Monday, August 31, 2009

How to Install Your Bathroom Mirror

Upon successful purchase of that perfect bathroom mirror, the next thing that you need to do is to put it up in your bathroom. It helps to have an idea on how to install that mirror.

First things first - check the quality of the bathroom mirror you have just purchased. Make sure to see if all parts are in place to avoid accidents of the mirror slipping from its frame. This ensures that the mirror is in perfect condition and at the same time safe for use in your bathroom.

The next thing that you need to do is to identify where the bathroom mirror will be placed. Make sure to put it at the same level as the people who will be making use of it. This means that you would like to consider the height to identify where you will be placing it. Should this not be possible, then you may place the bathroom mirror in a way where it may be adjusted suitably. Once you've identified where to place it, you'd like to start putting markings for installation.

Once you have placed the markings, the next thing that you would need to do is to put another mark where the screws will be placed. Make sure that your line markings are safe so that after installation, use of the mirror will be pleasant for those who will be utilizing it.

Once you have the screw markings in place, make sure to check again them again. It pays to be safe to begin with. It will be helpful to check the any other aspects which you should consider for a successful bathroom mirror installation. Taking cautions is of importance especially when you are looking for the right material for your bathroom.

To stress things again, it pays to ensure that your bathroom mirror is in the perfect condition and to make sure about following installation details accurately. Keeping both of this in mind does not only make the bathroom mirror look good, but it also makes it certain that it is safe for use for everyone in the house.

The process of checking and measuring may seem dreary. Looking at searching for the right bathroom mirror until its installation and even until making sure it works well with the lighting of the room. You may want to start looking at things differently though and see this in the positive side. Look at is as a fun time in the bathroom and also measures on making sure that things are well-maintained and safe for use.

For more information about Bathroom Mirror please visit: http://www.mhnshopping.com/bathroom-mirrors/

Eliza Maledevic Ayson writes for Jump2top.com - SEO Company

Bath Lift Features and Benefits - A Consumers' Guide to Bath Lifts

Bath lifts are specially designed seats that fit into a standard bathtub with no remodeling or drilling necessary. The seat lowers the user into the bath, and then raises them when they are ready to get out. Of course, some bath lifts are better than others. For example, a reclining bath lift is more comfortable - who wants to sit up perfectly straight while taking a relaxing bath?

The dimensions of the seat itself should also be a consideration. The width of the seat is pretty standard within an inch or so (because it must fit into a standard bathtub), but the depth of the seat varies. Would the user prefer a "deeper" seat, or not? Also, different bath lifts have different weight capacities: if the user is 300 lbs. or more, they will probably need one of the more robust bath lifts. Should the bath seat be portable, to make it easier to transport or store? Most of the better bath lifts can be broken down into two or three pieces, making storage or transportation much easier.

The optional features that are offered with bath seats can make all the difference in the world. For example, some bath lifts offer an optional swivel seat which makes getting into and out of the seat much easier. Also, soft seat covers are usually considered optional and would be more comfortable than the hard plastic surface, but would require cleaning more regularly. For those with greater mobility needs, some bath lifts offer chest harnesses or lap harnesses, which can make it much easier for a caretaker to use.

Bath lifts can be large, expensive, fixed installations; but this guide primarily deals with the more affordable types that are mounted to the bathtub by suction cups and are battery-operated. All battery-operated bath lifts are designed to use the charge intelligently. That is, they will not lower the seat into the bath unless the remaining battery charge is sufficient to raise the chair back up. This means the user doesn't have to worry about being stuck in the bathtub because of a dead battery in the bath lift. These types of bath lifts are very dependable, safe, sturdy, and they don't require professional installation. These models are also much more affordable and have become much more popular than fixed installations.

If you are thinking of purchasing a bath lift for yourself or a loved one, you should take all of these factors into consideration. Bath lifts are now as inexpensive as $500, reclining models are as low as $600, and they offer all the same benefits as the heavy installations that cost several thousand dollars.

Sean Lutger is an experienced writer on products offered by the medical industry. Bath lifts are very convenient, safe, and comfortable. Recently, they have become much more affordable because they can now be installed without remodeling or drilling. Learn more by visiting AmeriGlide.

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Countertops and Your Kitchen Remodel

You should not only have a wonderfully designed kitchen, but you should also have a kitchen that looks good and feels good. You need to also have a kitchen that is practical. You will want to consider the kitchen island as a way that you can fill a big space, but also a way that you can prepare foods more quickly and have a casual dinning table. Think about all the fun you can have learning to cook new things, or just when you want to entertain in your kitchen.

You can design the kitchen island with the classic butcher block or you can use a counter top that brings out the drama. You will also find that the kitchen island will allow you to have extra space to work in preparation and a place where you can sit and have a casual dinning experience. You will want to consider the fact that islands can have multiple purposes.

There are some that are L spaced and then you have just regular square or rectangular shaped. You can have them custom made so that you can extra space for storage and extra space in general. Kitchens that are wide open tend to look very dull and boring. If you use the island as an accessory then you will be able to suit all you kitchen needs in practicality and style. You should consider having stools for the island too. You will want to purchase or build the island so that you can have something that really brings all the space and style together. You will find that there are so many ways that you can use the island.

As for the benefits of the island, you will want to consider the fact that you will be able to prepare your food easier. You will also be able to enjoy it as a design when you choose your surface top. You will also want to consider adding storage underneath. It can be a place where your kids eat breakfast. It can be a place that centers the kitchen. You will want to consider some of the options that you have with the island and consider drawing up plans to have one installed into the kitchen. For those who do not have a big kitchen, you will want to consider getting a small kitchen island that is pre-made for your liking.

When you look at the kitchen island as a way that you can incorporate your dcor, you will be able to make a huge impact on the way that your kitchen looks and how the kitchen operates. You need to consider the deals that you will get locally and on the Internet. You will also want to think about all the styles that you could incorporate into your kitchen.

Johnathan Bakers's short articles are published on plenty of websites associated with kitchen island designs. His writings on kitchen islands can be encountered on his webpage as well as various other web pages.

Household Mold

Household mold is considered an environmental annoyance that can cause irritation while breathing. It can make the health of asthma patients worse and can cause allergic problems to sensitive persons. The mold may affect children with several problems such as irritation, allergies, and infections.

Household mold comes in a wide variety of species and forms. It differs in colors, including charcoal, grey, and black. There is variation in toxicity for different species. Among the species, six are common in which three can produce toxins. These six common molds are Stachybotris, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Mucor, and Cladosporium. Stachybotris is a toxic mold that can produce more than 200 poisonous substances. These toxins are autoimmune and can affect the nervous system. Aspergillus is an opportunistic fungus that can cause pathological problems to human beings.

Household mold is found everywhere in day to day households. It can grow anywhere, on tiles, grout, food, fabric, plaster, and wood. The mold grows well at room temperature with humidity. Other necessary items for mold growth are adequate moisture and nutrients. These items are obtained from the surface where the mold grows. The mold can destroy the material on which it grows.

There are certain ways to identify and control the presence of household mold. First, check whether there is any sign of moisture or mold at home. A musty smell in a room is an indication of mold growth. If there is any sign of mold, then find the particular surface of the mold growth and clean the surface. Additionally, remove the sources of moisture and keep the moisture content in the rooms at a desired level. Water should not be allowed to stand in drip pans of refrigerators and air conditioners.

Secondly, check whether there is any leakage problem, water stains or water discoloration from taps, especially in the bathrooms and kitchens. If these problems are found, rectify them immediately to prevent the mold growth. Even if the mold is removed, but the water problem is not solved, then the mold will appear again on the same surface.

Mold provides detailed information on Mold, Toxic Mold, Black Mold, Mold Inspection and Testing and more. Mold is affiliated with Toxic Mold Symptoms.

How to Give Your Bathroom a Custom Look With Knobs and Pulls

Many homes today that have been purchased brand new or have been recently built suffer from something like a case of the blahs. The home itself is, of course, beautiful, or you wouldn't have bought it, but you may also find your new surroundings a bit sterile, particularly in the bathroom.

Brand new bathrooms are often done entirely in white - white walls, white tile flooring, white tub, white shower stall, white sinks...that's a lot of white, and certainly doesn't do much to show your personality. To really start feeling at home and comfortable in your new house and bathroom, you will want to put your own personal stamp on things, you'll want to express your unique sense of style, and the good news is that all that white makes the perfect canvas to put your creativity to work on.

Many of the things you can do to dress up your bathroom fall into the do-it-yourself home remodeling category. A bath remodel does not have to involve a contractor and a plumber, particularly when you just want to decorate the room, not tear it apart and start over again. If you don't want white walls, then a coat of paint in your favorite color will go a long way towards sprucing things up. Since much of the space in your bathroom is taken up by other things - toilet, tub, sink and vanity, medicine cabinet, shower stall - you can get away with painting the walls a bright or bold color without it being overpowering.

The next thing to look at is the shower curtains and window treatments. Adding in draperies for both the windows and the shower in a fabric that you love will instantly change the whole look of the room, and when you add in other matching bathroom accessories like rugs, toothbrush holders, soap dishes, and more, your bathroom is blah no more!

The last area to focus on is bathroom lighting and cabinet hardware. A beautiful new light fixture that blends in well with everything else you've done is an addition that is both functional and decorative, and to finish things off, choose knobs and pulls that complement either the room as a whole, or match the material your lighting fixture is made of. Bathroom cabinet knobs and drawer pulls come in a huge array of different styles and finishes, and while they are necessary items that you need in order to access your bathroom cupboards, your cabinet knobs can also be highly decorative.

It is easy - and if you shop carefully, also inexpensive - to put your mark on your plain bathroom and give it a custom look that lets your personality and style shine through.

Amanda works for Your Home Supply (YHS) the definitive website for home improvement tools, and gardening supplies. Your Home Supply offers a wide range of products, like cabinet hardware, to help customers with common household repairs, as well as decorative accessories for the home. Visit them now at http://www.YourHomeSupply.com

Sunday, August 30, 2009

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

The first question you need to ask yourself when remodeling a bathroom is can you actually do the work yourself or do you have someone that can help you with the remodeling. If you don't know anyone and can't do the work yourself, I would suggest hiring a contractor with experience remodeling bathrooms.

If you can do the work yourself or think you could do the work yourself, why not give it a shot. Any experience you have in construction or home remodeling, is going to be beneficial to your bathroom remodeling project. There is plenty of information on the internet or in your local libraries on bathroom remodeling and these often prove to be great resources for do it yourselfers.

As an experienced contractor I have gathered a great deal of information through books, at work and watching local home improvement shows. The biggest problem with the show's and quite a few of these books, is they don't provide enough information. Most of the time they provide you with the basics of bathroom remodeling and you could soon find yourself in trouble or seeking the advice from a home improvement professional.

The largest benefit for doing the bathroom remodeling project yourself, could be the money you save, along with the satisfaction of completing the project. It makes homeowners feel good when they've completed a large home remodeling project, like a bathroom remodel.

If you don't have the time, lack the experience or a combination of both, I would suggest hiring a contractor to relieve you from the stress and frustration of your bath remodeling project. The more complex your bathroom remodeling project is, the greater the degree of difficulty, the longer it will take to complete the project. Some of these projects can take up a lot of your time.

If you're working on galvanized water supply pipes or old cast iron waste pipes, you could find yourself hiring a plumber to install your bathtub and fixtures. These old pipes create problems for most do it yourselfers and I would suggest hiring a professional, whenever you run into a problem you don't feel comfortable with.

Choosing to tackle some of these difficult problems yourself, could lead to water leaks and more damage to the home eventually costing you even more money than the original cost of hiring an experienced plumber in the first place. When it comes to water, structural framing and electricity, think twice, especially if you're not experienced in these areas.

My advice to do it yourselfers is to hire a professional if you're not comfortable or seek the advice from a contractor or someone with considerable experience bathroom remodeling.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Sauna Bathing Or Steam Bathing?

Sauna is the Finnish word for "bath". Finns who immigrated to the United States centuries ago brought with them a unique bathing custom, which is now only beginning to become popular here. Often confused with a steam bath, a true sauna bath is very different, even though both types of baths offer the same therapeutic benefits.

The temperatures in a traditional sauna can actually approach 200 degrees Fahrenheit! The extremely low humidity present in the sauna makes these temperatures tolerable. Properly designed, the sauna's relative humidity rarely exceeds 2% or 3% when operated in the "dry" mode. This permits the copious amount of perspiration produced by the body to dry quickly thus having a cooling effect.

All Scandinavian style saunas have a radiant air heater, which has a container of stones. These stones retain and radiate heat more consistently, which is why the Tylo electric sauna heaters have such a deep stone compartment. The stones can also be sprinkled with water to produce the wet sauna. This creates bursts of steam (called loyly by the Finns), which disappear quickly into the porous soft wood of the sauna. Humidity then climbs from a few percent to 10-15%. This instantly intensifies the sauna's heat as if the temperature had increased drastically (although it may even have dropped slightly).

In contrast, a steam bath makes use of a steam generator. This device heats water directly, not air. The steam room enclosure fills completely with condensed vapor. Clouds of steam envelope the bather. The humidity exceeds 100% and the temperatures are much lower than those of the sauna. Because of their very different modes of operation, the choice of construction materials is critical. A totally non-porous material such as tile, glass, or plastic is the choice for a steam room.

Previously, a homeowner desiring a steam room needed to frame and tile an enclosure and then fit it with a steam door. While this resulted in a beautiful installation, both the labor and materials made this method quite costly. Now, modern plastic technology has made the easy to install enclosure available. It has drastically reduced the cost of installing a steam room in your bathroom or exercise room. The Tylo Steam room enclosures are easier to install and more efficient than their framed counterparts by virtue of their design.

Although the steam room enclosure must be non-porous, the opposite is true of a sauna room. A sauna must be constructed of porous materials (meaning some type of wood), and it often actually employs air circulation through intake and outlet vents. Many varieties of wood are acceptable for sauna construction, but care must be taken when selecting the type and grade.

Whether it's dry heat or clouds of steam, the choice is yours and it is only a matter of taste and lifestyle.

Art Glick - art@almostheaven.net
Almost Heaven Group LLC - http://www.almostheaven.net
304-645-2310

Kitchen Appliances - Appliances For Making Life Wonderful

The world is changing rapidly with technology. Life is very fast and people have no time for any extra work. We spend our precious time at home. Home is a very special place and kitchen makes home perfect. In present life it is very tough to survive without the useful electronic kitchen appliances. These household appliances provide the helping hand and the appliances have minimized the span of time drastically. These appliances are making life wonderful.

The kitchen appliances are available in many forms as a helping hand. These devices help the person in the kitchen fantastically so that more work can be done within a short span of time. The devices are available in the form of refrigerator,Toast maker, Dishwasher, microwave oven, sandwich maker, juice extractor and mixer etc. These advanced device are used in cooking, baking, grilling and washing the dishes. The modern day commodities meant for kitchen, increases the efficiency in the kitchen. There are certain factors that play a key role at the time of purchasing these electronic devices, like applications, durability, multi-functionality, fashion, stylish devices, quality and performance.

These appliances can change the functioning style of market structure as well as the market players. Technological innovations are taking place on daily basis. Every day, new technology with advanced features are changing the model of the kitchen appliances. Some big players in this regard have entered into the market, like samsung, Phillips, Electrlux, Jaipan, videocon and many more. We know that these electronic device reduces the unnecessary timing in kitchen. Dishwasher is a modern day device that is helpful in cleaning the dishes. It eats all dirt from utensils. This saves the time and protects people from skin and other diseases. Microwave oven is used in cooking and heating foods so that it may look like fresh food. Other useable appliances are also available such as Blender, coffee maker etc. Coffee makers are helpful in brewing the coffee without boiling the water in a separate pot. Many portable blenders are available in the market from the different brand home.

In the morning, every body looks quite in a hurry because of the office schedule. So, people needs quick ready-made breakfast. Everyone needs healthy and hygienic diets. For this purpose toastmaker, tea-maker, juice maker are available. One can get his favorite breakfast with the aid of these appliances. Toast maker is used for making toasts, whereas juice extractor makes juice by liquidising, whipping and grinding both dry and wet fruits with much comfort. Tea-maker is helpful in preparing the tea in a few seconds.

In this fast moving life, Kitchen appliances are playing a very good role in saving the precious and most valuable time. These electronic instruments play a very good job with much comfort and specialty. The information about all these devices is available with more viable features.

Alden Jerry is an author of Xpert4u a Price comparison site that provides the relevant information on various Games, electronics and mobile phones products. Cheap Electronics

Estimating the Cost of Building a Basement

There are many things to think about before building a basement. One of the most important thing is the cost to build it. Here are a few tips to help you estimate your construction costs.

Excavation

The first thing you need to think about is the cost to excavate the soil. The harder the soil is to excavate, the more expensive it will be. Of course, the depth of the excavation also affects the cost. The deeper the digging the higher the price.

Concrete

The size and shape of your basement will greatly affect your budget for building a basement because they will determine how much concrete you will need for your project. The more complex your perimeter structure is, the more you are going to spend. You will also spend more for deep basements because they will n need higher and thicker walls. You should also include your basement foundation in calculating your building cost.

Reinforcement

Reinforcing your basement walls is very important. This will allow your basement to easily support the load on top of it. Reinforcing the walls will also strengthen it from the constant pressure it receives from the soil around it.

Backfilling

It is highly recommended that you backfill the perimeter of your basement and its bottom. Backfilling will secure your basement from absorbing water or moisture. Since concrete easily absorbs water, backfilling the exterior of your basement will prevent this.

Drain Tile

Installing a Drain Tile to the foundation of your basement should not be forgotten. The Drain Tile will keep you r basement dry by diverting ground water away from it. Other things to consider when building a basement are labor costs, equipment rentals, finishing and of course your building permit.

Considering building a basement? Discover practical basement remodeling ideas online and turn cheap basement ideas into dream basements at a budget.

Bathroom Lighting Fixtures - How to Choose For Your Remodeling Project

When thinking about a bathroom remodeling project, there are many things to consider. One of the most important items you will need is light fixtures. Keep in mind there will be differences in your project depending on if you are working with an existing home or a brand new home. If you are remodeling an existing home, your lighting requirements for bathroom light fixtures may be different than if you are building a new home. For instance, in an existing home, there will likely be elements in place that dictate the basic style of bathroom vanity you need to choose. Or there could be a decorating style across the rest of your home that you want to continue into the bathroom.

Start by searching the internet to view vast array of light fixture styles available through the many different lighting retail websites. Your choice is important because the way you choose to decorate will need to last for many years and should reflect your personal style. Now is also the time to formulate your budget. Be mindful of costs while shopping and keep your budget updated so you know where you sit. This will assure that you are able to do all of the things you want to in creating a comfortable bathroom.

The size of your bathroom will determine a large amount of your project. It will dictate the style of the bathroom vanity that you choose and the amount of lighting you will need. If the room is small, choose a single sink vanity. If you have a larger space to work with, consider a double sink vanity. The double sink provides additional surface and storage space, and also creates personal space for the people that use the room.

If you are working with a small bathroom, you can create the appearance of a larger space by using light colored paints, selecting a narrow vanity with under-sink storage, and by using mirrors to help create the feeling of more space. Do this by selecting a large mirror that adds dimension.

If you are working with two bathrooms, consider decorating one with a feminine style and the other one with masculine dcor. For a feminine look, use soft light colors for the bathroom vanity and walls, and for the masculine bathroom use strong, dark colors and wood finishes.

The bathroom light fixtures are extremely important to the overall mood in the room. Be sure to work out the electrical wiring for your light fixtures. If you have experience in household wiring you can tackle this project yourself. If you do not have the skills for this, call a professional electrician or select a lighting retailer that can offer you assistance. If you hire out, get at least three quotes so that you can compare the prices. You can find these electricians by going to your computer and searching the internet.

The primary use of a good vanity light fixture is to provide correct lighting for your grooming activities. These lights are placed above and or on the sides of the vanity for good lighting. Often times, the vanity lighting needs to light the entire bathroom, so be sure to choose a fixture or fixtures that you are sure will accomplish this task. Soften the lighting affect in your room with frosted or beige colored light bulbs or by selecting frosted shades for the bulbs. Many lighting retailers have a large selection of shades from which to choose.

When you tackle a project like a bathroom you must do so by sitting down and planning first. The most critical part of your bathroom remodeling project is selecting the light fixtures and the vanity. Everything else will complement these main elements. The floor covering, the walls, the shower and tub colors, and small decorative items you choose will make your bathroom much more appealing and comfortable if you spend the time in the beginning to think through your entire bathroom remodel plan.

Julia Ritzenthaler is Owner of boutique multiple online furniture stores, For more information about unique bathroom vanity ideas, visit us online or email us with your questions at uniquevanities@msn.com.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Keep Your Hot Tub Filters in Good Working Order

Stepping into the warm, massaging water of a hot tub is a great way to relax. Research is beginning to emerge that shows the many health benefits that warm and massaging water can provide to the human body. Muscles relax and people's sense of well being is positively affected.

It is therefore important to keep your spa or hot tub in good working order. Part of this is keeping your water clean and healthy. A hot tub filter is used to trap debris and dirt that accumulate in the water. Often this is hair or dirt. It could also include dust or leaves depending on your backyard and where you live. A filter in good working order will keep your water clean and ensure that you can continue to enjoy your tub without any adverse effects.

There is a range of different filters that you can buy. The most important thing is to purchase one that fits your spa. The best place to find this information is in the manual that would have come with your hot tub. The type of filter you need to buy will determine the price but most range between $20 and $100. You should be able to find a hot tub filter at your local spa store or even online.

The life of hot tub filters is around one year. This can be shorter or longer depending on how often you use the tub, whether you have a spa cover and how much debris are blown around your backyard.

To keep your filter in proper working order it is important to clean it regularly. Remove the filter, hose it down with a pressurized hose and pull out any large debris. This may be quick and simple, but can extend the life of hot tub filters and keep your water clean and healthy.

For more information on the best spa cover for you, check out the Spa Cover Guide. A recent article that may interest you covers looking after hot tub filters.

Tuckpointing

Tuck pointing is a growing industry. It has been around for thousands of years, but has become much more popular in the past ten years. This has spawned a number of innovations.

Originally, brick/stone masons would hammer and chisel out the mortar as needed. Then rinse away their dust allowing the new mortar to stick. After preparing the cracks for re-pointing, these masons would mix up new mortar to replace the old cracked mortar. At this point, they used a hopper or a trowel to hold their mortar, and a pointing trowel or a tuck-pointing trowel to push the mortar into the chiseled mortar-joint. After allowing the mortar to dry to a proper texture, these mortar-joints are tooled and brushed clean.

In todays market, tuck pointing is considerably different. We no longer have to hammer and chisel the mortar-joints to open the cracks up for repair. Most companies use an angle grinder fitted with a diamond-carbide blade prepared for the purpose of removal of the mortar. This innovation allows us to cut the mortar-joints out deeper and faster than had typically been done prior. This depth is about to of an inch deep, and allows for a better bond into the wall. This still requires the dust to be rinsed away to improve the ability to stick or bond in. In recent years, the new mortars are blended to match the original mortar of the masonry work. Note that not all companies are offering Custom Color Matched Mortars. (For companies that offer the Custom Color Matched Mortar System copy and paste this in your search bar). We also no longer need to use the pointing-trowel or tuck pointer to install the new mortar. This industry has adopted a tool used for grouting tile. It is called a grout bag, and it allows for more speed and accuracy when injecting the new mortars/grout into the mortar-joints. The mortar is still allowed to dry to a desired texture, then tooled and brushed clean.

Each of these new tools and processes has made this service faster, stronger, and more desirable.
There are books and other reports available at http://alamomasonryrepair.com/products.htm which will help you to locate quality contractors in your area or guide you through the process of doing the project yourself.

James Nech is a Masonry Repair Contractor in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. His company has repaired thousands of homes restoring them to their original beauty. When he is not repairing Brickwork or other masonry he can be found talking or writing about it. For more articles on brick repair visit his website at http://www.alamomasonryrepair.com

Buying Discount Laminate Flooring

Hardwood floors are beautiful, but, as everyone knows, expensive. A lovely and less expensive alternative is laminate flooring. Laminate comes in a wide variety of both colors and styles, and you can find a laminate to suit any budget. They look just like hardwood floors and are now manufactured by such reliable forums as Mohawk and Shaw, so you know you Will have good quality.

There is a wide range of choices in laminate flooring, something to suit every room in the house and every house in the neighborhood. No matter what the style of the room, there is a laminate that will suit it. There are floorings that resemble Early American plank boarding and there is flooring that is super modern in look.

Most of the laminates today are made to look like wood, but there are other options as well. Laminates are available in styles that resemble tile, stone or marble as well. Using all laminate floorings througout your home, you can have the look of ceramic tile in kitchens and bathrooms, the look of wood in living room and family room and the look of marble in the foyer.

When you begin to shop for laminates, measure the area you want to cover. Then allow 10% for waste and pattern matching. With these numbers in hand, you will be able to price your flooring project realistically.

There are many sites on the Internet where you can shop for discount flooring. These sites have excellent pictures so that you can see exactly what you are going to get. The most important thing when you order on line is that you get all the material from the same lot, so there will be no differences in the material. If all of the material is not from the same lot, you will notice variations in color and textures once the flooring is laid.

Make sure you check the flooring immediately upon arrival for any damage or faults. Make sure there is no chipping or other damage along the edges. Insist on an exchange if there is any damage that cannot be trimmed away without affecting the use of the flooring.

It is a fairly easy project to install laminate flooring, and most handy do it yourselfers can do it. The prep is easy, since laminate can be installed right over existing flooring, whether that flooring is vinyl, hardwood, wood or concretes. Laminate has been successfully installed over concrete in basements.

Laminate flooring comes in pieces that are fitted together in a tongue and groove method. It is not glued or nailed in place the way hardwood floors are, but rather "floats" with the pieces glued to each other rather than to the under flooring. If you are doing one room in laminate flooring, you can easily complete it as a weekend project.

Kurt Schefken's papers can be encountered on countless websites with reference to discount floors. From his detailed writings, the author proofed his deep knowledge on topics like discount laminate flooring.

Do it Yourself Faux Finish Painting

Faux painting is no longer the realm of professionals. You can do it yourself provided you have the correct method to do it. It's not even difficult for first timers and those who want to do it themselves.

The Technique

Faux painting is the way to mimic or imitate the false look of stone texture or leather. You can add color and texture to the wall and it is called additive or positive technique. Removing or diminishing the color or texture is called subtractive or negative technique. Glaze is the common material used in subtractive technique. However, the material dries up quickly.

Faux Glazes

There are two types of glazes: latex or water-based and the oil-based.

Latex or water-based glaze can be easily cleaned with soap and water. This is recommended for first-timers and do-it-yourself workers. When doing this for the first time, however, see to it that you do it on small areas first.

Oil-based are a more durable and harder finish. They also need longer time to apply. For easier use, however, there are ways to help workers. You can buy additive solutions at finer paint supply stores to lengthen working time for glaze painting.

Faux Painting Techniques
The beauty of faux painting is that it provides many techniques to create different effects. Here are some of the many faux painting techniques:

Sponging
It is a positive technique and maybe the easiest method to do. Using a natural sea sponge, you apply paint to a wall to provide a richly textured look. You can use several colors over the base paint and may opt to be bold or subtle. You can even camouflage uneven or repaired crack walls using this method. If you apply glaze here, it can also produce a negative effect.

Ragging/Rag Rolling
This is a negative technique wherein you apply tinted glaze over the base painted walls using a wadded up dry rag or a rag twisted over a cylinder. Tinted darker color glaze in the same color family are used over the base coat. One or two colors can also be used. The glaze can be removed from the rag by dabbing or rolling it over. If you like a softer look and texture, you can use sponge and it makes a positive finish.

Color Washing
This is an additive technique which makes use of tinted glaze mixture over the base coat and applied in a circular motion appearing like you are washing the wall. You can either use a rag or a natural sea sponge for your preference for a soft look or a more textured look.

Stripping
This is a positive technique wherein stripes are designed by using a level or plumb line as guide. Cover these stripes with tape then paint glaze every other one.

Apply anyone of these methods to your room and look how marvelous it could look after. You will be amazed with the result of your own effort and it would be a great experience for you.

Jaworski Coatings, Inc,
41375 Oberlin Elyria Rd.
Eylria, Ohio 44035
Toll Free Office 1-866-87-2114
Fax (440) 328-4539
welovepainting@gmail.com
http://www.WeLovePainting.com
http://www.LogHomeColors.com

Bathroom Design Lighting - The Basics of Bathroom Lighting

Basically, bathroom design lighting should be considered with different kinds of options. There is practicability, safety, style and decoration. When considering practicability, what comes to mind are the cheap bulbs and shadowy figures we usually see on poor suspense or thriller films. But today, one can avail of energy-saving light bulbs which provide enough brightness to fill the whole bathroom. What's more is that these bulbs, aside from being cheaper, may help you cut costs in your energy bill. A little bit of concern for our environment will do you a lot good.

As it is a design, bathroom design lighting also should feature various and creative designs for lights to play on in a room. Considering the purpose of the room, however, for hygiene and beautifying, lighting designs can play-up the room for a more pleasurable and easier way to clean up. For example, to have an easier way of beautifying yourself, putting make-up or shaving your face, bath lights may be installed in either side of the mirrors. They will soften up your features as well as avoid annoying shadows. Also, counter, mirror or sink bulbs may be installed depending upon the theme or style of your bathroom. But always remember that it is better to install a centralized lighting in your bathroom, limiting the bulbs in the bathroom therefore saving energy and costs of your electricity.

Water, moisture and air greatly affect the wear and tear of your bathroom lights. Bathroom design lighting is not only limited to designs and light fixtures but also guaranteeing safety in every bathroom. Light bulbs should be placed in areas wherein it should be untouched by water. If not, protective covering should be placed in order not to risk the safety of those who use the bathroom especially the young and old ones.

Of course, practicability and safety should not compromise style and decoration. As lighting can greatly affect the mood of a room, using the bathroom should be a pleasurable habit as well as a form of relaxation. Bathroom design lighting comes in different shapes and sizes which can also be energy-savers, too. Depending on the theme of your bathroom, there are many designs to choose from, whether sconce-shaped, sleek cylindrical small lamps, Victorian or romantic lamps or just basic fluorescent lights. Just make sure that it does not clash with the over-all design of the bathroom as well as compromise safety measures.

For more information on bathroom design lighting and bathroom lighting fixtures visit http://www.lightingbathroomfixtures.com for helpful insight.

A Simple Homemade Solar Air Heater - Home Tips

The use of solar energy from the sun is one of the ways where depletion of resources (especially that of consumable energy generators such as oil and coal) is lessened and conservation of energy is maximized. Knowing on how to build a simple and cheap diy homemade solar powered air conditioning heater to heat up a room or a house is one example of the application of solar energy for household use.

The basic principle in making a solar air heater lies in the behavior and movements of air, metals and colors. Inside the main body of the solar air heaters are pipes or tubings coated in black paint (using black paint enhances the ability of the pipes to absorb heat). These pipes are also made up of metals which have abilities to attract and absorb heat (some environmentalists use aluminum cans because this metal has a high thermal conductivity and at the same time by doing so recycling is done lessening the garbage and effect to land contamination).

Solar air heaters are usually situated in a vertical position where its body or at least a large portion of the whole apparatus is exposed to the sun's rays. As cool air enters the bottom portion of the tank, it passes through the black-coated pipes and it is in this process that transfer of heat from the pipes to the transient air happens (convection). The laws of heat transfer states that heat moves from the hotter body to a cooler one, following this law, the pipes which in this situation is the hotter object gives off its heat into the cooler body, the moving air.

Basic theories of science also states that one of the properties of air is that cooler air moves down and hotter air goes up. This is partly one of the hidden reasons why solar air heaters are suggested to be built vertically rather than horizontally, because without using any other equipments or devices cool air enters the bottom of the heater then as the temperature goes up due to the transfer of heat this air goes up into air vents or tubes which is connected to the room or house where increase in temperature is desired. No more compressor or pump is necessary for such movement.

The longer the pipings and tubings are and the more tubes the air passes through the higher the increase of temperature from the final output to the initial input are achieved. Designs such as loops and the "snake" piping configuration are sometimes suggested by literature for use as it requires slower rising of air to the outlet and having more heat transfer processes as it passes through. However by using these complex patterns it must also be taken into consideration that this also has a negative side because if insulation of heat is quite poor the longer the pipings are the more chances the initial heat acquired by the air is instead given off to the surroundings. Now you have a better idea on how to build a simple and cheap diy homemade solar powered air conditioning heater.

Want full help in making anything solar? Be eco-friendly and save on electricity.

Go now to http://www.fullearth4energyreview.com to know more on using renewable energy sources at your home, and to have the right guidance.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Keeping Safety Up As Well As Quality in DIY Projects

Do-it-yourself projects would only be successful if you keep the safety level up. In reality, thousands of things could go wrong. For example, installing wooden fences can be a health hazard if you do not know how to handle a power auger correctly.

You can cut your hand with the sharp edges of bathroom tiles during cutting and installation. Making tile mosaics could also turn bloody if you don't wear gloves. All these small considerations contribute to the success of a DIY project.

Safety measures

Some safety measures should be implemented during DIY projects. For example, if you are installing woodworks such as walls, panels and windows, wear protective goggles. Protective goggles should be wear resistant, durable and tough.

Good protective goggles should also be extremely resistant to projectiles or flying objects. Shards of glass, splinters of wood and pieces of tiles can harm the eyes and render the DIY worker blind.

Reading manuals and safety instructions of power tools are also important. Never think that you know more about your tools than the manufacturers themselves. Seemingly simple tools like power drills and power augers are built differently per manufacturer.

If you have new tools, devote ten to fifteen minutes of your time perusing the user's manual, the list of "don'ts" and the list of precautions. Pay attention to instructions regarding voltage and what not to do.

Tips in DIY projects

If you're completely prepared to handle your tools and materials, here are some tips to make your DIY weekend projects that much more fun and successful:

1. When painting walls, you can utilize straight vertical lines. These vertical lines should run from the floor level straight up to the ceiling. The purpose of these lines is to create the illusion of height, width and size.

Space the lines congruently and make sure they run parallel to each other. Skewed lines create the impression of chaos and compactness.

2. If you want a room to appear larger and wider than it really is, you can utilize horizontal lines instead of vertical lines. Horizontal lines create the illusion of dynamic size and allow the eyes to travel from one corner of the room to another.

The lines would also cut through the lighter background color, creating the illusion of a horizon.

3. The illusion of receding walls (or walls that seem to shrink) can be done with pale colors. Pale colors can easily be made by mixing the color of your choice and white paint. Find the right balance, and aim for a creamy hue before application.

Now, if you want a room that seems to move inward, creating the illusion of a smaller room, you can use darker paints. Inversely, darker hues can easily be created by mixing black and the color of your choice. Use only small amounts and mix well.

Pale colors require a creamy texture, darker colors require a glossy appearance. Dark colors that are creamy will result in a dull appearance upon application. This is especially true for the color red.

If you want colors that would be relaxing to the eyes, try marigold, green and light pink. Blue reacts with natural sunlight and creates the illusion of a brighter room.

The author of this article is Benedict Yossarian. Benedict recommends Roof Bond Foam Roof Insulation and Dekorbeton Concrete Stamping for your DIY needs

Choosing Types Of House Windows

A very important part of every house is the fenestration, which means the selection, size, and arrangement of the types of house windows. Windows do much for the exterior appearance of a house and can make a room livable or intolerable, depending on where they are placed and how they operate.

There are three general types of windows: those that slide up and down, those that slide sidewise, and those, called casements, that are hinged at the side and swing out or in.

The ancient and honorable double-hung windows that slide up and down have many things in their favor. They are weather tight, if properly installed, they operate easily, and they are not expensive. The ones that are fitted with weights and cords that run over ball-bearing pulleys are the most satisfactory.

So-called sash balances of various kinds are on the market, which seem to work rather well, especially when they are new; these work on the principle of winding and unwinding a spring. Be sure the windows are sufficiently counterbalanced in some way so that they operate freely and easily.

The types of house windows that slide horizontally are at the moment more in favor, perhaps because these new aluminum windows lend themselves particularly well to the modern house. If they move on nylon rollers they seem to be rather satisfactory; but they are not as windproof or dustproof as the double-hung wood windows.

The fact that the aluminum does not require painting partially offsets the slight additional cost. If you consider the repeated paintings that wood windows will require, the aluminum will be cheaper in the long run.

Many people feel that the metal windows go particularly well with modern type houses and fear that the wood looks out-of-date. This is largely a matter of opinion.

In a very cold country the wood is less liable to collect frost on the inside, as the metal is a very good conductor of heat, and will conduct heat rapidly to the outdoors on a cold night and may collect considerable frost on the inside from moisture condensed from the warmer air of the room,

Much depends on the taste of the home owner, either of these two types of house windows will last as long as other parts of the building. If you like one kind, use it. The size and placement of the windows is more important than the material of the frame.

Glass blocks can be used to let in light and for decorative purposes, but they do not help with the ventilation of a room, which must be provided in some way for every room.

If the bathroom window can be fitted with a piece of glass that is translucent, but has a surface texture that does not transmit an image, it will save a lot of curtaining, which is often in the way in a bathroom. This glass is known as rolled glass, hammered glass, or obscure glass, and is not too expensive in the simpler patterns.

Casement Windows

Windows that swing in or out have a few advantages, but they tend to be in the way. Those that swing out are easier to make weatherproof, and are usually less in the way than those that swing in. When you hinge a window at the side or at the top and can open it wide, you getthe full size of the opening for fresh air, but when you open a sliding window you get only half the opening for air circulation.

If a window is mostly for ventilation, then the casement (hinged) type will be more effective. But casement windows are not noted for their tight fit and ability to exclude dust, water, or cold. Although weather stripping often is helpful in making them tighter, it can also make them more difficult to operate.

Well-chosen types of house windows will greatly enhance the beauty of your home.

Curious About Home Improvement Costs?

I've Got Loads Of Expert Advice And Useful Tips To Help You With Your Home.

Click Here For Great Ideas: http://www.houseblueprint.net/

Choose a New Shape

Many people think that a bathtub has to be oblong simply because they have never looked at the very many different shapes that are now available in today's marketplace due to this fact it is possible to choose a bathtub that is made of various bathtub shapes and really change the look of your bathroom as well as transforming your bathing experience.

One of the main types of bathtub that has come onto the market over the past few years is what is known as a corner bathtub, and as the name implies it simply fits into the corner of the bathroom. The good thing about it is that it can save a lot of space and so if you have a small bathroom this can be a really good thing. They can also be quite deep which means you can have a good soak into the bargain.

Of course not everybody has a small bathroom, and if you're one of the lucky ones who happens to have a large bathroom then one of the best things you can do is to look at the bathtub that really can add an element to a design. For many people who like the traditional look a claw foot bathtub is one of the best things to choose, particularly when it is put on a pedestal. This really does add a center of attraction to the whole bathroom, and the shape, which is usually nicely curved, really does have a relaxing air.

You should also remember that as well as many different shapes now being available there are now many different ways of taking a bath apart from sitting in hot water. A Jacuzzi bathtub is not as expensive as it used to be and although you do still have to spend a bit of extra money it can be an excellent way to relax at the end of the day. All in all, the next time you're looking for a bathtub think of all the different shapes that are available and the various things you can do to make your bathing experience much better. There really is no need to look at the oblong bathtub any longer.

carl formby owns and operates smallbathtubdesigns.com Small Corner Bathtubs and Handicap Whirlpool Bathtubs

Stair Treads Safety Tips

If you've built as many stairways as I have, this is a very simple question to answer. Should I use 2 x 12 or 3 x 12 for my stair treads? Without a doubt I would use the 3 x 12 for a couple of reasons.

The thickness of the three by material gives it some additional strength and that strength could prevent someone from falling through the stairway and getting injured. Visually looking at the 3 x 12 it gives you the illusion that the stairway is safe. Once you start walking up the stairway and the stairs seem solid and well constructed, it takes the illusion and makes it a reality.

If you're walking up a poorly constructed stairway every day, not only is it a safety problem but it takes a little bit of effort as you walk up the stairway, holding on to the hand rail with a death grip, this can easily wear someone out physically and mentally, over time. Stairways should be constructed and maintained with safety as the main priority.

If you've ever walked up and older stairway that was built using 2 x 12 for the stair treads, you probably know what I'm talking about. Walking up and down the stairway, while the stair treads are moving, does not give you a strong sense that the stairway is safe. And of course sometimes the stairway isn't.

For example if you have a 3 inch knot in a 2 x 12 stair tread, over time as the wood expands and contracts, the knot can loosen up and fall out of the stair tread, often creating a weak spot in the step. With a thicker stair tread, it will take a little more expanding and contracting to create a weak spot in the stair step.

If you're building a stairway wider than 36 inches, with no center stair stringers to support the stairway, I would suggest using a 3 x 12 or 4 x 12 for your stair treads. 2 x 12 should not be used for stair treads on any staircase wider than 36 inches.

If you choose to use 2 x 12 for your stair treads, select premium grade lumber for safety. Try to avoid using center cut building materials and 2 x 12 with knots larger than an inch and a half. Large knots are one of the biggest problems in construction safety.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping

Learn more about the parts of the stairway, whether you're a experienced carpenter or homeowner. Stair building does not necessarily have to be as complicated as most people make it out to be. There's also a book on how to build straight stairs that can save you a lot of frustration, if you've never built a stairway before. Visit the website

Cupola Design

Small structures on roof tops have a special place in my heart.It was to the belfry(a cupola with a bell) of a renovated 1865 school house that I took my wife Alicia on our first date.We talked about life, watched the sun set, drank a glass of wine and felt like we were on top of the world.Almost three children and 10 years later, I think that belfry must have played a part in my good fortune.

As I drive along country roads it is the cupolas I see first in the distance as they create a jagged skyline above the barns.These are small buildings in their own right perched atop of the roofs of larger buildings.In farm structures their function is mostly for ventilation and sometimes to bring light into the hay mow, but no one can deny that they were put up with thought and care.When you see a cupola atop a barn on a rural road you should look at it very carefully. Often it is the one place where the builders 200 years ago had the opportunity to showcase their design and detailing ability.The barn itself usually needed to be put up quickly and simply so the farm could continue to function. The cupola on the other hand is where time was spent working on the details and having some fun.

The role of the cupola on the roof of the American homes is long and varied.Some of my favorite lanterns(cupolas that bring light into the interior) are on Greek Revival and Victorian homes in the Hudson Valley.Early home designers used cupolas the same way we use them today. They used them to ventilate attics, to bring light into an interior space. They made covered rooms to view the world or protect their precious bell, and used cupolas simply as decoration for their rooftops.When cupolas are designed and placed properly, it is hard to imagine the larger buildings without them.

Lanterns not only bring light into homes, but also give off a warm glow on snowy winter nights that feel like beacons guiding us home.

From the Oxford English Dictionary
Cupola:Arounded dome forming or adorning a roof or ceiling.
Belfry:The place in a bell tower or steeple in which bells are housed.
Lantern: A square, curved, or polygonal structure on the top of a dome or a room, with glazed or open sides.

http://www.crisparchitects.com/ James M. Crisp, AIA is an architect working in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Antique Bathroom Vanities - A Choice Between Genuine And Imitation

Choosing antique bathroom vanity is a serious matter though. You simply do not go in a shop and but the first piece you see. Selection involves factors such as price, design, functionality, type of wood, age, and even the manufacturer.

Basically, when selecting the piece, you are caught between this question: "Should I go for the genuine vanity or should I buy antique design vanity? Unsuspecting buyers may think that every vanity, as long as they look "antique" is the same. The truth however is that both have different qualities.

So what's the difference between authentic antique vanity and antique-design vanity?

First and perhaps the best indicator of the authenticity of it is the price. Authentic antique vanity can go 10 times more expensive as its antique-design counterpart, or even more. And just like a good pair of jeans, it looks better through the years. Antique pieces are often made from mahogany, cherry and oak, types of hardwood that are known to last a lifetime, even more if it is treated properly with wood sealant. A good crafted one will not suffer any water damage.

Antique-design vanity on the other hand is relatively cheaper than its authentic counterpart but is still quite expensive. The price of a single piece can go from $400 to $2,000 depending on its size, design, and type of wood used. While it is not authentic antique, it is designed and crafted to appear very old and to reflect the age gone by using the same type of wood from which authentic vanities are made from. One of the advantages for choosing this type is that you can get it brand new. Meaning, they have the look of all the antique beauty and elaborate designs, but without the wear and tear. Also, your options are almost endless if you choose to buy brand new pieces without spending a lot of money.

Whether you buy an authentic or an imitation antique vanity, there are things that you have to make sure of. First, buy from a reputable manufacturer or antique store. Second, check the warranties that the company offers whether you buy it online or at your local antique or furniture store. And last, choose a vanity you really like.

For tips on choosing bathroom vanities, visit http://www.bathroomvanities101.com

Bathroom Mirror - Reflecting Its Own Splendor

Your bathroom, aside from the widely accepted fact that it is the most private room in your house, has of course an inarguable importance in your daily life. You can in fact, almost not spend a day without you going to the bathroom. Personal grooming activities are very important to man, who is almost always conscious to the image of that he is projecting to the rest of the world. The first thing that you will almost always do in the morning is to wash your face, take a bath, and other things (that you already know)-and all of these are done in the bathroom.

Central to the bathroom's relevance to man's personal grooming activities is the bathroom mirror. As the predominant tool for you to see your own reflections, it is almost always the only unbiased judge that you can trust when you want to have an opinion about your own image-it reflects only what it sees. Your unwashed hair, unclean face, food stain in your shirt, and even that stain in your tooth, all of these, which are more often than not will not be mentioned to you by a friend, are honestly reflected by a mirror.

In addition, the mirror reflects the often little natural light (because of limited and smaller windows, for obvious reasons) and gives added illumination to the bathroom, and the reflection of the bathroom mirror also adds illusion of added space in the bathroom. The bathroom mirror is indeed an important part not only in your bathroom but also in your life. And although before, the bathroom mirror's importance is solely focused on its purpose in your personal grooming activities, now the bathroom mirror seems to be in itself doing some, well, personal grooming.

Bathroom mirrors can come in a variety of designs. The designs of a bathroom mirror can range from the highly ornate to the most simple. It can be as huge as or even bigger than a full grown man's body or it can be just enough to reflect one's face. It can also be oval, circular (for the smaller ones), square, or the more common rectangular ones. Its framing can be made of wood or metal, among others. It can have a variety of colors. It can also be reclining on an angle, stand on its own or just be hanged on the bathroom wall. Combining these factors and you can eventually get the bathroom mirror that you would like. There are lots of bathroom mirror selections on specialized shops for mirrors, home furniture shops, or even online. Just consider your bathroom (size, color, etc.) and your own preferences in ultimately choosing the bathroom mirror that you like.

The bathroom mirror is important not just in your own personal grooming activities but also in practically the grooming activities of your bathroom as well.

For more information about bathroom mirror feel free to visit: http://www.mhnshopping.com/bathroom-mirrors

Eliza Maledevic Ayson writes for Jump2top.com - SEO Company

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Cheap Bathrooms Can Look Good

Everyone wants their bathroom to look good. How can you achieve this, if you don't have a lot to spend on sprucing the room up? There are a lot of simple, inexpensive ways to make your bathroom a beautiful space in your home.

Paint is one of the least expensive and highest impact ways to change a room, and has several applications in the bath. Tired of those old, dingy looking cabinets? A few coats of paint and some new handles can make them look new, at a fraction of the cost of replacing them. Make sure you use a type of paint specifically meant for bathrooms, as it will withstand the moisture much better than those which are not.

Painting the walls gives a room a whole new look for not a lot of cash. Since a bathroom is a small space, you have a chance to play with colours that might be too much in a larger room of your home. You can also use a more neutral paint color, and then upgrade it up with a decorative border of stenciling or festive tiles.

A new faucet updates your basin, and can add a lot of flash. Faucets are widely available in many styles, materials and finishes. If you replace your faucets, re-caulking any seams in the area will make the update complete. Don't dim the effect of a shiny new faucet with aging grout!

A new shower curtain can also do wonders to liven up the dcor in a bath without breaking the bank. A fabric shower curtain, paired vinyl liner, gives the room a more formal feel. Since the shower curtain is probably the largest decorative area in your bathroom, think creatively! You could choose a coordinating color, or one that contrasts with your walls. There are designs in both fabric and vinyl shower curtains that could go with anything - some may even have matching window treatments and floor rugs available. Don't forget the shower curtain hooks, either.

They also come in many styles, shapes and colors, and can be a lovely decorative accent.

Add texture and comfort with floor rugs. Make sure they aren't so big that doors don't open easily, and not so small that they are overwhelmed by the floor space. Choose something soft and comfortable to stand on, that won't slide around on the floor.

Mirrors are a great way to add visual volume to a space, and work well in small areas like bathrooms. They also come in every style, with and without frames, for every budget. You may also find etched mirrors that echo a decorative theme in the room.

A little paint and a few new elements can give a whole new life to your bathroom, without spending a whole lot of cash.

Written by James Chapman, a director of Bella Bathrooms who supply Cheap Bathrooms for the UK market.

Bella Bathrooms is an online retailer formed by 2 plumbers from the North East of England. Having hands on experience of custom bathroom installation and products has enabled Bella Bathrooms Ltd to only select quality bathroom products for their online shop. They sell bathroom furniture, bathroom suites, showers and bath related products for consumers through the United Kingdom.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Why Customers Are Opting For Electric Showers?

Consumers today can enjoy all there is to be offered by the range of electric showers that come with the variety functions and specifications. Primarily, they all serve a common function of sourcing water from the main source or supply system in the house and turns this water which always obviously very cold into either hot or warm water in order for the user to derive the greatest form of utility.

With a high level of similarity with those stated above and also unlike the electric shower, Mira Power Shower has the added advantage probably as can be inferred from the name used to provide hot water in a more "powerful" way. It does this by increasing the intensity of the water spray. The developing engineers have equipped it to perform this function by in-building an automated pump that enhances the water rate. This category of showers can boast of a large variety which includes among others: Mira Event XS; Mira Event XS thermostat; Mira Extreme; Mira Vigour. The underlining factor behind these varieties is that though in the absolute sense they all perform very similar functions they differ in the delivery mode because of the extra and different specifications assigned to every brand.

Take for instance, the Mira Event XS brand, it shares strikingly similar features with the other brands, however the presence of the thermostat to ensure temperature regulation distinguishes it from all the other brands.

Let it be stressed that the choice of any brand is largely contingent with preference, purpose and most importantly economic accessibility.

If you want to know more about Electric Showers then it is a good idea to visit Bella Btahrooms.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Choosing a Full Service Hotel vs A Condominium Resort

The thought of having someone at your service 24 hours a day is appealing whatever your reason for travel - whether for a vacation, business, or to visit your family. For some, staying in a hotel is just a place to rest their head while to others it is the destination itself. While some look for clean rooms and a good restaurant, others may prefer to have a variety of activities to keep them occupied during their stay.

For that reason hotels are as different as the travellers who stay in them. A traveller may find an Inn near the airport very suitable while another insists on 5 stars in the heart of London. Budget hotels exist for the person who is travelling on a strict budget and there are hotels which cater to the businessman and that offer meeting rooms and other business related services.

Resort hotels are popular with families travelling on holiday, while others prefer the quiet exclusivity of a boutique hotel overlooking the Swiss Alps. Boutique hotels offer a more personalized service, smaller and high end, they are often found in urban areas which give guests an opportunity to explore a different side of the city they are visiting.

What they all have in common is goods and services, in this case, full services. Hotels comprise a very large section of the establishment in the hospitality industry and are classified as offering full-service or limited-service, or no-service. Full-service hotels offer their guests a host of different services which include at least one restaurant as well as beverage options, be it a coffee bar, cocktail bar or lounge as well as room service. The larger hotels which cater for exclusive clientele quite often have retail shops available for their guests who can find daily newspapers, gifts or cosmetics.

On top of this, many full-service hotels offer laundry or valet services, a concierge who can arrange theatre tickets and taxis as well as a host of other services. Some boast swimming pools as well as beauty salons, and you may even be able to find a fitness or health centre.

How are Hotels Categorised

Full service hotels, such as a conference hotel, can be distinguished from one another by different features, or services they offer. Conference hotels provide meeting rooms and accommodation for out of town delegates as well as full banqueting services. While there are no hotels categorised as "wedding hotels," very large weddings are easily hosted in this type of hotel as they not only provide accommodation for the wedding party, but also host the wedding in beautifully decorated rooms while providing full catering services.

There are hotels dedicated to casino gambling which offer legal gambling on the same premises along with all the services you may want to find in a full service hotel. Some casino hotels also contain conference or wedding facilities.

Merging Full service with Condominium-Style Rooms

Condominium resorts are becoming more popular and quite a few luxury full service hotels are adding this option to their services. They tend to be very large establishments and because of this are usually managed by luxury hotel chains. But they can also be independently owned and then affiliated with a hotel chain through franchise agreements. This allows them the opportunity to participate in a national reservation service and gives the impression that they belong to a larger group. The main point is that they provide guests with the services and amenities offered by a full service hotel.

More often referred to as resort hotels, this type of accommodation is directed toward families on vacation, but also offers a guest the option of longer stays. They are often set in exotic locations, but can also be found in cities.

These offer luxurious accommodations comprising of apartments complete with kitchens, living and dining areas and separated bedrooms. They offer guests a host of recreational facilities which are suited to locations they are set in. Typically you can find these resorts in vacation destinations like Disney World for instance, but most often they are close to nature such as the sea or the mountains.

Among the facilities they offer are swimming pools, golf courses, tennis courts or other sporting activities like skiing, depending on location. They cater for your children by offering game rooms and supervised entertainment while the adults can make use of beauty spas or health centres.

These types of destinations are a great way to combine business with pleasure, and make perfect conference venues. While delegates are kept busy attending meetings during the day, their families are free to explore and partake in the many activities that are designed to keep them entertained and amused. In the evening, baby sitters can be arranged while you dine.

Due to the nature of their business, occupancy may fluctuate greatly with the seasons, and because of this you may find great off season offers and other incentives.

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about a wide range of topics involving the travel industry. Ms. Larkin also writes about the service side of the travel industry including travel deals one would find by working with a travel agent.

Driveway Raised Creating Problem
Damaged Vent Screen

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Lavender Shower Curtains

The bathroom is a special place for all of us. It is somewhere to clean up and to freshen. Most of us have never really thought of beautifying this place. Not to worry. Lavender shower curtains can change and revitalize your bathroom. The color of the curtains belongs to the violet family. It is a tint of violet on the milder side. There are however different shades.

Some say that purple is the color of royalty. Well, you will certainly feel royal in the presence of these curtains. Therefore, the bathroom will be a cool place to relax after a long hectic day. You can be able to add other matching accessories that will provide a relaxing refreshing mood. The effect of all these will reflect your personality and taste.

The curtains are available in various materials and designs. There are also various shapes, sizes and styles. Most people think that the curtains are only to provide privacy. However, they also prevent water from splashing all over and they beautify the bathroom. Lavender shower curtains will surely make bathing a worthwhile experience. It will not be a quick clean up anymore. It will be more than that.

Lavender shower curtains can be found in household departmental stores. They are also in shopping malls. The Internet is a good source of information. There are different companies that display their designs. You simply need to use your fingers to view them. As you look at the designs always remember your pocket. Nothing good comes cheap. If you are talented, you can buy fabric and make your own curtains.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Shower Curtain. For More Information on Lavender Shower Curtains, Visit His Site at LAVENDER SHOWER CURTAINS

You Can Also Add Your Views About Lavender Shower Curtains At My Blog here LAVENDER SHOWER CURTAINS

Plant Attaches To Stucco
Plaster Wall Moisture Problem

Friday, August 14, 2009

Types and Uses of Wall Mount Brackets

Wall mounting brackets are a popular and commonly used device in homes, offices and public places like hospitals, and railway stations. These devices are used in mounting various electronic devices that need wall mounting or hanging for a proper display. The most popular and maximum use of mount brackets are in mounting LCD and Plasma Televisions.

Mounting Brackets Type

There are different types of mounting brackets depending upon their use and application. There are three main types of mount brackets available in market these days to mount LCD TVs, Plasma TVs and Larger display screens. They are:

Normal Mount Brackets - These are most popular and widely used mount brackets. They help us in placing LCD and Plasma TVs horizontally to the visiting level. Normal mount brackets are popular in home use, where people want to mount their Plasma or LCD TV to the wall, for a better viewing experience.

Tilt Mount Brackets - Tilt mount brackets are for places where people prefer viewing television in tilted position. They are mostly used at public places where the display devices are mounted on a height. They are even prone to theft and damage due to excess public interference.

Hanging Brackets - Hanging brackets are a different subtype of tilt mount brackets. The only difference is that they are mounted in ceiling, whereas other brackets are mounted on the wall.

Choosing a Mount Bracket for Your Need

Choosing a bracket for your LCD or Plasma TV is a crucial task. Because you need to match the perfect bracket specially designed and made for your brand and model. Any other bracket that is made for some other brand or model will not suit with your LCD or Plasma TV. You will need to select a mount bracket that is appropriate for your desired display position. You can easily get one matching to your needs from the stores dealing in mount brackets for LCD and Plasma TVs.

While buying mount brackets, you need to keep this fact in your mind that, they are going to hold your precious LCD or Plasma TV. Therefore, going behind a cheap mount bracket is not a good idea. Its betters, if you go for a trusted brand and dealer with maximum guarantee of your precious electronic devices.

Welcome to Mount Right - Plasma/LCD Bracket Type Plasma/LCD Screen Size Plasma/LCD Major Brand Video Cables & Leads Best Sellers 50% OFF SUPER SALE e-commerce, open source, shop, online shopping. For more information please visit: - http://www.mountright.com/

Hanging Rough Electrical Wires

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Home Purchasing Checklists Provides Peace of Mind

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for consumers with useful information for future home repairs or current home repairs that will need to be done before the home is sold. Home inspectors often use checklists like these, while they're inspecting the home.

If more home shoppers used home inspection checklist while shopping for houses, we would probably have more satisfied homebuyers than dissatisfied ones. Recently just purchasing a home, we had our real estate professional, the previous homeowner's real estate professional and a mortgage lender, involved in the purchase of the property.

There was a home inspection report from the current homeowners, available for us to look at. It provided us with the damaged parts of the home that were repaired or replaced. Some of these repairs were from termite damage and it was stated so on the report. This was helpful information for us as we walked around the home inspecting it for damage.

The work that was repaired to look satisfactory and the rest of the home had minor damage. Listening to one of the real estate sales people that were involved in the transaction, you would've thought we would get in the deal of a lifetime and they had nothing but good news to say about the product they were representing. I easily understood that, this person could have influenced some one into believing that the home was in great shape, if they didn't have a home inspection checklist with them.

The home had been re-carpeted, painted and was in generally good shape. The problems with the home, were the old windows that were hard to open, the heating unit leaked gas, the tile flooring that ran through the kitchen and a large room addition looked great, except for one thing, they installed the tile over linoleum.

This eventually will have to be replaced as the tile starts to separate from the linoleum. While I'm writing this article, there's about 40 square feet of tile that needs to be replaced, because it's popping up and cracking.

A home purchasing checklist does not guarantee that you will find everything but can't eliminate some of the things that homeowners have the biggest problems with. If you could just eliminate one of these problems, the small price of purchasing, one of these checklists would be worth it.

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for the shopper and I would recommend, never shopping for a home without one.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

By Greg Vanden Berge

Tricky Ceiling Framing

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Building Codes - Then and Now

As many of the readers already know, navigating the building code process in Pennsylvania can be a harrowing experience. Additional requirements with regard to permit fees, inspections, engineered plans, and over-building can add tens of thousands of dollars in development costs to a building project for a small business.

Environmental control plans for soil and water, and even sign ordinances that place directional signs and stop signs at the end of the private driveway to direct 2 or 3 customers per day have many people scratching their heads in disbelief.

It is all about liability. When something goes wrong, the courts are bound to find a party "at fault", and that party is then forced to pay the enormous charges associated with an accident. A legal driver who is unaware to look for traffic at the end of a stone driveway before pulling onto the highway can be hit by a vehicle, and is NOT held liable unless the business owner has stop signs properly placed at the end of the drive? What a world.

However, in defense of the building codes, the public relies on governments to "protect us from ourselves" by enforcing construction that is safe and reliable. Legal codes of this type are not a new phenomenon.

The first building code that is recorded was literally written on stone, and enacted by Hammurabi in Babylon in 1758 B.C. The code established the concept that those who designed and constructed buildings for others were held accountable for their work. There were no standard or specific requirements to the law, but rather it simply stated, "If a builder has built a house for a man and his work is not strong, and if the house he has built falls in and kills the householder, that builder shall be slain." This code did not apply to people building homes for themselves or their families.

After the great fires in London in 1666 and Chicago in 1871, agencies began writing codes that took into consideration the buildings of those around them. More densely populated cities led to the design of building codes that minimized risks to others in close proximity. Problems in existing structures resulted in the development of codes for ventilation, fire escapes, water supply, toilets and sanitary drains, stairs and railings.

In 1905, a U.S. Insurance Group, the National Board of Fire Underwriters, created the National Building Code to minimize risks to property and building occupants. The existence of this code led to the formation of organizations of building officials. By 1940, the United States had three regional code organizations, each with its own code.

It wasn't until the year 2000 that these three codes were consolidated into the International Code Council, which then produced the International Building Code (IBC), the International Residential Code (IRC), and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), as well as mechanical, plumbing, fire, and other codes.

Knowing the details of the present code is the responsibility of engineers and construction personnel, and it appears to be a necessary requirement in our present-day world. But the days of stone tablets are long past. Putting today's building code on stone would require an erosion and sedimentation control plan to acquire the stone, a permit to place the stone in its new location, prevailing wages for the chisel man, and a complete safety plan for swinging the hammer. And perhaps the greatest challenge of all, mining the billions of stones that it would require to hold the endless detail of today's script on how to lay a foundation, hammer a nail, and set a rafter.

By Tom Clouser

(Information Source: Mother Earth News, Dec-Jan 2007)

Stair Building Books and Ideas

Where do we go to buy stair building books? Do we go to the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble? I have found over the years the information in most of these books I have purchased from these stores has a lot of fluff with very little common sense stair building application.

I bought one stair building book that had information on handrails. The front cover looked great and I thought this was going to be a great book reading the reviews from Amazon. When I finally got the book in the mail, I would say about one third of it was math tables for building elaborate wooden hand railing's. These tables were not easy to understand along with the rest of the book.

Back when I bought the book on building stair handrails it dawned on me that most of the construction workers I have met during my 30 years of working in the field were not very good outside of basic math. Now I knew a lot of carpenters that could read a measuring tape and use a framing square pretty good. But when it came to advanced geometrical construction projects like a stair hand railing system this was out of our league.

Reading this book or should I say parts of it gave me an idea to write a book of my own, starting with basic stair building I took all the fluff or the hard to understand advanced stair building applications out of my book, How to Build a Straight Set of Stairs.

I put a lot of time into creating an illustration for every possible part of building a simple set of stairs. I have probably built over 2000 sets of stairs during my lifetime and have explained and taught basic and advanced stair building to other carpenters. Understanding what parts of the stair construction process they understood, I was able to improve my skills as a stair building teacher.

Most people do not need advanced stair building skills to construct a simple straight set of stairs. If you are building a straight set of stairs and would like a stair building book with lots of easy to understand illustrations along with simplified directions you have found it.

We're building more stair building books to help contractors, carpenters, handymen and homeowners understand the stair building process.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Small Crack In Roof Rafter

Monday, August 10, 2009

Senior Life Settlements: An Introduction

A Senior Life Settlement means the sale of an insurance policy to a third party at a value less than the face value of the policy. The buyer of the policy is liable to pay all future premiums on the policy, while the original holder of the policy gets a lump sum in cash. This lump sum is an amount that exceeds the cash value of the policy accrued till that date.

Senior Life Settlement is opted for by senior people (above the age of 65 years) who do not have any further intention of maintaining their policy premiums. Once they communicate with a life settlement provider regarding their policy settlement, the provider buys the policy from them and collects their premiums in an escrow account. As soon as a buyer is available, the policyholder stops paying the premium and the new buyer continues from that point on. The accumulated amount till that date, along with all applicable interests, is given to the original senior policyholder.

People usually take policies in their younger days when they are building homes and expanding their policies. The express purpose of holding a policy is to create security in the unfortunate circumstance of a persons demise. However, when people reach old age, they no longer have the obligations they had in their younger days. They also may not be able to pay future insurance premiums due to retirement or some other reason. Naturally, it makes sense to settle the policy rather than to allow it lapse. This realization is compelling several senior citizens today to get their policies settled.

Elderly people who wish to explore new cost-effective avenues like higher paying policies or care insurance policies may also opt to settle their old policies. Another reason may be an urgent need for funds to start some profitable enterprise.

Senior Life Settlements are often confused with viatical settlements. Viatical settlements are provided to terminally ill people, regardless of age. To be qualified for a viatical settlement, the person must have a life expectancy of less than two years from that point on. But Senior Life Settlements are provided to anybody over the age of 65 years. Their life expectancies could be 10 to 15 years, depending on the policy of the company. Senior Life Settlements also require a minimum amount on the face value of the policy held, which again differs from company to company. Also, the policy must be more matured than the contestability period, which is often two years from the date the policy is made.

Senior Settlements provides detailed information about senior settlements, senior life settlements, senior life settlement providers, licensed senior settlement company and more. Senior Settlements is the sister site of Cash For Annuities Info.

Keep Your Hot Tub Filters in Good Working Order

Stepping into the warm, massaging water of a hot tub is a great way to relax. Research is beginning to emerge that shows the many health benefits that warm and massaging water can provide to the human body. Muscles relax and people's sense of well being is positively affected.

It is therefore important to keep your spa or hot tub in good working order. Part of this is keeping your water clean and healthy. A hot tub filter is used to trap debris and dirt that accumulate in the water. Often this is hair or dirt. It could also include dust or leaves depending on your backyard and where you live. A filter in good working order will keep your water clean and ensure that you can continue to enjoy your tub without any adverse effects.

There is a range of different filters that you can buy. The most important thing is to purchase one that fits your spa. The best place to find this information is in the manual that would have come with your hot tub. The type of filter you need to buy will determine the price but most range between $20 and $100. You should be able to find a hot tub filter at your local spa store or even online.

The life of hot tub filters is around one year. This can be shorter or longer depending on how often you use the tub, whether you have a spa cover and how much debris are blown around your backyard.

To keep your filter in proper working order it is important to clean it regularly. Remove the filter, hose it down with a pressurized hose and pull out any large debris. This may be quick and simple, but can extend the life of hot tub filters and keep your water clean and healthy.

For more information on the best spa cover for you, check out the Spa Cover Guide. A recent article that may interest you covers looking after hot tub filters.

Site Directory