Formica countertops are durable and last a long time but at some point you may want to give your Formica countertop a facelift. For under $200 your counters will look like new! Here's how to turn your Formica countertops to stone.

Before you start you will need ammonia cleaner, some fine sandpaper, a small roller and a dozen foam rollers. You'll also need primer, 4 cans of Rustoleum Stone Creations spray paint and 1 can of polyurethane clear finish.

Now that you have all your supplies together it's time to get started.

1. Schedule your kitchen off limits for 3 days. Make arrangements so that you can serve meals without using your countertops. Eat out, order pizza, or use an alternative to your counters.

2. Clean off the entire counter area. Use a soft brush and run a vacuum over them.

3. Wash them with warm soapy water and let air dry. Repeat.

4. Now wash them with the ammonia cleaner and rinse well. Let them dry and then repeat the process.

5. Now it's time to lightly sand the surface. You can do this by hand or you can use a palm sander which will make the task much easier. The light sanding will remove grease that has soaked into the countertop and it will also rough up the surface so that the paint has something to adhere to.

6. Once you are done sanding wipe everything down with a warm soapy cloth. Rinse and let dry.

7. Next you need to tape everything off that you aren't painting. Don't get lazy and skip this step. You are going to be working with spray paint and it will get all over!

8. The primer is applied to the entire counter using the foam roller. You need to work slowly so you don't get air bubbles. Follow the directions on the can and let dry the entire recommended time.

9. Now it's time to spray the counters with the stone paint you purchased. Rustoleum is what I recommended but of course there are other great products on the market. You've already chosen your color so now it's time to apply. When you spray it you will notice it has a bit of a pebble effect. This is what provides the stone effect.

10. Apply the first coat and let dry. You will need at least 3 of the 4 cans you purchased, perhaps all 4. Keep one for a spare for touchups later on.

11. Apply your second coat making sure that you get any spots that were missed with the first coat. Let dry.

12. Apply the third coat and a fourth coat if necessary. The more coats the thicker the application will look.

13. Once your paint is completely dry - 24 hours preferably - then it is time to apply the polyurethane. Use your foam roller and go slow so it doesn't bubble on you.

14. Apply as many coats as you like until the preferred look is achieved. Between each coat be sure to let it dry thoroughly.

That's it. Suddenly your kitchen looks like it has had a complete facelift.

Now remember your countertops need the same consideration as any new counters. Make sure you don't cut directly on the top as it will cut and scratch. Don't sit your hot pots or pans directly on the counter, use a trivet. Clean it regularly and feel free to reapply the polyurethane at any time to keep it looking fresh.

It's truly an amazing transformation turning your Formica countertops to stone.

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If you're lucky enough to find hardwood floors hiding under your tired carpeting, you might feel like covering the wood back up. That's understandable because refinishing the floors yourself seems like an impossible task.Hardwood floors were a common feature in houses until the 1960s. Before that, having wall-to-wall carpet was considered a luxury upgrade. From the 1970s on, most homes had wall-to-wall carpet in nearly every room. However, tastes change, and over the last couple decades, hardwood floors have once again become fashionable and desirable. Oftentimes, when I'm talking with someone about fixing houses, they ask if refinishing hardwood floors is something they can do themselves. Unless the person has a physical reason why they can't do it, I generally say yes. However, I also remind them that redoing hardwood floors takes a great deal of time, sweat, and elbow grease. As a general rule, floors of fifty square feet or less can be sanded by hand, but for any floor larger than that, rent or buy a small orbital sander. Everything necessary for doing it yourself will be available at your local hardware store. You can buy a pretty good electric sander nowadays for less than $100, which can be a good investment, especially if you're planning to work on your home on a regular basis.The first layer to be removed is often a thick wax coating, followed by a coat of either polyurethane or varnish. A heavy duty commercial wax stripper can remove the wax, and then a lacquer thinner or acetone can be wiped on to prepare the wood for the next step. If there are any carpet tacks or pieces of old nails in the wood, remove them first. The remnant of a nail can tear up sandpaper, damage a sanding pad, and do serious damage to the palm of your hand, so check carefully to make sure all remnants of tacks and nails are gone before you begin sanding. Fill all nail holes with a quality wood filler, matching the color as closely as you can, and let it dry. Then you're ready to begin sanding the floor with 220-grit sandpaper, whether by hand or with a sander. When you're done sanding, wipe the entire floor with a damp cloth to remove as much sanding dust as possible. Damp cloths work better than vacuum cleaners. Let the floor dry, and then wipe it again with a tack rag, which is a cloth impregnated with resin to pick up fine dust particles. Again, your local hardware store will have what you need.After the floor is as clean as you can get it, apply three coats of polyurethane with a paint pad, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly, lightly sanding with 220-grit paper, and wiping the floor with a damp cloth and a tack rag between coats. If you prefer an old-fashioned finish, you can use a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits and then wax the floors with beeswax or paste wax. Take caution with the chemical mixture and the rags because they can catch on fire. You can refinish hardwood floors yourself. It just takes time and effort--and a good set of kneepads wouldn't hurt, either! Once you finish, you'll have a gorgeous floor to be proud of and ready for that next "do it yourself" project--perhaps the next room with hardwood floors. Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

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The three most common reasons for water leakage from heat pumps are dirty filters or heat exchanging coils, blocked drains, and a shortage of refrigerant. They are pretty simple to diagnose and repair.

Remember: Turn off the power source to your air conditioner before trying any of the following!

1. Dirty Filters and or Blocked Heat Exchanger

When the filters, or heat exchanging coil, are dirty or blocked, this causes a restriction in air flow. This in turn can then cause the temperature of the coil to drop. If the coil temperature drops below zero, moisture in the air that is condensating on the coil can freeze and form little ice flakes which are then blown out of your air conditioner, causing water leakage.

Check the filters, and if they look dirty, give them a good clean with the hosepipe or shower head. Remove all the dirt and give them a spray with a kitchen or bathroom antiseptic spray to kill any bacteria or mould on them.

Check the aluminum coil behind the filters. If it is covered in dry lint, try vacuuming the coil carefully with the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. If it is particularly dirty, you will need to use a garden spray bottle and a strong grease removing kitchen cleaner. Spray it on the coil, allow to work for around 5 minutes then rinse the coil off with the spray bottle. This should remove the dirt and improve the air flow. Please be careful not to spray water near to the electrical panel on the air conditioner.

ALWAYS read the manufacturers' manuals on how to clean your heat pump or air conditioner correctly!

2. Blocked Drains

On a wall mounted ductless air conditioner, a blocked drain can be pretty obvious and easy to diagnose. Water will usually drip down the wall from the back of the unit and may also leak through the air outlet at the front if the drain is blocked.

Stand on a small ladder and look down from the top of the air conditioner. Towards the bottom of the heat exchanger is a little plastic tray which is designed to catch the condensate produced by the cooling mode of the air conditioner. Check that this tray is not full of water or overflowing.

If your outdoor unit is directly behind the wall the indoor unit is mounted on, your drain pipe will likely follow the pipework through the wall and drip into the garden. If this is the case, find the end of the drain pipe outside, wipe the end clean with a cloth then blow as hard as you can into it. This should clear any blockages.

If you cannot clear the blockage yourself, or if it is buried inside the wall, you will need to phone a professional HVAC service company and book a service call.

3. Your Air Conditioner Has A Leak and Has Lost Refrigerant

If your air filters and heat exchanger are clean and you have lots of air flow, your air conditioner should deliver plenty of cool air. If it is struggling to cool the room for a few hours and then starts leaking water from the air vent it may be short on refrigerant.

Set your heat pump to the lowest setting possible and leave it to run for a little while. Then check the heat exchanging coil underneath the filters. If it is covered in ice, your air conditioner has a leak and requires a professional to service it. If your air conditioner is leaking refrigerant, the leak will need to be found and fixed before it can have additional refrigerant added to it.

If in doubt, or these tips don't work, contact your local air conditioning company for a service.

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Installing Drywall, or hanging drywall as the professionals usually refer to the task, can be done by the homeowner. However, it is usually best done with two or more people as it requires significant lifting of heavy material. Mudding and Taping can also be performed by the homeowner, however these tasks require some practice and artistry.

Measuring and Ordering Drywall

Prior to actually hanging the drywall, the material first needs to be ordered and delivered. To determine how much material to order, measure all of the surface area, starting with the ceilings and then the walls. Calculate the total square feet and divide by 32. The result should give you the number of 4'x 8' sheets of drywall required for the job. I would also recommend adding another 5-10% to this figure to account for inefficiencies. Drywall does come in larger sheets, such as 4'x12', however for a Do-it-Yourself homeowner these larger sheets can become unwieldy and maybe even impossible to bring into the existing home.

For bathrooms or other moist areas Greenboard should probably be used as this material is moisture resistance.

For bathroom areas where ceramic tile is to be applied, e.g. Shower/Bathtub areas, Concrete board should be used. The concrete board is also referred to as Wonderboard or Durock.

Joint Compound and Fiberglass tape will also be required for Taping and Mudding. Joint Compound typically comes ready-mixed in 5 gallon containers. I would suggest 1-2 containers per 500 square feet of drywall. Fiberglass tape is quite inexpensive so I would suggest picking up 2 to 3 roles for most Do-it-Yourself drywall projects.

Drywall screws or ringed nails will also be required. Typically I use 1.25" length screws or nails. Also, strips of corner bead will be required.

Drywall Tools

Prior to starting drywall installation, you need to obtain the proper tools. A Drywall Lift really comes in handy when hanging sheetrock/drywall on the ceilings. You can rent Drywall Lifts at hardware or home improvement stores. If your budget does not allow for this cost, Jacks (or Ts) can be made out of 2"x 4"s. The Jacks (or Ts) should be of a length such that they are just an inch or two taller than the height of the ceiling and have a cross beam that is approximately 3' in width. Usually there are a couple of 45o angle braces connecting the crossbar to the main stem of the Jack. The Jack can then be used to hold up the drywall to the ceiling while it is screwed/nailed into place.

In addition to the Lift or Jacks, a drywall screw gun, hammer, T-square, carpenters knife, drywall saw and a keyhole saw are required. The keyhole saw is used for cutting around electrical boxes.

If mudding and taping are to be performed then Taping knives, a Corner knife, sand paper, a pole sander and a Mud easel or pan will be necessary. For the taping knives you will need a 6" wide blade and a 12" wide blade.

Preparing the site for Drywall

Prior to hanging the drywall, make sure the building inspector has first approved the Framing, Plumbing, Electrical and Insulation jobs. Secondly, a vapor barrier should be applied over the insulation on the outside walls if un-faced insulation was installed. Frequently sheets of plastic are used for creating the vapor barrier. The plastic is simply stapled to the framing, covering the insulation.

Finally, inspect all of the framing carefully. Ensure that nailers (e.g. 2" x 4"s) are existent at each corner and header, that the framing is straight, and that the framed walls create smooth planes. In addition, the ceiling should have strapping applied (1" x 3" cross boards). Also, make sure metal protection plates have been installed to studding where sheetrock screws or nails could inadvertently penetrate plumbing pipes or electrical wire.

Safety

Drywall installation is dirty, heavy work. The Gypsum in drywall can be irritating to the eyes, lungs and sinuses so wear safety goggles and masks to avoid breathing in the material. Gloves are also recommended to protect against sharp blades.

Installing Drywall

Start with the ceiling as this will allow the sheets on the walls to help hold the sheets on the ceiling. Use the Drywall lift or Jacks to hold the sheets in place while screwing or nailing them to the ceiling. The screws or nails should be installed such that they are slightly recessed and create a small dimple without breaking the paper. Screws or nails should be applied every 8 to 12 inches on each stud. Screws are typically stronger and can be placed further apart, e.g. 12 inches. It is best to fasten the screws/nails to the edges of the drywall first and then fill in the field afterwards.

Rows of drywall should be applied in a staggered pattern. This will create an interlocked pattern that creates a tighter and stronger ceiling/wall.

After the ceiling has been completed it its time to move on to the walls. Drywall should be applied from the top down, with the sheets hung perpendicular to the floor joists or studs. Again the rows should be staggered. The bottom piece should sit about ½ inches from the sub-floor.

For purposes of efficiency and strength it is best to apply the large sheets of drywall over the doors and window openings and cut out the excess later. This will create stronger/cleaner looking walls and save significant time.

Installing Corner bead

Once the drywall has been installed, corner bead should be applied to all outside edges. Corner bead should be nailed every 6-8 inches and penetrate the framing.

Taping and Mudding

Again start with the ceiling. Apply a skim coat of joint compound over the surface of a seam using a 6" wide taping knife. If the seam is wide, apply a liberal amount of joint compound to fill it. While the Joint compound is still wet, apply the fiberglass tape over the skim coat of Joint Compound. Make sure the seam is centered under the tape. Once the tape has been installed, apply additional Joint Compound over the tape, again using the 6" wide taping knife. Continue this for all of the seams. Note: the tape will still be visible. Additional coats will eventually hide it.

The inside corners are usually the most tricky and require practice. Patience is the best advice and note that additional coats will be applied later to smooth out any imperfections.

Once the seams are done, using the 6" wide taping knife, apply mud to all of the screw/nail dimples. A skim coat is all that is initially required.

Note: When applying the mud over the tape and screw/nail dimples, make sure all excess material and uneven patches are smoothed down with the blade. This will reduce sanding later.

Once the ceiling is done, you can move on to the walls. Repeat the same process, however with the outside corners just apply a liberal coat of joint compound to the valley that is formed by the corner bead. This valley typically represents the first 3 or 4 inches from the edge of the corner.

Once the first coat has been applied let it sit overnight or until it is dry, prior to starting the second application of Joint compound. Make sure to completely clean off the taping knife, the mud easel and any other containers or instruments that have mud on them prior to finishing up for the day.

Applying the Second Coat of Mud

After the first coat has thoroughly dried, it is now time to apply the second coat of mud. It is this coat that should hide the tape.

Again, start with the ceiling. Using the wider taping knife apply a generous amount of joint compound over the taped seams as you want to build up the area over the tape. Taking large strokes smooth the joint compound over the tape applying more pressure to the side of the taping knife further away from the tape. This will help to leave more mud over the tape. When complete, the mud should cover an area that extends beyond the width of the tape by 2 to 3 inches.

After the seams have all been completed, apply a second coat of mud over the screw/nail dimples. With this second coat, flare out the mud over the dimples such that the diameter of the mudded area is about 3-4 inches in diameter.

For the inside corners a Corner knife may come in handy. Corners involve a little artistry so again take your time. Apply a generous amount of joint compound and then run the Corner knife down the corner starting from the top. Take long, even strokes. A 6" taping knife may also be helpful to smooth out any imperfections.

For the outside corners, using the broad taping knife apply a generous amount of joint compound and flare out the material such that it extends out 6 inches or so from the corner. Again, apply more pressure to the blade side that is further away from the corner so that you leave more mud nearer the outside corner.

Once the second coat has been applied let it sit overnight or until it is dry, prior to starting the final application of Joint compound. Make sure to completely clean off the taping knife, the mud easel and any other containers or instruments that have mud on them prior to finishing up for the day.

Applying the Final Coat of Mud

After the first coat has thoroughly dried, it is now time to apply the final coat of mud. It is this coat that requires the most artistry and the least amount of joint compound. Here you are simply applying a final skim coat to the already mudded areas.

Prior to applying the skim coat it is best to take your wide taping blade and lightly pass over the mudded surfaces. This will remove any bumps or ridges.

Again start with the ceiling seams and apply a small amount of joint compound using the broad taping knife. Again continue to flare out the seam by extending the mudded area such that about 6 inches resides on each side of the now invisible tape. Remember this is a skim coat so little mud is required. The purpose of this coat is to effectively fill in any lines or recessed areas.

After the seams have all been completed, apply a final coat of mud over the screw/nail dimples. With this second coat, flare out the mud over the dimples such that the diameter of the mudded area is about 6-8 inches in diameter.

For the corners use the broad taping knife and add just enough mud such that you can flare out the mudded surface area to about 8-12 inches, taking care to filling in any lines or dimples.

Once the final coat has been applied let it rest overnight or until it is dry,

Sanding

Sanding is a very dusty and dirty mess so please uses goggles and a mask.
I find it best to use a pole sander with an open screened sand paper material specifically designed for sanding sheetrock/drywall mud.

Lightly sand all of the taped areas, however concentrate sanding on the outer edges of the mudded areas such that all seams and ridges are eliminated and blend into the main surface areas.

Once sanding is complete, vacuum up the dust and you are ready for priming and painting the walls and texturing the ceilings.

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