Handyman Chicago - Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel Blogs & More

July 9, 2015 in Tech Toybox

These Vents Are Beautiful & Smart, What A Find!

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!

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.

Now 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.

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.

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

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

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.

July 6, 2015 in Uncategorized

$15 For A Large Scale Dry Erase Board

Whether there’s a burgeoning artist in a home or a person who really cannot remember to pick up toilet paper, a dry erase board can be a great asset to any home. However, large scale dry erase boards can be expensive at office supply stores and small sized ones are easily ignored. Reddit user tf2ftw found a great solution! With some simple supplies, a unique, large dry erase board can be achieved.

Pick up the following materials:

Plexiglass
3 3M picture hanging strips
String
Tape
Dry erase markers

Installation is easy. Start by attaching the plexiglass to the 3 3M picture hanging strips on the desired wall. Do not remove the protective plexi glass covering until the board is placed perfectly.

Following the plexiglass being put in place, tape the string to the top of the plexiglass. The other end of the string should be taped to the cap of the dry erase marker. This will give easy access to the marker when using the board.

And that’s it. A simple project to add some efficiency to even the most chaotic home affairs. Swap out the marker easily once the ink starts to dry out. Considering it’s a Friday, this may be something to try tonight. Saturday morning groceries don’t buy themselves.