If you are considering placing a prefab garage on your property, the first thing you should do id check with your zoning board and find out if there are any restrictions as to the size and building materials permitted for garages. You’ll need to get a building permit, even if you are really only putting together the pre-built pieces of the garage.
Once you have determined the size of the prefab garage you’ll be able to put up, you need to prepare the site on which you will locate it. You really should pour a foundation for the prefab garage, and for that you’ll need plans from the manufacturer to get the exact dimensions. By attaching the prefab garage to a concrete foundation, you’ll be ensuring its stability in any kind of weather.
Almost every manufacturer of prefab garages expects you to be able to put assemble the prefab garage yourself, but you are certain to need assistance from two or three other people in moving some of the larger pieces.
Prefab Garage Styles
Some models of prefab garage are surprisingly complex; they vary widely in size and can be ordered with a top floor room to serve as an extra bedroom for visiting guests. The prefab garage can be left unfinished, or stained or painted to match the owner’s house. Even if the owner chooses to leave it natural, however, the prefab garage should be treated with a clear stain to protect it from the elements.
There are also prefab garages with vinyl siding which merely needs hosing down every six months or so. A well-maintained prefab garage can provide protection to the family automobiles and seldom-used possessions for a long time.
Portable Prefab Garages
Even better, a prefab garage can be disassembled as easily as it was assembled, by removing its screws and bolts and separating the sides and roof, you can have the garageplanshelp.com/ prefab garage ready to move to another location. Its portability makes the prefab garage a great option for those who lease homes or land on which to situate their businesses.
A prefab garage will cost less, and take less time to construct, than a traditional wooden garage; and, because it is made of steel, will cost less to insure against fire than a garage of wood. Add the fact that you can take your prefab garage with you when you leave a location, and you’ll see why investing in it can solve your garage problems permanently!
You can also find more info on garageplanshelp.com/Garage_Storage/ Garage Storage and garageplanshelp.com/Garage_Workbench/ Garage Workbench. Garageplanshelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Garage solution.
A duvet cover, or a luxury duvet covers, is a decorative cover that fits around a comforter to keep it clean and protect it from excessive wear. Available in a variety of fabrics, patterns and colors, a duvet cover provides its owner with an additional decorative option for the bedroom as well as a way of insuring that a valued bed comforter will provide you with many years of good use. If you are one of many people who suffer from allergies to down, there are duvet covers that can seal those allergens inside. What this means is that you can still enjoy the supreme comfort and quality of a down duvet without the effects of allergies. There is an amazingly large selection of top designer duvet covers and luxury duvet covers at affordable prices to choose from.
Duvet covers are a great way to protect your duvet investment. Lets face it, duvets can be quite pricey at times, and we want to make sure it will last for several years to come, so it’s a good idea to also invest in a duvet cover. They can be made out of a variety of materials such as silk, wood fibres, microfiber, cotton or other such material depending on the level of comfort and style you’re after. All sorts of options are there for you, and don’t be afraid to get creative, as there are duvet covers and luxury duvet covers to fit with any decor in your home.
There are many bedding solutions for you right here online to satisfy you bedding needs at a price you can afford. You can get hollowfibre duvets for dirt cheap and find other options such as goose down filled, which could range all the way up to several hundreds of dollars or more, depending on the type of goose down you choose. If you are on a budget, or are just not comfortable with spending a lot of money on your bedding, it would be a wise idea to spend as little as possible on your duvet cover, and more on the duvet itself. You don’t need luxury duvet covers to attain a luxurious feel, the duvet itself will provide that for you.
If you dig down five feet in the middle of a desert, the ground will be cool. You can use this inherent coolness to keep the temperature down in your home as well.
One of the things you notice when you visit a cave is the cool temperature. The outside air can be hot enough to boil an egg on the sidewalk, but once you step down into the cave, you encounter cool and dehumidified air. This is because the temperature below ground level tends to remain at a constant level. This temperature can be calculated roughly by knowing the average temperature of the above ground air. For example, the city of Chicago has an average temperature in the area of 72 degrees. This average comes from the fact that it drops to 10 degrees in the winter, and swelters at over 100 degrees in the summer. The 72 degree day is a rare, if welcome, break in the extremes.
It is the average, however, and the layers of earth tend to insulate very well. It is reasonable to assume that after centuries of this average temperature, any air trapped underground would settle out at this average temperature and maintain it. This has led to the idea that this constant temperature air underground could be tapped for both heating and passive air conditioning. If your home happened to be built on top of a large cave, you could run a pipe from your home to the cave. Using fans to cause circulation, the cool air could be pulled up from the cave, and the ambient air from the home could be pushed down into the cave.
Since many homes do not happen to be located on top of caves, the idea has been conceived of digging artificial caves under homes and laying pipes to connect them to the homes. A system like this would require only the power it takes to run the fans that would facilitate the proper circulation between the “cave” and the home. It would eliminate the use of compressors which draw the majority of power used in air conditioning.
Another version of this plan would involve the laying of long pipes underground. The idea here is that the “cave” is not necessary. Simply running the air underground through the pipes would allow the air to be cooled. An underground pipe system would be a bit expensive and awkward to install in an existing building. It would be a little less difficult in new construction as the pipes could be laid during the excavation that would take place in laying the foundation of the building.
Regardless of any initial expense, a passive underground system would need little or no maintenance, and beyond circulating fans, little or no energy consumption. Although passive pipe air conditioning, like solar powered air conditioning, is new and mostly experimental today, the combination of global warming and increased population is making an energy solution to air conditioning critical.
Quinton Williams is with AirConditioningRepairCompanies.com – your resource for
When lighting your garden, less is definitely more. Flood lighting is fine for a traffic intersection, but at home it is energy inefficient, expensive and creates light pollution. You and your garden deserve better.
Outdoor lighting is most effective when used sparingly and in specific spots. Your garden is the transition space between the outside world and your own home. The right lighting can make your garden into another room of your house as well as providing an attractive outlook from inside. And your garden can look surprisingly different at night-time. Just a few lights in appropriate places will create interesting pools of light and shadow. Directional lighting will highlight features that may go unnoticed during the day, like the bark of a silver birch or a eucalypt, or a tinkling fountain. Even sheets of falling rain and swirling shrouds of mist can become dramatic features of your landscape with the right lighting.
Do check that your directional lighting shines onto the feature you intend it to and not into your neighbour’s bedroom window. And consider that a tree you want to highlight may be home to birds and other wild-life. You can minimize disruption to their habitat by using an automatic time-clock on your lighting.
For driveways, paths and steps, use lights that are directed to your feet to create pools of light to guide you. A light that is too high will shine into your face and leave the path and steps in shadow. A lamp next to your front door may look attractive, but a pool of light directed onto the door knocker, the keyhole and the step will provide a safer and warmer welcome for you and your visitors.
Choose colour temperatures to suit what you are trying to light and the mood you are trying to create. The colour temperature of a light is measured in Kelvins (K). The higher the colour temperature, the cooler the light will look. For example, metal halide lamps have a high, cool colour temperature that makes the greens and blues of the foliage in your garden look fresh and bright. Lamps with low, warm colour temperatures bring out the warmth of reds and oranges, like candlelight. An example of cool and warm colour temperature lighting complementing each other in your garden design would be to create a cool, fresh garden with warm pools of light around the paved areas where people gather and sit or linger over a candle-lit dinner.
The Colour Rendering Index(CRI) indicates how a light reacts under different parts of the colour spectrum. This applies particularly to metal halide and fluorescent lights, affecting the appearance of flowers and shrubs and also skin tones. And low-pressure sodium lights give out a huge amount of light but suppress both greens and reds, so that everything looks yellow and grey. Which brings us back to that traffic intersection.
A catalog will give you the specifications and features of the lighting you are considering, but if you are still in the dark, your lighting showroom will have a consultant who can shed some light on the subject for you.
The author has created beautiful gardens in England and New Zealand. She lives in Australia, where her garden is interesting all year round, despite the watering restrictions. Read more about landscapeoutdoorlighting.com outdoor lighting for your garden.
There is no doubt tropical depression and tropical storm Gordon is growing and growing; but the question remains where on Earth is Gordon going? We know he keeps on blowing and the infrared images from NOAA and NASA have him glowing but the Super Computers have no idea where exactly he is going and the data simply is not showing.
Each year meteorologists are originally baffled by Atlantic Tropical Hurricane Season storms, whether they be Tropical Depressions, Tropical Storms or even full on Hurricanes. Sometimes you have to watch them a bit and watch the surrounding weather patterns begin to interact with them. And whereas that may indeed sound easy, any experienced weather man from NOAA, The National Hurricane Center in Miami, The Weather Channel or even the scientists and research back up team from the Hurricane Hunter USAF Squadron will tell you it is far from easy to predict massive storm systems or large category storms.
Luckily for all of us our technology is nearly twice as good today as it was five years ago and it is getting better every year as research grants and monies are spent to make Hurricane Prediction more of a science than an art. I hope you will consider all this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” – Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/
Did you know that every time you cook, millions of grease particles are released into your home? Research suggests that tiny microscopic particles of grease can float in the air for days and adhere to almost any surface in the home through a process know as thermal plating. Once these particles find a dwelling place they can feed mold and bacteria serving as the breeding ground for a host of tiny unwanted and unhealthy guests.
This is the scenario in millions of homes–possibly yours, unless you have proper ventilation over your kitchen cooking surface. But how do you know the right size range hood to select for your specific needs and lifestyle? And how much power do you need?
The trend in today’s modern kitchen cooking appliances is toward larger commercial style cooking units. Viking, Dacor and Wolf are the leading manufactures of residential/commercial style cooking appliances, and all offer 60″ ranges capable of producing in excess of 120,000 Btu’s of heat. This is as much heat as the furnace generates in many smaller homes! These units quickly produce a bounty of smoke and grease when they are operating at full-force.
On the other end of the spectrum, most of us cook with a typical four burner range. These throw off one-third the amount of heat as the commercial style monsters, but they still must be properly vented in order for your home to remain odor and germ free. No matter which type of cooking unit you use, the idea is the same – it’s all about air flow. The bad news is there is no absolute formula for determining exactly how much air flow is the correct amount. The good news is that two different methods of calculation can be utilized allowing you as the homeowner to dial the number up or down based on how you live and cook.
Common sense dictates that the more heat a unit produces, the more air flow will be required to rid the greater amount of resulting grease and smoke. Let’s call this the Common Sense Rule. That said, the first calculation method we will look at is based on cooking surface size and range hood location. If the hood is mounted on a wall behind the range (as most are), then you will use the 40 cfm per linear foot of cooking surface rule. This method dictates that for a typical 30″ four burner range, you should employ at a minimum a hood able to move 100 cfm’s of air. But remember the Common Sense Rule. If you do a lot of frying or wok cooking and therefore produce an increased level of grease and smoke, you will likely be disappointed with a 100 cfm unit – go bigger. To extend this method to kitchen island cooking, the 50 cfm per linear foot of cooking surface rule should be used. With the same 30″ four burner range operating in an island, the minimum cfm’s are bumped up to 125, and as always, the Common Sense Rule is applied.
The second airflow calculation method commonly used in the industry is the 100:1 rule. This rule states that for every 100 Btu’s of heat a range generates, the hood blower should move 1cfm of air. Let’s say you have a four burner range and each burner produces 12,000 Btu’s of heat. You should explore hoods with a minimum of 480 cfm blower rating, then applying the Common Sense Rule as needed. Don’t forget to boost the number for island cooking applications.
By applying either of these two methods in combination with the Common Sense Rule you can be well on your way to ensuring that your home remains a clean, healthy and inviting place to be.
Gerry Snapke has been in the kitchen and cabinetry design business for nearly 25 years. As a custom cabinet manufacturer and kitchen designer he has a broad background in all aspects of the industry. Gerry is currently offering his services as freelance designer and can be reached through his web site at gsidesignconsultants.com gsidesignconsultants.com
There are many ways to keep water off the floor besides using glass shower doors, but they are by all means the most popular type of shower door. Glass ones are found in almost every bathroom, hotel room, and apartment, whereas showers with simple plastic curtains or other types of enclosures are not nearly as popular. Glass doors are sanitary, they are made of special materials and to certain standards to ensure that they are safe, they are easy to clean, and they look nice, allowing light into what might otherwise be a dingy looking shower. In fact, enough natural light can come in through the use of a glass door that you may not need to fool with installing any kind of light fixture in the shower area itself.
To buy glass shower doors, first do some research on the Net or in catalogs or showrooms, to familiarize yourself with the different kinds that are made and sold now, and that will be appropriate for your particular bath, and for your taste and style as well as for your budget. Once you have seen what is out there, you may want to consult with the plumber or carpenter doing the work on your bathroom, to see if they have advice or if they have any special prefences for the kind you use, based on their own experience or their knowledge of functionability, ease of installation, and price.
Then you can go to a local store that sells glass shower doors, such as a big home improvement center, and see which ones they have that will fit the size, shape, and color sheme you need for the design of your particular bathroom.
The glass shower doors on display in stores will probably be just like the ones you will buy in those stores, and the fancy ones may have to be specially ordered. If you order a special door, it may take a few weeks to arrive, and you should factor that into your purchase and your project plans and time schedule. The reason for having to order some of the types, especially those that are more expensive or fancy, is that the stores sell less of them, so they wait to get an order before they store them in their showrooms. Once you order it, they will get it delivered from the manufacturer, and this is why it takes longer. But many other styles are available for you to just walk in and buy and walk out with a few minutes later, and most of the people who are in the market do that, because there are many styles and types available on the shelves and ready to go, for most people’s needs.
So you’re ready to start your design build remodeling project. You have hired yourself a contractor and are raring to go right? Wrong!
Of course a new renovation project is an exciting time especially a design build project which allows for the most instantaneous freedom of expression. Anticipating the end and having a fresh new look is a temptation to hurry the process along. But a word of caution; walk don’t run. A design build project can also be difficult to keep on track if you don’t have a plan.
Unless you are someone with endless means, don’t get ahead of yourself, the work you do up front could potentially save you thousands even tens of thousands of dollars in the end.
Working out a comprehensive budget that will get you both the final design you desire while keeping you out of financial trouble is sometimes a high-wire balancing act. But it can be done.
Ok so how do you achieve this important goal when you don’t even know everything you want? Well first you must take some important steps that if not done, can have a negative impact on your actual budget.
Here’s the Top 10:
1. You must realistically decide how much you can “invest” in this project. And it is truly an investment as you will benefit financially from the return on investment (roi).
2. Determine what type of funding will you use? Savings, personal note, home equity line of credit or loan? Choosing the right type of funding can also save you money. You should speak to your financial advisor.
3. How much of a contingency are you able to set aside for unforeseen conditions which result in changes. (It should be at least 15%; 20% if possible).
4. Get the basic design on paper as soon as possible. This would include plans, elevations and specifications. Whatever can be determined up front should be. This will help solidify your budget.
5. Obtain a minimum of three bids from contractors based on the basic design intent. Make sure they are pricing apples to apples.
6. Establish allowances for all large purchases such as plumbing fixtures, appliances, lighting and stick to them.
7. Check contractor references thoroughly; view their work if possible. Having an incompetent contractor will cost you money.
8. Get it in writing. Whatever pricing, materials and/or project schedules are agreed upon up front, they should be part of a written contract.
9. If your renovation project is large (and large is relative to your budget), you may want to consult an attorney to review or even write the contract for you.
10. Require insurance certificates (general liability and workmen’s compensation) from your contractor and subcontractors.
So What’s Up With the Title?
Ok why is this article entitled “Whose Minding the Store”? Well of course it is only a metaphorical question but it is one of great consequence. The “Store” is your budget. And the question is who will be minding it?
Believe it or not, I see many just sort of loose track of it. Then all of a sudden, wham, the reality hits them like a freight train. Someone needs to be in charge. It can be you, your architect or your designer but it should be done consistently by the same party and updated no less than once a month on a good size project. A written comparison of actual costs versus estimated costs. This will keep your budget from derailing.
Design build projects are difficult to anticipate costs way in advance keeping constant tabs on them is imperative. A good way to do this is to create categories or phases in the beginning. The construction industry uses what are known as CSI codes. These construction cost codes break down a project by every category and assign a number to it thus creating a schedule of values.
If your contractor is unfamiliar with them, they can create their own just make sure it covers all the categories you can think of and includes material and labor. Then when they invoice you, they should bill against these categories.
Not only will you see where you may be getting into trouble, you may also see where you have a windfall and can move some money (theoretically) around. Your contractor should be able to provide you with this information. It can easily be managed on a simple spreadsheet.
Don’t Forget This One:
A category that many people overlook is general conditions. These costs can add up especially on a large project. It includes items such as dumpsters, temporary utilities, portable toilets, cleaning, management fees, temporary controls and protection to name just a few.
Other substantial amounts of course will be found in the major trades. These will include rough carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, millwork and finish carpentry, flooring, doors, windows and roofing materials.
Ok so now you have your design and a budget you can live with. Now what? Now a call to action. Research your product selections and their availability. The earlier decisions are made the earlier the orders can be placed. Delays cost money pure and simple.
Dilligence is the key:
Don’t let the inertia of your project get your budget spinning out of control. By carefully monitoring your budget, you will not only get the finished project you desire but also may find a way to get things that were once only on your wish list.
For additional informaton, please visit remodeling101.com/budget.html” target=”_blank Construction Budgets. How to Create and Stay on Them.
Tammy A. Borges is the founder and author of the popular website remodeling101.com Remodeling101.com.
This website is a complete beginner’s guide to the home remodeling process. She is an experienced and accomplished Senior Project Manager and has been in the construction industry for 25 years.
Following the tips and strategies she uses will help lead you to a successful remodeling project.
Water magnets are one way to treat hard water, when the water passes through the magnetic pull the minerals (calcium, and magnesium). The stronger the magnetic field the better your water is affected. This will reduce your costs for pipers and other systems because it is said that it will minimize your blockage caused from the minerals building up in your water system.
No more itchy skin!
Since the water treatment magnets will collect a lot of the minerals from your water that makes your water hard, you should notice that your water would change. Like you will notice that your skin no longer has a residue or your skin won’t itch as much any more. It will help you with your skin conditions.
When you compare this system with a salt solution system, magnets will be healthier for your family and plants because when you use a water softener (salt) you are putting large amounts of salt for your animal or family to drink, which can be deadly if consumed in large amounts. Salt will dehydrate you.
Usually people who have town water will use the magnets because there is chloride in the water and, it is said to be caught, by the magnetic system. For decades, people have been using this system to treat their water so that they can reduce the hardness caused by large amounts of calcium and magnesium. It also will de-scale your pipe and system build up.
Removing the icons
All you have to do is attach it to the intake water pipe and you will see and feel a difference. You can use them on copper and plastic pipes and you can attach the magnets by using wire, duct tape, a clamp, or even string. You want to place the magnetic between the main valve and the water heater and you may place another one on the pipe that allows the water to exit from the water heater. This way you are sure to remove some of the icons.
Hundreds of people use the magnets to help ewatertreatmentsystems.com/watertreatment/Hard_treatment_water.html soften their water and have claimed that they can feel and even taste a difference in water. However there is some controversy on rather it reduces the amount of minerals are just neutralize them from showing their true colors.
However, it is proven that you will notice a different when you are showing or bathing. You may want to purchase drinking water; even though it won’t really cause that, much harm to you, but it may taste funny or have a smell.
Learn more information on ewatertreatmentsystems.com/watertreatment/Buy_water_treatment_online.html water treatment online and ewatertreatmentsystems.com/watertreatment/GE_reverse_osmosis_water.html reverse osmosis water. eWaterTreatmentSystems.com is a comprehensive resource for water treatment with information on reviews, reverse osmosis and how it works.
Put some life into your empty backyard and start enjoying the outdoors well before you have stepped outside your own house. Manicured garden or none, it really doesn’t make a lot of difference. What does is the choice of furniture you have to make your back porch slightly more comfortable than what it used to be.
A well thought of patio furniture set will have you spend more time outside. It’s best to make the most out of a day with just the right weather. Whether it is to start on that book you’ve always planned read or to simply enjoy a glass of lemonade over a nice chat, the right patio furniture will give you just that in comfort.
When choosing patio furniture, start thinking of your backyard as part of your living room (because it is!). However, when it comes to the choices of outdoor furniture, the choices become very narrow – making you choose only between either the comfortable, but expensive to the cheap back-breaker.
Fortunately, nowadays, furniture makers have started to manufacture very affordable yet comfortable patio furniture. Your choices have expanded and here is a run through of what is available to you now.
Comfort
More outdoor furniture is now made with comfort features like cushions and soft fabric. The once hard angles that are bad for the backs have been changed and are now designed to support your back. There are even patio chairs now that come with matching footrests.
Care must be taken though with these cushions particularly those with springs so avoid getting them wet with rain and dew. It is best to put them in a sheltered area. Some maintenance might be necessary with the upholstery. But more often than not, just frequent dusting is all you need.
Movement
To enjoy the outdoors, you’d want to rock, roll and recline. And today’s patio furniture can do just that and more. Remember those bar carts, which were used to serve meals outdoors? They are back with a vengeance. New space-saving accordion tables that expand as your seating grows are available as well.
Portability is also a key feature with patio furniture design. Pieces, like portable and foldable screens, become essential to someone like you who wants privacy while at the same time the flexibility to create separate smaller areas within a large one.
Materials
You no longer have to sacrifice the beauty of expensive wood over the price of tack plastic. Nowadays, patio furniture makers have combined these materials and many more to create beautiful but inexpensive pieces that are durable and comfortable as well.
Design
If something chic and contemporary is your flavor, current patio furniture collections can deliver just that. You don’t have to settle for the bulky picnic table and can actually choose from a variety of modern and sleek designs.
Patio furniture when selected well will not only be stylish, it will also be comfortable and durable. When taking the attitude of buying outdoor furniture, it would be best to make the investment on what would feel and look good over what is cheap, but tacky and uncomfortable.
The styles available today can range from the classic to the contemporary. Just make sure that your choice of patio furniture works well with the rest of your house. It is certain that you will find just the right combination of comfort, price and style if you just take the time to find it. This, after all, is part of the investment you are making. And if you do just that, you’ll be glad you did as you sip that cold lemonade on that perfect summer day.
