South West House For Rent

Spackle, Shmackle: Five Easy Tips to Patch a Hole in the Wall

Its easy to make a hole in a wall, but how easy is it to fix one? Its easier than you might think to fix any size hole in your wall. Here are five easy tips to follow.
1. Determine the Size of Your Hole
Different size holes require slightly different repair methods. If you have a nail or small hole all you need to do is patch it with compound. After it has dried; sand the spot for a smooth finish.
If youre hall is slightly larger (about the size of a switch box opening), you can fill the hole with newspaper before applying the compound so provide more stability and so you can use less compound.
For medium size holes (those approximately 30 x 30), you will need to use a technique called the hot patch. In this case, you will need to fill the hole with some drywall with a flap on each edge.
For really large holes you will need to treat them as entirely new areas to be covered. You should remove any nails or screws that are showing in the framing and then cut a brand new piece of drywall. You will need to secure the drywall and then tape, sand and finish the new wall.
Measure your hole and then go from there. You want to make sure you are using the proper patching technique for the size hole you have.
2. Preparation
Once youve decided on the technique you need to use to fill your hole, make sure that you have all the supplies you need at your disposal. It will save you precious time later on making sure you have enough compound mixed and the right tools to apply it. You will need to work somewhat quickly once the compound is mixed and ready so you dont want to risk it drying because you forgot to lay out all of the tools you need.
If you are filling a larger hole, make sure that you have the drywall cut and ready before you even think about mixing compound. At this stage it might be good to double check the size of your hole so you are absolutely sure that the technique youve decided to use is the correct one for a hole of that size. You dont want to get halfway through filling the hole and then decide that you need backing material like newspaper to hold the compound in place.
3. Dont Over Spackle
Though you many assume that applying enough of your compound will solve all of your problems, that wont necessarily be the case. If you have a medium or large hole, only using compound wont be effective because it has nothing to grip onto to. The result will be a very unstable patching that will likely crack or fall apart. Even on small patch-ups, you dont want to apply too much compound. The secret with compound application is to apply as little as possible and as smoothly as possible. If you apply too much compound or it is applied unevenly, you will have a fair bit of sanding work ahead of you and in some cases the compound can still be seen once painted over. Remember that moderation is the key.
4. Have a little patience
When trying to complete a new home project, you are often anxious to get moving. In this case, you do need to take your time and make sure that your compound is completely dry before moving on to the sanding and finishing stages. If you try to sand before the compound is dry you may make more of a mess than you had at the start or you may need to start from scratch. Follow the directions on the compound you are using, particularly in terms of drying time. Take a bit of time away from the project remember a watched pot never boils. This is a really good time to clean all of your tools so the compound doesnt have a chance to dry on them.
5. Sanding and Finishing
Even though your hole may seem smooth, you dont want to skip the sanding process. There may be little ridges that you cannot see, but which will become more obvious once you begin painting. Sand the area lightly so that you do not take off too much compound. Clean the area of all dust from the sanding and then proceed to the painting stage.

As most of us already know, buying an unfinished home provides an excellent way to get into the housing market and get your very own home.

How to Change your Locks in Five Simple Steps


Changing locks in your home sounds so simple, and it can be if you know what youre doing. Of course there are on the market different styles of handles, and certain styles have different locking mechanisms. Each style has its own unique function, so if youre going to change your lock, know what type works best and why. Read on and learn a little about how to change a basic lock, and other style issues and uses.

You need to know what youre using your lock for before changing out the lock. Here are a few styles that youll want to consider.

1. Free through Passage Handles. If you need to change the handles in your house for a closet then you wont have to fool with locks on this one. Its free through exactly as the name sates. You can buy them in a knob type handle style, or a lever type that is very popular. Of course make sure that you dont need one a lock before purchasing a free through handle. Any medications that are stored will need to be locked if you have small children around.
2. Privacy Door Knobs. Commonly used in the areas of a bedroom or bathroom where privacy is most desired. The lock on these doors are made where you can unlock the door from the inside by turning an extra switch, or just by turning the knob.
3. Entrance Locks. This type of lock is very popular for a garage door or anywhere that youll want limited access to areas that might have dangerous chemicals, or sharp machinery or tools. The style is not totally secure because if its used on fencing around a pool someone can hop the fence, and get right into the area youre trying to keep closed. Consider enclosing any area like this with a much taller fencing system for better security.
4. Decorative Door Knobs. These types of knobs are used for spicing up the look of your house. Popular places for placement are on French doors. You can use them on pantries too as long as you dont have anything in there thats hazardous. Theres no lock on these, so make sure that youll use them in the correct way. Handles can be placed on both sides of the door, but youve got a choice of having them only on one side too. A cap in a matching color is on the other side with fake trim.
5. Security Single Deadbolt Lock. This lock is good for any entrance door to the home, such as a front or back door. You can put them on interior doors that lead from a garage to inside of the house too. Its advisable to use this type of lock with doors that dont have glass panes or side lights. It would be very easy to enter by just breaking the glass and reaching in to turn the knob. It has one cylinder on the outside. Youll enter by using a key from the outside of the door.
6. Security Double Deadbolt Lock. Use this type of lock when you want extra strength and security for you doors. This deadbolt lock can be locked from the inside or outside of the door using a key. Other types of locking mechanisms can be added for security such as a chain too.
7. Decorative Deadbolt and Latch Set. This type can be made as either a knob or handle type. Its a deadbolt lock and a door latch in one. You can use the two configurations by themselves too. It just depends on your needs.

Now that youve got an idea about the different types of styles and their locking mechanisms youll need to figure out if the door handle that youve got now is appropriate, or if you just want a new style of lock and handle to replace the older one.

Considerations for changing your lock are below. If youre upgrading your lock these are a few tips that will come in handy when doing it.

Latch plate. The latch plate hole might not be deep enough for a better quality latch. The latch plate is on the interior part of your door. Open it and remove the existing latch plate.
Try fitting the new latch plate into the old hole. If it doesnt fit flush with the hole, youll need to chisel out the old hole to a deeper depth.
Check to make sure that the plunger for the deadbolt matches up with the hole in the door frame. The lock wont do any good for security if the holes dont line up.
For extra security add longer screws to the pre drilled areas on the plate.
Readjust if needed for security purposes.