Home Improvement Tips - Types of Countertops

It used to be that laminate was pretty much your only choice for kitchen countertops. Those days are thankfully long gone but now a homeowner is faced with a variety of choices and wide range of prices available for your kitchen renovation.

Some of the popular choices include:

Ceramic Tile

This remains as a popular and economical alternative that is heat and scratch resistant. It is high maintenance though since it needs to have it's grout sealed regularly to avoid staining.

Concrete

This is a incredibly versatile surface that can be textured and detailed with patterns unlike any other surface. However it is extremely porous and needs to be regularly sealed to avoid stains.

Engineered Stone

This product is made of a quartz composite with colored pebbles or different materials giving its wide range of colors. Texture is usually even and the colors can be reproduced over larger areas. It as extremely durable product that can resist heat and stain.

Granite

Granite is a natural stone. It comes from different regions of the world and can vary widely in color and pattern. It needs to be seamed and requires period sealing to avoid stains. It cannot tolerate high heat from hot pans.

Laminate

Laminate comes in a variety of colors but is not designed to be long lasting. Although it is somewhat stain resistant it will scratch easily. It will also burn easily from hot pans.

Marble

This is another natural stone that is porous and stains easily. It must be sealed every two to five years. They are also easily scratched and cannot take high heat from hot pans.

Slate

This is a third natural stone that is less porous and doesn't require sealing but can be easily scratched

Stainless Steel

This is a very popular product because of the sleek modern look it conveys. It is very durable and resists staining. Often times the surface is brushed to hide any scratches.

Wood

Various types of hardwoods can be used for countertops. It does require regular sealing to avoid drying out and is susceptible to burns from hot pans.

These are some of the pros and cons of the more popular types of countertops. Choose your countertop carefully depending on your usage and needs.

Bob Current writes on a variety of subjects including home improvement tips. You can get a free copy of his report about Choosing The Best Contractor for your project at http://www.homeimprovementtips.info and at http://www.concretecountertops.bcurrent.info/concretecountertops

Surface Protection Products Save Builders Money

Houses are expensive to build. From the basic framework to the finishing touches of the perfect flooring, the right cabinetry and the decorative front door, everything costs money. Contractors know that even with the best of intentions, accidents happen, and something expensive needs to be replaced or repaired. Contractors and builders can save time and money by using surface protection products to prevent damage to fixtures.

Surface protection products will more than pay for themselves in the time and money saved by not having to replace or repair anything in the home. Products are available to protect just about any surface in the home during construction. As word spreads that these surface protection products are used and save the new homeowners money by preventing costly delays, a builders image will improve.

FLOORS/CARPETS - Instead of nicking that beautiful wood floor that was just laid, or tracking stains all over the pure white carpet the homeowners have chosen, floors are easily protected while the rest of the job is finished by using surface protection products. Tacky mats are also available to trap dirt and debris from being tracked through the new home.

WINDOWS - Window protection prevents scratching of the glass while allowing natural light inside. It is easy to install and easy to remove, providing protection with UV resistance.

DOORS - Doors can easily be wrapped in a protective sheet to prevent dirt smears, dents and paint overspray. Door protection is light colored, so any important site information can be written on it by the construction crew without damage to the door. Door protection is cost effective and can be ordered in custom sizes if needed.

COUNTERS - Easily modified to fit any surface, counter protection products come in economy, standard, deluxe and premium varieties. All but the economy style are made of thick durable corrugate attached to strong plastic sheeting to provide protection not only to the countertop but to the front of the cabinetry as well.

CABINETS - Durable cardboard sheeting is easily attached to cabinet fronts to protect them from dings, scratches, overspray and dents. It can be re-used until it is torn.

BATHROOMS - Tub damage is a very common event and can really add unexpected costs to building a home. There are various styles of tub protection on the market from liners to covers. Each has their merits but the keys to preventing damage are eliminating the use of bath tubs as garbage cans and preventing contractors from standing in the tubs, grinding screws or nails into the finish of the tub or shower pan.

Toilet protection is available as well. It locks on securely and protects the entire fixture during construction.

HVAC - Inexpensive HVAC protection is worth its weight in gold - it keeps screws, nails, dust and debris from falling into the heating ducts. This simple product can save you a lot of money spent in cleaning the duct work after construction is finished.

Builders and contractors everywhere can benefit by using surface protection products during the construction process. Many of the products are reusable from job to job, and can be printed with the name and/or logo of a business for promotional purposes. Time and money is saved by reducing the amount of replacement and repair needed when finishing up a construction job.

Mike Blake is co-founder of Blake Products and has several patented and patent pending surface protection products. Through his experience in the construction industry, he recognized opportunities to save builders money through preventable damage. For a complete line of surface protection products, please visit http://www.blakeproducts.com your Surface Protection Center.

An Introduction to Awnings

Awnings come in a variety of colors, styles and functions. You can find traditional retractable awnings, awnings for residential homes and even sleek and modern designed awnings. Awnings can serve as a way for a business to advertise locally, to provide shelter from heat or cold for energy efficiency, to simply make a home more beautiful, or a combination of all of these. Awnings have begun to gain more and more in popularity over the past decade or so, with many homeowners recognizing the benefits of having an awning installed.

Placing an awning over a window, terrace or balcony can add beauty and value to a home. Awnings can add curb appeal to nearly every home without blocking views from the windows. Awnings are even great for patios, decks and doorways. You can choose from either stationary or retractable awnings; whatever meets your design and efficiency needs.

Many people enjoy having awnings installed on their decks and patios. One of the most popular types of awnings to install in these places is the retractable awning. On hot days, the retractable awning can be opened to provide shade for those sitting outside as well as for the home itself; blocking out most of the direct sunlight from windows and doors can yield tremendous savings on utility costs.

Thousands of awning companies are doing business across the country. Because the competition is fierce, you can get great deals on multiple awnings or even deep discounts on a single awning. You can call around to local installers to find out what their specials are and compare the savings around town. Simply stated, awnings can make a wonderful addition to nearly any home and in many cases can increase the overall value of the home.

Awnings Info provides detailed information about retractable, canvas, window, RV, patio, aluminum, deck, and commercial awnings. Awnings Info is the sister site of Gazebos Web.

Linking Areas of the Home With a Dumbwaiter

There are many reasons that people choose to install a dumbwaiter in their home. Sometimes it is installed by the home builder as the home is being built. This can help to increase the value of the home and its appeal to potential buyers. Other times, the homeowner will decide to install a dumbwaiter into their home after it is built.

There are many advantages to having a dumbwaiter in the home. These devices help make it much easier to do the many chores around the home. For instance, bring groceries up from the garage, is much easier when you can simply load up the dumbwaiter car and push a button. They can also make it much easier to bring laundry to and from the laundry room. These devices can also make it much easier for caretakers who need to bring food or supplies upstairs on a regular basis.

There are several popular kits that are used today to allow a homeowner to retro-fit a dumbwaiter with ease. The electric dumbwaiter is the most common type used, but some people prefer a manual dumbwaiter instead. The disadvantage of a manual dumbwaiter is that it will only be able to support less weight than an electric dumbwaiter. Also since you must use your own power to raise or lower it, they can be rather unpractical.

When installing an electric dumbwaiter, it is necessary to do some planning first. Usually the car of the dumbwaiter, which is the part that holds the goods as they are moved between floors, takes up about two feet by two feet of space. This means you will need a vertical shaft between floors that is about 4 feet squared. This is one reason that it is easier to install the dumbwaiter as the home is being built.

In retro-fit situations finding a space can be an issue, but usually most homes have an area that will work. The car can be configured so that the door opens on different sides, so this means you could configure it to open on one side in the kitchen and a different side upstairs. This increases the flexibility of the device. Often if all else fails, a closet can usually be converted to hold the dumbwaiter.

A track is used to keep an electric dumbwaiter and the car moves along the track. Most tracks are designed so that they can be installed into a wood framed home. The track comes in sections and can be slid together. This makes it much easier and more manageable to install the track.

Some dumbwaiters are in large part already assembled. The cable drive system is already installed along with the car on a short section of track. This piece will be placed at the top of the shaft, then after the track is attached to the shaft, there is little left to the installation. Since the installation is simpler and takes less time, it will in turn cost less to install.

There are many people that choose to install a dumbwaiter in their home. These lifts make it much easier to take care of tasks around the home.

Sean is knowledgable about mobility lifting aids, like the dumbwaiter Several kits are available, such as the AmeriGlide Express, which are intended to be installed quickly and easily. A large part of this lift is actually already assembled, so that the installation can be quicker and easier. This will not only save money, but also time, because the lift can be up and running in only a few hours.

Stair lifts, another type of mobility aid are also very popular. These devices install onto a staircase and move a person along the staircase, so the risk of a fall can be reduced. In many cases, homeowners find that a stair lift ends up being much less expensive and easier to install than an elevator would be. The AmeriGlide Express actually uses the incredibly durable motor found in a stair lift This motor has been extensively tested, with a simulated 16 years of usage, and showed only a little wear, so it will provide many years of dedicated service.

Everything You Should Know About Log Cabins

Log cabins are small houses built from logs. These houses can usually be seen in regions with a high concentration of timber. Log cabins were famous in North America during the colonial era because of the lush timber in the area.

The architecture of a log cabin may seem simple but it is not. Builders should first cherry-pick the right log for the cabin. It should be straight with manageable taper, and it should have few limbs or knots. Depending on the size of the cabin, old growing trees are preferred for a large-sized cabin.

Building log cabins also relies heavily on the location. The site should be home to adequate sunlight and the ground should be flexible enough for a good drainage. This is because they do not follow the usual architectural structures of concrete houses. They rely on nature for most of its workings.

Frontier life relies heavily on nature and log cabin builders make it a point to maximize natural structures. For instance, a moderately rocky area would be suitable for a log cabin as compared to soft ground. Also, the cabin should be strategically built with at least one of its corners is resting on a large rock. The large rock can be used as a foundation for the house.

Cabin homes can be built with earth floors. However, people use foundations to keep out the dampness from the soil and also to make additional storage or cellar underneath the cabin.

As sturdier homes were built, log cabins were converted into shelters for animals or used as storage for equipment or tools. There are parts of Europe that use log cabins as summerhouses or as an extra room in a garden.

But more recently, people started constructing the so-called log homes. Log homes are houses built from milled logs and so can be mass-produced. There are many resorts that built log homes instead of the usual concrete houses. Usually, these log homes are built with additional stone furnishings unlike log cabins that are entirely built with timber logs.

As a carpenter Ive always wanted to build a log cabin. Maybe one day I will. If you are ready or thinking about building a log cabin, please visit me here for some great information to get you started.

http://www.details4life.com

Affordable and Sustainable DIY Earthbag Homes

Earthbag building (sometimes called sandbag building) is surely one of the lowest cost, most practical building methods. First used by the military for building durable, bullet and blast resistant structures, this building method has recently experienced a surge of interest among do-it-yourself builders. There are now an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 earthbag structures, including homes, offices, shops, schools, temples, clinics, orphanages and even ecovillages.

One of the strongest selling points is affordability. A simple earthbag dome, for example, using recycled grain bags and earth can be built for around $100. A larger, more comfortable home can be built for around $500-$1000. The EarthDome House at Terrasante Village in Tucson, Arizona is just one example.

Earthbags are ideal for owner-builders. The necessary skills for each step of construction can be learned in a few minutes. It boils down to simply filling bags with an appropriate fill material (typically subsoil or gravel) and tamping them solid. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Also, few tools are required - shovels, buckets, garden hose. The few additional tools needed (tamper, slider) can be made cheaply and easily.

Earthbag buildings are sustainable since they are made primarily of earth from or near the building site. Earthbag domes do not require wood, thereby reducing pressure on our forests. Expensive concrete foundations are not required if you use gravel-filled bags. In addition, these structures are safe, quiet, nontoxic, rodent proof, and fire, hurricane and flood resistant.

Energy efficiency is another strong plus in favor of building with bags. The massive earth walls stabilize interior temperatures in hot climates. In cold and hot climates, earthbags can be filled with an insulating material, such as lava rock, pumice, vermiculite or perlite. Some builders are experimenting with rice hulls for insulation, which are often free for the taking. In general, lightweight insulating materials (such as those just mentioned) require far less labor than those of tamped earth and provide comfort through the harshest winters or hottest summers.

Earthbags can also be used to create underground (root/storm cellars, etc.) or earth-bermed structures, privacy and retaining walls, planters, furniture (built-in benches, etc.), and many other uses. Earthbags are very adaptable and work just as well for domes as they do for structures with vertical walls. They also excel at creating free-form, curving structures.

As earthbag building grows by leaps and bounds, NGOs and other organizations are exploring their use for emergency shelters. Millions of victims of wars and natural disasters need low cost housing and temporary shelter. More durable than tarps and more comfortable than tents, earthbags work perfectly since even unskilled workers can build their own shelters - all without destroying local resources.

Owen Geiger (Director of the Geiger Research Institute of Sustainable Building at http://www.GRISB.org) has recently co-authored http://www.EarthbagBuilding.com to better focus and keep track of the rapid growth of this novel building method.

Lazy Motivation Tips

That title sounds like a paradox, right? I know. It intuitively sounds impossible. How can you be lazy and motivated at the same time? Well, how about using the easiest methods to get you motivated? Instead of thumbing through some 300 page book, why not learn how to motivate yourself in less time?

If it sounds too good to be true, then you are WRONG! You don't have to thumb through a large book full of complicated techniques that would take months to really even begin to understand and implement. There is always a shortcut and you can take it if you'd like. Of course, you could also choose the harder method and still wind up with the same results! So let's get started with the tips!

Tip #1-- Use the television to motivate you. Watch DVD's or shows that inspire you. If you want to get motivated about making more money, watch shows where the people live wealthy lives. Let yourself get lost in the imagination of it all. Now that is motivation!

Tip #2-- Use CD or MP3 programs and listen to them while you are doing other things. Let the techniques go into your ears and let them go to work. Most programs condense a couple of hundred pages of information onto one CD. Ahh. The laziness of it all!

Tip #3-- Learn from others. Why waste your time with techniques that don't work? Take the shortcut and find out what other people use that does provide the motivation you are looking for. Don't waste your time going from product to product only to find out it doesn't work. All that wasted time and energy!

Tip # 4-- Oh no, I was too lazy to write this one down. Just kidding! Visit websites that will let you sit in your computer chair with a relaxing beverage. Trust me, Homer Simpson would approve!

Well that's just four tips. See the 5th Tip in the lines below.

Tip#5 -- Go to http://www.successfulfather.com and SIGN up for the FREE newsletter and BOOKMARK the site. Kick your feet back and enjoy yourself.

Bryan Appleton is an author of self-help motivational literature as well as an entrepreneur and investor. He is a single father and has made it one of his life's goals to try and help other people live the lives they are dreaming of. You can find his website at http://successfulfather.com