 9V. Test the circuit on a solderless breadboard, and then solder the components together. Place the circuit into a plastic case that has a hole drilled into it for the antenna.
Elevating a home might be a necessity in areas with frequent flooding, including areas that traditionally experience summer tropical storms and towns built primarily on flood plains. Deciding on which home elevation method to use depends on the property's foundation. A home with a slab foundation has more options to choose from when seeking to elevate than non-slab construction.
A second story house offers additional living space without the need for a larger foundation, leaving you with more room for recreation or gardening in your yard. Framers construct the second story floor system to match the layout of the main floor system. Typically, the second story floor joists will not only run the same direction as the first floor joists, they will also be directly over them. Second floor construction techniques follow a standard process. As construction gets higher, builders must take additional safety precautions to prevent falls.
Older homes — those built before the advent of central heat and air systems — may not have ductwork that runs to all the rooms on a second story. A direct vent through the ceiling to a second floor will allow warm air to rise and heat the room above. It may also serve as a return-air vent to balance air pressure between floors.
A home’s structural framework includes the foundation, walls, floors and anticipated weight loads on each floor. When you're deciding on wood sizes for a second floor ceiling, a home’s structural layout and weight-loading requirements will call for a certain wood type and size. Floor dimensions and weight-loading considerations may also require the use of additional supports, such as columns and beams.
Ask any family what feature they would most like to add to their existing home and many will agree that another bathroom tops their wish list. In a two-story home, adding a bathroom upstairs involves choosing a location that allows you to tie the bathroom drainage system into the main house drainage system.
A shower has what is called a p-trap to prevent gases from your drainage system from coming up through the shower drain hole. This p-trap is nothing more than a u-shaped section of pipe that retains water as a barrier to block gases. Installing a p-trap is a job anyone with some plumbing skill can master. Since this p-trap is located on the second floor, you must access it through the ceiling of the first floor right under the shower.
Bathroom fixtures can present special challenges for do-it-yourselfers. The weight of these bathroom fixtures often requires additional support measures, particularly on second floors of residences. Though older structures may already have the necessary construction for many types of fixtures, newer construction may require additional support for drop-in tubs, cast-iron tubs, whirlpools or other heavy fixtures.
Pouring a large amount of water into a floor register on the second floor of your home is not advisable for several reasons. While a small amount, such as a few drops of water, would not be likely to have adverse effects, a large amount would lead to undesirable consequences.
Roofing material selection is among the most essential and costly decisions when constructing a home. It must have both aesthetic appeal and function, as well as be suitable for local weather conditions. When the roof is placed over a second story balcony, it is often exposed to the worst weather and subject to the most sun exposure, meaning proper selection is particularly important to reduce the risk of premature aging and costly replacements.
Running a duct from the first floor to the second involves creating a hole in the main duct and attaching new duct work that terminates in a floor-level heat register on the second floor. Homeowners expanding their existing first-floor duct work to the second floor need more space than walls typically provide, so they must cut a hole in the floor and pass the duct up through the first-floor ceiling. Boxing in the new, exposed duct with studs and drywall subtracts living space but conceals the improvement.
If your laundry room is on an upper floor of the home, some of the same performance issues as if it is located on a lower floor can be experienced. Vibrating or rattling is a common problem with dryers. This problem can happen even with brand new dryers. Troubleshoot the cause of the vibration to determine and rectify the problem without having to call a professional.
Porticos create add a decorative touch to the front entry of a home while providing shelter from the elements. The style of the portico depends on the architecture of the home and can cover the entire front of the home or be a simple structure over the front door area. Porticos enhance the appearance of the front door by focusing a visitor’s attention on this area of the building.
Studio apartments generally feature a very basic floor plan that includes a living/sleeping area, bathroom and kitchen area. All of these spaces are generally thrown into one small room, leaving little in the way of separation. There are several techniques that can be used to create either actual or visual separations in a studio apartment, without compromising much space -- which is vital when dealing with a space this small. These techniques include rugs, screen dividers and color choices.
“Luigi’s Mansion” is a video game for the Game Cube, and is one of the only games in the “Mario” franchise that stars Mario’s brother, Luigi. Armed with his trusty “Poltergust 3000,” and a flashlight that stuns ghosts, Luigi must make his way through a haunted mansion filled with Boos in search of his brother, who has gone missing. At the beginning of the game, the large door that allows Luigi to enter the second floor is locked. You must unlock this door to progress in the game.
In the “Pokemon” games, Gengar is a Poison- and Ghost-type Pokemon that can merge with the shadows of its victim to launch a sneak attack. While Gengar lacks physical strength and defense, it is resistant to Poison-, Bug- and Grass-type attacks and immune to Normal-, Fighting- and Ground-type moves. In addition, it can learn a wide-variety of attacks, including the Fire-type Will-O-Wisp and the Electric-type Thunderbolt.
While the furniture in a downstairs hallway tends to be more functional, like a bench to sit on when entering, there’s a bit more room for whimsy and play when outfitting an upstairs hallway. Perhaps you’ve had your eye on an entry table with a fun finish but no drawers for storage -- this piece may just have a home in your second-floor hallway.
When calculating the number of steps needed for a staircase to reach the home’s second level, you will need to consider several dimensions. The rise is the vertical height the staircase covers. The run is the horizontal distance the staircase takes up as it covers the rise. A few measurements and some calculations determine the number of risers--vertical stair members--and treads, or steps, you will need to to reach the second level comfortably and safely.
The importance of home security cannot be understated. Door locks provide the foundation of a good security plan. Adding a second lock to a front door can provide additional security at a price that is considerably less expensive than adding other security features, such as alarm systems and video cameras. Installing a second lock is a fairly straightforward process, but you must pay close attention to detail to ensure that the door and the door frame are properly cut.
"Zwinky" is an online simulation game for the PC that puts you in the shoes of a freshman who has just enrolled in college. Each student is given a dorm room, which can be visited by other players in the game. One of the most popular set-ups is a sort of optical illusion that makes it look like your dorm room has a second floor. The glitch won't actually give your room more space; it just gives it the appearance of more space.
The throne room in "Epic Mickey" for the Nintendo Wii is located in Dark Beauty Castle and is accessible after making your return to the castle near the end of the game. The throne room has two floors, both of which have different objectives you need to complete to continue in the game. While the ramp to the second floor is not difficult to find with some exploring, you may miss it while moving around the room.
One of the cheapest methods of muffling sounds coming from upstairs is to drape fabric from the ceiling. Hanging fabric will help absorb some of the sound coming from above. However, this method is not the most effective, especially when dealing with noisy neighbors. More effective methods involve padding or dropping your ceiling. These methods are typically more expensive, but can be completed with just a few tools and additional supplies.
If you have more than one floor in your home, you may experience noise issues, such as footsteps or sound leaking between floors. If you would like to soundproof the second floor of your home so that the noise above doesn't leak below, you have several available options. The best course of action depends upon how finished the second floor is before you begin soundproofing and how soundproof the floor needs to be.
Ice in your second floor gutters is often an insulation problem. Poor insulation or ventilation allows heat from your second floor or attic to escape to the roof. The snow and ice on this warmer area melts and runs down until it reaches the gutters on the edge of your roof. There, on the cooler section of the roof, the water freezes again and creates ice dams. De-ice ice dams as soon as you spot them. They can quickly ruin your gutters or cause leaks in your house as the melted water behind the dam is pushed back into your…
Hyrule Castle is the seat of Ganondorf's power, and it's Link's final destination in "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." The castle serves as both the last dungeon of the game and the site of the final, climactic battle between the hero and villain. Of course, before you get to that battle, you'll have to navigate through all the castle's areas, just like you do in any other dungeon.
Nothing is more disheartening on a cold winter's day than climbing out of a warm bed into a chilly, inhospitable bedroom. Hot air is lighter than cold air and will rise to the ceiling and second floor. Improper insulation, ventilation and other factors will prevent an upstairs area from staying warm, even if the first floor is hot. There are several ways to keep a second story warm in winter.
Wires strung from room to room or paying for an expensive installation are not good options when it comes to adding cable wiring to your home. Newer homes often come already wired, but if there is a room that doesn't have it, or your home is older, it has to get in there somehow. Installing the cable wiring is not impossible as a DIY project, and requires only basic tools.
Draperies are a set of long curtains that drape or cover the entire length of a window. Ready-made draperies are available in sizes of 63, 84, 96 and 108 inches long, because those sizes fit most standard manufactured windows. However, none of these standard sizes may be the right length for your window or your taste. Gone are the days of starting draperies a precise number of inches above the window frame and ending them at a precise distance from the floor. Consider all your options.
Any home improvement or addition adds resale value to property; however, the investment is not always on par with the expense. Adding a back yard fence, for example, takes in many costs versus value factors that every homeowner needs to consider before taking the plunge.
A flag pole is used to display the flag of a nation, state, county or organization. Made of metal or wood, flag poles range from bracket-mounted models of a few feet to in-ground models of up to 30 feet or more in height. Flag poles installed in the ground feature a pulley at the top of the pole through which a small-diameter rope is fed. The rope features a swivel snap on both ends.
Dormer additions create more space on the top floor of a home, as they jut from the room, out of the rooftop. Often the space is too small, too low or too awkward to make real use of, so many homeowners wonder what to do with the dormer addition. Ideas for dormer additions include aesthetic considerations such as window style, and more creative concepts such as a do-it-yourself rooftop conservatory.
You can install a second domain controller (DC) to a Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 environment. A second DC can extend the server's functionality to a separate operating system without impacting the SBS's original DC. A second DC can also improve response times for authentication when working at multiple sites.
A mansard roof is distinctive in that it extends down vertically, sometimes enough to cover windows on the floor below. Its design means that it is difficult to insulate because it only has a small amount of attic space. As well as being insulated, the area also needs to be protected against damp so that the wood does not rot.
As cell phones have become more common among youths and adults alike, many homeowners are electing to get rid of their landline phone and stick exclusively with a cell. Those who look to their cell phone as the primary form of communication often don't see the point in having another phone line that exists solely in one location. Canceling your landline may be the right call, depending on your individual circumstances.
Flags and the poles they are installed on are a great way to show off your pride for your country, state or favorite team. Many families have flag poles on their property at their homes or cottages. In addition to flying the Stars and Stripes, families may also choose to fly flags that show off an historic family coat of arms, or perhaps the country they were born in. If your flag pole is tall enough you can fly more than one flag at a time.
The HoMedics SC-300 Scale is an electronic bathroom scale that shows a person's weight as a digital readout. The scale can show the readout in pounds, 25 to 350; or in kilograms, 12 to 160. Because the scale is digital, it requires little of the manual setting required with a mechanical or dial-type scale, such as turning a dial to zero. Instead, simply select a unit of measurement and stand perfectly still on the scale while it determines your weight.
It can be difficult to keep second-floor rooms warm during the colder months and continually retiring to a cold bedroom can become very tiresome. There are, however, measures you can take to make the second floor noticeably warmer. These measures revolve around two key concepts: improving hot air flow around the house and minimizing heat loss.
A resistor is a component that opposes the flow of electricity, according to Encyclopædia Britannica, to protect, operate or control an electrical circuit. According to the Alvis J. Evans book, "Using Your Meter," resistors are most commonly used to limit current or to create voltage drops. According to Evans, resistance in ohms and power ratings classify resistors. The components come in different shapes, sizes and values. Resistors range from 0.125 watts to hundreds of megohms. A megohm equals 1 million ohms. To simplify testing, manufacturers developed a standard color-coding system that indicates the resistor's value.
Hot air rises and when the outside temperature is hot you must adjust your vents to force the cool air to the upper floors. You will need to adjust you vents in the summer months in order to keep the upstairs cool. This can be accomplished by adjusting both the upstairs vents and the downstairs vents.
You may want to add a second land line to your home if you have multiple users living in one household. A second line adds convenience by allowing two users to talk at once without having to wait for the phone. It also helps if you are starting a home business. Adding a second land line through AT&T is easy, as well.
Schlage has added some attractive models into the electronic deadbolt options for homeowners, with several features that set their locks apart from the crowd. One of those features is easy code setting without the need to remove the lock from the door. With Schlage electronic combination deadbolts, changing the code is a simple process, requiring no tools.
Doorbells notify you when a visitor is at the front door, but a doorbell can be hard to hear when you are in an upstairs room or on the back patio. Installing a second doorbell chime at another location in the house can help to solve this dilemma and prevent leaving visitors out on the front step.
The right addition of a shed dormer adds visual value to a home. A shed dormer is created by lifting a portion of the roof to create additional space to a second floor or attic. The lifted area is shored up with outer and inner walls to appear as windows or gables. Along with the aesthetic attributes, shed dormers add space and light to the home.
Plywood in various thicknesses is an essential material in modern residential and commercial building. Used for flooring, walls, ceilings and custom designed appointments in all rooms, plywood is a versatile, strong and relatively inexpensive building material. When building multilevel structures, however, comes the task of moving plywood from the ground up to the second floor. When a blueprint may call for 100 sheets or more of 4-by-8 foot 1/2-inch plywood, the job becomes very daunting. There are ways, though, to accelerate getting all those sheets up to where the nail gun is waiting.
If you need to add a second door bell to your house, one method is to install a wireless door bell. Most wireless door bells work on a single AA battery and can be placed anywhere on the outside or inside of a house or building. You can select from simple models with one tone, to bells with more elaborate chimes and melodies. Installing a wireless door bell takes only a few minutes, and no knowledge of electricity or wiring is required.
You've decided to add a television to an upstairs room. Your cable provider has already installed the basic cables to the main television in the living room downstairs, and you don't want to pay for someone to come out and run another line to the upstairs television. This is a job you can do yourself with smart planning and a willingness to jump in. The task seems larger than it may really be, requiring only basic to moderate carpentry skills.
Adding a second story to your home is a viable option if you need to expand your home on a small property. It's a major undertaking, however, and requires extensive planning and financing. Even if you secure the money and a permit to build, your existing house and its foundation might not be able to support the added weight of a second story. The reward, however, of a second story is the added space and improved aesthetics in your home.
If you run a home business, or you just need to open up your current landline, then you may want to add a second line to your home. If you use AT&T for your landline services, then have the company install the necessary devices and equipment for that second landline. Although this is not something you can install on your own, it is possible to have the additional line added to your home.
The mansard roof can be viewed atop many different buildings, from houses to fast food restaurants. First popularized in 17th century France, it is now a widely used roof style throughout the United States.
Flea season doesn't end with the coming of autumn. In fact, some of the warmer areas of the United States experience flea season all year long. Keeping your dog flea-free is important in preventing several flea-borne illnesses that can affect both animals and humans. Some of the chemicals in commercial flea treatments can be even more dangerous than the fleas themselves. But you can create your own natural flea remedy using a garlic powder recipe, which renders your dog's blood unsavory to biting fleas.
Don't think of the space underneath your second floor deck as a potential wasteland. Instead, use a few creative measures and turn the area into viable living or storage space. A plethora of products are available at home and garden supply and hardware stores to transform these dirty, drab areas outside of our homes into easily accessible and aesthetically pleasing options.
Buying a house is a big purchase. Keeping it in top shape can be costly, so knowing what changes to make can be critical to increasing its value. Replacing the flooring teeters on the fence between increased house value and pocketbook liability; market factors, property appraisal and neighborhood comparatives will affect the bottom line and determine which way the valuation goes.
Fragrance oils are manufactured oils that usually mix carrier oils and natural and artificial fragrances. Carrier or cutting oils are used to dilute more expensive essential or fragrance oils to make oils for household or personal use. Dipropylene glycol (DPG) is a widely used and readily available carrier oil which dilutes your fragrance oil and allows you to make more product from less fragrance oil. DPG is easy to use and can be used to make oils for oil burners, incense and even perfume.
Property owners who want to add on to their home realize that they have limited space to expand outward. An innovative way to give your family more space is to add a second floor to your home. It is important to budget wisely and to consider the structural integrity of your home when you add a second level.
