How-To : Home Improvement

So I’m sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the day getting ready to watch a football game, I have the oven going with the mini hotdogs, getting ready to settle in when it happened…I’m sweating!
That’s when I decided to install a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan offers many functional benefits while adding a certain decorative touch to a room. In the summer it can help cool a room (or even a porch). In the winter it can be used at low speeds to circulate warmer air that has risen to ceiling level.

Whatever your reason for installing a ceiling fan, you will find it to be a relatively easy project especially if you will be replacing a light fixture in the middle of a room (all the wiring will already be there). Most likely your biggest obstacle will be a new workbox that is approved for the weight of an overhead fan or adding support to an existing workbox, a workbox that is not approved for ceiling fan weight can lead to disaster!

The following instructions cover general installations when replacing an existing light. It will give you an idea of what is required for the project. Make sure you review and follow instructions that are specific to the fan you purchase. Depending on your installation requirements, you may need to purchase a longer “down rod” for cathedral ceilings or purchase an optional lighting kit if it is not included.

1) Turn off the circuit by switching off the breaker. Remove the existing ceiling fixture.

2) Determine if your existing workbox will provide enough support.
If you have access to the workbox from your attic, check to see if the workbox has metal cross braces that span between two joists. If not, you can cut a 2″x4″ to fit in between the joists. Install it so it touches the top of the workbox. Anchor the wood in place. From the room, use 1″ drywall screws to anchor the box to the wood brace.

3) If you do not have access from the attic, you can install a metal cross brace through the rough opening in your ceiling and then attach an approved workbox to the metal brace.

4) I hate this part! Assemble the ceiling fan according to the manufacturers provided instructions. When you are ready to hang the fan, take the mounting bracket and install it to the ceiling workbox. Some fans come with a hanging frame that allows you to hook the ball end of the down rod in place. Others come with a bracket that provides a “J” hook that allows you to hang the motor housing while hooking up the wiring.

5) If you removed a light fixture from the ceiling, most likely the existing wiring will provide one switched circuit to your new ceiling fan. This means the wall switch will function as the master switch to turn the unit off and on. The pull chain on the fan will also control the fan (and its speed). If you install an optional light kit on the fan, both the wall switch and a pull chain will also control it.

6) Following the wiring diagram provided with the fan, hook up the wires using wire nuts. Most likely this is as simple as connecting the 2 black wires; connecting the 2 white wires and connecting the 2 ground wires.

7) Once the fan is wired, finish its assembly according to the specific manufacturer’s instructions. You will need to install the canopy to the top of the rod.

8)You will also need to attach the fan blades. If you are installing a light kit, remove the cover on the bottom of the fan where the light kit will be mounted. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, assemble and install the light kit.

At this point you are ready to switch the breaker on and start enjoying your new ceiling fan.

Ken Davis was born and raised in Bergen County New Jersey, where with his family owns a retail tool store called TOOLTOWN for more than 45 years. Ken started working with the family in his teens and now with his two brothers are running the business and continuing the family tradition of helping and building relationships with the community. You can stop by his store at http://www.tooltown.com and check out his products, services and other tips-techniques and do it yourself projects

[tags]installing a ceiling fan,ceiling fan,fan,a ceiling fan[/tags]

General Subject Information: Skylights are simply windows in the roof. Like windows, skylights can either be fixed (unopenable) or operable (capable of being opened). The most commonly used skylights are made of acrylic or similar plastics, usually shaped in the form of a dome and set in an aluminum frame. Some skylights have flat plate glass in them. Another type of skylight is in the form of a tube that directs light through attics into a light diffuser at the level of the ceiling.

Recommended Use and Maintenance:

Be aware of the amount of humidity created in kitchens, baths, laundry rooms and other areas or devices that produce water vapor. This may result in excessive condensation at skylights. Take measures to reduce the humidity. For example, fans should always be operating while these rooms are in use.

Do not tint the inside surface of a dual pane skylight, as the heat may cause the seal to fail.

If a particular skylight warms the room too much and you feel uncomfortable with performance of the skylight, there are several screening and shading techniques and products available to provide additional protection.

Make sure that your skylights follow these specific guidelines for the safety of your home and your family. A leaky skylight can cause massive water damage and faulty installation can cause accidents. Not to worry though, because these cautionary reminders only make our lives more stress free so that we have more time to do what is most important to us.

American Homeowners Association (AHA)

Homeowners with acoustic asbestos ceiling question about the effects of asbestos contained within its materials that if inhaled would cause serious health hazards.

If material contains more than 1% of asbestos, EPA defines as it’s containing. However, asbestos can only be positively identified by microscope. Many of the homes built prior to 1980s observe acoustic asbestos ceilings, and the removal of acoustic asbestos ceiling has become commonly done for environmental safety precautions.

Many homes contain acoustic asbestos ceiling in their bedrooms, living rooms, with spray-applied textures. However, asbestos materials are also in pipe insulation, shingles, floor tile, mastics, roofing, structural steel fireproofing, etc.

University of Arizona Dept. of Risk Management and Safety explains the hazards of asbestos in the following manner.

“Asbestos is a respiratory hazard and espiratory/gastrointestinal carcinogen. Exposure to asbestos occurs when reparable fibers are released into the air and then inhaled. Since exposure occurs when asbestos is inhaled, the best way to prevent exposure is to prevent asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.

Asbestos containing materials are therefore divided into two categories: friable and non-friable. Friable means that a material is able to be reduced to powder by hand pressure. Asbestos containing materials that are friable, by their nature, have a much greater tendency to release fibers. They require specific control measures to prevent releasing fibers into the air. Conversely, non-friable asbestos containing materials, by their nature, do not want to give up their fibers into the air. This class of materials must be mechanically impacted (power tools such as sanders, drills, chippers, saws, etc.) to release fibers. Asbestos containing textured ceiling materials is a friable material.”

Is Asbestos Ceiling Removal Hazardous?

Although breathing of asbestos fibers post threats to human health, unless air contamination occurs to cause releasing of asbestos airborne and becomes friable, it would not affect environment. Moreover, several layers of paint applied to the ceiling over the years serves to “seal” acoustic asbestos ceiling and withhold materials from dangerously contacting occupants.

Homeowners should not unnecessarily impact the ceiling by placing fixtures onto the ceiling or by moving objects surrounding the environment. When done improperly, asbestos becomes into airborne and increases the risk of releasing its fibers to be inhaled. Because asbestos fibers are small and light, they can be suspended in the air for long periods of time. Therefore, unprofessional management of acoustic asbestos ceiling removal should not be preceded and a licensed asbestos abatement professional must conduct removal.

To find out more, please visit http://www.acoustic-asbestos-ceiling-removal.com/

[tags]acoustic, asbestos, ceiling, removal[/tags]