Home Improvement is an American television program starring Tim Allen, which aired 1991 to 1999. The show was created by Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra and David MacFadzean.
In the 1990s it was one of the most-watched sitcoms, winning multiple awards. It served to launch Tim Allen's acting career and also was the start of the television career of Pamela Anderson, who was part of the cast for the first two seasons, even if only in an inconspicuous role.
The show's title is a pun; it refers to physical improvement of houses, as well as to improving life with family, friends, work, and school.
The Home Improvement theme song was composed by Dan Foliart. The song is unique for its sampling of powertools (most noticeably an electric drill) heard throughout the song. Tim's grunting was also sampled for the song. The traditional instruments used in the song include: flute, guitar, and organ.
Sliding door
A sliding door is a type of door which opens horizontally by sliding, whereby the door is either mounted on or suspended from a track. Types of sliding doors include pocket doors, Arcadia doors, and bypass doors. Sliding doors are commonly used for shower doors and wardrobe doors.
Sliding doors were used as early as the first century CE in Roman houses as evidenced by archaeological finds in Pompeii, Italy.
Sliding doors were used as early as the first century CE in Roman houses as evidenced by archaeological finds in Pompeii, Italy.
Yard
In North America and Australia today, a yard is any part of a property surrounding or associated with a residential structure, usually (although not necessarily) separate from a garden (where plant maintenance is more formalized). A yard will typically consist mostly of lawn or play area. The yard in front of a house is referred to as a front yard, the area at the rear is known as a backyard. Backyards are generally more private and are thus a more common location for recreation. Yard size varies with population density. In urban centres, many houses have very small or even no yards at all. In the suburbs, yards are generally much larger and have room for such amenities as a patio, a playplace for children, or a swimming pool.
In British English, the above description would describe a garden, similarly subdivided into a front-garden and a back-garden. In modern Britain, the term yard is often used for depots and land adjacent to or among workplace buildings, as well as uncultivated land adjoining a building.
In British English, the above description would describe a garden, similarly subdivided into a front-garden and a back-garden. In modern Britain, the term yard is often used for depots and land adjacent to or among workplace buildings, as well as uncultivated land adjoining a building.
Wood flooring
Wood flooring is a type of flooring made from the timber of hardwoods, or of spruce or hard pine. There are two basic manufactured types of hardwood. Wood flooring comes unfinished, and once installed is sanded, then finished on site. More modernly, the product is pre-finished in a factory. The products that are pre-finished are often a polyurethane finish that has added aluminium oxide, however some companies use titanium dioxide or other oxides instead. These metal oxide finishes are used in various types of floor coverings and increase the wear a hardwood floor can handle.
Solid hardwoods are typically 3/4" or 19mm thick, although some do come in 3/8" (10mm) or 5/16" (8mm) thicknesses. Typically the wearing thickness, i.e., the thickness that can be sanded over the lifetime of the floor, above the tongue-and-groove portion, is approximately 7/32" approaching 1/4". This type of hardwood flooring can be installed with a nail-down installation method over wood subfloors. This type of hardwood is also very susceptible to the effects of moisture and temperature, because hardwoods expand and contract with moisture and temperature changes in the atmosphere. Since hardwoods expand and contract in the width of the grain, this type of hardwood flooring is not recommended to be installed over a concrete slab, unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer. There are some instances where 3/8"-thick solid hardwood can be installed on a concrete slab.
Rather than having one solid piece of hardwood, the engineered hardwood method uses layers of hardwood veneer to create a product that can range in thickness from 3/8" or 8mm up to 9/16" or 14mm thick. The wood veneer can range in thickness depending on the manufacturer, as will the top wearing thickness. In order to create an engineered hardwood, these veneer layers are stacked one on top of the other with the grain of adjacent layers oriented perpendicular to one other. Once the desired thickness is achieved, the boards are then cut into the correct board width. From there, the boards are then manufactured to have a tongue or groove on the edges. The final step is to add stain if necessary, and add a finish. By doing this, the engineered hardwood becomes less susceptible to the effects of moisture and temperature change, because wood expands and contracts in the width of the grain direction. Therefore engineered hardwood is referred to as being dimensionally stable. Solid hardwood does not have dimensional stability because all of the grain runs in the same direction. Because of its dimensional stability, engineered hardwood can be glued directly to concrete above or below grade, as opposed to solid hardwood which cannot.
Solid hardwoods are typically 3/4" or 19mm thick, although some do come in 3/8" (10mm) or 5/16" (8mm) thicknesses. Typically the wearing thickness, i.e., the thickness that can be sanded over the lifetime of the floor, above the tongue-and-groove portion, is approximately 7/32" approaching 1/4". This type of hardwood flooring can be installed with a nail-down installation method over wood subfloors. This type of hardwood is also very susceptible to the effects of moisture and temperature, because hardwoods expand and contract with moisture and temperature changes in the atmosphere. Since hardwoods expand and contract in the width of the grain, this type of hardwood flooring is not recommended to be installed over a concrete slab, unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer. There are some instances where 3/8"-thick solid hardwood can be installed on a concrete slab.
Rather than having one solid piece of hardwood, the engineered hardwood method uses layers of hardwood veneer to create a product that can range in thickness from 3/8" or 8mm up to 9/16" or 14mm thick. The wood veneer can range in thickness depending on the manufacturer, as will the top wearing thickness. In order to create an engineered hardwood, these veneer layers are stacked one on top of the other with the grain of adjacent layers oriented perpendicular to one other. Once the desired thickness is achieved, the boards are then cut into the correct board width. From there, the boards are then manufactured to have a tongue or groove on the edges. The final step is to add stain if necessary, and add a finish. By doing this, the engineered hardwood becomes less susceptible to the effects of moisture and temperature change, because wood expands and contracts in the width of the grain direction. Therefore engineered hardwood is referred to as being dimensionally stable. Solid hardwood does not have dimensional stability because all of the grain runs in the same direction. Because of its dimensional stability, engineered hardwood can be glued directly to concrete above or below grade, as opposed to solid hardwood which cannot.
Types of home improvement
While it most often refers to building projects that alter the structure of an existing home, home renovation can include improvements to lawns and gardens and outbuildings like gazebos and garages.
Home improvement projects generally have one or more of the following goals:
Beautification and added features
Wallpapering and painting walls or installing wood panelling.
Adding new flooring such as carpets, tiling, linoleum, wood flooring, or solid hardwood flooring.
Upgrading cabinets, fixtures, and sinks in the kitchen and bathroom.
Replacing siding and windows
Improving the backyard with sliding doors, wooden patio decks, patio gardens, jacuzzis, swimming pools, and fencing.
Comfort
Upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC)
Increasing the capacity of plumbing and electrical systems.
Waterproofing basements.
Soundproofing rooms, especially bedrooms and baths.
Maintenance and repair
Maintenance projects can include:
Roof tear-off and replacement.
Concrete and masonry repairs to the foundation and chimney.
Repairing plumbing and electrical systems.
Additional space
Additional living space may be added by:
Turning marginal areas into livable spaces such as turning basements into recrooms or attics into spare bedrooms.
Extending one's house with rooms added to the side of one's home or, sometimes, extra levels to the original roof.
Saving energy
Homeowners may reduce utility costs with:
Energy-efficient insulation, windows, and lighting.
Renewable energy with biomass pellet stoves, wood-burning stoves, solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal exchange heat pumps (see autonomous building)
Safety and preparedness
Emergency preparedness safety measures such as:
Home fire and burglar alarm systems.
Security doors, windows, and shutters.
Storm cellars as protection from tornadoes and hurricanes.
Bombshelters especially during the 1950s as protection from nuclear war.
Home improvement projects generally have one or more of the following goals:
Beautification and added features
Wallpapering and painting walls or installing wood panelling.
Adding new flooring such as carpets, tiling, linoleum, wood flooring, or solid hardwood flooring.
Upgrading cabinets, fixtures, and sinks in the kitchen and bathroom.
Replacing siding and windows
Improving the backyard with sliding doors, wooden patio decks, patio gardens, jacuzzis, swimming pools, and fencing.
Comfort
Upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC)
Increasing the capacity of plumbing and electrical systems.
Waterproofing basements.
Soundproofing rooms, especially bedrooms and baths.
Maintenance and repair
Maintenance projects can include:
Roof tear-off and replacement.
Concrete and masonry repairs to the foundation and chimney.
Repairing plumbing and electrical systems.
Additional space
Additional living space may be added by:
Turning marginal areas into livable spaces such as turning basements into recrooms or attics into spare bedrooms.
Extending one's house with rooms added to the side of one's home or, sometimes, extra levels to the original roof.
Saving energy
Homeowners may reduce utility costs with:
Energy-efficient insulation, windows, and lighting.
Renewable energy with biomass pellet stoves, wood-burning stoves, solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal exchange heat pumps (see autonomous building)
Safety and preparedness
Emergency preparedness safety measures such as:
Home fire and burglar alarm systems.
Security doors, windows, and shutters.
Storm cellars as protection from tornadoes and hurricanes.
Bombshelters especially during the 1950s as protection from nuclear war.
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