Windows Not Just a Piece of Glass

It’s early in the morning and you’ve just opened the curtains to bring in the bright new day. Or perhaps the snow is falling softly outside as you snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa at your window seat and take in the view. Windows have been around for hundreds of years, and while their basic purpose has not changed, they have gone from being a necessary “hole in the wall” to a significant element of design.
What is the definition of a Window? According to Webster’s dictionary, a window is an opening, usually framed and spanned with glass, built into a wall for light and air. We still use windows for this fundamental purpose. Properly placed windows can provide cross ventilation and eliminate the need for artificial lighting during the day. Most people have at one time or another been in a dark, dreary room that simply needed the light of a window. Current national code requires that the glazed area of the windows (that is the glass itself) equal 8% or more of the square footage of a room.
Windows can range widely in style and cost. If you prefer contemporary styling, you may choose to go with a casement style window (a unit that either cranks out to the left or to the right). A more traditional style is the double hung unit (a unit that slides up and down). Other styles include horizontal sliders, awnings, and transom windows. A window manufacturer can provide detailed descriptions of the various styles available. The styles are as plentiful as the prices are varied. Of course, you can mix and match units. For example: in your kitchen you may desire a casement unit above the sink because they are easier to open reaching over the counter; however, adjacent to the kitchen, in a gazebo shaped breakfast area, there is no reason you should not consider using double-hung units.
Let’s take a closer look at the two most popular units, the casement and double hung window. There are pro’s and con’s to both. The casement offers full ventilation when opened where the double-hung only gives about half. However, if you have a group of casements units overlooking your deck or patio, be aware that casements take up exterior living space. So be careful at parties; open casements can be very painful when walked into. Probably the best part of double-hung units is many new models tilt in for easier cleaning, where as the casement does not offer a similar feature.
Whether you are building new, adding on additional space, or renovating a room in your home, the windows you choose should play a major role. When looking at windows for your new project, look carefully at the hardware, is it well manufactured? Plastic hardware may provide a more contemporary look, but also tend to break sooner. Open the windows at the showroom, do they operate easily? Do they offer a good warranty on the unit as a whole? Most manufactures should cover the windows for at least ten years. Check the energy efficiency (insulation value) of the particular units you are interested in. I recommend a minimum insulation value of R-3. Most units nowadays carry an insulation value of at least this, and very often it is higher. Overall, examine the quality of the unit on the interior as well as exterior.
You will find that the cost of windows is quite significant, but you get what you pay for. You want your windows to last 30 to 50 years, therefore they need to be constructed from good quality materials and made to last for long time. If you skimp on quality, you may have problems in as little as 5 years. Depending on the number of windows your project calls for, you should plan to spend approximately 5%-10% of your entire building budget if you are adding on or building a new home. This percentage is higher for smaller renovations.
Windows provide much more than light and air today. A properly designed window can make or break the mood of a room. Today’s windows should be treated as an integral part of the design and NOT JUST A PIECE OF GLASS.

Don’t renovate your home only because your neighbor is doing it

Renovating a home is a daunting task which requires time, money and planning, hence, it is not advisable to start renovating your home, simple because your neighbor is doing so. You must renovate your home only if changes in your home are required.
Home renovation is generally done to make living more practical as well as enjoyable for people residing in it. Remodeling the home must ultimately justify the large portion of the cost that is invested, since renovating home is an expensive proposition. Furthermore, it is a time consuming process and hence you must be prepared to take out time from your busy schedule to supervise the renovation process.
In case you ultimately decide to renovate your home, you must be aware of the fact that there are quite a few important things that you need to do before the actual work starts. You need to plan well in advance so as to avoid high job costs or low quality work, along with wastage of time. Even before the work starts, there is so much to be done, such as formulating the plans and taking the necessary permits. Further, once you have the permits and bids, the next step is to arrange finance for the entire renovation expenditure, this will help avoid work-delay caused due to fund shortage. You also need to get a reliable contractor, for which you can take reference from your friends. Planning in advance will help you execute the renovation in an organized & timely fashion. In addition, you can shop around for things and take advantage of various sales and bargains, get the requisite items at less cost and increase your savings.

It is essential that you set aside some time for the planning and even plan to take time off work in order to execute the renovation process under your supervision. The time frame would depend upon the job, for example if you plan to renovate just your bathroom, it may a week; however, if the complete house is to be renovated then it may take weeks for the job to be completed. It is advisable to avoid rainy season for renovation work, generally January is a popular time for home renovations. Sometimes there may be delays in work due to accident or illness of any of the involved parties; hence you need to set aside few days as buffer. Therefore, keeping all these factors into consideration, plan your time accordingly. Moreover, your house can become quite a mess during renovation, with renovation material scattered all around, it will demand your constant attention to ensure tidiness.
The most important thing to be considered before starting any renovation work is the need for it. It is not advised to get into renovations when it is not required to be done. Apart from this, if at all there is a need for renovation then you need to be well prepared for it in advance, with sufficient backup of time & money.
Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

The increasing popularity of DIY projects in the current slowdown

Most people refrain from undertaking a DIY project since they neither have the expertise nor the tools to complete it in an effective manner. Further, the fear of expensive repairs and maintenance in the future in case the project goes wrong also deters a number of prospective DIY enthusiasts. However, the current economic slowdown has forced people to look at different ways to save money, and DIY projects instead of hiring a contractor as one such option.
Although there is no comparison between a DIY enthusiast and a professional contractor in terms of the experience and availability of resources, one factor that makes DIY project more attractive is the cost attached to it. What you would be charged by a professional contractor would be significantly higher as compared to what you would incur if you completed the job yourself. This financial motive is one of the biggest reasons why the current slowdown has resulted in an increased number of Do It yourself enthusiasts.
Although financial motive is important, the sense of achievement involved with completing a job is something that is characteristic of a DIY project. The fact that you get to call something your own is what attracts most people to completing a job themselves rather than hiring a professional contractor.
One of the most important benefits of hiring a professional contractor is the years of experience and the resources that they bring into a project. You can easily check on the references provided by contractors to know about the previous work done by them. Further, professionals have all the tools and equipments that would be required to complete a job. Although a DIY enthusiast cannot match up to the experience levels of a professional contractor, it has become very easy to get access to high grade tools and equipment in an affordable manner.
Be it tiling, carpentry, or a plumbing job; you would require a specialized set of tools to complete the task at hand. Without the right resources you would not be able to achieve the right finish; thereby resulting in future repairs and maintenance costs. However, you can easily find highly effective tools and resources such as the grout grabber, Pro Pan, Kirb perfect, tile sealers, Tuscan Leveling System and trowels on the internet. These resources will not only make your job much easier but will result in a much more defined and finished look to your renovation work.
Although the financial slowdown is what is forcing people towards Do It Yourself projects, it is not as easy as it sounds. A DIY work gone wrong can result in more repairs and maintenance expenditure than what a professional contractor would have charged. It is for this reason that you should properly analyze the job at hand and should be prepared with the right tools and equipment before starting your project. A properly completed DIY project will give you a sense of achievement and will save you on a lot of financial expenditure.
Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Eco Pads Diamond Stone Polishing instructions

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Floor Machines

17” – 20” (175-350 rpm)

Pads remove wear and provide a variety of appearance levels from dull hone (no shine) to highly polished. Use on floors with little to no lippage (uneven tiles).

Instructions

• Sweep or vacuum surface to remove abrasive soil
• Clean and rinse surface thoroughly prior to pad use
• Center selected pad on drive plate of floor machine
• Apply water to 2’ x 5’ area to lightly wet the surface – no need for huge puddles
• Move the floor machine in an oval pattern counter clockwise to keep the water inside the work area
• Check surface after 15 – 30 seconds to see if desired results are achieved
• If YES, repeat steps above on the rest of the floor one section at a time
• If NO, repeat polishing process until desired result is achieved (usually 15 – 45 seconds per 2’ x 5’ area)
• If second polishing does not achieve desired results, change pad grit level and repeat process

Hand Polishers

7” Variable Speed (600-3000 rpm)

Pads remove wear and provide a variety of appearance levels from dull hone (no shine) to highly polished. Use on floors, walls and counter tops with little to no lippage (uneven tiles).

Instructions

• Dust or vacuum surface to remove abrasive soil
• Clean and rinse surface thoroughly prior to pad use
• Center selected pad on drive plate of hand polisher
• Apply water to 2’x 3’ area to lightly wet the surface – no need for huge puddles
• At lowest speed setting, move the tool in an oval pattern counter clockwise to keep the water inside the work area
• Check surface after 15 – 30 seconds to see if desired results are achieved
• If YES, repeat steps above on the rest of the area one section at a time
• If NO, repeat polishing step until desired result is achieved (usually 15 – 45 seconds per 2’ x 5’ area)
• If second polishing does not achieve desired results, change pad grit level and repeat process

TIPS

• For best results with a 175 rpm Floor Machines use a 60 lb drive plate (not necessary for 300 – 350 rpm machines)
• Use more water when using lower grits (200 – 1,500)
• Use more weight (or pressure) and less water on higher grits (3,000 – 11,000)
• Overlap sections by 4”- 6” to keep an even appearance
• Rinse area thoroughly prior to changing grits
• Rinse and allow pad to dry after each use

• Avoid contaminating the EcoPads™ by using them only on a clean surface.
• Pad contamination is a major problem. This is how most people ruin the pads; they don’t wear them out.
• Thoroughly clean and rinse the surface to be polished before using the pads.
• Store the pads in the box making sure that the pads are NEVER diamond face to diamond face.
• Stack them with the colored side up.
• It is better to under use the pads than to overuse them.
• Overusing the 200 grit brown EcoPad™, the 400 grit black EcoPad™, or 800 grit red EcoPad™ may result in a textured appearance or the “orange peel” effect. That can only be removed by honing the floor with a resin bond diamond pad.
• You only need enough water to keep the surface wet; you don’t need puddles.
• Edge work can be done by using the 5″ or 7″ pads with a hand tool.

Eco friendly Instruction for polishing Granite and Marble

Eco friendly Instruction for polishing Granite and Marble- Read