Archive for November, 2009
Finding a Reputable Greenhouse Builder no comments
Finding a reputable greenhouse builder and manufacturer should not be hard to do, but there are a lot of questions to ask them when considering a company for building your greenhouse structure. I hope this article helps when considering a greenhouse builder and manufacturer. A garden greenhouse has been used for not only small outdoor areas but has also been built for schools and universities. There are many different kinds of garden greenhouses. Some are made with vinyl, plastic, wood, aluminum, pvc, polycarbonate and glass among other materials. In choosing a type of greenhouse you should check with a national greenhouse builder to help you consult with this no matter how big or small. Many of the reputable greenhouse builders have been in business for at least 10 years and you will be able to see their portfolio as well as speak with some of their clients as well. The greenhouse builder specializes in working with the materials used in different parts of the country and can help you decide what your needs will be.
With many greenhouses, the builder also offers benches, hanging rods, hydroponic tubing, shade cloths, air systems and misting systems. They can also tell you how many windows needed in the roof to allow proper moisture control and venting. Steve Reno, owner of a reputable greenhouse company based in Houston, Texas says “to allow enough room for the plants especially if you plan on putting in benches, misting systems, etc. You would be surprised how some people can forget that. Also, make sure your materials hold up to the weather in your particular part of the country. You do not want to build a wood frame greenhouse in the south especially near the coastal region. We actually draw out a blueprint of the plan that allows everything the gardener needs to allow for future growth as well.”
When ordering a greenhouse it is a good idea to use a greenhouse builder who manufactures their own product. As a versatile greenhouse manufacturer, they should offer a full range of greenhouse structures from economical and functional, hobby and commercial greenhouse kits to complete turn-key luxury estate greenhouses and garden rooms, and everything in between! Many of the online companies that have not been in business long order theirs through China or Europe and are not as good of quality for the avid gardener. Some companies may charge more for their product because the materials and structure may have been engineered to outlast basic weather conditions and will outlast the cheaper temporary models. Check also to see if they have their manufacturing facilities close by. This would ease any problems with delivery and technical issues or missing pieces that could take too much time in the building process. There is nothing so frustrating as to order a greenhouse and have a few of the screws or particular parts not show up and have to wait a month for the part to come from China. It is a good idea to use someone that manufactures them locally. Check also to see if they also offer greenhouse maintenance which can also save a lot of lost time and money. When storms blow in, the local greenhouse builders are able to come out and do some repairs.
The greenhouse builder should not be a contractor that does not specialize in greenhouses. They should be qualified and not just a dealer, but a true builder that helps design or works directly with the architect to help you build a nice pleasing greenhouse structure that will last for years to come. They should help consult with site selection, shade needed and accessories. They should also offer a manufacturer’s guarantee. These are just some basic issues to think about when planning your greenhouse. For a true greenhouse builder and manufacturer, there should be products ready to ship or make, and a full line of accessories available. Many companies will help with the selection of type of greenhouse, and will also answer any questions you have on constructing it yourself but make sure when dealing with the accessories much thought is given to working safety and working with glass. This can prove to be dangerous.
For smaller areas, you may wish to build a greenhouse dome, or greenhouse out of wood. Caution to the amount of wood used and plastic used as these not only last a shorter period of time, create wood rot and possible termites, but can also spread disease to the plants. PVC has also been used to build greenhouses. This seems like a better material than the wood choice. Greenhouse builders may not be easy to find but asking the right questions will definitely save a lot of heart ache. They should be happy to give you the time when deciding on the perfect greenhouse. Happy Gardening!
Southern Greenhouses is owned by Steve Reno who is a greenhouse builder, manufacturer, and designer. Southern Greenhouses has been building and manufacturing greenhouses for over 25 years. He is easy to talk to and knows a lot about everything that goes into building a greenhouse. He has many greenhouses he has built from universities, colleges to simple lean to greenhouses. He can be reached directly from his site at http://www.SouthernGreenhouses.comHe would love to speak with you about building your Greenhouse dream!
Steve Reno, http://www.SouthernGreenhouses.com
He lives in Houston, but builds greenhouses all over the United States.
Judy Stevens is an article writer, and full time SEO marketing specialist.
She is friends with Steve Reno and all the fine folks at Southern Greenhouses.
Add an Air Purifier to Your Household no comments
There are a variety of reasons why every household should have an air purifier. While many people do not consider an air purifier to be an essential household appliance, having one can definitely play an important role in improving the overall health of every member of your family. A great deal of the common health problems that people experience, such as asthma, allergies and respiratory infections, could be avoided as a result of properly using an air purifier in your home on a regular basis.
No matter how clean you keep your home, it is very likely that the air in your home is teeming with any number of pollutants that can have a negative impact on your health, as well as on the health of every member of your family. This is not a reflection on your housekeeping skills, but rather on the general poor quality of indoor air in the modern world. As badly polluted as the outdoor air is, it is actually believed that indoor air is even more polluted.
Without the benefit of an air purifier, the air inside of your home is very likely to include harmful substances like airborne viruses, bacteria, fungi, dust mites, and mold. These tiny substances aren’t visible to the naked eye, but can certainly cause harm to those who inhale them. The only way to rid your home of such substances is through the use of an air purifier.
Air purifiers word by capturing indoor air, cleaning it by filtering out the pollutants, and then releasing it back into your home. This amazing household appliance literally traps the airborne substances that can make your family sick, so that everyone in your home can breathe air that is clean and free of pollutants.
When you and your family breathe air that is more clean on a regular basis, it is likely that you will experience health benefits. Airborne viruses will not transmit easily in your home because your air purify will trap and neutralize them. Family members who are allergic to mold or dust mites should notice a reduction in symptoms right away, because the air purifier will keep these substances out of the air. Anyone in your household who has asthma is likely to notice an immediate reduction in the frequency and duration of symptoms.
Don’t you owe it to your family to make sure that they are they breathe every day in clean and free of pollutants? With the inexpensive addition of an air filter to your collection of household appliances, you can take a proactive step to improving the overall health and wellness of every member of your family.
KitchenAid – your source of discount refrigerators & dishwashers
A Water Filter Drinking Countertop System Can Purifiy Your Kitchen and Bathroom’s Water Supply no comments
Choosing a water filter drinking countertop system is a good option for those who want to ensure that the water they drink and cook with is as clean and pure as possible. Although a whole house filtration system is more thorough, a point of use filter can also remove additional sediment from pipes.
There are many types of systems to choose from on the market today. Many of these systems are designed to filter out minerals, chlorine, and fluoride. These systems range in price, and you will pay more for a higher performance system. However, you must take into consideration the price of your health as well.
Before looking at the types of water filter drinking countertop systems, you should look closely at the effects of tap water on the human body. Chlorine is an important factor in water health. This is because the chlorine will actually dissipate into the air through steam, creating chloroform gas. These gases are speculated to be one of the main causes of the increase in asthma patients.
Another consideration is minerals. Minerals are actually good for your body. They occur organically throughout nature. Minerals such as calcium strengthen the teeth and bones, and minerals such as zinc boost the immune system. Getting a countertop drinking filter that removes these healthful minerals is actually not in your best interests.
Finally, there are more harmful things in your tap water than chlorine and an overabundance of fluoride (which can damage teeth). There are many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) in tap water that can affect your health. These chemicals can actually interact with medications rendering them useless or making you ill.
The less expensive counter top drinking filter will filter out minerals, chlorine, and fluoride, using reverse osmosis. These filters will run water through a membrane, or filter, at a high pressure. The end result is a lower pressure for your water faucet, and a loss of organic minerals such as calcium that are actually good for your body. Additionally, many of the harmful organic compounds and synthetic chemicals found in most tap water will remain.
Some of the less expensive water filter systems will use single carbon based filters. These filters will clean your tap water of chlorine, VOCs and THMs. However, the performance of these single filter systems is also questionable, as they tend to filter out less of the VOCs and THMs than multi-stage filtration systems.
The best counter top drinking filter that you can get for your family is a dual carbon based filter. After all, it only makes sense that water run through two filters will be cleaner than water run through one filter. These filters will get more of the VOCs and THMs out of your tap water. In fact, the average filter of this type removes up to ninety seven percent of these harmful chemicals.
When choosing a water filter drinking countertop system, it is also important to consider filter duration and cost. Most often, the less expensive systems will actually cost more in filters. This is due to the fact that the filters are not designed to last more than one month, and often cost as much or more than the system itself.
In the end, any countertop drinking filter is better than none. When you look at the dangers of drinking tap, you cannot turn your back on the benefits of drinking purified or filtered water. However, the better your filtration system is, the healthier you and your family will be. How can you put a price tag on that?
Martin Spencer is a health researcher who has been studying water filtration for over 25 years. He is a regular contributor to Water Treatment Guide, a site dedicated to various methods of treating and purifying water. Learn about water filter drinking countertop systems on our site.
Granite Tile Countertops – Bringing The Beauty Of Nature Into Our Homes no comments
Our present society is almost totally defined by artificial things. Everywhere you look, there are man-made machines and gadgets that are being used. Even kids these days are so into artificial things, and do not have as much awareness of nature as the previous generations did. But in recent years, many people are turning back to natural alternatives in many areas. Natural foods are medicines are becoming more popular.
In the home-building industry, more and more designers are choosing natural materials as well. One of the most popular choices these days are the natural granite tile countertops. These countertops are fashioned from great hard blocks of granite that have been dug from beneath the earth.
Because of the numerous advances in technology, granite tile countertops are much easier to avail of these days than in the previous years. This is good, because there is quite a large demand for granite tile countertops recently, as people are getting to appreciate the beauty of nature more.
In a world that has been bombarded by electronics and artificial objects for so long, things such as granite tile countertops make us realize the splendor of nature that we have been taking for granted.
The process of changing these natural beauties into functional parts of our homes is a marvel in itself. The next time you look at your granite tile countertops, just imagine that thousands of years ago, these rocks were buried under the mountains of what we now call China, or South America, or Europe, being created and designed by mysterious powers before there were even people on earth.
Because granite tile countertops come from real rocks, no tile is exactly the same as another. This inherent uniqueness is just one of the things that make them so attractive to many homeowners. Knowing that the patterns and mixture of colors in your particular granite tile countertops are one in a million makes them more beautiful and more personally significant to you.
The beauty of granite tile countertops, though, is not only in their appearance. There is even a deeper and more essential beauty in what they represent. They serve as a reminder to humanity that we must give more appreciation to nature, and reflect on its magnificence more often.
Some people who have the luxury of time commune with nature by going on vacations in the woods or on faraway islands. For those of us who cannot do that, we can now commune with nature simply by gazing at our granite tile countertops, and reflecting on their natural elegance.
You can also find more info on Marble Granite Countertops and Granite Tile Countertops. Kitchengranitecountertophelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Kitchen Granite Counter Top.
Save Money by Upgrading Your Thermostat no comments
One way to heat less is to avoid heating rooms that are not being used. If you have a spare bed room that is only used for storage you can shut off the heat going to that room and close the door.
You may be able to reduce the heat in some rooms that are used only for short periods of time. Try closing the louvers on the warm air outlet to reduce the amount of heat that you let into the room.
Another way to heat less is to turn the thermostat down when no one is home. If your house is empty during the work or school day, turn the thermostat down 10 or more degrees so you heat less. If you go visit the grand kids on the weekend turn the thermostat down so you heat less.
Here is where you can save with a better thermostat.
Replace your old fashion thermostat with a new digital thermostat. By using a digital thermostat, you can program it to preheat the house. When you know that he house will be warm when you get home you are more likely to turn in way down when you leave. Set your thermostat to warm up you house ready to welcome you home. A good programmable thermostat can be bought for under $100. The $20 on sale basic model I bought a works just fine.
In our house, the thermostat is set at 68 during the day and 62 at night. That is cooler than some folks like, but we like it that way. Using a programmable thermostat makes setting the temperature down at night easy and you do not have to worry about forgetting. Set it to turn the heat down about an hour before bedtime. We program ours to start warming the house up an hour before we get up in the morning.
Remember heat less by keeping the thermostat low. Turn it down when no one is home. Turn it way down when your mother in law visits. To get the feel of being there turn it down during TV football games. Turn it down and buy a new sweater with the money you save.
It is cheaper to use an extra quilt or an electric blanket and turn the thermostat down even more at bedtime. I sleep better when it is cool in the house.
Remember heat less and save more.
I am a, Baby Boom Vintage, Energy Conservation Engineer. My mission is to help folks save money on their energy bills. The more than 137 FREE articles that I have written teach folks how to save money on their utility bills.
Click here for an index of ways you can save money by saving energy
For more information on saving your energy money, visit the Energy Boomer blog at http://energyboomer.com
Not Changing Your Furnace Filter Can Be Dangerous – Don’t Become A Statistic no comments
We have all heard the horrifying story about the family that just barely escaped with their lives, or even worse the family that died in their sleep, there lives ended by a silent killer. The silent killer is CO (Carbon Monoxide). If you don’t change or maintain your furnace filter as recommended by the manufacturer you could be putting your family in danger. Your furnace filter is designed to remove dust from air as it passes through your furnace. The longer your furnace filter is installed the dirtier it becomes. This increased loading of the filter with dust causes a resistance to air flow through the filter and reduces air flow.
Gas and oil furnaces, like all heating and air conditioning equipment, are designed to have a certain amount of air flow at all times to operate properly and at highest efficiency. This air flow is measured in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). These appliances have a heat exchanger which has the heat source, flame, inside and the air passes over the heat exchanger on the outside. As the air passes over the heat exchanger it picks up the heat from the flame inside.
To get maximum efficiency from these systems the walls of the heat exchanger are made as thin as possible but not so thin that they cannot withstand the heat that they are subjected to during normal operation. This brings us back to the fact that these appliances are designed with minimum air flow requirements.
A furnace filter that remains in the system so long that it begins to negatively impact air flow can be dangerous. As the amount of air flowing over the heat exchanger declines, the operating temperature of the heat exchanger increases. This is when heat exchanger can crack because they are operating above design conditions. The hotter the heat exchanger gets the more it expands when heating and contracts as it cools during the off cycle. This expanding and contracting can become excessive and cause the metal of the heat exchanger warp or crack. A cracked heat exchanger can cause combustion gases to mix with the air in your home.
The good news is that properly designed furnaces have high limit switches that prevent excessive heating of the heat exchanger. These limit switches monitor the temperature at or near the heat exchanger and if the temperature reaches a predetermined set point, the unit will be shut off either until manually reset or until the limit switch senses that the temperature is within safe limits and resets automatically.
A furnace can operate a long time on an auto reset limit switch without anybody even knowing. This means that the furnace is operating at the limits of its design capabilities. Today most limit switches are the manual reset type, designed this way so that the furnace will not operate until it is serviced and the problem corrected.
Don’t rely on these safety switches to protect you from disaster. These are mechanical devices which can and do fail to operate properly at times. So reduce your risk by maintaining your furnace filter properly. This means cleaning or changing your furnace filter regularly. It is always best to follow manufacturers guidelines.
Visit us for furnace filter reviews and articles to help you determine which furnace filter is best for your needs. Take part in surveys or have your questions answered.
Oil Filled Radiator Heaters – How They Work, And Uses no comments
Why buy a Oil Filled Radiator Heater instead of different types?
The
most obvious reason to purchase a oil filled radiator heater is for safety and a
silent operation. These heaters operate by warming up a special heat-conserving
oil inside the heater. Then it circulates the oil throughout the coils and fins
of the radiator to heat them. Those coils and fins radiate the heat into the
rest of the room through convection. Cold air is warmed by the heat radiating
from the fins of the heater and the warmed air rises drawing in the air below it
which is usually colder than the air above and the process repeats. Since it
does not have fans to move the air around the radiator is silent.
How are Oil Filled Radiator Heaters different from other heaters?
The
heat conserving oil is sealed inside the coils of the radiator. Since the oil is
only warmed, is never burned, and never needs to be replaced or refilled it
makes oil filled radiator heaters very efficient to operate. In addition, some
heaters have safety covers that prevent children and pets from touching the
heating elements that radiate the warmth. Generally they have a lower surface
temperature than other heaters, and because of the large surface area of the
heater they heat the room just as fast.
How do most people use Oil Filled Heaters?
These radiators are perfect
for chilly bedrooms and offices. They spot heat anywhere, and can be very
compact. Some are light in weight, letting you place them anywhere where you
need a little bit more heat. Several are made to fit into the area beneath a
desk so they can be unobtrusive and since they are quiet nobody would notice
their presence. Another important thing about the under desk radiators is that
they only take 40 watts of power to run so you could plug them into the same
circuit as your computer. The area of heat our radiator heaters can warm range
from 150 square feet to an area as small as 40 square feet for an under desk style unit.
An added benefit of the small desk-type units is that they are extremely
efficient.
Buy a SAFE Oil Filled Radiator Heater for personal comfort.
These heaters are ideal if you
just need that extra bit of warmth or your co workers prefer it colder than you
like, or when you would
like to save money by not heating the whole building and only your little corner
of the house. Not only are they safer
than other heaters with tip over safety switches and overheat auto shutoff
switched, they require almost no maintenance, and are quite easy to
move.
Product specialist working with heaters
Mesquite Flooring – Barbeque Flavoring or A Great Wood Floor? no comments
Mesquite wood is probably best known as a wood, or I should say a wood converted to a charcoal or shavings for barbequing and smoking. More recently though mesquite lumber it is being considered for flooring. Is this a wise choice? Can it stand up to the daily rigors of a well used floor?
Some might suggest that mesquite lumber is much like the ranchers that share its landscape, tough, resilient and stable through everything that life throws at it. Mesquite trees go through long unpredictable seasons with rain as only an afterthought, surviving extended periods of drought and then a deluge with storm waters saturating its soil. The Mesquite tree survives this all, without much of a reaction.
In the wood technology lingo this translated into a very low co-efficient of volumetric shrinkage.
What does that mean to you? Well, given that almost every location around the world experiences shifts in seasonal humidity that typically causes wood to react by expanding and contracting, mesquite is quite unusual. It barely moves at all. This makes mesquite lumber flooring ideal. The cracks that appear in the winter months of a red oak or maple floor are much less likely in mesquite flooring.
This feature is also appreciated by the wood dryers. With low volumetric shrinkage, the wood is much less likely to crack in the drying process. The mesquite flooring manufacturer will dry mesquite lumber down to somewhere between 6 and 12% moisture content, mostly dependant on the geography of where it is going; drier to drier climates, wetter for the California coast. With little tendency to crack most of what goes into the kilns comes out as usable lumber.
This stability also allows the creative use of mesquite lumber. Flooring is sometimes designed using the small cross grain slices of the tree to create an end cut block floor. Just as if someone had started at the top of the tree trunk and cut small ½” slices all the way down.. The visible surface of each block shows the annual rings of the mesquite tree.
Sometimes they leave them in the round and fill the corners with a tough grout and other times the end slices get squared off and laid like parquet tiles. Either way you end up with a unique rustic floor that has no equivalent either in design or figure, in the traditional hardwood flooring market.
Check out the other features of . Does it survive the abuse of a dog? How about the kids, or maybe your commercial establishment with daily outside traffic? Learn lots, pick well!
Karen Lacasse draws on 25+ years of woodworking experience, both as a woodworking teacher and industrial woodworker/owner of Lacasse Fine Wood Products. She is the author behind woodsthebest.com where you will find articles and resources to help with all your home renovation projects. She designs woodworking craft patterns and shares her wood crafting knowledge at theWoodBox.com
How To Install Laminate Flooring no comments
When you decide to install laminate flooring, you have the look of a hardwood floor, without the worry and the maintenance. You can easily install your own laminate flooring if you take a little time to do some research.
The first thing you need to realize is all laminate flooring manufacturers have their own procedures for installation. It is recommended that you read and follow the installation procedures for the specific laminate flooring you buy. It may seem like they are all the same, but there are small differences in certain aspects of installation like gluing. If you don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions that were supplied with your purchase, any mistakes you make may void the product’s warranty. Though each manufacturer may have different procedures there are a few things they all have in common.
The first thing you will need is a level sub floor to lay the planks over. The floor should be stable and flat with no gaps greater than 3 inches. You must ground off the high spots and fill in the low spots to make the floor flat. You have to take into account a ¼ inch gap along the whole edge of the installation. If the floor is too close to a wall or touching it, the flooring will most likely fail.
A laminate floor must be allowed to adjust to the final surrounding. This will take two or three days. You cannot bring home a floor and install it. You need to allow the laminate flooring to acclimate to the new environmental conditions before you begin the installation process.
When you begin, do not use any material that seems to have been damaged. If you do, your warranty may not apply. Be sure you inspect the large format laminate flooring for any flaws or defects.
If you need to fit the laminate flooring around any pipes, you need to measure, and drill the holes at least ½” larger than the span of the pipe. This will allow for any movement. Cut at a 45 degree angle to the holes in the tile.
You should always protect your laminate flooring by using felt protectors for chairs and any other heavy furniture you may have that may scar the flooring. If you need to move furniture, be sure you lift and move it before you set it back down on the floor.
If you install your own laminate flooring, you will save a ton of money. It doesn’t have to be a difficult process if you familiarize yourself with the instructions and have all the tools you will need on hand. You can find out any additional information on the web or you can ask a friend for their help. You will be proud to stand back and see the beauty of your handiwork.
For more information about How to Install Laminate Flooring?
Feel free to visit us at: http://www.aboutflooring.net/Laminate-Flooring.html
Glueless Bamboo Flooring – Easy Installation With No Messing Around no comments
The terms “glueless bamboo flooring” and “click-lock bamboo flooring” are often used synonymously. This particular type of bamboo floor installs on top of the existing floor and does not need gluing down in order to secure it in place. Although it just clicks and then locks into place, you do not need to worry about it moving on its own or actually coming apart, because the design of the system ensures that everything is tight and snug once it is clicked in place.
The boards are manufactured to high precision such that once they click together, they align automatically. Because of this simple system, not only do you avoid having to buy and mess around with adhesives, you will also need only a few simple tools to get you going. These can include a hammer, a carbide-tooth saw, spacers and a pull bar. Not only that, you don’t need a high level of carpentry skills to be able to do the job correctly.
Also because it is designed to simply “float” over existing flooring, there is less time, effort and money required to prepare the sub floor before installation can commence.
So although it is slightly more expensive to purchase per square foot, this is more than offset by the savings in labor cost as well as the cost of extra material such as glue or nails. Just as important is the fact that you get your beautiful floor much more quickly than with the traditional floors, and you save yourself a lot of stress dealing with the clutter and the subsequent cleaning up usually associated with floor installation.
Buying this type of bamboo flooring is relatively easy. Many of your good quality flooring stores will have this kind of flooring in stock. Even if they do not have any on hand when you arrive to make your purchase, it usually wouldn’t take them long to get another supply delivered to their store.
You will also find that these stores often have a large assortment of styles and makes from which you can choose. It is important that you take your time and look at all the various types available before making your final decision.
As with the traditional method of installing bamboo flooring you will find that glueless bamboo flooring is just as resilient and tough-wearing. In fact both types of installation methods use the same manufacturing process to produce each board.
If you want to have the beauty of bamboo flooring within your own home and want to know that it is going to be installed in no time at all, you should seriously consider the glueless bamboo flooring option.
Ernest Jarquio is a dedicated family man hopelessly addicted to do-it-yourself projects. For more information, visit his website, where he discusses various subjects such as glueless bamboo flooring, how to buy bamboo flooring and bamboo flooring in Oregon. Read various articles on the different aspects of hardwood, bamboo, laminate, tile and vinyl flooring.