Article: Use a tape measure to find the length and width of the room you're carpeting. This will give you an idea of exactly how much carpet you'll need. It will also make it easier to cut each section to the proper specifications. Most rolls of carpet come in widths of 12 feet, so be sure to take this into account when plotting out the best way to cover the floor. To find the inner area of the room, multiply the length of the room (in feet) by the width. The key to installing professional-looking carpet is to take your time and give each section the same amount of care and attention. Unroll the carpet as you go, separating it into more manageable strips. Cut two or three feet, then scoot back and resume cutting from a comfortable position. The roll itself can serve as a convenient reference for tracing straight lines. Whenever space allows, fold the carpet roll over and run your knife directly over the backing to achieve a cleaner cut with less struggle or guesswork. The backing is hard and flat, which means you won't have to fight your way through the thick piling. Mark the backing with a pencil or permanent marker to indicate where you need to cut, or simply use the intersecting seams as a handy visual reference. Folding the carpet will also create a more secure cutting surface, preventing you from scarring the flooring underneath. For some layouts, it may be necessary to leave space for a fireplace, a section of tile or some other piece of detailing. Measure these areas first so you'll know how much carpet you need to trim. If you're worried about making a mistake, you can lightly score the carpet on the first pass before committing to the cut. It may be helpful to perform a mockup of the cuts you intend to make on a scrap piece of cardboard first. Complex cutouts may be best left to the professionals.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Measure your work area. Work a few feet at a time. Make your cuts on the backside of the carpet. Cut carefully around corners, contours and openings.

Problem: Article: You might want to blame yourself for your mother's drug abuse. You might think your behavior or attitude drove her to use drugs. This is not your fault. Remember that you are the child. You are your mother's responsibility, not the other way around. Addiction is a disease. Even your mother, on her own, cannot stop the vicious cycle of drug addiction. She needs professional help to get better. Blaming yourself isn't healthy or helpful. Instead, take the time to do self-care and nurture yourself. What you are going through can be devastating, but taking care of yourself can help you better care for her. More than 30 million Americans are fighting drug and alcohol addictions. This means that there are millions of teens or young adults like you who may have a mother with a drug problem. You are not alone. There are many resources to help you get through this. You can visit the Narcotics Anonymous website to look up meetings for Narateen groups, which are support groups for teens who have family members or friends with addictions. If your mother has a drug addiction, you could be at greater risk for drug abuse in the future. Your mother's drug problem can make life very unhappy and unstable at home. You may be tempted to cope by using alcohol or drugs. It doesn't have to be that way. You can stop the cycle. Find healthier ways of coping, such as: Acknowledge your feelings instead of trying to numb them Call a friend when you feel upset Exercise Get a hobby Volunteer in your local community Turn to your spiritual or religious faith Turn to new role models, such as teachers, coaches, or group leaders Join the D.A.R.E. (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education) group at your school Dealing with your mother's drug use on your own may cause you to deal with your emotions in some unhealthy ways. Instead of trying to deal with your feelings on your own, share your thoughts and feelings with people you trust. Don't bottle up your feelings. Feeling shame or embarrassment about your mother's addiction is a common response that keeps many adolescents from speaking up. Carefully screen your friends to decide who will be less judgmental and most supportive of you. You may start the conversation by saying something like "So, the other day, I found drugs in my mom's room. I don't know what to do..." Prepare yourself for the consequences if you talk to an adult at your school. Teacher or school counselors will not be able to keep it a secret. They are generally required to report such information to the local authorities in order to protect you.
Summary: Know it's not your fault. Know that you are not alone. Don't think this has to be your fate, too. Talk to friends or a counselor.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To prepare the wall for sanding, first fill a bucket with hot water and soap. Then, soak a cloth in the water and wash off the wall. This will remove any dirt or markings that the paint has accumulated, simplifying the rest of the job. Unfortunately rubbing sandpaper against the wall won't work very well. Instead you will need to invest in a sanding block or a sander. A sanding block is a small block of material that you can wrap sandpaper around, making it easier to sand flat surfaces. A sander is a automated tool like a drill that you load sandpaper into and it sands the surface for you. To use a sanding block, wrap the sandpaper around one side of the block and grip it with your hand from the other side. Sanders can differ in how you load them with the sandpaper, but generally they have a slot that you can load the sandpaper into before turning it on. If you haven't used a sander before, a sanding block is a safer option. A coarser grit on the sandpaper is acceptable because you're aiming to strip the unwanted paint. Use 80-grit sandpaper if you're looking to remove globs of paint. Sanding a wall will cause a risk of inhaling toxic dust, so wear a mask before beginning. Rub the coarse side of the sandpaper against the paint. Move the sanding block or sander back and forth in 1 square foot (0.09 square meter) sections. Apply lots of pressure to the wall if you are using a sanding block. Sand the unwanted paint until the entirety of the paint becomes dull. Then, wipe away the dust. If you prefer to remove the paint entirely as opposed to painting over it, use a paint scraper to peel off the remaining unwanted paint. Place the paint scraper's blade at the bottom of the unwanted paint, apply pressure to the blade, and slide it under the unwanted paint, peeling the paint off. The sanding process will have weakened the paint, making it easier to strip.

SUMMARY: Clean the wall with soap and hot water. Purchase a sanding block or sander to use. Sand away the unwanted paint. Strip the paint if you want to remove it entirely.

Examine all the drains in your home and any area inside or outside the home that has standing water. Any area with multiple drain flies is likely a problem. Luckily, drain flies do not stray far from the place they have chosen to make their home, so it is rare for a drain fly infestation to spread to all areas of the house. This is especially true if you catch the problem early. This is the first thing you must do to verify that the problem is coming from the drain itself. You might actually be infested by another type of fly drawn in by rotting fruit or other food sources. As a result, you should verify that you actually have drain flies in your drain before taking measures to remove them. Stick the tape over the center of each drain with the sticky side facing down. Do not completely cover the drain with tape. A covered drain will prevent flies from flying up, leaving you with no evidence. If you spot flies on the tape after removing it from the drain, drain flies are the most likely culprit. Even if you do not find any drain flies on the tape after the first night, you should repeat this process for at least four nights to account for discrepancies in the breeding cycle.
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One-sentence summary --
Identify the problem areas. Dry all the drain areas before going to bed. Place a strip of clear tape over each drain. Check the tape in the morning or after a few days.