When refinishing any wood floor it is best if you
hire someone that is in the business to do it. I know
this because I have done them myself and found it to
be very stressful. Finding a rental center that has
both the rough sander and the finishing edge sander, then picking it up and returning it on time is bad enough without even mentioning using them without destroying the floors!

Now I’ll tell you, I am very fussy when it comes to the finished product so I take extra care not to make any “bumps” in the floor as the sander direction is changed from forward
to reverse. This occurs if you pause too long before
moving the sander in a new direction or you are
pulling up or pushing down too hard on the handle to
steer the sander. I still get the bumps so I’m never
really satisfied with the outcome when the job is
done.

Using the edger is yet another challenge! The thing
about the edger is it doesn’t get to the very edge of
the wall so you have to use a sharp chisel or putty
knife to finish. I tried taking the baseboard trim off
but you still have to finish by hand because the trim
will be sitting higher if you don’t remove the “edge”
that is the height of the floor before sanding. Also,
if you have baseboard heat, you will have to finish by
hand along them as well.

Okay, you’ve sanded the floors yourself because a: you
thought you could save money and b: you started but
realized that the job was too much for you, then
discovered that no contractor wanted to come and
complete your job! or c: your wife said you wold never
be able to do it! Now comes the part where you decide
what finish to apply on your “new” floors. Should you
stain them or just put a coat of clear finish on them?
This is a matter of personal preference but I like a
light or natural look to the floors because I think
this brings out the beauty in the wood. The hard part
about the finish coat is keeping the dust off as it
dries and also being able to sleep in the house with
all the fumes in the air as it dries!

Choosing the right contractor to do the job could
prove to be difficult but here are a few simple rules
to follow. Always ask to see a floor that they have
done or at least some references. Check to make sure
they have insurance in case something goes wrong and
how long have they been in business. Sometimes
checking with a local lumber yard or paint store will
yield a name of someone reliable or you can do what
most people do: Find a name from the classifieds or
on-line and make some calls and go with your “gut”
feeling! I would be hesitant if the ad said something
like “Jack of all trades” instead of “Floor
re-finishing” Good Luck!

With so many choices on offer, you might be overwhelmed by the simple task of buying a patio umbrella.

There are two questions you need to ask yourself before going out and buying your new outdoor patio umbrella.

What do I want to use the umbrella for? And where will I be using the umbrella?

These two questions are key factors for choosing the right umbrella to meet your needs.

If you want an umbrella to shade you on the deck while cooking the barbeque or shading you and your guests while you sit at the patio table sipping cocktails and nibbling on a cheese board, then a market umbrella or regular patio umbrella will be just your thing.

If you’re planning on taking the umbrella to the beach to sit under while you’re relaxing on the sand reading a book, then you’re going to need a beach umbrella – these have pointed umbrella poles which make sticking them in the sand easy. They look very similar to patio umbrellas, but can often be a lot brighter and more colourful.

If you want the umbrella to shade you while you’re floating in the pool or Jacuzzi then an offset or cantilever umbrella is what you’re looking for. These have a side post instead of a center pole which means they can shade an area off to the side.

All these different types of umbrellas vary in price. You can get cheap versions of beach umbrellas right through to designer ones. The same goes for the regular patio umbrella and the cantilever umbrella. The market and offset umbrellas are generally the more expensive kinds. So if you’re looking for something cheap, opt for a plain beach or patio umbrella.

A household’s kitchen is the central spot of a home. Think of all the functions it serves: storing food, dishes and cookware, a place to prepare family dinners, bake cookies, and roast the holiday turkey. It is a well utilized place where many memories are made. It’s a comfort zone.

The cabinets are important for various reasons. For one thing, they are a visual focal point. The type of materials that they are constructed from, their color, their design, whether contemporary, formal, or casual, all play a large part in determining what type of feel the kitchen’s atmosphere displays.

Another important aspect is their functionality. Is there plenty of space for storage? Are cooking tools readily accessible? Or are they overflowing, chipped and tired looking-becoming a bit hard to look at?

There are ways that you can improve or change all of the above without making the major investment of completely replacing them. If you are satisfied with the basic functionality of them, you can simply refinish them.

Strip the current stain or paint off and repaint or stain the surfaces with a whole new color. It is best, however, to remove the doors and hardware to undertake this process.

If you need more space, you can add extra shelving to your existing frames. Rolling shelves seem to add additional storage room, because being able to access the entire area opens up the back areas where items traditionally got lost in the shuffle. Drawers can also be added to add another dimension to the cabinet.

If you are unhappy with the style of your cabinet, you can replace the doors with another design or even those with glass pane fronts. The glass fronts are available in clear, colored, or frosted. Displaying some of your favorite dishware through glass gives a lovely, colorful and personal touch to your home.

Another touch that can add personality and design pizazz is to change the hardware. Make sure the hinges, hardware and pulls all match, as far as the material goes, or at least complement each other.

There is a huge and diverse array of cupboard pulls and knobs available. You can find the hardware made from brass, silver or gold metals, as well as metals painted a coordinating color.

Cupboard pulls and knobs can be simple or elaborate, made of traditional materials or those that are a bit out of the ordinary, such as rocks, shells, or shaped like flowers, trees and animals. There is even a new line of knobs that are made from colored glass. So, good luck with the rebuilding of your kitchen cupboards. You can completely transform them with a little elbow grease and imagination.

When you move in to your first place you tend to go to the hardware or paint store, pick up a couple of cans of paint and do the job yourself. It might take a few days after work every night, or maybe you’re using your holiday time to paint, but eventually it gets done. There comes a time, however, when you realize that it’s time to bring in the professionals.

The first time we hired painters, we were moving into our first house and had a two year old and three year old running around. We realized we were no longer in a position to do the job ourselves — or at least, were not able to paint the entire house within a reasonable time frame — say, before winter (it was June).

Since then we have hired many painters to paint many, many rooms in several houses. They have scraped 30 year old sea grass wallpaper off walls, they have (much to their dismay) painted over original gumwood trim and dark cedar ceilings, they have filled holes, repaired divots, sanded away bumps and finally, painted the walls and ceilings. Along the way I’ve developed a checklist of things to watch out for and to discuss with your prospective painters to make sure you’re talking about the same job and getting the quote for the work you intended.

Price Quotation: Make sure you look carefully at the written price quotation you’re given to find out what it includes.  Some painters will break down the quote into labour and materials. Make sure they’ve included:

• prepping the walls, including sanding, filling any divots, scrapes and picture holes if necessary, removing wallpaper and doing a quick skim coat if necessary,
• have included the number of coats of paint you expect (which is generally two, plus primer) in their price,
• brand and quality of paint they intend to use,
• approximate amount of time painting will take.

Tip: preparation is the most labour intensive part of the job and therefore the most expensive but will make your walls look like new.

Paint Quality: If you’re going to the expense of hiring a painter, don’t skimp on the paint quality. Use the highest quality paint you can afford. The difference between high and low quality paint is in the coverage, washability and durability. A high quality paint won’t fade over time and won’t wash off on a cloth when you’re cleaning the walls. By using good quality paint, your walls will last many years longer than with low quality paint.

Tip: Benjamin Moore, PPG Pittsburgh Paints, and CIL are all brand names and each carry different quality levels of paint within their brands.

Painter’s loyalty to paint stores: Painters often receive volume discounts at paint stores where they do a lot of business. The result is that they may be hesitant to use a brand of paint you want to use if their store doesn’t carry it. Instead they may suggest you do a colour match. Sometimes colour matches work, sometimes they don’t. For instance, clay-based paints, such as Farrow and Ball, are very difficult to match in non-clay based paints such as Benjamin Moore and PPG Pittsburgh Paints. In full light the colour may look the same, but when the light changes, the paint won’t look the way the original paint is supposed to. This is an instance where you might be better off supplying the paint yourself. In the event that you plan on supplying paint for your painter, tell him before he prices the job as it will affect his final quote.

A home’s electrical system is routinely inspected at the time of purchase, in fact, usually more than once. The seller usually has their home inspected prior to putting it on the market to avoid complications further along in the transaction, namely when the buyer is applying for a mortgage. Likewise, it’s also common for a buyer to hire their own inspector before placing a bid on the property.

These two inspections are in anticipation of a final inspection by the lender prior to granting the buyer a loan. No house can be mortgaged that does not meet state and local building codes. Furthermore, homeowner insurance hinges on compliance with federal, state and local codes, which include standards for electrical wiring. By the time a homeowner moves into a new residence, it has passed several inspections and measured up to safety standards. A new homeowner, having obtained a mortgage and purchased insurance for the dwelling, can rest assured their electrical wiring is ‘up to code,’ even in a 100-year-old home.

Electrical codes aside, the owner of an older home is wise to replace or upgrade an outdated electrical system that was installed more than twenty years ago. Modern technology, on one hand, has greatly increased the energy load on old electrical systems, while at the same time providing new features to enhance safety, improve efficiency and cut energy costs.  A professional electrician can test and evaluate the electrical system’s breaker panel, receptacles and switches and make necessary repairs and upgrades to enhance overall performance and prevent major, costly repairs in the future.

A common electrical upgrade involves installing ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) on receptacles and arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) on breakers. In new construction, GFCI receptacles are required by code where electricity and water are in close proximity, as in the bathroom, kitchen, garage, swimming pool area, crawl-space, unfinished basement, or on exterior outlets. The Electrical Safety Council estimates GFCIs have reduced electrocutions in the U.S. by 70 percent. AFCIs, installed near standard circuit breakers, can be retrofitted into existing electrical panels. These interrupters are the single greatest protection against electrical fires in walls. They are highly recommended for fire protection in homes with older wiring. The 2008 National Electric Code (NEC) requires AFCI breakers for circuits leading to bedroom, living room and family room.

Most state electrical codes require 100-amp electrical service but older homes were built when energy requirements were far less and 60 amps were sufficient. Owners of homes built more than 20 years ago should hire an electrician to help evaluate power demands required by contemporary appliances and electronic equipment. The electrician will use a meter to determine if the home’s usage is over 75 percent of the system’s amperage. If not, the present system is adequate; otherwise you might consider upgrading to a higher amp system. The age of an electrical system is not important, only the amount of power needed to service the household is a factor.  A 50-year-old, 60 amp electrical system is perfectly fine if energy consumption averages, for example,  around 60%.

One indication of a wiring problem is flickering lights for no reason at all. It’s normal for lights to occasionally flicker at the beginning of a heavy energy pull, or during the cycling of a clothing iron, but if this isn’t the reason, consult a licensed electrician. Other warning signs of major electrical problems are outlets or receptacles that have burn marks or are hot to the touch. These issues need to be addressed immediately and should not be ignored.

A wise homeowner recognizes that electrical work is serious business which should not be treated casually by the do-it-yourselfer trying to keep down repair costs. Electricity is dangerous. In the United States, there are hundreds of deaths every year among non-professionals who attempt electrical installation and repair. Electrical and fire safety officials warn that one misconnected wire can be deadly. The average homeowner without electrical training or experience is advised to hire a licensed professional to work on components of an electrical system.

RESOURCES:

National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 770-3000.

www.nfpa.org

“Fact Sheet on Home Electrical Fire Prevention,” U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), Federal Emergency Management Association, Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (301) 447-1000.

www.usfa.dhs.gov

There are many specialised companies that offer you installation services as well as designing services to help you with the location of the lights. If you want your building to be a landmark then getting it lit up with some LED lights and fiber optics will immediately put it on the map of the city.

Some Applications of Specialised Lightings

Corporate Buildings
Corporate buildings are the basis of many offices and business houses and can create a favourable impression if the building is impressive and classy looking. There are many ways to achieve this look. You can make sure that the landscape is very well maintained and so is the façade of the building. Another thing that really helps is the lighting of the building. You can achieve a striking look by using LED lights and fiber optics. You can highlight the name of the building with lights and also the names of all the business houses in the building.

Shops & Stores
A well-lit shop will always be noticed by the passing crowd, which makes up many of its potential clients. Shops can be very creative and have a very interesting signage placed outside attracting the customers. Another advantage of installing the lighting for the shop or store is that it becomes an easy landmark for people to remember or spot your shop.

Water Features
Water Features like fountains and pools look even more stunning if they are well lit for the night. A well-lit fountain can even be a great focal piece for a building or office space. Some other water features you can light up with specialised lighting are:
-Swimming Pools
-Portable Spa
-Fountains
-Pools
-Jacuzzis
-Waterfall Features

Energy Efficient lamps
Energy efficient lamps are nowadays very important as the average spending of a house hold on energy products like lamps, heating and cooling is only increasing day by day which is also having an adverse effect on the environment. Specialised lights for energy saving can not only save you some money but will also help in reducing the green house gas effect.

Indoor Features
You can use specialised lighting indoor as well to light up special features in the house. You can use it in places like :
-Bar
-Highlight Paintings & Statues
-Dance floors
-Steps and Staircases
-Bathroom Lights

Outdoor Features
You can use specialised lighting for the following outside features:
-Path Lights
-Steps Lights
-Highlighting a particular feature
-As a flexible floodlight
-Garden Lights

I wish to share with you that drowning can be decreased by strict supervision around the water, the wearing of Coast Guard Approved Life-jackets, professionally taught swim lessons, and the use of a swimming pool alarm that announces unauthorized entry into the swimming pool. A swimming pool alarm sounds the alarm that water displacement of an object over 15 pounds has entered the water, that your attention is immediately required at pool side.

Stages of Drowning:
First Impression– is that many people have a false impression of what a drowning in action looks like. The truth is that when a person is in the act of drowning, they are not screaming for help nor are they waving their arms wildly. Rather, the head is tilted back with the face looking upwards. The body positioning is nearly vertical in the water and there is little to no leg action. There is rarely any sound emitted from a person who is truly in the first stage of drowning.

Breath Holding–Many of us have experienced what it feels like when you take a drink of a beverage and it goes down the “so-called” wrong tube. What happens is the epiglottis closes over the airway to prevent the liquid from entering the airway to the lungs. It is an involuntary breath holding action that may allow some movement, but the person cannot breathe.

Unconsciousness–When the body is deprived of oxygen, a state of unconsciousness takes effect. Movement ceases, breathing stops, and respiratory arrest takes hold. The victim sinks to the bottom of the water. The rate of decent depends on such factors as the amount of air trapped in the lungs, the body weight and muscle mass of the victim. Remained unconscious caused death unless breathing is reestablished.

Hypoxic Convulsion–The bluing of the skin is caused by the lack of oxygen in the blood stream. Fingernails and the lips appear blue, and the victim’s body becomes stiff, cold and ridged. Convulsive -like symptoms can appear, giving the name of Hypoxic Convulsion.

Clinical Death– The victim is declared clinically dead when both breathing and circulation stop. Cardiac arrest is the result.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) includes both chest compressions and rescue breathing. CPR needs to be accompanied with the use of an, Automated External Defibrillator. An (AED) should only be used in case of cardio-respiratory arrest on adults and children over eight years old.

More than 900 children between 1 and 14 die each year in drowning accidents. In the state of California, drowning is the number one cause of accident death for children 1-4 years of age.

Prevent Unauthorized Swimming Pool Use: The Pool Protector Alarm electronically monitors and senses water displacement if an object over 15 pounds that enters the pool. A loud pulsating alarm is triggered when the electronic sensor inside the Pool Protector is activated. Installation is very easy. The unit sits on the pool deck ready to detect water motion. Unless the pool alarm is put into Sleep Mode, it is always activated.

I was a certified Water Safety Instructor, CPR Instructor and Lifeguard Instructor for thirty years. I have made many assists and water entry swim rescues over the years.

The non-use of Coast Guard Approved Life-jackets and inadequately protected backyard pools, costs us all precious lives every year. Many accidents and loss of life water accidents can be prevented with these two pieces of equipment; the wearing of life-jackets (not sitting on them) and swimming pool alarms.

Conclusion: People purchase alarms for their cars to protect them from being stolen. Aren’t the lives of our children and pets far more meaningful and precious to us than our cars? Purchase a pool alarm for your home pools and prioritize what is most important in your life.

There’s no reason to be satisfied with a bland, gray concrete pool deck anymore. Why settle for the boring style of twenty years ago, when you can have a deck that is stylish and attractive? The answer lies in being able to stain and stamp your pool deck – it’s much less expensive than having a new deck installed, and the results are amazing!

If you took a walk around your neighborhood and checked out each pool that has a concrete pool deck, chances are most of them would be the standard poured concrete without any decoration or style added. You might find a coat of paint on a few, but that would probably be the extent of it. The reason for this is that most people just are not aware that there are options available to make the concrete more beautiful.

Concrete definitely has several advantages, which is why there are so many concrete pool decks:

· Safe – The texture of a concrete pool deck provides good traction to bare feet. Clearly, safety is a priority issue around pools.

· Easy to clean – If something gets spilled on concrete, no problem – a quick spray of the hose and you’re done.

· Durable – A concrete pool deck doesn’t rot like a wood deck will over time.

But even with all these advantage, concrete can still be improved. Imagine your pool deck still having the benefits of concrete as mentioned above, but looking exactly like antique stone. Or your deck could appear as the dark orange bricks or pavers. You could even make your concrete pool deck have the appearance of a hardwood floor. Yet with any of these looks you still have the safety and durability of concrete.

You can achieve this by staining and stamping your deck. Manufacturers such as Renew-Crete Systems and Cool Deck make tools and materials available for this type of work.

Staining is what gives the pool deck an amazing color. Instead of gray concrete, you can be enjoying any one of a host of colors. Earth tones are common, but in reality it is your pool deck so the final decision is yours. There are two components to staining:

1. Before the new overlay of concrete is poured, you will mix in an integral color based on your preference. So the concrete that is being applied already has the basic color in it.

2. Then, after the concrete has been poured but before it dries, an additional coloring agent is applied in powder form. This adds more color to the new layer of concrete.

Stamping is what brings about the amazing appearance of all those different textures mentioned above. There are different concrete stamps to use for each situation, depending on what you want your concrete deck to look like. With the concrete still wet, and right after applying the powder coloring agent, the stamp of choice is applied many times all over the surface.

Once the new application of concrete has dried (usually the next day), you should pressure wash the surface. This gets rid of any excess coloring agent. Add a couple of coats of high-quality sealant to protect your new deck, and your work is done. Now is the time to plan your next pool party – and be prepared for the compliments from your guests!

Under cabinet lighting is a great way to brighten up any kitchen. A set of recessed lighting can liven up and show off your countertops. It used to be a major undertaking to try and install under cabinet lighting but luckily there are kits available now that make it a snap. There are a few ways to do the job so read on for a few under cabinet lighting how too tips.

When choosing under cabinet lighting you have a few options available. You can go with either a small direct spot light or full length recessed fluorescent tubes. Both offer an attractive look to accent the kitchen. It just boils down to personal choice.

For the sake of simplicity let’s look at installing a set of lights that doesn’t need to be hardwired back to your main circuit panel.

The first step is to head down to the hardware store and pick out an under cabinet lighting kit.
Once you’ve picked out the right light for your kitchen, installation is a breeze.

Measure the entire length of your cabinets. This will determine how many lights you need. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 spot light every 18 inches.

Start the first light far enough from the end of the cabinets to allow for equal spacing of all the lights.

Use a few small finish nails to tack the lights to the bottom of the cabinets. Make sure the nail is short enough that it won’t protrude completely through the bottom of the cabinet.

Continue tacking lights up until you reach the end of the string.

Place an inline splice into the under cabinet lighting wiring as close as possible to an electrical outlet. The cabinet lighting kit should have this included in it.

Now splice the power switch to the lighting into this wire. Cut off any excess line and connect up an electrical plug to the end of the wire.

Next use a staple gun to staple up the wiring. Be careful to center the wire in the staple to avoid cutting into the wire. If the wire is too long to lay flush in a straight line between the lights you can snake it along the underside of the cabinet. Since the wires and lights are hidden it doesn’t matter how the wiring is run, you can’t see it.

The final step is to finish work on the lights. Working down the light string, pop bulbs into the sockets making sure they’re tight. After all the lights are installed simply snap on the decorative covers and that’s it, you’re done!

Plug in the lights and flick the switch. Stick your head under the counter to make sure that all the lights come on.

These few under cabinet lighting how too tricks can help simplify the installation of a new kitchen lighting system. There are plenty of options available, all you need to do is spend a little time looking for just the right one that works for your kitchen.