To prepare Aztec house model all you have to do is spread newspaper on the floor and remove the lid of a shoebox. Make a rectangle 2 inches wide and 4 inches long using the shoebox. An open door can be created by cutting out the rectangle. You would do well to turn the shoebox upside down. Paint the sides of the house tan.

A cardboard has to be cut in a rectangle so that in length it is similar to shoebox but in width it is twice that of the shoebox. Design the cardboard as the roof and attach it using glue. Set the Aztec house on the cardboard. Ends and edges have to be nicely glued. You would squeeze the glue along the edge of the shoebox. Allow the glue to dry. Sides and the ends of the roof should be glued nicely. Place a few rocks to make the construction appear lovely.

Any home planned in a careful way last long and is comfortable. It will be good if you ask for help from people who understand building a small house. You can research in books and on internet too. To make the things go smoothly, you’ll need to decide upon the budget first. Gather as much information as you can and keep it in one place. Better note it down in a notebook so that you can make the plan go as planned.

Also, before you start the work, you’ll need to meet the local building officials to know about the needed permits and other formalities. There are many options as far as the frame of the hose is concerned, even in the material side. The main thing to be considered is the durability and sustainability. Decide this according the weather conditions of the place you live in.

Take special care about the water and electrical connections. Better consider a contractor for both; it will ultimately save lots of money and headache. The finishing touches are important as they’ll reflect your personality. Don’t go sacrificing functionality fro style though.

Instructions

The perimeter of the sidewalk should be measured and a trench should be dough about eight inches deep. Wood boards should be placed by the trench sides and secured to the stakes on the outer side of the trench using nails.

Gravel should be poured inside the trench bed and an even layer should be made.

Mixed concrete should be poured inside the trench bed and spread. This should be continued till the mold is filled up to an inch from ground level, for creating a sidewalk. The concrete surface should be made smooth using a float. Expansion grooves should be in the sidewalk. The control joint should be cut with the help of a trowel in the groove keeping a distance of about two to three inches, to create a depression at that point.

The sidewalk should be covered using plastic and allowed to cure for a day.

Instructions

All loose or flaking paint should be removed from the hairline cracks with a wire brush.

With help of vacuum all debris along with loose paint should be removed from the crack.

Polyurethane caulk should be filled in a caulking gun and the tip should be cut using a box knife.

Setting the tip of the caulk tube to one end of the crack the gun trigger should be squeezed till the caulk starts flowing.

Moving the gun over the crack allows a covering of caulk on the crack.

Using the blade of a putty knife you should slide over the caulk bead and it should be pressed in the crack and should be made smooth.

The caulk should be wiped off the blade using a painter’s rag which is dipped in Xylene. The caulk is allowed to cure for at least 24 hours or according to the recommendation of the manufacturer before you start painting.

Moisture is a usual trouble for most kind of buildings especially for block buildings. The buildings that are made up using cement blocks usually have water pools in the basement or seem to be reacting to very high level of humidity in the air. There are however a few techniques to keep this water out. The main thing Is to implement fixes outside and inside both. The ground near the base of the building should slope away from the building 6” for ever 5ft. To fix minor problems of the slope, dump sandy soil near the base and slope it as per requirement.

To remove access moisture from inside air, install a dehumidifier. The humidity level indoors ought to be 30 to 50%. If the windows fog up during winters you need to apply fresh caulking and weather stripping. Clear the entire exterior gutters from clogs. Apply epoxy waterproofing sealer to the walls, both exterior and interior using paint roller. Proper protection is provided by 3 coats.

Instructions

The soil should be leveled at the location of the pad. A square pad should be cut into 4 pieces having same length to build a square pad. Mostly appliance pads thickness of 4 inches.

The corners should be nailed together and vertical stakes should be driven against the outer side of the formwork holding it solidly in place. The soil should be soiled against the outer side of the form preventing the seeping of concrete underneath.

The mixed concrete should be filled in the wood form up to the top. Tapping the formwork using a hammer helps in settling the concrete. The concrete should be covered with plastic sheets for 24 hours to avoid damage caused due to rain and other objects and also for keeping the concrete moist. The concrete should be kept wet periodically for 3 days to cure the concrete. The wood forms should be removed after the concrete becomes hard completely.

Instructions

A string should be tied to pair of posts 4 inches from the footing surface. The string should be on the outer side of the foundation wall.

The mortar should be mixed and poured in two lines. Cement block should be placed above the mortar along the corner of footings. Some mortar is poured on to the next block placed on its small sides. The alignment of both blocks with the string must be straight. Laying blocks should be continued till the end.

Two parallel lines of mortar are laid starting at the same corner, right angled with the first, by the edge of the footings. Blocks should be laid by the method previously used. Mortar is poured thickly on the top edge of the first block in the second line of blocks to join the blocks.

The laying of blocks is continued till you reach the end of the lower course again starting from the corner to run a second course above the first. Each corner should be completed till you reach the required height of the foundation.

Out of many ways recommended for covering the exposed foundations in your house, the application of a layer of stucco is highly recommended for that matter. The advantage of stucco is that it is endowed with wide range of color options. First of all the surface of your foundation has to be cleaned using water and soap. The bottom of the house has to be dug 3 to 6 inches deeper.

You may then keep stucco ready by mixing one part of Portland cement with three parts of medium sand and one-half part of lime. Stir the mixture along with water with the help of a stick. The final mixture should be stiff enough to form a ball. Water has to be sprayed on the surface of the exposed foundation area. Smooth out the surface after the application of stucco in such a way that the application is uniform. Allow stucco to dry for about 36 hours.

First of all buy a caboose from a railroad equipment dealer. Make sure that the laws of the land allow you to part the caboose on the plot of construction. Make use of a truck to move your caboose. Approach a good company for the completion of the task. Use the services of a good Rent-A-Crane company to lift the caboose and place it on your property.

The rest of the process is the normal one in the sense that you may place windows, doors etc by replacing siding and updating the windows. Paint them according to your preference. Electrical and plumbing work can be done within a specified budget along with a desired new flooring as well. You may use some of the items in the caboose for your caboose house as well. The better caboose you choose would offer the better living place for you. A caboose house serves as a small living house.