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Designing Great-looking Window Coverings on a Budget Window coverings are one of the most important focal points in a well-decorated room, but choosing the right ones, at the right price, is a prime consideration for most home decorators. Here are a few tips for creating great-looking window dressings, without breaking your budget in the process: 10 Things To Consider Before Planning And Installing A New Bathroom Whether you want to install a new bathroom or make improvements to an existing one there are some decisions you need to make and challenges to overcome. A bathroom must be tailored to your requirements and every plan will vary depending on the planner's needs. Do You Make These Window Replacement Mistakes ? Whether it's a misguided baseball, or storm damage, sooner or later most homeowners will have to deal with window replacement, a chore that is not high on any handyman's list of things they want to do with their spare time. Your Building Your Dream Home, But Where Do You Start? You have finally found the perfect lot, in the neighborhood of your choice, and at a price you can afford. Now you have to decide what type of house you want built. In fact you may even know the house you want, be it a big rambling farmhouse, with a wrap-a-round porch reminiscent of your grandmother's home, a rustic log cabin or a more modern luxurious home. Whatever you choose, the first thing you will need is a set of house plans. Light Up Your Kitchen with the Right Lighting! The proper lighting in a room can make or break it. With lighting, you can create a soft, cozy room for reading and relaxing. With bright, brilliant light you create a sense of excitement and energy. When looking for the right lighting for a room consider what you will do in that space and what you want the lighting to do. If you plan to install lighting fixtures in your kitchen, you will want to use kitchen lighting that is bright and clean. You need to see what you are doing without shadows and haziness. Create a Joyful Home with Living Accessories: Houseplants Houseplants can be soothing because of their visual impact. Besides being naturally appealing, interior plants can make you feel cooler on hot days, especially when they move softly in the breeze from a ceiling fan. How to Select Exterior Shutters 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. Warm Up the Night! Patio Heaters and Fire Pits In some areas right now, the weather is ideal for sitting outside in the evening -- the bugs have gone and the sky is clear -- but the nights are chilly. Don't let the cool evenings send you inside -- extend your outdoor living season by heating your deck or patio. Electric Radiant and Floor Coverings If the decision of what type radiant heating system to use was left to the floor-coverings, it would choose electric radiant. Eliminating the risk of water/glycol leaks, standard floor-heights, simple retro-fits, almost unlimited choice of carpet padding, uniform heat flux, easier installations and superior floor or space temperature control are only a few of the advantages of electric radiant heat. This isn't to say that there aren't disadvantages of electric radiant, but then I'm a sparky not a plumber, so I'm here to espouse the benefits and desirable features of electric radiant heat and its loving relationship with any and all floor-coverings. Oh, wait a minute, how could I forget, electric systems cost a fraction what hot-water (hydronic) systems do. Do You Know How Important Your Air Conditioner Filter Is? When most people think about an air conditioner filter, it is in terms of how efficient they are and how much dust they will stop. These are important things and should be considered when replacing or upgrading your air conditioner filter. Use the FHA Mortgage Specifically Created for Home Improvement Almost everyone knows about FHA mortgages. They are tailor-made for first time homebuyers and others with less than perfect credit or other financial issues. You don't have to be low income or have bad credit to use FHA, but generally the loan limits prohibit high priced homes. Gas Stoves - Pros and Cons Gas stoves are those preferred by professionals. The heat distribution is more even than that of electric stoves, and heat precision is more accurate. For example, if you turn down the heat on a gas stove, the heat change is immediate and precise, where as on an electric, the heat change is more gradual. A gas stove also creates less overall heat. This doesn't mean that it won't cook your food as fast, it just means that you will have a cooler kitchen. Since it produces less heat, you're stove top will also be cooler which will prevent unnecessary burns. Since the flatness of the stove top must be very precise in order to have even heat distribution, you have to be very careful when purchasing an electric or smooth top stove. Whereas with gas stoves, the flatness is not important, because the heat is coming from a flame and not the pot's direct contact with the stove. Gas stoves also produce a moist heat, which can be good for when you are cooking roasts or casseroles and don't want them to dry out. Keeping Your Home Spa Clean Purchasing a home spa is a great expense; which can be easily wasted if you don't keep your hot tub in good condition. Hot tubs provide an area for you to relax and unwind at the end of the day. They also provide a luxurious place to entertain guests. That being said, like your house, you want your hot tub to be clean when others are relaxing in it. 10 Things You Can Do Now To Prepare For Hurricane Season The 2005 hurricane season is right around the corner and runs for six months from June 1, 2005 to November 30, 2005. According to a recent survey from the National Hurricane Survival Initiative, the residents in hurricane prone states -- from Maine to Texas -- aren't anywhere near prepared for what they might face. Here are 10 quick tips to help you prepare. Pool Decks ? Add Ambiance to Your Above Ground Pool Above ground pools are beloved by many and have gained in popularity over the years. Pool decks could be one reason why this is the case. You will never again have to climb a swimming pool ladder or wonder why you don't use your pool as much as you should. Landscaping around above ground pools and adding pool lights make a fantastic presentation and enhance any patio décor. Decks are not just a cover for the sides of the pool. They serve as protection, just as lights would serve as safety and protection for your family. Decks for a pool don't have to be terribly complicated to construct. They need to be non-slip, and well drained. They can be made of wood as a normal home's deck may be, or they can be constructed of tile or concrete. You are wise to consider alternatives for your deck besides wood. What To Look For In Persian Rugs Selecting a Persian rug can be a daunting task for most people. There is a lot of misinformation out there as to what to look for. Let's face it, a good Persian rug can cost a lot of money, and most people will be hesitant to make a significant investment on something they know little about. 5 Reasons to Make Early Spring Firewood Time at Your Home As the weather hints of warmth and the spring buds appear on trees, firewood may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But early spring is the ideal time to buy or gather your firewood for your fireplace or woodstove. Why? Here are 5 good reasons: Are You In or Out of Balance? CLUTTER: When clutter starts to accumulate in an environment, imbalance in our personal, professional and social lives always follows. This can range from health and financial challenges to struggle and conflict with friends, family, co workers, affiliates, as well as with buyers and sellers. Feng Shui is the communication that takes place everyday between you and your environment. At a glance, take a look at your home, office, desk, car and briefcase and check to see if you are in or out of balance! A Beautiful Carpet Sets The Mood Of Any Room The first discovered carpet dates back to 1480 BC in the form of an Egyptian Fresco of handloom. Ever since, carpets have made their mark in most tastefully decorated hearths and homes. Marble Information Marble is any limestone or dolomite that can take a high polish and still be usable. Marble is generally formed from limestone undergoing metamorphism. When exposed to extremes of pressure or heat limestone turns into calcite or dolomite crystals, which are the primary materials in marble. |
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