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By admin on November 28th, 2008

Welcome to Soga, your guide to bargains across the web. Here at soga we scour the web looking for everyday bargains, we also provide you with tips to help your everyday living easier and healthier, with feature articles with anything from H...

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• Planning ahead your garage

  What would your dream garage look like? Some people want
  to have it fitted for the car, others dream for a really nice
  workshop, a laundry room, a gym or a rehearsal studio for their
  own musical band. Some other people only want it to expand their
  living space and improve their lifestyle.

  How much money do you have to work with? Even if you want
  only to remodel, rebuild or only reorganize a small area of your
  garage you must have a budget. It is imperative to have in mind a
  specific target and a realistic and finite budget for it.

  The first step is to carefully evaluate your needs regarding the
  space and your needs. Even if it is a small garage, you can find
  plenty of space to use for your work area.

  Making the decision regarding whether to do the project
  yourself or to hire a contractor depends on several factors,
  including your skills and the magnitude of the project. Having
  only basic skills you can produce a great reorganization project.

  You can buy the needed furniture yourself according to your
  needs and your available space. Cabinets, shelves, pegs and
  hooks are a must have in order to turn your garage into usable
  space over a weekend. If you have a greater project in mind,
  maybe you should consult a plumber or an electrician.

  If you are planning to convert your garage into a living area
  you?d better be a professional or you?ll be risking decreasing
  the safety and value of your own home.

  If you opt for a contractor, and this is the choice that we
  recommend regardless of the project?s magnitude or your skills,
  get one whose work you?ve seen and if you have the chance,
  get some recommendations. It is better to see with your
  own eyes the skills and some relevant work of the contractor so
  you can decide whether you could be satisfied with his work or
  not.

  Costs and construction times vary with the scope and the
  magnitude of the project. If there are no structural issues,
  finishing and enclosing a garage and turning it into useable room
  would take less than two weeks. The costs depend on the
  materials that you decide to use, but keep in mind that expensive
  does not necessary mean quality and that cheap does not grant you
  reliability every time.

  Your garage can be a place to spend many happy hours for a long
  time to come if you plan it right according to your needs and
  dreams.

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• Insulating you garage

  You recently bought a house that has a bedroom addition above the
  garage but it is not insulated. Adding insulation should make those
  rooms more comfortable and save on energy bills. There are several
  options for insulating above the garage. Depending on the local
  building codes, the size of the area, whether you decide to hire a
  professional or do it yourself and maybe the most important
  factor is your budget.

  If you have a sheet rocked garage, the fastest way would be to have
  blown-in insulation installed behind the sheetrock. A fair warning
  here, the blown-in insulation may be expensive if your garage
  is small. If your garage is not sheet rocked you have to install
  lame-spread rated batt insulation and cover it with sheetrock. First check
  your local building codes for the requirements of the thickness of the
  sheetrock for garages including fire safety rules. The lack of smoke detectors in
  a garage and the possible storage of flammable and combustible
  liquids can cause a garage to be considered a hazardous space. This is
  the reason why you should contact a local contractor to help you
  in insulating this space.

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• Improved storage ? your garage

  One of the most important storage areas of a home is the
  garage. Because the space it offers is limited it should be used
  efficiently. So the garage is a prime candidate for storage
  improvements. Of course you have many options for
  improving the storage in your garage.

  One of the options is to buy a modular storage kit. This can
  have parts and components that you can mix and match
  together and can solve many storage problems. Another option
  would be to build your own storage solution. If you have too
  many items that you keep in your garage maybe a modular
  storage kit cannot provide you the needed solution. The
  improvements made to your storage may help you reduce
  clutter, store seasonal items in a more conveniently way and
  improve organization.

  Cabinets, shelves, wall-mounted racks and plastic containers
  are the most popular types of garage storage and organization
  solutions. Cabinets work well for protecting their contents from
  moisture and dust. Shelves save space more efficiently but the
  most affordable solution are the wall-mounted racks. Clear
  plastics containers help you to store several items and allow
  you to see the contents.

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• Garage floor remodeling

  The garage is a very important part of your house. It is not only
  the room where you keep your car but it can be used also as a
  storeroom. In the garage you keep things that you do not use
  everyday or things that you want to dispose of later on. Sporting
  equipment is usually stored in your garage. Also, a lot of
  people use the garage as a laundry, a workshop or even as a
  home office. The growing importance of the garage has increased
  the number of remodeled garages through the past years. Garages
  are becoming an integral part of the house.

  One of the things that need to be changed when planning
  to remodel your garage is the floor. Concrete floors serve the
  purpose of flooring but do not look good, even if you paint it,
  the floor will look bare. It is best to have a garage expert
  adviser to do the job. The best type of garage floor is made of
  specially formulated polyvinyl, this special material for
  flooring conceals cracks and protects the floor from getting
  stained. This flooring protects the floor from accidental spills: oil,
  battery acid, grease and any other dirt that gets into your garage.
  By making a few minor changes to your garage you can transform
  it into an attractive storage room.

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• Garage facelift

  You would probably ask yourself why do you need a facelift for
  your garage. It is only a garage! But what if you have a
  two or more cars garage? The garage doors take up a
  significant portion of the front of the house. What is the use in
  having a great design for your house but having only generic
  garage doors?

  Nowadays the garage door trends are to incorporate the doors
  into the design of the house. For example you could choose
  carriage-style doors(look like they open like old-fashioned
  doors in carriage houses, but they open like normal garage
  doors) or you could choose wood carriage doors. These wood
  carriage doors are reminiscences of the horse-drawn carriage days
  and they are very popular. You don?t need to go as far as to
  order custom made garage doors because you can find more
  appealing garage doors at most home improvement stores.

  In addition to the doors, the floor of a garage gives style and can
  integrate to the overall aesthetics of your house. You could try
  interlocking garage floor tiles that come in multiple colors and
  patterns. They are made of polypropylene and are easy to
  install and clean. Another interesting and practical flooring is the
  coin shaped G-flooring.

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• Remodeling ideas for your garage

  What is the easiest way to add more space to your house? Of
  course the answer is to remodel your garage. A very cost-effective
  way to gain more space for your house is to remodel your garage.
  You can greatly expand your home?s living space especially if you
  no longer use your garage to park your car using your driveway
  instead. Remodeling your garage can help you become
  more organized and stop storing everything in your garage. This is
  why you have a basement.

  Your garage offers a perfect environment to house your workshop,
  studio or home office. Many people also find that their garage
  can also be used for a gym or for another living room designed for
  special activities. However, remodeling your garage does not
  necessarily mean that you have to sacrifice your storage
  space or your parking area. Garages today have become multifunctional,
  allowing cars, general storage, a workshop and even a home office
  all in the same place.

  Because many garages are attached to the home they can benefit
  from the same comfort as a home: phone wires, heating and
  cooling and plumbing. All you need is a little imagination, a fixed
  budget and a plan.

  If you think that by remodeling you might be losing too much
  storage space, you can always build a small storage space behind
  your garage to house sporting equipment, tools and other items.

  Moreover, when remodeling your garage you should consider an
  addition above the garage. Adding a room for work space and even
  for living, for one of your kids(they usually love this) above the
  existing garage can give you additional space and also increase the
  value of your home without major changes to the floor plan.

  If you feel the need to remodel your garage but you don?t know
  exactly what you want or need, you should consider the following
  ideas.

  You can transform your garage into a laundry room if you have your
  laundry room in the basement. By building a laundry in your
  garage you will eliminate the need to go up and down the stairs.

  A music studio can be a great choice for your garage remodeling
  plans if you or your kids have some tendencies in this direction.
  The garage is the place where many ?garage bands? got their start.
  To avoid your neighbors? complaints consider soundproofing your
  garage walls.

  Another idea for your garage can be to transform it into a gym. If
  you have your equipment and you don not have enough place to
  use it indoors you can always move it into the garage and have
  plenty of place for your daily exercises and training. Also here you
  will not be bothered by anyone.

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• Major garage transformation

  One of the most commonly encountered questions when
  thinking about converting your garage for a new use is
  the warmth of the floor. Whether you are choosing to convert
  your garage into a spacious home office or to convert it into a
  gym room, you have to take into consideration some
  improvements for your floor.

  Since the garage has a concrete and uninsulated floor you
  should focus on making it warmer and more resilient. Furring
  up the floor with wood and plywood can accomplish both
  tasks. As a warning, you should use pressure-treated wood or protect
  the wood which is in contact with the concrete by placing a
  layer of felt paper between the wood and the concrete.

  First of all measure and determine how much you want to raise the
  floor. All garage floors have some amount of slope from the
  back wall to the wall with the garage door in it to allow the
  water runoff. To achieve a level floor you will have to adjust
  the joists, for this if you are placing the joists perpendicular to
  the slope in the floor each of them would have to be ripped
  down or shimmed up and if the joists are parallel to the slope,
  you can rip them on a taper or use shims to level them.

  Ok, you finished remodeling the floors, now it?s time to
  examine your walls. You might be surprised to find out that
  your walls are not even with the foundation they sit on. They
  may be set back from the foundation or maybe overhang it in
  other areas. Only one step will solve these problems: selecting
  a lumber size that is deep enough to extend the framing past the
  concrete. By notching each end of the furring strip and
  attaching one strip to the face of each wall stud will result in an
  even wall that completely hides the foundation. Also it will be
  deep enough for the R-21 wall insulation, this type of
  insulation being the most common code requirement.

  When remodeling the walls and the floor several obstructions
  may appear. Obstructions like pipes, ducts, wires and other
  impediments to smooth walls may exist. For small obstructions
  such as wires or small pipes you could adjust the furring strips
  enough to accommodate them. The solution for larger
  obstructions is to box around them. If the obstruction is a water
  heater or something that you will need access to, you can frame
  it in and enclose it on three sides and then provide a removable
  access panel for the fourth side.

  A building permit may be required for a garage make over.
  Of course all the methods presented here are purely theoretical
  and only for guidance. All garages are different and some
  adjustments to the used methods or materials may be required
  in order to accommodate to your garage.

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• Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas

  Home decorating is not something that requires a vast fortune in order to do. Nor is it something that must be accomplished all at once. The ideal manner to decorate a home is one step at a time, one room at a time. This makes the process much less stressful, more enjoyable, and imminently more affordable. Some great ideas are to start small then work your way up.

  Paint is one of the least expensive things you can do to a room that will have the most immediate and profound impact on the overall look and feel of the room in question. By selecting the paint colors and painting the walls before anything else is done everything else can be done in order to match the colors you have placed on the walls. More importantly, paint is something that the average person is capable of doing on their own rather than being forced to hire experts in order to get it done. Any home improvement project that you can do yourself will save more money than you can imagine along the way.

  Once you've managed changing your walls, you may wish to change your window treatments. Roman shades are an excellent choice as they are rather simple to make (which would leave you only the cost of the fabric and supplies) but they are not the only option. I would recommend some sort of curtains as a form of window treatment as they are much more personal than the typical mini blinds found in so many homes today. Curtains or Roman shades can be purchased to match the colors on your walls and should not be a terribly expensive investment.

  Flooring has in the past often been out of reach of those seeking to casually improve the look of a room. New technology and materials have made new flooring a valid option even for those who are on seriously limited home decorating budgets. Laminates are a good option for those who love the look of hardwood but cannot afford the expense of materials and/or labor for these floors in their homes. Laminates can often be installed by even those with limited skills and make a very noticeable change in the look and feel of a room. Peel and stick tile is another option for those whose budgets will not accommodate laminate flooring. Check out the options and the prices at your local home improvement store. You just might be amazed at what you can afford.

  Rather than purchasing new furniture to make an impressive impact on the look of your living area, try furniture covers. These can often be purchased in shades that will match your new d?cor and are much less expensive than new furniture leaving money for the little touches that matter so much in the overall look of the room. Besides, when friends and family walk in and see the changes they will be shocked and amazed. They may even be convinced that you do in fact have new furniture.

  Mirrors are excellent tools to use when decorating a home. More importantly, they are rather inexpensive for the most part. Mirrors also lend the appearance of a much more wide-open space than having no mirrors would accomplish. If you have a fire place, strategically located mirrors can spread the warmth and coziness (if not the heat) of a fire throughout the room making the room as a whole seem like a much more enjoyable place to escape the winter "blahs".

  Artwork, candles, vases, and floral arrangements can be purchased one piece at a time in order to give the room a more polished look. Once you've decorated one room in your home with these budget tips in mind you can move on to other rooms in your home and incorporate the same ideals as you go. Remember that decorating your home doesn't have to cost a fortune but it will require some patience and planning on your part. With this in mind, there should be nothing to stop you from heading out today and getting to work on your new home decorating plans.

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• Home Decorating: Kitchen on a Budget

  Decorating a home can be a trying thing to do with the best of budgets. The fact that you do not happen to have large lots of money lying around however should not prevent you from having a lovely kitchen to call your own. The kitchen is after all, the heart of any home and you want this room to be one that invites everyone to come, congregate, and pitch in (one can always dream right?). This is the reason that you want your kitchen to shine above all other rooms in your home though. The kitchen should radiate warmth and home to all who enter.

  Truthfully speaking there are many things you can do in your kitchen that will greatly impact the overall look of your kitchen without changing anything structurally within your kitchen. If you have wallpaper, remove it and try paint. There are all kinds of great things you can do in the kitchen from plaster, which goes amazingly well in a kitchen, to faux finishes and textures, and glazes for added impact. The walls in the kitchen are your canvas and the world is at your disposal. Just remember to try to tie the walls into the floors and cabinets or at the very least to the floors and cabinets you hope to have in your kitchen someday.

  In addition to painting the walls in your kitchen you may also want to consider painting, staining, or antiquing your cabinets. I know that some jaws just dropped to the keyboard. How dare I suggest such a thing as painting wooden cabinets? The answer is simple really. It is much cheaper than replacing them and much simpler than staining them. Really it boils down to a matter of choice. My first choice wouldn't be painting but then again, there are times when painting is a viable option. It will greatly change the overall appearance of the kitchen if nothing else.

  Moving right along. Another great change that isn't terribly expensive to make in the kitchen is hardware. The simple act of changing the door handles and drawer pulls on your kitchen cabinet can result in an almost instant facelift. When these changes are combined with painted or stained cabinetry the effects are nothing short of stunning in many cases. It's the little things that often have the greatest impact so keep this in mind when planning your changes.

  The floors of your kitchen are another rather inexpensive change that can be made despite preconceptions. Keep in mind that you do not have to go top of the line in order to enjoy huge changes in the appearance of your floors. There are laminate floors that are rather inexpensive to install as well as many forms of peel and stick tile that can bring about impressive results for very little effort and without professional skills. Any floors that you are capable of installing yourself will save a lot of money and can make a huge difference in the appearance and your enjoyment of your kitchen.

  Perhaps the biggest coup of all when it comes to changing the appearance of your kitchen is the ability to apply stainless steel PVC contact paper to your kitchen appliances in order to give them the instant appearance of stainless steel. This is a very inexpensive method for updating the overall appearance of your kitchen in a matter of minutes and at a cost less than that of replacing one appliance. For your countertops an inexpensive and terribly disruptive alternative to replacing them all together is to apply peel and stick tile over your existing countertops.

  As you can see there are many ways in which you can improve and enhance the warmth and coziness that you want your kitchen to convey without shattering the piggy bank in the process. More importantly, you should keep in mind that taking on one project at a time allows you to make the adjustments in your own time and as finances allow.

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• Bathroom Remodeling Classes: Are They Worth the Money?

  Are you interested in having your bathroom undergo remodeling? Better yet, are you interested in doing that remodeling yourself? If you are, do you have any prior bathroom remodeling or home improvement experience? Although it is possible to successfully complete a bathroom remodeling project without any prior experience, you may find it a little bit difficult to do so. That is why if you are looking to perform your own bathroom remodeling, but you don?t necessarily know what you are doing, you should sign up to take a bathroom remodeling class.

  When it comes to bathroom remodeling classes, one of the most asked questions is why. Honestly, there are a number of different reasons why you should take a bathroom remodeling class, which is also commonly referred to a course or a training seminar. Perhaps, the greatest reason why you should take one of these training classes is because of everything that you will learn. What you will learn will all depend on what class you are taking and how it is being taught. Despite the fact that different bathroom remodeling classes are taught different ways, you should learn tips and instructions on how to safely remodel a bathroom.

  Now that you know what a bathroom remodeling class, course, or training seminar is, you may want to start searching for one to attend. No matter where you live, you should have access to at least one bathroom remodeling course, but chances are that you will have more than one to choose from. One of the best ways to find a local bathroom remodeling course is by contacting one of your local career centers. Career centers often provided training courses to those who are in need of a job. Although you may not necessarily be looking for a job, you should still be able to attend one of these classes, for a small fee of course. Despite needing to pay a small fee, which is almost always less than one hundred dollars, you can greatly benefit from what you learn at one of these classes.

  In addition to contacting one of your local career training centers, you may also want to contact one of your local home improvement stores. In the United States, a large number of home improvement stores, particularly those that operate on a national level, have started hosting do it yourself training courses. These courses often encompass a number of different home improvement projects, but it is quite common to find a kitchen remodeling class being held at one of your local home improvement stores. In most cases, you will find that these courses only last a few hours and tend to focus on one remodeling task at a time; therefore, if you were looking to learn how to remodel your whole kitchen, you may need to take multiple classes. The good news is that most of the classes offered are free or relatively inexpensive to attend.

  It is also a good idea to keep an eye on your local newspaper, your local television stations, as well as your local radio stations. In addition to regularly scheduled kitchen remodeling classes, you may also find a remodeling class that is considered a special event. This most often happens when someone famous, such as a well-known contractor, comes into your area. These types of classes are often popular because of who they involve and what they teach you. The only downside to special home improvement classes, especially the ones that are taught by celebrities or an expert in the filed, is their cost. Despite the potentially high cost, you may find it more than worth it to attend one of these home improvement classes, especially if they have a focus on bathroom remodeling.

  As nice as it is to participate in a bathroom remodeling training seminar, course, or class, you may not have the time to do so. If that is the case, you are still advised to take the time to learn about bathroom remodeling before you go to work. A nice alternative to a kitchen remodeling training course is a kitchen remodeling book or a how-to guide. These resources can be purchased from most home improvement stores and book stores, for a relatively affordable price.

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