Replacing Your Sliding Glass Door Rollers

If the sliding glass doors in your home are more than 10 years old, you might notice that they are becoming harder to slide open. This problem is even more common on aluminum frame dual pane doors. The reason is because the doors are heavier due to the dual pane glass, but many of the aluminum units did not use stainless steel rollers. So, in many cases, the rollers get rusty from moisture and they start to bind.

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In order to replace the rollers, you have to remove the sliding panel from the opening. In most instances, the fixed panel must be removed in order for the sliding panel to come out. There is a simple way to determine whether or not your fixed panel has to come out as well. If the slider is on the inside track and the fixed panel is on the outside track, you have to remove both panels, because the slider will only come out from the outside. There is a lip on the bottom of the track inside your house. That lip keeps water from coming in. Unfortunately, that lip is also too high to lift the sliding panel up and over. So, you have to remove the fixed panel first, then lift and swing out the slider from outside. If you are one of the few people who have a slider on the outside track, then you can lift your slider out without removing the fixed panel.

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But, let's assume you need to remove the fixed panel first. Here is what you do: Remove your screen door if you have one. The screen door will have two rollers on the bottom. Lift one end of the door frame with one hand while using a flat screwdriver to lift the roller off the track. Do that on both sides, then take out the screen door and set it aside. Now, look for a metal piece on the bottom track that runs from the bottom corner of the fixed panel all the way across to the bottom of the side jamb that has the door lock hardware. If your door is really old that piece might be missing. If you have one, you can pry it up from the track. It is snapped in place even though it looks like it is a part of the track. Once you have that piece removed, you want to look inside the house where the fixed panel is against the wall jam. Look for screws holding the frame to the jam. They usually have one near the top and bottom corners, and one near the center. Remove these screws and put them where you won't lose them. Now, you should be able to pull the fixed panel out of the side jam. There is a very good chance that it will be stuck. If it is, grab the center rail near the bottom and lift up as hard as you can. If you feel the panel go up, pull it back down. Do this a couple of times, then try to pull it out of the side jam again. This usually loosens it enough to pull it out. If it still won't come out, you will have to put a thin screwdriver between the fixed panel frame and the side jam and pry while a helper pulls the panel away from the jam. Once you get it free of the side jam, grab the fixed panel side rail and have a helper grab the other rail. Lift the panel up into the top track and swing the bottom out of the bottom track. Remove the panel from the top track and set it aside with the screen door.

Now, you can try lifting the slider up and out, just like you did with the fixed panel. If the slider won't clear the bottom track, you need to do a couple of things. First, look to see if it's the old rollers protruding from the bottom that is preventing the door from coming out, or if the actual bottom of the door frame is hitting the track. In almost all cases, it will be the old rollers. But, if the opening is 8' wide, sometimes the wood header that runs across the opening has sagged just enough to make it tight in the center of the opening. If it's the rollers, you need to adjust them all the way up into the door. Look for a hole on the bottom side where you can put a phillips screwdriver and find the adjustment screw. Then turn that screw counterclockwise as far as you can. Do that to both sides, then try lifting out the door. If you are still getting stuck, have your helper lift one side and pull outward while you try to pry the frame and roller over the track. If you get one side out, have your helper hold that side with his or her foot to prevent it from going back in while he or she lifts the other side for you to pry free.

Once you get the slider out, almost all rollers are held in place by the same screw that holds the frame corners together. So, you need to set the panel on one side, remove the screw in the corner, flip the panel over, remove the screw on the other bottom corner. Now, you can take a rubber mallet or the wood handle of a hammer, and tap the bottom frame off the glass. This will give you access to your rollers. Take a close look at how they are inserted into the door frame. In fact, it's a good idea to only remove one roller to bring with you to match for the new ones. Then, when you get back home, you can use the roller that is still in place as a guide to installing the new ones.

Places like Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace Hardware carry about 80-90% of the rollers out there. So, you should be able to find them. However, let's say this just isn't your lucky day, and you can't find your rollers anywhere. You are going to have to have them ordered. Bring the roller to your local glass shop. If you're lucky, they will have them in stock. If not, they can order the rollers, but you won't get them for about a week. Don't panic. Just go home and tap the bottom frame back on the door panel, but leave the corner screws out. You can even leave the roller out that you removed. Lift the door back in place, install the fixed panel but don't snap the bottom piece back in, and don't install the inside screws. Then, from inside the house, lift the slider and pull it closed. You don't want to drag it if you left the roller out. It will scrape the bottom track. Just lift it enough to take the pressure off, and close and lock it.

When Your new rollers come in, take everything back out and install the new rollers. Adjust the new rollers all the way up before putting the door back in. That way, the new rollers won't interfere with you lifting it back in place. Adjust the new rollers down until the door slides good and locks. You want to be sure there is an equal gap at the top and bottom when the door is about an inch from closing into the side jam. You can adjust the rollers to make this dimension even. If you can get the job done by a professional for or including parts, it might be worth hiring someone to do it. But, in high population areas such as Los Angeles, it's common to pay 0 in labor only. Then they mark up the cost of the rollers, and you could wind up spending 0 for a job that you can do yourself for about . Next week i'm going to tell you how to repair your broken or defective window glass.

Replacing Your Sliding Glass Door Rollers

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows

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Bathroom Vanities - Adding A Unique Touch To Your Bathroom Regardless Of Your Budget

A really simple way to update your bathroom without doing a full remodel, and without spending a lot of money, is to replace your bathroom vanity. Bathroom vanities can cost as little as 0 (depending on the size you need), up to a couple thousand depending on what your tastes and budget are. I am going to talk about several different options that are available for different budget levels to help you get the bathroom of your dreams.

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RTA Bathroom Vanities or Pre-assembled vanities are a great way to get a fresh look for your bathroom without spending a lot of money to do so. Most of the building supply stores will carry their own line of pre-assembled bathroom vanities that you can take right out of the box and stick in your bathroom. While they are starting to add more design details into the vanity, these bathroom vanities traditionally are your basic cabinet with some detailing on the door that come in a wide range of door styles and finishes. There are also hundreds of companies that are selling RTA bathroom vanities on the web. These are usually a little bit better quality than what you will find in Home Depot or Lowes and they are usually less expensive, since they don't have the huge overhead costs that the big stores have. The difference between the store bought vanities and the RTA vanities that you find on-line, is that you will have to assemble the RTA vanities yourself (which usually just requires a screwdriver). These are the same style cabinets that you will find in all newly built, mid-priced homes.

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If you are looking for something a little bit more modern, one of the hottest remodeling trends is the Euro Vanity. The euro vanity is identifiable by the protruding sink bowl in the front, and downward curving doors. Most vanities are sold as a kit with the sink bowl included. These can also be found as pre-assembled units in the store, or as rta bathroom vanities on-line. While cabinet itself is usually not as deep as your traditional vanities, it still offers storage space below the sink. Most companies will offer 3 basic finishes- white, oak, and cherry, but you can occasionally find some unique finishes if you search hard enough. If you are going for a more modern look in the rest of your house, this is a great way to bring the same design features into your bathroom

Something that has become more popular in recent years with people trying to create a more custom look in their bathroom is what they call a bathroom furniture vanity. It is called a furniture vanity, because people were literally taking antique furniture and retro-fitting them to accommodate plumbing and a sink. Because of the demand for this type of vanity, manufacturers finally started creating vanities that look like antique pieces of furniture. You will find this type of vanity in a lot of the higher end homes that want to keep the custom look of the house flowing into the bathroom. The possibilities are endless when it comes to furniture vanities, and the prices can range from a couple hundred up to a couple thousand. This is a great look if you have the big budget required to have your bathroom look as nice as the vanity does!

Finally, for the ultra custom look is the artistic or decorative bathroom vanity. This type of vanity is a cross between a furniture vanity and a piece of art. They offer the style and detailing of furniture, with the artistic touches of a piece of art. For the homeowner that truly wants to make a statement with their bathroom design, or even make it a centerpiece of the house, the artistic bathroom vanity is the ultimate choice. However, this type of high design comes at a price... with most vanities starting at ,000 and going up from there, this is no small investment. The really nice thing about the handful of companies that are selling them, is that they come as a complete kit with the vanity top, sink bowl, and matching mirror included. There are not a lot of manufacturers out there, so if you are looking for a decorative bathroom vanity, be prepared to surf the web.

Regardless of whether you are updating a powder room, or designing the bathroom for a multi-million dollar home, there are a wide range of options and price levels to meet your budget. Take the time to really shop around, both in the stores and on the web, and you will find exactly what you are looking for at a price you can afford.

Bathroom Vanities - Adding A Unique Touch To Your Bathroom Regardless Of Your Budget

I have been remodeling houses for over 15 years, and I have found a way to save hundreds on each bathroom that I remodel. If you are looking for a High End Bathroom Vanity, Euro Vanity, or RTA Bathroom Vanity check out one of these links to find out my secret.

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Vertical Blinds Are a Great Investment

Vertical blinds are an affordable, stylish way to filter or block light, stop drafts and increase privacy. Here's what you need to know about them before you make a purchase.

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Vertical blinds are most commonly used as patio door blinds, but they also work very well for wide windows. You can choose from the easier-to-clean vinyl vertical blinds, or have your blinds match your decor perfectly with fabric vertical blinds. Faux wood and perforated blinds are also available. It usually costs around 0 for vertical blinds for a window 66 wide x 84 high or 78 inches wide and 84 inches high. A window 104 inches wide and 100 inches high would be about 0.

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You can get custom-made blinds from any Lowe's with same day turnaround. They also offer a special kind of vertical blind -- "S-curve" that makes the blinds look more like drapes than standard vertical blinds do.

Extra Features You Might Want

Self-lubricating wheels help the blinds' tracks move smoothly without you having to get out the WD40.

UV Coating can make the color of your blinds last much longer without fading. If you live at high altitude, where UV light is more intense, or in a southern climate where overall light intensity is strong, having UV coating, especially on blinds that are anything other that white might be worth some extra money.

Wand Control Versus Chain Control

There are two mechanisms, or ways to open and close the blinds and control how much light comes through between the vanes.

Cord and chain controls are standard and wand control is the newer, more advanced option. Cord and chain controls let you have separate controls for vertical movements -- the fabric or cord is used to move the vanes horizontally, or back and forth along the headrail that goes over the top of the window. So you would use the cord to completely pull back the blinds from the window and see through the glass.

The metal chain is used to control the angle of the vanes, so you use the chain to control how much light comes through the blinds with them still drawn together. Cord and chain controls are considered a wee bit more dangerous than wand control because of the cord dangling down near the ground where children and pets sometimes get interested in them and then tangled in them.

For wand control, you twist the wand to control how far apart the vanes of the vertical blind are, and you pull the wand along the headrail to open or close the blinds as you wish.

Motorized Vertical Blinds

Hunter Douglas and other major blind manufacturers make motorized blinds that open and close with a remote control. The motorized option is also available for their "gliding window panels", which are vertical blinds grown large -- a foot wide each, and they can be sized to go floor to ceiling. This can be an excellent choice in a room that would overheat from afternoon sun if the blinds were left open.

Popular Vertical Blind Brands and Retailers

You can get blinds from Lowes, Levolor, Kmart, Hunter Douglas, Smith and Noble, Target, JCPenney, Ace Hardware, Walmart and Overstock.com. Depending on the retailer, the time of year and what kind of sales are going on, you can spend as little as to more than 0 for a patio door window.

Vertical Blinds Are a Great Investment

Katie Hoffman writes about decluttering, with a focus on how to choose a closet organization system different ideas for how to organize a closet.

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Exterior House and Shutter Colors

Most homeowners one day face the inevitable task of repainting their home. The project is plagued by substantial cost, time, planning, and labor. One silver lining to such an obligation is the ability to modify house colors. This decision, however, may seem just as burdensome as the actual labor. Complementary primary, secondary, and accent colors usually need to be selected.

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Fortunately, professional color schemes have been developed by major paint manufacturers offering exterior grade paints. Millions of dollars have been invested into creating simple modern color palates. Most stores offer presentation booklets and paint chips which allow homeowners to make an educated decision. Online tools, such as Benjamin Moore's "Personal Color Viewer", allow the viewer to select wall, trim, garage, door, and shutter color for various home styles. Colors, however, can look different (usually darker) when applied to large outdoor areas than on a small paint chip or viewed online. Therefore, it is recommended that a quart of the selected colors be applied to a section of the home before purchasing paint for the entire house. In the evaluation phase, consider roof color, landscape and vegetation around the home, and adjacent neighboring properties which may influence the final appearance.

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After a color scheme has been chosen, decide what color to apply to what area of the house. Window trim is often a different color than the main surface. Exterior shutters and doors are often a third color. In situations where exterior shutters are just being added to the house, they are commonly the same color as the front door.

Vinyl exterior shutters require the least amount of monetary investment, short-term work, and long-term maintenance. To install, simply drill a few pilot holes into the shutter panel and screw the shutters directly to the building. Non-functional vinyl exterior shutters are sold pre-finished, and the color is molded throughout so fading will be minimal. The shutters will not need to be painted, and will only require an occasional washing to keep them looking their best. Paintable vinyl shutters are available if a custom color is necessary, and multiple colors can be used to create a more unique and original shutter. Online shutter companies generally mail color samples on request.

Wood exterior shutters are slightly more expensive but more authentic in appearance. Start with a premium grade wood shutter, like incense cedar, which will then need to be finished before they are installed. Consult with the paint manufacturer to determine the best combination of primer and paint for the optimum finish. Stationary wood shutters can be attached directly to the building with exterior grade screws or bolts. Functional shutters require exterior hinges, shutter dogs, and bolts for proper operation. Hardware can also be used on non-functional exterior shutters to give them a more distinct genuine appearance. Exterior shutters will generally need to be repainted as often as the house.

As with any home improvement project, make selections for both personal appeal and resale. In most situations, exterior shutters should not stand out, but should accent the entire project. If the entire process seems too daunting, professional consultants are available for hire.

Exterior House and Shutter Colors

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Landscape Your Front Yard

Do you think you have a boring front yard? By doing some small little things you can vastly improve your lawn's look aesthetically speaking and do it without having to spend a fortune.

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Take a look at your landscape. Now take a look at the houses around yours. What is the overall theme?

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A home in the pacific northwest will most likely incorporate more of a green theme do to the abundance of grass and tree versus a home in Arizona which will have a more stucco and desert look.

I like to start off with boulders, or giant rocks. These will work in both a green climate and desert climate. You would not believe how different just two of these things can make your lawn look. They really give it character and adds depth and texture to a flat lawn. These are not that expensive though you may need a truck and a forklift to pick them up. You can buy landscape boulders and other rocks for your lawn and garden for usually 0 each at a local rock query.

Here is another simple landscape idea. Change your mailbox. Look around and you will see that everyone has the same one. Get a mailbox that is large and unique. You can get very nice ones from home improvement stores like Lowes or Home Depot. I am a huge fan of animal mailboxes. Local carvers can make extremely life like ones out of wood. You would not believe how to deer or moose wooden mailbox will make your lawn look more visible especially if you have a lot of trees around your home.

Third, plant some different and exotic floors in the middle of your lawn. Do not plant them in a boxed garden touching the house! That is what everyone does. Plant a small garden in the middle of your front lawn and make them different colors. Have some yellow, red, and pink flowers all mixed together. When surrounded by a perfectly manicure green lawn this looks fantastic. Put some small rocks around the garden to make it look even more appealing. Make the garden a irregular shape. Everything does not have to be a square or rectangle.

I have just given you three small ideas to make your lawn look great. As you can see it does not take much. All you have to do is use your imagination, plan what you want to do, and put it into action. Work with what you have. You may have some of the materials you need available, like small trees in your back yard, and all you have to do is move or re-plant them. Put what you have in your mind to paper and get started.

Landscape Your Front Yard

Please check out a company that offers excels in landscape Vancouver WA. If you have a passion for this type of work and think you are good at it he also wrote an article about starting a landscape and lawn care business.

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Accentuating Your Home Decor With French Closet Doors

French closet doors, without a doubt, are great addition to your home decoration. Many are well constructed, durable, sturdy and elegant. They can go with modern or contemporary home style. Because clean, straight lines are the basic elements of a contemporary design, these doors, with their sleekness and elegance, go into this category.

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The basic designs of French doors are sliding, bifold, folding and pocket. And the common materials used are glass, wood or mirror. If you are planning to install French doors in your bedroom closet, be organized which means that you have to keep everything in its place to avoid messy closet interior which would not look good on your doors.

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When installing these doors, you must know the exact dimensions of your closet doorway. The sliding type of doors is ideal for walk-in closet. It is a must that accurate dimensions must be taken because an error in measurement would not allow your door to fit properly in the doorway.

This is true with folding or bifold doors which operate on tracks, thus they are not adjustable and therefore, they require exact measurements for installation. Many French doors are available online. Check out some retailers and compare their prices to get the best deal. Here are some products that you can find online:

French Doors by Jiangmen Huayi Door Industry Co. Ltd.:

Globalsources.com offers this HY-3052 molded French interior door in diversified designs. The door is made of MDF board covered with wood skin or PVC coating. The glass is designed with grill in the center for a simple and classic look. The dimensions include a door standard size of 800 by 2,000 by 40mm and a left and right opening direction.

French Doors by Shandong Hongyuan Group Co. Inc.:

This door has custom-built dimensions which the manufacturer can produce based on your requirements. The materials available are pine, oak and fir. The door surface may be veneer, PVC or painting.

60-inch 10-Lite Wood Reversible Hand Interior Double Pre-hung Door No Casing:

This Reliabilt door is available at Lowes.com. It measures 1 and 3/8 inches thick. You have the option to stain or paint it in any color of your choice because the door comes unfinished. It retails at 8.00 under model number 30151023948.

Masonite Pine French Double Door Clear Flat Jamb Pre-hung:

This door measures 60 inches by 80 inches by 1 and 3/8 inches and requires a flat jamb. It features a tempered safety glass and can be purchased unfinished to allow you to paint or stain with any color of your choice to match your home decoration. This door provides a sleek style and contemporary look all of its own. It is best used as walk-in closet doors and you can alter its style by using frosted glass or mirrored panels.

French Closet Doors by The Sliding Door Co.:

The sliding French closet doors offered by the company have a framework width of 1 and 1/2 inches or 3 inches. It is built with aluminum anodized and powder coated in black or white. The framework is available in maple, walnut, silver, wenge, white and black. You have materials choices of glass, frosted, laminated linen, mirror or milky. The designs available are Quattro, Pentagon, Trio, Tokyo, Duo T and Combo.

Accentuating Your Home Decor With French Closet Doors

For more information about French Closet Doors, visit http://www.replacementclosetdoors.com.

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How to Build a Free Form Fire Pit

There are many questions out there for people looking to build their own home fire pit. Where do I get fire brick? Do I need fire brick? How deep should I go? What are the laws for fire in my area? I started my fire pit because the cost to have one installed was quite high 1400.00 dollars to be exact. The reason is most people today do not know enough to build one. Our ancestors when they needed something forged it, crafted it, or built with their own hands. You can do the same thing if you have hands or know someone who does. So let me explain concrete, concrete is to an extent fire proof. Concrete will degrade after many, many years but if you are not applying direct high intensity heat to it like with a cutting torch it will not break or explode. So the sides of the fire pit can be built from standard brick you can pick up at Home Depot, Lowes, or garden centers. If you must have fire brick you have to check at local stores who specialize in fire bricks and fire clays, this will get costly. The bottom of your fire pit in my opinion does need a bit more than concrete. Typically fire resistant mortar and standard red brick will work or you or you can use a combination of the mortar and canyon rock also available at your local hardware store. The bottom of the pit will always be the hottest, remember earth science classes. The coals are the hottest part of the fire so make your bottom thick and durable. You will also want to clean it from time to time so a smooth surface for shovel use is quite important.

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After you pick your location for the fire you will want to figure your shape. I myself wanted a circular pit so just like the ancient ancestors I measured out some twine to the size I figured I would be happy with. I then squared up the center point to installed hammocks, swings, etc. After the center point is figured, drive a stake into the center, a round stake is your best bet here. Tie the twine to the stake leaving a loop in it so it will not tangle. Tie the other end to a cutting instrument, pull tight and cut in your circle. After the circle is cut in begin to dig out the area. Keep your edges nice and flat going back to check with length of twine. After the pit is in place and you are at the right depth(1-2 feet) take a heavy flat board and pack all the loose dirt down from the middle out to the edges. Once you have it level and smooth lay out your wall bricks and make sure they place against the wall well. then layout your base.

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Now you have to mix your mortar, make sure your mortar is the right consistency you want it to stick to the bricks and not fall off. Pick up your mock up bricks you placed in the pit and lay in your mortar. Place your bottom bricks hole up, this will allow for drainage when it rains. Pat the base bricks down with a rubber mallet or a board. After your base is down start your side wall, the main focus here is to follow your pattern up the sides of the pit. Take care to fill in the triangle shape the corner of the bricks make, this is important for the last step in the pit. Once your base is down and you have the first ring of wall brick in place take a stick and poke holes in the center of the base bricks until you hit ground. Now continue your side wall. Once you are flush with the ground you want to lay your next ring of bricks flat and continue your circle. That's it your fire pit is complete. Let it dry for a few days and then enjoy. If you want to get creative you can inlay something in the triangle shapes on the surface ring.

How to Build a Free Form Fire Pit

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