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Wooden Garden Furniture - Types of Woods to Choose... Wooden garden furniture is a great choice whether you want to create a pleasant space for relaxation, reading, spending quality time with your family outdoors, hosting your friends or simply enhance...

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How To Strip a Floor The purpose of stripping a floor is to remove all the old floor finish off the floor.  Over time floor finish can turn yellow and can build a haze.  If burnishing or polishing your floor does not...

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Home Insulation And Cauling Reduce Energy Bills Most home owners know they have home insulation in their walls and ceilings and may not be need to (or be able to) make changes to that. However, they can still save money by making sure the areas around...

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Get Your House Ready for Wet Weather Do you worry when the weather forecast calls for rain? If you think your home’s exterior is being compromised by moisture damage from leaks in the roof or near the foundation, the problem will likely...

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Consider Carpet Fiber Differences When Carpet Cleaning For those of us who prefer to clean our own carpets, there are some items we should consider. It’s not always about what we can do ourselves, but what is the best use of our time and energy. Doing your...

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Wooden Garden Furniture – Types of Woods to Choose From

Posted by admin | Posted on 17-02-2012

Category : Furniture

Pine, wood furnitureWooden garden furniture is a great choice whether you want to create a pleasant space for relaxation, reading, spending quality time with your family outdoors, hosting your friends or simply enhance your garden, terrace or balcony with a beautiful furniture. The choice of wooden garden furniture wood types, designs, shapes and colors is enormous and you will easily find one that will fit perfectly in your garden, terrace or balcony. On the other hand, there are several things you should pay attention to when choosing wooden garden furniture. In addition to deciding how much you are willing to spend for your new garden furnishing, what kind of style will look best in your garden or terrace as well as which type of wood will look and work best in your environment.

Every type of wood has unique “personality” and characteristics. Some types of woods are highly valued for their resistance to harsh weather conditions and decay, some are preferred for easy maintenance, some for durability, and the others for resistance to shrinking and splintering. The aesthetics and design play a major role in selection of the perfect wooden garden furniture but a carefully chosen type of wood of which the furniture is made from and regular maintenance will make you investment last two to three decades.

Pine, wood, wood for furniture, Some of the most popular types of woods include teak, iroko, oak, pine, cedar, bamboo and shorea. The majority of woods used for wooden garden furniture are hardwoods except for pine. Each type of wood has its advantages and disadvantages and you will not be able to avoid maintenance no matter which type of wood you choose. However, there is a major difference in the amount of time that is required for maintenance between different types of woods.

If you do not want to spend much time for maintenance of your wooden garden furniture, you should seriously consider purchasing teak garden furniture.

Teak is one of the most popular types of wood not only because it requires minimal maintenance but also because it is very durable, strong and termite-resistant. One of the main advantages of teak is also its resistance to harsh weather conditions including water and mold which makes it an ideal choice for virtually any region and climate. In addition, teak is very elegant and would look great inside your home as well.

Shorea is often compared with teak because it is resistant to termites, mold and harsh weather conditions. It is less expensive than teak and looks great on every garden and terrace as well but it is less durable and tends to fade earlier.

Iroko, wood for furniture

Iroko, sometimes called African teak, is also a very popular choice because it is resistant to harsh weather condition and has a long lifespan. Like teak, iroko does not need much maintenance and is almost as durable as teak but it does not offer as much stability.

Pine and oak look beautiful on gardens and terraces as well but both are easily damaged by the sun and rain which means that you will need spent more time for maintenance if deciding for garden furniture made of pine or oak. In addition, garden furniture made from woods such as pine and oak usually requires protection from both the sun and rain either by using covering or storage during bad weather which can be very inconvenient.

As you see there is a major difference between different types of woods that are used to make wooden garden furniture. Which one to choose depends on several factors including your climate and personal preferences. However, you cannot go wrong if you choose teak no matter where you live. It is more expensive than other types of woods but it is very durable, and resistant to both termites and harsh weather conditions. With minimal maintenance, a teak garden furniture will remain as good as new for a number of years which is great if you like elegance but do not want to spend too much time for maintenance. After all, quality wooden furniture should serve you and your needs and not the other way around. The choice is of course yours but it is worth to keep in mind that sometimes it is worth to spend more to save more.

How To Strip a Floor

Posted by admin | Posted on 20-01-2012

Category : DIY Projects, Flooring

Tags:

The purpose of stripping a floor is to remove all the old floor finish off the floor.  Over time floor finish can turn yellow and can build a haze.  If burnishing or polishing your floor does not correct this, it’s probably time to strip your floors and do a new recoat.  Stripping a floor can be a quick and clean procedure if you have the correct tools for the job.  The use of a good floor stripper will make your life much easier, it’s better to have the floor stripper remove the wax rather than using hard labor.  Removing old floor finish is basically a three step process:

  • Apply the floor stripper and agitate it.
  • Remove the floor stripper from the floor.
  • Rinse the floor and neutralize the floor stripper.

Procedure:

  • Make sure that your floor has been prepared for stripping.  Clean the floor removing as much dirt and debris as possible.
  • After you have the floor has been prepared vacuum or dust mop the floor to remove any dust.  We recommend that you spray your duct mop with dust mop treatment to remove as much dust as possible.  Make sure to remove anything stuck to the floor because this will gum up or rip the floor pad.
  • Make sure that the floor are you are stripping does not and will not have traffic moving through it.  Use warning signs to make sure the area where you are stripping is marked out so that everyone is aware of the area.
  • Stripping a floor requires a mop bucket, cotton or blended mop, floor machine (175-300rpm’s) and a black or hi-pr stripping floor pad.  Follow the manufacturers specifications for applying the floor stripper.  Fill the mop bucket up 1/2 way with floor stripper.  Dip the mop into the stripper a lightly wring.  Break the floor down into 6′ by 6′ sections and start applying the stripper to the floor at the furthest corner of the room.  Apply the stripper in a figure 8 motion overlapping each stroke by about an inch.  After you have applied the stripper let the it sit on the floor for 5-7 minutes.  This will give the stripper a chance to react with the floor finish.
  • Next place a hi-pro or black floor pad on your floor machines.  When stripping a floor move the floor machine back and forth on the floor overlapping by at least 1 inch on each pass.  As the floor finish is removed from the floor it will become duller.  You may need to spend extra time on areas with finish buildup.  The main traffic area on the floor will have less buildup than low traffic areas.
  • Once used the floor machine on the 6′ by 6′ area remove the stripper from the floor using either a blended mop of wet dry vacuum preferably one that has a front mount squeegee. Kerrick is a great manufacturer of wet dry vacuums with front mount squeegees).  Do not let the stripper finish mixture dry.  if the area does dry apply more stripper to reloosen the finish.
  • After the you have removed the floor stripper from the floor rinse the floor with warm water.  Rinse the floor two more times with cold water.
  • After the third rinse with plain water, rinse the floor with a floor stripper neutraliser.  Neutraliser will reduce the white residue left by the floor stripper so that the floor finish can adhere to the floor much better.
  • After the neutraliser dries check for white residue on the floor using a black towel.  If residue still exists rinse one more time with cold water.  Once all these steps have been completed check the floor for shiny spots.  If shiny spots are evident you may need to re-strip these areas.

Home Insulation And Cauling Reduce Energy Bills

Posted by admin | Posted on 19-10-2011

Category : Exterior Projects, Useful Tips

Tags: , ,

Most home owners know they have home insulation in their walls and ceilings and may not be need to (or be able to) make changes to that. However, they can still save money by making sure the areas around doors, windows, and any other place which may allow drafts to enter the house are appropriately insulated. Wires, pipes, vents, windows, and doors are all points where you let something into or out of your home. The areas around these are often neglected when it comes to insulation.

When insulating around these areas, your first concern should be to make sure you use an appropriate insulating material. If you have an area where flame or heat are present, make sure to use you are using heat/flame resistant products, if your area is prone to moisture, use a material that will not absorb moisture.

If you are sealing up exposed areas, then you may not need to do much to prepare the area. If you are working in finished areas (as you usually will be when working on doors or windows) you may have to remove molding prior to adding insulation.

Here are some suggestions on how to insulate common problem areas:

Switches and Outlets – You may not realize it, but outlets and switches on exterior walls are often the source of a draft. These drafts are easily addressed by installing simple foam forms (should be available at your local home/electrical supply store). Installation consists of removing the switch or outlet plate, placing the form over the outlet, and replacing the faceplate.

Doors and Windows – Once the molding around the frame has been removed, you should be able to see how large an area you need to insulate. You can pack the open space with standard insulation or more commonly these days you may use a spray/expanding foam insulation.

Useful tips for using spray foam insulation:

Choose the right insulation for the job – different types of insulation have different applications. If you are not sure, check with your home supplies expert. Some foams expand more than others and are not designed for areas where over expansion can cause problems (such as a door jamb)

Plan Ahead – One can of insulation may be enough to do several windows/doors. Make sure you are ready to do a few at once so you don’t waste half a can of insulation.

Follow the directions! – some foams expand more than others and some continue to expand until cured – if the directions say to fill half the depth of the opening, don’t over fill it unless you want foam everywhere.

Be careful and Be clean – This stuff is sticky! – protect your skin and all finished surfaces. Clean up any excess immediately.

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Others access points – You may have to hunt to find other areas where heat can escape (or enter in warmer climates). Some areas to check for: external outlets, outside hose connections, skylights, vents, kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans, attic/crawlspace access, dryer vent, cable/phone wire. How to treat each of these differs from case to case – use common sense, follow the directions for your insulating method, and check with caulking company or building maintenance company if you are in doubt – better a cold house than a pile of ashes!.

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