Nexxus Lighting – Home Design & Lighting

Water Heater Maintenance Procedures – How to flush / drain your water heater ?

Today we will talk to you a little bit about “How to Maintain Your Water Heater and keep it running smoothly“. Most people don’t even think about this simple maintenance procedures as long as everything is working properly, which is usually the case with solar hot water systems. But water heaters like anything else require appropriate ongoing maintenance to make sure that lasts as long as possible.
In this article, we will explain how you can perform an effective yearly draining of your gas water heater to ensure that it stays running properly but be careful ! You will be dealing with gas or electricity and also extremely hot water.

#Step 1: Determine if it’s Gas or Electric water heater

There are 2 basic types of water heaters, one powered by gas and the other by electricity. Check around the tank and just read any specific safety measures and labels.
NOTE : Don’t do anything unless you understand what you are doing (It’s not a game, you are dealing with gas or electricity)

#Step 2 : Find temperature and pressure relief valve , Water Drain and the main water Shut off Valve

The first thing is to locate the water shut off valve, it’s generally placed at the head of the hot water heater . This valve is usually similar to the circular water valves used for front.

The temperature and pressure relif valve is located on top also in the most cases . It should have labeling or some notes next to it . In the wall you can find a piping that leads out of the water heater. On the other side of the wall should the the continuation of this piping . Ensure that this is not faulting . This procedure is essential .

The last one is the water drain, it is placed on the bottom . It’s a simple spout which has some threads making sure that a hose is simply connected .

#Step 3: Turn Off Heating Source and Gather Supplies

Home Safety

Avoid Ice Dams on Your Roof

Ice dams can build up on roofs. An ice dam is a pile of ice that blocks water from running off of the roof. As snow melts water will build up behind the ice dam into a pool. Roofs on a house are not designed to protect against standing water, they are designed to facilitate water running off the roof. The standing water that builds up behind an ice dam can do considerable damage to a house if it is not removed quickly.

What is an Ice Dam?

When snow accumulates on a roof a cycle of melting and refreezing can occur. The snow melts on the surface of the roof as heat escapes from the attic through the roof. As the water runs down the roof it refreezes near the edge of the roof where heat escape is less and the surface of the roof is colder. This refreezing gradually builds up a ridge or heap of ice commonly referred to as an ice dam. The ice dam blocks the flow of melting snow, causing water to pool up behind the ice. When the ice dam reaches a certain size the water behind it will seep under the roofing, through the roof causing damage to the roof, attic, insulation, ceiling and walls inside the house. This situation can cause a lot of damage to a house and damage can occur quickly, especially as spring approaches and mild days cause water to pool up quickly.

How can Ice Dams be prevented?

The main cause of ice dams is an overly warm attic. To facilitate ice dam prevention, lowering the temperature of the attic is essential. This can be accomplished by installing additional insulation on the attic floor. There are limits to the value of this procedure, at a certain point more insulation will not help reduce the temperature any further. The next thing to do is to install weather stripping and /or insulation on attic stairways or hatchways, and attic floor mounted ventilation fans. Some recess light fixtures and vent fans are not meant to be covered so be careful to find this out from the manufacturer before covering them over.

Ventilation is very important for regulating the attic temperature. Without adequate ventilation there will be heat buildup in the attic no matter how much insulation and weather stripping is used. Soffit vents along with a ridge vent is ideal, the cold air entering through the soffits will move up the roof to the ridge vent and exit removing excess heat and moisture. If you can’t install soffits a ridge vent will still help a great deal. The ultimate goal is to keep the temperature inside the attic as close to the temperature of the outside surface of the roof as possible to prevent snow from melting and refreezing.

What can be done to the outside of the roof to prevent Ice Dams?

Even if you do everything right ice dams can still form under certain conditions. However, a properly installed roof will prevent most of the damage. A properly installed roof in snowy regions will have the following components: proper flashing, ice and water barrier installed on the edges of the roof and over all valleys, rolled asphalt underlayment (tar paper) over the entire roof, and high quality roofing shingles with the proper overlap.

Other preventative methods

Physical removal of the ice dam could be dangerous. If you have a flat roof shoveling the snow off is possible. If your roof is not flat you can use a snow rake to scrape as much snow as possible off, this will slow the buildup of the ice dam. Another possibility is to chisel grooves into the ice dam to allow water to drain from behind the ice dam.

As spring approaches damage from ice dams can occur quickly so beware of this situation and be ready to take action to prevent damage to your home. Whatever physical method you try use extreme caution to avoid falling or having sharp pieces of ice fall on you. Consider hiring a professional, the cost may actually save you a lot of money.

Home Design

Building a Backyard Barbecue

A backyard Barbecue is a great way to spend time with family and friends during the warm summer nights. You might think that building a backyard barbecue is too hard and too expensive for you to do yourself, but with a little time and with this guide, you will find that you can make a wonderful outdoor kitchen for any budget.

First you need to make a design and building plan for your outdoor barbecue. Then you need to find the spot for your backyard barbecue and level the ground. Next you need to build a form out of 2x4s, and make sure it is level. If you don’t know anything about forms and concrete you should get a book from your local Library. With just a little reading you should be ready to tackle your backyard barbecue project.

Next you will lay rebar in the hole for your cement. The rebar should go both directions in your form and should be spaced about 18″-20″ apart. You will also need a few pieces of rebar sticking up for supporting the cinder block. You should have one rebar on every corner and about every three feet. You can also set your blocks around the edge of your form to know where exactly to put some of your rebar risers. There is another way you can put your rebar risers in the concrete, but it takes a little more work and a power drill, masonry bit and some concrete epoxy. If you do go this way you just drill your holes after you have poured your concrete, then epoxy in your rebar. The rebar should stick up about 3 feet from your slab and you should put some soda cans or something else on top of your rebar so no one gets hurt if they fall around the slab. Also make sure you get in all your electrical plumbing and gas lines before you pour.

Then you will be ready to pour your slab. You can either go to your local hardware store and buy bags of concrete and mix them yourself or rent a mixer if none of your friends have one. The other option would be to call up your local concrete truck company and have it delivered. This will cost a little more and you may need to have a concrete pump to get it to your backyard. Whichever way you get your concrete after you pour your slab you will need another 2×4 for a screed, just run it on top of your form to smooth out your concrete and just go in between your rebar risers. Then you should let your concrete dry for at least a week.

Now you should be ready to start putting in your blocks, don’t forget to use mortar on all joints and to first stick your first row of blocks to the slab. For the next rows keep putting a thin row of mortar between all joints. And always stagger your block joints, do not just stack one block on top of the other, make sure the top block sits on two blocks. After you have all your blocks in place you can cut any excess rebar you have sticking up, and then fill all of the block cells with concrete. To save money you can fill every other cell, but make sure you fill all the cells that have rebar in them.

After all your block work is done you should now start your counter tops. There are many ways to do this, I suggest to use 3/4″ plywood. You can either pour concrete on top of it or screw cement backer boards to it. You can then use tile or whatever you want your countertop to be.

After you have finished your countertops you will need to finish the outer walls of your Barbecue enclosure. There are a number of things you can do to finish off your barbecue, but the most popular ways are to either stucco, tile, or use natural stone. With stucco you will have to get stucco mix and stucco color, then mix it and trowel it in to the desired finish. To tile just get your mortar and notched tile trowel and put on your mortar and tile. You will also need a tile saw to do this. If you go with natural stone it will basically be the same as using tile. Any of these materials you use will enhance the look of your backyard barbecue and make you the hit of any party.

All you have left to do now is insert your barbecue and hook up all your gas lines, sinks (if installed), outlets and lights. You should now be ready to throw your backyard barbecue party. If you get your books now and start planning you should be ready for Memorial Day and be the hit of all your block parties.

Home Design

Do it Yourself Tricks for Fixing Up an Old Home

We purchased our 106 year old home four years ago. It was owned by one family and was very well maintained. My other half (drywall man by trade) had grand ideas of coming in and gutting it and completely making it into a “NEW” home. I had other thoughts on the matter. Woodwork, transoms and and the whole enchilada (including the black marble fireplace). This was our home and going to be our life project.

We began in the living room by tearing down the wall paper that had long ago began to peel away (Wood lath and plaster). With his talents instead of doing the tedious job of tearing it all out he bought drywall mud and put a texture on the wall and we painted. This saved us a great expense in the end. All of the rooms have updated wiring except for two. In August two years ago, we had an unexpected fire in our eldest daughters room. No one was hurt and the structural damage was minimal but the smoke damage was horrendous. The clean up process began. We had intended in finishing a room at a time but this set back had changed our plans drastically.

The upper hall was salvageable but the four rooms upstairs was not. Now back to square one we began to scrap wallpaper. Eight layers later we began to uncover the plaster. The decision was made to do the same for three of the four rooms which were damaged. Texture with drywall mud and paint. The fourth room however was a bit of a problem. No outlets or updated wiring, this room had to be gutted and replaced with drywall. A closet built in as well. (Most old homes had little use for closets). The big problem with gutting these old houses is that it is very messy and time consuming. Ours had blown in insulation so that was something to be dealt with as well. Doing the job yourself is a hard task but the money that is saved is worth the effort.

We rented an industrial sander from a hardwood flooring company to take care of the hardwood floors. (The trick is to rent on Friday for two days, most places are closed on Sunday so you get one free day). The hallway and master bedroom had carpeting so that was left because it was in excellent shape. Our house had a regular kitchen and bathroom built on in the 60’s so it doesn’t really match the rest of the house. We painted and decorated in a modern way. We came to the compromise that the original part of the house would stay original and the new would stay new.

All in all if you purchase an old house if it can be “Fluffed” then do just that. There are tricks that you can accomplish with minimal effort or expense to maintain the “old charm”.

Home Energy

Summer and Winter Energy Saving Tips

Below are some helpful energy saving tips:

Seal your drafts.
Close off your chimney.Your chimney is basically an open hole in your house, which cold air, hot air, and even rain have no problem going in to if it is not closed off. You can also use a heavy cover over your fireplace to prevent outside air from coming into your home in case it does come down the chimney.
Turn off your vents they’ve done their duty.You might think about vents letting air out, but not in. But really vents work both ways, and you can end up with outside air in your climate controlled building, Kitchen and bathroom vents are necessary, but turn them off when you’re done using them.
Be energy wise with your curtains. Since heat comes from the sun, it may be wise to close your curtains in summer to keep the sun out and open your curtains in winter to let sunshine in, However, if more cold air than sunshines come through in winter, you would better off leaving the curtains closed.
Keep your air conditioner or heater tuned up. Every machine runs more efficiently when it is being well-maintained, and making them work overtime is using unnecessary energy. Keep your filters changed, and have a mechanic look at your unit when you think its output is low.

Keep cold air out in winter and hot air out in summer by sealing all your drafts – around windows, doors and cracks in the building, using caulk if necessary. A good product to use around doors is the As-Seen-On-TV Twin Draft Guard. It moves with your door as you open and shut it. It’s also easy to use and inexpensive, It also works on windows that do not have screens.

Home Design

You Should Use Smokeless Candles in Your Home

I recently came across an extraordinary new product-so-called smokeless candles made from soy product as opposed to traditional candle wax mixtures. The result is a candle that is still highly aromatic, but it does not leave a “residue” or put any smoke into the air. In small apartments and homes, regular candles can create a lot of smoke over time-also, it creates residue “stains” on the walls. (This is similar to the damage done to hotel room walls over many years of allowing smokers to stay there.)

I have found only one company that has a wide range of soy-based aroma candles. The company is called Soy Inspirations and it appears to be available at many supermarkets. Soy candles are more expensive than regular candles, but the results are remarkable-there truly is no smoke or lingering residue on my window sill.

A medium-sized Soy Inspirations candle cost me $8, but they seem to last for a standard amount of time. “Cinnamon roll” is my favorite kind so far-a rich cinnamon aroma fills my apartment and wafts out into the hallway.

Over time, especially as many affluent homeowners are health-conscious, I believe soy-based and other varieties of “smokeless candles” will become the industry standard. Normal wax candles will be a thing of the past, only making the occasional appearance in an antiques store or Williamsburg colonial reenactment.

If you have kids, you should also consider not using candles at all or switching to smokeless candles. It is simply irresponsible, in my opinion, to have something that burns and gives off actual particles-why not just smoke in your house?

As more consumers demand smokeless candles, they are likely to gain acceptance at major scented candle chains such as Yankee Candle.

I also recommend you try oil candles at some point. I am not sure if they are technically “smokeless”, but they do seem to give off less smoke and residue than wax candles. You can also place an oil candle in standing water for an amazing evening mood.

It is funny that even in 2018 scented candles have a place in the home. They are perfect for transforming a normal room into a “romantic” or sexy rendezvous spot. Although the burn from soy candles does not appear any brighter than that of standard wax candles, the odor appeared to be just as strong-if not more so. The cinnamon scent filled my room within a matter of minutes.

Home Knowledge

Seven Things You Can Do at Home During a Blackout

Most of us have experienced or will experience a significant power outage during our lifetime. No, it’s not completely the end of the world. There are still quite a few things we can do. I think most of us get caught up in all the frenzy when something exciting like the power goes out. It’s funny to see how many people instantly begin to wander around aimlessly. I don’t think any research has been done to see why this occurs. It’s probably just the excitement and the immediate withdrawal of our reliance on electrical power.

So, I thought that I would put together a simple list of things anyone can do once the power goes out. You might even want to print this out and hang it on your refrigerator. Because if you don’t do it now, you most likely won’t be able to view this or print it out at the time the blackout occurs. You know, the whole power outage thing, remember? And of course it always is a good idea to have other resources available for light, in case the power outage happens at night, leaving you in the dark.

#1 – Make yourself useful

If you have a neighbor who has a medical condition and relies on the power for certain medical equipment, make yourself useful and check to see if they are alright. All it takes a few moments of your time to check and see if they need any assistance.

#2 – Pick up a book or a newspaper

These things do still exist in our society. We tend to rely solely on our television or computer for news and entertainment. Most of us have really good books that are just collecting dust. This just might be your golden opportunity to pick one up and begin reading. I know, not everyone finds reading the most exciting past time. Don’t worry; this is only the second suggestion. Move on.

#3 – Exercise

Yes, we can still do this without power. We don’t always need our high quality technology driven exercise equipment to get some healthy exercise. Remember the days when we would just go for a walk? Or even just do simple warm up exercises such as sit ups, stretches, or push ups? Granted, not everyone can do every kind of exercise, but there are simple movements you can do to improve your health and pass the time away.

#4 – Organize

Oh how I love this suggestion. I don’t think I have ever ran across anyone who has everything completely organized. Well, unless you deal with OCD, or something similar. Usually we have a stack of papers or mail that we haven’t gone through yet. Now is the perfect time. Or how about simply rearranging some things around the house? Organization always makes you feel better too.

#5 Take a nap

Many of us are sleep deprived to begin with. What better time to get some extra rest. It’s understandable that not everyone can sleep during the day. However, if the power outage is a long one, and you completed all four of my other suggestions above, you’ll be tired.

#6 – Play games

There are all sorts of games you can play without using electric. Some of the best past time games are card games. This can work if you are by yourself, or even more fun if you are with a group of people. If cards aren’t your thing, board games are always fun. Again, this helps if you have several people to participate.

#7 – Listen to the radio

Yes, I have saved the best for last, because radio always keeps me entertained no matter what seems to be going on. As most of us know, not every radio requires electric. We of course have all sorts of options available to us, if the batteries are charged and ready to go. Listening to your favorite music or radio talk show can do wonders to pass the time.

So there you have it. Seven things you can do at home during a blackout. As you can see these aren’t the only things you can do, just a few ideas I came up with to help ease the withdrawal of the electrical power we rely on every minute of every day.

Home Knowledge

An Educated Shopper Can Buy Electrical Wiring for Home & Residential Use

When people go to the handy dandy residential homeowners warehouse store such as Home Depot or Menards, or to the local HWI or Ace hardware store to buy wire for the typical homeowner home improvement projects they are often not dealt with honestly by those retailers. An informed shopper can avoid those pitfalls that do await them!

People who do not do electrical wiring professionally do not have basic information that will enable them to make wise and economically sound purchase decisions. They often enter the stores with a desire to do the best work anyone has ever seen, and they wish to buy the “very best” materials to use in the completion of their project.

When the homeowner or handyperson approaches the sales assistants in the store they are walking into the flood gates of abuse if they are not informed buyers. I will teach you about buying the wire that is often referred to as “romex” which is in fact non-metallic building wire meaning it is non armor clad electrical building wire suitable for use in a residence or domicile not intended to house 100 or more people and will be secured inside walls behind wall-covering material such as drywall, tongue and groove car-siding or such other coverings.

I am called to many projects started out in this fashion to resolve issues or building code disputes that arise in some such cases and have learned an immense amount on these occasions about how homeowners and handymen are used and abused by retailers working from an agenda in which they have been instructed to “sell something” and “let no one leave without a purchase in their hands”. Some other cases in which the customer comes in and wants the “best materiels”, the sales people make sure they get it. Invariably, these conditions often mean that the unwary homeowner or handy-person will leave with materials they do not need and which they paid far more for than what the project actually called for. What is always “the best” for electrical installations is what is “right” for those installations.

I am not going to try to teach people how to be adequate electricians. I have had apprentices with me for years who could not pass the Journeyman’s exam. Electrical wiring is a very professional career and requires much experience and training to successfully complete a licensure exam. It would be unreasonable to think you will learn how to be a proficient electrical wiring expert after reading a brief article relating to only one aspect of it is not my intention to teach people to be electrical professionals thru an article on the internet.

I wish to help people be less of a sheep to the “artful hardware guy” who wants to sell you products based upon profit margin for the store. As a professional electrician I know the value of reducing expenses thru the art of not adding unnecessary expense to a job.

There are three sizes of wire you need to know. Those sizes are used for specific things thru out your home. These are not the only wire or wiring methods in a home, but these sizes and style represent over 95% of the wire in the average residential dwelling.

14-2 NMB with Ground | 12-2 NMB with Ground | 14-3 NMB with Ground

The three sizes of non metallic sheathed cable mentioned here are the primary wire sizes used in general home residential electrical systems. The 14-2 is the size we will cover first. This wire is what is used to supply electrical energy to receptacles and lighting in general use areas of your home. Bigger wire is not better. What is “better” is to use the wire that is appropriate for the need and the amperage requirements of the area in question. In living rooms, bedrooms, family rooms, hallways and all lighting circuits of a general nature the 14 gauge wire is fully adequate. This wire is suitable for up to a 15 ampere over current protection device which is a breaker or a fuse. Never, under any circumstances place a 14 gauge conductor under a feed or over current protective device rated over 15 Amperes, simply never. That size wire will burn under a larger OC device. It is not a matter of if. It is only a matter of when.

The next wire size to be aware of is 12-2. That wire is used for heavier household loads such as kitchen countertop receptacles, bath receptacles, laundry 110 Volt usage receptacles and dining rooms. This size wire or “AWG” (American Wire Gauge) as wire sizes are referred to is for use when attached to and supplied by overcurrent protection devices such as breakers or fuses not rated at over 20 Amperes. Again, this wire too will burn if connected to an OC device rated over 20 Amps.

The third wire mentioned above is 14-3. This wire is for wiring loads such as ceiling fans with a light in order to permit the separate control of the fan from the light. It is also very useful for wiring in 3 amp; 4 way switching systems which will enable a load to be switched from multiple locations thru-out the area concerned, such as a room with multiple entrances, or a hall way light that an occupant may wish to turn on at one end of the hall and turn off the same light at the other end.

The 12-3 wire that I have seen sold to unwary homeowners because it is “the best” is a wire so seldom actually needed that I am surprised hardware stores even carry it. I have seen poor homeowners sucked into a pit of gullibility in which they were sold 12-3 wire for living room applications and the inherent difficulty of using such wire in general use applications such as living rooms truly makes for a sense of pity for the unwary victim of sales people.

Never mix 14 gauge wire and 12 gauge wire on the same circuit. It is unsafe and unprofessional to do so.

I have been called to homes where a homeowner was told that they wanted 10-3 wire-which is huge for mere receptacle circuits! When they went home and completed the job, and after installing their new wood paneling over the electrical wiring installation, they found they could not install the receptacle outlet devices on the wires and get the devices back into the electrical box well enough to mount them to the box. They then decided to try to cut the huge 10 gauge wires very short and thus have less distance which to bend the wire into the box in order to enable them to possibly make the device fall more naturally into position in the box so that the receptacle and switch devices could be screwed into the outlet box.

That did in fact make the job even more difficult in fact as the fact is, the shorter the wire conductor, the harder it is to bend. That job was one of the most difficult “repair and troubleshoot” jobs I have ever encountered of that type. Ten gauge wire is almost never what you want in a home unless you are supplying power to an electric dryer, some-although very few-microwaves, some air conditioning systems and geo-thermal heating appliances and some electric baseboard heaters.

A wise shopper who is informed can make decisions when buying electrical wiring products that can allow them to make sound purchase decisions. The homeowner can then make installations in keeping with what is appropriate for the application and protect their checkbook from greedy sales and aggressive marketing by retailers.

Home Design

How to Create a Unique Headboard Design for a Bedroom

Designing a bedroom around the headboard of a bed can be an exhilarating home improvement project. Headboards are an artistic and functional bedroom element that can add a sense of creative design to a room. Headboards come in traditional designs that often accompany a bed and dresser in a composite bedroom suite.

These complementary furniture accents add a sense of uniformity to the bedroom, but alternate headboards can be created to bring a sense of eclectic design to the room. If you are looking for a way to create a unique headboard for your bedroom, then follow these simple suggestions for a fun-filled bedroom design.

Folding Screen or Shutters

Since a bed is usually a central feature in a bedroom, a headboard brings a sense of completion to the bedroom design. Comforters, pillows, a bed skirt, and linens all add a decorative element to the room, but without a headboard, there is not a strong focal point. A folding wooden screen that has been inlaid with fabric can make for an attractive headboard design. You can choose a decorative fabric and replace the one that accompanies the wooden screen if you want to bring a specific correlating design into the bedroom. In addition, you can unfold the screen so that the panels are all open wide and lie flat against the wall. Similarly, you can use antique or rustic shutters against the wall to create a headboard design. These decorative shutters will need to be nailed to the wall in the proper height to give an authentic and creative headboard design. Both the folding screen and the shutters can also be painted or stained to math the theme of your bedroom décor.

Colorful Textiles

It is often assumed that linens and textiles can only find their place on the bed in a bedroom design. Fortunately, this is not the only use for textiles in a bedroom. They can be used on the wall to create a bedroom headboard design. Antique textiles work well a headboard since they are often too old and too fragile to use as daily bedding. In addition, colorful quilts, curtains, and fabrics can also be hung on the wall to create a bedroom headboard. For the most dramatic effect, you can cover most of the wall behind the bed with an unusually large textile or piece of fabric.

Wooden Outdoor Décor

Ordinary outdoor garden or yard accents can be used to create an artistic headboard design. If you paint or stain a section of wooden picket fence or wooden garden lattice, you can use this as a headboard for a country or garden-themed bedroom. This headboard idea also works especially well for a little girl’s room. These decorative headboard ideas add an element of charm and artistry to a bedroom design. Designing a bedroom around a bedroom headboard can be a stylish and rewarding home improvement project. Headboards are a creative bedroom element that can add a sense of refinement and completion to a decorative bedroom design.

Light Up Headboard Ideas

This is a DIY cool video on making a light up headboard.

Home Safety

This Year, Resolve to Improve Your Home’s Security

If you made it through 2017 with you and your family healthy and unharmed, congratulations!

If you haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions yet, here’s an idea for you. Ensure you and your family get through 2018 safe and sound by resolving this year to make some home improvements to protect against intruders. Let’s on the lights!

Almost everyone could stand to add one or two items to their home security repertoire. Here are some suggestions for you to help protect your home:

Install bright lights around your homes points of entry to deter a burglar for fear of being spotted
Make sure you have good quality deadlocks on all of your doors.
Stop hiding a key outside in an obvious place.
Put your family’s valuables in a fireproof safe or store them offsite in a safety deposit box.
Always lock your doors even when you’re at home.
Never let a strange into your home, no matter how official they might appear. There are many scams running rampant and some robbers dress as delivery personnel or other officials. Always ask to see ID and inspect it closely before letting someone in your home.
Don’t forget to lock your windows.
Never leave ladders or anything else alongside your home to help a burglar climb to the second floor to find a new way to gain entry.
Ensure your home’s doors are of high quality. If you did not change your locks when you moved into your current home, change them now. It’s never too late.

You can never be overly cautious when it comes to protecting your home. A few small improvements and minor investments can go a very long way in ensuring your family’s safety.