A child’s dream backyard includes a play structure complete with a slide and swings just like the one at the neighborhood park. Once you have made the decision to make your child’s dream come true then you have several avenues from which to select depending on the amount of money and time you can invest.

One of the most economical means of obtaining a play structure is to buy a used one. Since children eventually outgrow their play structures you can often find a used one at a fraction of the cost. Your time investment will require disassembling and reassembling the structure. To make the task of reassembling easier, you should take a photo of the play structure prior to disassembling. Check your newspaper classifieds and once you find one, call immediately since they tend to sell quickly. You should also check to see if your newspaper places their classifieds online. Many times the online version is available sooner than the print version which will give you a leading start.

If you decide to build your own play structure you have many options available. You can build totally from scratch by designing a set of plans, purchasing the material needed, and building the set. This is obviously very labor intensive and probably not the best project for a beginner. Another option is to purchase a kit from a store such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. You can purchase a kit for as little as $299 which includes: design options, some accessories, hardware, brackets, and plans. You must separately purchase slides, lumber and the remaining accessories. You can also purchase a complete kit which contains all material including lumber. These options are as labor intensive as the previous option but they take the guesswork out of design and building. The final and most expensive option is to purchase your playground already built.

Whichever option you decide upon you need to make certain that the structure is built safely and that your children know how to safely play on their new play structure. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year approximately 205,860 preschool and elementary children receive emergency treatment as the result of injuries sustained on playground equipment. Therefore, when it comes to playground equipment, safety definitely comes before price.

Rhonda Cliett is the owner and founder of beyondtheapron.com Beyond the Apron, a home ownership website for female homeowners. She has written many home improvement and home purchasing articles. Visit beyondtheapron.com Beyond the Apron today and subscribe to their newsletter which is packed with the latest tips and resources for homeowners.

The natural appearance and feel of a real wood floor can be very attractive. Warm and mellow to look at, practical, and hard wearing, it can considerably enhance any home.

There are two ways to have a wooden floor in your home. You can lay a wood floor covering over your existing floor, whatever it is made of- floorboards, chipboard, plywood, quarry tiles, or concrete; or, if you already have natural wooden flooring, you can strip, sand, repair, and seal the floorboards.

With either method, the result is a hardwearing floor that is beautiful to look at and easy to keep clean. The wood may be enhanced by staining, with special paint effects such as stenciling or by adding colorful rugs, preferably on non-slip mats, for which the smooth wood is a natural backdrop. You can buy wood flooring and the adhesives and tools you need for installing it in do-it-yourself stores, in department stores with a large flooring department, or in specialist flooring shops. Apart from parquet flooring, which is difficult to buy and even more difficult to lay, all types of plank floor covering come with installation instructions.

Wood Floor Coverings

The main types of wood floor covering are strip, block, mosaic, and cork/wood flooring.

Strip Flooring: This looks like very smooth, tightly packed floorboards. It comes in a wide range of wood, including both softwood (pine, spruce, and birch) and colorful hardwoods (cherry, oak, ash, beech, and maple). Each board has a tongue and groove to ensure a tight fit with its neighbor.

The thickness of the flooring can vary from around 3/8in (9mm) up to 7/8in (22mm). Some wood-strip flooring is solid, like floorboards; some is laminated, with a thin surface-wear layer on top of a thicker softwood or plastic base layer. This makes the flooring more stable than it would otherwise be, less likely to expand and contract. Woodstrip flooring also comes with a hardwearing melamine surface layer.

You can install all types and thicknesses over an existing floor. Generally the boards are laid on a special cushioned, damp-proof sub-floor and secured to one another with clips or adhesive; they are never stuck or screwed down to the floor below. This is known as a floating floor. It is essential that you leave expansion gaps, covered with molding, all around the edges of the floor.

The thickest types can be used to replace existing floorboards. Carefully nail each plank through the tongue to the floor joists so that none of the nail heads show.

Block Flooring: Often known as parquet, this type of floor covering is generally used over an existing solid floor. The individual rectangular wood blocks are between 1in (25mm) and 2in (50mm) thick, and laid in a herringbone pattern, bedded into mastic adhesive. Laying new block flooring is a job for a professional, but you can sand down existing thick block flooring and reseal it in the same way as old floorboards.

Mosaic Flooring: This type of flooring, which confusingly is also known as parquet, consists of tongue-and-grooved tiles made up of narrow strips of wood. A typical tile is divided into four squares composed of four or five strips joined together with wire or adhesive and mounted on a mesh backing. The strips in adjacent squares lie at right angles to one another, so when laid across the floor they form a basketweave pattern.

Glue mosaic flooring to the sub-floor with special adhesive; the construction of the flooring allows a degree of flexibility so that it can cope with slightly uneven surfaces. Some makes are self-adhesive.

Cork/wood Flooring: This is a different type of woodstrip flooring. It consists of cork over a plastic sub-layer topped with a thin wood veneer which in turn is covered with a hardwearing clear plastic. The visual appearance is that of a wood floor, but it is quieter, softer, and warmer underfoot because of the cork. Cork/wood flooring is held in place with adhesive.

©2007, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Would you like to see more excellent

With the advanced internet technology, computer software has been intensively used for computer related work. Nowadays, computer software is being used in tax, real estate and even security purposes. Home security companies have realized the importance of providing surveillance on computer systems and they started to provide software where you can monitor any un-welcomed action through your computer monitor instead of a TV.

Thousand of people don’t know the importance of security software in making their monitoring process easier and less expensive. Below are the main reasons why you should consider buying home security software when applicable.

1) You don’t need to use a video tape to record every action and worrying about replacing it from time to time.

2) Security software can be set to take snap shots as well where you will have a series of photos for separate actions for different period of time.

3) Using security software makes your monitoring process easier and more efficient. You can track and view different sections of the house from the same monitor. Most home security software let you split your monitor into separate regions to provide multi-view accessibility.

4) Security software can be easily installed into your computer.

Many home security camera systems come with security software to let you view every action on your computer. Make sure to ask your home security company about home security software because they play a vital role in keeping your home secured from unwelcome visitors. Never neglect the importance of installing home security software on your computer. It helps make your monitoring process faster, easier and more productive.

Bishara wrties about home security cameras. Visit: homessecuritysystems.net homessecuritysystems.net homessecuritysystems.net/X10/homeautomation/kits_activehomepro9.html Home Security Softwares

It is irrelevant whether your fireplace area is working or non-working, putting a wrought iron fireplace screen will be a prefect selection to this very important point of the room. One of the objectives to beautify this part of the home is to convert this place into a comfortable environment for relaxation.

A feeling of warmness is generated by putting the wrought iron fireplace screen irrespective of the fact whether you have a roaring fire crackling, glowing candles or even an free space behind it. Opting for this material for your home is ideal because of its long life and grace. The screen goes well with any type of décor.

Numerous designs of fireplace screen can be fabricated from wrought iron. Craftsmen adore producing wrought iron fireplace screens using this material because the design selections are virtually endless.

You can buy a couple of elements for your fireplace screen. Just by replacing the element, you can change the entire touch of the room. You can buy one formal and another informal element and then use them for specific purpose for special occasions.

Rotating fireplace screens are also available. If you are fond of hosting parties, you can rotate your wrought iron fireplace screen according to the event being hosted in your home.

Fireplace screens are available in plenty of design, e.g. in the design of garden gate. In this kind of design, number of panels are set in such a way that the design looks just like a garden gate. The candles gleaming behind decorative elements give elegance to the room. These wrough iron fireplace screens are ideal casual get-togethers.

The other kind of fireplace screen is a monogram wrought iron fireplace screen that conveys formality and fine decorum. This kind of element is usually used in winters. The unusual monogram is made in bronze and looks marvelous in combination with black iron. The crackling fire burning behind it makes the fireplace screen look brilliant. This wrought iron fireplace screen is perfect for formal events.

Andrew Caxton is a journalist who has written more articles and newsletters on this subject for wrought-iron-guide.com wrought-iron-guide.com A website with tips on wrought-iron-guide.com/chandelier.html wrought iron chandelier, amongst many related topics.

No conservatory is complete without beautiful conservatory furniture to relax in. This article reveals some of the important issues to consider while selecting furniture for your conservatory or sunroom.

Your conservatory is a light and airy structure, that’s comfortable and yet sheltered against the weather. You can use it for all sorts of activities, like entertaining friends, relaxing after a hard day’s work or playing with the kids. It is a room that draws the garden into your home. The correct choice of furniture will mean that your conservatory is used to it’s fullest potential.

Top Tips for Selecting Conservatory Furniture

If you use cane furniture in your conservatory or sunroom check with the manufacturer whether it is also suitable for use in the garden as well. This way you will get double usage out of it.

Cover your furniture when not in use, whether it’s outside in the garden or in the conservatory.

Choose a pattern for your cushions you know you can live with for a good number of years.

If you have a smaller conservatory, choose furniture that is compact with cushions in neutral colours. It will make your conservatory look more spacious.

Check with the manufacturer whether you can remove the cushion covers for (dry) cleaning.

To reduce fading of your conservatory furniture and also to reduce heat in your conservatory, consider putting up sun blinds. That way you can enjoy your conservatory all year long without having to worry about fading of your furniture cushions.

See your conservatory as an extension to your room or kitchen. Use colours that blend in with the rest of your colour scheme.

Make sure that your conservatory cane furniture and its cushions are fire retardant. Just check with the manufacturer.

Cane (Rattan) is the most popular material used conservatories today. The main qualities of cane are elasticity, lightness, durability and toughness and therefore cane is used in a lot of ways. Think of baskets, hats, kitchen utensils, chairs seats, and, of course, whole pieces of furniture. Even bridges have been known to be made entirely out of cane.

Other materials used in the construction of furniture for conservatories and sunrooms are: Wicker, Cast Iron, Hardwood, Glass, Stone and Terracotta.

Barry Dunlop is the creator of Conservatory-Cane-Furniture.co.uk – a website that includes an online gallery of conservatory furniture, details of mail-order service plus maintenance information, and hints and tips. Find out more at his website: conservatory-cane-furniture.co.uk conservatory-cane-furniture.co.uk

There are two ways to clean carpets. You can hire professional cleaners from cleaning companies then there is the DIY (do it yourself) method.

In many cases, people prefer to hire carpet cleaning services. Still, there are guidelines to follow. Here are some carpet cleaning tips in hiring professionals:

1. Number of carpets to be cleaned.

Take for instance; your carpet never ever really underwent deep cleansing since the time you have bought it, and you are living in a 2-storey house wherein all the rooms contain carpets. Moreover, your kids have inevitably left marks besides its general wearing and tearing.

In this case, hiring a professional carpet cleaner is advised. If only small carpet areas need cleaning, then you can do it yourself. There are lots of cleaning products that are doing well even with tough stains.

2. Consider your budget.

Keep in mind that you need to pay a considerable amount of money when you hire someone to do the carpet cleaning for you.

3. Know the advantages of hiring a professional carpet cleaner.

They have the expertise in cleaning even the worst carpet stains. Their equipments have more extraction powers compared to the units that you have. Their knowledge about cleaning agents is incomparable to you, besides they also know the distinctions between carpet fibers and construction.

4. Ask recommendations from friends.

Usually, they are good sources of information about reputable companies offering carpet cleaning services. You can observe their cleaning jobs when visiting some friends who also prefer carpet cleaning services.

Other sources of information are the internet and local business directories. Numerous reputable companies are advertising their services online. They really offer the best deals on carpet cleaning jobs.

To learn more homecleaningdiy.com/ house cleaning tips, visit my homecleaningdiy.com/ home cleaning site.

A number of appliances are available for domestic that have simplified the lives of people. Over time, with regular use, any home appliances can wear out leading to malfunction or total breakdown. In such situations, users look for ways of repairing the appliances and ensure that their investment is not wasted. A lot of information can be obtained from the Internet regarding repair of home appliances. There are various tutorials and guidelines available that help users identify the nature of malfunction and contact the right person for repairing home appliances. Home appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry machines, air conditioners, microwaves and humidifiers can all be repaired by referring the complaint to authorized dealers or technicians. It is always advisable to take the help of a technician or contractor to repair a home appliance. Some appliances will need replacement of parts and it is essential to find the right ones depending on the appliances? brand, model and year of purchase. These spare parts can be ordered online, at a store or through a contractor.

It is generally not recommended to try repairing home appliances by oneself without the advice of a trained technician. In fact, it is dangerous to do so unless a user is familiar with a damaged appliance. Some appliances come with a warrantee that becomes null and void if users choose self- repair prior to calling the authorized service agency or technician. A trained technician can help in quickly identifying the reasons for the malfunctioning of an appliance. They can help decide whether to repair it or replace it and will estimate the cost of repairs.

There are some guidelines to be followed when repairing a home appliance. It is essential to switch off the electric power and unplug the appliance when repairing it. It is a good idea to know how to turn off the water supply to the appliance, when repairing washing machines or dishwashers. It is important to undertake the task of repairing a home appliance in a place with plenty of light. Lifting heavy appliances without help is harmful and can result in serious injuries. It is always safer to use a trolley or get a few helpers when moving an appliance for repair. Extra care should be taken while handling gas appliances.

It is beneficial to adhere to all safety tips when repairing any appliance. It is necessary to use common sense, ask for instructions and get professional help in order to avoid injuries.

e-HomeAppliances.com Home Appliances provides detailed information on Home Appliances, Small Home Appliances, Home Kitchen Appliance, Discount Home Appliances and more. Home Appliances is affiliated with e-gasfireplaces.com Ventless Gas Fireplaces.

If your basement leaks I am sure you are tired of the headaches it causes. But what can you do? You have basically 2 choices: either call an expensive contractor, or do it by yourself. Do it yourself basement waterproofing can be a simple task if you choose the right product, and it will help you save time and most importantly, money.

Don’t let waterproofing your home without the aid of professionals intimidate you. There are many different products out on the market to assist you in waterproofing your basement. Here are some of the choices to help you decide:

Basement Dry: To use this product a hole is drilled into the basement floor, a probe is then inserted into the hole. The probe is essential for detecting ground water. Once water is detected, the probe will suck up the water into the self-priming pump. What makes this product effective is, when the water is removed from under the floor, the pressure is removed also. If the water was never removed, pressure would still be present, resulting in the water being pushed into any crack in the floor or wall.

Crystalline basement waterproofing. Used all over the world for many years. Highly effective as it penetrates deep inside your walls/floor where the crystals expand over the years sealing it permanently! Withstands extremely high pressure. Can be applied to any concrete surface. Comes as a powder in bucket, you just mix it with water and apply with roller or brush according to instruction. What can be easier than that?

SquidGee Dry: This fabrication works on poured and block walls. With block walls water is trapped in the holes of the block. To drain the water simply drill small holes on the bottom layer of block, using the SquidGee Dry. It is not necessary to drill in every single block. Once the water is released it goes to the SquidGee Dry. With poured walls the process is also simple. Unlike block walls, poured walls are not hollow. Water comes through the cracks and goes to the “cold joint” (where the floor and wall meet.) Seal these cracks from top to bottom. But leave the very bottom unsealed, so the water can then go to the SquidGee Dry.

Another alternative is to go to your town’s hardware store, and buy some Concrete Water-proofer. This method may be the least expensive route to do it yourself waterproofing, but also the least reliable. The process is also quite easy, but this is where the time consuming part comes in to play. Depending on how many cracks you have or wish to fill. To prepare the floor or walls when fixing and mending cracks you would want to follow these four steps:

1. Chisel a rectangular “U” shaped groove along crack.

2. Remove debris from groove by flushing with water and scrubbing with a brush.

3. Fill groove with a fast-setting hydraulic cement compound available at building supply stores.

4. Apply the cement water-proofer, over the repaired area, as directed on the product.

Well, here you have some choices on How to waterproof you basement by yourself. Just pick one of the options above, and your home should be dry in no time.

© Dany Daylight
Waterproofing-foundation.com

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Adding charm to your landscaping always adds value to your home. My husband’s company has moved us around the country 3 times in the last 10 years not to mention I am a Marine Corps kid and know a few things about how to move. I’ve watched my parents have to sell a house in a hurry and my husband and I have been under that same pressure. The goal of course, is to sell for as much money as possible and as quickly as possible. One guaranteed way to do that is to have a blue ribbon house starting with your curb appeal. Here are some cheap and unbeatable ways to add charm and value.

1) Edge your flower beds with real stone. We have done this in every house usually for free. Find a new construction site in your area and during the day when there is someone working in the on-site management trailer, ask them nicely if you could load up the back of a pick-up-truck (or minivan) with one or two loads of loose football sized stones. Let them know this is for your home garden. If they turn you down because of safety issues, ask if you could come by on a Sunday afternoon (when all the “digger” trucks are parked). This has worked for us more than once. Make sure you beds have curved lines as opposed to straight edges. This looks better. Trust me.

2) Add an arch. Either over a gate or a bench. I bought one at a major craft store chain at the end of summer (when it was on clearance) for $17. It was green metal and I had to put it together myself. I also spray painted it with a dark oiled bronze paint. We also cemented it in about a foot deep using a level. This guarantees it won’t blow over into your neighbor’s yard and that it will look level and professional. I grew an evergreen blooming vine up one side called Carolina Jesamine which grows rapidly and blooms yellow in early Spring. On the other side of the arch, I grew a climbing rose so that I would have blooms from March – Oct and because the Jesamine is an evergreen, there would be some thing green and climbing all year round.

3) Create an outside seating area. Find a shaded corner of your yard and add a bench. I have done this in two houses. The first house I found two picnic benches for free at the end of a yard sale. Apparently someone else bought only the picnic table. The seller had painted the benches pink. Go figure, nobody wanted to buy two pink picnic benches… except me. I was happy to take them off her hands for FREE. I of course painted them dark green and sanded the edges for a shabby garden look. They fit perfectly against the fence around my patio. I placed large oversized potted plants on either side and they added not only charm but functionality to my landscaping. I have also purchased a concrete bench at a flee market for under $20 and placed it under a tree next to a birdbath. Benches are a great way to add charm and functionality.

4) Add a bird bath. Bird baths are not that expensive. You can usually pick one up from a garden supply center for under $100 during the peak season and on discount at the end of the summer. I once made one out of a concrete pedestal that I bought at a craft store (with a coupon) that I used as the base. I then bought a large planter saucer base to set on top as the dish part.. I always use my bird baths as an excuse to plant gobs of cottage like perennials around the base. I usually encircle my bird baths with bulbs, iris, lambs ear, and or hostas.

5) Label your flower beds. This is a trick I learned from a house that my husband and I LOVED when we were house hunting during one of our many corporate moves. This owner had purchased little copper plant labels and hand written the common names on them and spiked them down into her flower beds. You don’t need to be a very knowledgeable gardener to do this. You can also find some inexpensive plant labels on-line from either a garden source or possibly from e-bay. You can just use common flower names. Save the original potted plant labels to cheat if you can’t remember the names of the plants. This tip adds loads of charm to your landscaping as well as providing a gift for the next owner.

Kathy Kline Danner
Wife of Nissan Man.
Mother of two elementary schoolers, a dog, and two fish.

Dedicated to helping moms fight the joy thieves of motherhood and Re-Claim the JOY to become Joy @ Home Moms Providing free tips and tools for moms at PbandJAHM.com PbandJAHM.com

© 2007
Kathy Kline Danner
Fight the Joy thieves of motherhood.
Re-Claim the JOY and become a Joy @ Home Mom
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One of the best things that can be said for vinyl plank flooring or any kind of vinyl flooring is that it is extremely easy to install. What is also especially nice about vinyl plank flooring compared to the more traditional vinyl designs and styles available is that it was specifically designed to look like real hardwood flooring – and like other vinyls, it is actually more resistant to water and other kinds of moisture penetration than hardwood or even bamboo.

Vinyl plank flooring is very different from anything you are likely to see in many stores and schools today. No longer do you need to stick to the staid old geometrical designs of yesteryear: instead, you can provide your rooms with a look that truly adds a new dimension to any renovation or remodeling works that you are carrying out.

Installing the vinyl plank system takes a much shorter period of time compared to using real wood planks. Generally you will find that you can install this kind of flooring within a matter of hours rather than taking a number of days, especially if you have never laid real wood flooring before. And because it is waterproof, it is a great solution for providing a room such as the kitchen or bathroom with a real wood look, but at half the cost and without the worries of the floor becoming damaged through water getting into it.

Unlike more traditional forms of vinyl flooring such as sheets or tiles, this style comes in long rectangular pieces that look just like any other kind of wood plank. You must keep in mind of course that they do not come with the same thickness that you would find with hardwood or bamboo flooring. Because it comes in planks rather than squares or other geometrical shapes, this helps to add to the illusion that what you have is real wood flooring. Each plank is usually 3 inches wide by 36 inches long and if you install it in a staggered fashion then you will find that it results in an even better approximation of the look of wood plank flooring.

Vinyl plank flooring comes in 20 different types of wood grain and color and some are coated with a satin urethane finish which provides better protection against dirt and scuffing. Each plank has been micro-ground using only the best precision equipment available, so once installed the floor acquires a really seamless look. This in turn only adds further to the illusion of it being real wood – without the cost or hassle that you would normally associate with the installation of any kind of hardwood flooring.

Ernest Jarquio is a dedicated family man hopelessly addicted to do-it-yourself projects. For more information, visit his website, where he discusses various subjects such as flooring2roof.com/vinyl-plank-flooring.html vinyl plank flooring, flooring2roof.com/ Tarkett vinyl flooring and flooring2roof.com/vinyl-flooring.html installing vinyl flooring. Read various articles on the different aspects of hardwood, bamboo, laminate, tile and vinyl flooring.