Solar Box Heater

Solar energy can be used in many ways even  to  heat your home.  In this easy DIY Handyman solution, the idea here is to put solar box window heaters in south facing windows during the winter to supplement your heat needs. The beauty of a solar box window heater is you can make one of these for around or even less then $100.00.

How a Solar Box Window Heater Is Built

The basic idea here is that the cold air is drawn into the lower slotted  chamber and warmed as it passes through the chamber over the black heat collector. As the air warms it rises and enters back into the room through the upper chamber to help heat the house and lower cost.

The heat collector should be spaced 3″ or 4″ in the center of the box so there is  space above and below the heat collector. Using dowel rods or brackets to hold the collector up.  The heat collector could be made from almost any metal and painted flat black. A more efficient heat collector can be made from a thin aluminum or steel  painted flat black, mounted 3/4″ of a inch above a heavy foam board. You can use some 3/4″ dowel rods or metal bracket between the aluminum or steel panel and the foam board.

It is very important that the bottom and sides of the box be  insulated with a foam board to improve air flow and prevent heat loss. It is also very important that the entire box be weather tight using a silicone caulk  to prevent any moisture from entering as the moisture will reduce the efficiency of the box. The top of the box should be a clear top, either a sheet of clear Plexiglas or better yet an insulated window pane.

This is one DIY improvement project that could help offset your winter gas or heating  bills and also help out the environment.  Some of the more efficient solar box heaters can produce a steady 120 degree air flow on a warm and  sunny day.

Remodeling Tips

Remodeling your home can be a great alternative to buying a new home. This is especially true in today’s  financial markets. A well  executed remodeling project can significantly increase the value and comfort of your home. Having said that I wanted to share some remodeling tips that are sure to help make your next project a sure success.

Realistic Budget

Before beginning any remodeling project it’s extremely important to setup a realistic budget. There’s no sense starting a major remodeling project if you know you  can’t afford it. Be honest with yourself about how much you can afford and write down an actual budget. After you’ve done that then only allocate 85% of that money for the remodeling tasks and save 15% for a contingency plan if things happen.

Appraisal / Value

So you’ve decided that you can afford to install an underground  pool in your new addition but is that the best decision? Or you decide to install a shake  roof on your home because you love re-creating historically accurate homes. The real question is are you remodeling to an extent that the real estate market will not bear based on neighbor hood. If none of your neighbors have a shake  roof or underground  pool it may be not likely that an appraisal will compensate you for those costs.

Design

Now that you’ve come up with a budget and you’ve presumably come up with an idea of your remodeling needs it’s time to develop a design. This is a step that requires some time and planning. YOU SHOULD NOT RUSH THE DESIGN. If you take your time and make a list of needs and materials  for your remodeling project. Once you’ve got a list of needs then you can do some research and come up with a plan. Obviously if you’re going to undertake a substantial remodeling project then you may want to think about  an architect or interior designer in the plan.

There are tons of great design books available from Amazon and your local library. Taking the time to at least start the design will likely save you money even if you hire a contractor  to finish the design. We will have quite a few remodeling and design articles on; kitchen design, walk-in closet design, kitchen remodeling and a kids playroom design. Coming soon!!

Scope of Work

Once the work is finished create a detailed scope of work. You won’t be able to effectively sign a contract with a contractor without identifying the scope of work to be completed. The more detailed the scope of work the better your plan will be and fewer chances for conflict will arise.

Schedule

Start with some realistic expectations about the remodeling projects schedule. Most projects are not able to be  accomplished in a weeks time.  Even simple kitchen remodeling projects are likely to take a month or more,  so be sure to plan for the ruckus. Be sure not to plan construction around  holidays times. Bad weather, and product lead times are to be expected . The bottom line is don’t wait until two weeks before New Years  to remodel your kitchen and expect it to be complete.

Multiple Contractor Bids

Unless you’re going to do all the work yourself I highly recommend getting at least five  bids from qualified and recommended contractors. This is very important if for no other reason than to flush out details that may not be specified or clear to all the parties. It’s also likely to save you a significant amount of money and flexibility in choosing someone that is available to meet your schedule. Be sure that each contractor is bidding the same  work so you can compare quotes.

Qualified Contractors

This is  one of the most important tips I can give you. You really should get references from any contractors that you’re planning on hiring. There are lots of great contractors doing wonderful work and there are also a handful of crooked, dishonest, unqualified contractors out there. It doesn’t take any  effort to ask them for a couple of  references that you can call and ask about the quality of their work.

Contracts

NEVER higher a contractor without signing a contract. Most reputable contractors will insist on it and if they don’t then this should be a flag that you have a  shady operation. Contracts can be quite simple but it’s important to detail the scope of work, the cost,  and how delays and changes in scope will be paid for.

DIY and Save Money

You can save a lot of money by doing it yourself  (DIY). Even if you don’t have many DIY skills it’s not that hard. Start to save some money doing basic demolition, painting or other simple tasks. Maybe you’re creating an open floor plan, you could remove a wall  and save some money that way. Just remember to check and make sure that the wall is not load bearing.

Financing

The last remodeling tip is about financing. Depending on the size of your  project you may want to consider several different financial options. If you’re project is fairly large one option would be to take out a home  equity loan. The benefit of that would be obvious tax deductions for interest paid. The other is a financial loan, that you will not get any deductions back on.  Witch ever way  you decide to finance the project be sure it’s in place before you begin.  One other thing that might help is to set some money from the loan in a separate account for making payments if you have any financial troubles.

DIY money saving tips for heating.

Across the country temperatures are dropping, but before you turn up your thermostat in an effort to stave off the blistering cold, there are a few things you can do to help ensure you have a restful, warm night. It could be as simple as choosing the right comforter.

Like many people, readers may become frustrated with all of the choices on the market today. What is the difference between goose down and down-free comforters, and which is right for you? To help arm you with creative ways to increase the warmth without increasing the heating bill, with the necessary information ‘get down’ with down this winter:

1. What is the temperature of the room you sleep in? If you keep the thermostat on high, 74°F or above, look for a lightweight comforter, which typically has less fill. However, if you prefer to keep your room cold or just want to save money by turning the heat down or lowering the heat, look for a down comforter with extra fill. This will keep you warm and toasty during cold winters or if the room temperature drops below 62°F. The fill is packed inside 12-inch sewn-through box construction that prevents the down from shifting while you sleep.
2. Do you have allergies? Consider if you prefer a comforter that is filled with goose down or one that is filled with hypoallergenic material. If you prefer goose down, you can easily select your comforter based on the warmth level or quality. However, if you find that you’re sensitive to allergens, look for a down-alternative, which provides the same level of comfort and warmth, but without any materials that can wreak havoc with your sinuses.
3. What quality of comforter is most appealing to you? A more basic comforter with a 230 thread count is fine if you plan to use a duvet cover. If you want to avoid the extra laundry though, look for comforters with a minimum 300 thread count, as it will provide ample softness without the need of an outer cover.

Many different types of sandpaper

OK this article is on sandpaper, there are many kinds of sandpaper. There are many different kinds of uses for all the sandpaper. You have a rough all the way down to a fine grit. We will try to cover as many that we can for you. First off sandpaper is not a paper it is a type of cloth that is very fine. There are thousands of different grits and makes. I personally  like to use industrial sandpaper it will hold up better and not ware out as fast as some.

Now the larger the number on the back of the paper means the finer the grit and the smaller number on  the paper means the larger the grit. There are many types of sandpaper some are used for wood and others are used for metal and ceramics, some are for wet and some are for dry. So you have to be very specific on the type that you want when you are buying at the store.

If you are doing wood projects then you will generally start off with a much courser grit so you can knock down the material that you want to take off. Then you will move to a fine grit to smooth down the surface and prep it for paint or lacquer. Now on metal you will want to use a medium grit or a fine to polish. If you want to remove more metal then it is best to use a grinder to do so. The finest grit that I have used is 2000 and that is used for metal or plastic, the largest grit that I have used is a 20 grit and that was for wood on hard wood floors.

Well there is a lot more to cover on this subject and we will cover more in the next article  we hope that this will get you started.

This is a DIY Soldering Copper Pipes

Here is a video of the right way to solder copper pipes. There are a lot of wrong ways to make many mistakes that lead to leaks. The most common is that the pipes are not clean, you have to use a flux paste that will clean the pipe of any foreign materials like oxidation or rust. (Yes copper pipes can have the rust bacteria on them even though it will not rust like other metals. ) So watch the video and have fun learning.

1. Copper pipe
2. Solder with rosin core
3. Torch
4. Safety glasses
5. Leather gloves
6. Sand paper ( 220 Grit )
7. Flux

(Just remember that it is very important for you to keep the pipe clean for the solder to stick to both pipes)

The video below is about how to mig weld at an upward angle.

What you will need:

1. Mig Welder
2. Argon Gas
3. Welding Hood
4. Leather Sleeves and Leather Gloves

The video below shows how to easily fix a hole in your wall using joint compound and a putty knife. This is easy to do, the main thing is to remember to use plenty of mud, and when it dries, sand it down for a smooth surface. When you run your hand over the dried patch, you shouldn’t feel any bumps. Then just paint over the repaired area and you’re done!

What you need:

1. Joint compound (‘mud’)
2. Paint
3. Sand paper
4. Putty Knife

More videos coming soon!

Welcome to DIY Handyman, we will be giving you a lot of cool help with home and construction repair. Also we will be giving you videos on how to do it yourself for electrical, plumbing, carpentry, foundation work, and many more. We will also try to show how to repair some of the tools that you will need or show you where to buy the best tools.

We hope that you will come and see us more then once for all of your home and any kind of construction needs.