Garmin Nuvi 650 GPS Review

Jocie’s grandmother asked us to select a GPS unit for her. I love trying out technology so this was a fun excursion. This post isn’t exactly home-improvement but I wanted to pass along my findings. Jocie and I did some research, found a good unit, and used it for a couple days before passing it along with our stamp of approval.

Researching a GPS Model

I knew some features would be more important to Gran than others. She would want a GPS that is easy to use, easy to see / understand, and doesn’t require much maintenance. I started by checking out Consumer Reports. CR suggested several Garmin models. I quickly honed in on the Nuvi 650.

Amazon sells this unit for only $249.99. It’s a great price (list price is $749.99 but who would pay that?!).

Garmin Nuvi 650 Product Details

Size: The model boasts a nice, big, 4.3 inch screen, making it very easy to see. Complete dimensions are 4.9” (wide) x 2.9” (high) x 0.9” (deep) and it weighs 6.2 ounces 

Mount: There are two ways to mount this unit. A vehicle suction cup mount will attach it right to the windshield. Or use the dashboard disk and attach it to your dash. Both mechanisms felt sturdy. Keep everything clean or it won’t hold as well.

Power: This unit ships with a vehicle power cable. It’s your standard cigarette lighter power. You can also charge it with the included USB cable.

Maps: Garmin preloads maps for all of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. You can purchase more maps but these are all Gran would need. Use the USB cable to import more maps.

Entertainment Tools: Garmin includes a package of “entertainment tools”. These strike me as unnecessary extras. I’m not sure I’d ever use any of them but perhaps other people do. The tools include a digital music player, JPEG viewer, calculator, currency converter, and others.

Interface: The entire screen is actually a touch screen. Everything (except the on/off button) is done with the touch-screen. Calibration was easy and accurate. I was concerned about finger prints but had to really look before noticing any.

Nuvi 650 Pros

• Garmin has a solid product history. I know people who have Garmin GPS unit and speak very highly of them.
• Inputting and address or Point of Interest (POI) is a breeze. Garmin will narrow down choices for street names or locations as you type them in making it quick and easy.
• The screen is big and bright. You won’t have any problem seeing the map at night or in direct sunlight (we tried both).
• Garmin preloads maps. This makes it that much easier to get out on the road rather than spend time setting up.
• Turn-by-turn voice directions are a must have. “Turn right onto Dogwood Road” is much easier to follow than “Turn right in 30 meters”.

Nuvi 650 Cons

• The maps were slightly outdated. I put in a specific home address but the GPS could only take me to a nearby intersection. This road was new so the GPS maps didn’t have addresses for it. I’m not sure if it costs anything to update the maps.
• I have a few small complaints about the battery indicator. It never warned us about the low battery. One minute it’s on, the next it’s off. Some kind of warning would have been nice. And you can’t see the indicator while looking at a map. It’s not displayed.

After spending a few days using this model, I think it’s a great GPS. It works well and was very easy to use. The screen is big and bright, the interface is easy and the maps are very detailed. This GPS makes it easy to get from place to place. And the turn-by-turn directions are easy to follow. The Nuvi 660 is a step up from this model and includes other features like Bluetooth hands-free calling, an FM transmitter, and a traffic receiver.

What do you think? Do you use a GPS? What’s your experience?

Bamboo Tiki Torches Turn a Deck into an Island Getaway

About two months after our deck was built, we added Tiki Torches around the perimeter, placing them about one every ten feet.  Instantly, our new deck felt more like an Island Getaway than our suburban back yard (don’t you agree?).  Add string lights from Target, some Jimmy Buffet music on the iPod, a few Carribean-jerk kabobs to the grill, and the deck easily passes for the Tamarijn Resort we visited last Summer.   Many of our neighbors have commented just how “Carribean” it looks when it’s lit up at night.

Simple Tiki Torches made of Bamboo are our choice for the most authentic look.  The one pictured below on the right is from a photo taken on our deck.  You can also find torches in every shape and variety, including exotic woods, silver, bronze, and brass.  Metal varieties can last for years.  Bamboo versions will hold up well for about two when cared for properly. 

Torches not only add to a relaxing getaway environment, they also help prevent annoying bugs (mosquitos are very common in our area).  We burn citronella torch fuel in each Tiki that can be found just about everywhere Tikis are sold.

How Much do Tiki Torches Cost?

Now (August) is a great time to pick up bamboo Tikis at your local home improvement store, grocery store, or outdoors store.  The end of the Summer yields significant discounts from the already low price of about $4.00 each for Bamboo models.  Metal torches can range from $6-$20 each depending on quality of workmanship, expected lifetime, etc.

How to Attach Tiki Torches to a Deck

Attaching torches to a deck is relatively simple, particularly if your deck railing posts were fastened inside the rim joist.  Simply sit the Tiki on the outside of the railing in front of a post and zip tie the Tiki in at least two spots.  We chose black zip ties at the top and bottom of the posts.  (Note that we had to use two zip ties connected together to have sufficient reach).  We were originally concerned that the black ties would stick out like a sore thumb.  Turns out that we never even notice them.

If you’re deck railing posts are outside of the rim joist, you can buy a metal bracket that will screw into the post and hold the base of the Tiki, and a second metal tie that will sit across the Tiki’s shaft and screw into the top part of the rail.  There are a few alternatives online as well, including this Tiki Torch bracket.  Whatever solution you choose, ensure the torch is properly secured to the deck.  A torch that falls away could burst and start a house fire.

Tiki Torch Safety Tips

Note that we’re no experts on Tiki Torch safety.  You should always use good judgment when dealing with flame.  Here’s a few suggestions:

• Read and follow all of the manufacturers’ instructions.
• Never leave torches unattended, even for a few minutes.  Last year, a gust of wind blew the flame of one of our torches around to the bamboo base.  Apparently, some oil had leaked on the base and in a matter of minutes, the torch was engulfed.  We quickly put it out with a fire extinguisher.  It could have been a disaster.
• Clean the exterior of the torches with soap and water to ensure no flammable residue builds up.
• At the end of the season, empty the torches, rinse out the plastic inserts, and store everything in a cool, dry place.
• Ensure torches are burned away from trees, brush, etc.  Dry leaves can ignite and engulf a deck in minutes, as evidenced by this house in our neighborhood.

What do you think?  Have you added torches to your deck or outdoor space?  Leave a comment, or better yet, publish your own blog post with pictures and let us know here!

Refurbished Three Nailer Kit with Air Compressor by Porter Cable

One of our favorite sets of tools is the Porter Cable Air Compressor and Three Nailer Kit.  It’s the one set of powerful tools that would be impossible to live without, especially on big jobs like hardwood flooring, baseboard, and crown molding installations.  This kit literally saves dozens of hours over the manual alternative.

You can find the kit at Home Depot for $299.95.   (That’s the price I paid, in fact).  Occasionally, you’ll find the two nailer kit for this price and have to send in a rebate card to get the third nailer shipped after the fact.  A good alternative to buying at the big box is getting this tool factory-reconditioned on CPO Porter Cable.  CPO PC sells this kit refurbished for a mere $249.95.  You don’t have to pay for gas to get there and back, and CPO Porter Cable doesn’t charge sales tax in most places.

Here’s the link: Porter Cable Reconditioned Air Compressor and Three Nailer Kit.

Details of the Factory Reconditioned Porter Cable Air Compressor and Three Nailer Kit

Porter Cable Pancake Air Compressor & 40 foot Hose

Powered by a 120volt, 10amp motor, the six gallon compressor delivers enough power to provide constant pressure to the nailers included in this kit, and can also be used for other pneumatic tools, like Porter Cable’s Framing Nailer.  Included is a 40 foot hose that provides maximum reach around your garage or workshop without the need to constantly move the compressor.  If your job requires you to move the compressor, this one won’t put you in the hospital.  It’s a mere 34 lbs.   Power specs: 150 max psi, 2.6 SCFM @ 90 PSI.

2-1/2 inch 16-Gauge Finish Nailer

For larger moldings and trim pieces, finishing nails provide added strength and durability.  Finishing nailers are the tool of choice for installing the first and last boards in a hardwood flooring installation, and can be turned on their edge and double as a toe nailer in spots where a hardwood flooring nailer can’t reach.  Finishing nailers are also useful for the installation of wainscoting, and building furniture.

1-1/4 inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer

This brad nailer is great for small trim work and other finishing details.  The small nail heads are easy to hide; just turn up the pressure on the compressor to countersink the nail with no effort.

1 inch Narrow Crown Stapler

The narrow crown stapler is great for installing exterior moldings, securing some types of wiring (not high voltage electric), fastening fabrics to wood on furniture, and other jobs where a strong bond over a span (rather than just a nail head) is required.

What to Expect in Factory Reconditioned (Refurbished) Tools

• Most Factory Reconditioned / Refurbished Tools come with full manufacturers’ warranties.  (This Air Compressor / Three Nailer Kit is fully warranted by Porter Cable).
• Factory Reconditioned means that the manufacturer repaired/replaced some part of the tools in this kit.  The repair is done to original specification, and manufacturer stands behind their work.
• Some factory reconditioned tools have minor differences from their retail counterparts.  In the case of this set, nails for the guns that are normally included with the set are omitted.

What do you think? Do you own this kit?  What’s your experience with Porter Cable’s product or other refurbished tools?

Broken Water Meter

Imagine water gushing from a small round access plate in your sidewalk. The water is surging up from this plate, and streaming past your house, eventually to a drain. And this has been going on for about 36 hours.

This is a true scenario that occurred mid-summer. I walked out to my car one morning and had to cross a small river. It was still going strong the next morning and well into the day. Jocie made sure the water company was aware and took pictures. She even chatted with the utility worker to get the details.

A Broken Water Meter

Our townhouse community has small round access panels in front of each house. A water meter sits behind each panel measuring a homes intake. The utility worker said these meters typically last around 25 years. And you get a nice little river when they fail.

The utility worker replaced the meter and reset the water usage. I imagine the water company will determine that homes average water intake and use that for billing purposes.

There isn’t much a homeowner can do in these situations except call it in. For anyone else in Baltimore County, the phone number for the Department of Public Works is 410-887-3300.

What do you think? Have you ever seen something like this?

Home Depot Tool Rental Review

I had a bad experience with Home Depot Tool Rental. I attempted to rent a tool and ended up sacrificing about 4 hours of my life. Perhaps this short post will give me some perspective.

The Problem

Monday’s post was about fixing a jammed floor nailer. Just before that, I decided to rent a nailer from Home Depot. I only had a small area left and I really wanted to finish. So I called the local HD Tool Rental and sure enough, they had a cleat nailer. I was there bright an early, picked it up, and was on my way.

At home, I connected it to my compressor and began working. But the nailer didn’t work. Everything was connected correctly but the nailer didn’t load cleats properly. I called HD Tool Rental. They asked me to bring it back. I was already frustrated and they offered me a 10% discount for my wasted time.

They worked hard to get the nailer functioning. At one point it was completely disassembled. HD didn’t have any other cleat nailers, so I waited. They never got it working despite a thorough effort. They refunded my money. And then things got a little strange.

The Solution

I asked how my discount would work. The tool rental supervisor seemed confused. I reiterated that she had promised me a discount for my wasted morning. I don’t think she counted on me holding her to that promise. She offered to discount a tool rental, but they didn’t have anything I needed (like another cleat nailer). I asked if the discount could be applied to a future purchase in HD. That was fine. All I had to do was “find her when I make my next purchase”. This seemed a bit shady so I asked to get something in writing. At this point, she let me know that: 1) she couldn’t give me anything in writing, 2) she couldn’t give me any kind of coupon, 3) she couldn’t give me any kind of store credit, and 4) she wouldn’t give me her full name. But she did provide the Home Depot Customer Care phone number (1-800-553-3199).

I called the Customer Care line from the Tool Rental Department. I spent some time on the phone explaining what had happened. They were sympathetic and sent me a gift card in lieu of the promised discount. Do I feel compensated? Sure. I’d rather the whole thing never happened.

Leason Learned

The real frustration lies in my expectations. I’m OK with spending some money to rent a tool. I’m even OK with that tool failing. But what I’m not OK with is that Home Depot doesn’t have a mechanism to deal with these situations. Instead, I get vague promises and passed along to their Customer Care line. Maybe I’ll try ABC Rental next time.

What do you think? Was I unreasonable?
Image courtesy of Zach Klein

Ask Ty Pennington

I don’t watch much Oprah. But perhaps you do. Or perhaps you enjoy watching Ty Pennington. Where am I going with all this? Ty Pennington will be a guest on an upcoming episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. And they want you to participate.

Here are the details:

Do you have a home improvement question that only Ty Pennington can answer for you? Are you in the middle of a home design project and need Ty’s help to finish it? Do you have a great do-it-yourself idea that you want Ty to know about? Do you have a home improvement creation that you want to show off to Ty? Well, we have great news for you! Ty Pennington is coming to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to help you solve all your home design dilemmas! If you are a HUGE Ty Pennington fan and have a question just for him, we want to know! If you’re interested and have questions/ideas/anything for Ty, please click here to submit your information!

Taping is Thursday so get your questions in soon!

What do you think? What great idea will you show off?

Level an Uneven Subfloor for Vinyl Tile

The following question on leveling a subfloor for vinyl tile was sent in by Roman:

I want to put vinyl tiles in my living room and bedroom, and this requires that the floor is smooth and horizontal enough. The subfloor is not too bad, I think. It is largely pretty smooth; however, it is too uneven for me to be able to place a chair or table so that they wouldn’t bounce. I hope there is a cheaper method to level the floor than to use a self-leveling compound, but so far I think it is the most appropriate one.
Here’s my issue. I’ll deal with each room separately.

The smallest one is not big (about 225 sq. ft) but, I think, is big enough for me not to be able to level the whole floor in one shot because the SLC hardens quickly. I imagine I’ll have patches of the floor that I need to work on while I’ll have other patches with already hardened concrete. I’m afraid I will have wavy surface because of this. Is this really a problem? Will this happen? If so, how should I deal with this? I would like to keep costs down by doing all this by myself. Is it practical or will I have to get a helper.

Roman, thanks for sending in the question.  There are a number of DIYers and professionals who read here.  This will probably get their attention as well. 

You are correct that to properly lay vinyl tile you’re going to want a smooth, flat, structurally sound surface.  That surface should not be the plywood subfloor; it will be too rough and wavy and isn’t designed to be a subtrate for vinyl.  It sounds like you know that since you’re already considering a self leveling underlayment (SLU) that would create a smooth surface to work on and also fix your level problem.

The problem with an SLU is that it’s expensive, complicated, time consuming, heavy, and possibly unnecessary.  Instead, take a look at SurePly from Patriot Timbers.  It’s a simple, staple down backer for Vinyl.  It won’t solve a floor leveling problem (I’ve written some ideas on that below), but it will save dozens of hours over the SLU alternative. 

If you decide to go with the SLU, the This Old House instructions I cite below discuss use of a mortar bed as a subtrate for vinyl. I’d start there for this method, taking into account the articles written about it on this site that I include further down.  I’ve tried to address each of your questions in the sections below.  Feel free to comment if there’s something that’s still unclear.

What Causes an Uneven Subfloor?

Uneven floors are generally caused by one of three things: settling of the foundation of the house such that one load bearing wall is higher than another, sagging / crowning wood joists supporting the subfloor, or sagging plywood / oriented strand board (OSB) sitting across the joists (most likely because an undersized plywood was used for the span).  The most common that I’ve seen is crowning/sagging joists.  Here’s some thoughts on each:

Settling Foundation:  If the room is not level all the way from one side to the other but it otherwise in good shape, it’s probably because the foundation has settled.  If the foundation is now stable (e.g. is no longer moving) you can address a slightly uneven floor with an SLU, but you might consider just settling for a slightly uneven floor.  I wouldn’t try to use an SLU unless the floor is uneven by <= 1/2 inch due to the weight it will place on the floor.

For extremely unlevel floors, you’ll likely want to get the foundation fixed by a professional.  This isn’t the problem I think you’re facing, but I thought I’d discuss it in case another finds this article in the future.  Other than moving the foundation, I can’t see any other solution besides a self-leveling product that will help achieve a level floor in this case.

Sagging Plywood / OSB:  If the house has real exterior-grade plywood, you’ll probably be OK in using a self-leveling product over the floor without ripping up the plywood and re-laying it.  If the plywood appears weak or has excessive spring in it, you’ll want to either rip it up and replace it with a thicker, higher grade wood, or you’ll want to glue and screw another 5/8″+ sheet of plywood to it first.  You might also consider blocking from underneath (running beams perpendicular to the joists.

The downside to the extra plywood is that this raises the floor considerably.  A product like SurePly won’t provide you the extra strength needed to achieve this, either, so you’d be stuck doing two layers.  Regardless, you should tightly fasten the plywood down to the existing joists with screws.   If the house has OSB, you’ll need to at least glue and screw 5/8″ exterior-grade plywood to the floor prior to using a self-leveling product.  Again, this will raise the floor, so it might be better just to replace it.

Sagging / Crowning Joists:  This is by far the most common reason subfloors are uneven, and probably the situation you’re facing.  You have a few options here.  If you have access to an open joist structure underneath the floor, you can shim the plywood between the joists using standard cedar shims, then screw down through the plywood and shims into the joists.  This will be MUCH CHEAPER than using a self leveling product.  If you have no access, you should screw screw the plywood down tightly and then use a self-leveling product on top.

Basics of Laying Vinyl Tile

Before getting into the self-leveling questions you asked, I thought it would be good to at least mention the basics of vinyl.  There’s so much good information on the web about this, I don’t think it’s necessary to repeat.  Note that many of these sites don’t address a plywood subfloor well.  If you decide to go with SurePly, read their installation instructions and follow them closely.

• Ask the Builder on Laying Vinyl Tile
• This Old House on Laying Vinyl Tile [Good Graphic with a Mortar Bed Example on this one]
• Readers Digest on Laying Vinyl Tile [Discusses lauan as a subfloor base; use SurePly instead.]

There are a few different subfloor prep methods discussed in these links.  In all the houses we’ve owned, a sheet of very thin, smooth plywood, similar to SurePly, is fastened to the subfloor plywood using a pneumatic/electric stapler.  The SurePly provides a very smooth surface for the vinyl tile and is by far the easiest acceptable installation method.

Using a Self Leveling Product to Level the Floor

Without looking at the floor, its hard to know whether an SLU is really the right move here.  If possible, I would simply stick with the SurePly and avoid this entire step.  As I said, it’s expensive, complicated, and time consuming.  If you decide its the best route, here’s some thoughts to help:

Plan How Much SLU You Will Need

Consider the amount of SLU you will need.  Remember, you must have enough to cover the highest point on the floor.  A standard back of SLU will cover approximately 50 sq. ft. at 1/8″.  For a 225 sq. ft. room you may need as many as a dozen bags to get a sufficient cover.

Prepare the Plywood Subfloor

Follow all of the subfloor prep instructions included with the self leveling product.  This will include, at a minimum, a primer, and will also probably require a metal lathe on the floor.  You should also ensure the subfloor is tightly fastened to the joists.  (Use screws whereever there is bounce in the floor).  Note that self levelers can’t be used on OSB.

Dealing with a Large Area

If you want to lay a large area of self-leveling underlayment, you’ll need to:

1. Follow ALL of the floor-prep instructions of the self leveler you select.
2. Have a group of able-bodied helpers lined up for a Saturday – probably around 5 people for 225 sq. ft.
   Use an extended-setting SLU like LevelQuik ES that will give you 15 minutes of flow time.  LevelQuik RS (sold at Home Depot) only gives 5 minutes.  You WILL NOT be successful if you use a rapid-setting product like this.
3. Have at least 3 electric drills and mixing paddles, along with at least 8 five-gallon buckets.
   You will create a pipeline of people pouring, mixing, and spreading the self-leveling underlayment. 
4. Set up each of the five gallon buckets with the amount of water needed for the mix, then have 3 people serve as mixers, 1 person pouring the powder from the bags into the buckets, and 1 person pouring and spreading the mortar on the floor.

Obviously, to do a large area, you must be pouring and spreading quickly.  Take a look at all of the articles I list below for ideas on how to make the project a success.

Related Resources

I’ve written a number of articles on this site about SLU that will be of some help to you in planning / executing this route if you decide to take it.  Take a look at these, and feel free to comment below with additional questions.  Good luck!

• Building Temporary Barriers for a Self Leveling Mortar Pour
• Use a Slotted Squeegee to Spread Self Leveling Mortar
• Video on How to Mix Self Leveling Underlayments to the Right Consistency
• Achieving a Level Floor with Self Leveling Underlayments

What do you think?  Feel free to weigh in with additional questions and advice.  That’s what makes the web wonderful.

Before and After: Bathroom (& Towel Rail!) Remodel By Jane @ Beach House

This week’s Before and After is brought to you by Jane (aka ModerneMama) over at Beach House.  Jane and Hubby just remodeled their bathroom in a fresh modern style…  It’s quite the improvement.  Jane’s also the first blogger to submit an article with its own name, and a good one at that.

As a result of Jane’s submission, OPC will make a $25.00 donation to Habitat for Humanity.  Jane is also entered into our end-of-summer contest for a $50 gift card to the home improvement store of her choice!  We’ll be voting on a winner in the last week of September.

Read on, leave a comment, then visit Beach House for more great material.

“How we Fought a Towel Rail and Won” by Jane

Bathroom Before

It started on Thanksgiving weekend nearly two years ago and with the simplest thing – a leaky faucet. Which we fixed. We fixed it so well that by the time we’d finished it leaked from the bottom rather than the top and both hot and cold water.  Unfortunately, we didn’t notice this until, oh, irony, April Fool’s Day the following year, by which time the laminate was peeling off the vanity and water was pooling on the floor.  We didn’t want to do any renovations in this room, we liked the floor, the shower worked (after many visits by many plumbers) and the tile work was in great shape. Plus, we simply didn’t have the budget for it.  But we couldn’t leave it the way it was so we began a piece-by-piece renovation: new faucet, new vanity and countertop, new backsplash. It looked great. Unfortunately the toilet now looked old and quite gross next to the shiny new fixtures so we opted to replace that, too.

Bathroom – Nearly Complete

But by July 2007 everything was in and we were ready to declare the room done, except for one teensy-weensy little issue. We could not get the nasty plastic towel rail off the wall.

Towel Rail Before

We tried and tried but we couldn’t work out how we could get the towel rail off the wall without doing some major damage to the tiles. We really thought about this, believe me. We removed three of the screws holding the towel rail to the wall six times before I was convinced it would be worse to install the new rail than leave the hideous old one. But it was no good, it wasn’t going to come off without a fight and it wouldn’t be pretty when it did. So we left it. For an entire year.

Towel Rail After

By August this year I was determined to get this thing done. We had the towel rail, after all, we just lacked a solution for the holes. The holes in the tiles that wouldn’t be covered up by the new towel bar. I couldn’t let myself be defeated by 18″ of plastic, could I? Then I had an “aha” moment and ordered a sample pack of stick on stainless steel tiles from the awesome. I documented what happened next here.  It is a painful story but what I didn’t say was that we actually ended up ordering a total of five sample packs at $9 each before the thing was finished.  See the after photos here.

Twelve months, plus a few days, at least six “tries” at fixing the problem, an extra $45 and a lot of sweat and cursing to swap out one towel rail.  Sometimes renovation projects are simple and sometimes the littlest things take the longest time, cost you money than you ever imagined and drive you nuts. But the “Before and After” towel rail was, in retrospect, one of the best parts of the bathroom renovation and it’s certainly my favorite hack.

Thanks from OPC!

Jane, thanks so much for your submission to OPC. Your bathroom (and towel rail!) look fantastic – a great transformation to a very modern look.

Habitat Quick Fact

Check out Habitat’s Women Build Program that trains women from around the world to build homes! From Habitat’s site:

Women Build is a Habitat for Humanity International program that trains women to make a difference by building homes and communities.

Thousands of houses have been built by women crews around the world – by the end of 2008, more than 1,400 homes since Women Build’s official creation in 1998. Each year, hundreds more homes are added as affiliates, donors and sponsors discover the impact of women volunteers and their resources.

If Jane’s story about inspired you, consider matching our $25.00 donation to Habitat by visiting their online donation page.

Submit Your Own Entry

The Summer is quickly coming to an end; schools have opened up across much of the nation. Summer officially ends on September 22 this year, leaving only a few more weekends for you to submit your project for our event.

E-mail submissions in just about any format to oneprojectcloser@gmail.com.  Best of luck with your projects!

What do you think? Leave a comment below and then click on over to Beach House to see Jane’s other fantastic reno work.

Home Improvement Credit Card from Bank of America: Home Advantage

I was reading over at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity and saw that Bank of America is now offering a new credit card with a home improvement spin, the Home Advantage Card.

It’s much like other cash back cards, offering the equivalent of 1% cash back on all purchases for the life of the card, and an additional 1% cash back for the first 12 months when you “shop for your home.“ 

If you’re about to do a lot of DIY home improvement, this card might be right for you.  For those who are plugging away at projects slowly, over years (like us), this card is probably only good for you if you don’t already have another 1% card you use for most of your shopping.

Qualifying Purchase Requirements

So what exactly does it mean to shop for your home?  Essentially, all purchases made at stores that identify themselves with one of the following categories qualify for the discount.  I was surprised by two things in Bank of America’s list of stores (1) that BoA covered this many types of stores in the offer, and (2) that credit card companies subdivide stores into so many different types.  Who knew they needed a category just for fireplace stores?  Is must be a bigger industry than I realize.

• Office and commercial furniture (MCC 5021),
• Home supply warehouse stores (MC 5200),
• Furniture, home furnishings and equipment stores (MCC 5712),
• Floor covering stores (MCC 5713),
• Drapery, window covering and upholstery stores (MCC 5714),
• Fireplace, fireplace screens and accessory stores (MCC 5718),
• Miscellaneous home furnishing specialty stores (MCC 5719),
• Antique stores (MCC 5932),
• Glassware, crystal stores (MCC 5950),
• Household appliance stores (MCC 5722),
• Electronics stores (MCC 5732),
• Computer software stores (MCC 5734),
• Electrical parts and equipment (MCC 5065),
• Hardware, equipment and supplies stores (MCC 5072),
• Paints, varnishes and supplies stores (MCC 5198),
• Lumber, building materials stores (MCC 5211),
• Glass, paint and wallpaper stores (MCC 5231),
• Hardware stores (MCC 5251) and
• Nurseries, lawn and garden supply stores (MCC 5261).

BoA notes that our favorite stores, including Home Depot, Lowes, and Best Buy, are covered by these categories, as I’m sure are thousands and thousands of others.

Beware of the 12 Month Limit on the Extra 1% Back

Of course, Bank of America only provides the additional bump up for the first 12 months of the offer.  After that, the Home Advantage card is no better than any other 1% cash back card.  This will be a major drawback for most folks, but the credit crunch has its consequences.  Someone has to pay for all the bad debt floating around, and giving people 2% back for life just isn’t in the cards right now (haha!)

Home Mortgage Pay Down – A Gimmick?

BoA really sells this card on the premise that it will help you pay down your mortgage faster.  Of course, any money savings anywhere in your budget that you apply to your mortgage balance will help you pay down the mortgage faster.  The only problem I have with their marketing is that the savings BoA quotes are at amazing purchase levels.  On the sign up page, BoA quotes the amount of mortgage savings you’ll make if you apply the cash back you receive each quarter to the balance on your mortgage (with certain assumptions). 

BoA uses three quarterly cash back figures to demonstrate the savings you might receive by paying down your mortgage early: $50, $100, and $250.  In order to receive checks at these amounts, you would need to charge, all at qualifying stores $2500, $5000, and $12,500 respectively each quarter.  After the 12 month period is over, you would need to double these spending rates to achieve the mortgage savings BoA cites! 

The Bottom Line

If you’re considering doing an extensive amount of work on your home (to the tune of $5,000 or more), and you would have used a 0% or 1% cash back card for the purchases, the Home Advantage card could be a compelling offer.  If not, like us, you’ll probably pass.

Related Links:

• Blueprint’s article with the link to sign-up for the Home Advantage Card

What do you think?  Any credit card suggestions for the home improvement obsessed?

Numbers image courtesy of Declan.

One Project Closer Irwin Tool Giveaway

Drum roll please. I’d like to announce the great One Project Closer Irwin tool giveaway! The fine folks at Irwin have graciously sent an awesome set of Irwin tools and we are going to pass them along to one lucky winner.

The Tools

• Our first item up for ogling is a Quick Adjustable Wrench. This tool features precise scale markings, a locking slide lever, and a ProTouch comfort grip. The Adjustable Wrench can easily resize and won’t move once it’s locked in place.
• Next, we have spring loaded, Needle Nose Pliers. These slim nose pliers have a fine tip for precision work, nickel chromium steel construction for durability, and the ProTouch comfort grip. These spring loaded pliers reduce hand fatigue and make for easy gripping.
• And our last item is a Fast Release Locking Pliers. These locking pliers feature hardened teeth that can apply tremendous pressure. They are ideal for tightening, clamping, twisting and turning. High grade alloy steel means they are tough and durable. These locking pliers are easy to open and also feature the ProTouch comfort grip.

This is a great set of tools valued at around $60.00.

Two Ways to Enter

1. Write a blog post linking back to One Project Closer. Your post should describe how you plan on using these tools. No project is too big or small but I encourage you to be creative. Leave a comment including your blog address. Each approved article will result in 50 entries into our contest. One article per blog please.
2. Just leave a comment. Make sure to include an email address. A comment results in 1 entry into our contest. Only one comment per person please.

Contest Details:

This contest will run for 30 days. Get your entry in before 12:00am (midnight, EST), September 19, 2008. We will randomly select one lucky winner and let you know. Good luck!

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