Extend your living area and make the most of small spaces: Turn your balcony into a sunroom or an attractive reading nook by enclosing it with glass. The solar properties of glass will keep the room warm in winter, and if you install coated glass, you can help repel the heat in summer. Fit glass windows to enclose your balcony to create a sunny nook. Enclosing the balcony can also act as a noise buffer, if you live on a busy street or overlook a school or park.

Hardwood flooring planks fit together with a tongue-and-groove locking mechanism, and when you install them, you usually blind-nail them through the tongues to hold them securely. This installation system produces a secure surface free of visible nails, but it makes replacing a damaged plank somewhat tricky. Nevertheless, there is a standard technique for performing this procedure, and if you use this technique with care, the job shouldn't take too long.

Ready made PVC blinds are constructed of sturdy and durable hard plastic, which is easy to clean and costs less than real wood or fabric blinds. Faux wood PVC blinds look like real wood and won't fade from the sun's ultra-violet rays. Ready made vertical and horizontal blinds come in standard sizes, but you can shorten them to fit your window, if necessary. Vertical and mini blinds are shortened in different ways.

How to Winterize a Mobile Home. If you're living in a mobile home and facing your first winter, you may not be aware how difficult it can be to keep a mobile home warm. Taking the proper steps to winterize your mobile home cannot only help keep you warm, but keep your heating bills down and also ensure that you safeguard your home against severely cold weather. Tip Remove snow from around the skirt of the mobile home to allow for ventilation to the furnace.

A dog house is a shelter designed to keep dogs out of the elements and can vary from a basic four-wall structure with a roof to an elaborate, multi-room building. For a beagle, a medium-sized dog house generally works well. Depending on climate, insulation may be needed to keep the dog warm in winter. A basic medium-sized dog house for a beagle can usually be built in a weekend.

Squirrels are fun to watch but they can be very destructive. Damage to your bird feeders, bird houses and other garden ornaments can be costly and frustrating. If you have a feeder, bird house or other ornament installed on a four-by-four post, a squirrel baffle made of sheet aluminum, installed with common tools, may help prevent squirrels from invading. In addition to preventing damage and saving both money and frustration, you will ensure that your feathered friends won't have to compete with squirrels for their dinner.

How to Convert From Septic to City Water. If you have a problem with your septic system or if you're being required to tap into a new sewage line, then you need to know what to do to convert from your current septic system to city water. Here are some things to keep in mind before you sign on the dotted line. Consult your local building code enforcement office.

The design of carriage bolts allows you to install the fastener without a helping hand. Below the half-round head of a carriage bolt sits a squared shoulder. When you drill a hole through material sized for the bolt, the head of the bolt will remain in place while you tighten the fastener onto the material. Carriage bolts eliminate the need for two wrenches to tighten a connection. Using a hole too large for the bolt will result in the bolt head spinning in the material.

Viewed from profile, drywall J-bead resembles a J-shaped channel; two flat sides -- one short and one long -- surround the bead's bottom edge. Drywall bead, such as J-bead and corner bead, covers the raw edges and corners of drywall. Builders use J-bead to cap the end of drywall sheets where the sheets butt against dissimilar building materials, such as metal or masonry, or where the drywall's edge remains exposed, such as surrounding an attic access panel.

Rosemary's soothing aroma makes it a staple in potpourri mixtures and its delicious flavor can be recognized in many savory food dishes. Anyone who has ever grown rosemary knows the fragrant plant is not just hardy -- it is downright domineering. Fragrant and soothing, rosemary is a great herb for sachets. Things You Will Need + Fresh rosemary Paper toweling Oven Baking sheet Zip-lock bags or airtight storage containers Two 4-in.