Things To Know About Building A Barrel Smoker

If you are a BBQ addict, then a barrel smoker is for you, and you might consider making your own BBQ smoker. It is much less expensive to build a barrel smoker than to purchase one and a lot more fun! Don't worry; you don't need to be a professional craftsman to build one.

There are 3 major parts to a smoker of this kind;

Lowes Build

• Metal bottom for coal
• Cooling rack
• Method for ventilation

If all of these essential parts are included, then the smoker will be safe, as well as a good source or tool for grilling. When using a BBQ smoker, you don't need to be restricted to only cooking barbecues, you can branch out to many different types of food including Cornish hams, corn on the cob, twice baked potatoes, meatloaf, as well as other tasty dishes.

The steps that should be followed when making a BBQ smoker are not difficult, but may be a little time consuming. First you must choose a barrel. You can find one at a department store or a barrel company. Whichever is more convenient is where you should go to get one. You should probably contact an MIG welder, unless you are a proficient at welding. This type of professional will be able to get a clean weld.

Next a frame must be built, which will serve as support to the smoker. Make sure that the food will set on the rack at about your waist level, so that you will not need to bend over and make your back sore. Cut the barrel into 3 pieces, so that it can be shortened; then weld it back together after you have taken out the appropriate piece.

After all of the above have been completed, it is time to get to the "nitty gritty". Cut a door in the firebox and a hole from the firebox to the cooling chamber. Then cut another hole from the cooling chamber to provide for adequate exhaust. After these steps have been implemented, attach all of the parts together. Don't forget to build an exhaust. Round off the corners and cover the door with paint or wax. Make sure that this coating is fireproof. Bolt the door and don't forget to buy a grill grate. This grate can be bought at any home improvement store, such as Lowe's or Home Depot. Now your BBQ smoker is ready for the test.

The 1st time that you use your newly made BBQ smoker be cautious. Carefully examine the exhaust and determine if it would pass all of the safety tests that you feel are necessary. You can now be proud that you have built a BBQ smoker that will cook tasty meals. The best thing to remember is that you may have spent quite a bit of time constructing the BBQ smoker, but you definitely have saved money.

Things To Know About Building A Barrel Smoker

Lowes Build

Building a Blogging Calendar

Blogging is hard. But keeping a regularly updated blog that always relates to your book in some way makes blogging a great way to continue expanding your audience. It's also a means of passing on information that is useful to your readers and provides them with something of value.

For me, the best way to do this is taking a 12-month calendar and finding topics for each month that relate to issues/themes discussed in the novel. I call this the "Blogging Calendar". Once you have brainstormed an initial calendar, start researching various possibilities on the Internet. The research process can also be the spark for additional topics you may not have considered.

Grow Calendar 2011

Some of the themes in Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace were: alcoholism and chemical dependency, politics and voter awareness, divorce and child custody issues, health concerns, particularly ovarian cancer, Minnesota history and tourism, and writing and publishing trends. Some months are going to be easier to fill than others, but here are examples of how I started plotting out my blogging schedule.

March

Women's History Month

April

Alcohol Awareness Month

September

Labor Day

Ovarian Cancer Awareness

October

Ministry Appreciation Month

Domestic Violence Awareness

Grandparents Day

November

U.S. Presidential Election

Finding topics relevant to your book at least gives authors a starting point. In my case I also keep abreast of current events in the realms of politics and the writing/publishing industry. For example, I posted a blog on the Twin Cities hosting the GOP Convention and tied it together with the Pierson family's political activism. I've also done a number of blog articles on the writing and publishing industry, and I post whenever something of interest to authors happens, such as Amazon's new policy on Print On Demand (POD) publishing.

Blogging does take work (especially if you have several blogs to keep updated) but think of it this way - you're not only promoting your book(s), you're providing reader benefits, and writing regularly, all of which helps you as an author to constantly improve.

Catherine Johnson is the author of the novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. Visit her web site at CatherineJohnsonNovels.com or contact her via e-mail at: catherinejohns58@yahoo.com

Building a Blogging Calendar

Grow Calendar 2011

Tips For Chicken Coop Building Plans

Before you actually sit down and construct a home for your chickens, it's a very good idea to have a set of chicken coop building plans that you've either made yourself or received from a reputable source.

Here is a list of commonly used materials:

Lowes Build

* 2" x 4" planks. These make great planks for making sturdy walls for your coop to keep predators out, and can also serve as roosts for your birds to sleep on. 2" x 2" planks or thick wooden dowels are also good materials to use for roosting.

* Large sheets of plywood or some other similarly weighted wood. These sheets makes excellent floors, ceilings, and can serve as the basic layer for the walls of your coop. However, it is not a good idea to have them as the only thing in your walls, because they are not particularly sturdy and may not be predator-proof.

* Chicken wire or a similar commercial-grade wire. You will need a lot of this, as it will keep your chicken run enclosed and safe from any wild animals that might wish to harm your birds. However, make sure that the holes are not large enough for your chickens to escape from! Chicken wire does not make a good wall for the coop itself, as birds like to have something to hide in and feel safe.

Of course, you will also need nails, and other common construction materials to actually put your chicken coop building plans into action, as well as any paint that you want for cosmetic purposes. Make sure you don't paint the inside of your coop though, nor finish it with anything that will be harmful to your birds. A natural (unfinished) surface is better to avoid having your chickens accidentally inhale chemicals from finished woods. Painting the outside is okay.

After you have a good workable set of chicken coop building plans, you'll want to go about procuring the materials to use when actually building it. Hardware stores like Lowes or Home Improvement are obviously a great place to start looking. Make sure you know exactly how much you need of each material before you go shopping around, as this will save you time and keep your expenses low. If you're not sure how to figure out what you'll need, make an educated estimate.

But don't feel that you absolutely have to go to a commercial store to get your materials. In many cases, it's possible to build a coop entirely for free. That's right, free! How you do this is by looking around at garbage dumps, furniture stores, or on the sides of the street after people have put out their garbage. People will often throw out perfectly good construction materials that you can use to complete your chicken coop building plans.

In addition, you can often make parts of your chicken coops out of discarded furniture or other items. Old lockers can make great nesting boxes, since they are already the right size. Just make sure, again, to remove any paint from their insides, or to cover the metal up with wood inside in addition to bedding material. Other great "second-hand coop" materials include chests of drawers for nesting boxes, wooden clothes hangers for roosts, and cat doors for easy entry flaps. You're limited only by your imagination and the sturdiness of the materials.

Tips For Chicken Coop Building Plans

Lowes Build

Cat House Plans - Options Abound When Building Your Kitty's Dream Home!

Building a cat house is different than building a dog house in that cats are most often indoors & also need the ability to jump, sharpen their claws & be agile. Here are some design options and things to consider when choosing your cat house plans.

There are many pre-fab cat houses on the market but they are expensive & may not fit your tastes. Your cat may have similar feelings. (We all know that cats are not pets, they just agree to tolerate you in exchange for food & warm lodging). These are probably the reasons you are building yours yourself.

Lowes Build

There are three general designs available when it comes to cat house plans. One is the traditional dog house type, the second is the cat tree type, & the third is a kitty condo made from carpet tubing or molds for concrete pillars. If you are very ambitious, you can combine elements from all 3 designs!

Many of the materials required to build your own house from a set of cat house plans are very inexpensive & the end result will be superior to anything you buy at the pet store. In addition, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself.

Nearly every set of cat house plans you can get will require carpeting. You should be able to save money by asking your local carpet dealer for their carpet remainders. May times they will just toss them out in the dumpster. You can also purchase plywood remainders very cheaply in this manner at Lowes or Home Depot. You can also get the cores from rolls of carpet, probably for free, to use in your cat tree houses. Another inexpensive option when you need a larger diameter tube is a concrete pouring form for pillars.

When placing carpet on a square or rectangular piece of plywood, cut it so there is about 5 inches of extra length on each side of the plywood. Place the carpet carpet side down, & center the plywood on the carpet. Trace the plywood with a marker, & then tack the down the carpet to the centered plywood with a staple gun. Now take a utility knife & cut a square section out of each corner of the carpet. you can now fold the carpet under & tack it snugly to the underside, much like you would wrap a Christmas present.

The concrete tubes & carpet roll cores can be used whole. Or the larger tubes can be cut into 3 equal sections to create curved perches. The curved pieces will require a little more creativity to cover in carpet, but it can be done.

Plywood rounds can be used to create multiple stories inside a concrete tube. You can cut a section out of the round to allow the cat access & use plywood ramps to connect the levels.

Finally, you may want to use some sisal or jute rope on some of the round surfaces to give kitty a place to sharpen claws. Adding cat toys placed on strings to strategic places will keep kitty active & energetic.

Cat House Plans - Options Abound When Building Your Kitty's Dream Home!

Lowes Build

Building Materials - Where Should You Buy Your Home Building Materials Package?

The materials package represents a third to a half of your over all home building budget. You'll want to choose your sources wisely.

Question: Where should you buy home building materials?

Lowes Build

Answer:

Home Owner Builders have several choices when it comes to selecting their home building materials for building a new home. Years ago, the first thing that came to mind was a local lumber yard but, these days, many think of a Home Depot or Lowe's.

While these can be excellent choices, I'd like to point out few other choices that you should think about ... not INSTEAD of these but along with them. After all, a lot of contractors and builders use Home Depot and Lowe's as a major source of materials for their projects.

Where Should You Look for Your Building Materials?

Local lumber yards still exist. (Compare service and price!) Panelizing companies for wood and steel walls ICF and SIP manufacturers and distributors Kit Home/Packaged Home companies Subcontractor's purchases - a big mark-up? Maybe ...

How involved do you want to be as an Owner Builder? How much do you want to save? Can a builder get you a better deal?

HomeBuilding Coach & Materials Seller

Some Home Owner Builders get help from their Home Building Coach to purchase their own materials package. Thus, greatly limiting what their contractors purchase for them. This can be a real savings as they can often avoid some substantial mark-ups. This can take time. You should make sure that the savings is there before you take on this task.

Finally, if you are a DIY Owner Builder, I would recommend that you look into the package/kit homes. They can really streamline your materials purchase job, save time on construction, and even improve the quality of your home building project.

Insist on quality materials. It's a better life-time value decision.

Building Materials - Where Should You Buy Your Home Building Materials Package?

Lowes Build

Building A Dog House - Is It An Easy Task?

If you decided to have a dog house for Fido, remember that not every dog owner has the time or skills to design and build a dog house from scratch. Assistance abounds for people who want to build a special home for their pet, but who have one or both of these limitations.

Doing a keyword search on the Internet will reveal many sources for dog house blueprints, or woodworking plans for dog house designs. These special plans can range from simple box-like structures to custom-designed dog mansions that rival the homes of the highest-paid celebrities. Many times, free dog house blueprints are also available to download from the internet, you just have to do some researches.

Lowes Build

For those dog owners who have neither the skill to design a workable dog house or to build one on their own, "build it yourself" dog house kits are also available, both online and from a variety of retail sources. These house building kits may be available at pet supply stores, feed stores, or building supply stores in your area. Most of these "do it yourself" kits are designed to be as simple as possible, while still providing adequate shelter for your dog.

The primary advantage to build it yourself dog house kits is that they gather all of the materials that you will need together and put them into a single, organized pack. There is a far smaller possibility that the cut pieces will not fit together or that the connectors will not hold them in place because they have all been designed to work together as a complete unit.

A second advantage is that it is time saving, reducing the amount time required compared to traditional building. As the wood has already been cut and, frequently, all the parts have been marked with numbers or letters intended to guide you through the construction. In some kits, the pieces even have pre-drilled guide holes drilled at the proper connection points.

Build it yourself dog house kits are relatively easy to put together within a relatively short time. From opening the box to sorting out the parts to fastening on the roof the average dog house kit may take as little as two or three hours to put together, even for the architecturally challenged. Once the house is together it is up to you to customize the house for your own dog, through an attractive paint job, shutters, or other accessories.

The cost of a build it yourself dog house kit is somewhat more than that of buying a dog house from a department store or pet supply store. It also costs only about a quarter of the amount that a professional carpenter might charge for building a similar house. If you are willing to invest a few hours of relatively pain-free craftwork, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars for a similar result.

Building A Dog House - Is It An Easy Task?

Lowes Build

Building a Credit History - Learn the Basics

A credit history can be viewed as financial character reference. A good credit history is necessary for an easy bank loan, good job, for leasing apartments, negotiating cell phone deals and better insurance rates. Easy as it sounds, credit history warrants great vigilance from the user as one small mistake can take years to correct. A good credit history will give you a good credit score which is a measuring scale for your credit worthiness.

As with everything in life, starting out in the right direction is the best way to ensure a good credit history. There are some cardinal rules that a first-time credit builder should adhere to: Open a checking and savings accounts in a reliable bank: As an initial step toward building a good credit history, checking and saving accounts will reflect your ability to pay for immediate bills and will also show that you are saving for the future.

Lowes Build

Understanding the basics: A good credit score needs one to the basic understanding of the system. There are some simple conventions to be adhered to when operating a credit card; bills should be paid on time, live within your means and be prudent while spending. Keeping in mind that a single missed payment can undo an entire good credit history and the long years it will take to make up for that lapse. To avoid maxing out your credit limit, always use less than 30% of your credit limit to be on the safer side and remember that you don't need a balance on your credit card to have a good credit score. Paying your bills on time is the hard way to keep it in shape.

Always check your credit report: There are many sites online which can give you free information regarding your credit report status, make use of these and be alert to your scores. With Identity theft being prevalent these days, awareness of one's credit report will help one be on guard against it. Getting multiple reports from multiple sites will also help.

Go through your credit reports carefully: Credit reports are not infallible, going through multiple reports and being attentive to small or big errors is essential. As a consumer, it also helpful to keep in mind that negative information, like late payments, delinquencies, liens etc should be dropped after seven years, while bankruptcy can stay on your report till 10 years. Once you locate errors, the agencies can be asked to investigate them, this can easily be done online too.

Inclusion of information: Adding more positive information can increase your reliability in the eyes of the lender. Positive information can include, having the same job, address for a longer period of time, which throws light on your stability. While it does not directly affect the credit score, it is pertinent information used by the lender to substantiate your existing credit score.

Building a Credit History - Learn the Basics

Lowes Build

Step by Step Guide to Building a Dog House

If you are like the dozens of other people who have been procrastinating building a dog house for your dog, then summer time is a good time to begin the project. All dogs need a good shelter from the heat and summer thunderstorms, and a doghouse is ideal. If you don't really know how to build a doghouse, don't fret - with this guide, even a beginner will have a better idea of how to start.

Especially if you are a beginner, the first thing to do is check your local area for resources. Several big box home improvement stores, such as Lowe's and Home Depot, offer guides (both in print and online) that you can follow step by step. Lowe's also offers on-site help with projects, and that includes building a doghouse. Not to mention that you can save money by buying the building supplies at Lowe's. Some parts can be obtained for free at the local junkyard. So, here we go! Stop procrastinating, and follow this guide to building a doghouse. Remember to make use of your local resources and obtain a simple doghouse blueprint to follow.

Lowes Build

First, you must always remember to measure your dog. You might be surprised how many people forget to measure the size of the dog before building a doghouse. This is important so you will know what size of doghouse to build. You can customize the size of the doghouse just for your dog. This way the doghouse will not be too small or too big. If you are building a doghouse for a young dog, remember to make the house big enough to compensate for the dog's growth.

Next, you need to make sure that the roof of the doghouse is not too sloped. This is to help prevent any unfortunate nesting of insects such as wasps, hornets, or bees. It would probably be best to have a flat roof, since most dogs will want to lay on the roof of the house to soak up some sun. Also, do not build the roof with aluminum or any kind of metal, since they can heat up very quickly and easily burn a dog who wants to lay on the roof.

Remember to insulate the dog house according to what kind of dog you have. If the dog has a lot of fur, such as an Alaskan Husky or German Shepard, then the dog house won't need as much insulation. If the dog is short haired like a greyhound or a chihuahua, then the house will obviously need more insulation.

Make sure that air can circulate through the house and that the doghouse is well-ventilated. Using breathable construction materials will help the doghouse be ventilated. Wood is one such material. To save money, you can find scrap wood at a junk yard and even a lumber yard. Make sure the door to the doghouse will always be open, as this helps tremendously with ventilation, and the addition of a small window will help even more. Also make sure that the dog has enough room in the doghouse - enough room to stand up, turn around, play with any toys or bones, and move a bit without hitting the walls. This way, the dog won't be cramped and a doghouse that is big enough for your dog to move around in will help with ventilation.

Next, make sure the doghouse is tough, durable, and quite sturdy. It needs to be durable enough to survive any bad weather that may happen, and to keep your dog protected from such bad weather. It also needs to be sturdy enough to withstand normal wear and tear from the dog. When you construct the doghouse, make sure the floor of the doghouse is built a few inches off of the ground. This is important because, when it rains, any water will be able to flow under the doghouse and not get inside and flood the doghouse. The floor itself also needs to be very durable and sturdy.

Lastly, make sure the doghouse is not right out in the open where the hot summer sun can beat down on it and heat up the small abode. It is best to have a doghouse positioned under a tree, large shrubbery, porch overhang, or some other kind of shade. Having the doghouse placed in the shade will make relaxing a lot more comfortable for your dog and reduce the risk of your dog overheating in the summer sun.

Also, make sure to keep it as simple as possible. It isn't necessary to pile up blankets or a dog bed in the doghouse and it isn't necessary to heat the doghouse in the winter (unless the house is for a very small, short-haired dog that gets cold easily). If you decide to go ahead and put extras in the doghouse, be sure that they are durable and not easily destroyed in case the dog decides to chew on them, and that any extras can withstand wind, rain and snow.

In conclusion, building a doghouse doesn't have to be overly complicated - in fact, it can be easy. Just remember to keep things simple. Use an easy-to-follow doghouse blueprint or tutorial. Make sure you plan and prepare so you know what to buy and have all the supplies ready. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it - many home improvement stores like Lowe's offer help for a plethora of small home projects. You don't have to go all out for building materials. A lot of the materials can be gotten from a discount home improvement store like Lowe's, from excess supply at a lumberyard, and even from a junkyard. Using materials from the aforementioned places will help you save money on building a doghouse. Building a doghouse can be both wallet-friendly and fun! Your dog will be sure to appreciate having a cozy place to relax. So stop procrastinating, get out there, and build a doghouse.

Step by Step Guide to Building a Dog House

Lowes Build

How to Hire the Right Building Contractor for Your Home Remodeling Project

Finding and hiring the right home remodeling contractor for your home remodeling project can be daunting and confusing. You can easily search the web or look in the yellow pages and find many home remodeling contractors listed in your area but the question remains - which one do you hire for your home remodeling project. Which one will perform quality work, charge a fair price and get the job done on time.

To reduce the risk of hiring the wrong home remodeling contractor you should first do a little preparation yourself for the home remodeling project. Sketch out and write down what you want remodeled. Provide a copy of this information to each prospective home remodeling contractor as this will help to minimize misunderstandings of requirements.

Lowes Build

If you are adding a home addition, use stakes and string or even spray paint and mark the area on the existing lawn/ground.

Next talk to your local building inspector to understand what permits and building requirements are necessary for your home remodeling project.

Visit home improvement centers such as Lowes and Home Depot, and look at materials expected to be used on your project (e.g. lumber, doors, windows, appliances, countertops, roofing material, etc.). Make note of their costs so you will be able to compare material costs proposed by prospective contractors. While visting home improvement centers also talk with some of the employees about costs and lead times for particular products of interest. For example, there are many types of doors and windows and frequently there can be significant lead times for deliveries.

When you start calling prospective contracts ask for references and previous work that you can visit.

Finally, make sure you get multiple quotes and make sure that they are in writing. Also ask how long the quotaion is vaild.

For further help in hiring a home remodeling contractor for your next home remodeling project visit HomeAdditionPlus' Home Addition Bid Sheets. Home Addition Bid Sheets include the tools and information you need to ensure you hire the right home remodeling contractor for you home remodeling project. Each bid sheet contains a comprehensive checklist of questions to ask prospective contractors, as well as cost and timeframe estimates. Home Addition Bid Sheets help ensure that your home remodeling project will be accomplished on time and on budget.

How to Hire the Right Building Contractor for Your Home Remodeling Project

Lowes Build

Wooden Wheelchair Ramp Building and Seven Things You Must Know

I have recently noticed a great deal of interest in information on building wooden wheelchair ramps. While I recently wrote an article that covered the building of concrete ramps here at my own residence. I thought I would cover building a wooden wheelchair ramp. I have in the past built several wooden ramps.

Wooden ramps come in a wide range of sizes and materials. So we will cover the general rules you must follow in order to build a sturdy and most importantly safe wooden wheelchair ramp. I say most of all safe because I have seen and even used some wooden ramps that to my mind were more dangerous than not having a ramp. There are seven thing you must know in order to build a safe and sturdy wooden ramp.

Lowes Build

1. Do I really need a wooden ramp here or would something else be better?

2. Remember the rules of ramp building. Your angle is 1:2 or 1" rise = 12" run, every 30" rise a landing of 60" long. Avoid long runs break them up if you can.

3. Materials must pressure treated or rated for outdoor use. Use stainless steel or galvanized carriage bolts and screws. You'll round footing forms and post brackets as well.

4. The tools you will need are very basic. You will need a hand saw or circular saw. A drill with a 1/2" bit to drill holes for the carriage bolts. A ratchet to tighten the nuts. A tape measure, a carpenters square, level, and cordless drill driver are other tools you will need. You will also need a post hole digger and a shovel.

5. Any structure is only as good as it's foundation. So we take special care with the footings of our wheelchair ramp. They should be place every six feet forming a 6' x 4' rectangle with a post bracket embedded in the top.

6. Don't make it too steep. Always check your angle and use the ratio. If it is too steep the user won't make it up.

7. Put it together right! Use screws for the decking and nuts and bolts at all the joints. Think of the ramp as a bridge for a wheelchair and build it as such. Don't just nail it together.

As we can see building a wooden wheelchair ramp is not a simple undertaking. It is however within the skill level of the average do-it-yourself builder. And while I wrote an article covering the building of a concrete ramp it was a rather simple threshold ramp you would encounter in typical slab construction home. I would not however recommend a concrete ramp project of the scale I have just described for the do-it-yourself builder unless you have prior experience with concrete projects of this scale.

Wooden Wheelchair Ramp Building and Seven Things You Must Know

Lowes Build

Building the HHO Kits

With gas prices constantly climbing there are more and more people that are trying to figure out ways to save gas themselves. One of the most popular ways right now is the homemade HHO kits for cars. Well I did not want to be left behind so I decided to start trying it out myself. So here is a little information on actually building an HHO kit for a car.

The first thing that you will need to build is the actual HHO generator. This process isn't too bad but it does take a while to run down all of the parts you need. One of the most popular methods is using either stainless steel wires or plates inside of a mason jar. I decided to go with the plates.

Lowes Build

For the lid of your generator you will want to find a plastic lid to make sure that you don't short it out. I ended up buying some lids online because I couldn't find what I wanted at the store. This part is pretty easy and just consists of drilling a few holes and attaching some parts to the lid. I put a bubbler cap, a check valve, and a fitting to hook up the vacuum line to on the lid. I still had two holes open for attaching the plates as well.

For the plates I found some stainless steel wall plates in the electrical section at the hardware store. With these I just welded some tabs to the top of them, bent over the tab at the top and drilled a 1/4" hole to attach it to the lid. If you don't have a welder then just use the stainless wire instead of plates, no welding needed for that. I also used nylon bolts and washers to separate the plates from each other and keep them from shorting.

From there all I had to do was bolt the plates to the lid and attach the vacuum hose and the generator was built. I was still a little skeptical if this would work though so I had to try it out.

I pulled the 12V battery out of my lawn mower and hooked it up to the HHO kit to see what would happen. I ran the vacuum line off of the generator into another jar that was filled with water and let it start bubbling. I used a fireplace lighter to light the bubbles as they were coming out of the water. Almost couldn't believe it but this thing actually works and it does make a flammable gas.

Building the HHO Kits

Lowes Build

3 Benefits of Building Business Credit For Any Small Business

Any small business could stand to benefit from properly building business credit in it's name. Many small business owners are unaware that their business can have it's own credit file and credit rating separate from their personal credit files, and even fewer know how to establish and build business credit in their business's name.

There are countless benefits to building corporate credit for your small enterprise, but I'll focus on the 3 most important

Lowes Build

Benefit 1

Access to loans and lines of financing when the economy takes a turn for the worst. If you've properly built up your business's credit file when an economic downturn takes place, you're better positioned to weather the storm. Sometimes just having access to some "cushion" financing to get through the rest of difficult month can mean the difference between staying in business and going out of business.

Benefit 2

Protecting your personal FICO score. The more credit lines and loans that a small business owner uses their personal credit to secure, the more drag it places on their personal FICO scores. This is can become a terrible situation if your FICO scores drop to the point of having the interest rates increased on your existing card accounts because now you seem risky to the lender.

Benefit 3

Ready for expansion. Sure things may be tough right now, but by having properly built your company's credit file, your enterprise will be poised ready to spring into expansion by having capital access to lines of financing from such companies as Home Depot and Lowes, who both offer generous lines to those that have built their corporate credit properly.

Building corporate credit can be one of the best things you can do for your small esterprise. Even though many lenders and loan officers would rather that you supply a "personal guarantee" for any company-oriented loans or lines of credit your company opens, the true freedom comes from having your business's finances and credit rating stand separately from your own.

3 Benefits of Building Business Credit For Any Small Business

Lowes Build

Building a Room Addition - First Develop a Room Addition Plan

Building a Room Addition can be one of the best investments you can make in your home. Building a room addition, such as a family room addition, or bonus room can add wonderful new living space to your home. However, prior to starting a room addition, a homeowner should first formulate a room addition plan. There are several key factors that should be considered prior to breaking ground.

Developing a room addition plan should include both interior and exterior considerations. With many room addition projects a homeowner can draw up the basic room addition plans, including the floor layout and the physical exterior shape and size of the addition. However, if the roof lines and/or foundation footprints on the existing home or the new room addition are complex, an architect may be required. An architect may also be required to ensure that the finished room addition aesthetically melds well into the existing home. This is a key factor for resale value. If a room addition appears as an afterthought to the home it will be aesthetically unappealing to the neighborhood and to someday prospective home buyers.

Lowes Build

When planning a room addition, the permit / inspection process will typically include an overall building permit, as well as electric, plumbing, and insulation permits. In order to complete the building permit process you will need drawings or sketches of the room addition. Besides overall sketches of the room addition with overall dimensions, the drawings will also need to include cross-sectional views showing the framing type and physical sizes of floor joists, roof rafters, and wall framing construction. You will also need a bill of materials and a cost estimate for the construction. The building inspector will use this information to determine if the construction will meet all construction and safety codes. The building inspector also uses the Bill of Material and cost information to assess the amount of the permit cost.

During the building of the room addition, inspections should be completed after the:

· Foundation is poured

· Rough framing completed

· Rough Electric completed

· Rough Plumbing completed

· Insulation completed

· Final Inspection / Occupancy Permit (Electric/Plumbing are complete)

Whether hiring a general contractor or planning to be a do it yourself carpenter and general contractor a budget and time table should be developed prior to starting the room. Not only is it necessary in the permitting process, it will help in identifying long lead items and provide the information necessary for financing the project if required. In addition, if acting as your own general contractor creating the time table will help assist you in determining need dates for sub contractors.

With room addition building plans and permits secured, as well as a solid Bill of materials and a timetable completed, a homeowner can begin the room addition project with a high likelihood of a smooth and successful home building project.

For more help on building a room addition, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's Room Addition Bid sheet. The Room Addition Bid Sheet will help ensure that your room addition project goes smoothly and is completed on time and budget.

Building a Room Addition - First Develop a Room Addition Plan

Lowes Build

Building an AR-15 - Lower Receiver

Lately, I had taken up a growing interest in firearms and decided to purchase an AR-15. I'm kind of a cheap-o, so I went with the DIY route. Basically, the AR-15 is divided up into two parts - the lower and upper receivers.

The lower receiver is made up of 3 main items:

Lowes Build

1) Stripped lower receiver - basically a hunk of metal with holes and openings, no moving parts
2) Lower Parts Kit (LPK) - contains all the parts you'll need to complete the lower and assemble the trigger, trigger guard, hammer, magazine catch, and bolt catch
3) Stock - these all vary in styles, from fixed A2 style to 6 position collapsible stocks

I found my DPMS stripped lower receiver at a local gunshow. I would strongly recommend that you check out a gun show before ordering online/locally. Usually, there are some decent deals around and you won't have to pay the FFL transfer fee as you would if you bought it online. By the way, the only part that is regulated by the government is the stripped lower receiver. This means that background checks and laws apply to lower receivers the same way they apply to fully completed rifles, pistols, etc. On the plus side, once you have the stripped lower receiver, you can order/buy all the other parts without any hassle and have them shipped directly to your door.

For the lower parts kit and stock, I went with DPMS. This was because I got a good deal at SportsmansGuide.com on the parts and I was trying to keep things as cheap as possible. I ended up paying shipped for the LPK and shipped on the 6 position stock.

Putting the lower receiver together is not very difficult, but it can get frustrating at times. I used this guide from the AR15.com forums from start to finish. I recommend that you print out the guide first, lay your parts out as shown in the diagram, then begin assembling the lower. No special tools are needed, however, you will want to have some punches to punch in the roll pins. You can just get the standard pin punches, no need for specialized roll pin punches if you want to save some cash.

I started putting together the lower without any punches, but when it came time to punch down the trigger guard roll pin, I was wishing I had one. Trying to improvise, I used my Swiss Army multifunction tool to hammer in the pin. After at least 15 minutes, I had finally gotten the pin in, but left the trigger guard all scratched up from my barbaric hammering. Not only that, but when you have to drive the bolt catch roll pin in, you will wish you had a punch. There is not enough clearance between the pin and the rifle to McGuyver something to drive the pin; you must use a punch!

Other than that, the rest of the process went fine. Only thing is, I'll need a CAR wrench to tighten down the stock, but it should be too big of an issue.

Building an AR-15 - Lower Receiver

Lowes Build