Choosing a Painting Contractor

For residential projects, more and more homeowners are choosing to use painting contractors rather than doing the work themselves. Basically, this is done to save valuable time and labor. There’s another reason as well: to achieve the best possible job for their home.

When you analyze a paint job, the home do-it-yourselfer
should consider many things. These are a few:

• How much surface preparation is needed? Do I have the
time to do this amount of work?

• Will I be able to do the tougher parts such as climbing ladders, moving furniture, etc.?

• Will I be able to cope with a room or rooms or larger area left unfinished when I am at work, or have to attend to other obligatiosn, etc.?


Which Contractor Is Right?

When deciding which contractor to select, make sure to determine each of the following:

• Interview several local contractors and get quotes from each. Ask about
insurance and their experience. Try to get some referrals from neighbors or friends who have used contractors recently.

• Determine what will be done for each type area (any wood trim,
stucco, aluminum siding, walls of each room, etc.) for:

- surface preparation


- priming; what primer (type and brand) will be used

- finish coat: type of paint, and brand name, whether its premium, first, economy or contractor quality…..and hoe many coats will be used.

• For exterior work, what steps will be taken to protect plantings, lawns, sidewalks, patios etc.; for interior work, what will be done in regards to moving furniture, covering furniture etc.

• When will the work schedule begin? And when will it be finished? How many painters will be working on the job? What will the remedy or penalties be if the job is not completed on time?

• What is the warranty on the work? Manufacturers warranty? Contractors warranty? How would a warranty claim made?


• Take note whether the contractor was courteous and businesslike, kept appointments or returned phone calls promptly. If dealing with contractor was difficult at this stage, think twice before hiring the contractor!

Finally, combine all the information on each contractor and the prices quoted. Then weigh each factor to make a good decision. Be confident if you’ve followed these steps, you’ll have made a sound decision!

Repairing Concrete Steps

Many houses both old and even newer have concrete steps that are crumbling along the edges or otherwise cracked and damaged. It’s not a particularly hard project to repair them, but it takes time to recast the damaged steps. Here’s an outline of what to do.

You’ll need to gather some tools including a cold chisel, a sledgehammer, a broom, water hose, regular hammer, wheelbarrow, a shovel, an old stiff paintbrush, and a trowel and concrete wood float.

You’ll also need the boards you’ll use a forms to hold the cement, some bricks, some nails, liquid concrete bonding agent (this is to help secure the new concrete to the old solid portion that will remain.) and of course the ready-mix concrete mix.



Start the project by preparing the edge of each damaged step by chiseling out the crumbling concrete. You must wear safety goggles due to the risk of flying concrete pieces. Use a cold chisel and sledgehammer to deepen and widen the open edge down to where the concrete is solid.

Angle the chisel to cut straight back into the riser of the step and to cut sharply back and down into the tread, forming an open V along the edge of the step. Clean out the undercut edge with a small broom and flush it out with a garden hose.

Build a form around the step to be recast. Use a board as long and as wide as the front edge of the step is wide and high; set the board across the riser and stack several bricks against it at each end to hold it firmly in place.

To close in the ends of the steps, set a board across each side of the chiseled-out step, flush against the concrete and level with the step surface at the top edge. Nail a piece of 2 × 4 across each board along the top of the step and wedge another piece of 2 × 4 under this brace to hold the forms in place.

Now prepare the ready-mix according to the directions on the package. Pour the dry mix into the wheelbarrow, adding water as specified on the package, and mix it thoroughly with a shovel.

When the concrete mix is ready to use, lightly spray the chiseled-out step with the water hose to dampen the concrete. Working quickly, apply liquid concrete bonding agent to the undercut edge with a stiff paintbrush according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Spread the bonding agent evenly into the undercut edge, being careful to cover the entire inside surface. Clean the paintbrush immediately with water.

Fill the boarded-in step's edge cavity with concrete, using a trowel or the shovel to spread it along the edge. Slice through the new concrete with the sharp end of the trowel to remove any air spaces, and pack the concrete firmly into the undercut edge. Level the surface roughly with the trowel to meet the surface of the old concrete.

Smooth the newly poured concrete with a wood float. Be careful to hold the float level on the old surface and the new edge. Let the newly poured edge harden for about 45 minutes and then smooth the surface again with the wood float to match the texture of the old concrete.


Let the concrete set until the film of surface water left by the final smoothing has been absorbed. Cover the steps with a plastic dropcloth.

Let the patched edges cure for a week before walking on them. Several times each day during the curing period, lift off the plastic and spray the new steps lightly with the fine spray of water, then replace the plastic. To keep the new edges from being damaged, leave the forms in place until the concrete has completely cured.

If this job seems more than you care to tackle why not seek some professional help? In the Aurora, IL area we can recommend Fox Valley Remodeler.

Installing A Toilet – The Bathroom Remodeler’s Way

Toilets get in installed in two parts - first the bowl, then the tank. The most difficult part will be putting the bowl in place. It is heavy, and you'll have to place it so the floor bolts are directly lined up with the holes in the toilet base. When you work with heavy porcelain items like toilets, avoid hitting them into anything. Porcelain is tough, but it can crack, and the it can’t be used for the project. An extra pair of hands certainly can help if they’re available.

Turn the new toilet bowl upside-down, and put a new wax ring over the drain horn. Press it down firmly to seat the ring.

Make sure the toilet flange is clean (if not clean it) and make sure the floor bolts point straight up. If you used a rag in the drain hole to prevent sewer gases, now’s the time to take it out. Then carefully lower the toilet over the flange, and fit the holes in the toilet base directly over the floor bolts. This takes a little car and patience.

Press down firmly on the toilet bowl to compress the wax ring, making a tight seal. Attach the washers and the nuts to the floor bolts, and tighten them with an adjustable wrench. (IMPORTANT: Do NOT over-tighten; you could crack the porcelain base!) Attach the trim caps last.

Now for the tank. On some tanks, you'll have to install the handle ballcock, and flush valve first. Then turn the tank upside down and, set the big spud washer over the tailpiece of the flush valve.

Now, turn the tank back over and carefully position it on the toilet bowl. Center the spud washer over the water inlet opening near the back edge of the bowl.

There are two or three holes in the bottom of the tank that you need to line up with two or three, holes on the top of the bowl. Once lined up, put a rubber washer on each of the tank bolts, and push the bolts through the matching holes with the bolt heads on the inside of the tank.

From underneath the bowl, attach the washers and nuts to these bolts. Next, tighten them with a ratchet wrench until snug, but again - don't over-tighten them.

Cut a piece of supply tubing to fit between the shutoff valve and the toilet tank, if one was not already present. (For instance, if your are repairing the toilet, the water line will already be there) Attach the line to the valve first, then to the ballcock tailpiece. Tighten the coupling nuts with adjustable wrenches. Turn on the water valve to allow the tank the tank to fill.

Last job? Install the toilet seat. Put the seat bolts into the toilet's mounting holes, screw the mounting nuts onto the seat bolts, and tighten them by hand. That’s it! Now, shut the door for a little privacy and try it out! An qualified contractor can do this job along with the installation of other fixtures. Even if you're on a budget, it may be worth a call.

Installing Vinyl Floor Tile With Ease

Vinyl floor tile is an affordable way to upgrade any room. Although mostly used in heavy traffic areas like mud rooms and bathrooms, vinyl tiles can improve the appearance of any floor. Vinyl tiles are fairly simple to install, and can usually be installed in a day or less unless the room(s) are very large. Let's look at simple steps to do the job right - and fast!

These are the Tools/Materials you’ll need:

* Vinyl Tiles
* Tape Measure
* Carpenter's square
* Floor level compound
* Utility Knife
* Trowel or putty knife
* Flooring roller
* Belt sander or grinder
* Hammer
* Chisel
* Chalk Line


Choosing the Tile

Vinyl tile are typically 12" x 12", so each covers exactly 1 square foot of floor. While there are larger sizes available today, these are still the most common. Prices can vary from about 70 cents to over $3 each, and you can expect the more expensive tiles to stay good looking longer. The more expensive are usually thicker and more durable but also harder to cut.The better grades of tiles come with 15 or even 20-year warranties.

The easiest vinyl tile to install is the "peel and stick" type. These are also far and away the most popular. They come with adhesive already installed by the manufacturer, and all that’s needed is to peel off the backing paper and press the tile in place. There’s no separate glue to be concerned about, no annoying fumes, and no real mess at all.

It’s pretty easy to estimate quantities of tiles needed to do a job. Just measure your room's length and width and multiply the measurements together.

(For example, a 12 foot by 10 foot room is 12 x 10 = 120 square feet, so you will need 120 tiles.) Tiles come prepackaged in boxes of 10 or 12, so just calculate the number of boxes of your chosen tile necessary to cover 120 square feet. It's always a good idea to get some extra tiles just in case something happens in the future and you need to replace a tile. -

Preparing Your Floors for Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tile can be installed over virtually any underlying surface - sheet vinyl, existing vinyl tile or even concrete - as long as it's in good repair. Cracks, bumps and dips will need to be repaired before you install your tile.

Remove the trim around the floor edges first, and if you're doing a bathroom, consider removing the toilet too. Also, bring your new tiles into your home two days before you begin installation so they can get acclimatized to the temperature in your house.


For Concrete floors:

Patch any holes, any cracks and any bumps or ridges. Use a cold chisel or very heavy grit sandpaper on a belt sander. A quick sanding of the whole concrete floor will also help the tiles adhere to the surface, particularly if the floor has been painted. Don’t forget to wear a protective dust mask while sanding the concrete!


For existing vinyl floors:

If the floor has some dents or damage or even a deep strong pattern, you are advised to apply a leveler/primer layer. Simply spread this compound smoothly with a wide-bladed putty knife or a straight edged trowel. It will give you a smooth level surface for your tiles and also prevent the underlying flooring from "bumping through" through new tile floor.


Laying Out Your Tiles

Lay out vinyl tiles with the pattern centered on the most noticeable part of the floor. So, you would use whole tiles in the center of the floor and work your way out to the edges where cut tiles and portions of tiles won't be as noticeable.

Start your layout by measuring to find the center point of two opposite walls and snap a chalk line between these two points. Then, find the center points of the remaining walls and snap another chalk line between these two points. You will have divided your room into quadrants. Then use your carpenter's square to be sure the lines cross at 90° and adjust them if they are off.

Start at the intersection of the two chalk lines and ‘dry fit’ a row of tiles the length and width of the room to determine how they will actually fit when they reach the wall.

You want the rows right against the walls to be at least a half tile wide and approximately the same width on both sides of the room. If your tiles don't end up with the proper spacing, adjust your center reference lines so they will. You don’t want to end up with almost full tiles on one end of the room and little slivers of tiles on the other end.

Now you’re ready to actually apply the tiles. Start where your reference lines cross and lay the first tile beside where the lines cross. Then using the lines as a guide, work your way out to the walls. Press each tile firmly in place, and tight up against the last tile. After you’ve installed a few rows, use a tile roller to bond them firmly in place. Install all the whole tiles before starting to work around the edges.

Cutting Tiles

You can cut straight edges in vinyl tiles using a sharp utility knife. For curves or irregular shapes, aviation or tin snips will do the job. With the thinner style of tiles, even a strong scissors will work.

Cutting an edge tile to width is easy: Just lay the tile to be cut on top of the last row of full tiles. Then place another full tile up against the wall so it overlaps the loose tile. Using the second loose tile as the template, mark the first loose tile. Cut along the mark and you will have an exact fit to go against the wall. This way allows for the natural contours of the wall.

For Irregular shapes or for cut outs for plumbing pipes: The best approach here is to make a cardboard or paper template and then use that as your guide for cutting.

The Wrap Up

After the tile has been laid, reinstall the moldings to cover the small gaps at the edges. Then sweep to remove any dirt or debris from the work area. With self-stick tile, you can walk on it right away, but it’s better to let the glue set up for a day or two before you wash the floor with water or any cleaners.

Repairing Concrete Steps

Many houses both old and even newer have concrete steps that are crumbling along the edges or otherwise cracked and damaged. It’s not a particularly hard project to repair them, but it takes time to recast the damaged steps. Here’s an outline of what to do provided by a a local Aurora/Naperville contractor.

You’ll need to gather some tools including a cold chisel, a sledgehammer, a broom, water hose, regular hammer, wheelbarrow, a shovel, an old stiff paintbrush, and a trrowel and concrete wood float.

You’ll also need the boards you’ll use a forms to hold the cement, some bricks, some nails, liquid concrete bonding agent (this is to help secure the new concrete to the old solid portion that will remain.) and of course the ready-mix concrete mix.


Start the project by preparing the edge of each damaged step by chiseling out the crumbling concrete. You must wear safety goggles due to the risk of flying concrete pieces. Use a cold chisel and sledgehammer to deepen and widen the open edge down to where the concrete is solid.

Angle the chisel to cut straight back into the riser of the step and to cut sharply back and down into the tread, forming an open V along the edge of the step. Clean out the undercut edge with a small broom and flush it out with a garden hose.

Build a form around the step to be recast. Use a board as long and as wide as the front edge of the step is wide and high; set the board across the riser and stack several bricks against it at each end to hold it firmly in place.

To close in the ends of the steps, set a board across each side of the chiseled-out step, flush against the concrete and level with the step surface at the top edge. Nail a piece of 2 × 4 across each board along the top of the step and wedge another piece of 2 × 4 under this brace to hold the forms in place.

Now prepare the ready-mix according to the directions on the package. Pour the dry mix into the wheelbarrow, adding water as specified on the package, and mix it thoroughly with a shovel.

When the concrete mix is ready to use, lightly spray the chiseled-out step with the water hose to dampen the concrete. Working quickly, apply liquid concrete bonding agent to the undercut edge with a stiff paintbrush according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Spread the bonding agent evenly into the undercut edge, being careful to cover the entire inside surface. Clean the paintbrush immediately with water.

Fill the boarded-in step's edge cavity with concrete, using a trowel or the shovel to spread it along the edge. Slice through the new concrete with the sharp end of the trowel to remove any air spaces, and pack the concrete firmly into the undercut edge. Level the surface roughly with the trowel to meet the surface of the old concrete.

Smooth the newly poured concrete with a wood float. Be careful to hold the float level on the old surface and the new edge. Let the newly poured edge harden for about 45 minutes and then smooth the surface again with the wood float to match the texture of the old concrete.


Let the concrete set until the film of surface water left by the final smoothing has been absorbed. Cover the steps with a plastic dropcloth.

Let the patched edges cure for a week before walking on them. Several times each day during the curing period, lift off the plastic and spray the new steps lightly with the fine spray of water, then replace the plastic. To keep the new edges from being damaged, leave the forms in place until the concrete has completely cured.

Selecting House Windows

Window selection begins when you first select a plan for your home. A good place to start looking at plans is online at the many house planning sites.

When you do select a plan, it should have window sizes listed for each room. Calculating window cost starts from this point. Obviously, the more house windows there are, the more money you will need to spend.

What is not as obvious is the size and shape of house windows. That issue will be a factor in a large portion of the cost. Finally, the type of window you will choose also plays a big role in the final cost. A Naperville Area contractor can help you with some of these issues as well. He or she may have a preferred window manufacturer or source they can advise you of.


There are many selections in style and general types of windows to select. A few searches on the internet and you’ll be convinced the selection is almost endless! One good site to visit to help you choose the right house windows is ReplacementWindows.com

It can take some time for custom windows to be manufactured (especially with any odd sizes). So, this is a tack that should be started early on.

Most folks search begins with the name brand windows considered to be high quality. And, if your budget is large enough that may be all you need to look at. For most customers, they realize that the top–o–the-line windows are very expensive. So, its also a good idea to investigate locally manufactured windows as well, both for style as well as more affordable price.

If you have the time, looking at homes that are under construction by major homebuilders in your area can also offer ideas. Always make a note of the house’s window manufacturer and try to contact them as well.

More Ways to Save

Some customers have been able to save 50% by using a local manufacturer. The budget can also be trimmed by grouping windows together rather than having one large window in a room. This is still very aesthetically pleasing to the eye AND the wallet!

Another way to control the budget is to stay with normal sizes for windows. Try to choose common house window sizes that builders use frequently in your area. These sizes are produced in higher volume and at lower prices. Plus, when you need a couple of extra ones during construction due to breakage or theft, they are much easier to find.

Using double-pane glass and the same tinted glass color that the builders use commonly can also result in savings.

Overall, the best way to get a good deal or even a great deal on house windows is to take your time doing your research. Then get what you need and what is best for you. Take the time to find a manufacturer that will work with you. Review your costs a number of times. Make SURE you understand how the prices are calculated. (if you need help understanding this, ask for assistance) Because, once you’ve ordered its too late.