Scented Candles ? Take Me AWAY!
October 14, 2007
Remember the old Calgon commercial-”Take me away Calgon!” There’s only one thing that can take you away faster than a Calgon bath, and that’s a scented candle. Whether you want a breath of fresh spring air, or you want to transport yourself to a South Sea paradise minus the hassle of airport security, crowded, delayed flights and lost baggage, grab a scented candle, and travel wherever your imagination leads. Smell is a powerful sense, and you can use it to alter your mood within seconds with the flicker of a candle. In fact, why not keep a supply of scented candles in the bathroom when you don’t have time to luxuriate in the bathtub. Envelope yourself in fragrance while you shower, dry and blow-dry.
Close your eyes and think of each season: winter, spring, summer and fall each evoke special “scentual” memories. If it’s the dead of winter and you’ve already suffered through 73 days of snow cover, light a piņa colada candle or a seaside candle and pop in your favorite Beach Boys CD. Inhale the scents of summer and forget about the cold for a few divine moments. Select a delicate floral candle or maybe a rain forest scent to remind you that April showers are right around the corner. If it’s 102° F in the shade, there’s nothing like a pine-scented candle to send a quick shiver up your back. Longing for fall? Light a pumpkin candle to evoke the Harvest Moon and the bounty of autumn. Whatever the occasion you’d like to recreate, it’s only a candle away. That’s the power of the sense of smell.
Simple Way to Get More Heat from Your Fireplace
October 13, 2007
For some people, a fireplace might as well be a video of flaming logs. Their primary interest is the welcoming ambiance a fireplace’s blaze presents. If, however, you expect your fireplace to provide heat in exchange for your log-carrying, fire-building efforts, (or in the case of gas logs, in exchange for your gas bill), it’s time to maximize your fireplace’s heat output.
There are various contraptions designed to return more of a wood or gas fireplace’s heat into the room and stanch the flow of that precious heat from escaping up the chimney. Many of them involve fans and vents and considerable expense. But one of the most time-honored, hassle-free, and least expensive methods of increasing a fire’s heat output is making a comeback: the fireback.
A fireback is a sheet of metal, sized in proportion to the fireplace, that’s placed against your back fireplace wall. Firebacks can be set on the hearth’s floor and just leaned against the back fireplace wall, but often they are secured by placing them in supporting braces which keep the fireback from sliding. Firebacks come in two main styles: the cast iron fireback and the stainless steel fireback.
How To Identify A Quality Interior Shutter
October 12, 2007
1. Shutters have proper louver tension
The shutters louvers should be smooth and stay in the desired position throughout the lifetime of the shutter. Some manufacturers feature "tension screws" on the side of each shutter panel, with one tension screw required for each louver section. The problem with tension screws occurs over time, when tightening the screws becomes necessary on a regular basis. Eventually, the louvers within a single shutter unit will not have uniform tension because the louver sections adapt to the tension screw differently. Polywood, vinyl, fauxwood, and synthetic shutters usually have an extremely tight louver tension. It is then difficult to put the louvers exactly in the desired location, and the rotation of the louvers is difficult. The best technique for providing uniform tension that will remain constant is a split nylon pin tension system that requires no maintenance.
2. Shutters are built from a quality material
Wood is the most preferable material for building shutters, and not all woods are made alike. Basswood is a superior wood because it is among the straightest of hardwoods with a fine uniform texture and indistinct grain. It can be sanded and stained to a smooth finish, and it is lightweight yet very strong.
Aluminium And Wooden Greenhouses
October 12, 2007
An important addition to any British back garden, greenhouses are firmly established in the British way of life. It’s probably the inclement weather that drives the british gardener ‘inside’. If you are visiting this site then you are probably thinking about obtaining a new greenhouse. It is possible you don’t know the type of greenhouse you need or even how to decide on the type of greenhouse. Greenhouse design was revolutionised with the arrival of aluminium frames and the scarcity of pine. This article takes a brief look at the differences between metal and wooden greenhouses.
– Wooden Greenhouses –
Wooden Greenhouses are the choice for the traditionalist and the expert gardener. They are commonly made from Canadian Western Red Cedar, which is renowned for it’s exceptional long life outdoors as a result of it’s effective rot resistance. Wooden greenhouses are the traditional style of greenhouse before the aluminium greenhouses and plastic greenhouses became more popular towards the end of the last century.
Materials For Building Window Shutters
October 11, 2007
Shopping for window shutters can become confusing because of the huge variety of materials used and promoted as superior. The construction methods of a shutter unit, including the materials used, contributes greatly to the overall cost of shutters purchased. However, a well-constructed unit made out of high-quality materials will also last longer and look better than something less than ideal. Following is an outline of various woods and synthetic materials that are often used in building shutters.
Basswood Shutters (Tilia Americana Linnaeus, or the American Linden)
Basswood is absolutely the best wood for building window shutters. The Basswood tree can be found from Quebec south to Delaware and the Atlantic coast west to Eastern Kentucky with an average height of 65 feet. Basswood is a renewable resource and careful forest management ensures tree harvesting is done responsibly, balancing growth with removal. Each year the United States grows about twice as much hardwood as it harvests. Basswood shutters are very straight and has a fine uniform texture with an indistinct grain. Basswood machines well and is easy to work, and screws and glues well and can be sanded and stained to a smooth finish. It dries fairly rapidly with little distortion. Basswood has fairly high shrinkage but good dimensional stability when dry.
How to Select Exterior Shutters
October 10, 2007
Installing exterior shutters is a relatively quick way to add style and color to the outside of a house. Historical and modern houses alike benefit from the timeless style of shutters. As with any home improvements, the quality and longevity of an addition should be evaluated before proceeding.
Exterior shutters are available in many shapes and materials. Vinyl shutters are easily available at most home improvement stores, and they can be a cost-effective option. However, vinyl shutters often look like plastic, they are not useful as operable shutters, and they cannot be stained.
Shutters are also made out of many types of wood. The best wood for exterior use is cedar because of its outstanding durability and resistance to decay. Cedar gives long service with little maintenance in applications such as mud sills, window sashes, sheathing under stucco or brick veneer construction, greenhouse benches, fencing, poles, trellises, and exterior shutters. Cedar is also used extensively for exterior siding because it is dimensionally stable and holds paint well, in addition to being a deterrent to bugs.
Window Shutters On A Budget
October 9, 2007
While there is great value in installing custom-made interior wood window shutters, sometimes they are still too expensive for certain applications. Some alternatives ? including poly or vinyl shutters ? are less expensive but also much less attractive. For a high-quality solution at a lower cost, look for a company that sells individual solid wood shutter panels that can be installed in any configuration.
When shopping for individual shutter panels, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. The most important factor is the material used to make the interior shutter panels. Basswood has the best characteristics for window shutters because it is a very straight hard wood with little distortion. Basswood also has a fine, uniform texture and indistinct grain, which make it superior for staining or painting. You should also look for a company that can make a large number of panel sizes so you can receive the best final fit for your window.
How To Determine Individual Panel Sizes to Order
It is best to determine how you will mount your shutters before ordering the shutter panels. Sometimes it is necessary to use hanging strips to attach shutters to the outside of the window opening. A reputable company will provide information about different installation methods so you can determine how best to install on a specific window.
Lazy Fish Worries
October 8, 2007
If your fish hang out at the bottom of the pond, or act restless and lazy, then it’s likely that your pond is suffering from poor aeration.
When oxygen levels drop below 7 PPM it not only affects the ability of your fish to breathe, but it also negates your pond’s bio filtration systems. That’s because optimum bio filtration results require large quantities of air. When bio filtration degrades it results in the buildup of toxic ammonia levels. This, in return, causes stress in your fish which can result in lethargy and even death.
Your immediate first aid calls for increasing oxygen levels at once. Unlike chemical treatments, you can’t cause any problems by putting “too much” oxygen into your pond. The easiest way to maintain oxygen levels is to run an aeration pump 24 hours a day. If you are already doing that, and your oxygen levels are still too low, then either your pump is defective, undersized for the pond, or your water temperatures are so high that the water is not capable of retaining sufficient oxygen. Treat whichever of these conditions exist.
Luxury Bedding is More Than Just Thread Count
October 7, 2007
Thread count is the most widely referred to term when searching for those "perfect sheets." Generally, the higher the thread count, the more costly you’ll find the sheets. But is thread count the real measure of luxury bedding?
Thread count is only one factor in the equation of luxury bedding. The qualities of the fabric are what put the luxury in your sheets. There are, however, two main types of fabrics and they are natural and manufactured. Luxury bedding is almost exclusively made from high-quality natural fabrics such as Egyptian cotton.
Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch of fabric. A higher count usually indicates a finer thread. It is the finer thread that gives a sheet its softer feel, unless chemical finishers are used. These chemical finishes, which are often used on cheaper sheets, will make the sheets initially appear to be silky smooth, but after a couple washings the finish will wear off. Chemical finishes are also detrimental to those who have sensitive skin or suffer from allergies. In reality thread count is mostly a measure of a sheet’s softness and not necessarily its quality. For example a 340 thread count sheet made with Egyptian cotton can feel as smooth as a 400 thread count sheet made with cheaper cotton. Does this mean that a low grade cotton sheet with 800 TC fabric feels twice as smooth as 400?
Upholstery Fabric Will Give Your Furniture a New Look!
October 7, 2007
Upholstery fabric will put some new life into your old and ragged furniture. If you notice that your furniture has been starting to look a little worn and shaggy recently, upholstery fabric may be just what you are looking for. There are seven different types of natural upholstery fabric: Linen, leather, cotton, wool, cotton blend, vinyl, and silk.
There are also six synthetic forms of upholstery fabrics: Acetate, acrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, and rayon. As a general rule, cotton is best if small children will frequently use the furniture, as it provides good resistance to wear, fading, and pilling. If adults will usually use the furniture, then silk may be a better bet. However, for the best all-round upholstery fabric, many people chose Olefin, for its good looks and durability. Also consider the cost savings form using wholesale fabric upholstery.
Tips on finding the right Upholstery Fabric for your home.
