Houseblogs.net - All Discussions

Where do I get houseblogs.net logos I can put on my own site?

Aaron — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:36:17 -0600

We appreciate it when our readers link back to our site (especially if you're got a blog registered with us)! You're welcome link back with a simple text link to houseblogs.net, but what fun is that!?

We've got various buttons, logos and widgets that you can use on our site to link back to houseblogs.net. To use any of these images, save the image to your computer then upload them to your own blog.

Many of logos have also been developed by our community members, so if you do one email to us and we can add it...or feel free to add one yourself to this discussion thread!

Member? Houseblogger? Community Manager?

Aaron — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 22:06:19 -0500

The purpose of this thread is to explain the 'Role' designations within the houseblogs.net community. The purpose of classifying users with roles is to:

Clarify the type of individuals participating in the houseblogs.net community.

Allow readers to quickly filter blogs, blog entries and profiles by role type.

Control what content is (and isn't) displayed in the Blogs tab.

Enable private conversations in the Discussions tab that are only visible to certain roles.

Every registered user is assigned one of the following Roles:

Member - This is the default role for all registered users. Members have full, regular access to the site and all features. Members can add a blog to their profiles page but new blog entries are not displayed in the Blogs tab unless they are granted a special role designation (see below).

Houseblogger - This is a designation for anyone writing a houseblog. A houseblog is any website in which over 70% of the content is about the construction, restoration or repair of the writer's own home, and which links back to Houseblogs.net.

Housebloggers have the same access and privileges as Members, but their blog entries are included in the Blogs tab and they also have access to private 'housebloggers-only' category in the Discussions tab. Housebloggers are also eligible for participation in the Houseblogs Ad Network--for information about the program and instructions to apply click here (Note: this link only works for individuals registered as Housebloggers with this site.)

Editor - This designation is for members who have editorial responsibilities at houseblogs.net. Editors have the same access and privledges as regular Members, but can also edit the blog and blog entry tags of other users. The blog entries of Editors are included in the Blogs tab and editors also have access to a private 'editors-only' category within the Discussions tab.

Community Manager - This designation is for the individual responsibility for being the spirit as well as the manager of the site as a community. This includes setting standards, approving new housebloggers, and creating a sense of community among our members and bloggers.

Administrator - That's me, and I keep the lights on around here. Roles are assigned by the administrator. New members are typically reviewed and categorized on a weekly basis. You can ask to have your role reviewed by sending a whisper comment to me in reply to this thread (i.e., put 'Aaron' in the 'whisper your comments to' field).

Occasionally, we review the content of houseblogs members and we may change the role of a houseblogger who consistently deviates from our "70% of content about your house" requirement. This is to remain fair to other housebloggers and readers of the site who are expecting home improvement and house-related content in the blog feed. Otherwise, we couldn't call ourselves HOUSEblogs.net. If your site has been parked pending review or your role status has been changed, you can also whisper comment to me in reply to this thread (i.e., put 'Aaron' in the 'whisper your comments to' field) to ask questions. We don't want to be mean blog dictators. We just need to keep the feed on topic.

If you use your blog for more than discussing your house, you also have the alternative to use "categories" (if your blogging software supports them) and just having posts from your house-related categories directed to houseblogs.net.

Thanks everyone!

Network moderation: Houseblogger Status

Jeannie — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:54:30 -0500

Hi all--

I've been fielding questions in emails about our Houseblogs.net feed lately. There is so much good stuff about home improvement and DIY on there. And there are some blogs that others have been asking me about because they may not qualify as houseblogs anymore. As a reminder, here is the definition of a houseblog from the FAQ section of the site:

Houseblogger - This is a designation for anyone writing a houseblog. A houseblog is any website in which over 70% of the content is about the construction, restoration or repair of the writer's own home, and which links back to Houseblogs.net.

A blog that is 70% about construction, restoration, repair (and I'll even throw in decoration) of a blogger's own house is going to have 7 out of every 10 entries about these topics.

We have been very casual about the link back to Houseblogs.net thus far. However, if you are a Houseblogs.net houseblogger and benefit from being in the feed, we'd like to ask that you link to us somewhere. This could be in your blogroll, you can use a button created by another houseblogger, it could be with the project tracking widget or through the Houseblogs Ad Network. Thanks.

Now, about the 70% qualifications:

In order to be fair to our readers who expect content related to home and garden, we're going to have to begin to contact those housebloggers who may not keep houseblogs anymore and ask them if they would like to change their status to member. Members still have access to most of the Discussion Forum, however, their blog entries will not run through the Houseblogs.net blog feed.

If you have a houseblog that goes off topic more than 30% of the time, you also have the option of creating a separate feed for your house and garden related entries. That way, you can have the best of both worlds! You can retain your Houseblogs.net houseblogger status and write about off-topic items to your heart's content.

Here are some links that discuss how to set up a separate RSS feed for certain content on your blog:

RSS and Channels Explained

Making special categories separate from your feed.

A little help from Feedburner

If you are struggling with the separate RSS feeds/Channels issue, please ask us here in the forum for assistance.

If we do approach you and ask you about the 70/30 rule, please know that it isn't a reflection on how much we love your blog or the quality of your content. It's entirely about being consistent so readers of Houseblogs.net get the content that they are looking for and that other housebloggers benefit from the traffic through Houseblogs.net to their sites.

Thanks for understanding. Let me know if you have any questions at all.

How should I clear the rubble out of my yard? Ideas?

LittleOrchardBrooke — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:02:04 -0600

Hello all! I'm a new Houseblogger and I'm finding so much inspiration here, so thank you.

I'd like advice/help with a project.

What is the best way to separate the rubble from the dirt in my back yard?

My husband and I just busted up and cleared out an entire back yard of poured concrete and we're left with lots of little pieces that look sort of like a litter box for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man of cats.

Pics here: http://thelittleorchardhouse.com/blog/2009/11/13/last-day-of-major-concrete-hauling/
(Don't know if the link will work - still learning how to use this board.)

This is the type of job that, just as we'll be finishing up, we'll discover a really efficient way of doing this leaving us saying, "I wish we thought of this when we started."

I would greatly appreciate any ideas you may have. Thank you!

:) Brooke

Knob and Tube wiring

cragion — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:16:13 -0600

I have a 1943 cape and recently found knob and tube wiring in the attic. I'm wondering what the odds are of it being throughout the house. Is there an easy way to tell? We have knocked down one wall between our dining room and kitchen and didn't see anything like the knob and tube...

Also how did my home inspector miss this?

Garage siding for a Block House

lukspencer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:13:18 -0600

Hey design gurus, I am adding a garage onto an old 1950s Cinder Block house. I will cover exterior of the whole house in some form of siding in a year or two, but in the interim I am building a garage and would like to have a temporary siding that looks good with the block... I am not sure if this is possible, but I would like to know what you guys think. I was thinking T1-11 would be good for temporary, but do you think that would be too cheesy...

thanks for your help

Luke

As a DIY-er, what's your household vehicle(s) of choice?

nadja and sean — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:26:35 -0600

What do you drive? My husband and I are at a vehicle crossroads and are looking for suggestions/ ideas. I drive a '97 Honda Civic. He USED to drive a Ford Ranger, which we sold this summer, as we want to have kids and this just didn't really have the family space we will need. We also HAD a "work truck" (1991 Ford F150) that just died on us. So, we're down to a single passenger car, and we're not sure what to do next... another truck? SUV? Scion xB-like vehicle?
We used the work truck to haul 8x4 sheets of plywood, sheetrock, demolition materials, landscaping supplies, etc, etc. And then we need space for the eventual child (oh yeah, and the dogs!).
We live in St. Paul, MN- so a big city. And we're also concerned about gas mileage. So we are considering options. What do you do for your hauling? Or do you just have a car and have materials delivered? Rent a Home-Depot truck? We want to hear what works for you! Thanks!

Questions about front load washers

ourmysteryhouse — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:08:19 -0600

Since our current washer and dryer are dying my husband finally gave me permission to get a new set. I've started looking around and I'm so confused! I really want a front loader but I've heard a lot of bad things about them like mold, vibrations, and that they're more prone to have mechanical problems. I've been looking at both front load and top load and it seems like the front loaders have more of the features I'm wanting, but top loaders have less problems. I've been looking at the LG Tromm, Whilpool Duet and Whirlpool Cabrio but I'm just not sure what would be best so I'm looking for some input to (hopefully!) avoid a really expensive mistake! Any one know anything about any of these models? Any one have personal experience with any of these? Or just opinions about front loaders vs. top loaders in general? Thanks!

exterior restoration (paint stripping)

agentsmith — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:05:42 -0600

Questions for anyone who's done exterior restoration. I have a 1914 Arts & Crafts home, 2.5 stories, 1300 sq ft. I have been removing all the aluminum siding to restore the original clapboard siding. Removing the siding isn't difficult. The issues in this project are 1. They cut and/or removed various trim in order to get the aluminum to fit flat which needs to be fabricated and replaced. 2. All the paint is in such bad shape on the clapboard siding that it needs to be stripped to bare wood. I have got 2 of 3 porch railings completely stripped and primed, along with both columns. Long way to go. For the clapboard siding I have done a lot of research and feel that the paintshaver is probably the best way to go. So my questions go out to anyone who's stripped an entire house.
1. How big is your house?
2. What method did you use?
3. How long did it take?

Thanks for any replies.

Staining White Hardwood

Rundown Ranch — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:38:24 -0600

I will be redoing my fireplace this month and picked up a white hardwood mantle and pilasters from Lowes on clearance. Technically it's a hardwood and Cabot stains said I should not need any wood conditioned. Has anyone tried staining white hardwood before? Any tips/advice?

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

lukspencer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:56 -0600

I just wanted to throw in a quick plug for the Habitat ReStore...I don't know if you guys have one in your area, but I have found some great stuff at the stores in our area. These stores have all kinds of builder surplus, books, furniture, etc... Most of the stuff is much less than you would buy it in a store and the money goes for a good cause. For example, I bought our jacuzzi tub for $50...I think I tested it and had to fix a little leak on it, but in all it cost me maybe $65 with repairs. I have purchased all kinds of goodies at this store.
Luke

Hunt For 4 1/4" Plastic Wall Tile From 1950s

vmayer — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:32:26 -0600

I'm about 3 weeks away from finishing a remodel and flip. I need about 10 plastic tiles (4 1/4"_ to finish the job. Color doesn't matter; because, the tile will be painted. Can anyone help me? I will pay for tile + shipping.

Thanks!

Hot Water Smell

Santin — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:54:47 -0500

For the past 7 months my wife and I have been complete remodeling a 3400sqft log cabin we purchased. I have redone all of the plumbing in the house, switching to PEX instead of copper and now find that whenever we use the hot water it smells like rotten eggs. We have well water (that has been tested) and have installed the appropriate hot water tank and softner, but can't figure this out. Any ideas?

how can i make it work & communicate

SierraMoon — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:00:38 -0500

I'm new to this site, decided to start a blog ( I'm not new to blogging though) on our house renovation to keep us motivated.
BUT I can't manage to have my blog listed in the updates, have pictures published, have my blog mapped...
How do I network/communicate with everybody in here ? is there any technical help provided for the site somewhere ? I'm completely lost !!
thanks !

restoring steel casement windows

kiki — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:35:31 -0500

i see a lot of information here on restoring wood windows, but does anyone know anything about restoring steel casement windows? i have fenestra steel casement windows that i would like to restore. i'm having a hard time finding information on them and an even harder time finding anything close to the replacement parts i'll need. so far, it looks like people just rip 'em out and install new. any advice at all would be appreciated.

Would like to be a houseblogger!

rylehome — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:48 -0600

http://rylehome.blogspot.com We moved in last weekend and have already completed several tasks in improving our new home. I'd like to be added as a house blogger - note: I have linked back to this site on the blog. Thanks!

Win a Trane thermostat

Aaron — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:17:53 -0600

Over at the home improvement blog Charles & Hudson they're giving away a Trane programmable thermostat. Hurry, though, since entries are due Wednesday (today!)...

http://www.charlesandhudson.com/archives/2009/11/trane_thermostat_giveaway.htm

Helo and general home repairs

Marjorie — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 11:28:02 -0500

Hello all,

Just stopped by to see what you were up to and what i could learn from your many interesting entries. i am new to Houseblogs,( so new i don't know even where the introduction button is) and I wanted to both contribute to t the discussions and tell you about my own blog at :http://www.shakhammer.com/.

I will start a discussion and peruse some of your comments and make an entry or two.

Thanks for letting me in. I will now shop around.

Best,

Marjorie

repairing scratches and dings in vintage stained wood trim

davidneubecker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:22:13 -0500

I could use some expert advise from those of you who are remodeling older homes. I have a 1904 arts and crafts/victorian era american four square. We bought the home because it still has all of the original trim throughout the house. The huge plus is that none of the trim has ever been painted. After 100 years, the trim is showing its age. There are gaps that I need to fill in between pieces, and gaps between the floor and trim. Any help in a stainable filler for those areas?

The mainfloor is a lighter stain that is typical of the arts and crafts period. At some point the Dining room stain was darkened, but the stain is wearing off in areas. Upstairs the trim and doors are all a dark ebony stain that is shiny. I am told this was popular in the 1920s. I'd like to restore all of the trim and doors, using the same stain colors that are on the trim, but getting rid of all the scratches, and nicks, and paint splats that taken place over the years. I am hoping that I will not have to sand or strip all of the trim, but I need advise. Please help!!...thanks

Converting Attic Space

cotterpin — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:03:46 -0500

My husband and I are considering converting the 2nd floor attic space in our bungalow to a "usable" room- right now it just serves as storage and is a walk-through to an additional bedroom. We would like to be able to use it as a bedroom or office area, but would need to insulate, add outlets, and drywall. Has anybody done this with their home? Did you need a professional for any of the tricky parts? We're pretty handy, but have not worked with insulation or drywall before.

Any tips you could offer would be great!

2x6 do i rip it or what??

shane — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:02:01 -0500

if I am pouring concrete and I want my main floor to be 5 inches thick and all I have are 2x6s do I rip it to 1/2 in. so I can use it I have no clue what to do any answers on what I should do?

Kitchen Sinks

norma — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:57:26 -0600

Can anyone rec' a great stainless steel sink? I'm thinking about a Franke, any thoughts?

Kitchen Ideas

eoryld — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:23:47 -0500

Well, this is one of the first blogs - so we may have to come back to this topic. We have not officially closed on the property - but I am so excited I cant wait!

I cant get the photo to load, but the Kitchen is horrible. The stove is right in front of a window...and the sink is facing a wall - YUCK!

Any place I can go to to re-design?

I'm back after a very long time

GaleForce — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:44:12 -0500

Hi everyone. I'm back after a verrrrry long time. I have been running around doing crazy things like having another baby. The house turns 100 next year and probably deserves a little more attention. Of course, we have no money whatsoever, so we'll see where that takes us.

I was inspired to start posting on the house blog again because we have a crazy little story unfolding here. We'll see where it takes us.

Here's the blog:

http://hilltop.typepad.com/irving_gills_williams_hou/

Typepad has turned it into a precious baby pink in my absence. Who knows if it even shows up in the feeds anymore. How could we know with no posts in 18 months?

I remember House Blogs when it was a wee lass.

Amanda

Blog Post Updates

mc125r — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:17:52 -0500

How long does it take for a new post to be shown? I published a new post, but when I try to update my account options, it doesn't show up. Is there some sort of wait period? The blog is Not Nearly Perfect

I am brand new to blogging, and housblogs.net, so forgive me if this is a dumb question,

Thanks

Plaster vs Drywall

Mike&Angie — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:52:50 -0600

Hello all . . . this will be my first post on here, so if I don't follow procedure, just let me know.

I am hopefully soon taking possession of the home. I am wonder if I should struggle and try to keep the damaged plaster walls, or should I gut and drywall.

For a bit of history, it is an 1880 built farm house.

I know if I drywall, then I can re-wire/plumb/insulate etc. . . but am I losing value / character by removing the plaster walls?

Thanks!

Radiant Heat in Europe

La Gare — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:25:22 -0500

So...we're planning a trip to France to work on the house....mainly to get some sort of heating installed before winter. It's a big, cold, stone house so we were thinking radiant heat might be the best option. We were wondering what options there are over there. Any and all thoughts appreciated...

Contests a Plenty!

Aaron — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:04:49 -0500

There must be something about Fall because there is suddently a boom in house-related contests.

In the last week I've seen:

- Old House Web's "Blog For Us, Win $250" Competition (now through Dec 2nd)

- One Project Closer's "Before and After, 2009" Competition (finalist voting is going on now)

- RepairHome's "Share Your Project" Contest (accepting submissions now through Nov 20th)

- Apartment Therapy's "Color Contest 2009" (accepting entries through Oct 12th)

Of course, we're also running our own "DIY Drama" contest here on Houseblogs.net in partnership with True Value, which you can enter between now and Monday, October 12th.

I assume if you enter all of them there must be something like a 99% chance of winning something.

Did you get a new boiler/ Hot water heater?

nadja and sean — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:14:47 -0500

For a number of reasons, we are planning to replace our 30+ year-old Weil Mclain (gas) boiler and standard tank hot-water heater (we have hot water cast iron radiators). We want to be more energy efficient and we want to get rid of the chimney to create space for a kitchen remodel (so direct-vent is the plan). After having several contractors out for estimates and researching at home shows and on websites, we stiull don't have a solid feeling about what the best plan is, or what brand will do the job best. We like the modulating boiler, with a combination hot-water heater, but we have seen such a range of prices and had salesman tell us different opinions about quality that we wanted to throw it out there for comment: Have you replaced your boiler/hot water heater in the last few years? Which brand did you go with? What other options did you consider? Are you satisfied/ had problems? (and if you are comfortable), what is a ballpark on what you paid?)

4.25" plastic wall tiles

cobyhortgirl95 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:31:41 -0500

Hi, my husband and I just purchased a house and we are looking for 10-12 plastic wall tiles for the bathroom, 4.25" square. Any color is fine, but burgundy would be a plus! we will pay if anyone has extras. Thanks my email is cobyhortgirl95@yahoo.com