October 1, 2011 · Interior Design

The bathroom is one of the most neglected rooms in the house when it comes to looking its best. This room is often thought of as needing to be practical, rather than pretty. Fortunately, bathroom interior design can be simply and easily improved upon without sacrificing utility. Attractive custom storage can help to reduce clutter in your bathroom, keeping your important toiletries and cleaning supplies neatly out of sight.

Hotel inspired bathrooms can give the feeling of get-away luxury without ever leaving home. Good lighting, clean lines, and marble surfaces make the bathroom attractive and uncluttered. A large mirror can expand the appearance of space. Other bathroom interior design ideas for a hotel-styled bathroom include monogrammed towels, attractive wallpaper, and crisp design elements.

When the bathroom is used and who will be using it will inform your bathroom interior design choices. A public powder room will be able to be more whimsical or dramatic, whereas a family bath must be more practical. Guest baths should create a welcoming and inviting space for people away from home. A master bathroom should encourage relaxation.

Be careful to choose materials that will not be damaged by water and humidity for your bathroom interior design. Wallpaper can be used in some bathrooms, but in other, the high humidity can cause it to peel and fall off. Tile is a popular choice for a bathroom, but can be damaged if your bathroom is high traffic. A good substitute for traditional tiles is vinyl tile, which can look just like ceramic or marble, but is not as easily broken. Wood cabinets are popular as well, but again, you should be careful to make sure they will not be susceptible to water damage. Wood can swell, warp, and crack in humid environments.

The right shower or tub is important in bathroom interior design. You should choose one that fits your needs, is easily cleaned, and will not be damaged easily if your bathroom sees a lot of use. Acrylic is a good choice for these situations. Traditional fiberglass is light weight, but can be easily scratched. Cast iron and cultured marble provide timeless looks, but are heavy and can be expensive. They may also require extra support under the bathroom floor. Also, try to be sure that your tub or shower is proportioned for the people who are using it. Very tall people may be frustrated by a low shower head. It is important to adjust your bathroom interior design ideas for the people who will be using the room.

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May 26, 2009 · Flooring

?             GENERAL WOOD FLOORING INFORMATION



GENERAL WOOD FLOORING INFORMATION

Wood flooring is beautiful, timeless and natural. When buying a floor from Floor Variety, you can rest assured that your floor was processed in an environmentally conscientious and efficient manner. NMH performs the entire process from the forest to your home (harvesting, milling, kiln drying, flooring manufacturing), ensuring you the best Quality control

FACTS ABOUT YOUR FLOOR SOLUTION HARDWOODS FLOORING

Wood flooring is very sensitive to its environment, expanding or contracting according to the relative humidity of the room it is in. Narrow width floors show the least amount of movement, whereas wider width flooring will show the most movement. In order to keep your wood floor as stable as possible, the relative humidity of the house should ideally stay at 50%. If the relative humidity drops below 50%, the floor will shrink, causing cracks between each board in the floor. This is not a milling defect, but rather the result of low relative humidity. Over a period of time the wood floor will correct itself and expand to fit together tightly again if the relative humidity returns to and stays constant at 50%.

Cupping, or “washboard,” is another problem that can occur from unregulated humidity. The cause of this is moisture imbalance throughout the thickness of the wood. Cupping occurs only if the moisture is greater underneath the flooring than on top. To correct cupping, find the source of the moisture and eliminate it. Given time, the floor should correct itself once the relative humidity is stabilized. If the damage done was extensive, the floor might need to be re-sanded and refinished after the relative humidity is stabilized. Expansion, or buckling, is also a result of high humidity and may cause the flooring to push tight against vertical surfaces. To relieve, allow up to 3/4″ expansion space along walls.

To get the best wear out of your flooring finish, sweep and vacuum the floor regularly. Do not use strong soaps when mopping. Other preventative measures to keep from excessive wear is to put felt pads on the bottom of all furniture and make sure dog toenails are clipped. Vacuum all area rugs and the floor space underneath the rugs frequently.

All woods will darken during the six to twelve months after installation. Flooring under area rugs and furniture will not change at the same rate as the exposed flooring as long as it is covered. Moving rugs and furniture will correct any variations. All wood dents. High heels, dropped heavy objects, pointed furniture legs and the unprotected rolling of appliances can dent or gouge your floor.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTALLATION

1. Flooring should be installed on grade or above. Do not install below grade.

2. To avoid damage, make sure the floor is installed after all other construction is completed.

3. Before installation, check the moisture content of the sub-floor. The moisture of the sub-floor should be within 2% of the moisture content of the flooring to be installed.

4. A moisture barrier should be applied between concrete and the sub-floor.

5. Make sure the sub-floor is clean, flat and dry. Sand all areas that are not smooth and nail any loose boards. It is recommended that flooring acclimate to the environment of where it will be installed for approximately two weeks prior to installation.



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May 11, 2009 · Home Appliances

knows that teak furniture is likely to be expensive. So some homeowners write off buying home pieces that are make from this wood even before they start looking. This is unfortunate because there are ways to buy at lower prices. But before exploring that, let’s first take a look at why teak furniture tend to command a higher price.

If you have ever bought wood furniture, you know that you either buy products that are made from softwood or hardwood. Wood belonging to each category share similar characteristics. For example, you can expect softwood to be easier to work with, but they damage easily. Hence, they are not as durable as hardwood. Many modern furniture is made from such materials. Hardwood, on the other hand, is much more durable. But they are harder to work with. These characteristics make them ideal for more conventional and simplistic designs, and products made from such wood are expected to last for many years.

However, both softwood and hardwood share a common weakness – they tend to be easily damaged when exposed to moisture. Moisture is like an invisible killer. Many homeowners are not even aware of the humidity levels in (or outside) their homes. So they leave expensive wood furniture out there, only to find that the interiors start to rot away after a couple of years. Therefore, if the furniture is meant for an area with high humidity levels, precautions must be taken to protect the materials. For example, the outer protective film must be replaced with another new layer every year or so.

Here is where nature works its magic. Teak, unlike all the other woods, produce it’s very own protective film of oil. This is a unique characteristic of teak. The oil helps to protect the wood naturally. In addition, teak is easier to work with compared with the other hardwoods. For these reasons, you often see teak being used as decorative items in outdoor settings. They even come in elaborate designs because they behave well under the carving knife and chisel.

If you are considering refurnishing your home, remember to add teak furniture to your shopping list. But note that the price of most home items are influenced by 2 factors – building materials, workmanship and brand. If you choose teak to be your primary material, be prepared to pay slightly more. Also, furniture with rare or complex tends to cost more as well. This is because more labor is required to produce the furniture. And exclusivity always cost more.

However, there are ways that you can get your hands of premium quality teak furniture without having to pay outrageous prices. For example, try buying from furniture wholesalers if you are looking at refurnishing an entire house. The more you buy, the more discounts you receive. Try to source for wholesalers in countries that have the ability to employ cheaper labor. Lower cost of production means part of that savings could be passed on to you, the customer.