Home improvement can be a bit intimidating if you’ve never taken on a big renovation project before. But there are many DIY home improvement projects that are easier to do than you think. Why pay a contractor when you can save money and experience the rewarding feeling of finishing a home improvement project yourself? In this article, we’ll focus on a very simple home improvement procedure that anyone can do: painting your ceiling.

Getting the Right Tools

To prepare for this task, it’s important to get the right tools. A good roller with an extension handle is essential for making the job easier, allowing you to paint comfortably while standing on the floor instead of on a ladder. If you have textured ceiling, you’ll want to get a thick-nap roller to make sure you reach the spaces between the bumps of the texture. If you have a smooth ceiling, a smooth short-nap roller works best.

Preparing the Room

Start by removing all the furniture from the room (or as much of it as possible) before you start painting. Cover the floors and remaining furniture with newspaper or, if you can, canvas cloth, which works better and is reusable, though a bit expensive. Cover any areas of the wall that you don’t want to paint, i.e. door frames, window frames, etc, with quick-release painter’s tape.

Apply the Primer

Priming the ceiling before applying the actual paint is highly recommended. It’ll make the coat of paint last longer and will ensure that you only have to apply one coat. Use primer with stain-blocker if you can.

Start With a Cut-In Line

After the primer has dried, start by painting a 2 to 3-inch strip of paint along the space where the wall meets the ceiling. This is called the cut-in line, and it will make painting with a roller easier, as it’ll provide you with a more manageable border. Use a brush and a step ladder and start with the corner of the shortest length of ceiling.

Painting the Ceiling

After the cut-in line (and while it’s still wet) take out the roller and start painting. Make sure to roll the roller back and forth in the shallow part of the tray to get rid of excess paint after you’ve dipped it. This will give you an even coverage on the roller. Paint in a zigzag pattern, and then go over it with straight strokes to fill in the gaps and even the paint out.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-DIY-Home-Improvement-Tips-For-Beginners---Painting-Your-Ceiling&id=3807806] Easy DIY Home Improvement Tips For Beginners – Painting Your Ceiling

One of the most overlooked places to begin a value boosting improvement is the floors and walls.  There is no single way to shift the look of your property at a very “cheap” price point.

Now, before you get going, put together a market valuation to make sure you don’t overbuild your neighborhood.  Your buddy with the real estate license can do this for you or, alternatively, pull up sales data on Zillow.com.

If you have carpet laid down, whatever type of flooring there is underneath it will determine the best way to proceed.

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood is expensive, and it scratches easily.  Alas, it is beautiful and always pushes the home value north.  If this is the base below the carpeting, consider yourself lucky.  With some sanding and polishing you can do wonders.  Alternatively, you can install hardwood relatively inexpensively.  The type of wood you get will determine the pricing, with natural hardwoods being one of the most expensive and bamboo or laminates being more affordable.

Carpeting

If you like the soft feel of carpeting, you don’t have to get rid of it.  However, if you want to boost the value it makes sense to update your carpeting and getting rid of any dingy carpet you might have.  Some designers advise sticking to neutral colors (like beige) to leave space for any type of décor.  Personally, I would consult with a knowledgeable real estate agent for the best colors for your given area.

Linoleum

Linoleum is durable, cheap and has an ambience all its own.  Don’t expect to see huge jumps in value by using it, but its sure to be a step up if your current flooring is ragged or outdated.

Ceramic Flooring

Ceramic tiles are the norm in the bathroom and kitchen.  Word to the wise – chipped tiling is a no no when it comes to value.  So replace any and every broken tile. If you’re having a hard time finding the same type of tile, you can either replace all of them or put together a pattern using alternating styles of tile.

Just some ideas to play with.  Until the next time, happy improving!

The  thing you must absolutely know more about before you sign a contract to remodel is mechanic´s liens.

What is a mechanic´s lien?

A mechanic´s lien is, basically, a claim that can be levied against real property (your home).  It is used to protect the interests of those that have done work on your property.

For our situation, this would include general contractors, sub-contractors, material suppliers, bathroom or kitchen remodelers, etc. Basically, anybody that has given labor or materials has the right to place a lien… if they haven´t been paid in full.

When used, a mechanic´s lien goes against your home´s title and would either have to be resolved or paid off during any sale or refinancing.

Why is this important to know about?

Obviously, having a lien put against your property is not a good thing to happen.  Especially if you are not at fault, or are being taken advantage of by a dishonest contractor.

In worst case scenerio, a mechanic´s lien can lead to being enforced by a judicial foreclosure sale.  The court can literally force the sale of the property in order to pay off the lien.

How do you protect yourself?

Plain and simple, with a lien waiver.

A lien waiver is a legal release from recourse (i.e. mechanic´s lien) that is signed by your contractors/suppliers.  It serves as a record and reciept of payment in full for all labor and materials used on your project.  By signing on the dotted line, they cancel their right to use a lien against you.

Make sure to get all necessary lien waivers signed BEFORE you pay them.  This is very important.  If you´ve already paid, what´s to make a dishonest remodeler sign the waiver?  Nothing…

This is what the business men call “negotiating from a point of weakness”. So get the signature in return for further payment. Keep in mind this includes before you hand over the check for 30% or whatever youve agreed upon for initial payment.

Furthermore, its important to get waivers from any sub-contractor´s involved in the project as well.  If, as an example, the remodeler is going to sub-contract the painting work you need to get a waiver from both even if you are just paying the general contractor.  Otherwise, the painter would have room for a claim in the case that the GC didn´t pay him.

If he needs the money from you to pay the painter, simply arrange for both to be present to sign off on waivers. Again, DO NOT fork over your cash before you get a waiver for that section of the work order.

Despite what the contractor may tell you, getting waivers before payment is standard practice.  They may not like it… but remember who is paying who.

According to Wikipedia, there are four type of lien waivers:

• Conditional waiver on progress payment – This waiver states that if the contractor has been paid to date (barring a returned or stopped check/credit card), the waiver relinquishes any lien claim.
• Unconditional waiver on progress payment – A complete release of all claimant rights through a specific date unconditionally. This would still be valid, even in the event of a returned or stopped payment check/credit card payment.  This waiver is more safe for the homeowner than a conditional waiver, but is less common than the conditional waiver on progress payment.

• Conditional waiver on final payment – Similar the the conditional waiver on progress payment, this waiver relinquishes any lien claim in the event that the contractor has been paid in full.
• Unconditional final waiver final payment – The same as the unconditional final waiver for progress payement, with the exception that this applies to the completion of the projcet. This is the safest waiver for a homeowner to get and should be demanded upon payment in full.

So, what combination should you use?  That is up to you, but I generally use a conditional waiver as we move through the milestones and an unconditional waiver upon completion of the project.

But, as always, it is a personal decision.  An unconditional waiver would be safer for me (the homeowner) during the project, but you have to balance whether or not to piss off your contractor… they may feel you are trying to rip THEM off.

Either way, do the legwork, get your waivers signed and sleep better as your home improvement progresses.

According to the article by Matt Danelo, a recent Harvard University study claims a 12.1 percent decline in these types of projects will occur by fall of this year (2009).

Despite those statistics, local level stores claim home improvement projects are still on par with past years.  While larger projects like new construction are dipping, projects like bathroom remodeling are still alive and well.  The only difference now is that consumers are more cost conscious, aiming to do cheap home improvements with the highest esthetic and/or value return.

The article goes on to say that Frank Mchaney, a manager for ACE Hardware, says that this time of year people want fresh looks in their home.  They want things like new paint, to keep with the mood of spring.

These days, the majority of homeowners are hiring out only a portion of the work… opting to do as much as they can for themselves.  Its theorized that big bix DIY stores have played a part in this shift of mentality in the American homeowner.

Still, as always, “… there´s always a demand for quality.”  And its always wise to hire out more complex things like electrical work, structural work, plumbing, or hanging cabinets.

It does make sense, however, to do cosmetic things like painting or fixtures on your own.

The five most popular DIY projects today?

1. Painting
2. Spring flower beds
3. Replacing doors
4. Light switches
5. New toilets

Read the entire article here.