Tips Guides

Wool carpets and area rugs are beautiful, expensive and with proper maintenance they will last the longest. Owning a wool rug is not only comfortable but for many people it’s also a status symbol that conveys wealth and good fortune. Wool carpets maintain the elegance and beauty of any room in your home. There are many naturally occurring qualities in wool that aren’t in other carpet fibers.

Wool carpet is able to retain its original appearance much longer than other carpets and it is naturally resistant to soiling. This unique fiber structure outperforms carpets made from synthetic fibers and because of this they improve the value of any home.

The high moisture and protein content of wool fibers give wool carpets excellent natural flame resistance. Wool fibers will not support combustion and are difficult to ignite. In addition, they are self-extinguishable when the flame source is removed. Wool has the ability to absorb up to 30% of its own weight in water vapor without feeling wet and therefore, helps to control humidity. Similarly because of this, it naturally resists static electricity. It is also a natural insulator for both heat and sound. As wool is hydroscopic, it can either absorb moisture or release moisture, creating heat. It will therefore, keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.

Another benefit of wool’s naturally crimped shape is the formation of millions of air pockets that act as insulation to help regulate room temperature and reduce energy bills. Wool has a natural resistance to staining because each fiber is covered by a thin membrane that acts as a repellant and prevents water from penetrating the surface of the wool fiber. This is another reason why wool carpets can maintain their appearance and this improves the appearance and value of your home.

There are some useful tips you can utilize to keep your woolen carpets as beautiful and luxurious as the day you bought them. Certain areas of your wool carpeting receive a lot of abuse from foot traffic, sand, and everyday dirt or dust.

Your most effective method of keeping this natural fiber looking new is to vacuum them often. Experts recommend vacuuming at least three times a week if not every day. It’s the quickest and easiest way to combat day to day abuse. To make sure that you’re vacuuming effectively change your vacuum belt so that your beater bar rotates properly, adjust the height of your beater bar so that it lightly vibrates your carpet, change your vacuum bag regularly, and be sure to vacuum in a slow steady motion to allow the vacuum to perform at the maximum efficiency.

Spot cleaning your carpet or rug when spills occur is a very effective method of preserving the appearance of your wool carpets. When attempting to clean a spot or a spill you should first blot to get up as much of the spill as possible. For most spots you should use a mild cleaning agent with a neutral ph. Bleaches and alkaline will damage the wool and discolor it.

Wool carpets need to be professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. It is important to note that wool carpets should not be steam cleaned. The heat from the water can cause shrinkage as well as discoloration from excess moisture. It is best to use some form of a dry cleaning method for wool. The carpet will have a much faster drying and recovery time. Cleaning will soften and shine the wool as well as remove abrasive soil.

With a minimum amount of routine care and maintenance, your wool carpet will steadfastly retain its original texture, color and overall appearance. In many cases wool rugs have been known to maintain their beauty and appearance for over 50 years.

With over 30 years experience in carpet cleaning I specialize in the care and cleaning of wool rugs. For more information go to www.bubbesandsuds.ca

If you plan to build your new house from a house plan, please observe the following tips for saving yourself money.

1) If you want to expand the floor plan, try to keep the addition to a dimension dividable evenly by 2-foot increments, standard dimension for many building products. In other words, expand your home by 2′, 3′, 6′, etc., but not by 3′-9″ or some other odd dimension.

2) Often adding width to a particular room is better than adding depth, particularly when joists or trusses are running front to back. Adding width simply requires dropping in additional joists or trusses, but adding to the depth may force you into using larger members to handle the longer spans. The advice of a professional can be helpful at this point.

3) Expanding an existing room is usually more economical than adding an additional room which will potentially require a new door, windows and sometimes hallway space. However, when it is necessary to add a new room, consider the access to it. This can be a tricky aspect in making changes and, in general, a good floor plan will have just enough hallways to allow direct access to all the rooms without forcing you to travel through one room to get to another.

4) The expensive components in any home are the bathrooms and kitchens with their concentration of appliances, fixtures, cabinet work and hard surfaces. Therefore, adding an additional bathroom, while sometimes necessary, can be an expensive proposition. Even so, one of the most common upgrades people make is in these very areas - additional funds invested here can make a lasting impression and add considerable resale value to your home.

5) Changes to a two-story plan will often require a little more planning, but, as long as both floors are stacked and you pay attention to how the roof lines will be affected, the result can be just as successful.

6) A plan may be drawn with the garage doors facing one direction, but you need them to face another. In many cases, when it is a two-car garage (fairly square) on a corner of the plan, it may be a simple matter of just moving the door around to the other side. However, attention must be paid to the structure overhead, so that any beams and headers can be re-engineered if needed.

7) Before settling on any changes, a visit to the building department is prudent. You will need to verify that any changes contemplated will not exceed any setbacks or zoning restrictions. Also, ask if redlining your plans (plans that have been marked up with changes directly on the plan rather than redrawn) are acceptable. Some jurisdictions do not allow this.

The four basic floor plan categories are as follows:

1) Conventional Ranch Style
Conventional ranch style is typically a one-story floor plan where all the bedrooms are placed in one wing or side of the home. To have a second floor it would be an attic or bonus split room bedroom ranch home. The master bedroom is normally well separated from the others, normally at opposite ends of the home.

2) 1-1/2 story, Farm Ranch, Cape Cod
These styles are called several different things in different areas, but basically the master suite is on the first floor and all other bedrooms are on the second floor. Some areas still consider this a two-story home, but it is distinct by the location of the master bedroom.

3) Two story
Two-story has most of the bedrooms, including the master bedroom on the second floor.

4) Multi-level
Multi-level is a big mixture of styles. These are mostly custom homes that are designed specifically to deal with things such as highly sloping lots. The most common styles that fall in the multi-level category is: split-levels, split-foyers, high ranches and tri-levels. Most of these are hybrid combinations of ranches and two story plans, conceived by builders as cost-effective variations to the basic styles. These styles are still very popular, but have lost their universal appeal.

What is common in your region, your budget, and your personal preference normally have the most influence the floor plan you choose. The type of foundation and your choice of exterior design also significantly affect each type of plan.

No matter how you obtain your house plans, your completed set of plans should include:

# Front elevation
# Side elevation (one for each side)
# Rear elevation
# Top view of each floor (floor plan)
# Detailed layout of kitchen cabinets
# Foundation plan
# Electrical layout
# Plumbing layout
# Window and door schedule
# Roof plan
# Construction details and framing information

Most stock plans will offer a material list to go with the blueprints. This gives you the list of materials and how much you will need. A material list is a great aid in the cost estimations. Often, the stock plans will also include an Outline Specification that you can modify to the products that suit you.

How Many Sets Do You Need?

Use the following as a rough guide:
# 1 or 2 sets for your bank, mortgage broker, and construction lender
# 1 or 2 sets for filing with your municipality
# 1 master set for you
# 1 master set for your general contractor
# 3 or more sets for subcontractors and suppliers

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You know the old saying “if a quote sounds too good, it usually is”. That statement can really hold true if you’re not careful. Review your estimate carefully and thoroughly for any mistakes. If you find no mistakes and the company is standing behind their quote, don’t be afraid to take it. Sometimes you get lucky and a moving company is trying to get more business. They want you to be their client.

It is a very good practice to never send a moving company your personal or financial information before you fully understand all the terms of your contract. Free quote are a common practice among moving companies, you should get at least a few. When your free quote come in generally the highest and the lowest are not the best, but everyone’s situation is different, so you should look at all the quote to find the best for you.

What is the best deal for you? Well that is different for everyone. While price is important in choosing a moving company, it should not be the only thing that is reviewed. Often times the cheapest quote do not include services that you may need in your move, so it is imperative that you’re fully understand what is included and what will cost you extra, in all the quote you get.

If you do not fully understand what your quote says about services and situations you could be in for some ugly surprises. Your quote should have a statement about what happens if your items are lost, stolen or damaged during the move. It should be very clear as to what you are responsible fro as far a packing and having furniture ready for the move, and what the moving company is responsible for as far as packing, unpacking and putting furniture in your desired locations.

One of the best services a moving company can offer is the unpacking and putting away of packed and boxed items. These are not usually included in most low end quotes, and would cost you extra, if you could get the service at all. Do not underestimate the personal benefit of having furniture and or boxed and packed items put were you want them to be. Moving is stressful enough, make your life a little easier.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that a cheap quote is from a disreputable or untrustworthy company. As a matter of fact many time very good moving companies run special sales or discounts, for a variety of reasons. We just want you to fully research your move before it happens so you are a prepared as you can be. The best resource you will have at your disposal is the internet.

The last thing you need to be clear on is the payment arrangements in your contract. Have a clear schedule of payments including deposits, and final payment. You should also be clear on the types of payments your moving company accepts.

At DaMovers you can always compare quotes to save yourself money on your move from Chicago Movers. Get packing tips and advise at Movers Los Angeles. Get more money saving moving tips from San Francisco Movers. We help you compare rates and services easily online!

With watering restrictions at an all time high across the United States, many consumers are trying to strike a balance between keeping their lawns green in the summer, and conserving the precious supply. Environmental concerns stretch far past pollution alone: conservation has become a major hot button in recent years as well.
These lawn watering tips will help you find that happy medium.

Basic Considerations

1) Adjust sprinklers to water only grass areas. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I see homeowners with sprinklers that are throwing more water into the street than into the turf.
2) Mow grass to a height of 2 to 3 inches. Taller grass shades the roots and soil surface and helps reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. When in doubt, raise your lawn mower wheels to the highest setting.
3) Use sprinklers that disperse large drops low to the ground vs. high and misty sprays.
4) Utilize quality water hoses with fittings that do not leak and waste water.

When to Water Your Turf

1) About one inch of water, twice per week (including rainfall) is adequate for maintaining a healthy lawn. Use a can or rain gauge to help determine the amount of water applied each time.
2) Water on a consistent basis in the summer. Keep your lawn on a schedule whenever possible.
3) A good soaking twice a week is better than watering lightly every day. Allowing the soil to dry between watering will allow the roots to grow to greater depths and help make turf more drought tolerant.
4) Water during the cool part of the day to minimize water lost to evaporation. Early morning hours prior to 9AM are the best. I tell folks to start their sprinklers when they get up for work (assuming they do not have an in-ground irrigation system), and shut them off on their way out the door. This usually means 1 solid hour has been utilized and equates to about an inch on the ground.
5) Avoid watering during midday hours when it is hot and sunny to prevent scalding the
turf.
6) Watering at night is not recommended because the lawn stays wet for a long period in the night air which can bring disease and affect the health of your lawn.

When Watering Restrictions Hamper Your Irrigation

Township or city watering restrictions are sometimes imposed due to limited treatment capacity or reduced water supplies. Here are a few ideas in the event severe lawn watering restrictions are needed in your area.
1) Water less frequently, but gradually reduce the amount of water you give your lawn. This will help reduce stress and condition the turf if a complete ban on lawn watering becomes necessary.
2) Reduce the amount of foot traffic allowed on the lawn as much as possible. Let the kids play ball at the public park and not in your dried-out back lawn.
3) Allow the grass to grow longer to reduce moisture loss from the soil. You should also mulch your clippings so natural moisture is returned to the lawn.

Water conservation does not mean your lawn turns to straw, it just means you have to educate yourself and follow a few simple guidelines.

Al Haneson offers lawn tips about everything from Lawn Striping to Dog Urine Burning Lawns over at his blog, Life and Lawns.

Does someone in your family suffer from asthma or allergies? Is there someone living with you who gets sick frequently, apparently with no cause? If so, then you may want to take a closer look at your air ducts. They may be packed with dust, mold, and mildew that are seriously hindering your family’s ability to breathe. Getting your air ducts cleaned regularly can greatly reduce the effects of asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Facts About Indoor Air Quality

Perhaps you have seen ads for air duct cleaning and wondered what all the fuss was about. The fuss is about indoor air quality. If your home has poor air quality, you can expect find the following in your air ducts:

- Bacteria
- Mildew
- Mold
- Pollen
- Dust mites
- Dead bugs
- Viruses
- Pet dander
- Household dust

Whenever you turn on your HVAC system, these particles are blown into your home to be breathed by your family members. This is known as indoor air pollution, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, this is one of the most dangerous environmental factors we face as a general public. It is particularly hard on the young and the old.

About two-thirds of all indoor air quality problems stem from mold, mildew, and dust growing and collecting in the air ducts. These items cause or aggravate about 20% of all illnesses. Since most people spend at least 60% of their time inside, they are constantly breathing this dangerous air. Dirty air ducts lead to poor health.

Can Air Duct Cleaning Cure My Asthma?

Air duct cleaning cannot completely cure someone’s asthma. Many times the asthma is triggered by other events, such as over exertion during exercise or outdoor allergens. However, air duct cleaning can keep asthma symptoms at bay. In some cases it can even help treat asthma, as it will make the air in your home cleaner and more breathable. This can reduce the number of triggers for the asthmatic individual.

How Air Duct Cleaning Helps

Now you know why air ducts could be contributing to your family’s respiratory problems, but you need to know how air duct cleaning can help. When you have your air ducts cleaned by a professional, the majority of the mold, mildew, and dust in those ducts is removed. This means that you are no longer circulating dangerous particles every time you run your HVAC system. Your family will breath cleaner, healthier air. Doing this on a regular basis will greatly cut down on asthma conditions in your home.

When Should Air Ducts Be Cleaned?

Your air ducts should be cleaned on a regular basis, but how often this occurs depends on many factors. If you have a family member that struggles with asthma, you will want to increase the frequency of cleanings. However, if you are cleaning your air ducts to protect your family from the potential of asthma problems, here are some things you should look for:

- Tremendous amounts of dust around the home
- Dust around air vents
- Mold around air vents

When you notice these symptoms, it is time to call the air duct cleaners. Also, if someone in your home is struggling with illness on a regular basis with no other apparent reason, you may have a dust or mold problem in your air ducts. Yearly cleanings cannot hurt, either, particularly if there is a history of asthma in your family.

If you feel it is time for your air ducts to be cleaned, contact a licensed air duct cleaners. Avoid going for the discounted special you receive in your mailbox. Since your family’s health is at stake, take the time to find a qualified professional with good equipment to clean your air ducts. Soon you will be breathing clean, healthy air again!

Heat Seal Equipment is a manufacturer and provider of air duct cleaning equipment and insulation blower machines.

If you feel like countless other folks who consider their bathroom to be nothing more than a shiny glare of fixtures and tile, try re-thinking how your bathroom can be. It is not that difficult to do, since all you need is your imagination to figure how you want it to look and feel. Here are a few design tips on bathroom theme accessories that will warm up the bathroom in no time.

Bathrooms, like every other room in a house, should be themed because it gives the space a mood and adds your personality to your little corner of the world. It is where you can say, by design, what is most important to you. There are hundreds of design themes to pick from, including country, dolls, sea life or even villas on the Mediterranean. The choice is yours, so choose the theme that you want. It is a good idea to pick a theme that matches, or at least correlates with other design styles in your home. That way, it will not be too busy, or out of tune with other areas of the house.

If you have a bathroom that small, you are not out of sync with others since bathrooms in older homes were literally carved out of small closets. Even if you are one of the unfortunate ones that do have a tiny bathroom, you can still decorate for color. Remember though, that with small bathrooms, less is often better. Your color scheme can be paint or wallpaper, but if the space is small, a neutral paint or paper color can be used on either one wall, or as an accent on a chair rail. You can choose to paint a traditional white, and accent with color using various decorating accessories such as framed prints, shells, baskets, rug throws, and window treatments to name but a few..

Warm rust tone of paint or paper work very well with plants in the bathroom, but choose plants that like steamy warm conditions, and that can tolerate the different chemicals. Some plants just cannot take the mousse, hairspray, and perfumes that are regularly used in a bathroom. It will gum up the plants on the leaves and they will end up in your trashcan. If your bathroom is large enough, you can hang plants from the ceiling, or put them on the back of the toilet. Large garden style tubs have ample space on the rim of the tub to place tiny planets, and with bath soaps and baskets, they look lovely.

Towels and rugs are important when decorating your bathroom. Deep plush or hand woven rugs add a touch of elegance. However, be careful when placing rugs on slippery linoleum or tile because a nasty fall can be the result. Look for rugs that have a lined backing of rubber to prevent falls. You can coordinate the rugs with the bathroom mat in alternating or matching colors as well. Using different textures that match your theme will give the bathroom a little extra touch of warmth. Do not think you are limited on textures because when they are combined with a neutral backdrop, they make a bathroom homey and inviting to be in.

Lighting is important in a bathroom as well. The first consideration is for safety of course, but when the room is not being used, nightlights can be left on and your cabinet tops could be used for a small lamp. Lamps can match your theme and so can your nightlights. You can decorate them, or buy them already fixed up with your theme. Of course, this all depends on if you have enough counter space, but it is a great decorating idea for a theme.

Towel racks are another way to pizzazz up your bathroom. Decorative racks with colorful towels make a bathroom stand out. You can find towel racks in different shades of wood, bronze, silver or gold. Many folks paint their own wooden racks, and match their baskets and picture frames with them.

Finally, take time and read a few decorating books on bathrooms. Look at their designs and see the many different ways to theme your bathroom. Use their designs for inspiration so your own creative juices will get flowing. It is okay to be uniquely you when decorating your bathroom, so go for it! You will never know what other themes take your fancy until you check them out when trying to decorate your bathroom at home.

To discover many more Ideas For Remodeling a Small Bathroom, visit http://www.homelivinganswers.com/bathroom-remodeling, where you will find this and much more, including Small Bathroom Space Savers