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Home improvement projects abound in the spring, summer, and fall, but what home repair projects do people do in the winter? Answer: All the projects that happen the rest of the year. However, projects such as replacing windows, painting rooms, and putting on a new roof are difficult to start and even harder to follow through on in the winter because of the weather. Solution: Wait until spring.

Plenty of other home repairs are more appropriate for the winter like securing your home so that it can survive that winter weather. Now that winter has arrived, follow these maintenance tips to secure your home for the winter:

Sweep the Chimney

Have your chimney cleaned. The easiest way to do this is to hire a professional. Leaves and birds nests stuck in a chimney can block ventilation and endanger your health. At the very least, check your chimney once a year.

Have a chimney cap installed to prevent water and outside debris from entering your chimney.

Seal Doors and Windows

Caulk or weather-strip gaps around doors and windows to prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from coming in. Pick up a caulk gun for about $40 at your local home improvement store. Caulk in a 10 ounce tube costs about $10.

Consider installing storm windows if they are not already installed in your home. They are a more cost-effective option to replacing windows and are just as efficient.

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

Make sure the insulation in your attic is adequate. Not sure? Because insulation depends on where you live and involves the level of resistance to heat flow, ask the staff at a local home improvement center how much insulation is recommended where you live. Most houses need at least 12 inches of insulation. If you can see the ceiling joists, you know you dont have enough insulation as these are about 10 inches.

Insulate your attic door as well to prevent warm air from escaping. Seal any holes leading down into the house with spray foam, looking for open plumbing or electrical. Not only does the right amount of insulation keep your home warmer in the winter, it keeps it cooler in the summer also.

Check the Roof

Ok, its cold, but make a quick trip up to the roof if you can.

• Replace loose shingles or have a professional replace them. Damage sustained from snowstorms or rain that stains indoor ceilings from the roof is costlier and more difficult than replacing a few loose shingles in the first place.

• Trim any tree limbs that are hanging over or touching your roof. Storms can cause these limbs to fall and do a lot of damage to your roof.

• Clean drain gutters and keep downspouts pointed away from the house. Water from downspouts should be at least 10 feet away from the house.

• Clear your roof of debris to prevent a fire and to lessen the likelihood of damage when a storm comes.

Replace the furnace filter at least once a year and check them monthly. A dirty filter not only reduces the efficiency of heating your home, it can also start a fire.

Invest in a setback thermostat. Keeping your home at the same warm temperature all day is more expensive. Get a thermostat that will regulate the temperature in your home, and set it cooler when you are gone. Cost of this type of thermostat is $30.

Keeping vents open and removing dust will make your heating system more efficient. Having all vents open will also make sure air is distributed evenly around the house.

Fire Prevention

• Pick up smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors. Change the batteries often.

• Buy a fire extinguisher if you dont already have one. If you do have one, check the expiration date. Yes, they do expire.

• Use a fireplace screen when you are out of the room to prevent sparks from catching fire on the carpet or paper nearby.

• Keep paper, boxes, clothes, and other combustible material away from the furnace and leave the furnace room door open.

When you have finished winterizing your home, think about projects for spring. A new deck, a remodeled kitchen, and freshly painted rooms are all great springtime projects. Write down your expectations, a schedule of when particular steps of the project need to be completed by, supplies needed, and estimated costs of everything. Whether you elect to complete projects yourself or hire a knowledgeable contractor, have in mind what you want and set aside enough time to get the results you deserve.

Certain home maintenance projects, such as getting a chimney sweep require an experienced professional. Other tasks are simple enough to complete on your own, but contractors are available to assist with every maintenance tip listed above. No job is too small for an experienced home repair professional. All Around the Home (http://www.allaroundthehome.com) is a national home improvement contractor directory. Homeowners can find established, quality contractors with experience in home improvement contracts and repairs such as handyman contractors specializing in home repair and maintenance.

When you own your own home it is key to know when its time to let a professional step in and take care of your repairs for you. This doesnt mean that you cant hack it alone, it just means that you might need a little more expertise than you have time to learn about. Dont try to kill yourself over a broken pipe or a leaky toilet. Call a plumber to get help for your plumbing needs. Since many times plumbers can be very expensive, make sure you only call one if you are 100% sure that you need one. You should also make sure that you follow these money-saving tips when hiring a plumber.

A lot of people call the cheapest plumber first, which could seem like the best thing to do. This is not always the best choice, because it can be difficult to truly compare peoples hourly rates. Different plumbers have different skill levels and also charge differently. For instance some plumbers may charge you for the time it takes them to drive to your house. Others may charge you by the minute and others by the whole hour. Some can bill you by quarter of an hour or even by half an hour.

You should pick a plumber based on their reputation and level of service. See if you can check their references if you cant get a recommendation from a friend. You should ask your family and friends first and foremost if they know of a good plumber to recommend to you. You want to make sure you will get someone competent who will fix your pipes right the first time.

To save money on hiring a plumber, than make sure that you never need one to begin with. This means that you should try to avoid common household mistakes that cause you to need a plumber. This usually means avoiding drain issues.

One of the most common problems that plumbers deal with are grease clogs. You can try lots of different ways to try to keep your drains clean. Usually putting some hot water and vinegar down your drain every day can keep them clean. You can also pour it down and let it set for 20 minutes or so and then add some boiling water on top of it to clear up your drain. Make sure you pour the vinegar and water solution slowly to give it a more powerful effect.

Hair clogs is another problem that many plumbers deal with. You can purchase a mesh piece that will sit over your drain to keep it from getting clogged. You can usually get this in a hardware store or even in your local grocery store.

Buying your own fixtures at a local store can be cheaper than purchasing them from the plumber. Plumbers usually mark up their prices and you can save a lot by finding it yourself. You can also go online to find cheap fixtures that are still a good quality for your home. Asking your plumber what brands he recommends is still good idea.

Being specifically passionate about truck tool storage, Leroy Calstard was writing plenty of publications in this particular field. Recording his experience in writings on kennedy tool boxes the reviewer showed his experience in the field.

A complete renovation, rather than changing just a few items at a time, is really the most efficient way to remodel a bathroom. However, this is only possible if there is more than one bathroom in the house. There are ways to ensure that this is not messy, inconvenient or challenging. Whether you're doing cosmetic changes or a complete remodel, carefully plan your bathroom project. You'll save time and minimise unwanted surprises. Estimate the costs of fixtures, cabinets, pipes and fittings and other materials. Budget the expensive materials carefully and try to use existing materials where possible. The space, being compact, requires a juggling of positions and placements. Then again, being a wet zone, leakage factors in floors and concealed plumbing need effective pre-construction treatments.

Segregating the area into wet and dry zone allows for cleanliness. The use of deodorants, air fresheners and purifiers as well as adequate provisions of bins, peg / rod hangers, miniature cabinets, shelves, allows for optimum space utility. The dry area which houses the wash basins needs to be equipped with large panel of mirrors that lends a wide spacious look to the room while also providing for grooming and dressing facilities. It should be equipped with tissues, towels, toiletries, storage facilities, etc. Thoughtful supplements like fragrant dry flowers, soft lighting and even music can be installed for heightened mood effects. Where space is available, bathtubs, streams cubicle and Jacuzzi facilities can be innovatively installed for relaxation.

In spite of the best preventive designs, insects and cockroaches find their way through the drainage lines. Periodic maintenance like flushing hot salt water into these drains helps considerably. Natural stone, granite used in slabs sizes are good for the bathrooms as they are dense, have fewer joints and can resist leakage. They are also conducive for cleaning and maintenance. The bathroom can be glamorized with ornamental faucets and fixtures, providing non-skid matt finish ceramic tiles in the west zones. Glass is yet another functional material that lends decorative charm when etched or beveled and can be used in shelves, window glazing and internal doors where curtains would be inadequate.

Powder coated aluminum-glazed windows and aluminum doors sandwiched with puff filling are durable and functional. Bakelite doors are in vogue particularly for their picturesque finish. Every remodel job is different and it is hard to discuss specifics. Draw a detailed floor plan to see where space can be gained. It is also a great way to formulate workable ideas and arrange fixtures.

TIPS/Features to think about:

1) Near the vanity, make sure the light falls on you and not from behind you.

2) To create an illusion of space, use floating cabinets/those that rest on thin legs.

3) Avoid dark coloured sanitary ware in the bathroom as hard water leaves stains.

4) Bathtubs require a great deal of maintenance. A shower cubicle takes less space and is easier to maintain.

5) Install a Jacuzzi only if you have enough running water.

6) Use large mirrors to create space in the bathroom.

7) Single lever taps are easy to operate.

8) There should be mood lighting.

9) Divide the bathroom first into wet and dry areas. The wet area should be at the end of the room.

10) Buffed steel basins with sensor taps are becoming popular.

11) Use anti-skid tiles in the bathroom.

12) Colour helps create space. Use light colours for small areas. Add colours with accessories.

13) Choose your accessories with care as they tell the age of your bathroom and decide the look.

14) Avoid too many tiny accessories.

15) Put a wall paper that opens up.

16) Add depth to the walls.

17)Access: It should be usable for an 8 to 80 year old person, doors should open away from fixtures, non-skid flooring, smooth and rounded countertop, grab bars for tubs etc.

18)Convenience: Adequate natural lighting, easy -to-clean floors and fixtures, good ventilation, partition wall for sink / toilet / tub separation. 19)Storage: Some counter space or shelving for toiletries, towel bar / hooks, temporary laundry space, a non-shared drawer for each family member.

For better information, refer http://www.mumbaiproperties.info

A few weeks ago, our family noticed water coming out of the cabinets around the kitchen and bathroom sinks. With a little inspection, we discovered the same problem in each case was at fault. The U-trap pipe was leaking due to being worn out from years of use. The pipe as its name suggests is U-shaped.

The importance of the U-trap other than keeping your floor dry and getting rid of water is that because some water is in the bottom of the pipe at all times, this helps prevent sewer gases from entering your home and harming you or your loved ones.

After diagnosing the problem, the next step is to go to the hardware store and get a replacement. Other than a flashlight (no matches or open fire source!), you will need a pipe wrench(only if you can't use your fingers to remove the nuts holding the pipe) and replacement pipe (either metal or PVC). You should check the pipe to see if you can remove it without a wrench, thus saving you some money if you don't need one, providing there is not one in the toolkit already. A word about pipe wrenches: You know that number they give such as 18"? That refers to the handle length AND the full opened width of the wrench jaws. Confusing, huh? Just be sure you pay for what you need.

After getting what you need from the store, unscrew the collars or nuts around the pipe, gently move it a bit to see if it moves, then pull out of position, and insert the new pipe and appropriate hardware. See that it is secure. Turn on the water. Check for leaks. If you have anymore problems with leaks from the same source, recheck all pipe connections for the U-pipe and P-pipe. The P-pipe is the one that leads from the U-trap pipe into the wallpipe connection, which, as the name suggests is the pipe leading into the wall and from there the sewer.

C. O. IRBY, III
bingle42@yahoo.com
I learned home improvement by doing it myself, but since I'm still learning I would be glad to hear from you any tips you have. I live in a 50+ year old house.

All I wanted for my birthday was for my toilets to work. Well, thats not really the only thing; its just high on an extensive list. You see, Ive lived in the same townhome for seventeen years this month and things are beginning to decay, along with its owner, but Ill get to that later.

I only have a few dislikes in life; two of them that I really detest are: stoplights and malfunctioning and obstinate toilet mechanisms.

Stoplights are easy to hatethey turn red when youre in a hurry and dont want to stop, plus, we so much waste gas sitting at them. I probably waste more gas by driving around the block to avoid them. Why havent more American cities utilized the roundabout that much of the world utilizes?

Toilets are another story altogether.

They often continue to fill wasting precious water because the design of the internal mechanism is archaic. Ostensibly, theres a black ball that is supposed to float to the surface of the contained water and shut off the valve when the tank is full. Well, it never floats high enough and constantly requires time and attention.

Having reached that frustrating station in life where the toilet is becoming a close personal friend, because of too much coffee, tea, wine, water, or whatever, I now visit my confidante during the night more than I used to.

Finishing my business, I sleepily get back into bed while the toilet is filling. I wait, thinking the contraption will shut off eventually. I pull a pillow over my head, so I wont hear what Im thinking about. But its still there, running monotonously.

Peeved, I get up, take the tank lid off, pull up the rod, slam the lid back on and storm off to bed. But now, Im too upset to get back to sleep. Brother, I gotta get a life or more patience.

In my usual pragmatic manner, I really tried to solve the problem: Ive bent the rod attached to the ball to make it lower, given the intellectual understanding that the pressure of being further under water would add more force on the ball to surface; Ive lubricated the valve with so much WD-40 that an oily film now coats the inside of the tank; Ive extended the ball to the absolute end of the rod, thinking that if it was further from the valve and lower in the water it had to pop up and shut the system off.

Right.

In a world with of such fancy gadgetry like: cell phones that take pictures and connect to the Internet, satellite guided navigation systems mounted in the dash of your car; wireless hand-held computers; watches that do everything but make coffee; his and hers individualized inflatable mattresses complete with a sleep numbering system; implanted chips in our pets to identify them if they get lostwhy cant we invent a toilet that flushes, forever!?!

I know I know, I should just be happy and grateful that there arent any telemarketers bugging me at 5:15 pm each night anymore. Did you ever notice that they never sell new and improved toilet flushers? I should just eat mass quantities of chocolate, it's supposed to help men cope.

Anyway you look at it, toilets are a pain in the butt (sorry, I couldnt resist myself).

Long years ago, my Dad remodeled his bathroom. The color of the era was pink. This past year, the toilet went kaput and a new one was needed, but do you think a pink one could be found? No one sells pink anymore, we were told. Not even to Mary Kay with her pink Cadillacs?

And whats up with padded toilet seats? I hope I dont get any of those for my birthday. I hate it when I go to someones home and theres a padded toilet seat. They just dont seem natural. How do you clean it? Theyre just weird to me.

And where did the blue water things go? None of my friends use them anymore, did blue go out of favor just like pink? I digress.

Well, to be forthright, Ive already solved the problem. Or I should say my Dad did. He couldnt stand the toilets running on either (its a family thing), so I bought the replacements and he changed all three of them for me as a birthday gift...how bout that?

Thanks, Dad. I love being a kid, even if, an inept, 58 year-old one.

These new flushers are revolutionary though, no ball, no rod...no foolin. Its a self-contained plastic mechanism thats a complete mystery, just like Santa Claus.

The only obvious drawback is when it stops working, I cant bend, submerge, oil or extend anything. Ill have to buy a new one. Therein lies the rub: planned obsolescence. The manufactures are always a step ahead of us, huh?

Well, at least its one item that I can check off my All I want for birthday list. I wonder if Ill get the Ronco onion chopper or the Chia pet Ive ask for? Hmmm.

Anyway you look at it, it's fun to ponder.

Keith E. Renninson is a motivational speaker and co-author of the popular parenting tool and illustrated storybook "Zooch the Pooch, My Best Friend". Through the 1990's with much self-examination, academic study, bicycle racing, and mountain climbing, he discovered a renewed zest of life, which included a love of metaphysics, philosophy, humor, and writing and speaking. As Keith says, "Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue...it's all in what you make of it." You can read more about "Zooch the Pooch" or contact Keith to speak at: http://www.zoochthepooch.com Keith and his co-author Michael Conrad Kelley speak to teens and adults on "The Seven Simple Steps to a More Fulfilling Life." This course focuses on how to build a successful Life Philosophy that works for each individual.

Now that the spot uranium price has sustained above $40/pound, after a 20-year drought and a bottom of $6.40/pound at the end of December 2000, hundreds of junior exploration companies have thrown their hat into the ring. Both Canadian and Australian junior uranium companies hope to raise the big money required to bring a uranium property into production. A perceived uranium supply crunch has added to this frenzy. As occurred with previous uranium cycles, only the strong will survive.

While numerous Canadian junior exploration companies hope to find a new discovery in various uranium-prospective regions through Canada, a safer investment strategy is to speculate on companies, whose properties were previously drilled during the uranium bull market of 1974-1980). Some of those properties had uranium deposits delineated by major oil and uranium companies, who did not blush at spending tens of millions of dollars in exploration.

Some of the newly arrived uranium companies acquired those drilling databases and their properties, which were abandoned by the previous owners. Some companies have been actively moving their projects forward to production, using a more environmentally friendly mining method than an open pit or underground mine. It is called In Situ Leach (ISL) uranium mining, and the operation is much like a water treatment plan. Oxidized, or carbonated, water is pumped into an orebody, and uranium is flushed into a processing plant. These are relatively inexpensive to install, possibly for as little as $10 million.

There are pitfalls when investing in those companies which plan to establish ISL operations. During the initial phase of this bull market, a common myth, circulated among investors, had been "pounds in the ground." How many pounds of uranium oxide, or U3O8 for short, does a company have in the ground? The more pounds a company claimed, the higher its market capitalization ran. Once you sift through the companies with very real prospects from those who are cheerleading their "pounds in the ground," you should have a realistic short list.

These are the four key questions which must be answered if you wish to minimize your risk when investing in uranium stocks:

How permeable are the ore bodies you plan to mine?

What is your average grade?

Over what area does your rollfront extend?

What is the depth of your ore body? One of the most important factors to consider is the permeability of the sandstone, from which the uranium will be mined. Permeability is the flow rate of the liquids through the porous sandstone. Knowing what the permeability of the orebody will let you know how much water you can get through the sandstone formation. Harry Anthony, an internationally recognized ISL expert, noted, "You need higher grade ore for tight formations. With high permeability, you can space your wells further apart."

The make-break point for a formation's permeability is its Darcy rating. How high is the Darcy? A typical Darcy can range from minus 1000 to plus 3. The higher the Darcy, the more permeable the formation. This helps determine how economic the orebody is. An acceptable range would be one-half to one Darcy. What is a Darcy? Uranerz Energy CEO Glenn Catchpole, who is also a hydrologist, said, "It is gallons per day over feet squared." He added a pure hydrologist would calculate the feet per day or centimeters per second to get a more accurate permeability assessment.

With low permeability in a tight formation, you may need to space more wells in a typical well field pattern. While explaining that costs are fixed and variable, Anthony computed the cost of a production well for a 500 foot deposit at $15,000. An injection well could cost $11,000 to install. By comparison, in New Mexico, where the deposits are wider and of higher grade, a 2000-foot production well might cost $27,000 and the injection well could cost $18,000, and it would still be economic. Obviously, the deeper the deposit, the more it will cost to extract the uranium. Not only will the capital costs increase, but operating costs will be greater.

Uranium grades can be a contentious point. "Grade is the driving force," Harry Anthony shot back. We asked him about companies which said they could run an economic ISL operation with grades as low, or lower than 0.02. Anthony laughed, "They'd be out of business before they started." Strathmore Minerals' president David Miller offered a more technical analysis, "That will not likely have enough recoverable pounds. The operating grade feeding the plant will be too low." What is the best grade? Miller wanted to see properties with deposits that average on the order 0.5, 0.10, or 0.15.

Uranium grades can impact the cost of operating an ISL plant. An ISL plant may operate at 5000 gallons per minute. Running 24 hours daily, the plant would process 7.2 million gallons of water. Operating costs are based upon cost per thousand gallons of water. "This includes electricity, reagents and labor," said Anthony. On a daily basis, it would cost more than $21,000 to run an ISL plant, based upon Anthony's calculations of $3.03 per thousand gallons of water. Under this scenario, a plant might produce 2360 pounds of U3O8 every day or 80,000 pounds monthly. The cost to produce each pound would be $8.18. Using that math, the uranium grades would be about 44 parts per million (ppm) or 0.08. Anthony said, "I like to see 70ppm or higher." That comes to a uranium grade of 0.13.

Another way to evaluate a company's uranium property is looking at each part of its development costs. In a well field pattern, David Miller can determine the economic viability of the ground. "The keys to what is recoverable include how many pounds are recoverable per pattern and what it costs to install a pattern," Miller explained. "If you have 10,000 pounds in place and can recover 8000 pounds, your well field development cost can be $8/pound, if it costs you $80,000 to install that pattern.

The cost to install a pattern also depends over how much territory your uranium deposits run. "Ten million pounds over an area of one-half mile will cost less than those same pounds over an area of two to four miles," explained Terrence Osier, Strathmore Minerals senior geologist. "That means more injection wells and more production wells." Depth of the wells influences installation cost and impacts its daily operating cost. "When uranium costs were very low, a company needed 70,000 pounds per pattern," Anthony commented. "Now a company might only need 20,000 pounds per pattern to make it economic."

There are many variables within the above advices provided by these experts. However, the important point to realize is the time of hyperbole and hoopla over "pounds in the ground" has passed. As more uranium development companies move closer to establishing an ISL operation, the go/no-go consideration, as UR-Energy CEO William Boberg aptly described it, will come down to permeability. After that, the economics of a project will either make it viable or not. Using these criteria, you can avoid the hysteria by speculating with the odds stacked more in your favor.

COPYRIGHT 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterviews Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com