Archive for November, 2009

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Interior Painting Tips – How to Properly Apply Deep Tinted Paints

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Interior painting with deep tinted paints such as midnight blue, pumpkin orange and passion red can be a very challenging experience for any homeowner. The one thing virtually all deep tinted paints have in common is they are mixed in a neutral base. The neutral base that these colors are mixed in offer little help in coverage. Before the colorant is added you can look straight through to the bottom of the can. So what steps can a homeowner take to improve coverage and save time.

Below are 6 important things you must do to assure coverage while using deep tinted paints for your interior painting projects.

1. The most important thing you should do is prime your walls with a primer that has been tinted as close to the top coat as possible. These tinted primers have a lot more pigment and will cover better, making the transition to your dark color neutral based color easier. This will reduce cost and time.

2. Pay attention to your spread rate. Avoid over overspreading deep tinted color paints. Dry rolling will only reduce the hiding power. Apply paint at the manufactures recommended spread rate.

3. Use a good quality roller cover. The ideal nap thickness for deep tinted paint is a 3/8 inch nap. A shorter nap than this causes over spreading of paint and reduces hiding power. A nap longer than this creates an unattractive stipple effect in the deep tinted paints.

4. The method you use to apply the paint is important. Make sure you roll into the brushed areas while the paint is still wet. This prevents what is called framing. Deep tinted paints seem to look better when applied in a straight up and down motion from ceiling to floor. Also, avoid build up of paint at the leading edge of the roller. Try to feather any leading edge of paint left by the roller by using a straight up and down motion.

5. Give proper drying time before re coating. The high levels of colorant in the paint slow down the drying process of deeply tinted paints. Applying paint too soon will create unsightly textures.

6. Avoid touching up deep tinted paints. If you discover that after several top coats you still have a few areas that seem thin then re-apply paint to the entire wall. It is very difficult to touch up these walls without looking touched up.

Keep in mind, deeply tinted paints have different properties than white tinted base paints. Most light and medium tone colors are mixed in a white tinting base, giving them a much greater ability to hide. They spread differently and dry down differently. Avoid the mistake of getting in too big of a hurry while using deep tinted paint. They are known for their capricious nature.

Nicky Taylor CEO Of http://www.home-painting-services.com/interiorpainting.html – Visit our site and see what all the noise is about. Click here for our interior painting and exterior painting section. Our painting tips section offers more information on valuable topics pertaining to home improvement.

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Finding a Child Safe Paint That is Non Toxic and Zero VOC in an Over-Toxicated World

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

So, I am eight months pregnant and obsessed with getting my home ready for my new baby. Apparently this is a completely normal and, if my pregnancy books are correct, a scientifically proven reaction to being on the brink of bringing a new life into the world!

Most moms-to-be have this ‘nesting instinct’–see, there is even a somewhat scientific name for this craziness. But it does make perfect sense. Baby ready to come, mom needs to have somewhere to put the baby. But a simple room won’t do.

Oh no.

I need a brilliant, beautifully colored and gorgeous nursery for my new prodigy. And this is where my dilemma started.

I’m pretty careful about all things. I want no trans-fats, no toxins, completely sustainable, healthy for my planet, eat-local-act-global (you get my drift) products and have been doing a ton of research on all things related to my family and new baby. So in this vein, I did some reading on child safe non toxic paint. I always knew that I wanted a low odor paint, because somehow that ‘fresh paint smell’ has never really smelled that ‘fresh’ to me, and I was a bit dubious about what I was smelling anyway. And I am very pleased that I looked into this.

Apparently paints contain VOCs, volatile organic compounds that are not so great for the environment–they cause smog and affect the ozone layer–but are even worse for your home environment. The VOCs and toxins in these paints greatly reduce the air quality in your home and can lead to horrible things like throat, eye and nose problems, headaches, and even cancer. So while I am planning on being all natural with my baby’s diet, I realized that it would be for nothing if I didn’t paint his room with a completely zero toxin paint.

I also read that pregnant women shouldn’t paint or be in the same area as those who are painting rooms, as it can affect your unborn baby. Made me really think about the threat that these paint fumes would be to my completely unprotected, new offspring sleeping peacefully in a crib in a newly painted, poisonous room.

Thankfully, there are new paints available that are completely free of toxins and are totally child safe. Look for the zero VOC, zero toxin products opposed to the ones that are low in VOCs or low in toxins. Some manufacturers are less than truthful with the way in which they communicate their ingredients on their labels and put the number of VOCs per liter as opposed to the actual number in a gallon–the normal size of a can of paint.

The smell is also something that I was right to be wary of. I learned that the smell of new paint is actually the solvents evaporating into the environment. These solvents are the things that contain the toxins and carcinogens, so the smell is not a good sign. Go for low odor–everything has an odor so you are not going to find a zero odor paint–but if it has zero toxins and zero VOCs on the label the low smell that you get should be safe anyway.

The new paints have a reputation for not being as good as the old reliable, poisonous paints. However, there are a few new companies out there who are really doing the research on this and are finding completely new ways to create paint. These guys’ durability is as good as, if not better than, the traditional stuff. Many of them come in a huge variety of colors too–so don’t feel that you can’t have the nursery of your dreams in any color or colors that you want because you want to be healthy. Just do some research and you’ll be safe!

Delilah Jones is an expecting mother with a passion for zero VOC paint and its impact to consumer safety. She is also interested in how a 100 percent non toxic paint and low odor paint can correlate for baby and pregnant women.

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Are You Considering Using Landscape Lighting

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

When it comes to landscaping there are many things which can be done in order to make it look impressive. There are many different features and ideas to try and one thing that is sure to go down well is landscape lights.

The great thing is that there are quite a few different lights which you can get for the landscape in order to cater for everyone’s needs. Also, the great thing about them as well is that they are very easy to install so everyone can enjoy them with no hassle and no fuss.

What Can Landscape Lighting Do For You?

There are some great benefits of adding lights to your landscape area. Not only do they add a touch of class but they can add a sense of security to the area and even the house. The lights can really help to brighten up any dark areas around the yard and they can also make it easy to see at night whilst you are out in the garden. They also help the landscape to look extremely impressive and it adds that little something extra to the balance. They really are an inexpensive way of adding extra charm and style to any landscape.

Different Types of Landscape Lighting

When it comes to the lighting for the yard area, you will find that it will be powered from two different sources. The first option is that the lights use a line voltage fixture, which will be connected to the power supply from the house. The great thing about this option is that the wires will be underground so they will not be sticking out and causing a safety hazard. You will find that this type will be used for the bigger landscapes and also by people who are experienced with electrics. It is always best to get someone professional to do it if you are not sure yourself on how to do it.

The second option is where the lights use solar light fixtures to absorb the energy from the sun, in order to charge up the batteries in the light. These are very easy to use and easy to install as well as being cheaper too. So, that makes the second option the safest and the easiest for most people.

Landscape Lighting Is a Great Idea for entertaining

It is a great idea to add lighting to any landscape and it can come in handy for when the nights draw in. It allows people to stay outside in the warm months and enjoy socialising or relaxing in the garden. They are absolutely great for entertaining and it really does help to make people feel very welcome. Overall you really cannot go wrong with a little landscape lighting.

Andrew Caxton is the author and editor of more outdoor lights resources published at http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com. You can find more information and resources on landscape lighting at his website.

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Knowing How the Right Landscape Equipment Will Help You

Friday, November 27th, 2009

If you are thinking about landscaping, you may well be wondering just what equipment you will need in order to help you. By providing yourself with the right equipment, you will enable yourself to do the job a lot faster and it will also make things an awful lot easier too. So, if you do have a lot of ideas as to what to turn your garden into, always ensure that you do purchase the right equipment for your needs.

The Landscape Equipment You Will Need

There are various types of landscape equipment which you are likely to need. The first being garden tools. Things such as a rake, a shovel and spade and shears will really help you when it comes time to do all aspects of landscaping. They are basic tools which every keen gardener should have and you can buy them readily from garden centers and even online.

Other equipment which you will need is the actual materials which you are going to use. For example, if you have decided to use gravel you are going to need to have gravel on hand. Stones are also readily available and they can really help to spruce up the garden where you can use them as borders, small walls as well as walkways.

Another common material you will need includes plants. Now plants are the basis of most gardens and they really do add that little extra something. Adding color, class and homeliness, you really cannot go wrong with a few plants in your landscape. Just make sure that you know exactly what it is those plants need before you purchase them otherwise you could end up with something which is really high maintenance. Obviously you will need a spade to help you plant the flowers and a watering can to help you water them.

If you do want to build a small wall, as well as stone or bricks you will also need some cement in order to keep them stuck together. If you do not build the wall properly it could be a safety hazard and you could potentially end up having an accident. You can buy cement and anything else which you need form local garden centers.

Overall there are various materials which you will need and you should really purchase them before you start landscaping. Landscape equipment is fairly reasonably priced and they can be found in garden centers local to you.

Andrew Caxton is the author and editor of more landscaping materials resources published at http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com. A website with tips on landscape equipment, amongst many related topics.

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Are You Considering Using Plants For Your Landscaping

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

If you are struggling for ideas on how to decorate your landscaping project, using plants could really make a big difference. They are simple to care for and they also can look amazing too. There is such a huge range of plants available so it will really be down to personal preference on which ones you go for. You really will be spoilt for choice if you choose to use plants within your landscape.

What to Consider If You Use Plants for Your Landscaping Project

If you do decide to use plants for your landscape area, then there are certain things which you should take into consideration. Firstly, it is an idea to know what type of plants you are after and then you should try to find out as much about them as possible. This way you can find out if it will suit your landscape and you will also find out how to look after them.

It is a good idea to know what area will suit certain plants, otherwise the plants that you get may not grow very well or they may not look as good as they should. It always pays to do the right amount of research needed otherwise you could simply just waste money on plants which do not suit your landscape. It is a good idea to choose a plant which will compliment the area that you are putting it into. Also, try to make the plants compatible with everything else that has been placed into the landscape otherwise it could throw the balance completely off and effect the overall look.

What Conditions Or Requirements Do The Plants Need To Flourish In Your Landscaping Project?

When you get a plant for your landscape it is important to consider just how much sun or shade will be in the landscape area. If you have an idea of this it will help you make a better decision on which plants to purchase. Certain plants will only grow in certain conditions and if they don’t get the right balance, they will not grow properly or they will die.

Shrubs can be used in your landscaping plans and they can add a bit of creativity as well. They help maintain the overall look and they are a great way to bring the design of the landscape together. There is a selection of what shrubs to get for the landscape area but it is a matter of finding one that will suit your landscape the best.

Andrew Caxton is a journalist who has written more articles and newsletters on this subject for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com. You can find more information and resources on landscaping at his website.

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Home Plans – Building a Perfect Vacation Home

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

The vacation home is not the out of reach luxury item reserved for the super rich it once was. With proper planning and budgeting your family can have a second home in your favorite vacation destination to enjoy for generations to come. You can make your home comfortable and stylish on a budget with these simple steps.

Step one is to decide on a location. Take into consideration your family’s lifestyle when selecting a location. It should be a place that you have visited in the past and have enjoyed returning to time and time again. Unlike staying in hotels, it is harder to change your mind after your new vacation home is built. Make sure activities that the whole family enjoys are nearby. And try keeping your home a short driving distance from your primary residence to keep down on travel time and expense.

Step two is to decide on a home style. The location you picked in step one above will play a significant role in determining the style of the house plan you choose. You probably don’t want to go with log cabin home plans if the site you select is on the beach. Blending in with the surrounding environment and neighboring homes can be both a budget saver and keep you in good standing with the community.

Step three is to research stock and semi-custom home plans that you can take right to a builder to slightly modify or start building from. There may even be free loghome plans or significantly low cost plans for a multitude of home styles available that your builder can customize for a nominal fee. These are great budget savers.

Step four is to budget. You can never run the numbers too many times. And when they do not add up there is nothing wrong with saving up for another year before starting your home or reconfiguring the budget to make it work. You don’t want to decide on that perfect cabin cottage home plan vacation house only to never be able to complete it or not have the funds to maintain and enjoy it for many years.

Step five is to build and enjoy it. Be involved as much as possible in the building process to be sure you are getting just what you want. Ask questions whenever you do not understand something. Visit the site as often as you can to make sure everything is going as planned. This is your investment and your family’s future retreat; make sure it is what you want.

These steps are just the beginning and there are many details to research and explore when embarking on the process of building your getaway retreat. Be sure to visit House Plans and More for more home planning ideas. You may not find any free loghome plans but regardless of the style of home you are leaning towards from log cabin home plans to cabin cottage home plan vacation houses you are sure to find ideas and inspiration on this site to guide you to your dream getaway.

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3 Ways for Arranging Furniture In Your Home

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

When you go to decorate any room in your home, of course you want it to be stylish and have character, but you also need it to be functional. In all the different rooms in your home, whether it’s oak bedroom furniture or the living room furniture, your furniture takes up the bulk of the space. This is why it’s important that you plan accordingly when you are arranging the furnishings in your home.

The way you arrange your furniture in your home will depend on several different things. The type of room you are decorating will be a factor, as well as what furniture you have and the style you’ve decided upon. How you arrange your furniture will be different for every room; however, there are some basic guidelines you can follow.

Choose the Focal Point of the Room
It’s best to figure how what the focal point of the room is going to be before you actually arrange your furniture. This might be a natural focal point, such as a fireplace or a bay window, or it might be one of your pieces of furniture.

Pay attention to where your eyes are drawn when you first walk into the room. This is the part of the room you want to focus on. Once the focal point is decided upon, you can now plan accordingly where you want the furniture to go in order to emphasize that place in the room.

Plan Your Design
Often homeowners like to play around with the design of a room before they get it the way they want it. It’s best to start by arranging the largest pieces of furniture first.

If your largest piece of furniture is your focal point, then that will be easy to place. You always want to arrange the largest pieces first in a room, as they’re going to take up the most space and be more dominant than the smaller pieces. This means first planning where your bed goes in the bedroom or where your sofa goes in the family room.

Design the placement of your furniture in relation to your focal point. When arranging the furnishings, not everything needs to be facing the focal point. However, you do need to arrange it so that it shows off the importance of that place in the room. It’s also important for you to not put all the larger pieces together in one place, as this will throw the balance of the room off. Once the larger pieces have been placed, then you can move on to the smaller pieces like side tables and chairs.

Consider the Purpose of the Room
An important factor to keep in mind when arranging the furniture is that you are constantly considering what you want the purpose of the room to be. In your dining room, for example, you need to pay attention as to whether there’s enough space for people to comfortably pass by the oak dining table when others are seated there. The seating in the living room, on the other hand, needs to be close enough together so that people don’t have to shout to be heard and can carry on comfortable conversations with each other. Functionality and purpose are key things to keep in mind when arranging the furniture in any room.

Arranging the furniture in your home doesn’t necessarily mean it is set in stone. Once you’ve designed the room, you can leave it for a few weeks to see how it works out. If it doesn’t seem to be working, you can always start over and design a different layout for the room.

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Bathroom Shower Options in New Home Plans

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Just when you think you have one simple choice to make to outfit your new home, think again. Today’s showers are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be outfitted with amazing features to provide the most luxurious shower imaginable.

Showers can be stand-alone bathroom fixtures or be a part of a tub combo. The two main factors determining the type is you available size and budget. If space is tight, all you may be able to fit is a stand-alone shower stall. With a little extra space, and the need for somewhere to soak your stresses away, the shower/tub combo is the right choice. For those new homes equipped with plush master suites and the ranch house plans with two master bedrooms that are becoming more common, a separate stand-alone shower is ideal because there is plenty of room for a soaking tub on its own.

Showers are either found as prefabricated units or completely custom built to fit your space and style. Prefabs are best suited for standard stalls that are either square or circular units. Custom built units sometimes become necessary when those country style house plans you have been working on need something more tailored to fit any nook and cranny available in your bathroom.

No matter what style you are looking for, showers are available in a multitude of materials. The most important thing to ensure is that the material chosen is waterproof and durable. Prefabricated units are typically made of fiberglass-reinforced acrylic, plastic laminate or synthetic marble. Custom shower stalls can be created using any number of materials, including ceramic tiles, stone, marble and granite. Using these materials takes a step further in aesthetics and offers the most flexibility in size and shape. Whatever type of shower you are building, it is important to take in the entire bathroom environment to ensure a relaxing and stress-free atmosphere.

General shower stalls come equipped with grab bars and soap dishes, while upgrades can include benches and multiple showerheads. Showerheads come in a dizzying array, and can take the shower experience from standard to pure luxury. Choose from multiple pressure options, handheld (also with various pressure options), and even full body showerheads that act similar to a car wash. And, growing in popularity is the waterfall showerhead that has the feeling of a gentle rain. Additional extras that can be incorporated into your shower experience include programmable preferred temperatures, natural light, steam rooms and units and smart home technology.

It’s not hard to become overwhelmed with all the decisions involved in building your new home. Do you go with a traditional ranch house plan or indulge your post modern side? But with careful consideration and proper research, your dream home – right down to every bathroom – will be a pure joy for you and your family.

Be sure to visit House Plans and More for more house plan and bathroom resources. The planning stages of that traditional ranch house plan or more updated ranch house plans with two master bedrooms can seem daunting at times. But arm yourself with information and even country style house plans will be a breeze to tackle.

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Stair Lifts and Residential Elevators

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

It can be very difficult for some people to climb the stairs safely. This is especially true of people who are sufferers of diseases like arthritis, but also those who suffer from cognitive disorders, like Alzheimer’s. In order to allow for complete access of a home, many people decide to install personal elevators, but this can quickly get pretty expensive. A stair lift is a much more affordable way to allow complete access to a home.

A stair lift is a device that is designed to carry a person up and down the stairs. For a straight staircase, there are several easy to install do-it-yourself kits available. These kits consist of a metal track, which is attached directly to the stairs, and a car, which is sent up and down the track. Usually a chair will be attached to the car, but sometimes a small platform, which is referred to as a perch, is used. Perch lifts will require that the user remain standing as they are carried up and down the track, so this option is generally only used by people who, for medical reasons, can not use a traditional chair lift.

These do-it-yourself kits can generally be installed in only a few hours, but due to the important nature of the work, it is important to carefully install the lift and follow all instructions, so it is better to take longer to install the lift then it would be to rush through it. Most dealers also have a trained installation team available, so those that do not feel comfortable doing the installation can have it professionally installed at an affordable rate.

While a personal elevator can be a nice touch, it requires a great deal of construction to the home, which can be quite expensive. The cost of the elevator is also fairly high, which is one of the main reasons a stair lift is often the best choice. A stair lift that is designed for a straight staircase is also installed much more quickly than an elevator would be. However, if you have a curved stairway, you will probably be better off installing a residential elevator.

People who have a curved staircase, might be able to install two straight stairway lifts onto the stairs, so it is a good idea to talk with a straight stair lift dealer first. Installing two stairway lifts will still save you considerable time and money when compared to a curved stairway lift, which costs at minimum 1000% more than a straight stairway lift.

If you can not install a straight staircase lift, then you might want to consider installing a personal elevator, which many times can be installed for the same price or even less than a curved stairway lift would be. Residential elevators can also usually be installed sooner than a curved staircase lift could be. Since the price of a personal elevator and a curved staircase lift is about the same, it is usually best to install a residential elevator as opposed to a curved stair lift.

A residential elevator will also retain its value and add value to the home, so much of the cost of the elevator will be retrieved when you sell your home. A curved stairway lift on the other hand does not have much value after it is sold, because it will only work on identical staircases.

For a straight stairway or an ‘L’ shaped stairway, a stair lift will be much less expensive than a personal elevator, but those that have a curved stairway, would probably be better off installing a residential elevator, because it will be about the same cost as a curved stair lift.

Sean Noughtly is a writer who is familiar with stair lifts and elevators. If you care to learn more about residential elevators or straight stair lifts, visit or call AmeriGlide.com

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How to Build a Wind Turbine

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

You’ve decided to learn how to build a wind turbine and now you need to find reliable wind generator plans. It’s not a difficult project either if you follow the instructions carefully.

What will you need to get started on this project?

· You need a place to work- basement, garage or shop works best

· Common tools available in most homes- wrenches, cordless drill etc.

· Detailed plans on how to build a wind turbine

· Some help with the project too

Those extra hands can be very helpful especially when you are putting together everything.

The first thing you need to do is order a DC motor capable of producing at least 1000 watts of power. The plans outline sources of motors to be used as your power generator. They can even be shipped directly to you. The cost is about $30 including the shipping.

That brings up an interesting point, how much does it cost to learn how to build a wind turbine?

The 1000w home wind machine can be built for under $150 total including the cost of the detailed plans. That’s pretty good considering a new model would cost over $3000 – a substantial savings. Why do they cost so much when parts are so readily available?

Get started while you are waiting for the motor/generator to arrive on building the rest of the machine.

We usually start with the blades. You will want to build your blades out of wood for machines of this size.

Matching blades to the DC motor is really the most complicated part of learning how to build a wind turbine.

To produce 1000 watts of power your blades need to be at least 4 feet long forming a total blade diameter of 8 foot spin.

It is this larger diameter that produces more power, one of the major contributing factors.

The larger the blades the larger the DC motor too, as outlined in detail in the plans.

It takes about a days work to make the blades. If you want to make a smaller machine you can use PVC pipe for blades too, but not for the larger ones.

The rest of the machine can be fashioned from recycled metals- the body and tail.

The plans showed us where to find used TV towers to use as a tower and even sources of free deep cycle batteries.

When your DC motor arrives all you have to do is assemble the parts and put it up.

It’s a real joy seeing those blades turn for the first time producing free electricity for your home. Isn’t it time you built your own. Let’s get started.

How To Build A Wind Turbine is the best place to start with this project, and learn how to save on your electricity bill by learning how to build a wind turbine of your own.

Our family has been living off the grid since last year, and loving every minute of it. Learning how to build a wind turbine has turned out to be one of the most important parts of our life.

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