Home Improvement & Garden Tips http://www.betterhomegarden.net Interior and exterior decoration Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:26:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en How to paint your room – a beginner’s guide http://www.betterhomegarden.net/how-to-paint-your-room/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/how-to-paint-your-room/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:26:59 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=8 Paintwork is one of the most important parts in making our homes as beautiful, simple, elegant or colorful as we desire. Normally we hire talented or professional painters just to get the paintjob done. However, everyone has the chance to do a good paintjob. All they have to do is to secure a good beginner’s guide if ever it is going to be their first time, and that is what I am going to provide right now. Search for a guide no more, for you can have all the information that you need in here.
The first thing to do when painting your room is to have enough estimates of paints. In order to have the job finished in time without any worries of a paint shortage. After having a good estimate, it is now time for you to shop for good quality paint at a cheaper price. Try to visit as many store as you can in order to have enough basis for comparison. Next thing is the choices of colors. Every store is also offering various colors and some of them are carrying some unique color. There are also some paint stores do some mixing job and you will just have to add some bucks for the said service.
After doing all those preparations, it is now time to do the main job, which the painting. In order to do the job at the right manner, do not forget to prepare all the necessary tools needed for painting like the masking tape, drop cloth, wall brush, trim and sash brush, roller, painting paint and the cleaning supplies.
Before painting, always make sure that the wall or the area that you are going to paint is clean and free from moist. Remove previous paints by washing it with some solution to have your new paint adhere properly.
Concerning your painting material, when you are using a roller, moisten it first with water for latex paint and with thinner for some other type of paints. If you have moistened it too much, you can roll over the roller into a scrap material like some lumber or a plain paper to remove the excess moist. Avoid rolling it over into a newspaper, for the roller might pick up the ink. After that, fill in the pan with a right amount of paint and roll in the roller, but do not overload it, for it will give a tendency for the paint to slide and smudge.
Using a roller must be able for you to paint two or three square foot areas at a time. When painting, roll the roller on a zigzag pattern without lifting the roller from the painted area, then still without lifting it; fill in the blank with some horizontal or vertical zigzag strokes. Finish it with a light strokes and raise the roller slowly so that it will not leave a mark. Do the same method all over again.
It is professionally advised that a roller strokes should be started by moving the roller away from you. When painting on walls, the first stroke should be in an upward direction to avoid the paint from running down the wall.
Do not forget to cover areas you need not to paint with masking tape or some piece of paper.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/how-to-paint-your-room/feed/ Key Tips to Get Rid of Garage Clutter Once and For All http://www.betterhomegarden.net/key-tips-to-get-rid-of-garage-clutter-once-and-for-all/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/key-tips-to-get-rid-of-garage-clutter-once-and-for-all/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:16:41 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=14 Do you ever look in your closets and wonder, “Where did all this stuff come from?” Luckily, most closets aren’t too big and you can clean one up in an hour if you put your mind to it. But what if looking at your garage has you wondering the same thing?

The garage, and the way we relate to it, is a peculiarly American institution, born of the great American Dream Era of the early 20th century that brought mass manufactured consumer goods to one and all. In short order, though, that two-car garage can turn into a dumping ground, and the longer it goes untended the harder it will be to clean it up. Here are some ways you can get rid of garage clutter once and for all.

The basics

The first thing you need to decide is what you want to use your garage for, and it certainly doesn’t have to be only for cars. If you do need to garage two cars in a two-car garage, because of the weather in your region or the newness of the autos, then you have to decide that very little else can go in there. If you have other places in the home to store odds and ends, you need to use them.

In fact, this is the first step for all garage cleaners – decide what the garage is for, then take out anything that doesn’t belong. If you have little room elsewhere, you must make some hard decisions about what to keep, what to sell and what to throw out entirely. It may not be easy, but it really is the only way. We will return to the “what your garage is for” step after a little cleaning.

The “three pile” method

As you decide what to keep, sell or throw away, start putting the similarly fated items together. It may make sense to leave the “to sell” items toward the front of the garage, even on the driveway (weather permitting) since you will have to hold a garage sale as one of the later steps in this process.

Do not get nostalgic over junk. Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s an antique, or even that you need or want it. Make the hard decisions. Get rid of the spare tires for the car you sold years ago. Sell the sports equipment that is collecting dust. But those power tools lying in a heap? Show some respect and store them neatly.

Once you have divided your existing “stuff” into these piles or areas, take the next obvious steps: Hold a garage sale to get rid of the salable items, and take a trip to the dump (or call your waste management service for “large item pickup”). When you have gotten to this point, you are ready to plan for the future – you’ve handled the “Get Rid of Garage Clutter” part, and now it’s time for taking care of the “Once and For All,” and keeping the clutter from returning.

The plan

The manner in which you organize your garage is dependent on what you will use it for, as discussed above. Now that you can (hopefully) see around the space a bit and make some plans, you should slow down a bit and think things through.

Now, you can do this as a Do-It-Yourselfer all the way, or take advantage of any number of “organizer kits” available at the local builder supply or home supply store. These normally consist of some combination of the following:

• Work table or tables

• Pegboard sheets for the wall, for hanging tools

• Coordinated bins, baskets, containers, etc.

• Cabinets, chests of drawers, etc.

You should take a few minutes to at least explore the possibility of using one of these kits. If you find the cost prohibitive, you may be able to put together a similar system “à la carte,” saving a lot of money in the process. Even if you do not replicate “the leading garage organizer,” you can get some good ideas from looking at the relevant websites and checking out a few home supply stores.

Whether you are a “car guy” who wants to do some weekend wrenching, or a hobbyist who needs half the garage space for a single car and the other half for pottery, there will be multiple ways in which you can organize your space. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from neighbors who have the kind of garage you like. And don’t forget to leave some flexibility in case you want to do something different in the future.

The upkeep

Once the old junk is gone, the challenge is to keep from collecting more of it. Some of this goes to personality. The fact is, some people are just “pack rats” and “collectors,” while others go through life with very little material baggage. If you are not honest with yourself about your own pack-rat-ism, you will simply buy a little time with this whole exercise – your garage will be back to looking like Dumpsville in no time.

If staying neat and tidy is not your normal modus operandi, then you either need to get some ongoing help (spouse, family member, neighbor) or set some hard and fast rules for yourself. Before you buy a set of drills at the flea market, you have to ask yourself if you really need them. And if you really need them, it means they should have a specific place to go when you take them home. To make sure you don’t just start piling things up again, perhaps your helper (whoever it is) can enforce some sort of “time-delay throwaway” – if something sits out in the open for more than, say, two days, it gets tossed.

There may be other ways to enforce your new clean garage regime, but the “time-delay throwaway” at least shows that you are serious. Like most diets, most “emergency cleanup campaigns” don’t last, either. So if you really are serious, you need to change the old habits that led to the junky garage in the first place. After all, the garage does not clutter itself, right?

Phoenix Doors is a leader in Toronto garage doors.  Visit us today for a full line of doors and garage door accessories to fit any style home.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/key-tips-to-get-rid-of-garage-clutter-once-and-for-all/feed/ 5 KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL HOME RENOVATION http://www.betterhomegarden.net/5-keys-to-a-successful-home-renovation/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/5-keys-to-a-successful-home-renovation/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:10:24 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=12 Home renovation can be a stressful undertaking. Not only is a home most Americans’ biggest and most important asset, it is also a huge, ongoing emotional investment. Your home defines your world and your personality, and truly becomes the center of your existence.
It is wise to deliberate carefully about renovations. All disputes over the renovation plan must be settled before the work begins or you are just postponing an inevitable (and probably heated) argument. Everyone in the family should have a voice in this undertaking, as it truly is a family affair.
With those caveats in mind, you should look forward to your renovation with both excitement and a sense of purpose. The following list could have had three, eight or even 20 entries, but if you stick with the basics and exercise self-control, the following five keys can help guide you to, and through, a successful home renovation.
1. Good relationships mean good business – A home renovation will be a lot less stressful if you have a solid, trusting relationship with your contractor. Trust doesn’t arise between people instantly, but there are ways to speed the process, such as “third-party trust,” meaning referrals. If you don’t already know and respect a builder in your area, ask the people you trust about the contractors that they trust. Get referrals, and interview the prospects to get at least somewhat of a “feel” for them. The late President Reagan was famous for chiding former Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev during their negotiations with an old Russian saying, “Trust but verify.” In your case, it means getting referrals, checking credentials, trusting your instincts – and calling references. Nothing builds trust in a contractor like good, positive reports from previous customers.
2. Accurate budgets are crucial – You need to understand how to budget for the job, and what is really involved, financially, in your home renovation. The better understanding you have of your budget, and the more accurate the estimates you include, the less likely your job will exceed your expectations. Although your contractor can supply some good information here, you should maintain authority over the budget yourself and not give anyone – not your spouse, your family as a whole or the contractor – the “keys to your wallet.” Do your homework, and follow the budget.
3. Home renovation is messy – Prior to the start of actual construction, remove all valuables and breakables from the affected areas. Unless the garage is part of the plan, you might consider storing items there. If the whole house is involved, think about renting a storage unit. While this will cause some short-term dislocation and require some sweat from the family’s brows (or more paid help), renovations are inevitably messy and accidents will happen. Take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety of your valuables, fine furniture, Persian rugs and other possessions.
4. Stick to the payment plan – One easy way to ruin your relationship with your contractor, and slow down or terminate your renovation project, is to deviate from your payment plan. If you are developing a timetable for the contractor’s work, you should also prepare, and adhere to, a timetable for the payments. You should be proactive in this matter, and never allow communication to deteriorate to the point where the contractor has to ask for money. Plan out every detail and every dollar, and follow the plan.
5. Extras: There’s always something – When developing your renovation budget, leave some room for the unanticipated extras that inevitably come up in the course of a home renovation. In addition, once you start renovating, you may think of other improvements or changes you wish to make. This means building some flexibility into the financing, as well as the project plan and the timetable. Strike a balance between firmness and flexibility so that you don’t go off on a tangent and lose control of the cost or the schedule.
Like most big undertakings, a home renovation can be somewhat scary. Don’t hesitate to speak with friends, relatives, coworkers or neighbors who have been through the same thing. Listen carefully, take notes and don’t leave any question unanswered or concern uninvestigated before finalizing your plan and your budget.
This is “the center of your existence” that you are dealing with here. Show the home, the family, the contractor and the process itself the respect each is due. Don’t be in a hurry, don’t make assumptions and, above all, do not waver in your determination to see the project through to a successful conclusion. Along with these five keys, consider too the “five P’s” – proper planning prevents poor performance!

Home Renovation Guide provides free information and advice on all aspect of home renovations from garages and landscaping to windows and doors – we have the information you need to get the job done right.  Visit them today.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/5-keys-to-a-successful-home-renovation/feed/ Top 10 Types of Flooring to Use Inside Your Home http://www.betterhomegarden.net/top-10-types-of-flooring-to-use-inside-your-home/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/top-10-types-of-flooring-to-use-inside-your-home/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:05:12 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=10 The choice of materials to use for your floor, whether you are renovating or building anew, is a very important one. Not only are there the usual considerations of quality and durability, you must also think about aesthetics such as color, texture and pattern.
In addition, the “feel” of different flooring materials will also influence your choice. Your lifestyle, as well as family size and composition, must come into the equation, too. With these factors in mind, you are ready to consider the top ten types of flooring to use inside your home.
1. Hardwood is a perennial favorite and very popular for living rooms, dining rooms and other areas that are low in moisture, wood’s primary enemy in home environments. Hardwood flooring comes in many attractive colors across a great range of wood species, with a variety of grains and possible surface treatments (wet look, dry look, etc.).
2. Cork is a choice that is gaining ground for kitchens and other areas where the residents are on their feet a lot. Cork offers soft, supple support and has the additional advantage of being environmentally friendly.
3. Ceramic tile is long lasting, tough and available in many colors and sizes. Often used in bathrooms and kitchens, some home styles (Southwestern, adobe, ranch) are also amenable to its broader use throughout the residence. Tile is one of the materials that can be used on walls, too, opening up additional design and construction possibilities.
4. Laminate floors give the look of hardwood, and various other flooring materials, without the cost. The latest technology essentially produces sheet material with a “picture” of hardwood on its surface, to create the appearance of the preferred (and much pricier) wood.
5. Linoleum has proven itself over the years to be a low-maintenance option for kitchens and other high-traffic rooms. Unlike its vinyl counterpart, linoleum uses all natural materials, and can be installed as tiles or large, rolled sheets.
6. Bamboo, yet another environmentally friendly wood option, results in floors that are known for being incredibly strong and durable. The warm, natural feel of bamboo can add a stylish finish to any room.
7. Wall-to-wall carpet remains an attractive, practical choice for bedrooms and playrooms, literally imparting a “soft landing” quality to floors. With an almost endless variety of choices in both material and color, carpeting can always be made to suit a home’s construction style or décor.
8. Area rugs are, technically speaking, a secondary type of flooring, adding color on top of hardwood or giving comfort in areas like the kitchen, where tougher materials may be hard to stand on for long periods. In addition, area rugs can be important decorative elements in a room, or even a hallway.
9. Marble is the height of luxury. Marble flooring is made from natural stone, which means that it is hypoallergenic and moisture resistant when properly sealed. It will not emit any toxic chemicals or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your home.
10. Artistic materials, like leather or brick, give an entirely different feel to a home. Some companies are even offering leather flooring for areas like media rooms, or brick for decorative walkways through the interior of the home.
The choices are broad enough to give the renovator or homebuilder a huge palette of colors and textures to work with. When seen as an integral part of the home (re)design, the choice of flooring material becomes more and more important.
Since it is among the more labor-intensive parts of a home construction or renovation plan, flooring should be decided on carefully. Repainting a room after a bad color choice is a whole lot easier than replacing a floor that not enough thought went into. Take your time, make a good decision and then be prepared to live with it. If you are careful and thorough in your decision, you will doubtless have many years of enjoyment from your new flooring.

Home Renovation Guide provides free information and advice on all aspects of home renovation details from information on a variety of topics ranging from roofing and landscaping to flooring and door installation – we have the information you need to get the job done right.  Visit them today.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/top-10-types-of-flooring-to-use-inside-your-home/feed/ How to Make a Green Home You Can Be Proud Of! http://www.betterhomegarden.net/how-to-make-a-green-home-you-can-be-proud-of/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/how-to-make-a-green-home-you-can-be-proud-of/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:14:43 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=13 With global warming and other environmental concerns increasingly on the minds of Americans, you want to green your home do your part to save the planet. Here are some easy and fun (and cost-effective!) ideas to make your home more environmentally sound.

Chuck the incandescent light bulbs wherever possible. These standard tear-drop shaped bulbs burn out relatively quickly and use up lots of electricity — creating garbage and using up resources at the same time. Compact florescent light bulbs (a.k.a. CFLs) last many times longer than incandescent bulbs and use a fraction of the energy. They cost more per bulb, but money you save in energy will outweigh the price difference.

Give up on the bottled water. Sure, your Aquafina may taste slightly better than standard tap water, but the cost of bottled water to the environment cannot be underestimated. Bottled water takes energy to procure, distil, transport and package. Instead, buy a top-of-the-line sink filter or just keep a filtered water pitcher in the fridge. Not only will you protect the environment by cutting back on your consumption of plastic, but you will also save a bundle over the long-term on drinking water costs.

Recycle or give away (or sell on the cheap) your old furniture. Instead of trucking your old sofa or 1999 Sony T.V. to the dump, find your used furnishings a second home. You can use online give-away sites like Craigslist to find people in your local area who might want your furniture. You can also sell stuff on e-bay or give it away/sell it at a garage sale. Barring that, you can find an eco-friendly recycling center near you to dispose of your furniture with minimal damage to the environment.

Stock up on natural, organic products. Instead of installing a vinyl shower curtain, for instance, hang up a hemp curtain — it’s equally anti-fungal and does not release small amounts of volatile organic compounds every time you take a shower. Get rid of your harsh kitchen and bathroom cleansers and replace those nasty chemicals (which have been linked to all sorts of ailments and pregnancy-disorders) with safe compounds that won’t hurt you, your children, your pets or your environment.

Reduce your dependence on heating and air-conditioning. You can keep a temperate house without paying your local energy company an arm and a leg. Turn off the heat and air-conditioning when you leave for work for the day (or go on vacation). Use your windows and shades to adjust to the weather outside. If it’s super hot out, for instance, throw open the windows and turn on some fans. If it’s incredibly cold, pull down your shades and keep windows tightly sealed to avoid heat-leakage. You can also invest in thermally efficient windows and sealants to boost your energy efficiency.

Get a professional energy audit. You can find top rated independent energy contractors out there to come to your home and point out precisely where and how you are wasting energy. By following their tips to reduce heat waste, you will not only reduce your consumption of fuel, but you will also pad your pocketbook in the long-term.

Make it a habit to turn off electrical devices when you are not using them. Before you go to sleep at night, go around and turn off the lights, the T.V., the computer, and other appliances, which can drain energy while you sleep. Also, many electronics like DVD players and video consoles stay ‘on’ even when turned ‘off’, so they continuously consume a small amount of energy – unplug them.

Landscape in an eco-friendly manner. Put out drums to catch rain water to hydrate your plants or garden (if you live in an area that’s relatively drought-prone). Landscape with plants that are native to your region and soil type. If you try to keep tropical plants alive in an arid environment, you’ll inevitably use up an unseemly amount of water and natural resources keeping the plants healthy. You might also want to use your garden to grow organic vegetables.

Look for products and services to boost your green mission. You can find expandable foam to seal up drafts in your insulation. You can get screens to put in your windows to block out some of the solar radiation in the summer and thus help you save on air-conditioning costs. You can purchase eco-friendly power strips to reduce your energy bill and general power consumption. You can buy hemp grocery bags to transport your food (and thus save the planet from having to countenance hundreds of plastic and/or paper bags a year).

Get your family and friends into the green act. You can’t do it alone. Teach your family about the value of the environment and establish “rules of the house” to conserve resources and treat your local habitat with respect. Remember that greening your home can be a fun and educational process. Keep up to speed on the latest greening technologies by contacting local environmentally concerned groups or government agencies.

ARI Green Energy is a manufacturer of wind generator technologies.  Visit them today for a full line of wind turbines and solar technology solutions.  Think green.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/how-to-make-a-green-home-you-can-be-proud-of/feed/ Top 10 Questions to Ask Contractors Before Hiring Them http://www.betterhomegarden.net/top-10-questions-to-ask-contractors-before-hiring-them/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/top-10-questions-to-ask-contractors-before-hiring-them/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:09:36 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=11 When you bring contractors, carpenters, plumbers and assorted workmen into your home, you are opening up your whole life to them. Not only do you need to confirm that they are competent professionals, you must assess their integrity, as well. You want to know that you can trust them to do the job right, as well as respect your home and its contents.
You can avoid most serious problems with a little planning and foresight. You want both capable and honest workers in your home, and can increase your chances of a successful and stress-free renovation by using this list of the top 10 questions to ask contractors before hiring them.
1. Insurance and bonding – Make sure your contractor is fully insured before you let him start your job. The company and/or the employees should be bonded, and you should ask for the particulars of the insurance coverage early in your negotiations.
2. Warranties – You will want to know what kind of home building warranties are provided, on both the work itself and on the materials used in the project. You should keep good records of any warranted work or materials so that you are prepared for any problems down the line.
3. References – Checking contractors’ references is crucial. Not only do you want to hear testimonials about their work, you will want to discover if they are they part of any homebuilder or tradesman associations. Checking references means speaking with other homeowners for whom the contractors have worked, as well as consulting the state licensing board and the Better Business Bureau about any complaints.
4. Portfolio – Take a good look at the contractors’ portfolios and make sure that you are satisfied with the level of their previous work. Drive by some of their current and finished projects to see how their work looks “up close and personal.”
5. Job supervisor – Make sure that you know who the onsite supervisor will be for your renovation. What is the person’s experience? Will they speak and make decisions for the contractor in his absence?
6. Project timeframe – A timetable is crucial for any big job, of any kind, so you need to ask specific questions about when the job will start, how long each phase will take and so forth. This information will be part of your project plan, so you need to get it early and get it “set in stone.” Of course, you need to be flexible (things happen, after all), but if you do not have a detailed timetable, flexibility will simply turn into delays.
7. Budget – You will want to calculate the cost for your home improvement as accurately as possible, naturally. Make sure your contractor has a plan, too, and breaks out the costs of materials and labor. Find out right away what type of payment plan is expected, as well as what sort of deposit is required. Needless to say, keep all receipts.
8. Subcontractors – If the contractor uses subcontractors, as most will for electrical and plumbing work (at the least), make sure to get the same kind of information about them as you did on the contractor. You also need to keep the communication flowing between and among all the different parties, or you risk deviating from the project plan.
9. Appliances and other hardware – It is your house and your money, so you do not need to cede the authority for buying materials and appliances entirely to the contractor. It is perfectly understandable that you would want to get the best prices for the components of the project. The way to avoid problems is to spell everything out in advance. If the contractor is too insistent on using particular suppliers or distributors, it may be because they have some kind of “arrangement” with them. Keep everything on the up and up by keeping everything out in the open.
10. Permits – You need to decide who will be responsible for getting the proper building permits and dealing with inspectors. The contractor’s expertise here is essential, although you may wish to be in the loop here.
Like any other sizable endeavor, a home renovation can be complicated and tricky. The best overall rule for managing this kind of project is clear, continuous communication. Nothing should be decided or done in the dark, and everything should be undertaken in accordance with the plan, the budget and the timetable.
It is mostly a matter of common sense and self-discipline. Make the plan and stick to it as closely as possible, while still allowing for some mid-stream changes if necessary. Remember that the goal is to enhance your family life by making the center of it, your home, as comfortable, welcoming and secure as you can. Stay positive, keep your wits about you and press on, deliberately and with a sense of purpose. Consider your home renovation another adventure in life, and make your mind up to enjoy it!

Home Renovation Guide provides free information and advice on all aspect of home renovations from information on a variety of topics to our contractor directory – we have the information you need to get the job done right.  Visit them today.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/top-10-questions-to-ask-contractors-before-hiring-them/feed/ FLOORING WEBSITE HELPS THE POCKETBOOK AS THE ECONOMY TAKES A DIVE http://www.betterhomegarden.net/flooring-website-helps-the-pocketbook-as-the-economy-takes-a-dive/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/flooring-website-helps-the-pocketbook-as-the-economy-takes-a-dive/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:00:33 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=9 FLOORING WEBSITE HELPS THE POCKETBOOK AS THE ECONOMY TAKES A DIVE By Adrian Zupp

The flooring industry is feeling the squeeze of the economic downturn just like every other industry. Flooring retailers, installers and floor cleaning professionals – with few exceptions – are all struggling as jobless rates rise and people have less money to spend. Recent estimates suggest that a significant number of flooring businesses in the United States have closed their doors in recent months. It’s hard to put a smile on a number like that, but there is some comfort in knowing that there is some help out there.

“Like every industry, the flooring business has taken a hammering,” said Damien Patton, founder and CEO of FindAnyFloor.com™. “Flooring professionals who a month ago had a stable business are now lined up looking for work like so many other people. Given that, it’s gratifying that what we do at FAF can actually help them, as well as the people looking to buy flooring but not overspend.”

FindAnyFloor.com is the world’s largest flooring information website and it ranks in the top one percent of all searched sites on the Internet. Despite the woes of the economy, FAF has steadily grown in strength since it was unveiled in mid-August of 2008.

The “help” that Patton refers to comes in a variety of forms.

To begin with, the site runs very deep with information.  This is a benefit to consumers looking to save time and money by getting the right floor for their needs. And by using the site’s Find A Local™ search directory, customers can also access information on thousands of flooring professionals. By simply entering their zip code, site visitors can find the retailers, installers and cleaners nearest their home, which again translates to saving time and, very possibly, money.

Size Up That Floor or Reach Out to a Professional

The site’s state-of-the-art Quick Click Floor Estimator™ is an easy-to-use online tool for calculating the area, cost and waste factor of any new floor. By simply using the cursor to click and drag the provided flooring templates, any room configuration can be duplicated. From there, all kinds of options can be compared: for example, the cost of bamboo compared to cork; or angled tiling compared to having it laid straight across the room. So rather than taking a stab in the dark, the customer knows not only what outlay they’re looking at, but precisely what they’re getting for that outlay.

The latest addition to the FindAnyFloor.com “toolbox” is the Ask A Pro™ Live Chat. Site visitors just click on the Ask A Pro button which appears on every page, type in their flooring question, and receive a real-time response. It’s free of charge and requires no sign-up or log-in. In other words, it’s the simplest way possible to get unbiased flooring answers and get them fast. Of course, the key word is “unbiased.”

Sweet Deals and “Friendly Flooring”

Any way to save money helps these days. It all adds up. FindAnyFloor.com has developed strong relationships with the professionals listed on the site and offers a Discounts & Coupons section for those seeking flooring goods and services. Once again, it’s simply a matter of the consumer typing in their zip code to find the vendors in their area who are offering deals.

Many people have special requirements when it comes to their floors. Perhaps they have pets or they suffer from allergies. Maybe they have some form of disability or are the parent of young children. Then again, they may live in a demanding climate or be very environmentally conscious. For just such circumstances, FindAnyFloor.com came up with its Friendly Flooring™ section. Site users in the aforementioned situations can now go directly to the flooring information put together just for them.

How does this save money? That’s a long list. For example, some floors are kinder to allergy suffers than others – which can mean savings on medicines. Other floors are resistant to damage that might be caused by pets or climate swings. And in the case of, say, toddlers, well a floor that is forgiving on their tumbles and falls can save on medical bills not to mention the anguish caused to both parent and child. No other flooring site can boast anything like Friendly Flooring.

Helping You Get It Right

Few things are more expensive than mistakes. Imagine buying flooring and then finding it didn’t suit your house or your needs. Or worse still, buying it and then trying to install it and botching the job. With FindAnyFloor.com’s detailed Buying Guides, do-it-yourself Installation Guides, and handy Buying Checklists, it’s hard to go wrong. All of the guides are available specifically for each of the major flooring types: bamboo, concrete, carpet, cork, hardwood, laminate, linoleum, rubber, stone, tile, and vinyl.

The Buying Guides cover all the main areas of floor purchasing: where to buy, questions to ask, installation considerations, and more. The Installation Guides come in short form for the more experienced do-it-yourselfer and a longer, more detailed form. A printable pdf version is available too, and once again, all the main floor types are covered. The buying checklists are a great way to move methodically through the purchasing process and make sure you don’t miss any key questions or decisions.

FindAnyFloor.com is also in the process of adding a series of installation videos to the site. Used in tandem with the installation guides, they make DIY jobs easier for the savvy homeowner.

Great Discussion Forums

FindAnyFloor.com’s Discussion Forums provide a community for flooring consumers. Site visitors can join one of the discussions or start their own. Naturally, the experience of others can be a money saver – and FAF even has a forum section specifically titled “Money Saving Tips.” Open it up and you’ll find a variety of subjects that can save you more than just nickels and dimes.

They say that knowledge is power. Well, when it comes to making major purchases in a shaky economy, it’s also a great insurance policy. With over 10,000 pages of flooring information, FindAnyFloor.com forewarns and forearms flooring consumers. Whether planning a major purchase or wondering how best to repair that pet-claw scratch, FAF is the premier website for getting the right, money-saving information.

“When I started FindAnyFloor.com I wanted it to be a thorough, plain-English resource that the average consumer could use and benefit from,” said Patton. “I didn’t want to have lots of pointless bells and whistles on the site or cater only to the high-end consumers or flooring initiates. This is a site for everyone. And with the things that are going on with the economy now, I know more than ever that I did the right thing.”

Economists aren’t predicting light at the end of the economic tunnel for some time yet. So if ever there was a time for doing the right thing with your “dollars and sense,” it’s now. It’s still possible to purchase within your means…with a little help from your Internet friends.

Find And Floor is a flooring information site that provides a full scale of flooring information for the novice and the expert.  Complete with a flooring directory and a great forum it’s one of the leading spaces online to keep up with the ever changing flooring industry.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/flooring-website-helps-the-pocketbook-as-the-economy-takes-a-dive/feed/ Sizing And Placing A Ceiling Fan http://www.betterhomegarden.net/sizing-and-placing-a-ceiling-fan/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/sizing-and-placing-a-ceiling-fan/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:52:52 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=4 The summer is here and with it comes the heat. Some of us stay in doors in order to avoid the sun’s harsh rays that makes us sweat the minute we step outside. Only the young - who are undaunted - are able to withstand the heat. Having decent air conditioning is imperative - but let’s admit it that many of us hate the price we have to pay during the summer to keep the air conditioning running all the time. That is when you need to bring the ceiling fans in.
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Many houses already come with a few ceiling fans installed - but it would be more cost effective if they were installed in every room. We are going to help you learn how to know where your fan should go and how to purchase one that will be the right size for the room/rooms you want to place it in.

Sizes: 52” fan for a room that is 400-square-foot, a 44” fan for a 225-square-foot room, and a 42” fan for a 144 square-foot room. You should only use the medium sized fans for rooms that are more than 18 feet long.

To utilize it best and if it is at all possible you want to place the fan in the middle of the room. This is because it is closest to where people go. Make sure that the tips of the blades are 24” from the walls or any slopes in the ceilings. If a fan is mounted too close to the ceiling it will produce a “cavitational effect” - which in short means that it will move less air around the room.

If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet you can hang the fan from a drop rod. To determine how far it should hang down from the ceiling will be determined on how tall the ceiling is. Make sure though that it is never 7 feet from the floor.

]]> http://www.betterhomegarden.net/sizing-and-placing-a-ceiling-fan/feed/ First Step To Designing Your Special Garden http://www.betterhomegarden.net/first-step-to-designing-a-landscape/ http://www.betterhomegarden.net/first-step-to-designing-a-landscape/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:32:51 +0000 admin http://www.betterhomegarden.net/?p=3 Many of us want a beautiful garden to relax in and to show off to our neighbors or anyone who happens to pass by our house. When we get this great idea to landscape our yard we get the itch to start before our time - but before we start digging into the soil we first need to slow down, sit down, and design it. This means that all those plans in your head need to be put on paper.

Examine your yard (front and back) and imagine in your head what you want to see in your garden. Make a list of everything you want it to have. This list can include trees, flowers, herbs, shrubs, a fountain, and even a pond if you have enough space. Once you have made this list try to think of where you would like to place everything and how you would like it to look. Try to put on paper what you would like. You could always ask someone more professional to draw it out for you and can even ask them if the plants that you want are going to work in your garden.

Remember that any plant you choose must be able to grow easily in your garden. Because of this you need to place them in places where they can get the desired amount of sunlight. Depending on what time of year you will start planting will depend on what flowers you can grow. You may want to wait till spring to grow the ones you really want and that will brighten your garden.

You want your garden to last for a very long time - which means that you need to choose plants that are durable and will be able to grow well with others and to last longer then most. This will save you money in the long run and keep your garden from looking shabby.

Don’t be afraid to mix the plants up and to make things look more colorful and alive. Pick plants that are both small and large. Just make sure that the plants can grow together. You don’t need a larger plant choking out and hiding the smaller ones. You may want to place them far enough part to ensure this.

You can have a pond or fountain in your backyard - which makes for a great center point to any garden and a place for you to relax. Around these beautiful center pieces you can place smaller and more colorful flowers that will help to set it off and draw the eyes of people to it.

Once you have chosen what you want and picked where you would like them placed you can break ground and begin planting your very own special haven.

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