18
April
2006
Posted by Brandon Hopkins
“I remember these from when I was a kid,” my wife remarked. It made me think, shouldn’t we, as a society have come up with a better way of protecting our children from sticking metal objects into light sockets? And on a tangent, why do kids like to stick things into holes like a light socket?
That is when we found these Decora Outlet Covers. They replace those old plugs that you stick in the holes with a plate that you have to open to get anything into the outlet.
If you are like me, you always have to keep those little plugs handy because you pull one out so you can plug something in, then you forget where you set it. These outlet covers solve that problem perfectly!
If you have used these, leave us some feedback!
Brandon Hopkins 
Bedroom, Children, New Products, Walls 
No Comments »
18
April
2006
Posted by Brandon Hopkins
TheRustStore has some great articles on how to 
remove and prevent rust. Better than that, they have hundreds of different items that will do the same, prevent or remove rust. Rust is the common term for the corrosion of steel or iron. Whenever iron or steel comes into contact with oxygen and moisture, there is the potential for rust. One of TheRustStore’s best selling product is Evapo-Rust which claims:
Evapo-Rust is a safe, effective and fast-acting rust remover. In addition, it’s easy to use. Simply soak your rusty object in Evapo-Rust for 20 minutes to remove light rust or overnight to remove extremely heavy rust. Evapo-Rust™ will not harm surrounding materials like steel, plastic, rubber or paint. It is a water-based, non-toxic liquid that is environmentally safe to use – no fumes or bad odors. The biodegradable solution requires no special equipment or scrubbing to use and can be safely disposed into sewers and drains. Evapo-Rust has an indefinite shelf life and can be used over and over again until it stops working. Unused portions can even be returned to the bottle for re-use later.
Here are some before and after pictures of Evapo-Rust:
If you have any additional experience or tips for removing and preventing rust, please leave a comment!
Brandon Hopkins Backyard, Boats, Cleaning, Exterior, Garage, RV's No Comments »
18
April
2006
Posted by Brandon Hopkins
The bathroom is no longer just for showering and using the facilities. Modern bathrooms have become works of art and are often the centerpiece of a new home.
If your home is in need of a bathroom remodel, keep these simple tips in mind before you break the first tile.
1. Have a plan.
For most people, a written set of instructions would be perfect. For others, you might want to sketch it out on a few pieces of paper. For the artists among us, you may prefer to paint or draw a large size (8″ x 10″) scale drawing so you can visualize the colors and places you will put that huge corner jacuzzi.
2. Identify the necessities.
If the main reason you are upgrading your bathroom is because you want a larger shower, pick that out first. Go down to Lowe’s Home Improvement store and find the exact shower you want. Then plan the rest of the bathroom around that shower. Many people want to upgrade the shower or tub. If you are looking for a jacuzzi (spa, hot tub, whatever), the find the model you want, get the dimensions, and figure out how you can get it to fit.
3. Identify the non-essentials.
These are the things like double sinks, a nicer toilet, more cabinet storage space, a larger window, etc. After you know what the focus of the bathroom will be, see what your budget and physical space constraints will allow for the non-essentials that you would like, but aren’t mandatory.
4. Identify your budget and can it be modified?
For many people a budget is a great idea. You know how much money you have to spend and what you want to spend it on. Others really don’t have a budget, you just want your bathroom the way you want it, regardless of price. For both people, looking at the total cost is a good idea. Factor in the essentials and non-essentials and come up with an approximate price that you think the entire project will cost. Is it worth spending that money?
5. Can you do all of the work?
If you are like me, you can do most of the work yourself. The work you can’t do you can learn out of a book or manual. However, I usually don’t like to mess with electrical. When installing the corner jacuzzi in my bathroom, I had an electrical contractor finish the new electrical in the bathroom. This is a definite cost that needs to be considered. If you don’t know how much this should cost, get a few estimates from different companies and you should be in the ballpark.
If you follow these 5 steps before you start your bathroom remodel, you’ll be on your way to a bathroom that you will never want to leave!
Here are a few links to bathroom remodels you might want to check out:
FoldedSpace.org has some great pictures of a bathroom remodel with before and after pics.
BusinessWeek.com has an article about when and how to update an old bathroom.
TheRealEstateBloggers also discuss when to remodel a bathroom.
Brandon Hopkins Bathroom, Design, Remodel, Spa's & Hot Tubs 1 Comment »
