Monday, October 5, 2009

The Beauty of Having Stylish Bathroom Mirrors

A bathroom would not look complete without a mirror in it. You will see that there are many people who prefer to put bathroom mirrors not only because of its primary use in reflecting the look of an individual but also to keep the bathroom more attractive.

Bathroom mirrors add an effect to the overall look of the room. This also creates the illusion that the room is bigger thus putting mirrors in the cabinets can also be a good design and it is even functional. A buyer would also not need to worry about the design because there are many kinds available in the market today. You can set your needs and find the one that can match your wants in keeping your bathroom more beautiful. You will be able to find the style that you need, the shape and the overall look of your room.

You may have different style in mind but you should check out the different designs in the market and you may not be disappointed to see that there are many kinds available and you can buy according to your likings. So whether you want to keep the bathroom look sophisticated or colorful, you can have the bathroom mirrors that can match your bathroom theme. It can even be paired to the sink, whatever material it is made of.

When you think of the shapes, it is also available in varied designs. You can come up with the circular or oblong types, or the rectangles. There are even more modern or irregular shapes if you want it that way. There are also several sizes available so you can adjust with the size or space that is available in the bathroom.

When you want to use a more antique looking bathroom mirrors, then you may do so. Just check out what is available in the market. You can visit your favorite store or you can also have more choices when you start with your search online. There are many online stores that can give you more choices and you can have it delivered to your house. Thus, you will no longer have to spend the time travelling for canvass and actual buying of the bathroom mirrors.

There are more benefits that can be lifted once you have purchased the mirror that you need. Also, you will see that there are actually many ways to buy it and the choices can be unlimited. Thus, when you are in a search of a design that can match with your needs, you can start your search now and avail of the design that would suit your needs, your bathroom's design, and your budget allowance. You just have to plan for it so that you will not be regretting this decision in the future.

Bathroom Mirrors

Article Author Eliza Maledevic from http://www.Jump2top.com, a SEO Company.

Attic Handrail Safety - Do it Yourself Home Repair

Some stairways that lead up to your attic will have a safety or guardrail to prevent people from falling down the stairs or off of them. Attic handrail safety can provide homeowners with a little peace of mind if they just follow the few simple steps. Make sure that the handrail is at least 42 inches in height. 42 inches is the minimum height for guard rails and can be found in the uniform building code.

The uniform building code is the Bible to the building industry and sets the standard for new construction and remodeling.

The 42 inches will be measured from the floor to the top of the handrail. Some older homes will have handrails that are 36 inches and some of them will be even 30 inches in height. A 30 inch handrail provides limited protection for anyone who is over five foot tall. 30 inches becomes the center point for any one over 60 inches and these people could easily fall over the short handrail.

Now for the homes that don't have any attic handrail safety systems. Some homes that were built before the 1960s won't have a handrail system at all in the stairway. Keep something in mind here, when these people were building these houses, some of them were trying to save money, some of them figured that it wasn't going to be a big deal and other builders simply forgot to install them.

It's not hard to install a working attic handrail for safety but keep in mind, that if the handrail isn't the right height, it will provide you with limited protection. Attic handrails that are lower than 30 inches can provide young children or others who are shorter than five feet with very little protection but can be a safety hazard to anyone over 5 feet tall.

If your attic doesn't have a safety handrail, use caution and be careful in these areas of your home. It wouldn't be a bad idea to install a locking doorknob if your attic access has a door that can be secured to prevent small children or other people from entering these unsafe areas.

Home Attic Repairs

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more Home Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Green Home Remodeling

Americans are now spending up to 160 billion each year on remodeling their homes and businesses. A fraction of this money has been focused on what is known as "green construction". Green construction or remodeling is using energy saving, recycled products, and is experiencing nothing less than a renaissance or rebirth. You can help restore a significant portion of the world's ecosystems by using "green construction". Such a practice can also help create a healthier indoor environment for your family.

Green remodeling is simple, but many homeowners interested in green building and remodeling have no idea what it involves and are therefore confused and intimidated. They think it consists not only of excessive expenses, but difficulty in getting the appropriate green products. Some also have misconceptions about the aesthetics of a green house. Some concern themselves about the misconception that they will appear to be living like hippies of the 1970's. But it is merely a process through which you can redefine the way you live, a clean slate on which you can express your visions, dreams, and principles. The process offers a vehicle through which you can manifest and integrate your core values into your sacred space.

The hardest part for a homeowner is deciding just how "green" they want their rooms or homes to be. When it comes to green remodeling, you don't have to do everything green, but anything you do will help. Are you updating an antiquated home? Have you outlived the functionality of your current design? Are you adding more space because of a change in lifestyle? Are you simply tired of your interiors and want something new?

The most important thing to remember is to pick and choose among the many options; design features and green building products that will best serve your interests. If you are purchasing new materials you can choose organic, low-impact, and healthy products such as bamboo flooring, natural fiber carpeting, natural plasters, low VOC paints and stains, as well as non-synthetic, natural furnishings and accessories, such as bedding, linens, and cleaning products.

You can use products made with high levels of salvaged (natural stone, lumber), recycled (fly ash in concrete), or agricultural byproducts (wheatboard and linoleum) content. These types of products reduce resource demand and help keep waste out of landfills. Choose products that are durable and low-maintenance; these are desirable because they need to be refinished and replaced less often, they save you money and save energy.

Try to use products that are locally or regionally produced. Local products support the local economy and may have lower levels of embodied energy, meaning that they require less energy and fewer resources during the production process (including the acquisition of primary material, manufacturing and handling), and especially in transportation.

There is no such thing as a right or wrong set of products. Building green is a thinking process, not a contest to see how many green things you as a homeowner can incorporate into your home. Do what you can within your budget and motivation.

As for the cost of taking on green remodeling, some green building elements may cost more, but many eventually will cost less. You will benefit from their use in energy saving costs for a long time to come, therefore making them a savings to you over the years to come. When it is part of the initial process of setting goals for the project, it becomes matter-of-fact. Many have found that the real cost is in the learning curve, not in the actual implementation of the building process.

The outward and even interior appearances of most green buildings don't look any different than other conventional buildings. The majority of green element differences can be seen only as improved energy efficiency and air quality, which are all built within the structure of the home.

Most recycled products look the same as their conventional counterparts. Most materials have a high recycled content and are non-toxic. Some examples include: recycled red oak and bamboo floors (both consist of water base finish), recycled tile floors, recycled exterior doors, and natural plaster with integrated color. Paint manufacturers are now offering paints low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at typically less than .00 per gallon. For kitchens, you can also find Silestone countertops (which has a high recycled content and is anti-microbial), and you can even find formaldehyde-free cabinets.

Recycling as much material as possible from an existing house demolition and incorporating it into your remodeling project will also save you money. Green products are now becoming increasingly affordable as major manufacturers compete and develop new lines to meet the green-building demand.

You can help restore a significant portion of the world's ecosystems by using "green construction". Just think about changing the world - one room at a time.

About The Author:
Emerson Lockwood write on topics related to remodeling, Home Improvement and Home Financing. You can see more of his home remodeling articles at the Super Home Ideas website: http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com

How to Find a Excellent New Home Builder

Looking for a good home builder or contractor, isn't an exact science, but hopefully, by the time you're done reading this article, you will at least have a better idea, what you will be looking for. Let's get started.

As a general contractor, the most important thing that I would be looking for any new home builder, would be experience. You can't sacrifice price for experience. If you're looking for the cheapest contractor, there's a good chance that this person will be lacking experience in home building knowledge.

How long has this person been in business? Just because you're new home builder has only been in business for five years, doesn't mean that he isn't capable of building your home. The same holds true for someone who has been in business for 30 years. Just make sure that these people have actually built homes in the past.

What is their attitude like? This is the second most important thing and I tend to focus on this more than experience, sometimes. If you don't get along with the person, you're not going to have a pleasant home building experience. If you think that there lying to you, scammers or generally don't feel comfortable with them, but they seem to have the most experience and build more homes in your area than anyone else. I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of them and finding someone else.

Last but not least, you should contact some of the people that they have worked for in the past. Talking to past clients, is going to play an important role in making your final decision. You need to find out, if these home builders, treated their clients fairly and were they generally happy with the overall outcome and performance, not only of the homebuilder, but each one of his subcontractors.

I would recommend writing out a list of questions and offering your new home builders past clients a free meal. Offer to take them out to dinner, lunch or breakfast, this way you will have their undivided attention and get the low down on your potential future home builder, it could be the best money that you ever spent.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link San Diego Home Repairs

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Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home inspection checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

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Bathroom Installation Pointers

Plumbing

Ok you have everything ready for your bathroom, and ready to install the items you have bought but not sure whether to plumb the items in first or afterwards. Well if your vanity units have totally open backs then this will allow you to slide the unit alongside the wall without coming into contact with any pipes. This allows you to do the plumbing legwork first then fix in the vanity units afterwards.

One thing worth noting however is that you should leave the affection of the doors until the very end of this entire fitting process since it will make accessing the plumbing easier. Once the vanity cabinet is put together, positioned and set to the wall or floor you can begin the countertop installation process. If you are performing a "recessed mount" fixing, you will need a faultless circle equal to a percentage of the diameter of the sink, to allow it to sit comfortably in the hole. Ensure beads of silicone adhesive run around the perimeter of the top of the vanity, and then lower countertop into place.

Installing a couple of water supply lines for a faucet and a drain is something pretty much anyone can achieve if they take their time, have the right tools and have the willingness to learn. When plumbing drain trimmings ensure extra strength silicone and plumbing adhesive is used.

Installation of Ceiling Fans and Lighting

If this is a fresh installation and would like an extractor fan in your bathroom you will normally need to install the fan in a location where it can be attached to a ceiling support, which you can position using a stud antenna or any other method you prefer. Prepare the new fan for installation by verifying the exhaust duct is the same size as the exhaust on the cover. If you plan to have spot light lighting please be aware that a new installation can be quite complex and might be best undertaken by a pro. Prepare it for installation by installing the appropriate cable clamp in the electrical housing knockout s for the cable that was run to the lighting units.

For more information regarding bathroom furniture ranges please visit bathrooms cheaper

Lee Tyrrell of Bathrooms Cheaper

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Fixing Ceiling Cracks - Home Repair Advice

It's not uncommon to find cracks in your plaster or drywall ceilings. It's not uncommon to find cracks in your wood ceilings either, but this article is about plaster or drywall ceilings that have small or large cracks in them and what actually causes the cracks and how you can repair them.

Believe it or not, most cracks in your ceilings and in your walls, on any drywall or plaster home interiors, are going to be the direct result of structural movement within the house. This could be from a small earthquake, the framing components are starting to shrink, as the lumber starts to dry it out or it could even be from your house settling. Larger cracks might signify problems with your foundation or even your soil.

If you have a large crack in your ceiling, and this would be something that you could stick a quarter into, you could have a structural problem and I would recommend contacting a home repair contractor in your area to evaluate your situation.

You realize that you have cracks in your ceilings and they're not very big, how do you repair them. The easiest way would be to apply a paintable caulking into the cracks and repaint the area. This could save you some frustration in the future, especially if the crack starts to become larger.

The best way to fix the crack, would be to apply some fiberglass drywall tape and then apply a standard drywall joint compound to finish the ceiling correctly. If your ceiling has acoustic or wall texture, you will need to reapply to finish over these areas to match your existing ceiling correctly.

If you have hairline cracks, I wouldn't even worry about them, unless they become larger. However, you could always apply a little bit of caulking and repaint them.

I would like to remind you something that I already said before in this article, if the cracks are larger than the width of a quarter, you might want to contact a building professional. You could have some serious structural damage occurring in your foundation or framing.

Ceiling Repair Advice and Tips

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Reliable Home Repair Contractors

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

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Vessel Sinks - Perfect For Your Bathroom Remodel

Vessel sinks are elegant, sophisticated, artsy, functional and versatile. If you're building a brand new home or you're thinking about remodeling your bathroom, then a round vessel sink would be the right choice. You're guest will openly envy you, plus you'll never want to leave your own bathroom.

There are hundreds of vessel sinks in all types of materials and colors. Of course, you can choose round, square,oval and odd shaped vessel sinks. It's strictly up to you. You have plenty of incredible choices: glass, ceramic, copper, marble, porcelain, stainless steel, stone, concrete, and more. Glass vessel sinks happen to be my favorite. You can easily make an incredible statement by using light underneath the sink to highlight its beauty. Jaw-dropping colors make visual statements about you and your taste. These "above counter" mounted sinks can make your bathroom distinctive.

Shopping for the perfect Vessel Sink for Your Bathroom can be fun. The only drawback to whole process...so many beautiful sinks to choose from.

Here a just a few types of vessel sinks on the market:

Glass: Happens to be my favorite and the most popular. The only drawback to glass vessel sinks is making sure you rinse the sink well after using shaving gels, toothpaste or other toiletries.

Granite, Marble or Concrete: If you're not constrained by a budget, then stone vessel sinks are another fantastic choice. They are a little pricey, but very durable and beautiful.

Ceramic: Looking for a vessel sink that's easy to clean, then a ceramic vessel sink is the way to go.

Copper: Copper is also a beautiful choice. If you're concerned about minimizing germs in your bathroom, then a copper vessel sink is a good choice. Did you know that copper is a great disinfectant for germs?

As you decide on the type of vessel sink to buy, don't forget to shop for and purchase your faucet to go along with your new beautiful sink. To find out more information about vessel sinks and purchasing the right sink and faucet for your bathroom remodel, take a look below.

The variety and choices of vessel sinks are endless. However, there's one just right for you and your budget. You'll find exactly what you're looking for when you shop at Round Vessel Sinks