laminated floors

It is only in the last few years that the popularity of carpets has fallen and more and more people are choosing laminated floors as their flooring of choice. The biggest reasons for the dramatic rise in popularity of laminated floors is; it looks great, it is not expensive, it is easy to install, it is easy to care for and generally comes with a good guarantee.

It basically gives you the look of a more expensive solid hardwood floor that is usually associated with large expensive properties. Laminate flooring can be bought for a fraction of the cost of solid hardwood flooring and it does not require a team of professionals to install it.

Laminate flooring comes in a wide range of popular finishes including Beech, Birch, Pine, Walnut, Cherry, Maple and oak in shades including English, Rustic French, Antique. They are also available in a tile and stonework finish. So whatever style you are looking for in your home you will find a laminate floor to suit the style you desire, from traditional to contemporary there will be a laminate style to match it. Installing laminate flooring can also have an extra benefit if your are looking to sell your home many estate agents say that it is a good selling point for your home.

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Solid Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood flooring really does look great. It has a rugged chunky look to it that spells out longevity and high quality. If they are properly cared for they will look fantastic and they will last forever, however you must put in the time and effort to keep them looking good. It isn’t really that hard to do either, with the right type of care you can add years to the life of your Hardwood Floors.

1 The biggest enemy for hardwood floors is dirt, grit and sand. Any of these substances will act like sandpaper, they will grind and scrape the surface of the wood dulling the shiny surface and taking the edge of the finish. The use of small mats that are located just inside the outside doorways will help to stop the dirt and grit from being trampled through the house.

 

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Diy Pole Barns

By definition a pole barn building is built from poles. Building structures using a pole frame is one of the oldest construction methods available. Pole construction is a very basic building method that uses poles as vertical supports, one of the main benefits of this system is that it is very flexible.

Pole building is a practical and affordable method for building and examples of this architecture can be seen all across agricultural areas of America. The biggest reason that it is such a popular method of construction is that it is simple to construct, with the average do it yourselfer being able to finish a project in only a few days. Constructing a pole building is affordable as it uses the cheapest materials for construction.

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Outdoor Fireplaces

Before you go out and spend your money on an outdoor fireplace there are a number of things that you should take into consideration. The biggest consideration should be the safety of the members of your family and the safety of your property.

1  What to Burn.
One of the most popular fuels for outdoor fireplaces is hardwood. Pinon pine wood has quit a pleasant smell when it is burning. It makes for an active flame and it generates good heat. The scent can also keep insects away. Applewood and pine cones can also add a pleasant aroma.

A number of fireplaces come with an insert for natural gas and propane. Other sources of fuel are gel inserts, and manufactured fire logs.

2 Size Matters
When you start to look at fireplaces make sure you compare the size of the firebox above all other dimensions. If the firebox is too small buying and cutting wood is more difficult. Asking for wood to be specially cut to fit a small fire box will increase the cost of your fuel.

Don't bother with a fireplace that is tall and thin, try and find a large fire box. A small fire box will only cost you more money in the long run. If you have a large fireplace you do not need to have a large fire, you will use less wood on a smaller fire.

A good fireplace will burn efficiently and a lot cleaner than a fire pit, as there design has no smoke stack. The design of the fireplace allows air to be drawn into the fire and blows it out of the neck for an efficient burn. A fire pit tends to smoulder and smoke a lot more than the traditional fireplace design due to its poor airflow.

3 Check the Weight

When you compare fireplaces, check there weight. The majority of fireplaces are produced by there weight, so they are sold by weight. If you are checking the weights make sure that you take into account the material it is made from, copper against copper, cast iron against cast iron

4 Correct maintenance

Fireplaces that are made in the more commercial copper, clay or sheet steel do not have the safety or the longevity of cast iron or aluminium. At the bottom end of the scale you can find sheet metal fireplaces at bargain prices, they are pretty much a disposable fireplace as once the sheet metal starts to rust they have basically lived out there usefulness. Always check out the gauge or thickness of the metal, a metal that is too thin may melt.

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How to Clean a Mattress

Mattresses can be very expensive, it therefore makes sense that you should learn how to care for your mattress properly. Accidents do happen occasionally, especially if your young children  have problems through the night with bedwetting. So , how do you clean a mattress correctly? You can not just throw it in the washing machine if it gets soiled.

It is best to avoid the mattress getting soiled in the first place. The easiest way to do this is to encase the mattress in a hypo allergenic cover, this will protect it from dust and grime and it will also   reduce the amount of dust mites. Liquid spills can however still steep through a cover and into the mattress. The only way you can stop liquid getting to the mattress is to fit a rubber sheet between the cover and the mattress, this will stop the mattress from being soiled by childhood accidents.  

The biggest issue with rubber sheets is that people find them uncomfortable to sleep on, as they have a habit of bunching up. You may want to consider a  mattress protector that has long side flaps so it can be tucked into keep it in place something like the Dri Nights Waterproof Mattress Protector. If your mattress does become soiled  here are a some simple steps to get it clean again:

 

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Window Blinds and Shades

Window blinds provide cover for your windows to give privacy and shade to your space, they are usually attached to the inside of the window. One of the main benefits of using blinds on your windows is that they can give you a larger degree of control over the amount of light that comes into your room.

There are many different types of blinds available for you to choose from. They include the following:

Slat Blinds

This type of blind is made with numerous flat horizontal slats that are connected together with strings so you can rotate the slat. This allows for different amounts of light to pass between the slats. The slats can be rotated to a maximum of 170 degrees in order to block the light from the room completely. They can also be raised to clear the window completely. Rotating the blinds is usually done by pulling a cord or turning a connector that is attached to the string, another string is used to lower and raise the blinds. There are also versions of blinds were both mechanisms are combined in a single rod. The various slat blind that you can find are :

Venetian blinds – first introduced in Venice around 1770, generally the slats are made of plastic or metal but sometimes found made with wooden slats, these are known as wood or bamboo blinds. The slats of the blinds can vary in width between 50mm and 120mm.

Mini blinds – these are just a thinner version of Venetian blinds, with slats that usually measure between 19mm and 24mm.

Vertical blinds – sometimes called track blinds, these binds use a single track across the top that the blind runs across. This track usually has two cords one that controls the pivot of the vertical slats, controlling the amount of light that is let in and the other drawing the slats to the sides of the window to clear the blinds out of the view.

Solid Blinds

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Cork Flooring Pros and Cons

With the wide range of flooring types available today people tend to go with whatever is trendy at the time. Unfortunately this means that they miss out on some really good flooring options.

One option that gets overlooked regularly due to a lack of consumer awareness is cork flooring. Most people that think of cork think of wine bottle stoppers or pin boards. They do not realize that cork flooring is attractive, durable, environmentally friendly, comfortable to walk on and above all affordable. For you to appreciate the beauty of cork flooring you need to understand the unique characteristics of cork flooring.

Where cork comes from

Cork actually comes from the bark of a Mediterranean tree, the cork oak tree. On e of the biggest suppliers of cork is Portugal, they supply around 70 % of the worlds cork production from around 30 % of the worlds cork oak trees. The bark is harvested by hand every nine years, with the average tree producing the equivalent of around 4000 corks.

In nature the bark is honeycombed, it contains approximately 90% air and it can be compressed to around 40% of its mass and when released it will quickly return to its original form. This unique feature allows it be used as the perfect natural shock absorber. 

The Benefits of Cork

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