Home Decor Informaton

If you are looking at getting wood floors for your home, you should take a look at bamboo flooring. Not only does it have the warmth and durability of the other wood floors on the market, it is an easily renewable resource as well. Europeans have been using bamboo flooring for many years now, but it is just becoming more popular in the United States. Take a look at the many aspects of bamboo and the styles and finishes available before you decide what your next floor will be.

Green Products

Green products refers products which are either recyclable, or easily renewable. Bamboo flooring is a green product because bamboo plants reach maturity and are ready to harvest at about 5 to 8 years. Compare that to most hardwood trees and you will see the difference. It can also be grown close together because it is a grass. China and other tropical climates have an abundance of bamboo.

Three Types Of Bamboo Flooring:

1. Solid-which means that pieces come in various lengths and are glued or nailed in place.

2. Engineered bamboo-this is much like the laminate flooring. It “floats” over the surface and can be used in homes with cement floors or radiant heat sources.

3. A patented variety of bamboo flooring called “strandwoven” which means that the strands of bamboo are heated and put under very high pressure. It is called “bombproof” because of its extreme durability.

Before You Begin Shopping For Bamboo Flooring

• Bamboo reaches its full height at about a year-but it does not fully harden, dry, and mature for at least 4 more years. Some companies will try to sell you mixed age bamboo that is not all mature. This can lead to problems with mold or warping.

• You can get your bamboo flooring with a natural or dark finish. One process, called carbonization, makes the flooring really rich and dark, getting darker the longer it is carbonized.

• The finish on the flooring is almost as important as the bamboo itself. Make sure that the finish is very durable and will protect your bamboo flooring from spills and scratches. If you are going to finish the floor yourself, protect it from any furniture marks for at least two weeks after you finish it.

Another Tip

if you are going to finish or install the floor yourself, leave the bamboo flooring open in the box in whatever room you are installing it in for at least 72 hours before you begin the project. Keep the room at a constant moisture level using a dehumidifier or humidifier if necessary. This will allow the flooring to acclimate and swell or shrink before you install it. This will alleviate problems with gapping or warping later on. Be sure to seal all of the edges carefully to keep water from getting trapped underneath the floor.

Care For Your New Floor

You care for a bamboo floor much the same way that you would care for any type of wood floor. Wipe up any spills quickly so that you will not have mold or warping. Keep pets nails trimmed and do not wear high heels without proper soles on them into the kitchen. A rug placed in high traffic areas will also help to protect the floor.

By Margarette Tustle. Learn more on msbamboo.com/ bamboo products and resources from msbamboo.com.

You love great smells but just can’t seem to find one to stick around. Wouldn’t you just love to eliminate those tough odors once and for all and create the perfect ambiance to die for!

Whether riding in your car, relaxing in your home or at the office, challenging odors sometimes come out of nowhere. Day old food in your car, the smell of smoke from your husband’s cigar or cigarettes or those musty office smells just won’t escape you. Don’t you just hate when you can’t get a nagging odor out.

Using the perfect air freshener can help eliminate those challenging odors for good. It can also give you a new identity and add positive energy all around you. You could even give your car a new identity. Sit back, relax and feel as if you owned the road with the right scent. You may know of someone whose car smells great all the time. Wouldn’t you like for that to be you?

There are several ways you can try to get the most out of your air freshener.

1. Spray the fragrance out of the bottle for a nice long-lasting aroma.
If the smell doesn’t last for a couple of days, switch brands. You will eventually realice that you may spend less today but will spend more in the end when purchasing those cheap, watered-down air fresheners.

2. Add the air freshener to your mopping solution on your tile or linoleum floor covering for heavy duty smells in your kitchen or bathroom.
Purchase a good concentrated liquid air freshener. For every 3-parts water, add 1-part fragrance.

3. Spray the freshener on cotton balls and put the cotton balls in your air conditioner vents.
This works great around the holidays. Keeps you in the holiday mood.

4. Pour the fragrance air freshener into your favorite potpourri pot.
Make sure that you use a 100% concentrated air freshener if you are trying to burn it. This process makes your home smell great for days to come. What’s more invigorating than to come home after a hard days work and soothe your mood while catering to your soul with an ambiance to die for. It sort of makes the hard day worth it. Be careful if you have allergies.

5. Refreshen the fragrance sachet in your lingerie drawer by squirting it with your favorite fragrance air freshener.
Give a little spice to your undearwear. Men, there is hope for those “tightie whities” afterall.

6. Add water, if the air freshener is concentrated, to create a mist for those gentle odors and spray it whenever and wherever needed.
This works best for those not so challenging odors.

7. Mix the concentrated fragrance with your steam cleaning vacuum for tough, nagging odors like pet, smoke and other chronic odors.
I am sure that you probably can identify with the frustration you may have experienced when your pet urined or defacated on your carpet. You probably thought that you would never get the odor out. In addition, when your husband walked around the house with his cigar and the smell lasted for days. I have found that most people who smoke, do not like the smell of smoke because the smell gets into their clothes, hair, etc. and lasts for days. Simply pour 1-part fragrance to 3-parts water in your vacuum and your carpet, home, etc. will smell fresh and clean for several days.

Go ahead and have fun while experimenting. Create the perfect ambiance just for you. After all, life is full of smells. It is up to YOU how YOU choose to handle them.

www.jazzyfresh.com

When you live in old house like I do, remodeling is always a challenge and a surprise. I am currently involved in a major kitchen remodel. Our kitchen like many kitchens, has seen better days. It was installed in the house was built back in 1945 and I’m sure it’s has served its previous owners well. However, modern kitchens are large and open. This kitchen, like most kitchens of its era, a small enclosed off. We decided to open the kitchen out by removing part of the wall, removing old tile from the walls, and updating the entire kitchen with new cabinets and appliances.

Our first surprise came when we moved the refrigerator from its current location.
The refrigerator sat up on a platform about 1 inch off the kitchen floor. We never
gave it much thought and assumed that it had always been like that. When I move
the refrigerator and lifted up the old flooring, I discovered why. Plumbing from the
sink did not go through the floor to join a drain pipe in the basement. It did,
however, run across the floor and under the refrigerator. This required some major
engineering to move the drain line for the new sink and dishwasher.

Surprise number two was the ceramic tile on the walls. The ceramic tile wound up
not being ceramic tile at all! It was tin tile that was glued to a masonite backing
board. The backing board was itself glued to the plaster walls and nailed every eight
to 10 inches. So while the tiles came down very easily using just a screwdriver,
getting they masonite backing board off the plaster was a nightmare. Not only were
the plaster walls full of holes from the nails, big globs of glue was smeared all over
the walls. At first I tried sanding. All that did was create a cloud of dust. After two
hours of creating dust clouds I had only managed in clearing off a 2′ x 2′ square
area. I talked to a number of contractors who only shook their heads and offered me
luck in removing the glue from the walls. Someone suggested I use glue remover
but I didn’t want the fumes in the house. Someone else suggested a strong scraper
but I wasn’t strong enough to remove this glue. Finally, someone suggested a heat
gun. I was skeptical. How would a little heat gun remove 60 years of hard and glue?
Much to my surprise, it worked! Now it didn’t work easily. It was still a lot of hard
work, but by working slowly, and steadily, I was able to remove all remnants of glue
in about four days.

I hope this tip and technique helps you if you ever encounter a similar situation. I
know what I first started removing the glue from the wall, I would get discouraged
thinking it would never end. However, by working slowly and steadily, I managed to
get a little bit done each and every hour. I took frequent breaks, and went outside
for a breather every couple of hours. It didn’t help that I was doing this in the
middle of summer when the temperature was in the 90s. However with
perseverance, this task can be finished easily. And if you do it yourself, you’ll save
all the money that you would pay contractor to do the exact same thing.

Dean Novosat is an avid do-it-yourselfer and remodeler. He writes for

Gone are the sleek, cold lines of ultramodern contemporary decorating. The most popular styles of home decorating today emphasize the warmth and congeniality of the country. Decorators are embracing the charm and simplicity of rustic home decor, and combining it with some surprising accents.

For the last few decades, there’s been a distinct split between high-end upscale home decorating and comfortable down-home affordable décor. The high-style magazines featured glossy photos of modern contemporary homes, replete with stone, glass and steel. The colors were stark – black and white with a few slashes of brilliant tones to emphasize the contrasts and smooth lines. Meanwhile, the magazines aimed at Mrs. America around the U.S.A. offered the warm, cozy sensibility of country kitsch and homespun fabrics. Cows and chickens, hearts and patchwork quilts, rag rugs and solid wood furniture filled rooms that invited guests to sit down, take your shoes off and set a spell.

The gap has closed, and one of today’s hottest new decorating styles blends the two into a stylish, classic blend of rustic charm and high-bred functionality. This new style – call it rustic modern - features natural materials (wood and stone, wool, cotton, linen and silk) and floor plans that flow and move into each other without overcrowding. The best examples of rustic décor have the feeling of a country lodge on an estate: open, relaxing and friendly.

Want to bring a bit of rustic warmth to your decorating scheme? Here are some suggestions from top designers.

Go for the country cabin look. Wood wall paneling is back in style – but with a twist. Rustic paneling features wide planks and a rough-hewn look, with a warm, honey tone.

Country crafts can warm your whole room. Try a classic patchwork quilt on a metal frame bed, or throw it over the back of a homespun sofa. Patchwork and appliquéd pillows with a country theme can bring a hint of rustic charm to your living and sitting rooms.

Think hunting lodge. Functionality meets creativity in some of the most charming and whimsical accents. Chainsaw carved bears sit by fireplaces, deer antlers hang on walls to hold hats and wrought iron is everywhere.

The right floor can transform your entire room. Bare wood is beautiful, and fits the style perfectly, but it’s not your only choice. Stone floors softened with woven and braided area rugs, or a classic sheepskin from Australia or New Zealand can be the perfect backdrop for rustic furniture and collections.

Go Navajo. Or Hudson Bay. Woven wool throws in Southwestern designs or a classic Hudson Bay wool blanket are a subtle touch of bygone rustic charm with a masculine feel that’s perfect for this style.

Keep it subtle. Opt for an open floor plan with plenty of seating space and choose your colors and materials to accent a few special pieces.

Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Visit Rustic Adornments to receive free interior design advice about everything from rusticadornments.com/rustic-teak-furniture.php” target=”_blank rustic teak furniture to smaller, less expensive rusticadornments.com/country-home-decor.php” target=”_blank country home decor ideas.

Drinking water filters are becoming more and more popular these days as people are realizing the dangers of water contamination. Unfortunately, even in the best areas of our country there are thousands of toxic chemicals present in your home’s water, and more are infecting the system every day.

Although filtration systems used to be quite bulky and inefficient, the newer drinking water filter systems are easy to install and work very efficiently. The better units can remove chlorine, lead, volatile organics, fuel additives (MTBEs), and other harmful contaminants, as well as any sediment and buildup in your piping system.

When it comes to selecting drinking water filters, there are many considerations. First, you have to decide whether you want one that mounts to the faucet and sits on the counter or one of the under-sink models which is hidden out of the way and installed under your sink.

More importantly, you have to decide what type of filtration system you want. Although there are many different opinions, the latest research shows that you are probably best off with multi-stage drinking water filter systems as they eliminate the most contaminants, without removing essential natural trace elements as reverse osmosis and distillation units do.

The multi-stage filters are also much more efficient than other filtration methods, providing up to 30 gallons per hour and usually costing under 10 cents per gallon. Reverse osmosis systems waste about 2-3 gallons for every gallon of water they produce as some of the water actually gets trapped by the filter.

When it comes to water-filtration-guide.com/water-filtration-benefits.html drinking water filters, always opt for a reputable manufacturer, one that’s been in business for a long time and offers extensive information about each product they sell.

To find out the capabilities of the drinking water filter system, look for a Performance Data Sheet on the company website. This will tell you exactly what contaminants are removed and to what degree. If there is no Performance Data Sheet, the company is probably trying to hide something.

Also, look for California Certification. The California Department of Health sets the strictest guidelines when it comes to drinking water filter performance. If you see this certification, you know you are getting the very best filtration system.

If you want to make sure you have the cleanest, purest water you can have in your home, then a drinking water filter system is what you need. Just be sure to find one that removes the most contaminants while leaving healthful trace minerals behind. That’s the perfect balance.

Martin Spencer is a health researcher who has been studying water filtration for over 25 years. He is a regular contributor to water-filtration-guide.com Water Filtration Guide, a site dedicated to various methods of treating and purifying water.

Learn about water-filtration-guide.com/water-filtration-benefits.html drinking water filter systems on our site.

LED’s are used in millions of products and thousands of applications. Chances are, you use at least 1 product or many products every single day that integrates LED lights.

LED stands for “light emitting diode”. It is basically a semiconductor diode or electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. The light that is emitted by an LED is determined by the material used. LED’s can be visible bright lights, infrared, such as those in a remote control, or even near ultraviolet.

The first LED lights were produced in the 1920’s by a Russian scientist named Oleg Losev. He published numerous articles in the 1920’s and 1930’s that talked about devices that produced light through electroluminescence. Oleg Losev was however, unable to develop the device any further due to World War II. Oleg died during the siege of Leningrad in 1942. Surely, Oleg would be astounded at the ubiquitousness and the many uses of his device during the 21st century.

From the time of the publication of Losev’s last article on LED’s, until about 1955, there was no further research or development into LED technology. That is, until some researchers at Texas Instruments found that a compound of two elements, Gallium and Arsenic, which formed the compound Gallium Arsenide, would give off invisible or infrared light when electricity was applied. These two researchers attained a patent for their light emitting diode. Later, General Electric produced what would be the first visible spectrum LED. The LED has further been improved upon by scientists and researchers in the United States and Japan, which produced different colored LED lights, including red, yellow, reg-orange, blue, green and much later on, white LED’s.

LED lights have many advantages in their use and this is certainly why their use is so widespread. Just some advantages of LED versus traditional lighting methods, include the fact that LED’s generate more light per watt of electricity than normal light bulbs. This is useful in a myriad of applications, including portable battery powered devices and any devices where energy savings would be advantageous. LED light is also much easier to direct, where light from a bulb is difficult to direct without using a reflective device. LED’s also have advantages in size, where many LED’s can be put together in devices without making a device heavier or taking up much room. LED’s also have a very long life, often up to 1 million hours of use before complete failure.

LED’s are used in millions of products, maybe even something that you’re using right now. Your mouse? Your computer? Your TV remote control? Radios, clocks, TV’s, music players, coffee makers, stoves, refrigerators, just about any electronic device will have at least 1 LED. Due to their many advantages, LED’s look to stay around for many years to come.

Lydia Quinn writes for Brandon Safety Lights, a leading provider of barricade lights, barricade light accessories and traffic safety supplies. Visit us at: brandonsafetylights.com/ brandonsafetylights.com/

One of the greatest things about most storage sheds is the ability of the building to hold all of the equipment needed, while not costing the consumer all that much money. Storage sheds can be notoriously cheap, though it is advised to purchase one that has some sturdiness, and also seems to be pretty well constructed. Another great thing about them, is that they are only good for their purpose, and if one does not have the means to transport one when moving day comes, then they can just trash it, or they can give it to whomever bought their property.

Storage sheds used to be garages, they also used to be woodworking shops, but in today’s world there are not as many spaces available to growing families anymore, and now the average homeowner owns a lot less land, especially when considering the ability to build a garage, and any other kind of outbuilding. It is very important for this new breed of homeowner to capitalize on the space they already have, and there is no better way to do so then by purchasing a nice storage shed. Some storage sheds even have a small setup for the completion of everyday tasks, which can get harder and harder to perform, especially with a growing lack of space. Another great benefit of the storage shed is that there are so many to choose from. There are so many different combinations of substances that make up these buildings, so it is a buyer’s world, especially when it comes down to the exact type of building they want.

Metal sheds are very popular because of their durability, though rusting can be a problem, especially during the winter time. Metal sheds are durable, but aren’t as popular as wood, or even plastic sheds, because they usually do not exist as buildings that can survive perfectly on their own. Plastic sheds are one of the most popular forms because of their ability to be easily moved, especially because of the lightweight material that makes up most plastic outbuildings. Plastic is also very popular due to the decrease in price that usually comes from a product that is made from plastic, especially when compared to high quality wood, or any other substance that is in high demand. Wooden sheds are probably the best overall type of shed, though they do need to be properly constructed in order to give the consumer the highest level of quality. All types of sheds have their own advantages, but it is most important that a consumer pick a storage shed that fits their needs the best, especially when they are the only ones who know what their living situation calls for.

Henry Gales works for Garage Quotes a leading UK supplier of garagequotes.com/Concrete_storage_sheds.php Storage Sheds & garagequotes.com Concrete Garages

Traditional thatch roofing is arguably the most beautiful and natural looking roofing material available, you might well be surprised by the availability of alternative similar products that can be very innovatively used to create a specific look or be used at locations where this material might not be as readily available.

• MUKUTI LEAVES AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THATCH

Makuti is a perfectly natural & ecological product. It is consists of coco palm leaves , knitted on the stem of the plant, which tastefully combine with the natural environment, due to their earthly color and their discreet natural perfume.
Makuti leaves come from Africa and they are used in constructions with techniques that have been used for centuries in many countries for ordinary thatching.

These leaves, as a raw material, is not considered to be a construction material although it has been tested for a long time against all weather conditions, presenting a great resistance towards rain, snow, strong winds and other weather phenomena. Except for the above qualities, as with ordinary thatching, makuti leaf constructions offer excellent insulation and sound absorbance.

When applied especially in rural environments, makuti leaves creates a unique result with constructions such as ecological roofs, umbrellas, pergolas, kiosks etc.
Unfortunately these leaves most of the time only has a 10 year life duration opposed to ordinary thatching which can easily last for 25 years, but the main reason for application would be its’ incomparable aesthetics in rustic or other specific environments where it can be very innovatively incorporated with the natural surroundings.

• STRAWBALE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THATCH

In the past few years architects & designers have become much more environmentally aware, and lately words like ‘sustainability’ ‘green architecture’ & ‘strawbale construction’ is used very often. It is not very common to have straw bale blocks as a roofing material but can be very innovatively used as can be seen in the pictures above (see below for website details).

Like wood, straw is produced by photosynthesis, a natural, non-polluting process which is fuelled by solar energy. Unlike wood, straw is annually renewable. Being a non-nutritious by-product of cereal grain farming, straw is often laid to waste and sometimes burnt, causing air pollution.

Straw bale construction is much faster and less labour intensive than conventional thatching. The battens are spaced further apart and thus less roof timber is used as well. Unlike conventional thatching, straw bale roof construction techniques are uncomplicated and easy to learn by unskilled people and do not require expensive tools.

Straw bales also do not pose a fire hazard as, having been compressed, they lack sufficient oxygen to support combustion.

Straw bale roof construction might well be an innovative substitute to ordinary thatching, in some places where aesthetics is not of that much importance and where a cheaper, faster and perhaps temporary solution is needed.

Written by Jere Botes, architect & founder of dreamhouses.co.za dreamhouses.co.za, a website dedicated to provide home builders, home renovators, home owners & developers with free professional advice on all aspects of home design, building & diy. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to dreamhouses.co.za dreamhouses.co.za

One of the most important decisions that a homeowner needs to make when moving into a new home is the sofa. This is because of the fact that many people think that a sofa actually represents the ownership of a place even more than a bed does. A sofa means that you have a space for guests. A sofa means that you have a spot to relax after a hard day’s work. A sofa is a sign of home. This is the reason why choosing a sofa slip cover needs a lot of thought.

A sofa slip cover needs to be chosen carefully since it will always be there. You will always see the sofa slip cover and it is the first thing that your guests will actually get to notice. Sure, paintings and works of art are the things that a guest will see, but the sofa is the first thing that guests will become acquainted with. It is the first thing that you will be acquainted with. We all know how much time people spend just sitting on the sofa.

Here are a few things to think about when choosing a sofa slip cover:

The Slipcover Sofa Material – choosing the fabric of your sofa slip cover is the first task you must consider. There are a lot of varieties of sofa slip covers and each variety has its own use. Before you decide on something that looks slick and expensive, try to think about what your sofa slip cover might go through during the time it stays with you.

What is the situation in your house, do you have kids, does you kids have a lot of kid guests in the house, do you keep a strict sofa policy, do you own pets, do you have any children, and do you frequently eat while on the sofa? These are the sort of questions you need to ask yourself in order to choose the right material of a sofa slip cover. Here are some factors to think about:

Durability – try looking for a sofa slip cover that is durable. You need to find a sofa slip cover that will last and not tear easily.

Washability – try to find a sofa slip cover that does not easily stain. If you are unable to do so, at least find a sofa slip cover that can easily be washed. This means that you need to find a sofa slip cover that does not require any special washing in order to get it clean. Remember: all sorts of stains can mar your sofa slip covers beauty.

Slipcovers a re a perfect way of keeping your furniture in prime condition, even if you have a large and messy family, pets and sloppy guests you can still use a slip cover and be protected. Read about home improvement issues, interior design and slipcover.advice-tips.com/Sofa_Slip_Cover.html Sofa Slip cover buying and choosing tips and advice.

When it comes to choosing the right flooring around the home, a great and popular choice to go with is the use of hardwood flooring. The good news for people who are decorating their floors with hardwood flooring is that there is a massive range of hardwood floors out there to choose from that cater for everyone’s differing tastes.

The problem is, however, that hardwood flooring can be quite expensive and therefore the appropriate care will be needed to keep the flooring looking new and lasting as long as possible. Naivety can be a big cause of damage to the flooring, whether it is through a lack of knowledge, or for any other reason.

Look After Your Floors by Refinishing Them

People may not think about this but in order to keep the floors looking as immaculate as possible and to last as long as possible, refinishing them is essential. Wooden floors, over time, start to lose their original finish and this is when refinishing is needed to help to restore it.

There is a simple way to test your flooring in order to see if it needs to be refinished or if it is just dirty and in need of a good clean.

You should go to an area of the floor where it has the most use in terms of people walking on it. All you need to do is put a small amount of water onto the floor in order to see if it forms beads, which will mean that the floor is sealed the way that it should be. On the other hand, if the water soaks in straight away, this means that you need to refinish your wooden flooring.

Take Care When Refinishing Hardwood Floors

Something that needs a bit of logical thought is exactly how to refinish the flooring. If you are sanding the floor, basically, you are chipping away parts of the flooring and the end result is that you will have lost some of the wood because of it. Also, as the wood has been chipped away, this leaves the floor looking thinner and it is then more susceptible to damage as well as looking extremely worn.

It is because of this very reason that it is an extremely wise idea to use a specialist to do it for you in order to avoid damaging your floors. The extra care given by a specialist will ensure that the flooring is restored back to good health and this can help to increase the life of the wood, allowing you to get much longer use out of it.

As well as having a specialist take care of looking after the work, it also helps to save a lot of time and extremely hard work in some cases. If there is a previous finish to remove, this can be very hard work and you will need to take care of it in order to prevent causing any lasting damage.

As you can see, it is a very wise idea to get in contact with specialist