If members of your family are in the habit of pushing their chairs back against the wall, then chair railing is the answer. The trouble is, they will all want to try it out, so your chairs will probably wear out faster. Sometimes you just can't win!

Chair railing is popular in all types of homes, being installed midway up a wall, which helps protect the wall’s paint or wallpaper from being damaged by the back of chairs. The advantage of using chair railing is that it typically makes the room appear wider. Although you could install chair railing for protection, it is most often used for decoration, separating paint and wallpaper, or as a cap for wainscoting.

The key to chair railing installation is not butting the joints along straight lines. Instead, miter them with a 30-degree angle and use small, finishing nails to secure the railing to the wall studs. The visible appearance created by chair railing can be simplistic or dramatic as in the next post. Again, choose molding that works best with the room. Obviously, if the room were small, then you want to stay away from oversized molding whereas a large room could easily accommodate the thicker size.

You will also find chair railing in many different materials, as well as designs. Chair railing usually comes in Ultralite, which is lightweight MDF, finger joint pine, MDF, and polyurethane. Regardless of the material you choose, almost all options come primed. Installed very similar to that of baseboards, the only real difference is that you need to draw a line around the room for level reference. Since walls are not always squared, you need this to ensure the railing looks straight.

Without doubt, chair rails offer a nice decorative touch while serving a practical purpose. Generally, chair railing is installed from 24 to 48 inches from the floor although you can get as creative as you like. In addition to adding one chair railing, you can also use two or three pieces for a creative look.

Even something as simple as a baseboard can transform the appearance of a room. Over time, baseboards become not just scuffed and scratched but simply out of style. With this home improvement project, you will find the installation process easy, as long as you follow a few simple rules.

Sometimes referred to as base molding, this strip of wood, or other material is installed between the wall and floor. The purpose of baseboards is to protect the walls from being damaged by feet, vacuum cleaners, furniture, and so on. Just about every home has baseboards, which creates a functional but also clean appearance.

Great for hiding uneven edges, baseboards are typically made from one piece of material or like crown molding, can be built-up by using two or more pieces. As an example, if you wanted something more decorative and sophisticated, you could use a three-inch rectangular baseboard, sculptured base cap, and quarter round base shoe.

As shown in the Molding section, you have a wide variety of choices. Therefore, measure the room accurately and then shop for the style of baseboard that would work best with the agriculture and size of the room. In most cases, mitered corners are cut but you will also find blocked or butted corners used, which would depend in part on the type of trim you choose. Below are some great tips for installation to make your home improvement project easier.

Installation

When buying baseboard, take time to examine each piece to ensure each is uniform. In other words, you want to avoid buying pieces that are curved, warped, have dents, knotholes, rough spots, and so on. If you plan to install new trim around the doors, make sure this is installed before you begin the baseboard installation.

Again, you can also purchase corner pieces for baseboards, which simply provides a cleaner, more decorative look if you want. The installation process would be the same as that of the crown molding.

Start by measuring the linear footage of the room in which the baseboard would be installed. Once you have this measurement, add 10% just in case of measurement or cutting mistakes.

Next, choose the style and finish that works best with the room, along with your own personal preference. Remember, prior to cutting and fitting the baseboard, you want to stain, clear coat, or paint both sides, allowing the wood to dry completely.

The best option is to buy the baseboard in lengths to fit the wall to avoid excessive splices. Although splicing cannot always be avoided, the fewer the better, giving the room a cleaner, more
professional appearance. Typically, the longest pieces range from 14 to16 feet. The only drawback to the longer piece is the higher risk of damage and/or warping.

If you want an exceptional finished look, we recommend you apply shoe molding against the floor, which is a flexible, quarter-round trim that is bent just enough to fit the floor’s contours. Shoe molding is always attached to the wall, never the floor.

Now, pre-drill the nail holes, which will prevent the baseboard from splitting when the nail is driven in.

If you like, you can apply molding adhesive evenly on the back of the baseboard, set it in place, and then nail securely, driving the nails into the wall studs.

If you end up with any gaps on the top side, you can fill them with compound, wiping off the excess with a clean, dry cloth.

Remember, if you need to splice pieces together, always cut both ends to a 45-degree angle so as they butt together, making the splice near invisible.

Finally, the holes for the nails can be filled with wood filler, gently sanded, and then touched up with clear coat, stain, or paint to match the rest of the baseboard.

If you don't know the relevance of the quotation in the headline your family will enjoy explaining it to you.

Crooked Walls

Many times, homes have walls or ceilings that are not square, meaning they do not measure exactly straight, which could be from the construction of the home or the foundation settling.

For instance, my first home was built of solid granite and was more than 150 years old. It was difficult to find a flat wall with square corners anywhere.

Since crown molding is straight and rigid, lining it up on an un-squared wall is near impossible. In this case, we suggest you use a flexible type of molding that can bend a little.

Once the crown molding is installed, if you find any gaps, simply use a plaster adhesive to fill the gap, making it appear as part of the molding, which can later be painted or stained.

On the bottom mark line, you want to hammer in finishing nails so they support the molding.

Finally, fill the edges and joints with compound, wiping off any excess with a clean, dry cloth. I might use junk mail instead of cloth – I might as well get some use out of it.

Miter Cuts

If you do not use corner pieces and need to use miter cuts, the following tips will help.

Place the crown molding with the top side flat against a miter bed of a miter saw. Keep in mind that the bottom part of the molding, the part that would go against the wall should be flat against the side of the saw’s fence.

Cut all the pieces so they are mirrored with each other at 45-degree angles. In other words, when you fit them together they will form a right angle. What do you do if the corner of the room is not a right angle? Just use filler to hide any gaps.

For coping pieces, butt one piece up tightly against the wall, nailing it in place with finishing nails. The second piece would then be cut as described above.Then, use a coping saw, cutting a small back angle, which follows the natural contour of the molding profile.To ensure it fits appropriately, you may need to perform a test fit.

Ceiling Height

To determine the height of the crown molding, you first need to consider the size of the room, as well as the height and design of the ceiling. A good rule of thumb is to choose one inch of crown molding for every foot of ceiling. In other words, if the room had eight-foot ceilings, you would choose molding around eight inches – if the ceiling had ten-foot ceilings, you would go with ten-inch crown molding. Keep in mind that if the size of your home is small, you want to cut this back by 20% to 50% so the molding does not overpower the room.

Types of Crown Molding

For crown molding, you have three primary options. The first is called “Cove”, which is simple to install and probably the most common. Second is “Crown” molding and then “Bed” molding, which have beautiful, decorative profiles. The last two options are typically used to create a traditional look. All three options are available in sizes that range from one-half to more than five inches.

Installation

In most cases, installation of crown molding is not difficult. This type of molding is installed between the wall and ceiling. As mentioned earlier, if you want to avoid making tricky miter cuts so the ends meet in the corner, you can always use decorative corner pieces. This is particularly good if the family are helping. Crown molding is best installed on plaster, wood, or drywall. The process of installation is relatively easy and fun, as you will see from the basic instructions below:

Start by marking the wall and ceiling projections to ensure you have the appropriate size and alignment prior to getting started.

If using corner pieces, drill pilot holes in the center of each piece. Install the pieces with finishing nails on the outside and inside corners.

For the crown molding, create a 90-degree cut, butting the end firmly against the corner piece so there are no gaps. Keep in mind that in some cases, the end piece of the molding would be cut straight and then set flush against the corner pieces.

Apply molding adhesive evenly on the back of the strip, setting the piece in place. Be sure the adhesive is applied to the top and bottom to help hold it securely in place.

Then, secure the long strip of molding with finishing nails, driving them into the wall studs and ceiling joists for best security. If the crown molding is thick, you may need to drive small pilot holes to avoid the material splitting.

If you have chosen crown molding with a long, repeat pattern, you might take the prominent or most visible side of the room as the starting point, then progress around the room. That way, if the patterns do not match perfectly in all corners, the visible area would be the most obvious and best looking.

Next, graze and score the wall and ceiling, going between the marks previously made, about every eight to ten inches. This way, the bond of the crown molding onto the wall will be more secure.

Decorative Molding

For this type of molding, you will discover many beautiful options to enhance any room of the home.

Hardwood Molding

This type of molding is a great option for clear coating, staining, or painting. Best of all, hardwood decorative molding comes in a wide range of embossed patterns, profiles, and sizes. With the embossed look, you gain a sophisticated look of the piece being hand carved. Adding to the straight molding, you can also add beautiful corner blocks, rosettes, and plinth blocks to enhance the look further. Using the corner pieces means eliminating some of the difficult miter cuts, making installation a breeze.

Veneer Hardwood Molding

Made by wrapping finger jointed pine with an oak, maple, or cherry veneer that is wrapped around to the back, this molding offers an elegant look but at a huge savings. The face of the veneer is beautifully milled, which eliminates the need to stain prior to clear coating or painting. In addition, this type of molding is gorgeous when finished, leaving a magnificent surface. Therefore, if you want an elegant appearance but without the expense, veneer hardwood molding is an excellent choice.

Architectural Molding

For top of the line molding, architectural grade is as good as it gets. Made from polystyrene or polyurethane, the profiles are large giving the impression of built-up molding. The primary benefit is that architectural molding does not rot, warp, or split. The material is low maintenance, lightweight, and easy to install. In addition to its diversity, this molding is available finished so no priming is needed, and able to be stained or painted. Installed alone or coupled with a ceiling medallion, you will enjoy a stunning look.

Crown Molding

Crown molding is installed at the location where the wall meets the ceiling. Available in a long range of styles, materials, and sizes, you can use a single strip of molding, layering, which means joining more than one piece, mix and match pieces, or molding with corner pieces. The most important aspect of installing crown molding is to follow an old carpenter’s rule of “measure twice and cut once”.

Although crown molding does not have to be expensive to look gorgeous, you certainly do not want to make the installation process difficult by not measuring correctly. When making your decision, just remember that wide crown molding will make your ceiling appear lower. Therefore, unless you have an exceptionally tall ceiling, we recommend you go with narrower molding.

Understanding Molding

As you will discover from the information below, molding comes in so many choices that deciding can be a little overwhelming.We believe using this information as a reference point will help you with the process.

Traditional Molding

Under the traditional molding category are a number of excellent choices.

Unfinished Solid Wood

Of all molding, this is the most popular. Many times, unfinished solid wood is made from pine or hardwood made comprised of different woods. Because of its beauty and diversity, it works well with any style home. When choosing this type of molding, you will find two grade options, which include:

Primed Finger Joint – Also referred to as “paint grade molding”, this type of molding is comprised of short pieces of pine that are finger jointed so one piece of molding is created. With this type of molding, it is not a good choice for clear coating or staining. Typically, primed finger joint molding is sold primed and ready to be painted. Obviously, the benefit here is the huge savings on expense and time.

Stain Grade Molding – In this case, the molding is made from clear lumber, which means it can be stained beautifully. Because this type of molding does not have any defects such as knots, you end up with a gorgeous, rich finish once the piece has been clear coated or stained.

Medium Density Fiberboard

Also known, as MDF, this type of molding is extremely lightweight. Additionally, MDF is a popular choice in that it cuts and handles like real wood although it is an engineered wood product. The major benefit is that the molding does not warp or move due to humidity and temperature such as real wood might. Finally, MDF is available in two main options to include ready to paint, and primed.

Prefinished Molding

In this case, the molding is made from polystyrene. Available in a wonderful variety of wood grain patterns, the main benefit is low cost. You can purchase prefinished molding ready to install. In addition to wood grain patterns, you could also choose from clean white. Low priced and super easy to install, this is an economical solution.

Family attitudes to money remain with you all your life. However much you modify them, these ideas are always in the background for the rest of your life.

My parents taught us "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." So I loaned some money to my brother then demanded it back when we went on holiday. So I had a lot to spend on that holiday. Even then I knew I was being cruel, and I could feel my brother's pain.

The lesson has stuck with me, and I have never loaned money to an individual since then. I have loaned money to companies by buying shares and I have borrowed money for a mortgage.

The important thing that your family should learn is that you never borrow money for something that will go down in value. If you borrow money for a holiday it will go down in value to zero. If you borrow money to buy a car it will almost always drop in value by 25% the moment it leaves the showroom.

On the other hand, a mortgage is an investment because if you wait long enough the property will rise enough in value to pay for your investment. I learned the theory in "The Richest Man in Babylon" and proceeded to ignore it because it didn't suit me. It didn't suit my parents either! But they still taught me the idea.

Investment is a family pursuit that doesn't need to involve the whole family to benefit all of them. The income from investment can benefit all the family.

Shares can be an excellent form of investment. "Hang on!" you say "You've just told me never to borrow money for something that can go down in price!".

You are completely right of course. But there is a way to invest in shares where you let other people take the risk and they pay you for the privillege.  

You can follow the advice in http://snipurl.com/millionnairestuff and make millions from your investments, but just one word of caution. He advises you to borrow money to start off.

I am more cautious and would prefer to build up a nest-egg to invest using his ideas. Of course it's fine to borrow money once the system is working, but I would feel uneasy about starting off that way.

How do you get the money for investment? He actually tells you this in his free information. To sum it up you stop buying anything on credit that will go down in value, and pay off your credit cards as fast as you can. Keep a record of how much you are paying off on your credit cards. It's only logical that when you finish paying off your debts you can invest the same amount of money.

As a temporary measure use someone like ING Direct to invest at a high rate of interest. They will be ripping you off too, but not as badly as the banks. Once you have a $20K nest egg  you can go ahead and make your millions his way.

Ian 

Although molding is commonly found in pre-WWII homes, today we see all styles of homes enjoying chair railing, crown molding, wainscoting, baseboards, and other kinds of molding to add character and charm. The exciting thing about molding is that you can find magnificent pieces and designs at local home improvement stores for very little money. In addition, the installation of molding is much easier than you might imagine, making it a great family pursuit.

With so many styles, you can turn any home, whether country, Greek revival, ranch, etc, into an inviting place for the family and you can boast to your friends about it being a family effort. Molding is also now made from a number of different materials and some come unfinished while others are stained or painted.  If you have a drab looking room, you might consider various molding options to breathe new life into the room.

Preparation 

To get started, you need to measure the room so you know exactly the amount of material needed for the project.  Keep in mind that you should always buy extra in case mistakes happen. Now, if you choose unfinished molding, we suggest you stain or paint prior to installation, which will save you a lot of time and effort.  Once the molding is installed, you can then spend a few minutes touching up any spots.

Additionally, we recommend both sides of the molding be stained or painted, which will eliminate or reduce the possibility of warping.  Be sure you spend adequate time looking at all your options.  With so many things to choose from, you want to buy what matches your personal preference, the architecture of the room, the size of the room, the height, as well as design of the ceiling, and even the decorum.

Remember, you can use straight molding, add decorative corner pieces, or even mix and match so be creative and have fun with the project. As an example, if you want to add paint or wallpaper in between two chair railings, you might make the top molding heavier and decorative while the lower molding is thinner and plain.

Another great option is to purchase small, one-foot pieces of several molding styles you like and then take them home so you can place them against your wall to determine which you like best.  Although the room’s architectural style is most important, choose what appeals to you too. As a rule, a Victorian era home would use molding with decorative touches and detailing whereas a modern home would use molding that is sleek with clean lines.

It would be silly to give page numbers and so on in a blog, so I'll just outline some of the subjects that will be covered eventually.

Moldings

Tiles

Countertops

Bathrooms

Glass and Metal

Lighting

Kitchen

Tools

Proper Use Of Equipment

Helpful Tips

Eye Protection

Introduction

Most children will love to join in and help you with any home improvement task. If your children don't want to help, read Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain to discover how Tom persuaded his friends to pay him for the privillege of painting a fence that he had been ordered to paint.

Whether looking for a major overhaul or some cosmetic changes, home improvement projects are a great way to improve the look, functionality, and value of your home. Chances are, you could walk from room-to-room and find a number of things you would like to tackle.

As you will discover in this book, home improvement projects can be something as simple as new hardware on cabinet doors to laying a ceramic tile floor.  The good news is that with so many excellent home improvement stores and do-it-yourself projects, you can transform any space or room in your home without an abundance of trouble.  In fact, many home improvement stores now offer weekend classes, teaching consumers various tricks of the trade.

By completing home improvement projects yourself, you can save money.  The key is to choose a project that falls within your skill level and then making it fun.  Of course, you will learn as you go and can always take professional classes as mentioned.  You might consider types of home improvement projects that can be done together by the whole family.

I've provided some ideas for do-it-yourself projects that will enhance the appearance of your home while adding value.If you were to talk to real estate agents, most will tell you that even small projects such as new baseboards, light fixtures, crown molding, and so on, will add tremendous value to the home should you ever decide to sell.  In the meantime, these weekend home improvement projects provide you with a gorgeous, warm home to enjoy, and the children will learn that they can turn their hands to anything.

The key with any weekend project is to choose things that give you the most “bang for the buck”, which might include new paint, wallpaper, or even exterior landscaping.  In other words, home improvement projects do not have to be major and they do not have to be expensive to be successful.

Here are some great ideas to consider that will enhance the appearance and feel of your home without much effort or money. In addition to project ideas, I've also provided you with some excellent information for tools and safety.  Thank you for taking the time to read this book and I wish you well with your new home improvement project, whatever it may be!