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July 10, 2015 in Home Improvements, Idea Corner

Hide Any Ugly In The Home With A Hinged Canvas

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Not every necessary utility in a home is cute to look at. Fire alarms? Thermostats? Security systems? Those clunky squares aren’t a good look.

Luckily, The Third Boob has a great idea to hide those unsightly objects, a hinged canvas of any painting or photo. In just a few steps, the walls will look great and these systems will be easily accessible.

Start by gathering these materials:

  • Chosen canvas
  • Two flat hinges
  • Screw driver

After picking out the perfect painting of a sunset or photo of the family, attach two flat hinges the top and bottom of one side of the canvas. Once attached to the canvas, secure the hinges to the wall. Make sure to screw the hinges tightly to ensure the safety of the system and stability of the canvas.

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And that’s it! Enjoy large scale beauty without any of the nuisances of utilities cluttering up wall space.

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July 9, 2015 in Tech Toybox

These Vents Are Beautiful & Smart, What A Find!

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Ever wish you could just pay for the heating and cooling that you actually use, not for the rooms that are never entered, like the home gym? Well look no further than Keen Home’s Smart Vent!

These vents self-adjust to each individual room’s climate, ensuring that a home’s temperature is balanced. And if you think that’s cool, these Smart Vents are customizable to your home, coming in and adding more styles all the time.

Installation, you ask? Super easy! Don’t believe the hype? Feast your eyes on the video below!

https://youtu.be/vHVXtUFjt9c

July 8, 2015 in Home Improvements, Idea Corner

Ready For New Flooring? Look No Further Than This Floating Laminate Install Tutorial!

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There are many reasons why people are opting for laminate over hardwood flooring these days. Setting aside cost, laminate has more durability over most hardwood options. And it doesn’t hurt that laminate is as easy on the eyes as it is to install. And for the simplest installation of floating laminate flooring, look no further than this tutorial from One Project Closer.

Here’s what’s needed to get this project done:

  • Laminate flooring
  • Plastic Underlayment
  • Shoe molding
  • Molding adhesive
  • Thresholds
  • Miter saw
  • Table saw
  • Jig saw
  • Coping saw
  • Utility knife
  • Level
  • Hammer or rubber mallet
  • Pry bar
  • Multitool or flush-cut saw
  • Finish nail gun
  • Compressor

This may seem like a long list, but don’t let the length fool you, this project can be done by most novice home improvers. Let’s get started!

Begin by preparing the subfloor, making sure that the surface is level and acclimated to the climate of the room. Then plan out how the boards will lay in the room, making sure the planks will be uniform and equal.

DSC_0056Now it’s time to lay the plastic sheeting. These sheets should be running tight along the walls and secured with the adhesive on the bottom of each sheet.

Time to lay the boards! Make sure to leave a 1/4″ gap around the perimeter for any expanding or contracting that might occur in the wood. It’s important to have tools on hand to cut the pieces to size, especially when it comes to door jambs and doorways.

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Once all the locking tongue and groove floor boards are in place, focus on the shoe molding and threshold pieces.

For the shoe molding, use a nail gun, making sure to nail into the baseboard. For the threshold pieces, only gluing with molding adhesive is necessary.

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When complete, marvel not only at the time and money saved, but the sophisticated look achieved! Are you in need of Flooring installation in Chicago for laminate, hardwood or LVP, Give us a call or scroll to the top to fill out out estimate form.

July 7, 2015 in Tech Toybox

The Best Way To Bring The Perfect Temperature To Your Summer

Ecovent

Home should be a refuge from the heat. But sometimes, our homes don’t seem to get that message.

Ecovent is looking to make your temperature dreams come true.

A smart thermostat system, Ecovent uses smart sensors and hidden plugs in each room to monitor the climate and set your thermostat accordingly.

So just tap at your smartphone and beat the heat of even the sun’s most humid rays.

July 6, 2015 in Uncategorized

The Modern Security Solution: Scout Wi-Fi Alarm System

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It used to be that home security was the luxury of homeowners. Renters remained susceptible to robbery and unable to check in on their home regularly. With the invention of Scout, this no longer has to be the case.

Scout is a revolutionary home security system. Not only does it lose the monthly contracts but the difficult installation. The system uses Wi-Fi to allow users to monitor their home, arm their alarms and even temporary grant access through a mobile app or website. It comes in many customizable finishes that can fit the decor of any home or apartment.

Best of all? When a person moves, the system comes along with them. No complicated process, pack it up with the rest of the items and install it as easily as the first time.

Scout only costs $120 for the system with no monthly fee unless you pay for professional monitoring. This one-time purchase will bring both home and financial security.

So why wait any longer? Get your home protected with just a few taps of a button. No phone calls necessary.