Now I will be the first to admit that choosing table lamps is no easy task to begin with and this is especially so when trying to add some romantic atmosphere. To simplify the process, you want to narrow your list of choices by first eliminating all lamps that are impractical for the space. To this end, eliminate any table lamps that do not have the same finish as your ceiling fixture. If your bedroom does not have a ceiling fixture than you may want to find one of those while shopping for table lampsbut that is another story altogether!
Once you have narrowed down your possible table lamp choices by eliminating any fixtures with the wrong finish, the next step is to concentrate upon the size of the lamp. Because so many of us like to read in bed, it is important to find lamps that will be tall enough to cast light downward towards the book or magazine we might be reading. Lamps that are too short will cast shadows so you want to find fixtures that are at least 3 inches or more above where your eyes would normally be when reading (a lamp that is parallel to your eyes will cause glare and those that are too short will cast shadows).
Now that you have found lamps that are both functional and coordinate with your other fixtures, it is time to select the perfect fixture for setting a romantic mood. To this end, the shade is positively vital. The idea is to gently diffuse the light coming from the lamp without going too far and leaving the room in shadows. Therefore, try to stay away from white shades as they tend to allow too much light through and may very well blind your lover at some critical moment! By the same token, do not “go Goth” and bring back a fixture with some black lamp shade which may very well depress both of you into some deep coma from which you may never awake!
You want a table lamp that is colorful and will diffuse light so that the surroundings are basked in a warm and soothing glow. Tiffany table lamps, with their colorful and ornate shades, are really perfect choices for creating a romantic atmosphere in the bedroom. Not only will they tend to add sparks to your love life, the right Tiffany table lamp will also add the perfect decorative element to the space and even create a more romantic setting even when the lamp is not in use!
Pamela Tice is the owner of numerous lighting and home decor websites including http://www.simplytablelamps.com . Her store offers a complete selection of unique Table Lamps and faboulous Contemporary Lighting ranging in styles such a Mission, Contemporary, Traditional and Tiffany lamps.
[tags]table lamps,quoizel lighting, desk lamps,designer lighting,buffet lamps,contemporary lighting[/tags]
]]>Gardens are always a big issue with home owners, just before fall hits a lot of people who enjoyed the summer in their garden start to think about what changes they can make so that it will be nice to spend time in the garden in the next few months too, it usually means that you will need to move some of the plants and position any sitting chairs and table you have closer to the house, it also means that you will want to create as much open space in your garden as you possibly can, so it will be easy for you to dispose of the all the gifts fall brings with it.
It is not tool late to check your roof and see if you should make any improvements before the rain start pouring down on the house, in many areas home owners do a routine check to the roof to make sure they know what is the situation up there before the winter starts, this sometimes calls for a professional help so you may want to think about costs before doing that.
The kitchen is one place you will want to make some home improvement changes, during the winter months the kitchen becomes the heart of the house and there is no doubt that making necessary changes in the kitchen will make life nicer and easier, from the kitchen cabinets to the countertops, a kitchen can be upgraded easily with some thought and creativeness. Another thing you can do is paint your walls, a minor home improvement trick that makes your house look new and clean, it does not take a lot of time to do and the outcome is almost always enjoyable.
The last thing you would want to do before winter starts is examine your window shutters, if you have wood shutter you can simply purchase some paint and apply a new color to them, changing the outside of your house a little and adding a protective layer of paint on the shutter against rain. When checking your shutters you can also make sure that they are well placed and are in good condition, changing shutters is not a big deal and is not very pricy either so it is better to find out that you need to replace a broken shutter before you have an emergency on your hands.
With a few minor check and some home improvement tasks your house will be ready for winter, the nice thing is that once you finish with all these home improvement tasks you will have time to start organizing your home from the inside, but that is a very distinctive winter home improvement task.
Daniel Roshard is an interior designer fascinated by outdoor architecture, he is currently studying public parks and outdoor design. Daniel is writing articles about home improvement and landscaping issues. You can read his latest work about Home Improvement
[tags]home improvement, house improvement, improve home, improve house[/tags]
]]>Using...]]>
Using a quartz based material like Silestone countertops does provides a number of benefits. Silestone countertops are composed of a natural quartz material combined with resins and pigments. Silestone is 93% natural quartz and 7% resins. There are a number of colors to choose from so it is no problem to find one that goes well with your selected cabinets.
Stain-resistance - Since the surface is non-porous it is highly resistant to stains from your daily household products (coffee, wine, cooking oil, make-up…) and unlike granite, no sealing is necessary to preserve the shine on its surface.
Scratch-resistance - Since only three other minerals are harder than quartz (diamone, sapphire, and topaz) the surface is very scratch resistant. Excessive force or pressure could still cause a scratch but the slip of a knife is unlikely to leave a mark as it would on other surfaces.
Strength - Silestone countertops have about 4 times the flexural strength of natural granite. This added strength makes it less likely for damage to occur in transportation, installation, or in everyday use.
As an alternative to a natural granite countertop Silestone is worth considering
Ray Breitenbach writes for Simple Home Repairs. Please visit for more information on how to perform you own basic home repairs.
[tags]quartz countertop,silestone countertop, kitchen,home improvement,granite,countertop[/tags]
]]>Technology is what makes working at home a possibility, but as the list of must-have equipment grows, so does the pressure on living space.
If you have a study, the problem is solved, but if you have to adapt space elsewhere, consider all the implications. Before you opt for the obvious–a spare bedroom, say–try to visualize yourself. Will it be a welcome retreat or will you feel shut off? If so, is there a more central place where you could work– perhaps a conservatory or a dining room? Or would you prefer to sit with a laptop and cordless phone wherever the mood takes you, keeping the printer in a cupboard or under the stairs?
It’s difficult to think of any business that does not need a computer, for accounts and data if nothing else. Unless you opt for a laptop, which is not ideal for full-time use, you will need a monitor, hard disk, keyboard, printer and possibly a scanner for sending images electronically. There is an ever-increasing range of clever workstations designed specifically for home use, which can store all the components of your computer. Try one out before you buy it, to make sure there really is enough room to use the keyboard and that the computer is at a comfortable height.
Home Office Furniture provides detailed information on Home Office Furniture, Discount Home Office Furniture, Contemporary Home Office Furniture, Home Office Desk Furniture and more. Home Office Furniture is affiliated with Wood Office Furniture.
[tags]Home Office Furniture, Discount Home Office Furniture, Contemporary Home Office Furniture, Home Offi[/tags]
]]>When referring to Crown Mouldings, or Cornices as they would, the British and their many have always used the “ou” in the spelling while the “Correct” American spelling remains without the “u” Having said this, American companies seem divided on this point.
Many American corporations that manufacture or sell mouldings have kept the “Old Word” spelling in their company name and branding, perhaps out of conscience for the historical significance of these decorative building material products.
You may have noticed that many web sites use both spellings throughout their various pages. This is done because different versions are often used when customers are searching for products to buy online. If you were to analyze search engine results, you would find the traditionally southern states search more under “Molding” while others are apt to use “Moulding”, the spelling of which would also be used to describe the blue stuff at the back of the fridge, refrigerator, or icebox if you prefer.
Whatever your spelling preference, you are bound to end up with a large selection of companies and products to choose from. This way, it matters not, the way that you spell the word, just as long as you keep in mind, that it is better to hang it on the wall than to find it at the back of your fridge.
. . . . . After all, you never know when someone might be dropping by for tea.
About the author:
Rick Hemsworth is the owner of Profile Mouldings; a manufacturing plant with offices in British Columbia and Washington State. For more information on crown moldings, visit us at: http://www.crown-molding.com
[tags]crown,moulding,molding,decorate,home,history,spelling,tea[/tags]
]]>This report assumes that you have already or will soon acquire the proper house. The one ...]]>
This report assumes that you have already or will soon acquire the proper house. The one that is in essence, ripe for rehab. Be selective and sure of the house’s potential to allow for a profit after all the hard work is done. I will help you find your house or houses.
In the proverbial nutshell, it helps if you choose a house from the start that has a sound plumbing, heating and electrical system.
Plumbing
Heating
Electrical
These are things that are expensive to correct in relation to the value they return to you upon resale. Most often, people cannot see the inner workings of these systems and they take them for granted.
Very few buyers are going to give you an extra $15,000-$20,000 in your asking price because you have replaced things that they can’t see and already take for granted as just a basic component that is buried in the structure. Also, they assume these components to be warranted against defects by you.
After all, it is mandatory in most, if not all states that you fill out a disclosure form that tells the buyer of every defect that exists or ever has to your knowledge. So inspect the systems of your investment alternatives carefully, as they can be expensive to repair and replace, with minimum dollar return value being realized at the sale.
Along these same lines, you should also pay close attention to the following cash vacuums:
Roof
Foundation
Structural Integrity
Here are a few ways to quickly gage a home from its appearance:
Stand across the street from it. Now look at the bones of the structure. Does it look like a sway-backed horse, with the roof sagging in the middle? Does it have flat areas in its design that don’t allow water to be drained away quickly?
Water, dampness and rot are the equivalent of cancer to the human body when it concerns a structure. Shingles can be replaced. That won’t necessarily stop me from buying. Usually I will use that old roof as a bargaining chip in negotiating the seller down to a lower price. However, if I crawl into the attic and see that the plywood has become rotted and truss members are also affected, it’s time to move on to my next potential deal. Life is too short and I will never rehab it in 10 days if I have to rip the roof off and rebuild it too.
Some other conditions, such as sagging eves, wavy roof surface, rotten fascia and trim pieces, and insect infestations can be deal killers too, if severe.
Solution: Get into the structural members with a long, sharp, sturdy, standard flat-tip screwdriver and attempt to penetrate structural components that are made of wood. You won’t hurt anything if there are no underlying deficiencies. However, if someone has freshly painted over or patched it, that screwdriver is one heck of a lie detector! Use it.
Now, I’m not saying people would do that. It may just be the termites have eaten everything but the exterior coating of the wood to conceal their activity whatever the case probe.
There are also tile roofs, metal roofs, cedar shake roofs, hot-rolled roofing, tar and gravel roofs and always a few new high-tech roof coatings. I feel my main concern is whether the decking or the roof support structure has been undermined by water, insects, rodents, poor materials, poor design or craftsmanship, a lack of fasteners, strapping, etc.
Shingles and coatings can be replaced. Just know what is underneath. That’s my criteria. Negotiate lower for needed replacement of roof coverings if you can. I dwell on roofs because it protects everything else!
Next on the list of deal killers is the foundation. The same thing applies to the foundation. I will start by standing back from it and looking at it from a distance. Does this place look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or are the seams coming apart? Do the windows and doors look square? Are porches, stairs and additions on firm ground as well?
Block homes can tell you very quickly if they are stressed out just by the appearance of the mortar joints. Those giant unsettling cracks can and do tell a story. This does happen and mortar cracks maybe 10-years old. You need to investigate further.
Once again, water is a sign of trouble with foundations because it leads to erosion, rot, mold and mildew. It washes out foundation materials and slabs will crack. It rots sill plates and your walls are no longer firmly attached to a base.
If you have a crawl space, it’s time to get your coveralls on and get in there. Now, let’s use our heads here and I mean this! Before you enter a dark, supposedly uninhabited, infrequently entered, dark and restrictive to movement area, assess the situation. Ask someone who has knowledge of the dwelling if there has been any animal activity that they know of. You may also encounter bees, wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, slugs, mosquitoes, rats, mice and a host of other inhabitants. Beware and be prepared. It’s truly another world in some cases.
If you don’t want to do it, hire a professional and I do mean a pro, not some Joe who says he is one. For goodness sake, use a licensed professional home inspector to protect yourself in all areas if you’re just not sure!
OK, you’re a trooper and you’re going in. Good for you, Rambo! You’ll make it in this business because it takes faith, guts and determination. By getting into this type of situation, you’ll learn a lot more about every part of the homes you inspect.
You should have a strong flashlight, your trusty screwdriver, maybe some insect repellent and a safety observer standing at the access entry to give you piece of mind. Now you can go to the perimeter walls and inspect where the walls meet the foundation. Look for rot, misalignment, cracks, separations, water damage or any other condition that doesn’t appear normal.
While you’re down there, look at the other foundational supports, you will see pier blocks and posts, other concrete support pillars and walls, beams, joists and cross bracing, and the underside of sub-flooring. Check this stuff’s condition. Does it look original? Is it structurally sound? Or are there some discrepancies that need further investigation? Take a good look and smell!
Don’t leave yet. You also will want to look at all that plumbing and electrical that is there as well. Scan the perimeter. Do you see any sunlight coming in from where it shouldn’t be? That might be a hole that needs repair. This is common sense land, not computer a chip lab. You can inspect for general condition. Simply follow everything to its logical end, looking mainly at the condition of the different components.
OK, you’ve made mental and physical notes. Now dust yourself off and go inside the house if everything has checked out so far.
So the roof and foundation have passed your keen eye. Let’s look at the rest of the house with respect to its structural integrity. More than half of your structural integrity check at this point is already complete as the roof and foundation are two of the most important components and those have been done. Now you are left with the interior spaces of the structure.
Here’s what I do once inside. I stand at the front door with a checklist in hand (www.inspectamerica.com) and I begin to scan the walls, ceiling and floors. I’m looking for water stains on all three surfaces, as well as patches that were used to repair or conceal damage. I go through every room and look for signs of damage or concealment.
Any flat floor is a good candidate for my scientific marble test. I’ll drop my marble; if it rolls to a corner, that floor ain’t level, Buckwheat. That’s a simple test but I do want to know that the under-layer or sub-flooring is sound and firmly attached to all those joists, and beams and trimmers and blah, blah, blah.
Soft spongy floors are of concern, creaky floors are annoying and rotten floors are another story. So once again, I’m looking at the structural support of the floors. I don’t care that the cheap, yellowed vinyl is coming up at the seams. I don’t care that the carpet is matted down or thread bare, and I don’t mind if the finish is worn off of hardwood floors or tiles are loose.
Floor coverings fall under the label of cosmetics. That’s such a pretty word and that’s what you want to concentrate on: cosmetics…more on that in a moment.
So the floors pass my test for sub-flooring and structural integrity is great. Now I can check that the walls are square because they are attached to that floor, and then I can check that the doors all operate properly and are square too.
How much more can there be than that, Dan? Well, let me tell you a few things that can bite you here. Let’s say the structure overall is good. By that, I mean you have a solid roof, a solid foundation and sturdy floors and walls.
What is behind those walls? The things that bite you aren’t usually seen until you get bit. One particular painful bite is finding out your wiring is not grounded or that the circuits are not properly protected. You’re looking for three-pronged outlets and modern plastic-encased wiring made of copper, not aluminum. You want circuit breakers, not fuses. What you really need here is a licensed electrician to do this more in-depth and professionally licensed review of the system.
I have seen more than one Joe Homeowner rehab go up in flames because of a lack of respect for electricity. Licensed electricians bring you up to code and protect your investment. Find a good one and make it a point to shower him or her with praise, attention and money well spent.
They will give you free estimates, so use them as a preliminary inspector with you. If you decide to buy it, use them to do the work that needs to be done.
Plumbers are a breed apart. You would think they use gold for soldering your pipes with the prices they charge. My grandfather was a plumber and I was on the truck with him at nine years old. A plumber may or may not give you a free estimate. With a little digging, it can be done. Just give them the work if indeed you do buy the house.
With plumbers, the only time you’re going to need one is if you are doing major system work or the once every ten year hot water heater job. Also the occasional clogged main sewer line to the street.
In today’s P.V.C. plastic plumbing kits world, you can hire just about any good all-around handyman to get the job done. If you have to tear through a wall to get at plumbing, building code inspector-man will say, “Get a licensed plumber.”
Heating and cooling: the air conditioning system, if the house you’re inspecting doesn’t have adequate heating and cooling, that can become expensive. Let’s say you have a flat roof home in a hot climate with window unit air-conditioners, and you intend on bringing this house up to what a modern day home dweller expects.
You may have a problem. Where would you put new ductwork if you don’t have attic space to house and route central heat and air? Once again, call in a pro if you need some advice. They do give free estimates!
Here’s a point for you to follow up on: the plumbing, heating and air-conditioning guys all drive service trucks. Be on the lookout for those trucks if they are your neighbors; go say “Hello” and introduce yourself.
Regardless, I have always done this and what I am saying is this: these guys most always work on the side and that means half price. You may have to pull a permit as a homeowner but the savings is substantial. Develop a network of these blue-collar geniuses. They are the guys who will transform your investment fast!
So now you have a solid house. By that I mean, plumbing, electrical, heating and air-conditioning, roof, foundation and overall good structural integrity.
So what’s left to do? Call in your army of carpenter ants, from painters to carpenters and flooring installers, yard maintenance and tree trimmers, and handymen of all sorts.
This is the whirlwind tour. Let the demolition guy in first. Order a dumpster for the next ten days. Order demolition man to throw out everything including the kitchen sink. What I am out to do at this point is to clear the decks.
A blank canvass is created for the painters to perform the transformation. They come in at this point and patch and paint. Let them blast the place with their airless paint-spraying arsenal inside and out. Give them 3 days and you have just added a huge improvement to your investment. This is the biggest dollar-for-dollar return you can make.
One cautionary note here: Make absolutely sure that quality paint is used. When it comes to painting, it’s the labor that kills you, not the material. I insist on Sherwin Williams Super Paint. It is a miracle formula that I am convinced could cover up bullet holes without any patching compound and it lasts forever. It’s worth every penny; insist on it!
So my idea of finding the ideal fixer upper is to find those where the structure and systems are fine but it still needs demolition man and the paint brigade. Everything up to this point has been inspection and appraisal of the situation. Once I’m satisfied that it is a cosmetic rehab and not the expensive money pit, I send in my cosmetologists.
I wouldn’t call these guys that to their face but these are normally men adding residential make-up to the bricks and mortar. Once the painters leave, the flooring guys are right behind them, laying tile and carpet. These guys are out in 2-3 days and my cabinet and handyman plumber are attacking.
Light fixtures, vanities, toilets, sinks, doors, switch plates and outlet coverswham, ten days are up and this house is either held out for rent, lease-optioned or sold for a whole heck of a lot more than the ten grand I put into it, if that much.
You must be somewhat of an appraiser and deal finder. It takes time to recruit your cosmetologists, but you will run across them in your travels. Friends and family usually can provide you with some serious leads. Start networking and talking to tradesmen. Get their numbers and schedule them to descend upon your ugly duckling at certain times and watch the transformation begin.
It took me years to learn these tricks. I did it all myself for years and it always took three months when I did it myself. The sad part is that I thought I was saving money that way.
Can you see how much I actually lost? Here is a quick example. I bought a house for $55,000. Its deficiencies were purely cosmetic. I used other people to do all the work and I pitched in to keep them organized. Ten days later, it was done. I spent a total of $5,000 on materials and labor and it appraised at $90,000 in 10 days!
That’s $30,000 in 10 days, not 3 months. Now marketing time would take 45 days but I know how to do that too, and I will also show you how you can do it too.
There is no doubt about it. This can be done and you can do it. In all honesty, it may take you 30 days to achieve a completed house. That’s may be 3 times what it took me but I am experienced.
Here’s a pretty neat way I figured out how to find good cosmetologists (tradesmen). If I know relatively no one in the area, I will ask a local appraiser to suggest who he would use if he were me.
This is an intelligent way to ask that question. I ask it in this form: “If you were me, who would you use?” Now that triggers a self-preservation mechanism in their brain and they give me excellent people, who are very good at what they do! Try it; it works.
I went to appraisal school and learned a lot. Believe me, appraisers are underrated and treated poorly. They truly are experts at discerning quality and value. They know whom does quality work. Make friends with a competent appraiser and the lenders that accept their appraisals. Hint: You’ll get very fair evaluations and their lender approves them.
Marketing, hunting, finding and capturing the “ripe for rehab houses” is another book entirely. However, don’t lose faith because I have written that book for you as well. Here is an excerpt from my other book. It is called Magic Bullets In Real Estate.
There are 4 phases, or lifecycles, to real estate and here is how it often goes.
Phase 1 You will see new construction, bright shiny homes popping up,
landscaping contests, baby strollers and tricycles in the neighborhood.
This is probably going on in the suburbs of the city, as new growth tends
to radiate out at a pace of one mile per year from growing and
prosperous cities.
Phase 2 The same neighborhood now 10-15 years later has aged a bit and
now you see basketball hoops and 2-wheel bikes, as the kids are older
and want more mobility.
Phase 3 The kids are grown and gone with families of their own and now the
parents are riding their own 3-wheel bicycles, trikes to the hip grannies.
Here in Phase 3, you’re looking at 25-35 year old homes, where some
people are passing away. Others are just hanging in and some are
moving in with the kids or going to an A.L.F. (Assisted Living Facility).
No doubt, you have outdated homes, deferred maintenance and some
repairs to be made. Here is the beauty of this whole thing. These are my
cosmetology candidates. Here’s why! The formally elder owners lived
there and they needed everything to work. They didn’t update it. They
just fixed things that needed repair in order to maintain a level of
comfort. They had pest control and the Sears man come annually and
piddled around. So things were kind of looked after in that manner. Buy
here!
Phase 4 Revitalization - That’s what happens as a result of you buying your ripe-
for-rehab fixer-upper in Phase 3 neighborhoods. Odds are, you will rent
it out, lease-option it or sell it to a young family when it does sell, and
guess what? Yep, out come the tricycles and baby strollers and it starts
all over again.
Tricycles
Bicycles
3-wheel bikes (buy here!)
Revitalization
Determine what cycle different neighborhoods are in! Follow cycle #3.
Isn’t that a beautiful story; isn’t that the truth? Think about your own parents and your own childhood. Now I also want you to think about that brand new young family that is counting on you to treat them fairly and give them a trouble-free home when they buy or rent from you.
The harder and smarter you work, the better quality and value you can provide to others. Don’t rip them off. Don’t take advantage, don’t scrimp and for Pete’s sake, do your best to do your level best. You need education and help from others to achieve these heights of excellence.
Dan Auito is a dual-licensed real estate agent and appraisal assistant. In addition to being a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Dan has also founded a non-profit drug prevention corporation, a real estate consulting group and is the author of “Magic Bullets in Real Estate.” This 300-page power-packed book (due out in Sept 2004) comes with a website (on line in Sept 2004) that further supports its readers.
Please visit with the family at http://www.magicbullets.com we look forward to seeing you!
[tags]Real Estate, FSBO, Rehabilitation/ remodel, decorating, improvement[/tags]
]]>Prioritize your house cleaning list for the tasks of...]]>
Prioritize your house cleaning list for the tasks of the day with a description besides each item with an estimated time to complete. So for example your first item could be “Clean Windows”, start at 9am and expected time 2 hours.
As your list develops it will help you set up priorities, with the most important house cleaning tasks first, in that way if you are unable to finish your daily house cleaning list it is likely the most important house cleaning task have been completed.
The list will also act as a guide clearly showing which house cleaning tasks have been completed and also act as an encouragement as you cross each house cleaning task off the list.
If you are lucky enough to have assistance when house cleaning their names should be written against each activity too. That way there is no confusion or any chance of doing the same house cleaning chore twice.
Maintaining a house cleaning list will enable your house cleaning exercise to carry on smoothly
if you are ever unable to carry it out as there is a clear plan to follow along with average times and a daily routine.
Compiling your house cleaning list is not at all difficult, begin with the date at the top and write down all the activities on the left hand side. Against the activities, you should note a starting time and the average time to complete.
Another benefit of compiling a household cleaning list is that you can also specify the cleaning products needed for each activity, this list them becomes a stock list and by referring to it on a regular basis you can ensure that supplies are always adequate. This will also aid others in completing the tasks as they will now know what tasks to do, when to do them and roughly how long each will take and in addition the products you normally use and where to find them.
The cleaning checklist would cover all the important areas of the home which includes the kitchen, bathroom, windows, furniture and the floors but would probably cover every room as well.
For each area it would be wise to break the list into sub sections so for the kitchen that would include the cabinets, floors, windows, shelves and and appliances and of course include the refrigerator. The bathroom cleaning list would contain the window, the shower rail, the sink and the faucet in addition to the floor.
When it comes to the windows, be mindful of the sills, the blinds and the curtains as each requires their own special care. Furniture deserves a lot of attention, include the polishing, upholstery and don’t forget the space under the sofa. and finally the floor checklist should include mopping, stain removing and carpet vacuum cleaning.
A household cleaning list is your first step towards a successful reconditioning of the home, prepare it in advance and you will find house cleaning becomes so much easier.
About The Author
John Buckle
http://cleaning.ourtop.info
[tags]house cleaning,household,kitchen,bathroom,windows,floor,cabinets,chore,cleaning products,shelves,cle[/tags]
]]>Many consumers are surprised to find out that the "leather" furniture they purchased is in fact a leather and vinyl combination. They make this discovery when they notice splitting or cracking in the material. This m...]]>
Many consumers are surprised to find out that the “leather” furniture they purchased is in fact a leather and vinyl combination. They make this discovery when they notice splitting or cracking in the material. This most often occurs in the side panel of a seat cushion, or at a stress-bearing seam (outside arm, outside top of backrest, etc.).
The typical construction of a leather/vinyl combination is to use leather on those areas that come in contact with your body - the seat cushion top, the inside backrest and the tops of the armrests. All other panels are vinyl.
Here’s the problem. Vinyl is a synthetic material (and has nowhere near the tensile strength of leather). Leather is an organic material. The two materials are fundamentally incompatible when joined together along a seam. This is particularly apparent on a seat cushion where the vinyl side panel (boxing panel) is sewn to the leather top panel. Leather is porous and loses its moisture through evaporation (which is why leather should be conditioned regularly). To replace this lost moisture, the leather literally wicks (draws by absorption) oils from the vinyl where the two materials are in direct contact along a seam, reducing the vinyl’s oil content. As the vinyl loses its moisture, two things happen: 1. the vinyl loses its ability to flex. 2. it loses some of its mass (shrinks). The result is that the vinyl subsequently cracks. This is most commonly seen as fissures that start at stitch-holes and run perpendicular to the seam line. Over time, these cracks will only worsen. Once this starts, it is not repairable.
Leather/vinyl combination manufacturing strategies (sometimes referred to as leather-mate, leather-match, or other marketing terms) are a ploy by the manufacturer to reduce cost. The price is that the life expectancy of the furniture is greatly diminished — by as much as 80%, depending on usage patterns. Consumers have told us that the furniture was less than 18 months old when the problem started. Of course, as is typical in the furniture industry, the manufacturer’s warranty is for only one year. So the burden of the problem rests solely with the consumer.
Recliners, or motion furniture are commonly leather and vinyl match. One prominent San Francisco bay area retailer said that 70% of all supposed leather recliners are actually leather/vinyl.
If you expect a long, useful life from your leather furniture - be careful at the point of purchase. Ask the question, “Is the piece all leather?” If the answer is yes, then make sure that appears on your sales receipt. You can check by examining the back side of the material that you suspect may be vinyl. If it appears to be a fuzzy material or a woven fabric (usually white, but can also be gray, black, or brown), it’s vinyl. If it looks like suede, it’s probably leather.
If you already own a leather/vinyl match, pay careful attention to your conditioning regimen. If the leather is regularly moisturized, it will have less of a tendency to draw the oil from the adjacent vinyl panel. Also, when sitting on or exiting the seating area, try not to put undue stress on the seams where the arm or back pillow attached to the frame.
Kevin Gillan is a leather furniture repair and restoration specialist with Advanced Leather Solutions, a leading leather furniture restoration company with 19 years in the business of solving people’s problems with their leather furniture. To learn more, visit http://advleather.com/
[tags]Leather vinyl furniture. Leather Match, Leather Mate, Leather vinyl combination, Leather recliner[/tags]
]]>You can easily use slipcovers to coordinate mismatched furniture, giving your room a smart new image. Or if you’ve recently moved house or decorated, a new slipcover set can help you blend your seats in with your new d
]]>The tapes popularity increased as military personnel started to discover that it was useful to fix aircraft, guns, even jeeps when more conventional tools were not available. When the war was over, duct tape found a new, permanent place in American society when it was utilized in by the building industry to attach heating and cooling ductwork.
Duct tape soon evolved into a rainbow of shrink wrapped rolls stacked on store shelves. Consumers took notice and soon colored duct tape was a big seller, making this one of the mostly common household tools. The tape now is found in colors such as the traditional grey, red, blue, day glow, pink and even camo for hunters.
A little known fact regarding duct tape is that, even though you can rip it with just your fingers, it is amazingly strong. For example, if you double it, duct tape can pull a car up to 2,000 pounds out of a ditch.
Duct tape has evolved into something more than a utility item in the past several years. People have begun to discover its other uses. Duct tape has become a shining star in the crafting world. The strength and flexibility, variety of color choices and wide availability of colored duct tape lends itself well to crafts such as duct tape wallets, roses, hats, duct tape purses even prom dresses. These items tend to go beyond your average craft and enter the realm of art, the pictures that have been taken of these items, are amazing, although surely they do not do the duct tape art justice. If you are interested, a quick search online will yield well written instructions to complete these projects and more.
In case the normal uses of duct tape and the crafting possibilities are not enough, duct tape is also known to help cure common warts. In fact, in a study, the patients treated with duct tape for their warts had an 85% cure rate, while the people treated with the traditional method had a 60% cure rate. Therefore, the next time you have a problematic wart, it might be wise to skip the doctors’ office and related fees and grab your purple or yellow duct tape to cure it. Remember to change the tape often, approximately once a day for best results.
Duct tape is without a doubt one of the most useful items in our homes today, in fact G. Weilacher may have summed up the importance of duct tape the best, “One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop.”
Linda Moore writes on a variety of subjects including home ownership, family matters, personal enrichment, duct tape uses and leatherman tool
[tags]duct tape,wallet,heating duct,home improvement,hand tools,leatherman tools[/tags]
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