Down there on the list of “recommended guides” you’ll find “Build Your Own Solar Panels” listed as an option.  I’ve had some questions about this item, recently, so I wanted to address what it was, how much it costs, why I recommend it, and so on.

Earth4Energy is a video tutorial series and guide that teaches you how to reduce your dependence on the energy company by creating your own energy generator.  Earth4Energy does this by showing you how to build your own solar panels and wind turbines.

I’ve been promoting Earth4Energy for a few years with no returns from buyers and lots of positive feedback.  The kit shows you how to build a solar panel to help power your home for under $200 and I know it can be done for as low as $150 — a lot of it depends on what you pay for the solar cells, which you can get on eBay to save some money.

As an avid do-it-yourselfer, I thought the Earth4Energy projects were fun (and they are) and they can save you a fair amount of money on your energy bill.  In the process, you learn a lot of solid construction techniques, too.  The kit sells for $49.97, so if you can get a deal on your solar cells, you’re still under $200 for a solar panel!

I’m including a video from Earth4Energy.  I added my own intro and outro to the video, along with a few notes, but the video is theirs.  I thought it gave you some good information about what the kit will show you, even if it gets a little “sales pitchy” in parts.

Another option you may consider as a do-it-yourself type person, you could easily build these solar panels or wind turbines using the instructions in this kit and turn around and sell them for a profit!  It’s one thing to build one yourself because you have fun with these types of projects, but some people just prefer to have it done for them.  Why not provide that service to them and make some money, yourself?  That’s part of what I love about DIY — I get to do something I love to do, anyway and I get to make a living doing it to help others.

There are a few of these types of kits available — all for about the same price, but Earth4Energy has the most professional, easy-to-follow kit I’ve seen for the money.  It’s also the bestselling one, available.  If you’re interested in helping out the environment by reducing your energy footprint, saving some money on your energy bill, or just a fun DIY project; you may want to give this kit a try.  Frankly, I just wanted to get it and see if I could build it.

If you want to learn how to save more money on your energy bill for free, sign up for our email newsletter.  You’ll receive our free guide with tips to saving energy in your home.  My gift to you just for signing up for the free newsletter.

Recently, a reader had a question about their home air filter:

Good day. I’ve been using the Dupont Filtrete filters for about five years and since we run a landscaping business and track alot of dirt in with us at the end of the day, I change out our filters about every three weeks. Within the past couple of years though, I’ve noticed that the metal mesh within the filter makes a flexing noise similar to water dropping for the first couple seconds after the condenser shuts off. It doesn’t make the noise when first installed and also when the a/c is not run for long periods of time, like during the middle of the day. Definitely nothing is leaking and even a Trane representative verified that the noise is made by the filter. Could you recommend a good filter that either doesn’t have the metal mesh or one that is sufficient in thickness that it doesn’t flex enough to allow this noise to occur? Thank you for your time and help.

I’ve chosen to answer the question in a post, as this may require a bit more explanation than a comment can handle.

To answer the question, both Natural Aire and Accumulair make filters that do not have a metal webbing to stiffen the filter.  Pop one of these in and maybe your problem is fixed.  Maybe.

Now, for the more complicated part.  This air filter should not be “sucked up” into the AC unit, as described by this commenter.  Additionally, a filter without the metal mesh will only be more flimsy and may even be sucked up into the coils of the unit.

So, what’s the solution?

Well, I’ve had a similar issue with an AC unit that would crumple the air filter.  I later determined that the unit used a custom-sized air filter that you could only get from the AC manufacturer.  It had strange dimensions that made store-bought filters not fit, properly.  This could be the issue, here.

It could also be an issue with a necessary pre-filter, post-filter, humidifier, or other component that needs to be in place.  I would think the Trane representative would have mentioned this in the visit, but they miss stuff, too.

Regardless, the AC unit should not be sucking-up or otherwise deforming the filter.  I would call out your local HVAC professional to take a look at the unit and filter to determine the proper solution for that unit, after confirming that you have the right size air filter.  Every unit is different and even HVAC companies specialize or represent specific brands, so make sure it’s a Trane endorsed contractor.

I’ll be putting together some spring cleaning tips for your home, starting with today’s post on your roof.  Your roof provides the primary protection of your home from the elements — “A roof over your head” — and needs to be maintained, just like all major systems in your home.

Primarily, you need to keep debris and water from collecting on your roof.  Typically, this isn’t a major concern on the open areas of the roof, instead in the cracks, crevices, and penetrations in your roof.  However, debris can also pile up on the open areas if you have large trees or bushes that overhang your roof and drop lots of vegetation on the roofing surface.  Please take all necessary precautions for working high above the ground and hire a professional, if necessary. For general spring cleaning maintenance, you need to look at the following three areas to maintain your roofing system in it’s peak functioning condition.

• Gutters
• Penetrations, valleys, crevices
• Vegetation/Trees

Gutters

You really need to keep your gutters free of debris and clean.  The gutter system removes water from your roofing system.  If you don’t keep them clean, water can pool on the roofing surface and do a lot of damage and shorten the life of your roof.  Usually, you can do this every spring with your spring cleaning project list, but if you have a lot of trees and vegetation on your property, you may need to do it twice per year.  You can spray the gutters out with your garden hose, but I find this makes a big mess.  I use a 5-gallon bucket and a garden trowel to get all the debris out of the gutters and downspouts.  This is a much cleaner method.

Penetrations

Get your mind out of the “gutter.”  I’m talking about your skylights, exhaust pipes, roof vents, and so on.  These are “holes” in your roofing system and need to be maintained to ensure the integrity of your roof.  Check for broken roofing tiles or shingles around the penetrations, caulking that needs to be replaced, broken or cracked glass/plexiglas, and excessive rust.

Additionally, you need to look for any areas where water and debris may gather on the roof.  Two valleys coming together creating a low spot, a ridge coming into a valley, your roof eave meeting a roofing surface and creating a pocket for debris to collect, and so on.  Anywhere that creates an opportunity for roofing failure due to water and debris.  Clean those areas up and repair any damage.

Tree Overhangs

This is one of the most often overlooked areas of roof maintenance.  When I drive around the neighborhoods in my area, you see beautiful trees and bushes decorating the yards of homeowners.  Unfortunately, I also see this beautiful landscaping destroying roofing systems.

Trees and bushes that “overhang” a roof (this includes branches from trees that are a good distance from your home) drop vegetation, grow onto the roof, hold water against the roof, and dramatically shorten the lifespan of a roofing system.  Every spring as part of your spring cleaning regimen, you need to trim these overhangs away from your roof.  This can be very dangerous, as your working near the edge of your roofing system and reaching up to cut overhangs.  Please take the necessary precautions or hire a professional.

Using a chainsaw or nippers, trim the branches back away from your roof, taking care not to let the trimmed branches damage your roof by falling on it.  Remember to look overhead, not just on your roof for branches that may be dropping debris from above.

Make sure to do these three simple tasks as part of your spring cleaning routine and your roof will last much longer.  Just like your teeth, if you ignore your roof, it will go away.

Although this is a pretty simple home improvement project, many people leave it to the professionals, because it’s an electrical project.  As long as you take the necessary precautions, you can safely and easily replace an old, worn-out electrical outlet on your own, DIY-style!

As with any electrical home project, you always start by shutting off the power to the circuit you’re working on.  I prefer to just shut of the main breaker to ensure that I get the right circuit, but it you just want to shut off the one circuit be sure to use a circuit tester to confirm that it’s off.

Once the power’s been turned off to your outlet, remove the cover plate (usually just one screw) and the outlet, itself (two straight slot screws).

Now, use the old outlet as a model and move the wires from the old outlet to the new outlet.  I like to do this one wire at a time to ensure that I put the right wire in the right place.  You have upper and lower wire locations on both sides of the outlet.  You need to be sure to install the wires on the new outlet in the exact same side and location as on the old outlet.

Please note: If your home has aluminum wiring (prominent in the 1970s), you MUST get outlets rated for aluminum wiring.  Aluminum wiring often causes house fires, if not installed properly or on non-approved outlets.  The outlet will state right on the packaging that it’s approved for aluminum wiring and will cost about twice as much as a standard outlet.  In addition to aluminum wiring approved outlets, you must be sure to wrap the exposed part of the wire at least 3/4, preferably all the way around the screw terminal and never use the “plug-in” slots on the back of an outlet to install aluminum wiring.

With the wires installed on the new outlet screw terminals, push the wiring and outlet back into the outlet box and re-secure with the two screws.  Finally, reinstall your cover plate and you have a brand new outlet!

This can be a very inexpensive way to update all your outlets to the Decora-style installed in many newer homes.  Electricians often charge a premium price for this upgrade.  When it’s as easy as outlined here, why not do-it-yourself?

In 2014, the only lightbulb choice we’ll have is those little, coiled compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that everyone’s selling, now.  I posted a video, last week, that detailed the clean-up procedure for these CFLs.  In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d post about the hazards, energy implications, and truth about these CFL bulbs.

Not only do these bulbs contain mercury, they require lighting fixtures rated for CFLs, go through an expensive recycling process (on the few occasions that people actually recycle them), and when they’re not recycled, you’re wrapping them in two plastic bags to prevent mercury leakage into our soil.  Let’s break down each of these items.

CFL Mercury Content

Every single CFL contains a very small amount of mercury, one of the most powerful neurotoxins known to man, amounting to about 4-5 milligrams.  Let me start by saying that this is a very small amount, especially if it’s released outdoors.  However, releasing this amount of mercury in your home or even a small room in your home can pose serious health risks to children, elderly, pets, and those sensitive to mercury.  You can see in the clean-up procedure recommended by the EPA that you must take extreme measures to clean up a CFL break in your home.  Note the clothing and bedding section where it’s recommended that you throw away any clothing or bedding that comes into contact with the broken CFL!

You will also find on the “Energy Star” site, linked above, a pretty little chart showing that the mercury in a single CFL is overcome by the energy produced to power a standard incandescent bulb versus the energy produced to power a CFL.  It looks rather convincing, but I’ll show you in a bit why it loses a lot of validity when examined further.  Also, these “mercury” levels emitted by energy producers cited by the EPA don’t take into account that the mercury from power plants goes through “scrubbers,” is monitored by the EPA, and is emitted into the air, not my bedroom.  I’d also like to know how they arrived at a mercury impact of only 0.6 milligrams for landfilling a CFL when each bulb contains between 4 and 5 milligrams?

Longer Life Span

As noted in the graph above, the longer life of a CFL bulb accounts for the “less mercury being emitted into the air” claim.

“CFLs last SO much longer than those old incandescent bulbs!”  That’s how they sell these bulbs, right?  ”They’ll last for years!”

Not so fast.  Let’s start with the time that you have a CFL on.  Compact fluorescent bulbs are designed to be on for extended periods of time to meet their rated life — I’m talking 4 hours, continuously.  If you only leave one on for an hour, the rated life drops by 20% and as much as 50%.  If you cycle it on and off like most of us do in our homes, you’ve reduced the rated life by 70% – 85%! So, for the example the EPA uses in the graph above, an 8,000 hour CFL would now only last 1,200 hours.  You’re now down in the range of many incandescent bulbs rated life.

We’re not done, though.  CFLs function optimally in light fixtures designed for compact fluorescent bulbs.  Not only will installing a CFL in a non-CFL rated fixture reduce the service life of the CFL (now we’d be getting down below the service life of those nasty, old incandescent bulbs), but the CFL bulb may not fit or produce the same lighting for the area.  Additionally, most CFLs do not work in a dimmer fixture, unless the CFL is rated for dimmers and the fixture is designed for a dimmer CFL.  How “environmental” will it be for homeowners to tear out and install new light fixtures?

It’s sounding more and more like these are not the grand solution everyone’s expecting and in 2014, you’ll have no other choice.  Let’s continue looking at these “green” Earth savers.

Recycling CFLs

To start this section, let’s look at how many people actually recycle CFLs.  In 2007, approximately 400 million CFLs were purchased with less than 2% being recycled means we put 320 million into our landfills.  How many of those do you think were put into two plastic bags to prevent mercury from leeching into the earth’s soil?

I had a great deal of difficulty finding any information on what exactly the process is for recycling a compact fluorescent bulb.  You can find it, you just have to search Google a bit (something I recommend for you to do with any information you’re provided online, including this post).  No one seems to account for the massive amount of energy, the machinery needed to recycle a CFL, the extra trucking for transporting the CFL to the recycling facility, the cost of packaging required for CFL recycling, and so on.  All these costs in both energy and money need to be considered, if we’re going to make a fair comparison between CFLs and incandescent bulbs.  Let’s break this down a bit.

To recycle a CFL bulb, you must first package it in an appropriate container to prevent breaking.  Most recycling facilities will not accept broken CFLs — probably because their job is done, the mercury has already been released into your home.  Now it’s just a bunch of glass.  As for the packaging, the EPA recommends re-using the box the CFL bulbs came in or using the one from the replacement bulbs.  You can also purchase boxes from your local home supply store to safely hold and transport your CFL bulbs to your local recycling location.  I’m sure those boxes aren’t using trees for the cardboard, right?

Once you’ve dropped your CFL bulb, unbroken, in a cardboard box, off at your local Home Depot or IKEA (two of many retail locations that accept CFL bulbs for recycling), they must now be transported in a recycling truck (a different one than picks up your home trash, home debris, or home recyclables) to the nearest CFL/mercury recycling facility.  I’m sure that giant trash/recycling truck runs on biodiesel or propane, right?

Whew!  We’re almost there.  By the way, your old incandescent bulb went out with your trash on the same truck that picks up everything else and has been safely deposited in your local landfill for over a week,now.

As for your CFL, it’s on it’s way to the recycling center where it will be mechanically broken, have the mercury extracted, be tested to ensure that all mercury was extracted from the bulb, re-extract mercury if necessary, assuming the mercury can be recycled on-site it will be recycled for use in new CFLs, otherwise it will have to be shipped to a mercury recycling facility.  Once recycled, you must ship the mercury (remember, a powerful neurotoxin) off to a CFL manufacturer (almost every one of them is made in China — just a short boat trip that doesn’t use any fuel, I’m sure), and finally deposit the remaining glass into the landfill.  Oh yeah, now that truck that picked up your incandescent bulb has to come to the mercury recycling facility to pick up the left over glass do put in the landfill with your other incandescent bulbs.

I think you can see now that CFLs may not be the “green” solution we’re hoping for with regard to our indoor lighting.  However, with little or no forethought or research, the US Congress has deemed these CFLs to be the lighting you need in your home.  In 2014, incandescent bulbs will no longer be available for purchase.

I would love to have your input on this topic.  What’s the solution?  Can we stop the incandescent ban in 2014?  Are there alternatives to the CFLs that will be available in 2014?

Please note: I specifically did not “blame” any political party or group.  This is not a political blog.  If you want to comment on some of the items discussed in the post or refute the technical aspects of CFLs presented in the post, I welcome that.  Political back-biting and mudslinging comments will be deleted.

While I poke a little fun at the procedure in our video, I followed the EPAs instructions for cleaning up a compact fluorescent lightbulb (cfl) break on a hard surface.  DISCLAIMER: I used an incandescent bulb in the video, because I frankly did not want to break a CFL inside a home, if I could avoid it.  This has no effect on the procedure and we still followed the EPA instructions for cleaning up a CFL, not an incandescent bulb.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs  contain a small amount of mercury; a deadly neurotoxin.  Even though the amount of mercury in a CFL is very small (4-5 milligrams), you still need to take precautions and follow this procedure for clean up and disposal of compact fluorescent bulbs in your home.

Here’s the full clean-up procedure from the EPA (Italicized text are my own comments):

How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb? Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

1. Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

• Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. (Some groups recommend as much as an hour)
• Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

• Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces and powder.
• Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
• Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

3. Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug:

• Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
• Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.:

• If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away.
• Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
• You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
• If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes.  Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

5. Disposal of Clean-up Materials

• Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
• Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
• Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area.  Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

6. Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

• The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
• Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

I’d love to have your feedback on compact fluorescent bulbs, their dangers, and their benefits.  Please, leave me a comment, below.

Yes, I need your DIY home improvement questions!  Send me pictures or video of your DIY disasters or figure out how to get past that sticking point on your current project.  Whatever your DIY challenge, I want to help you!

No question too simple, no question too complicated.  I want them all!  Challenge me!  Stump me!

The more information, the better.  The physical nature of DIY home improvement projects requires as much information as possible about the project.

You can email your videos, photos, and questions to asktim @ therealtimjones.com

A few posts back, we talked about how to clear jams and do electrical resets to your garbage disposal to avoid replacing it, altogether.  What happens if you do need to replace it, even after clearing and resetting it?  That’s what we’ll show you in this post.

Replacing a garbage disposal can be a very easy DIY project for the average homeowner.  This post assumes you are actually replacing an old disposal and not installing a new one, from scratch.  This means the sink components are already installed, plumbing and electrical connections are all available, correct, and to your local code.

Once you’ve turned off the water, begin by disconnecting your dishwasher hose (if you have one — it is the clamped connection near the top of the disposal).  Next, loosen your plumbing connection.  You may have difficulty actually removing this connection without removing the disposal, so we’ll just get it loose, for now.

Now, you’re ready to uninstall the disposal.  This just requires a straight slot screwdriver and a hammer.  As you can see in the video, you pound against the lower ring that secures the disposal to the sink in a clockwise direction.  This releases the disposal and you should now be able to disconnect the loosed plumbing connection, with ease.  Remember, you still have the electrical connections in place.

The disposal should be a switched electrical connection, so as long as it’s switched off (should be, otherwise your disposal will be running during this process), you should be safe from electrical shock.  If you want further assurance, shut the breaker off at the panel.

Disconnect the electrical connections and you should be ready to proceed with the new disposal.

PLEASE NOTE: All new disposals come with a dishwasher connection that has been “plugged.”  Just pop that plug out with a screwdriver and hammer, but be sure to take the plug out of the inside of the disposal.  Both of these steps are commonly forgotten and you either end up with dirty water backing up into the dishwasher or damage to your new disposal blades.

Your plumbing connection on the new disposal should be a pipe that elbows or bends 90 degrees, a gasket, and a securing ring.  Slide the gasket over the pipe so that it fits snugly up against the disposal when the pipe is in place.  Slide the securing ring over the pipe and secure in place with the screws provided.

Now, re-connect your electrical connections.

This last part can be a bit tricky.  I find it easiest to “dry fit” your plumbing connection, first.  In other words, put it in place with all the securing screws and gaskets in the right place, but don’t tighten anything.  Next, install the new disposal with the securing ring at the top.  Getting this ring to rest on all three ledges and tighten may take a few tries and your plumbing connection may “pop” out a few times.  Just keep at it and you’ll get it.  I find it easiest to “palm” the base of the disposal with my left hand and hold it as level as possible while using my right hand to secure the ring.

Lastly, tighten down your plumbing connection, reconnect the dishwasher (if you have one), and turn the water back on.  Be sure to watch for leaks and tighten any plumbing connections that loosened during the installation.

I LOVE concrete!  It’s one of the most amazing building materials!  You can do just about anything with concrete — pour the foundation of your home, create the walls of your home, create concrete blocks, patios, decks, fire pits, and more.  The list is pretty much endless.  You can even create pre-fabricated concrete panels that look like brick on the outside, tilt them up into place and in a matter of days, have a full structure built!  I love it!!!

Today, though, we’re talking about those little concrete pads that you need around your home that don’t require a full concrete truck — just a shovel, bag of Quikcrete, a wheel barrow, some water, and a plan.

Need a pad for your A/C unit?  Maybe a footer for a concrete block wall?  Or, as in the case of our project, a brick wall needs a foundation?  Regardless of need, concrete fills many of the holes in your DIY projects, very nicely.

With this project, we assume you already have your formwork built for the concrete pad that you’re building, since they vary so much.  However, just some basics on concrete formwork.

• Make sure the formwork is level and square.  You wouldn’t want the pad to be out of square or tilted one direction or the other.
• Concrete is heavy!  About 150 pounds per cubic foot.  Because of this weight, you need to make sure that your formwork is strong enough to hold the concrete.  Otherwise, it will just flow out of the forms and all over the ground.  Not much help for your project!  When in doubt, make the formwork stronger than you think you need.
• Secure the formwork in place!  Don’t just build the formwork to create the shape your building.  Add some bracing to keep it in place.  Generally, this bracing amounts to a few stakes in the ground.  If you’re looking at a form that requires more than some staked bracing, you may be looking at a bigger project than we’re talking about, here.

As for the concrete, mix in the water, slowly!!  I cannot stress enough that you want to be miserly with the water.  The “drier” the concrete mixture, the more strength the concrete will develop over it’s curing time.  You still need to mix all the concrete with water, but you do not want it to become a soupy slurry mix.  This can happen with just a little too much water.  What you need is a “chunky” peanut butter-like consistency.  You’ll get an idea of this from the video.

Once you pour the concrete into your form, use a small trowel to finish and level the pad.  In some cases, the pad may be big enough to require a screed.  A screed is nothing more than some form of level (often a good, straight 2 x 4) to level the concrete when first poured into the forms.  You use the screed to move and level the concrete in the forms.  Once leveled, use the trowel to finish the concrete.  Some concrete pads may require or you may prefer a “non-slip” or non-smooth finish.  To accomplish this, finish the concrete as you normally would for a smooth finish, then gently drag a stiff, outdoor broom across the pad.  This will provide a rough “broom” finish to the concrete.

When you’ve finished the concrete to your liking, you’re still not done with the project.

• To prevent cracking, keep the concrete wet for the next few days.  The curing process utilizes a lot of water and produces a lot of heat.  This will cause cracking, if the pad is not kept wet.
• Immediately after finishing the concrete, cover the pad if it looks like it’s going to rain.  For the first 24 hours, rain could cause depressions in the concrete.
• Clean all your tools!  You don’t need a trowel covered with concrete for your next project.  If you clean it now, it will come right off with water.  If you wait, you may be chiseling it off.

Let me know your feedback in the comments.  Have a strange shape you need to create with concrete?  I’d love to help!  Maybe a question about building formwork?  Or, maybe you have a really unique concrete structure — post it up in the comments and show it off to the world!

I know, I know, not “exactly” a home improvement post, but something close to my heart. I was on the construction team for the Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure.  This new “island” at Islands (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter) incorporates/remodels some of the buildings I worked on.  Plus, it’s just a fun post for Friday!

Due to my experience on a theme park construction project, I will be adding some posts that take a look at construction techniques in theme parks and other commercial projects. I love this type of construction — first time ever built, artistic, and really fun to build!  You can learn a ton from the way commercial projects get done and get some great ideas from some of the best artists in the business from the theme park construction.

Here are some points in the video to pay particular attention for construction and home improvement.

• 35 seconds: Notice the painter providing detail painting to the canopy structure.  Keep in mind this canopy structure arrived painted at the jobs site.  Theme park construction involves an amazing amount of detail.  Take a cue from this for your own home projects.  You can give the same attention to detail on your own projects without spending much more money.  In this case, it’s just a little extra paint to add that special touch.
• 1:02: Here, you can see how “themed” roofing tiles get installed over the actual roofing surface.  Dramatically changing the way a “standard” roof looks.  Also, behind the workers in this segment, you can see the fake snow under construction.  Here’s a better pic of this process:
• 1:12: You can see the workers installed roofing and waterproofing at a false chimney penetration and the leading edge of a roof component.
• 1:18: Take a look at how the designers for the Wizarding World used perspective and construction details like the “rock” foundation of the castle to create the appearance that the castle sits at 600′ high, rather than the 100 or so feet that it actually rests.  Changing perspective with architectural details can provide an amazingly different appearance to your projects.
• 1:40: The use of equipment.  Take a cue from these contractors and remember to use equipment to ease the construction process and prevent damage to finished surfaces.

Hope you enjoyed this little detour from the standard home improvement post on here.  Look for more examples and posts on this topic from time to time.