Summarize the following:
If you're laying Pergo over concrete, remove all carpet, trim, and other things covering the sub-floor to expose the concrete underneath. Before laying Pergo, it's a good idea to smooth out the concrete to make sure that you've got the flattest surface possible for the new installation. Use the level to make sure it's smooth, and take steps to smooth it out if necessary with new concrete. Uneven floors need to be smoothed out with concrete leveler. This usually comes in a 40-50lb bag, which can be mixed with water to prepare. In a bucket, mix a small batch of concrete with water as directed. Don't mix more than you'll use in the next hour, or it'll dry out and become useless and hard. Start at the lowest points in the room and pour a small reservoir, so you can mix water in and wet the concrete back up if necessary. Use a putty knife or a trowel to smooth out the concrete as thinly as possible, feathering out the edges of your work as you go. Wait at least 48 hours before installing a vapor barrier over the fresh concrete leveling job, then put down a vapor barrier as described previously. These polyurethane sheets are usually available from Pergo dealers as part of the package. Cover the entire floor with the sheets, which should be cut to completely cover the floor. Make it big enough on the sides so any vapor coming up will end up behind the baseboard. Tape the seams together before continuing with installation. Once you've smoothed out the concrete and added the vapor barrier, installing Pergo over concrete should be exactly the same as installing over wood. Pick a corner, start clicking them together leaving the appropriate amount of space between rows, and trim them to fit on the ends.

summary: Check to make sure the concrete is level. Mix a batch of concrete leveler. Install the vapor barrier when the concrete has dried. Install Pergo as before.


Summarize the following:
Mitering your crown molding involves cutting each corner at an angle so that the edges fit together perfectly. This involves using an angle finder and miter saw to cut 2 pieces of molding at half of the corner’s angle. However, there will always be a visible seam where the 2 lengths of your molding meet, and you will end up with a gap between the 2 pieces if your cuts aren’t perfect.  Mitering a corner will typically take 10 minutes per piece, although it may take you a little longer if you’ve never done it before.  This is a great choice if you know your wall is flat. Place a level along the wall near your ceiling to see if it’s perfectly flat. This method will use 2 angle cuts to fit 2 pieces of crown molding together. An inside corner refers to any corner where 2 walls meet at an internal angle, forming a 45-degree angle as you face it. An outside corner is where 2 walls form an external angle, forming a 135-degree angle when you’re facing it. Place one half of your angle finder against one of your walls. Adjust the other half of your angle finder by moving it with your free hand to place it flush against the adjacent wall. Look at the indicator attached to your angle finder to determine the angle of your walls. Usually, your walls will meet at a 90-degree angle. You can use an adjustable protractor or combination square instead of an angle finder if you’d like. There are digital angle finders that make reading the angle easier. Use a measuring tape to calculate the length of the wall. Take your crown molding and use the length of your wall to determine where you need to make your bevel cut. Mark the backside and bottom of your crown molding with a pencil to track the location where you’re going to install it in the corner.  Keep in mind that you need to mark the proper corner based on the orientation. So if you’re installing the right side of the crown molding in the corner, you need to mark the left end on the back and the right side at the bottom. A bevel cut is any type of cut made at an angle. Unlock the rotating table on your miter saw by flipping the handle or pressing the unlock button. Move the handle until your indicator reads 90 or 0, depending on how your table’s guide is designed. As long as the blade is perpendicular to the crown molding, you’re good.  Even though you’re cutting the joint to fit a 45-degree angle, you still need to cut the piece to fit the length of your wall. You can skip this step if your molding is already cut to size. You can use a miter template and a handsaw instead of a miter saw if you’d like. A miter saw template is basically a plastic box with an open top that has slots for a handsaw. Move the handle on your blade until your indicator matches the desired angle. If your wall is 90 degrees, set your miter saw to cut at 45 degrees. Otherwise, divide the angle of your corner by 2 to determine the angle you need to cut your crown molding. Whether you move your blade to the left or right dependent upon what side of the wall you’re cutting for. So if you need the crown molding to meet the inside corner on the right side and you’re cutting from the front, move your blade to the left and vice versa. Set your molding down in the saw’s table, flush against the fence under your blade. Adjust your crown molding until the cutting line sits flush with the guide line for the blade. Use c-clamps or table clamps to hold your crown molding still by wrapping them around the table and molding before tightening them.  You can skip the clamps if you’ve got experience with a miter saw. Simply use your nondominant hand to keep the crown molding flush against the fence. The fence is the straight edge that you use to keep your material still and lined up. Take your blade protector off if you have one. Turn your saw on and give your blades 5-10 seconds to get up to speed. Carefully and slowly lower your saw to make your bevel cut. Slide the saw all the way through the crown molding before lifting it up to ensure that your cut is clean. Turn the power on your saw off.  Wear safety goggles, a dust mask, and gloves to protect yourself from sawdust while you’re cutting. Most miter saws have a built-in catcher for sawdust though, so this shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Miter saws are pretty easy to use since the blade is locked in to cut at a specific angle.

summary: Plan to spend 10-15 minutes mitering your corners. Use an angle finder to determine the angle of your corner. Measure your wall and mark the corner you’re going to cut. Set up the table of your miter saw to cut at a 90-degree angle. Adjust your blade to cut at an angle based on your wall’s angle. Clamp your crown molding in place under the miter saw. Lower the saw to make a bevel cut at your desired angle.


Summarize the following:
Fire spreads quickly, and there may be no time during a fire to figure out an escape route.  If bedrooms are on the second floor, be sure an escape ladder is near the window in each room. Designate 2 escape routes out of each room. When you prepare children, they are generally less frightened and can better remember what you taught them.  Walk your children through each escape route. Have them practice opening doors and pulling up windows to be certain they can easily handle these tasks. If you have older children with bedrooms on the second floor, have them practice exiting safely through the window using the escape ladder.  This will help to slow the fire, giving family members a little extra time to get out safely. This can be a neighbor's front yard, your mailbox or another safe location.
summary: Plan your escape route ahead of time. Practice your escape plan and safety rules with children often. Test your escape plan to be sure it works well. Make sure the last person leaving each room closes the door after exiting. Choose a safe place outside the home where family members can meet.