Learn how to adhere mosaic tiles onto a stepping stone in this free video on making tile mosaics. Expert: Faith Schexnayder Contact: www.flatforkstudio.com Bio: Faith Schexnayder is an Austin based Artist, Designer and Sculptor.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Install Your Holiday Lighting the Professional Way
Each year we have thousands of customers who call us to get advice about their holiday lighting and one of their biggest concerns is how to get a straight professional look along their roof line. Investing in and using the right products will not only make your project look better when it is done but your Christmas Lights will probably be safer to operate as well. Despite popular belief it is not using staples that will give you the best look and safest installation (don't tell me you haven't stapled through your lights while installing them or come back the next year to rusted fragments of last year's Lighting Job still hanging on your roof line, we see and hear about it all the time). Instead do yourself a favor and get Christmas Light Clips!
When hanging outdoor Christmas lights, it is helpful to know which supplies you will need and the method you should use to hang outdoor Christmas lights before you begin. The supplies and methods differ based on the roof type. If you plan to hang outdoor Christmas lights on gutters, under shingles, or under tiles, there are a few basic light clips that you should invest in for your next job and we will detail the advantages of each here for you. And remember if you want a clean, consistent look, yes you will need a clip for each bulb.
Most people will be able to utilize the All-In-One clip best on their homes. It is great for use with C7 & C9 light line as well as Mini Lights (for those haven't been converted to the benefits of using the C7 & C9 lights exclusively). Christmas All-In-One Clips can be placed on a gutter, under shingles or on roof tiles, and are very easy to hang. Place all bulbs into the Christmas All-In-One Clips before hanging any of the lights, this will make the job of hanging Christmas lights easier.
All-In-One Clips can be reused year after year. Remove the clip and light as a unit and carefully wrap lights for the next year. Christmas All-In-One Clips fit snuggly onto gutters and should not slip or move. These clips should be used on every Christmas light bulb to create an even, constant look for your Christmas display. All-In-One Clips can also be hung under gutters and on facia edging.
Another option for installing Christmas Lights both houses and Commercial Buildings is the use of Shingle tabs either by themselves for homes with shingle roofs or in combination with parapet clips for commercial installations where you want to make installation easier year to year on flat roof lines. Shingle tabs work for both C7 and C9 lights. The larger hole is for C9 lights while the smaller hole is for C7 lights. Inserting C7 or C9 lamps is done by placing the bulb on one side of the tab and the socket on the other. Then screw the bulb into the socket. The plastic shingle tab will not overheat. Each bulb will need to have its own shingle tab so the lights will hang straight and even. Place all bulbs into the shingle tabs prior to hanging any of them. Christmas shingle tabs are then inserted under shingles. Christmas shingle tabs should fit snuggly under shingles and should not slip or move. If the shingle tab fits loosely under the shingles, fold the end tabs down and then slide the shingle tab back under the shingle. This should hold it firmly in place. Shingle tabs can be reused year after year. Remove the tab and light as a unit and carefully wrap lights for next year.
When you want to use shingle tabs on commercial buildings or places with flat roofs or where you can't slip a clip under a roofing material parapet clips will help you. Parapet clips are basically a small, flat plastic piece that the Shingle Tabs can slide onto. The parapet clips can stay up year round so all you have to remove each year is the light line with shingle tabs, the next year just slide the shingle tabs with light line back on and you are done, so easy.
The C-Clip is another great way to install your holiday lights on a flat building or roof (many commercial buildings or homes in the Southwest have flat roofs). To install these you will need heavy duty construction adhesive or screws, caulk gun, stiff bristled brush, C-Clips, and a measuring stick. First things first, prior to attaching Christmas C-Clips to the roof, it is necessary to use a stiff bristled brush and clean the surface.
Outdoor Christmas light bulb sockets are spaced 12, 15 or 18 inches apart. After you decide which Christmas light string spacing you are going to use, create a measuring stick. Mark the stick in increments 1 1/2 inches shorter than the light line spacing. For example, if you are hanging 18 inch spaced Christmas light line, mark the stick in 16 1/2 inch increments. If you mark your stick at exactly 18 inches, you may be "off" by a fraction when you glue the C-Clip in place and the Christmas light line will not fit. The 1 1/2 inch difference is important because once you have glued your clips in place you do not want to have to redo them. Place the measuring stick on the roof. At each mark, place a quarter-size dab of heavy duty construction adhesive (caulk) on the edge of the roof. Place the C-Clips on the caulk and press down until the caulk goes through the holes in the C-Clip. Note that using caulk and C-Clips is relatively permanent. C-Clips are generally left in place year after year with only minor yearly repairs if needed. You could also attach the C-Clip with screws but doing so on some commercial buildings will void warranties so we always recommend sticking with the construction adhesive instead. If you are decorating for Christmas, C7 or C9 Light Line is usually removed each year while the C-Clips remain in place. The C7 and C9 C-Clips usually are hung perpendicular (horizontal) to the roof of the building.
Each C-Clip fits both a C7 or C9 socket base. One end has a larger opening than the other. The larger end is for C9 light line while the smaller end is for C7 light line. Be sure as you place the C-Clips on the caulk, that each clip is facing the same direction. Once the C-Clips are attached to the roof, the light line can be inserted. You can screw the C7 or C9 lamps into the C7 or C9 light line before snapping it into place. If you want to change the color of the lamp, simply remove the lamp and screw in the new one. When you are ready to remove the light line, you can snap the light line out of the C-Clips, leaving the C-Clips in place for next year.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
How to Properly Caulk Your Bathtub Or Shower
Caulking is an important maintenance process that ensures that no water seeps into the tiles or along the joints between tiles and your bathtub or shower stall. Remember: do not take leaky or aging caulk for granted.
What could start out as a harmless brown tinge along the edges of the caulk, could eventually lead to brittleness and cracks. Leaks in turn, pave the way for water to ooze in, causing mold and mildew buildup, or could loosen tiles in the surrounding area. Once it reaches that point, the repair process can be more expensive and time-consuming. Get rid of leaky or aging caulk before this happens!
Got exactly this problem right now? Lucky for you, caulk is cheap and recaulking your tub or shower is not as complicated as you think. You can even do it yourself! With a few common tools and some materials from the hardware shop, you can have new caulk in your bathroom in no time... or maybe in an hour or two.
Here are the five easy steps to caulking:
1. Remove old caulk. Old caulk can be stubborn. But removing it isn't that hard and you have many options to doing it. You can use a heat gun to soften caulk if it is water based. You can also use a sharp, plastic razor blade; metal blades can scratch sinks and tubs. There are also caulk removing products like Caulk-Be-Gone and Adhesive and Caulk Remover, but these can harm plastics.
2. Scrub the area smooth and clean. The best material that you can use to remove all traces of caulk residue is a dry, non abrasive scrub. Silicone caulk can be cleaned up using a soft rag slightly wet with mineral spirits. You may also opt to wipe the area clean with denatured alcohol.
3. Apply mildew cleaner. Before recaulking, spray the joint with a mildew killer to completely eliminate any hints of remaining mildew. Once this is done, dry the area thoroughly with paper towels, a dry rag, or a hair dryer.
4. Tape then caulk. For a professional-looking job, apply parallel strips of tape first along the length of the joint. Use blue painter's tape and have them around 3/8 of an inch apart. The caulk should go between these two strips and the tape should help keep the application straight, even, and away from surfaces where it shouldn't be.
Although you have the option to use a caulking gun, squeeze tubes are easier to control for the novice user. You would want to make the tube opening just right - not too large - so as not to apply too much caulk on the joint. You could always add a little more caulk to spots that need it, rather than spread over large blobs of caulk.
5. Smooth and remove (tape). When done, dampen a lint-free rag or paper towel and putting this over your finger, smoothen the caulk into the joint with your finger, pulling it along in one fluid motion to have the fresh caulk form into a concave bead. Remove the tape one strip at a time, and take care not to let it touch the fresh caulk.
Wait 24 hours before using your bathtub or shower.
There you have it! An easy, do-it-yourself solution to your leaky caulk and mildew problem.
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