A quiet revolution is going on in the real estate sector. Many successful professionals are putting considerable money into building their own dream homes, and many of those professionals are choosing to build according to green principles.
Perhaps the first decision these new homeowners face is how to heat and cool their homes. Before even considering what sort of heating and cooling system they will choose, they need to decide on a design and materials for the exterior structure. Alternative building methods including rammed earth, straw bale, and flying concrete construction feature thick walls, often over a foot thick, which conserve heat in the winter and keep the home cool in the summer. Some homeowners are even opting for subterranean dwellings, using the natural insulating quality of the earth to lessen their need for additional heating. Even when opting for conventional wood structures, homeowners are choosing the latest insulation materials, which offer optimal heat conservation with little to no outgassing of toxic fumes.
Energy-conserving heating systems, some of which create radiant heat from hot water pumped through pipes beneath the floors, save on energy; passive solar construction - homes with south-facing exposure and large windows - allows the sun to warm the home. Solar panels provide electricity for lights and electrical appliances, and gray water systems recycle used water for additional use in the home. Some homeowners in colder climates opt for wood- or wood-pellet-burning furnaces rather than the conventional oil furnace, installing modern furnaces designed to minimize emissions.
Green-building homeowners and more and more developers opt for natural and sometimes manmade materials created from renewable resources, materials which do not expose residents to health risks. Vinyl, which is infamous for outgassing toxic fumes, is rejected in favor of safer materials; hardwood flooring, much of it harvested from old-growth forests, is replaced with materials like bamboo, and cork, two renewable materials providing two very different, attractive looks in flooring.
Those not in the position to design and build their own home still have the option of "greening" an existing home, using a wealth of safe, nontoxic natural materials. Conventional plywood, which is manufactured using urea formaldehyde, can be replaced with a number of new, safer materials, including "Plyboo," created from bamboo. Kiln-fired clay tiles, wood from sustainable forests, natural, safe interior and exterior paints, and a host of other materials help create a clean, healthy home environment.
Building and renovating green currently costs more than using conventional materials; some green builders estimate the difference at about 15 percent. However, recently wood prices have soared, and increasing transportation costs due to the rising cost of gasoline and diesel has impacted the price of building materials, so the difference in cost between conventional and green building may well even out. As it stands now, increasing numbers of prospective homeowners are willing to pay a premium for a home made of attractive, sustainable, and healthy building materials.
March 31, 2009
Upscale Goes Green: Homeowners Focus Increasingly on Sustainable Energy, Renewable Building Materials
Window Coverings: Offers a Functional and Stylish Look
Window shades and Venetian blinds are two of the most versatile and functional window coverings that exist today. Both allow you to adjust the level of light that enters your room through multiple methods. Window coverings are a great way to keep the damaging UV rays of the sun from damaging carpet, fabrics, and furniture in your home. Perhaps the most important reason to have window covering in your home however, is the fashion statement they have come to make in recent years.
Most people haven’t really considered the fashion impact that window shades can have on your windows. For quite a few, these are simply inexpensive ways in which to keep the sun out. For this reason, you will often find homes that seem to have no rhyme, reason, or style as far as the window treatments go. Do not allow yourself to be a victim of no style window treatments due to budget restraints or lack of imagination.
If you have a décor that is country or rustic avoid shiny window treatments or vinyl that is so common in mini blinds. If you must use blinds then try for wooden blinds rather than the traditional vinyl or plastic looking blinds. However, the best window treatments for rooms such as this are those that include hinged shutters or window shades that are made with bunched fabric.
If your décor has a touch of the Orient, then you might be glad to know some of the least expensive window treatments on the market will work wonderfully. Bamboo shades are ideal for this type of décor as are blinds made from rice paper. Both of these are rather inexpensive and can greatly enhance the appearance of an oriental room. They also blend well with furniture that is oriental in appearance, particularly teak and rattan.
If you have an Italian Modern décor in your home, then Venetian blinds are probably the best possible choice for your window treatments. You may find that the modern look of Venetian blinds is just what the designer had in mind but take care that you do not go overboard and have your room looking institutional rather than modern.
If you’re going for an ultra modern look then brightly colored roll down shades might provide just the right accent for the vinyl or plastic looking furniture associated with this particular look. Venetian blinds blend well with the ultra modern look particularly if you go with some sort of interesting veneer for the blinds that will properly offset the attitude of the room. Good examples of this would be faux leather or colors representing a by gone era such as bright orange or brown.
Of course appearance isn’t everything practicality should play an important role in the decisions you are making as well. For instance, rice paper window treatments aren’t the best idea for bedroom windows as they do very little to keep the light out.
There is really no reason other than a complete and total lack of imagination to have drab window dressings in this day and age. Roll down shades and Venetian blinds can be found in any number of styles and designs that are suitable for almost any décor. You can even purchase them in nursery colors if you are so inclined. Leather Venetian blinds offer a creative touch to libraries or home offices and window shades can be purchased to compliment nearly any décor or just to identify a particular hobby or passion. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that today’s window coverings are probably more affordable than ever before while allowing for a great deal of versatility and creativity.
Protecting Your Lawn the Organic Way
Many lawn owners like to use chemical pesticides and herbicides to control the pest and weed growth in their lawn. However, these chemicals are harmful to the environment if they are not used in the proper way. They may also kill insects that are actually helpful to the lawn. Runoff from these chemicals may find their way into the nearby water supply.
The two main categories of lawn issues that you need to deal with on a regular basis are weeds and pests. Before you can properly implement any form of control, you need to identify the type of weeds and pests that your lawn has. Once you identify them correctly, you can look for an organic solution to control these weeds and pests.
Weeds are broadly categorized as broadleaf or narrowleaf. They are further divided into perennial weeds and annual weeds. The perennial weeds are harder to control as they live from year to year and produce seeds that help the weeds spread. The annual weeds grow for one season, produce seeds and then die off. This cycle repeat again the following year.
If you are unsure of what weeds you have in your lawn, you can take some samples to your county extension or nursery and they will help you identify them.
Once you have them identified, you can formulate a plan to bring them under control without the use of chemical herbicides. The simplest method is to use your hands and pull out the weeds together with their roots.
However, the best way to control weeds is to focus on building a healthier lawn. Check that you are mowing at the right height and ensure that your lawn is getting the right amount of nutrients and water. Too much or too little nutrients and water will weaken your lawn and allow the weeds to prosper.
Pest is another problem that you will face constantly and you can also control them using organic methods. Some of the common pests you will face include armyworms, cutworms, billbugs and Japanese beetles.
You can control these pests the natural way. Many organic pest control products use natural ingredients such as citrus oils, garlic and hot peppers. Some product use lemon as its base and they are quite effective in killing various pests without harming your lawn.
You can try to use a spray that use sesame oil, clove oil and thyme oil as base for repelling insects like grasshoppers and ants. Another type of spray use black peppers and garlic for its base and can be safely used on lawns and gardens. This type of spray will help control mosquitoes, gnats, fleas, and ticks.
You can also use insecticidal soaps to kill most of the soft-bodied pests like chinch bugs and sod webworms. This type of insecticidal soap work fast, breakdown quickly and are harmless to humans. You have to mix the insecticidal soap with water and apply them to your lawn.
By the way, if you discover a particular type of insect is constantly giving you problems, you may want to consider planting another type of grass that is resistant to that type of insect.
Regardless of what type of pesticides or herbicides you are using, you must use it safely. Pesticides that are non-toxic to your lawn may be harmful to human beings. Always read the product labels when using such products. You should always opt for those products with natural ingredients as its base if you have the choice.
A healthy vigorous lawn has fewer problems and it should be your primary focus for all your maintenance efforts. Proper aeration, watering, fertilizing and mowing will help your lawn grow healthily and make it non-conducive for weeds and pest to thrive.
Outdoor Lighting: Beauty, Security, Safety
Add dimension to your home with professionally designed landscape lighting. Nothing is more majestic than seeing your home illuminated at night. As light gently washes the walls, accents architectural features and illuminates the trees, your home will take on a new dimension and announce its presence in the night. Outdoor lighting has become extremely popular as homeowners have discovered that it adds beauty, security and safety to their property.
Beauty:
Outdoor lighting, when designed properly, will add dimension to a home that once was unnoticeable after dusk. Lighting designers will use different types of light to achieve various tasks. If illuminating an entire surface of a home is the desired effect, then a flood type light would be used to wash the wall. Maybe there is a row of columns, where it would be dramatic if each one were lighted individually. A lighting designer would use a beam of light that has a narrow light pattern, spotlighting each individual column. A majestic tree in landscape might call for soft lighting, illuminating the branches and highlighting one of nature’s original pieces of art. As all of these lighting types are used in one design and begin to harmonize with one another, a very special effect will be created. Outdoor lighting can produce an effect so endearing that you will find yourself eagerly awaiting and appreciating the approach to your home like never before.
Security:
Another added benefit of outdoor lighting is the security that it can help provide. Many homeowners will have a security system installed in their home, but what they don’t realize is that a properly lighted home will not be as likely targeted for theft as a home that sits completely in the dark. A criminal will not be as likely to enter a door or window where he has to do his work in a brightly lighted area. Effectively planned lighting, in concert with your home security system, can help to keep your home and family safe.
Safety:
All of us love to use our outdoors, but unless you have proper illumination at night, it can be difficult to navigate around your property. There are many types of lighting that an outdoor lighting company can install to make the grounds around your home more accessible at night. If you have a retaining wall along your driveway, lights can be installed to illuminate your path to the garage. If you have difficult steps leading up to your home in the front or back, then lighting can be used in the riser portion of the step to define each step. Lighting can also define a walkway connecting the house and the garage. This type of safety lighting is very useful for the elderly as well. While these are just a few examples of how outdoor lighting can add safety to your property, an expert lighting designer can help you to identify your problem areas and incorporate them into their overall design.
After the successful installation of an outdoor lighting project and the night falls for the first time to reveal the results, you will find that you have made a decision that means your money has been well spent. Also know that for energy efficiency, outdoor illumination can be placed on a timer that turns it off at dawn and on at dusk. Outdoor lighting adds beauty, value, security and safety to your property while letting your home be a glowing star in the night sky.
Sonex Studio foam at Soundproofing America
There is a lot more to a modern home or professional studio then simply soundproofing the walls and floating the floor. Oh of course these things are important especially when you are trying to capture that perfect classical guitar solo on tape or CD, but it is the acoustical tuning of the studio that really makes the difference between a good recording and an outstanding one. What do I mean by acoustical tuning? Basically it is deadening or livening a room to make it the perfect environment for live musical recording and voice-overs. If a room or a studio is too live this meant that there are too many hard surfaces fro the sound to reflect off of. It is what causes unwanted reverbs (echo) in the room dues to the lack of absorbent material on the walls ceiling and floors.
Illbruck Sonex ™ is one of the leading producers in the world of quality studio and home theater absorptive foams and acoustical panels. For example the Sonex ™
Fabritec™ panels give your studio that professional look while adding to the acoustical balance in the room. The Fabritec™ fabric covered panels are lightweight and have a Willtec™ foam core and a rugged tackable fabric exterior. Willtec™ is and open-cell melamine foam that is the cornerstone of the Fabretec™ panels. They are am impact resistant panel and can take the abuse of dollies and heavy musical equipment that might be inadvertently slammed into these panels. They attach to any clean surface with adhesives or hook and loop- fasteners. The Sonex Fabritec™ panels come in 24” X 24” and also 24” X 48”. They are the perfect panels to give you studio that polished look while providing the quality sound that the pros demand. Illbruck Sonex™ leads the way for high quality studio panels. When you think of Acoustical treatments, think Illbruck Sonex, the sound sculpting people.
Another product from Sonex™ is the Whiteline™ ceiling tile. These tiles have a distinctive soft smooth finish that is a complete departure from the conventional ceiling tiles of the past. The Whiteline ™ tiles offer excellent sound absorption as well as having a high light reflectance (.089) making them ideal for spaces with indirect lighting. Whiteline™ ceiling tiles also have a Willtec™ melamine foam core the same as the Sonex Fabritech™ panels.
The Willtec™ core makes these tiles lightweight and very absorbent. White fleece is laminated to both sides of the Whiteline™ ceiling tiles. These ceiling tiles can be installed into an Illbruck Sonex ™ ceiling grid or into any conventional 15/16” or 9/16” T-grid system. If you home theater or studio sports a T-bar ceiling with conventional ceiling tiles, why not move up to the quality of Sonex™ with the next generation Whiteline™ ceiling tiles.
When building a home studio or a professional home theater, trust Illbruck Sonex ™to give you the acoustical control you need in any room or space. To learn more about the quality Sonex line of acoustical treatments and sound control products go to their website at www.illbruck-acoustic.com Sonex, there is no finer acoustical agent.
March 26, 2009
Batt Insulations, are they a sound investment in Soundproofing?
“Which batt type insulation will give me the best soundproofing?” I hear this question a lot, or better still, “Do I need to add more soundproofing if I already have insulation in the walls and ceilings?” Keep in mind that any batt type insulation, though it may be a great thermal insulator, is generally not very good as a soundproofing agent. If batt insulations such as fiberglass insulation or Icynene were effective soundproofing products, the big boys like Johns Manville ™ and Owens Corning ™ would take over the soundproofing industry and leave the real professionals out in the cold. Luckily knowledge is still power and it will be a while before all the soundproofing companies are put out of business.
If you are serious about soundproofing always consider batt insulations as the proverbial “icing on the cake”. They simply don’t have the horsepower to be stand alone soundproofing agents such as lead, closed cell foam and mass loaded vinyl.
There are some good sound batt insulations on the market today, one is Roxul AFB™ (acoustic fire batt). Roxul™ is a rock wool that is made up of mining slag Canada that is hit with high pressure air thus giving it the properties of a very dense fiberglass insulation and while it will provide the end user with an R-13 for the 3 ½” variety and an R-19 for the 5 ½” batts, it’s main function in life is to provide superb sound absorption and structural dampening of wall and joist cavities. It is a know fact that damping a structure; especially a wooden structure helps to control the transmission and vibration of sound through said structure.
Bonded Logic™, a company in Arizona also provides a cotton sound batt insulation that is great for filling voids and cavities where sound control is essential. The cotton is an inert material that absorbs sound but does not transmit through its fibers like fiberglass insulation does.
Fiberglass insulation is one of the worst for soundproofing agents out these. It actually transmits sound through its very fibers thus causing the annoying noise to appear amplified. If you are forced to use fiberglass insulation make sure it is isolated from either the sub floor or the ceiling below. Never pack fiberglass into cavities or voids. By isolation the fiberglass insulation from the sub floor above or the ceiling below you will break the sound transmission circuit from the floor above to the ceiling below. The same applies to walls; if the fiberglass insulation is touching one side of your drywall, make certain that it does not come in contact with the other side of the drywall. This makes perfect sense once you know the nature of fiberglass insulation.
To sum this up, never count on any batt type insulation to be your stand-alone soundproofing agent. You will always need the horsepower of lead, mass loaded vinyl, closed cell foam, or of course my favorite, Green Glue™. You can read about these great soundproofing agents in subsequent articles throughout the Internet. For now, this is Dr. Bob, The Green Glue King, signing off and may all of your soundproofing journeys be smooth ones.
Using Green Glue to soundproof a party wall!
Many people who live in apartments, condos or co-ops deal with noise from the next-door neighbor on a daily basis. Generally these demising or party walls are constructed of 2’ X 4’ suds and maybe some R-13 fiberglass insulation and then ½” drywall on both sides of the wall. It is no wonder you can hear your neighbor cough or sneeze on the other side.
Soundproofing a common party wall does not have to be a major project and it does not have to break the bank either. If you were able to add another layer of 5/8” drywall to either side of the party wall and apply a layer of Green Glue between the layers of drywall, you’d have one serious soundproof wall. Green Glue is a visco elastic damping compound that inhibits the drywalls ability to resonate or to transmit the sound through.
Green Glue is applied to a new layer of drywall and then screw in tightly over top of the existing drywall on a common or party wall. There is no rocket science here folks, just good old common sense soundproofing.
Two people can complete a Green Glue and drywall installation in one day depending on the size of the wall in question. Green Glue is superior to Mass loaded vinyl and lead sheeting in that it is able to stop the transmission of low frequency as well as the higher frequency sounds. Mass loaded vinyl and lead are not nearly as effective at stopping low frequencies.
Green Glue is easier to install than MLV or lead and will give you equal if not better soundproofing that these tried and true soundproofing agents. Green Glue is definitely the next generation in soundproofing for the 21st Century.
When applied to walls Green Glue will also stop the flanking of sound that could be transmitted into the ceiling via the untreated walls. By deadening the drywall, Green Glue inhibits the ability of the drywall to flank the sound into the ceiling and ultimately to the people upstairs.
If you have a home theater in a condo or co-op situation, Green Glue is a must on both the walls and the ceilings. If you want to be able to crank up a movie at 2AM and not bother the neighbors upstairs or next-door, then Green Glue is absolutely essential for yours and your neighbor’s peace of mind.
There are many other uses for Green Glue besides soundproofing a party wall. Subsequent soundproofing articles discuss the use of Green Glue on both floor and ceiling applications. Green glue is a highly effective sound dampener that is fast taking the industry by storm. There are those who claim that Green Glue is simply too good to be true, I am here to squelch that lie. Green Glue is everything it claims to be and then some. I personally have my choice of any soundproofing product or material known to man, so what do I use when I soundproof a room? …What else but Green Glue?
Soundproofing your home is now as easy as adding new wallpaper to your walls, so when you decide that you have had enough of your noisy neighbors, get onboard with Green Glue, it is all you need for your peace of mind. Dr Bob…. Out!!!
15 Christmas Decorating Ideas
Decorating your home for the holidays does not need be stressful or expensive. Being one of the most popular times of the year to decorate, get your family involved and have fun making your home beautiful for the holiday season.
Here are 15 Christmas decorating ideas:
1. Display your favorite Christmas collections. If you don’t have a collection, now is a great time to start! My son and I collect nutcrackers and every year we have a wonderful time selecting just the right one. With a permanent marker, I write the year on the bottom of the nutcracker. Not only do we enjoy looking at the nutcrackers during the holidays, we also enjoying the fond memories of selecting them.
2. Make simple bows out of Christmas ribbons and attach them to your curtains with pins. This is a very charming look.
3. Decorate your house plants by hanging small Christmas ornaments on them.
4. Place a collection of Christmas books on your coffee table.
5. Fill a glass bowl with pine cones and Christmas balls and place on a shelf or table.
6. Wrap your staircase banister with indoor Christmas lights, garland, and bows.
7. To add scent throughout your home, tie 5 or 6 cinnamon sticks together in a bundle using Christmas ribbon. Make as many bundles as you wish and place around your home in baskets or bowls.
8. To decorate your table, tie Christmas ribbon to the stems of glasses and/or handles of cutlery
9. To dress up your chairs, tie Christmas bows around the chair so that the bow is on the back of the chair.
10. Using a small brush or q-tip, paint the edges of pine cones with glittery gold craft paint. After the pine cones dry, place them in a decorative basket.
11. Add Christmas garland to door frames, window frames and mirrors. You can use tape to secure the garland to the surfaces.
12. Tie bows around door knobs using festive and colorful Christmas ribbon.
13. Attach garland and Christmas bows to your chandelier. You can also weave strings of red beads in the garland that will dangle down from your chandelier and reflect the light, which will add sparkle.
14. If you live in a milder climate, consider decorating with Amaryllis plants. These beautiful plants come in red and white, grow tall, and provide a very elegant look.
15. Don’t forget to decorate your fireplace mantel and hang your Christmas stockings. A few fireplace mantel decorating ideas are adding garland, different styles and sizes of Santas, teddy bears, and candles. You can also display your favorite nativity scene if you have a large enough mantel.
Be creative with your fireplace mantel because most mantels are the focal point during the holiday season. Another decorating idea for your mantel is to purchase a bunch of miniature rosemary trees shaped like Christmas trees, add mini ornaments to them and line them up across your mantel. These miniature rosemary trees are readily available during the holidays and come in festive containers.
Christmas decorating is a great time to create traditions and spend quality time with your family. Get out some snacks and drinks and create a little “decorating party” that you’re family will love and look forward to year after year.
Happy Holidays!
The Green Glue Revolution
Green Glue has caused a revolution in the Soundproofing Industry. It is an extremely effective visco-elastic dampening compound that is placed between 2 layers of drywall providing a dampening barrier as well as a very effective isolator. The dampening effect of the Green Glue actually prevents structure borne sound transmission, which in turn prevents unwanted noise flanking.
Green Glue is used in a sandwich between 2 layers of a rigid material such as to layers of drywall or MDF and drywall or even Homasote and drywall. Green Glue can offer up to 100 times the dampening of a single layer of ½” drywall. This is important to know when dealing with Impact noise from above. The greater dampening there is in the structure and the wallboard, the more effectively Impact noise will be alleviated.
Green Glue is one of the most popular soundproofing agents used in homes offices and industrial units where construction is complete. The fact that Green Glue uses the existing drywall as part of it sound dampening ability saved the owner both time and money.
Green Glue is easy to use and is the perfect product for that DIY soundproofing project that you have wanted to do for years.
Green Glue is the perfect addition to a floated wall or ceiling assembly that would be using the sound clips and furring channels or even RC-1 resilient channels. Because of the dampening abilities of the Green Glue, both resilient channel and Sound clips systems will be much more effective.
We have also found that Green Glue works perfectly with premium floor underlays such as the American Impact Standard and the American Impact Pro. You simply apply the Green Glue to the existing sub floor and then lay down the soundproof flooring and then finally your finished floor. The combination of the Flooring and the Green Glue gives the floor assembly a much higher STC rating as well as higher IIC (Impact Isolation Coefficient) numbers. This combination of materials stops both airborne noise as well as impact noise from ever being transmitted into the sub structure or into the ceiling below. Green Glue can also be used as both a dampening and adhesive compound for beneath a double sub floor if that is required for the installation of a ceramic tile or marble floor.
For the best performance in walls we suggest that you construct 2 separate wall assemblies with separate headers and footers and a 2” – 3” gap between the wall assemblies. Next you would screw up a layer of ½” drywall on both sides of the wall with a layer of Green Glue applied to the final layer of drywall. This system will give you the ultimate in wall soundproofing.
The uses for Green Glue seem to be unlimited; it can be used in all wall and ceiling assemblies as well as most types of floor and sub floor applications. Green Glue is great for new construction as well as remodeling or reconstruction projects. One of the greatest advantages of Green Glue is ease of installation and low over all cost of the product itself. Customers rave about the effectiveness of the Green Glue and it is fast becoming a household name. To learn more about Green Glue go to: www.greengluecompany.com there you will find all the information you will ever need to know about this product. This is Dr. Bob…Out!!!
10 Tips for Choosing and Placing Unique Outdoor Yard Art
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to garden art. It all boils down to finding pieces that are unique and special to you and that make you feel good.
Many homeowners wouldn’t dream of putting any kind of garden art in their backyard unless it was very traditional. They like formal garden art like stone or concrete statuary of angels, gargoyles and goddesses. Formal garden art also includes ornate birdbaths and heavy classical water fountains.
Others take their garden art far less seriously and want unique outdoor yard art with a more modern look and feel. This group of backyard lovers enjoy nostalgic and fun resin or bronze sculptures of children and animals of every kind. I’ve even seen alligator statuary yard art!
Other examples of this semi-formal garden art include copper art for patio and yard, stainless steel yard art, topiary wire garden sculptures, as well as handcrafted items like one-of- a- kind birdhouses, stain glass stepping stones, pottery, and other unique outdoor yard art.
Then there’s the crowd who declare that art should be just plain fun and crazy. They like informal garden art. Their taste is off the wall. They love to shake things up with a few pink flamingos, or to decorate their gardens with unusual household objects like broken china plates, a dressmaker’s dummy, even an old toilet seat lid.
They like to transform old junk into beautiful works of art. No need to waste anything. Try placing recycled metal garden art in your backyard or use architectural salvage to create garden art from old windows.
Whatever you consider garden art, here are 10 places to display it to bring out its full charm.
• In a boring, bare part of the yard to add interest and stimulate conversation.
• At the end of a path to add drama.
• In any area to add comic relief. How about some playful topiary wire garden sculptures of your favourite animal like a lion or a dinosaur?
• In front of an ugly spot to hide dead patch.
• Directly in line with an unwanted view of the neighbour’s yard to create privacy.
• On a wall or fence to visually break up the long monotonous line. I have a beautiful concrete painted face hanging on one part of my fence and a mirror hanging on another to add interest. Any garden wall art sculpture will do.
• In front of a colorful burst of foliage to punctuate the space. My classical white bird bath looks gorgeous just in front of my huge pink rose bush.
• Hidden behind some greenery so it just peeks out a little to create a feeling of antiquity. This will put plants in the spotlight.
• Within the frame of a beautiful view to enhance the view even more. My backyard is on the lake and the view is made even more beautiful by a piece of unique outdoor yard art --A fountain of Poseidon the sea God that we have made part of the view.
• In a rock garden to create feeling of garden gallery. The rocks are natural pedestals for the art and create a wonderful playground for eye to bounce around in and land on art.
Don’t forget about the view from inside. Take a look out your window to see where you might place garden art so that it draws you out into the backyard.
Finally, less is more. Too much garden art will make your backyard look junky. All you need is a few interesting pieces of unique outdoor yard art to personalize your backyard and give it a sense of place.
Deborah Boland © 2006 All Rights Reserved
March 24, 2009
How Van Gogh & Renoir Oil Paintings Are Ending Up In The Hands Of The Girl Next Door
Oil Painting Reproductions
What’s the difference?
Making that significant decision to add a masterful reproduction will not only add luster to your home but it can also be the first step to starting a valuable collection of fine art. Perhaps you may just be wondering what the difference is between an original oil painting and oil painted reproductions.
Oil painting reproductions are an exact replica of an original masterpiece, such as a van Gogh, or Picasso. The only real difference in an oil painting reproduction is the price. Most original masterpiece paintings are hung in famous art museums around the world or in the homes of the very rich, with a price tag well over the million dollar mark. Oil reproductions give the consumer the same great quality painting, identical copies of selective masterpieces, at a much more economical rate.
Although your reproduction may not be an identical replica, great artists can duplicate a painting with very little noticeable differences. A talented and experienced artist gets in-depth with the original work of art and examines that particular painting on all levels to give the duplicate an astounding resemblance to the original. They use canvas and a particular oil to duplicate reproductions. Reproduction artists are also familiar with and able to recognize each technique and brush stroke used in the original painting. From the quality of the canvas and the oil used, as well as the lighting, brushes and techniques used by the original artist.
Though you may be on that search to learn more about oil painting reproductions there may be some confusion as you search for information, you may see “print’ come up on your search. A print might be called a reproduction; a print is merely a copy of an original artwork, to give a better example think about the copy of a family photo that would come out of your home scanner and printer. Yet, the print reproduction uses a method with a photomechanical process.
It’s important, as you are searching for your first purchase, that you understand the difference of an original, print reproduction or oil painted reproductions. It is also important to know how the reproduction was created, what kinds of materials were used and what methods were used.
There are a few important things the consumer should do before making that first purchase. It is essential to contact the artist to address some important questions so you have all the facts when you make that initial purchase such as; what materials were used during the reproduction process like the canvas, oils, brushes and lighting? As well as what method was used during the reproduction. And was the reproduction varnished?
The answers to these will not only help you understand the reproduction, but also help you maintain and care for the painting once it is in your possession. Most artists will give you directions to further care for your painting, such as where not to hang it in your home, some paintings should not be hung in direct sunlight as to not fade the paint, if these instructions are not included it is a good idea to ask the artist what the best care is for the particular painting you purchased.
Once you have that masterpiece in your home it will be time to sit back and relish in its beauty that is if you have figured out where you will hang it.
Four Practical Reasons to Replace Vacuum Cleaner Parts
When was the last time you ordered vacuum cleaner parts? Probably never. But you’ve probably purchased a vacuum cleaner, used it for a few years, and then purchased another one when yours stopped performing well. Unfortunately, the cycle ends up repeating itself.
If you’ve purchased a high-end vacuum cleaner that performed well for a few years, you should talk to a certified dealer or check out an online store that will have information about the various vacuum cleaner parts for your particular make and model of cleaner. In most cases, you can simply order a relatively inexpensive vacuum cleaner part, replace it yourself, and have your vacuum once again running like new.
There are lots of reasons to replace worn or missing (in the case of attachments) vacuum cleaner parts instead of just tossing the whole thing:
1. Economics – If you’ve invested hundreds of dollars in a great vacuum cleaner, it should last for years, if not decades. If you have a fifteen year old machine that’s making a loud noise when it’s on or that has a cracked hose, spending another several hundred isn’t necessary. You can get a new belt drive or replacement hose for anywhere from $15-$75 for most models – and get another fifteen years out of your vacuum.
2. Safety – Over time, parts wear down and can develop hairline cracks. If you’ve been using the vacuum for several years, you should check your vacuum for wear and tear damage that isn’t yet causing a problem. Replacing them before they actually break can prevent potential safety hazards. You also won’t have to go a week or two without vacuuming waiting for vacuum cleaner parts to be delivered if you order ahead.
3. Cleanliness – Admit it – since you purchased your vacuum, you’ve lost or broken at least one attachment. Most of us have, and we tell ourselves that we didn’t use that one much anyway. But really, if we had all the vacuum cleaner parts, wouldn’t we be using them? Make sure you take the time to check and see what’s missing from your set of attachments and replace any that are missing. (Then take the time to actually use them – from heat exchange vents to upholstered furniture, there’s an attachment for every purpose).
4. Efficiency – Old parts mean less efficient performance. A worn brush roll won’t pull dirt out of your carpet as efficiently to be vacuumed up. Hepa filters become clogged and need to be changed regularly for proper removal of allergens.
Of course, you should always buy the proper replacement parts. If you have a Hoover vacuum cleaner, only use genuine Hoover parts. Fit and performance will both be better in the long run. So the next time your vacuum cleaner isn’t performing well, check it carefully and replace any worn or damaged vacuum cleaner parts. It will run better than it has in months (if not years), and you will have saved a lot of money over buying a new vacuum. After you put in your new vacuum parts, you’ll be amazed by how clean your house will be once again.
Top 5 Tips For Home Decorators
Is your house and home feeling a little bit tired and jaded? Does it lack that special edge that it once had? If so you're no doubt sick of living in a home that no longer suits you so why not convert that drab interior to something fantastic? Your home should be a place of rest and relaxation. A place for you to recharge your batteries that have been drained by todays busy lifestyles. The great news is that regardless of what type of look or feel you want your redecorated home to have there are ideas aplenty available to you for use as inspiration.
There are several important tips that you should follow for each interior or home decorating project:
1. Choose A Theme
Have a very clear idea of what you want the finished "product" to look like before you begin. Get your hands on as many home decorating books and magazines as you can. As you read through them you'll find yourself drawn to one theme or style more than others. Exposure to as many decorating styles as possible is the key to success here.
2. Choose A Color Scheme
During your theme research you'll have noticed that most decorating themes rely on specific color schemes to achieve the required results; those colors are standard to that particular decorating theme. What do we mean by this? Well for example Asian decorating styles and themes are dominated by the use of red, black and dark blue. Another example is tropical decorating themes which rely more on green, red and aqua colors. Your chosen theme will, realistically, follow the same basic pattern of using a fixed palette of colors for the entire decorating project.
3. Choose A Use For the Room
What will you actually do in the room you're redecorating? Just because the room was originally built for a specific purpose don't mentally trap yourself by only decorating to that particular type of room. For example if your family eats most of their meals in the kitchen then don't decorate your dining room with a large dining table and accessories - it's a waste of the room. It could be converted to a study, home office or even a play room so don't limit your thinking to using any room for its original purpose - unless it suits you of course.
4. The Shopping List
Of all the items that you could potentially list here paint is the most important. Paint forms the "foundation" of any room and if you rush the paint job then everything that comes afterwards just won't "work" in the room. Another mistake many people make is to buy the cheapest paint possible. You might save a few bucks on the cost of the tin but you'll wind up kicking yourself later on when you realize it's going to take 3 coats to finish each wall instead of just one - it's generally not cost effective to buy cheap paint; it just doesn't cover or finish as well as the more expensive brands.
Also make allowances in your budget for disposable overalls and any cleaning or preparatory materials you might need for your project. Decorating can be a messy business so prepare for the clean up operation before you even begin.
5. What To Paint With?
Another important decision is whether to use brushes, a roller or foam painting pads. Brushes have their uses for "edging out" a room - for those tiny corners. For the large surface areas it makes more sense to use a roller or paint pads. Personally I've found rollers to be just plain old messy and now use paint pads (some stores call them speed painters) for any large surface area that needs to be painted well and quickly. Use a roller if you really have to but bear in mind that they're extremely messy so make sure both you (disposable overalls are ideal) and the flooring is well covered against splashes.
Don't forget to have some fun along the way too! For all the planning, preparation and work that goes into redecorating any room or home it should still be a fun experience for everyone involved. You'll have that added sense of satisfaction knowing that you redecorated or helped to redecorate your home with your own hands. Take some time out to relax in your new room once it's finished - especially before you start redecorating the next room in the house.
Best Bet Scroll Saw Patterns
Scroll saw patterns take the guess work out of where to saw. It allows the saw operator to focus on guiding the wood instead of the larger, overall pattern. There are many free sources and excellent books for designing your own patterns or using someone else’s in your woodworking project. The how-to part of using a skill saw is a lesson all its own, but when and where to put the patterns is your first order of the day.
What Scroll Saw Pattern to Use
Looking around the room you may be surprised at how many wood objects may have been created using a scroll saw. Is there a decorative wood frame with cut out hearts surround the picture of a loved one? Or perhaps the chair you are sitting in has fine carving throughout its back and legs. A scroll saw cut pattern may even appear on the edge of your desktop or in the mouldings surrounding your entryway. There are so many applications for scroll saw patterns. Here are a few that could be great first time projects to get you comfortable with your saw and using wood working patterns in general.
- Carved top to a wooden jewellery box
- Cut out initials to hang on the wall
- A set of carved baby blocks
- A cut out napkin/paper towel holder
- A welcome sign for your home
Tips for Getting the Most from Your Scroll Saw
Scroll saw fans are constantly learning from one another. There are online blogs and message boards for posting questions and giving your best tips. In addition, the technology behind the saw keeps improving. For example, one manufacturer has a scroll saw where the blade instead of the table surface angles and adjusts. There are other models where foot pedals are included so that both hands are free to guide the wood. This makes curvy scrollsaw patterns much easier to follow.
Using the right blade for the type of wood and level of detail in the pattern is also important in getting a profession finished image and having greater control in the process. Making cuts that are straight up and down will allow any blade to move freely and again add control to the process. If you find that your cuts are “jumping” it may be that you are trying to push the wood around the pattern too quickly or that you are using too thin or small a blade. The best way to guide the wood through is to let the saw do the driving forward, while you simply adjust from left to right as the pattern dictates.
When using a template or different woodworking patterns, make sure that the cut is taking the pencil mark off with it. After you have traced the pattern, it should look exactly as you want the finished cut out to appear. If you align your blade to the pencil mark and it is cut away as you go, you are sure to get the look you intended.
With experience and the right tools you’ll be creating filigree designs like the pros in no time. It just takes the right tools, a little practice, and a good scroll saw pattern.
Router Tables That Make The Cut
It’s all about the bit. That’s right, a router table is defined by the bits you use in creating some of the most impressive and beautiful shapes that give like to a plain piece of wood. Router tables have long been a staple to the professional woodworker’s shop and are quickly finding a niche in the handy-man’s garage as well. As more people are interested in adding the distinctive touches of trims and mouldings to their homes and furnishings, they are finding that they can do it themselves by learning to guide wood through a router.
But It Looks So Hard!
You may think that it is difficult to created bevelled edges or shaped cornices, but the router saws do all the work. If you can guide a piece of planking through a table saw, then you can master the router table.
Router table plans are available to take down the learning curve too. These plans show what shapes will develop from different bits, angles and motions with your router. There are even router table plans free online.
Bits are the heart behind the capabilities of a router table. Notching and edging patterns are determined by the bit. There are edge bits which create the bevelling on a mantle piece, of straight and rabbetting bits for cutting deep, square notches. Dovetail bits are used in creating the snug fitting found in high-quality drawer construction. Other slot cutters and finger joint bits, such as those available from Whiteside router bits are used to keep cabinet fronts snug inside the edge frames.
Specialty router bits can be used for a number of different projects. The cap pieces in fences for example are made using a raised panel or stile bit. The more specialized the bit, the more cuts it can make with one pass through the table. Even miniature router bits are available for making anything from toys to doll houses to fine detailing on furniture.
The Tops in Tables
Router tables will take up just about the same amount of room in the workshop as the table saw. However, for those with limited space, there are bench top models available. If your bench or table isn’t exactly the right height there are height adjusters meant for router tables too. Getting your router aligned to your height is important for added control and precision.
What Your Router Table Plans Will Include
Router table plans are meant to show more than just the shape a router bit will produce. That is just the basic of what the bit is capable of doing. Add to it the imagination that only a craftsman can provide, and you have unlimited design opportunities. Router table plans and patterns show how angling and adjusting the wood with each pass through the router can create a unique look or duplicate a pattern you want to use.
Whether you are capping a fence, fashioning a new fireplace mantle or designing your own unique crown moulding, a router table is the only way to achieve that custom look without the cost of purchasing custom-cut wood. Add the detailing only a router can provide to your next home improvement project.
March 20, 2009
Use Paving Stones For Your Patio
Building an outdoor area onto your home can be an expensive proposition. Whether you are thinking about putting in a patio or an outdoor kitchen, the material will usually be quite expensive and the labor it takes to build it even more so. Wood decks and the like are also permanent structures, so those who decide that they do not like how the project turned out are simply stuck with the results. In addition, those who are renting are not allowed to add these structures to the property.
One way in which more and more people are skirting the problems posed by traditional outdoor extensions is by creating them using what are called paving stones or pavers. When you are creating and building your deck, any type of mistake will lead to considerable added expense. A missed cut in the wood, or a misjudged joint, will result not only in more time taken to correct the problem, but also in the added cost of the wasted materials. With pavers, the cost of mistakes is greatly reduced. In addition, the mistakes themselves are reduced as they are easier to work with that wood is.
Many people who add additions to their homes do so without first considering their neighbors. In many modern neighborhoods, there are strict rules governing what can be added to the home. These regulations include the size of the addition, the foundation requirements, and in some cases even the material to be used are regulated. Ignorance of these rules might mean that the entire project is a waste in the case of a neighbor complaint and the resulting investigation finding that you did not build according to code. So make sure to check your local bylaws for just what you are allowed to do. The good news for those who use pavers is that they are permitted by most building codes. If you are building a wood deck, make sure that there is no possibility of runoff or standing water that will rot the material or cause disfigurment. Again, pavers negate this risk as they are not biodegradable.
A lot of the time upon completion of a project, the owner of the house realizes that something just does not fit right. The deck is not showing off the landscaping to the best effect, or worse is in the way of the natural expansion of the outside decor. A deck that is built and feels cramped is very counter productive, as decks are added to give a little bit of extra space to a home. Pavers address both of these issues. Paving stones can be moved around in order to expand or contract the deck area, and to increase th eview ofa lawn and garden.
For those who rent, check with the landlord before attempting any improvements. You might want to keep in mind that any additions you make will in the end only benefit the owner, so expansion should be minimal. Most landlords are okay with the use of paving stones, though, as they can be easily moved when a current tenant vacates. Also, if the tenant wishes, he can take the material with him to the new residence!
Hurricane Proof Windows Essential For Some Areas
In the month of August 1992, a disastrous Hurricane Andrew ripped through South Florida, thus sparking the development of Hurricane windows. These new hurricane proof windows are instrumental in protecting your home from flying debris and high winds during a hurricane. If they weren’t added to your home during construction they can be installed at any time.
The greatest benefit of these windows is to protect your home from the water and wind during a strong storm. The prevalent damage that homes endure during hurricanes is the result from broken windows. After the window breaks from flying debris high pressure air then enters the home. This usually results in the window on the opposite side of the house blowing out, or the roof blowing right off of your home.
Being ready for a hurricane when you live in these areas is always advisable. Often people can be seen on the news boarding up their windows with plywood every single year, hoping for the best. Shutters are used very often for the protection of windows as well. This gets very expensive replacing plywood and shutters each year. Hurricane Windows will eliminate all of this extra work for you.
These windows carry other benefits as well. They are hard to break into by intruders, adding a new level of security as well. You can even get a discount on your insurance from many companies just for having these windows. You’ll have to get in touch with your agent for that information, but it’s probably worth looking into.
Also, these hurricane proof windows contain a film in the inner layer, which protects your home from the ultraviolet rays that fade your curtains, carpets, and furniture.
As well, if sounds from the outside having been proving to be a problem, these windows will help for that reason as well.
The construction of these windows is made up of two layers of glass, which contain between them a strong plastic film. Therefore even if the glass does shatter, this layer of film will stay, which will then protect your home from extra wind damage, and your carpet from soaking up the rain. This inner layer varies, depending on the style and size of the window.
The products that make up the window are all tested rigorously; this of course helps to ensure their effectiveness. The companies conduct impact tests of which simulates that of flying debris, the kinds that typically do shatter normal windows.
The windows can defend against high speed winds usually up to about 130 miles per hour. They will hold up against the debris that’s flying at this same speed. You can also get this same glass to protect your patio doors or skylights as well. This ensures that the whole house is protected.
You’ll definitely want to be sure that these windows are installed correctly, or else they won’t protect your home. This is one window where getting them installed professionally will be well worth the money. Ensure that an experienced person is doing the installation, and then enjoy the new security of your home.
A Quick Guide to Children's Furniture for the Bedroom or Playroo
Whether you are looking for bedroom furniture or family room play furniture you will find many conventional and unusual choices.
Where to start
If you would like to look at the products, take your child to the local department stores and see if they have what you want. If you don't have time to shop or don't live conveniently close to stores, there are many online catalogs with endless choices and unique designs.
If you are decorating the child's room, decide what color paint you want and what theme you will use. You could let the child choose these so they will enjoy their own special room. Choose fabrics for your children's furniture that will take wear and tear, and wood that matches your other furniture. Functionality and durability are important in choosing the style you will buy. Buying good quality furniture is important if you want it to last for many years. If you have more than one child using it this is especially important.
Making Choices
Children will feel very grown up with their own seating such as kid's rocking chairs, kid's recliners, beanbags, and even small kid's size sofas! When choosing the children's chairs, pay attention to the craftsmanship and make sure they are sturdy. Also, make sure they don't tip over easily or have a high back that the child can tip over. Having their own chairs will give them a place to play video games or watch their favorite movie.
For more seating, you might want to add a child size table and chairs. This will give the children their own place to eat, color, make crafts or look at books. These come in formal wooden table and chairs or more casual styles such as picnic tables or brightly painted sets.
Durability and Safety
When buying children's bedroom furniture it is again important to look at the quality of the furniture. Make sure it is sturdy enough to withstand children playing and the normal "monkeys jumping on the bed." If you buy furniture that is plain and not overly ornate, you will be able to add pieces to it as your child grows. For instance, when they are little you might want to buy a toy box with it. Later, when they are older, you might want to add a computer desk and chair. Or, if you were not able to purchase all the pieces you want the first time, you would be able to add more as you desire.
It is also important when selecting children's furniture to notice any safety hazards. Some toy boxes have lids that are heavy and do not have a way to hold them up. Check these carefully because harmful accidents have occurred. If you see any other possible hazards look carefully before buying.
Keep these tips in mind when buying children's furniture and you'll find safe, enjoyable furniture that will endure years of child's play!
Home Owners and House Signs
As a maker of house signs it never ceases to amaze me at how few home owners consider the importance of having a decent house sign on their homes. We are told that first impressions are the most important, well consider this, the first thing a new visitor to your home will probably see will be your house sign.
Take a walk down any street and you will see a remarkable variety of house signs and what I can only describe as non house signs.
I recently wandered through my village taking note of the house signs adorning the various properties. It is a small fairly prosperous place, the houses for the most part reflect this. They are on average well maintained and most have well cared for gardens showing every sign of having reasonably house proud owners.
However, the number of homes with frankly, tatty house signs is astonishing!
I saw house signs made of plywood and written with felt tip, old wooden signs so worn and sad they were unreadable, a house name painted on a concrete building block in a very shaky hand! One cast resin sign had some of its letters missing and one, with the name of a farm written on cardboard! Fully half of the houses in the village have signs that in no way reflects the quality of the properties.
Our village is not unusual. The sad fact is that many home owners just don’t consider a house sign as being important. This is poor thinking for many reasons. Let us for the moment put aside the aesthetic reasons and consider the practical downside.
We are all doing more of our shopping on the internet, these goods have to be delivered, your local postman knows his route and will usually deliver to the right address no matter what the state of the house sign but drivers for private delivery firms and even Parcelforce often spend hours every day trying to find badly signed houses in long roads.
This is not only inconvenient, its harming the environment! The extra fuel burned driving up and down and the hot air generated by all the foul language must be punching great holes in the ozone layer!
Also if ever you have the misfortune to call for one of the emergency services you will be less than pleased if the paramedics can’t find you with the defibrillator, or the burglar escapes before the police can find your house!
The aesthetic reasons are also pretty compelling, you may have spent thousands on improving and decorating your home, you have maintained the exterior of your property and paid that landscape gardener a small fortune to remodel your estate.
Now look at your house sign, does it really reflect the love and hard work you have put into your home? If not it may be time to consider a new house sign.
You do not have to pay vast fortunes for a suitable house sign.The main thing is to choose a design of the house sign that suits the quality and the style of your home.
There are plenty of sites on the internet selling house signs.Try to focus in on the style or material you would prefer for your house sign and narrow the field by doing a focused search on a search engine.
Browsing these sites and taking the time to choose a house sign that will enhance the selling of your house will be time well spent.
Choosing The Right Portable Lawn Sprinkler For Your Lawn
You know that watering your lawn is an important part of lawn care but you have limited time to do it. Other than hiring someone to do it for you, you can set up a portable sprinkler to do the job for you.
A portable sprinkler is particularly useful if you have a small lawn since it can be chore to move it around by hand for a large lawn. If you live in an area with reasonable amount of rainfall, the portable sprinkler can be use to supplement rainfall when the occasional drought period arise.
You can shop for a portable sprinkler easily in any well-stocked nursery or hardware store. Review the information on the sprinkler box. It should indicate the size and shape of the area it can cover.
There are many designs for portable sprinkler and you should evaluate carefully which one will meet your needs. Some models allow you to cover odd-shaped lawn while other may have a tractor system that can move along the water hose.
After you purchase your portable sprinkler, you will want to do a test to see how it performs. In particular you want to know how much water it is using to cover your lawn. First, place the portable sprinkler at the center of your lawn and turn it on for about ten seconds. You want to know exactly how much area it can cover. After ten seconds, turn the portable sprinkler off and place about seven or eight empty cups in the area covered by the portable sprinkler. Turn on the portable sprinkler again and leave it running for ten minutes.
After ten minutes, turn off the portable sprinkler and check the amount of water for each cup. The amount in each cup will vary, as portable sprinklers tend to have uneven water distribution. However, the variation should not be more than 0.25 inch. You will use the cup that has the least amount of water for your estimation. Lets assume that there is 0.2 inch of water in the cup with the least amount of water. If you want to apply 0.5 inch of water, you will have to leave the portable sprinkler running for 25 minutes.
A good hose is also vital for your portable sprinkler to work efficiently. A good hose will roll up easily in any weather and does not kink or crack. A cheap hose will give you more maintenance headaches down the road as it tend to kink and crack after using it for some times. You will also waste precious water due to leakage from the cheap hose.
It is also advisable to hook up a timer between your faucet and your hose. You simply set up the timer and it will shut off the sprinkler automatically after the set amount of time has elapsed. This will prevent any wastage of water.
Once you have everything set up properly, you will want to monitor the response of your lawn and adjust the water application accordingly. The portable sprinkler may not cover a few spots in your lawn and you will have to do the watering manually for these spots. Nevertheless, with the introduction of a portable sprinkler, the time you spent watering your lawn will be dramatically reduced and you can have more time to relax and do the things you want to do.
March 17, 2009
Home buying tips for homebuyers
Purchasing a house as per our requirements is a difficult process. We have many choices to select good ones, sometimes house may look good, but it doesn’t match your budget or sometimes the prices may be good, but the house selected may be wrong and so on. These are some basics steps to keep in your mind while buying a house:
1. List the agent: This is basic step; one has to follow while buying and selling of house business. Today, large number of house was sold by agents and the remaining is sold by the owners. It is best to select an agent because more than 80 percent of the property goes through agents and remaining 20 per cent of the houses only sold by the owners. From the list, select a proper agent and make avail of the service provided by him.
2. Select the agent: It is a difficult one to select an ideal agent for buying or selling a house. While making selection, follow some necessary steps.
• From the list select the agent who you feel an ideal one.
• Check whether the houses shown are properly listed.
• See to that, he is an experienced agent in real estate.
• Ensures the details collected by him are currently updated.
• Verify the documents shown by him and see whether it is a legal document.
3. Budget Estimation: Before looking for a house, make a decision for proper budget estimation to buy a house. You should be cautious and aware while estimating a home budget with your monthly and yearly income. Only when you have proper budget estimation you can continue to look for a house. Even you can avail the pre-approved mortgage which clearly estimates the limits of your budget. It helps to hurry up your search which affects your purchase.
4. Locate your area: If you decide to buy a house, then select the location your want to live. If you decide to buy a house, then select the location your want to live. You can also list to the agent what kind of house you needed, whether it suits your budget, the location you find more comfortable and so on. Select the one which you feel good and also suits your needs.
5. Have Precautions: While buying a house, remember that you are making a huge investment. Since house buying has a huge investment, select the one which will be best for a longer period. Have some precaution while buying a house. Also think about your future, because your life is uncertain. Once you decided to buy a particular house which is already used, see to that any alteration like repairing, electricity maintenance is to be made.
6. Perfections: Be always systematic in your work. File the information you collected from different agents. Also file the information relating to price, description and suitability. At last, while taking decision this information will highly help you. With the help of this information you can select the most appropriate house which suits your needs.
7. Proper Inspection: When you are looking a house see to that the process carried on in your house are as per the requirements. Inspecting a house is a more important aspect while making a selection. You should have to check the walls, electricity, painting and maintenance etc. You can carry any number of steps while inspecting your house. Check whether the house is a qualified one.
Designer Commercial Flooring Adds Grace to Perfect Ambience
Flooring is an important part of the interiors of any commercial complex. Be it your office, a restaurant or a discotheque, commercial flooring is meant to adorn every place and inch of that area. If the commercial flooring is of your type, then nothing can be best than this. The basic idea of applying any form of commercial flooring is to lend a meaning to the ambience of a place. Apart from giving a basic meaning, it is meant to glorify the commercial area so that it becomes inviting to visitors. Many people visit a restaurant or any other commercial complex because of its interiors.
Everything has to be best for your commercial area, as more and more visitors to that place means you will reap benefits. You would want that commercial flooring applied to your place should be of excellent quality, long lasting and looks beautiful with the other interiors of complex. It is quite natural that everyone wants to have the best and settling for the next is out of question in this case. As far as the commercial flooring is concerned, you are required to carefully select the type of flooring needed that can match up with the interiors. A variety of commercial flooring is available in the market. Hardwood, vinyl composite tiles, carpeted, linoleum, luxury solid vinyl, ceramic tile, granite, marble and solid vinyl are some of them.
Selection of the commercial flooring is all the more important. You are required to do a market search for best commercial flooring manufacturer and a commercial flooring contractor. These two people will be responsible for transforming the looks of your commercial complex. Commercial flooring manufacturer would have a variety of commercial flooring and in different colors. You can choose the color according to your preferences, so that it can give a wholesome feeling. Grey, cocoa, brown shades, green, pistachio, blue, cherry, black and golden oak are some of the colors that can fit your preferred choice.
Whatever type of commercial flooring is selected, all it matters is the effect that you get after applying the flooring. Perfection is what is needed in the matters of interiors of a commercial complex. It is because interiors will indirectly get you more and more customers. Just think of this case that fits in the matter of a restaurant. If the combination of ambience and food is perfect, then you would be a hit in among the crowds. Moreover, commercial flooring applied to the commercial complex reflects your taste. It shows that how concerned and particular you are in the matter of choosing best commercial flooring.
Nothing can be best than the thing that you get the best commercial flooring at a budgeted rate. It is not just you, but most of the people likes that their work should be done in less money. You will be a lucky chap, if you get designer commercial flooring within your allocated amount. Variety of commercial flooring manufacturers is present in the market, who offers designer commercial flooring at affordable rates. You just have to take care that the commercial flooring should be designer, classy and elegant at the same time.
Is it Time to Refinish Your Hardwood Floor?
How do you know when the time is right to refinish your hardwood floors? Hardwood floors tend to be quite durable and the stains long lasting. There are, of course, places in high traffic areas that will begin to show signs of wear long before the floors have worn out their beauty of usefulness. With that in mind, how do you know when the time is right for refinishing?
Refinishing hardwood floors doesn’t have to be the stuff that nightmares are made of. In fact, if at all possible this is the kind of chore you should really entrust to professionals (this way someone else is responsible if something gets messed up). Another reason to entrust this to professionals is that they have access to the best of power tools for this specific job. And using the right tools is sometimes all the difference in the world. While it wouldn’t be cost effective for the average home owner to purchase these tools for a one time project, a professional floor person would often have cause to use these tools.
So what is the difference between a floor that simply needs to be cleaned and one that needs to be completely refinished? One way to do this is to go to one of the high traffic run down areas of your floor and spill a few drops of liquid onto the floor. If the liquid beads up there is still some life left in your original finish and you are not quite ready for a major overhaul. If on the other hand, the wood soaks the water right up, it is time to refinish.
One of the great things about refinishing is that you can choose to go lighter or darker than before or even to use the exact same finish. If you’re looking for a way to change the look of a room, changing the finish of your floors is definitely a way to make a large impact on a room. Keep in mind that stain samples will look different when they are on the entire floor and that different stains react differently to different hardwoods, you definitely want to choose a stain that is compatible to the hardwoods of your floors. The age of your floor also has a tremendous impact on how the stain will look when the floor is finished. A good place to try stain samples is the floorboard of a closet.
Hardwood flooring comes in many different stains and colors, the more popular stain options include stains that appear natural, light stains that don’t significantly altar the look of the wood, medium stains, which bring out a darker tint in the grain of the wood, and dark stains, which provide a rich, velvety feel to the floor.
If you haven’t something that reaches out and grabs you, you can also go to a local hardware store and have a stain custom blended for your floors. You can get really creative for these stains and have a lot of fun in the process, but remember this is your home and you have to live with the floors once they are finished.
Top 5 Ways To Enhance The Effectiveness Of Your Freeze Alarm
In January of 2005, the Sax family woke up to discover that the pipes in their family’s weekend ski lodge garage had burst. The garage was flooded, but that’s not the worst of it. The water then froze, encasing all 3 of their cars in a thick layer of ice. It took hours to chip, crack, pick, and melt their cars free.
Surveys indicate that “frozen pipes” ranks as the number one fear of vacation homeowners in the United States. Water damage is second only to fire damage in number and amount in insurance claims. The best way to prevent your pipes from freezing to make sure you never let your home go below 55°F. The best way to do that is with a freeze alarm.
Why Rely on a Freeze Alarm?
A freeze alarm is a sophisticated device designed to grant you peace of mind when it comes to your property, be it your year-round home or just a vacation spot. A freeze alarm monitors the temperature of your home (or vacation home) and will alert you if the temperature drops to dangerous levels. The freeze alarm alerts you by calling up to three different numbers with a recorded message announcing the risky change in temperature. The freeze alarm will not stop calling until you tell it to, ensuring that someone will be alerted to the situation.
Ultimately, a freeze alarm ensures that you will always know what it going on in your home, even if you can’t be there all the time.
But you can do more than just install a freeze alarm and wait for the phone call. You can jump into action now to enhance the effectiveness of your freeze alarm with several other preventive measures.
Enhancing Your Freeze Alarm: Before It Gets Cold
5. Insulate Pipes
Insulate the pipes in your home’s crawlspace and attic, where pipes are most vulnerable to the cold. The better the insulation, the better the protection. Be sure to use products approved by an independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and only for their approved use (indoor versus outdoor).
4. Seal Leaks
Keep cold air away from your pipes. Seek out air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes. Use caulk or insulation to seal out the cold and seal in the heat.
Enhancing Your Freeze Alarm: When it gets Cold
3. Let It Trickle
Let a little warm water trickle through the pipes overnight. Use a faucet on an outside wall.
2. Open Cabinet Doors
Open the cabinet doors around your sinks and near appliances to let warm air get to the pipes under your sinks. Be sure to remove all dangerous cleaning supplies and chemicals out of the reach of children.
Enhancing Your Freeze Alarm: Before You Leave
1. Keep Warm
Set your thermostat no lower than 55°F (12°C).
Along with a freeze alarm, these actions will help you keep your pipes insulated and prevent freezing. When you install a freeze alarm and take certain measure to protect your pipes, you can leave your home for a ski tip and not worry about returning to thousands of dollars worth of damage. You can own a vacation home and enjoy peace of mind knowing it is safe from water damage. A freeze alarm eliminates that number one concern of property owners: frozen pipes.
Soundproofing a Ceiling with Green Glue
If you have done any research on how to soundproof a ceiling from impact noise (footfall) as well as airborne noise, you have most likely discovered that a floated ceiling using sound clips and furring channels is the best way to combat these noises from above. In essence floating a ceiling on the sound clips and furring channels will offer you the best impact protection provided you add a layer of mass loaded vinyl directly to the open joists. This method of soundproofing is quite effective, yet it can be very costly to install and there is a great margin for error when floating a ceiling.
There is another method of soundproofing a ceiling from impact noise as well as airborne sound that is not quite as effective as the sound clip system, but it will offer you a cost effective solution to this problem by reducing the noise to a tolerable level.
The system I am describing is the “Green Glue” system. Green Glue is a visco elastic damping compound that when applied between 2 rigid hard surfaces, such as drywall, MDF or OSB and will act to dampen or change the resonant frequency of the wall board. A quick analogy is to visualize you ceiling as being a drum head, if the drywall ceiling has no been treated with the Green Glue the sound will resonate much like the sound of beating a drum head. Now if you add the Green glue to the equation you have in essence placed a finger onto the middle of the drumhead and completely stopped the resonance of the drum. This is precisely how Green Glue works in a ceiling application. Acoustical Consultants and others in the field have long known that in order to achieve the best soundproofing, you need to deaden or dampen the structure above as well as the drywall. Green Glue does exactly that; it deadens the existing drywall as well as the new drywall with the Green glue applied that you screwed into the existing drywall ceiling.
Will Green glue get rid of all the impact noise from above? Probably not, but will it make your life more tolerable? You bet it will. Green Glue is an economical and effective way to soundproof your walls, floors and ceilings from both airborne and Impact noise from the people living above you. Green Glue is effective in most condo and co-op situations and works remarkably well in lofts as well. When you’re at your wits end and need to soundproof right now, Green Glue is the fast and effective soundproofing answer. For more in depth information about soundproofing your ceiling with Green Glue, go to www.greengluecompany.com and read the many testimonials on this product and see the test that were performed with Green Glue against Mass loaded vinyl, lead sheeting, Quiet Rock™ and Quiet Glue™. Green Glue out performs these and many other soundproofing agents hands down. Many companies such as Soundproofing America and Sound Isolation Company offer quality discounts and contractor pricing on the Green Glue. Thanks for reading. Dr. Bob…. out!
March 14, 2009
Green Glue Instead Of Insulation For Soundproofing
Old School soundproofing still believes that batt insulation is a good soundproofing agent. There are some good sound batt insulations out there such as Roxul AFB and Bonded logic’s bonded cotton insulation and they work well for both soundproofing and thermal protection, however no batt insulation is strong enough to stand alone as the sole soundproofing material in a wall ceiling or floor assembly.
If you can afford a good batt insulation I always encourage it, but if you are soundproofing as ceiling and are not really concerned about the thermal aspects of the ceiling then I feel adding drywall pieces cut to fit perfectly into the joist cavities and screwed to the sub floor above would be much more effective than any batt insulation. Now to super charge this application I recommend that before you screw the pieces of drywall to the sub floor you apply Green Glue sound dampening compound to the back of the drywall pieces prior to screwing them to the bottom of the sub floor.
Green Glue is a visco elastic damping compound that is taking the soundproofing industry by storm. It comes in caulk tubes and is applied using a large quart size caulk gun. Basically you would cut the pieces of drywall to fit snuggly between the joist cavities. You would the liberally apply the Green Glue to the backside of the cut drywall and then screw it to the bottom of the sub floor. The Green Glue will be sandwiched between the drywall and the bottom of the sub floor. The tighter you screw the drywall down, the better the soundproofing will be. In essence, the pieces of drywall sporting the Green Glue in their backsides with become a most effective sound dampening system that will dampen the impact noise from above long before it is able to be transmitted into the joists and ultimately into the ceiling below. Now, is more better in this case? Absolutely, if you are able to double or triple the Green Glued layer of drywall you will indeed increase the dampening ability of the drywall and the sub floor and add greatly to the soundproofing endeavor.
Once you have installed your layers of Green Glued drywall pieces into the joist cavities, now would be a good time to install your sound or thermal batt insulation.
Now for our finished drywall ceiling, I recommend that we spend the money for 2 layers of 5/8” drywall. You will screw in your first layer of drywall directly to the ceiling joists. Now your second layer will be installed directly over top of the first layer however, you guessed it, I recommend that you apply 3 tubes of Green Glue to each 4’ X 8’ sheet of drywall that you put up. Once you have finished with the double drywall using the Green Glue, you should immediately detect a lack of annoying noise coming from the people above. You have soundproofed your ceiling and your neighbors don’t even have a clue that there was a problem there. How awesome is that? Read more about Green Glue and soundproofing walls, ceilings and floors in subsequent articles, for now this is Dr. Bob….Out!!!
Fire Blanket Safety in the Home
While many of those employed in the emergency services can see the importance of having a fire blanket in the home the same cannot be said for the general public. It is an unfortunate fact most people either ignore the dangers associated with home fires or they just do not realize the dangers that exist.
Most house fires start in the kitchen which accounts for almost 28 percent of all fires in the home. This is a very high number and most fires in the kitchen are caused by either a lack of concentration or because the person was interrupted by an unexpected occurrence. This could be something simple such as the telephone ringing, a caller at the door or maybe one of your children needs your immediate attention.
One of the main causes of fire in the kitchen is when dealing with very hot oil. If not monitored it can reach such high temperatures as to catch alight in an instant. When this happens instant panic will set-in as you try to find a very quick solution while under intense stress and trauma. Most people would dampen a towel under the tap and throw the soaking material over the flames. Smothering the fire does work because it starves the flames of the oxygen they need. But using a small towel to do it causes more danger.
Many people who have tried this method have the burn scars to prove it. The problem is that you feel you have to get very close to the fire to douse the flames. If you miss you may not get a second chance so you get as close as you can get. This is where the severe burning takes place. It may not be the actual flames that cause the skin damage, it could be just the intense heat. Other people have been burned because they may have missed the target and try to retrieve the cloth to try again. This time you may have a partly burning cloth to contend with as well as a fire that is on the verge of getting out of control.
Fire blankets are recommended by all the emergency services and people involved in health and safety. They immediately know the safety benefits that fire blankets can bring when used correctly. They should be made easily accessible near an exit doorway. Never hide them away in draws or cupboards and expect to find them easily when a fire takes hold. Placing them near to an exit ensures that you have away out should the fire blanket not be enough or if things go wrong.
Fire blankets are also ideal for covering someone who has actually caught fire and can also be worn over the head if you need to pass an area that is on fire or where extreme temperatures are causing difficulty. Protecting the vital organs is the most important factor when you are confronted with fire.
Fire blankets can be purchased in many DIY stores and hardware shops and the costs varies with the type and size you need. Many of the fire blankets can be reusable after washing though you will need to check the supporting documents for confirmation of this.
Every home should have a fire blanket located in the kitchen or where cooking takes place. When you consider the minimal cost to purchase one against the protection they provide for your home, your personal effects and of course your loved ones they will be one of the best investments you can ever make.
Features In Barbeque Grilles Shopping
There is a lot of guesswork involved when you are shopping and considering all of the features in barbeque grills shopping that are available through Internet shopping websites and brick and mortar buildings located in any city in the United States. People have specific cooking styles and can be very particular about how they cook their barbeque.
Some of the features in barbeque grilles shopping offer two burners to the left and right of the major grilling area. This feature allows families to cook vegetables and barbequed beans on a schedule that will match the time when barbeque pork or beef is ready to be removed from the fire. These burner features in barbeque grills can be found in 4 burners too. Everything you can think of can be finished at the same time.
Other features in barbeque grills shopping might be heating source. Some barbeque grills feature propane gas, and others have natural gas adapters you can use. There are charcoal grills in many sizes that can add true charcoal taste to the meat while it is on the grill. Propane gas will sear the food appropriately but rarely offers real charcoal flavor. It is flavor more closely resembles burnt edges more than full cooked flavor.
Another of the likeable features in barbeque grills shopping can be found in the size of barbeque grill that a person is shopping for. Some of these barbeque grills have a cooking surface of 42 inches, and include a built-in rotisserie too. For single families, smaller features in barbeque grills are desired.
A small family will find greater enjoyment in an easy-to-light barbeque grill model than one that takes a lot of elaborate preparation, such as filling with charcoal, applying lighter fluids to the coals, and having to wait patiently while the coals turn to an even red ember suitable for cooking. These extra flammable items are not generally favored by families who have small children in the home.
People that have large kitchens and want to improve their resale value, find features in barbeque grills shopping that are built-in to the kitchen counters, or walls as a very desirable item. These built-in grills are a true favorite to people that do a lot of entertaining in their home. These built-in grills will generally have a built-in exhaust system too, and those features in barbeque grills will make a good resale point when the home is placed on the housing market.
For people that want serious features in barbeque grills shopping that they want to put in their homes, a serious shopper might find independent smoker trays, and grill surfaces that are made specifically for pork and beef on one side quite acceptable, and more refined grill surfaces on the other that are perfect for fish and vegetable cooking as an added bonus.
Elaborate features in barbeque grills shopping might include a integrated halogen light for cooking at night. The 50 pound rotisserie might seem a bit excessive but if you cook large turkeys then this features might be considered the norm for your household. Some people use the surface coating features in barbeque grills to dress up the outside cooking area of their home. Pretty stainless steel is a better choice to look at than black smut filled, brick cooking pits by a long shot.
Rare And Exotic Garden Perennials For Landscape Planting
The term, 'perennial plant', means simply that the plant returns following severe freezes, to grow again the next year. Trees are cold hardy tested perennials by nature, some trees that are evergreens and do not go dormant, but merely slow down during various seasons, and other shade trees enter dormancy and shed the leaves. Tree growth of shade trees may stop altogether in extremely cold climates, but in the spring, will surge with buds that open to flower and leaf out.
Great difficulties arise in assigning a plant, 'perennial', mainly because the primary determining factor, temperature range varies from year to year; and every century extreme cold temperatures may erase certain plant populations that have survived in areas before for decades or sometimes even centuries. A perennial plant may be a survivor, thus a "perennial" for a given growing area, then suddenly may become extinct in that growing area. The USDA has constructed a zone map that reveals averages of temperatures reached by the location in your State. This map is a nursery tool used to predict whether a perennial will live (cold hardy) in your area.
Agaves are a diverse genus of over 200 species of rosette, spear-like, leafed evergreen perennials. Agave typically grows as low shrub-like plants in dry or well-drained soils of the Southern part of the U.S. from New Jersey down to Florida, and then West to California. Many Agave species, such as Agave americana or Agave tequilana, have sharp recurved, protective teeth running along both sides of the blade of its semi-curved, lance-shaped leaves, with a sharp needle-tip lance at the end. There are Agave species, like Agave attenuata, and Agave stricta, that do not have sharp-teeth at all, but are smooth. The color variations of Agave plants range from shades of green, to silvery-grey, bluish-green, top yellow or white stripes, such is the case with Agave americana 'media-picta'. The bloom of mother Agave plants are a beautiful array of pendulent bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers soaring high above the mother plant on a flower stem that may reach 20 feet or more for some agave species. The bloom period of a mother Agave plant is during the summer and the flower stalk is magnificent to behold, however, this event means the cycle of life ends for mother Agave and begins again for her Agave offspring. Agave plants are an excellent choice for rock gardens or well drained soils that lend themselves well to terracotta or cement planters. Agaves are fairly slow glowers so expect higher prices on these sunloving garden jewels at retail garden centers. Huge specimen agaves can be quickly delivered by semi-trucks.
The ancient Egyptians in 1500 BC grew the Aloe for healing, and while the Pharaoh held all the Jews in captivity, aloes were used as cosmetics and for the sacred healing power of this mysterious perennial. The Book of John, in the New Testament Bible, John 19-39, records that Jesus' body was wrapped in linen cloths and aloes after the corpse was removed from the crucifiction cross before burial. Aloes are evergreen perennial plants that grow as shub-like, climbing or tree-like plants. The aloe plant leaves are fleshly, succulent, long tongue-shaped groups of rosettes, or as star-patterned limbs. Most forms of the aloe, 300 species genus, have toothed leaf blades with soft to piercing hard teeth. Aloe saponaria and Aloe vera are the two most commonly found containerized aloes in homes and gardens. Aloe vera plant extracts have long been used by mothers on their children for fast relief for minor cuts and burns. Aloe saponaria is cold hardy down to freezing temperatures and is widely grown in Southern gardens for the beautiful, coral-colored, tubular blossoms and for the making of medicated soap. Most aloe plants are small, 1-3 foot tall and width, however, a few tropical aloe species, such as Aloe marlothii grow into large, 120 foot succulent trees. Aloe plant varieties may vary enormously in color from yellow, red to blue-greens, or to spotted or striped with random variegation.
Fern plants are a beautiful landscape choice or a container perennial, because of the delicate graceful foliage. Fern plants are native to the U.S., and found growing on every continent on the Earth. Some ferns grow well as cold hardy plants in some areas bordering arctic conditions. A gardener can find a fern perennial to buy in practically any nursery or mail order operation.
Florida tropical perennials are restricted for growing in many States, because of the lack of cold hardy resistance. Some gardeners prefer to plant Florida perennials in greenhouses, or to grow as an annual.
Flowering Vine perennials grow fast to cover fences, lattices, walls, and not only offer rewards of flowers, but many interesting flowers in colors of red, blue, white, pink, and yellow. If planted and grown in the sun, the flowering vines require little care of vine maintenance.
Yucca is a genus of evergreen plants, with approximately 40 species that grow in dry, desert-like areas. However, this is a common misconception, because members of the Yucca family can be found growing in 30 of the States in America, from New Jersey, down to Florida, and west to California. Yuccas can be grown as small shrubs or yucca trees, up to 30 feet tall, depending upon the yucca species. Yucca has lance-shaped leaves growing in a rosette pattern, on a woody stem or trunk-like frame. Yucca plants may vary dramatically in color from shades of green, to white or yellow stripes, to blue-green hues, as with Yucca rostrata, a jewel for any garden. Most yucca plants are stiff and sharp pointed, like the Spanish Bayonet (Yucca aloifolia), while some yuccas have flexable soft leaves, such as Golden Garland Yucca (Yucca flaccida). The flower blooms of yucca grow in summer, and develop into a beautiful, creamy-white pendulum of bell-shaped flowers that tower 8 feet above the mother plant. Yuccas are very adaptable and are among the oldest living trees in the world. The Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia), Yucca filimentosa (Bear Grass or Adam's Needle) is among the most cold-hardy and widely grown varieties. The strong, stringy filament (fiber), that run a course from the needle tip, down the margin of the leaf, was used by native Americans for making into garments and possibly the treating of war wounds.
The roots of Yucca were also used to make soap. The primary use for yucca plants in todays landscapes are for their ornamental beauty, like we find in Yucca flaccida 'Golden Sword', in terracotta pots or in ground landscape plantings. Some people use Yucca aloifolia 'Spanish Bayonet', Yucca treculeana 'Spanish Dagger', or even Yucca brevifolia 'Joshua Tree', as security hedges for their beautiful and exotically bazaar, stiff leaves, hence the nickname, "Burlars' Nightmare." Yucca plants are typicall sunlovers, growing in well drained soils, but are adaptive and often grow faster in moderately moist areas, such as the Southeastern U.S.
