How to Be Your Air Conditioner?s Best Friend
April 22, 2008
There are a few things you can do to take care of your air conditioner and make its life a little longer and a little easier.
How does your air conditioner work? Simply stated, an air conditioning unit removes heat from the air and blows it outside with an outdoor fan. An indoor fan pulls room air across an evaporator coil filled with refrigerant and transfers cool air into your home. Obviously, the movement of air by fans is a big part of the system. That’s why it is so important to replace the filter at least once a month.
As dust is picked up, it is trapped on the filter, and you would be surprised how quickly the dust accumulates. Trying to pull air through a clogged filter just makes the fan work harder, raising your utility bill.
The same is true for the fan in the outdoor unit. Make sure the outside of the unit is away from shrubs and other vegetation growth, and keep the unit as clean and free of leaves and dirt as possible. Provide at least five feet of clearance at the top and two feet on all sides of the unit.
Ivory Like Sholapith Sculptures from India
April 21, 2008
In the past, collectors have been fascinated with sculptures of pure white Ivory without knowing the damage it caused to our eco-system. Luckily governments of a number of nations have banned Ivory trade altogether.
Craftsmen from eastern India had been crafting beautiful items of SholaPith (lookaloikes of Ivory) since ages. It is only recently that Sholapith items have got international recognition for its beauty, eco-friendliness and superb craftsmanship. Shola pith is a milky-white sponge-wood that is carved into delicate and beautiful objects of art only in a few states of India. Shola is a plant, growing in marshy waterlogged areas of eastern Indian States commonly referred to as eastern marshy Gangetic plains. It is unbelievable that this plant grows nowhere else in the world. The biological name of Shola is Aeschynomene Indica and it is an herbaceous plant. The Sholapith is the cortex or core of this plant.
Choosing Your Builder: Cheapest Quote Wins?
April 20, 2008
You have your 3 quotes from each potential builder so choosing the one you are going to trust with your re-modelling, new garage, extension etc. should be easy, shouldn’t it? Unfortunately most homeowners would consider this the end of their search for a builder when in fact what you should be doing next is the second most important if your home improvement project is to run smoothly (what’s the most important? You will find the answer at the end of this article).
When asking a builder for a quote you should always ask him to include with his reply, the name, address and phone number of the job he is currently working on as well as the last two jobs completed. If you have your quotes but didn’t ask for references, do it now.
Why do you need to check references when surely the cheapest quote should get the job? Perhaps your cheapest quote has a habit of adding the dreaded extras on to his final bill where as your second quote does not. Perhaps your dearest quote always finishes his jobs ahead of schedule and time is of the essence to you.
Building Your Dream Home ? Part 2
April 19, 2008
Razing the Cottage
With new house plans and permits in hand, subcontractors hired and a Septic Design in process, it was now time to raze the existing cottage. I considered employing the local fire department to burn it down, however I chose the demolition route instead. Though I did not contact the Fire Department, I was convinced that this route would have led to multiple delays and pitfalls, as I would have been at the whim of several town employees and weather conditions. The demolition route required only the excavator subcontractor and had less weather related schedule risks. In addition, the demolition cost and effort was very reasonable. Within two days, it was as if the cottage never existed on the land. It is important to note, however, that the cottage was relatively small. It was 22′ x 30′. If the cottage had been significantly larger, then the Fire Department route may have made more financial sense.
Make Your House A Home
April 19, 2008
When thinking about polished floors, cushions in place, an exquisite flower arrangement, crisp and folded napkins on the table, take time to think about comfort, family time and kids activities also when decorating or designing your house. A lively place full of warmth and chatter is what makes a ‘House’ a ‘Home’. There are times when we overlook some important details to give that ‘Designer Touch’ to our houses. Household accidents, unhealthy personal conditions and lack of family activities are the result.
To avoid such a situation, take care to make your house a comfortable and healthy place to live in. Look around you and observe carefully if any difficulty and threats are being posed due to faulty placement and wrong choice of objects. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Rubber Mats: Though not much decorative, rubber mats are the best things to have outside your bathroom or near the kitchen sink. They will help avoid slipping and add safety to your home. Never use any kind of rugs at the top or bottom of stairs.
A Sofa Slip Cover Will Add New Life To Your Tired Furniture!
April 18, 2008
A sofa slip cover may be just what you need to add some life to that old, tired looking couch of your. There are many advantages to owning a sofa slip cover. One is that you can easily change the cover of your sofa without the expenses of a re-upholsterer. Sectional sofa slip covers come in many different attractive designs and can be changed in a matter of seconds. Another advantage is the fact that it is very simple to replace a sofa slip cover. If you have children, pets, or any other potential cause of mess in your house, you can keep your sofa clean for guests by keeping a stock of sofa slip covers on hand, ready to interchange.
Besides protecting your furniture, sofa slip covers have another important use: They can make your old furniture seem new again, for a very low price. Many people would like to get new furniture, but are turned away by the high prices. However, if you want to make your furniture look like new, try using a sofa slip cover. While some are more expensive than others, there are many high quality cheap sofa slip covers available. Simply be on the look out for discount sofa slip covers.
Laminate Flooring is Built for the Twenty First Century
April 17, 2008
The tradition of hardwood floors dates back hundreds of years, their beauty and warmth have downed the halls of castles and brought elegance to many a modern day dining room. Whether it’s casual or formal, the natural beauty of hardwood can bring warmth and character to any room and suit any décor. Hardwood floors are however porous, resulting in a weakened structure that is both easy to stain and scratch. This in part has lead to the invention of laminate flooring.
While capturing all the beauty and elegance of hardwoods, laminate flooring is both durable and easy to maintain. Its machine made construction will not stain, warp or buckle and the Aluminum Oxide coated surface gives it a high degree of scratch resistance that is perfectly suited to heavy foot traffic. Unlike hardwood, laminate floors have water resistant cores and wax impregnated edges making them resistant to topical water spills, and allowing for installation in kitchens and bathrooms.
Hand Hooked Rugs
April 16, 2008
Hand hooked rugs are a great way to add splendor to a bedroom, a kitchen, sun porch, or children’s room. A number of designers like Jane Keltner, Suzanne Nicoll, Sally Dailey, Dena, and Tracy Porter focus exclusively on designing hand hooked rugs. These beautiful floral, animal, fruit and other pattern hand hooked rugs can be used interchangeably from room to room. Hand hooked rugs have warm colors that harmonize a variety of décor themes like shabby chic, cottage, nautical or even country.
The hooked rug is described as having originated in rural New England during the late 18th Century and had taken root in Colonial America. It attained immense popularity and is still today recognized as essential home accessory. Traditional hooking uses a hand hook similar in shape to a crochet hook to form a looped pile from fabric strips or yarn on an even-weave base (such as burlap, monks-cloth, divider cloth, or linen).
Early patterns were borrowed from quilts and often immortalized a friendly horse or house pet. Gay sprays of flowers and scenes were also drawn. These designs were bold and naïve. A home was very personalized in this way, especially when it came to pattern and color. In recent times hand hooked rugs come in both classic and contemporary designs, including traditional, floral patterns, and theme rugs. Intricate designs and a myriad of colors add a lively, rich look.
How to Collect Physical Mold Growth Samples for Low-Cost Mold Laboratory Identification of Mold Spec
April 15, 2008
How to Collect Physical Mold Growth Samples for Low-Cost Mold Laboratory Identification of Mold Species
VANCOUVER, CANADA. Many property owners, apartment landlords, renters, employers, and employees want to know, and need to know, the precise identities of the various mold species infesting their moldy house, rental unit, or place of employment, according to Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector and author of the book Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, & Remediation.
The accurate identification of mold species requires two steps: (1) physical collection of mold samples from the moldy building; and (2) mold laboratory analysis of the collected mold samples.
The least costly way to collect mold samples is the do-it-yourself approach carried out by gathering actual samples of mold growth to submit for mold laboratory analysis ($20.00 or more fee per sample analyzed).
Bulk Physical Mold Sampling
If a property owner or occupant sees mold growing on a wall, ceiling, floor, heating or cooling duct register, or any other surface, he can scrape mold particles off the mold growth area into a small ziplock bag. Collecting such a physical sample is "bulk mold sampling" or "physical mold sampling."
Making The Most Of Your Smart Decision To Hire An Interior Designer
April 14, 2008
So you’ve decided to hire an Interior Designer-good move! Now what? Before you start planning your "reveal" party, you’ll need a basic understanding about the process to ensure that you get the most design for your dollar and that you have a fun and fabulous experience, no matter what type of project is ahead of you.
You’ll need to learn the basics of choosing the right design professionals, establishing a budget, outlining the details of the contract, considering your lifestyle and communicating your challenges.
Choosing the Right Designer: Beyond the Portfolio
Professionally trained Interior Designers have undergone extensive training in the various elements of modern and historical design, art and architecture. They have a basic foundation of knowledge that allows them to develop concepts in a variety of styles that range from traditional, contemporary, art deco, eclectic-or a combination of several styles.
That being said, not every designer’s talent is right for every project. For yours, you’ll want to choose someone whose portfolio "speaks" to you in a positive way. As with every profession, designers tend to develop personal styles that carry over into their projects. It could be the sense of clarity and order you see in the furniture arrangements, or maybe it’s a color palette that’s used in a unique way. It could be the modern touches worked seamlessly into a roomful of antiques, or the interesting textures of the fabrics.
