Home Inspection or Home Warranty?

Written by Wallace J. Conway


Continued from page 1

And let's view this same scenario fromrepparttar opposite direction. Would we expect that our life insurance carrier would recommend to us that we foregorepparttar 100122 expense of regular physical exams, because, after all, we now have life insurance! Insanity!

The life insurance companies, in fact, feel so strongly that a physical exam is such an important part of risk reduction that a physical exam is often required to secure a life insurance policy, or at least has an effect onrepparttar 100123 insurance rate.

If insurance companies want to have you "inspected" prior to assumingrepparttar 100124 risk of your passing, it certainly makes sense forrepparttar 100125 homebuyer to haverepparttar 100126 home inspected prior to purchase. Doesn't it, therefore, make similar sense to warrant unforeseen failure withrepparttar 100127 home warranty?

When buyers fully understand risk andrepparttar 100128 cost-effectiveness of risk reduction tools, they almost always want all ofrepparttar 100129 risk reduction tools available. It is in everyone's best interest to reduce risk by every cost effective means possible. Buyers love to be educated about understanding and reducing risk, and everyone loves a happy homebuyer!

Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.

Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com. As a speaker, writer, and instructor, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information!


FAQ'S ABOUT USING STONE IN YOUR HOME

Written by Kim Keefer


Continued from page 1

MARBLE – Most people are familiar with marble in many uses. From Greek statues to Roman baths, marble has been used for centuries in just about every possible application, both interior and exterior. Marble hasrepparttar same general properties of limestone and can stain, etch or scratch, but it only becomes more beautiful over time and use. It is readily available in just about every color, size, finish and texture known to man. Most marbles have a veining of a mineral throughout them and are generally thought to be from Italy, but it in actually it is quarried from all overrepparttar 100121 world. Tumbled marble has become extremely popular inrepparttar 100122 United States inrepparttar 100123 last few years for backsplash, flooring and shower areas. Prices range from $6.00 - $30.00 per square foot, again dependent uponrepparttar 100124 rarity, color and country of origin. A couple of drawbacks to marble to be aware of is: 1. Green marbles containing serpentine need to be installed in water areas with specific setting guidelines that your installer should know of as water can warp and break apart green marbles; 2. Polished marble can be slippery to walk upon until a patina has built up on repparttar 100125 surface.

TRAVERTINE – Travertine is marble, except it is filled with "holes." To understand what causesrepparttar 100126 holes, think of it this way…wherever a river or stream was prior torepparttar 100127 marble being quarried is where you will find travertine. Because ofrepparttar 100128 holes, people can be scared off because travertine is generally thought to be more porous and not suitable for residential use. This is notrepparttar 100129 case, as all of those holes become filled in with grout during installation, giving it a very unique look. The same travertine can be used in two separate areas but appear another way just by using two different grout colors! Travertine can be purchased withrepparttar 100130 holes pre-filled, but in my experience with it, I don't recommend it. In general,repparttar 100131 epoxy fill that is used has a color to it that does not look natural torepparttar 100132 stone and it has a tendency to come out after a short amount of time in high traffic areas. Expect to pay anywhere from $5.00 – $15.00 per square foot.

5.Q.IS STONE MORE DIFFICULT OR COSTLY TO INSTALL THAN CERAMIC TILE?

A.Onrepparttar 100133 whole, it is not more difficult to install. There are exceptions of course such asrepparttar 100134 difficulties with thickness gauges, which takes more time in lying out and whether a complex pattern is being used. As for cost it is generally not more expensive except for time spent on laying out patterns andrepparttar 100135 thickness gauging again, at least forrepparttar 100136 tile contractors I have worked on projects with. The setting supplies and procedures arerepparttar 100137 same, but stone is heavier to work with. I suggest talking it over with your installer and also takingrepparttar 100138 time to look at previous jobs he or she has installed if possible. I will be giving tips on selecting a tile contractor/installer in my next article.

6.Q.CAN A STONE DESIGN BE USED OR MIXED WITH OTHER KINDS OF MATERIALS?

A.Absolutely! The possibilities are endless. You can incorporate stone with ceramic, porcelain, glass, and terracotta…anything you can think of, even mixing different types of stones together.

7.Q.HOW DO I FIGURE THE QUANTITY THAT I WILL NEED?

A.Generally, tile and stone for a "field" area is figured byrepparttar 100139 square foot. To figure square footage, measurerepparttar 100140 area that you will be puttingrepparttar 100141 tile with a tape measure. Examples:

1.You measure your room and it comes out to be 10-1/2 feet wide by 15-3/4 feet long…you would calculate it by multiplying 10.5x15.75 = 165.38. Round this number off torepparttar 100142 closest whole number (165). I suggest adding on a 10-15% overage to plan for cuts, breakage and a little extra to store in case a piece needs to be replaced later in time.

2.You measure your wall area to be covered and you get 18" tall and 33" long. Multiply 18x33 = 594". Now divide that number by 144, resulting in 4.13sf. (There are 144 sq. inches per square foot). Again, round it off and add on for overage.

When figuring for decorative tile or trim, it is usually byrepparttar 100143 piece and calculated byrepparttar 100144 lineal foot.

For slabs, it is best to let your fabricator figurerepparttar 100145 quantity for you.

8.Q.WHAT SIZE GROUT JOINTS SHOULD I USE?

A.Again, this is a matter of choice andrepparttar 100146 look you prefer. Honed stone can usually be butt jointed (tight to each other) with very little grout showing if you want to see less grout or a grid pattern; tumbled stone usually has a 1/8" to 1/4" grout joint which will show offrepparttar 100147 edges more.

9.Q.CAN YOU HELP ME WITH DESIGNING MY STONE LAYOUT?

A.Yes, I can! I charge an hourly fee of $75 and I will need several things from you:

1.A copy of your blueprints, includingrepparttar 100148 elevations if you have them andrepparttar 100149 area to be tiled clearly marked; or a drawing ofrepparttar 100150 area, includingrepparttar 100151 dimensions andrepparttar 100152 area to be tiled shown. Make sure to specify what room/location it is, if it is not marked onrepparttar 100153 blueprint.

2.The style of home you have; orrepparttar 100154 look you prefer, i.e.…rustic, contemporary, elegant, traditional…

3.Whether or not you have already chosen your stone. If so, what did you pick and what size? If not, do you want me to make suggestions for you? If yes, do you have a set budget?

4.Will you want to use decorative trim pieces? If so, did you choose one yet? What arerepparttar 100155 dimensions of a piece(s)?

Kim has worked in the Building Industry for 19 years and has specialized in tile and stone for the last 5, with emphasis on end-user and tile contractor drawing design specifications and visualization.

For Design Assistance go to: www.decoblends.com




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