5 Basic Tips When Choosing Hardwood Flooring

January 29, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

Timeless beauty, clean lines, strength and durability as well as the assist of cleaning and the classic look make hardwood flooring the perfect choice for your home.
No matter what your individualized style is, there is a flooring choice for you because of the unlimited selection available. But before you rush out shopping for your hardwood flooring, keep these tips in mind.

Set a budget for yourself. Having a wide variety of flooring to select from is great, but the downside is that it is simple to get overwhelmed quickly, and this makes you very susceptible to overspending. Remember to equilibrise style with calibre with your budget when you make your final choice.

Tip #1
You will be wise to match the room with your choice of flooring, whether hardwood or otherwise. For example, do not try to place hardwood flooring in a bathroom, due to the high levels of moisture a bathroom receives.

Tip #2
Different areas of the home demand different types of wood. For example, wood floors that have very light or very dark finishes typically do not fare well in the kitchen.

Tip #3
Choose a hardwood flooring that has an appropriate finish to match your lifestyle. A sitting room that is seldom used will let you get away with a lighter finish. However a hallway or living room will get continual traffic and requires a choice that offers a tougher finish that can stand up to a lot of wear and tear.

Tip #4
Consider installation – doing it yourself or having a professional installer do it for you? Many people successfully install their own flooring, but only after they have done their homework. It is often easer to hire a professional, but do you due diligence when selecting a hardwood flooring installer. You will want to be totally sure that it will be installed correctly.

Tip #5
Choosing the color and style of the floor can be the fun part. Select a hardwood that fits your individualized taste and your lifestyle. The comparatively high cost of the flooring and installation demands choosing a wood that will not go out of style quickly.

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Natural Spring Cleaners

January 27, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

Spring cleaning has started. It’s time to get the dirt from the winter off and begin clean. I’ve found 5 all natural cleaners I can’t live without while cleaning the house. These cleaners are much safer for us and our environment. I don’t have to spray the cleaner and run of out of the room. My home smells clean and fresh with no artificial smells.

1. Natural glass cleaner
• Biodegradable ingredients • Non-alkaline
• No phosphates or ammonia
• Contains natural ingredients (like white distilled vinegar) instead of caustic chemicals
• Uses a concentrated formula, so there is less waste going to recycle centers. The concentrated, biodegradable formula is effective on a multitude of surfaces, including:

• Glass • Windows • Aluminum • Stainless steel
• Chrome • Mirrors • Appliances

2. Natural floor/rug cleaner.
• Versatile cleaner replaces need for other, more hazardous cleaners
• No chlorine, ammonia or other caustic chemicals
• No toxic or unpleasant fumes—even when blended with other EcoSense cleaners

Mixes Well With Others

Unlike many grocery store cleaners, you don’t have to worry about toxic fumes or hazardous reactions when you mix EcoSense cleaners with one another—in fact, it’s encouraged! A mix will face even the grimiest barbecue grills, and for taking out greasy stains on clothes.
• No-wax floors • Oven tops • Ventilation hoods
• Lawn mowers • Bicycle parts • Cement pads
• Barbecue grills • Automobile engines • Garage floors
• Decks • Outdoor furniture
3. Natural disinfectant.
When used as directed it effectively eliminates 99.99% of:

• Salmonella choleraesuis • Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB)
• Trichophyton mentagrophytes • HIV-1 (the immunodeficiency virus)
(athlete’s foot fungus)

It’s effective on hard, nonporous surfaces, including:

• Countertops • Sinks • Garbage cans • Toilet seats
• Pet habitats • Prostheses & orthotics • Sports equipment
• Children’s toys • Changing tables • High chairs
• Food preparation surfaces
• Any other surface where bacteria or unpleasant odors are a concern

The patented broad-spectrum, disinfectant formula is EPA-approved for use in a wide variety of residential, commercial, and medical facilities, including:

• Day cares • Schools • Nurseries • Hospitals
• Nursing home • Food storage areas • Zoos & kennels
• Veterinary offices • Kitchens • Restaurants & bars
• Cafeterias • Fitness gyms and Spas • Hotels & motels
• Medical and dental offices • Health professional, chiropractic, &
physiotherapy clinics

4. Natural all purpose cleaner
• No chlorine bleach, ammonia or other caustic chemicals
• No material cleaners that can pit or scratch surfaces
• Leaves behind no sticky residues, is effective on a lot more than just kitchen counters. Put its natural cleansing power to work on

• Countertops • Appliances • Pots & pans
• Lamps • Crafts • Cabinets
• Automobile interiors • Light fixtures • Artificial plants
• Personal • Walls • Whiteboards

5. Natural all purpose cleaner enhancer
• Biodegradable
• All-Natural
• Contains no caustic chemicals
• Is packaged in a useful bottle
Full-strength contains 10% Tree Tea Oil taking advantage of our Oils natural solvent, penetrating, non-caustic and aromatic properties.
• Gum in hair • Permanent Marker • Road Tar
• Tree sap • Crayon • Paint and fingernail polish
• Grease • Pet accidents
Use in a 5:1 water solution for:
• Deodorizing Garbage Cans • Eliminating moldy odors
• Freshening the bathroom • Removing smoke or pet odor from air and furniture • Treating pet accidents
Look at a typical household cleaner and you’re bound to find some rather shocking warnings

“Use in well-ventilated area”
“Avoid direct contact with product”
“Excessive inhalation can cause headache, drowsiness, nausea and demand of coordination.”

With warnings like these, it’s no wonder Poison Control Centers crossways the nation field over 200,000 calls apiece year involving household cleaning substances. Ours contains no caustic chemicals and can be blended with other EcoSense cleaners without fear of formation of harmful gases.

Household chemicals can affect more than just the mortal using them. According to the EPA, household chemicals and other factors can make the air within a home more seriously polluted than the air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.(1)

Many common household cleaners can contain ammonia, phosphates, chlorine and other known offenders. Ecosense contains no ammonia, no phosphates, no chlorine and is prefabricated from all natural, biodegradable products.

1. EPA brochure, “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality,” (www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html).

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4 Tips for Fireplace Efficiency

January 25, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

The fireplace has long been the favorite spot to gather in the American home. A place for warmth, the fireplace adds ambience, sparking memories that are to be treasured. With all the benefits that a fireplace can bring, there are some major downsides that if not addressed can cause a love for the fireplace to wane.

With soaring energy costs, the chief negative of having a fireplace has to be its inefficiency. When there is a fire burning, the fireplace does indeed alter warmth in its general vicinity, but it also creates a convection current that can actually pull conditioned air out of the room and up the chimney causing your furnace to work overtime. When the fire is not burning, the fireplace has a device which is supposed to block inside air from escaping and outside air from invading. The problem is that the device is usually prefabricated of metal (this type of device technology hasn’t changed in over 100 years!) and has no seal, which means that the device is incredibly inefficient.

Your home has a dirty tiny secret – the fireplace that is designed to warm your home is actually doing the opposite and costing you hundreds of dollars in energy costs. Don’t fret – with a tiny investment of time and money, you can turn that inefficient fireplace into a powerhouse heater that will reduce your energy bills and add even more charm to your existing fireplace.

The following is a list of 4 things that you can do yourself to drastically reduce the heating costs associated with the inefficiency of your fireplace.

1. Top Sealing Dampers replace the fireplace throat device and are installed at the top of the chimney. The top sealing device has a seal that acts like a storm door keeping the costly conditioned air inside the home and the outside air – outside. This principle works year round, whether you’re heating or cooling your house. This product can be bought online and is easily installed by either a homeowner or a handyman.

2. A fireback is a cast iron plate that is put at the back of your fireplace. Its purpose is to protect the back surround from fire alteration and it usually features a design that adds to the homes decor. The fireback improves the fireplaces efficiency by absorbing the heat from the fire and radiating the heat back into the room.

3. A Fireplace Heater pulls fresh air from the room, circulates it through a chamber that is heated by the fire and then blows the heated air back into the room. These heaters are shut systems so no smoke from the fireplace is invading the home. Depending on which kind you purchase, these heaters can make a significant difference in your homes temperature, even heating a full room on its own. Specific fireplace heaters can be installed with fireplace glass doors which will kick your cost savings up another notch.

4.  Fireplace Glass Doors will likely carry the largest investment, but you can reduce some of that cost by doing some of the work yourself. There are a number of fireplace doors that can be bought online and come with simple to install instructions. The fireplace glass door creates a barrier between the living space and the chimney, thus reducing the area that your furnace will have to heat. This alone is a good reason to install these doors, but it’s not the only reason. Fireplace glass doors offer another level of country for the home by protecting kids and pets from the fire. If you have a wood burning fireplace you will want to buy the screen mesh that is designed to go with the fireplace glass doors. This will grant you to have the doors open while the fire is burning and still have your home fortified from sparks and embers. Fireplace glass doors are now being manufactured with modern designs and really add beauty and charm to the fireplace.
If you’re handy, all of these recommendations are simple to accomplish. In addition, all of the products, while difficult to find locally, can easily be bought online. If you’re concerned about high energy costs but you want to keep your fireplace, then it’s time to plug up the holes in your monthly energy budget by plugging up the holes in your fireplace.

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3-tab Roofing Shingles

January 23, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

A shingle that shows 3 tabs, or measures 3 feet, is fittingly known as 3-tab roofing shingles. They are normally guaranteed for 20 years and help the roof to have a smooth, defined look. Depending on the manufacturer, 3-tab shingles are often acquirable in 20, 25 or even 30 year limited warranties. They are generally acquirable in a variety of colors and it’s also important to note that 3-tab roofing shingles are some of the most cost efficient shingles to use on your home.

Are 3-Tab Roofing Shingles For You?

Before deciding on 3-tab roofing shingles for your home, check with your local homeowner’s association. In addition to certain restrictions that apiece association might have, some do not grant the use of 3-tab shingles. This might be true in areas that are prone to high wind or other inclement weather, but check with your local building stipulations to be sure.

Replacing 3-Tab Roofing Shingles

If you need to replace 3-tab roofing shingles, you can either do the job yourself or hire a professional roofing contractor, such as Roofer911.com. If you decide to take the job on yourself, select a warm, dry day. Do not work on the roof if it is wet or slippery. Once you’re on the roof, carefully pry the tabs of the shingles upward, which overlap the dilapidated one. Loosen the tabs and the adhesive on the back of the shingle. Work carefully to refrain alteration to the neighboring shingles. If you lift too many tabs on good shingles, they might crack. For the shingle that you are removing, look for the nails holding it into place and remove them as well. Once the shingle is out, remove any debris from that area before placing the new shingle. With your new shingle in hand, search for the adhesive strips near the bottom of apiece of the 3 tabs. Slide the new shingle into place and secure it with nails. You might use roofing cement to secure the overlaying tabs.

Contacting A Professional

If you are uncomfortable working on your roof, call a professional roofing contractor. Roofer911.com has years of experience in helping homeowners with all of their roofing needs. We can help you, too. Give us a call or fill in the form for a fast quote on your project. We are here to answer all of your questions and to wage you with calibre work, so please do not hesitate to contact Roofer911.com for repair or replacement of your roof.

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5 Tips For Planting Roses

January 21, 2010 By Admin Leave a Comment

When spring is on its way and the ground is soft, it is the perfect time for planting roses. Roses have been a very favourite bloom over the years, not only do they look good, but they smell wonderful too.

However, planting roses can't be done just anywhere or in just any climate. They need special care and treatment. Here are some tips that you need to think about in order to successfully grow roses:

1. Roses require about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight everyday. It would be ideal to plant your roses in a clear area where there are not too many trees or other types of plants. The reason behind this is that the rose might demand sunlight exposure and the roots are also likely to become intertwined with the rose and throttle its growth. If you wish to replace an old rose bush, you should remove about 1 ½ cubic feet of the old soil and replace it with new soil so that the newly planted rose will have fresh soil to begin with.

2. When thinking about the position of your roses you must think about the type of rose you are planting. Place ramblers and climbers along trellises, fences and next to pergolas or arches. This is important to think about because they need space to grow freely and these positions are perfect for larger blooming roses.

3. Roses will look good in island beds which can be blended with perennials. Smaller roses make great edging plants, which are perfect for combining in front of taller species. Dig a hole massive enough for the size of the root ball, but remember to loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole. You can also add bone meal which acts as a slow acting resource of phosphorus. This will help establish a healthy root growth for your roses.

4. You should be careful when considering the planting depth as this depends on your climate. If you live in a cooler climate, plant roses deeper, but if you wish to plant in a pot, you must dig about 1 inch deeper than the usual potted level.

5. Make sure that you place roses in the hole carefully. The hole should be refilled with soil so that the roots are covered completely. Before you make the final covering, water the rose. Then mound the soil about 8 inches high around the base of the plant. The connector will keep the stems from drying out until the plant is absolutely rooted. As the leaves open, you can remove the excess soil that surrounds the plant.

These some important tips you need to think about when planting roses. It will be worth the effort, as your roses will bloom beautifully.

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