The cabinets in your kitchen offer your home more than just storage solutions for your kitchen items. You will find that having the right cabinets in your kitchen can greatly impact the design and the feel of your kitchen. The color, design, and style of your kitchen cabinets can change the entire feel of your kitchen area as well as your shared living room and kitchen space.
If you have been wanting to update your kitchen cabinets but are not sure what the right cabinets should be for your needs, you need to look into some tips and tricks to help you decide on the right cabinets. There are a variety of factors that go into picking the right kitchen cabinets for any home and you should be aware of them before you start shopping.
If you are ready to learn more about how to choose the right cabinets for your kitchen, you need to read on!
There are various styles of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Each of these styles offers a different design feel and you might change the entire look of your kitchen just by changing out the cabinets that you have hanging in the space.
These are the most common styles that you will see for cabinets in a kitchen. These are a classic design that offers a conservative and polished look that almost anyone will love. Shaker-style cabinets are traditionally a single flat center panel design with a raised ring of wood above the flat center panel. These are nice cabinets to choose from if you want painted cabinets because they take color well and look really finished and sleek when they are painted.
These are a really common style because they are so utilitarian and you will find that they will hold up well to being used on a daily basis. There are typically no glass panels or doors in these basic panels and they are often made of cherry, maple, hickory, or oak wood.
This is a fancy design that is associated with Florida or tropical locations in many people’s imagination. These cabinets offer angled slatted doors that make sure that you will get a lot of circulation into the cabinet spaces behind them. This is a great choice in tropical locations to help with mold and mildew and to prevent food from breaking down quickly.
These are quite an expensive style and many people will only add them to smaller spaces like a laundry room to help with moisture. They are often too spendy to add to your entire kitchen.
This is a really modern style that offers sleek and totally flush cabinet surfaces that have simple metal handles. You will get a seamless design that almost looks like a solid wall without seams or changes in the layering of the wood on the fronts of the cabinets.
This can be the perfect way to elevate your kitchen to a new sleek and modern look and many modern buildings have these cabinets in them to start with.
This design offers an inset door inside the cabinet frame instead of on the frame like a normal cabinet door. This process requires meticulous measurements to create and this means that these cabinets can be a little spendy. They are really formal looking but can be the perfect design for your kitchen needs if you have a French provincial style kitchen or other upgraded look in the space.
These cabinets and drawers last for years because they are very well constructed and you will find that the cabinets work perfectly and with little noise due to their superior design and construction. You will have exposed hinges on this style.
Reclaimed wood and wood that has been made to look this way are very popular and lots of kitchens have distressed wood cabinets these days. This is a really popular way to get a farmhouse or even beachy feel worked into your kitchen design. This is not an expensive cabinet style overall and if you have real antique cabinets, you can actually just distress them further and add them to your décor.
This is another modern and dynamic style that offers a smooth and sleek finish. These cabinets are sometimes made without handles even and you will just press at the corners to open them. This is a plastic product that is baked until it is sealed and high gloss. These cabinets might look like wood due to the pattern that is built into the plastic.
This is a really low-maintenance style that is very sleek and very modern. They can be sensitive to heat, so they need to be installed with care if they need to be near an oven or cooktop.
This is a style that uses vertical planks known as “beads” to craft the cabinets. This gives almost a ship-style feel and can pair well with subway tile or other farmhouse elements in your kitchen. This is one of the styles that has stayed popular for years and years and you will love how classic this cottage-style cabinet design is. This is a style of cabinet that is often painted white and it typically uses rounded or old-fashioned knobs.
The final option is custom-made cabinets that can offer any combination of features and design choices for your personal needs. This makes it easy to mix and match handles and cabinet styles as well as gaining access to wood types that are not usually linked with certain cabinet build styles.
Custom cabinets can be expensive, but you will often get the best product for your money for a truly custom look. You can make your kitchen uniquely yours if you decide to opt for customer cabinetry for the entire kitchen.
Choosing the right cabinet style for your needs doesn’t have to be a struggle. They might all be tempting to you and choosing might seem tough, but there are some key factors and tips and tricks that can help guide your choices. Picking the right cabinets will complete your kitchen and just changing out the cabinets can make a big difference in the overall appearance of your kitchen space.
This is the first big choice that anyone has to make about cabinets they are going to install in their kitchen. If you want to have a really unique look, you will need to choose custom in most cases. This might also be necessary if you want unique size or height cabinets. Custom cabinets can be expensive, but if you have a kitchen with an odd set of angles or design features, it might be your best bet.
Prefabricated cabinets are the most common choice to make since they are cheaper and they will offer you consistent results. You might even be able to install prefabricated cabinets yourself and save a lot of money for your overall cabinet replacement process in a remodel or redesign.
No matter which cabinet style you choose, you need to be sure that you get quality cabinets that will actually offer you the storage solutions that you need. There is nothing worse than having beautiful cabinets that do not fit all of your kitchen items.
Do you have lots of large appliances? Do you have two full sets of pots and pans or an entire spare set of fancy china that needs a home? If this is the case, you might need some additional height to your cabinets or you might need to expand the cabinet space that you were originally planning to install in your kitchen space.
Standard kitchen cabinet choices offer a lot of the space that most people will need, but if you have a lot of things that need to fit into your kitchen cupboard and drawers, you might need to be sure that you get access to all the space that you need to make things work for your sanity and organization.
Consider adding a corner cabinet with a lazy susan for easy spice storage or other kinds of easy access. You can also choose to have an insert in your cabinet that offers a hidden garbage can space. Even under sink space can be made to handle a lot of unique storage requirements that you might have been making work through less ideal means.
When you are replacing your cabinets, you should not just think about the outside appearance. You need to try to plan for the actual function of your cabinets as well as the way that they will impact the color and the feel of your kitchen as a whole.
If you have wanted to pick custom cabinets but do not want to pay the price for the custom items to be built, you can look into inserts that can make your cabinet interiors more effective for your needs. There are many storage solutions that fit inside standard cabinet size spaces and you can employ them to store various items with ease.
The other thing that you need to think about when planning the storage spaces inside your cabinets, is that you can pick cabinets that have the kind of shelves that can be moved up and down to allow taller items to fit within them with ease.
These common cabinet interior storage solutions will allow you to change the height of the shelving so that you can fit more or fewer items inside each cabinet. This is very helpful when storing dishes and other items that take up less space when there are enough shelves to separate and stack them.
When you are remodeling, you will probably have the choice to add drawers or change them out for cabinets. Both kinds of storage space offer unique benefits so you should consider what you need for your storage in your kitchen. If you have lots of large or tall items, cabinets are probably better than drawers. Drawers are perfect for things like silverware and smaller items and you can often add more things to your storage if you have lots of drawers.
Remember that drawers will have to be placed down low where you can access them readily and balance the number of drawers that you have for easy access when compared to cabinets. Cabinets and drawers should all match, so whatever style cabinets you pick will need to be matched to the drawer facings or they will all need to be replaced at the same time.
Drawers are often more expensive than cabinets because they will need their own tracks, fronts, and hardware. Cabinets are mostly just empty boxes with doors on the front and do not need track and wheel assemblies of any kind. Adding drawers can increase the cost of your job.
If you have appliances that are large and you don’t want them on the kitchen counters, you need to think about the kinds of cabinets that will be needed for these items. While you might be able to put them into spaces that are less than ideal, this can make it hard to access them when you need them. Making sure that you have a designated cabinet space for taller or bulky items can help with your overall storage goals immensely.
Appliances might not be your only tall or large items and if you have lots of mixing bowls or dishware, you will want to be sure that you have the right cabinets for your overall storage needs. This is part of the benefits of picking your own cabinets and you can improve your storage on the inside of your cabinets while also altering and improving the outside appearance of your cabinets.
You might feel like you can’t choose between modern styles of cabinet or traditional styles. Sometimes your space will make the choice for you because if there is not enough space to add the fittings and other design needs of modern cabinet supports, you might not be able to change to this style of cabinet. You might also find that styles that require heavier materials will not work in your kitchen due to a lack of stud support for heavy cabinet styles.
At the end of the day, you can choose either design style if you wish but you will need to be sure that you can actually fit the designs that you have in mind into your kitchen without causing issues with the support of the cabinets or their function.
Adding larger drawers or larger cabinet doors can make it hard to navigate the kitchen if you have a very small or galley kitchen. You should always consider working with a design expert if you are not sure if the cabinets that you have in mind will work for your needs.
This can be a big decision when you are replacing cabinets in your kitchen. Modern styles are not always sold in every color that you could want as they are often made of materials that are limited in color. Wooden cabinets can often be painted to be any color that you want, but there are some wood materials that do not take certain colors well.
Color can be impacted by more than just the material of your cabinet choice and you need to be sure that you pick a color that will hold up over time to exposure to sun and other environmental factors.
This is another place where having the help of a design expert can be really invaluable. You can get some advice about the color ranges that each cabinet style will offer you and they will probably be able to show you some pictures of the other kitchens out there with the cabinets you are thinking of picking.
One of the other factors to do with colors that you might want to choose for your kitchen cabinets is that bold colors can go in and out of style. This might be an issue if you want to sell your home or your apartment when the color of your cabinets has gone out of style. If you are not sure that you want to have to repaint or replace your kitchen cabinets to accommodate changing styles when you go to sell or rent out your home or apartment, you might want to pick a conservative color.
Some kitchens also do not get enough light to handle dark colors, and you need to be aware that the natural light in your kitchen can impact your color decision quite a bit. Picking bold or unique colors can be fine so long as the natural light in your kitchen will make these colors work with all of your other décors.
If you are not sure which kind of finish you want to pick, you can often get samples of the different styles to look at when you work with a design expert. You might also be able to head to a Home Depot or other home building store to look at the different styles of cabinets so that you can see what each style looks like in person.
The finish of the exterior of your cabinets can impact the overall look and feel of your kitchen greatly. You need to be sure that you like how the cabinets you have chosen look in person and that you like the way that they operate with these finishes in place. Some kinds of hardware can actually be less ideal than you might have thought and you should be sure of this before you commit to installing cabinets that do not suit your needs or operate in a way that you prefer.
Many people don’t think about the handles and other fittings of their cabinets before they install them. You might like the way that handles look but then once you are using them, you hate them. There are so many different kinds of fittings and hardware that you can find the style that you like if you go looking around at styles.
You might not be able to get the handle style that you prefer with certain cabinet exteriors. This is why you need to know what kinds of knobs and handles you prefer before you pick the exterior of your cabinets. It is frustrating to love the cabinets you have picked and hate the fittings. You need to be comfortable when you are operating the drawers and opening cabinets in your kitchen to enjoy cooking and spending time in the space. This is an often-overlooked part of the process of picking the right cabinets and drawers for your kitchen.
If you have been struggling to pick the right cabinets for your needs, you probably just need to do some more research into your unique needs for your kitchen. If your kitchen is a unique shape or size, then you should also consider getting the help of a design expert to help you to pick the right style cabinets for your storage needs.
There are sometimes limitations that you might not be aware of that will make the cabinets that you have picked a poor choice for your kitchen space. This is where an expert can really help with your design process.
Picking new kitchen cabinets can be a really exciting process and you will love having a refreshed kitchen look when you are done picking out new cabinets and drawers. There is nothing better than a refreshed kitchen and you will love spending time in your newly-minted kitchen once the new cabinets are installed. Picking the right cabinets is important and you should always take the time to be certain of the cabinets that you have selected before you install them.
]]>We all want to breathe in clean, fresh air, especially in the workplace, which makes it extremely important to make sure the air quality in your building is up to par. This will not only play a key role in your employee’s health but their productivity in the office as well. If you want your staff to feel their best and work hard while on the clock, it will be essential to understand the impact that poor air quality can have on those who work for your company.
Although you cannot see them, your office could be filled with many different allergens or pollutants that can easily become trapped in unfiltered air, especially in an enclosed space such as an office building. To avoid this, it is important to prioritize your office’s indoor air quality, promoting the health and well-being of your employees.
Whether you have a small business or a large corporation, you should value your office’s air quality, considering the impact it can have on your employee’s health and your company. By understanding what air quality is, how to detect poor air quality levels, and learning about new ways to improve the air quality in your space – you can create a safe, healthy environment that will enhance your employee’s productivity and efficiency in the office.
Indoor air quality or IAQ refers to the air quality inside and around a building, relating to the health and well-being of building occupants. Poor indoor air quality is known to negatively affect the health and comfort of those who are breathing the air in.
Indoor air quality is a part of indoor environmental quality or IEQ too, which is essential to the physical and psychological aspects of life indoors.
To determine the indoor air quality, multiple air samples will need to be collected, human exposure to different pollutants will need to be monitored, and samples will need to be gathered from building surfaces. With these different collections and tests, professionals can determine if the air quality in an office building is good or not.
Indoor air pollution can be hazardous, especially if you are exposed for a long period, making it increasingly important to pay attention to the air quality in your building to make sure you and your employees are breathing in the freshest, cleanest air possible.
Indoor air quality pollution sources, in their many forms, will release gases or particles into the atmosphere, which is one of the primary causes of poor indoor air quality in office buildings. Another contributing factor is inadequate ventilation, which can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute the emissions from indoor sources or carry them out of the area. Plus, if there are higher temperatures or higher humidity levels in an indoor space, this can help to increase the concentration of some pollutants, making them worse than they already are on their own.
While there are many different pollutants that you may come into contact with, the impact of any single source will depend on how much of a given pollutant it emits and how hazardous the emissions are.
Sometimes factors such as how old the source is or if it has been properly maintained will be important.
When it comes to building materials, furnishings, or products like air fresheners, pollutants will be released more or less continuously, while smoking residue or pollutants from cleaning products can be released intermittently. Also, with unvented or malfunctioning appliances being improperly used, there can be high or potentially dangerous levels of pollutants emitted as a result.
This is important to keep in mind, to make sure you can recognize where pollutants come from and how they are emitted into the air in your office building. With this knowledge, it will be easier to detect an air quality problem and what exactly the pollutant source is.
If you want to check on the air quality in your office space, to ensure the health and well-being of your employees, there are a couple of different ways that you can go about detecting indoor air quality issues.
If you want to utilize a more cost-effective way to check on the air quality in your building, it is always a great option to conduct tests on your own with products that you can easily find in certain stores or online.
To effectively detect and log the quality of air in your office space, it is recommended to invest in a reputable air quality monitor to keep in your building. These devices will usually check for allergens that you inhale, chemical pollutants, temperature, and humidity levels.
In most cases, you should be able to detect mold by simply using your sense of smell. If you have been questioning a musty odor and cleaning does not remove the smell, this is might be a concern. You may consider hiring a professional to conduct a mold test to make sure everything is okay.
If you want to actively work on improving the air quality in your office, it may be time to invest in an air purifier. This will help to remove dust particles, mold spores, and other allergens efficiently.
Due to the colorless and odorless nature of carbon monoxide, it is helpful to install a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your office building. Just remember to change the batteries every six months, to ensure the detector will work properly year-round.
It is always a good idea to change your air filters regularly, to promote a healthy flow of air throughout your office space. This will help to collect allergens and other particles, allowing you to breathe easier especially if you are easily affected by allergies.
While it may seem self-explanatory, it is always important to actively look for signs of poor air quality in the workplace. This can help you detect indoor air quality issues before they get out of hand so that you can take care of the problem before it begins affecting your employee’s health.
Oftentimes we attribute our allergies to changing seasons or bad weather, but irritants and pollutants in the air can also cause allergy-like symptoms in your employees too. Look for symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, headaches, or bloody noses in your employees, and get your air tested if you have noticed a rise in any of these symptoms.
If there is construction going on in the area surrounding your office building, your employees could be exposed to dust particles, chemicals, or other pollutants that can collect in your HVAC system.
If you are concerned about the quality of air in your office space, it may be the right time to seek out professional help. Even if you think you have exhausted all solutions, it can be extremely helpful to enlist the help of a professional, to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of your employees.
To protect your employees and anyone who spends time in your building, it may be in your best interest to get an air quality test done by a professional. This will help you better understand what the air quality levels are and what the pollutant source is, to help you begin taking the proper steps to improve the indoor air quality in your office.
In an office building, there are so many people in such a small, confined space that it is easier for dust, dirt, and allergens to build up. If the indoor air quality is poor in your building, it can negatively impact your employees and their well-being. If you have heard them complaining about any symptoms on the job, it could be related to the air quality levels in the office.
To avoid this outcome and improve the indoor air quality in your office space, it is important to keep these things in mind to enhance the productivity, efficiency, and comfort of your employees.
To make sure air is moving and flowing properly throughout your office space, every air vent in your building must be open and unblocked. If by chance a box or piece of furniture is blocking the vent, this could put your employees at risk due to less airflow.
With dust and debris that can build up in air filters, it is easy for them to become clogged, making it impossible for air to filter through. Don’t forget that air filters should be replaced every 6 to 12 months, to ensure healthy airflow and air quality levels are maintained.
For most buildings, a good humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent. By maintaining this certain level of humidity, you will be able to keep dust mites, mold, and mildew at bay. You could also invest in dehumidifiers or portable air conditioners to help control the humidity in your space too.
If you think that your air ducts are contributing to the air quality in your building, it may be beneficial to call in the help of experts who can clean the ducts and make sure they are working properly.
While new office plants can add a pop of color and an appealing aesthetic to your office, they can also be helpful by eliminating harmful toxins in the air and replacing them with new oxygen. This will enable your employees to breathe easier and feel better while on the clock.
If your office has windows, make sure to open them up and get fresh air into your building with ease. If the weather permits, having your windows open can help to improve airflow and circulate out any impurities.
To promote a healthy work environment with good indoor air quality levels, it will be essential to maintain a clean office space. To make sure this does not get overlooked, it may be helpful to enlist the help of a cleaning professional to help vacuum, sanitize, dust, clear away clutter, and remove any trash. By scheduling routine cleaning, it will be easier to maintain your space and be sure that it is being kept up with.
In most cases, it is logical to hire a professional with all the right tools to test the air quality in your office. With their knowledge and expertise, they will be able to inspect the area and see what the source of pollution is. They may even have some helpful tips and tricks for you to follow, making it easier to improve the air quality in your building.
If you value the health, safety, comfort, and well-being of your employees, it is important to make sure the indoor air quality in your office is being maintained properly. This will not only help you keep your employees happy in a healthy environment, but it will allow them to be even more productive and efficient while at work.
To avoid the problems that occur with poor indoor air quality, it is critical to understand what air quality is, how it impacts our health, how to detect if there are any issues in your building, and what you can do to improve the air quality in your workspace.
With many varieties of pollutants out there, there has never been a better time to educate yourself and be more aware of what could be lingering around your employees every single day. By implementing new ways to detect any issues and being prepared to make sure air quality levels are at their best, you can ensure your employees will be able to do their best work.
By taking the proper steps to prevent poor air quality levels while improving the quality of air in your building, you will be able to put your employees first and create a safe, fruitful environment for your entire company.
]]>Having your own lawn garden is something you should consider because of the many benefits associated with having a lawn. Most people decided to add a yard because they want their homes to have a beautiful view, whereas others just want a lawn, where they get to plant and tend to greens.
Having a beautiful garden lawn in your home would be an excellent option for you if you have a large space outside your home. It’s even better if it’s an outdoor space that is not totally in use and if particularly it is your home and not a rented apartment.
In the long run, with a garden lawn, you can improve your home’s aesthetics, increase your home’s value, and get to feel all of nature’s beauty all while engaging your creativity. This is why planning your own lawn garden is never wrong. Continue reading below for all you need to know about planning a lawn garden.
By now, you should be wondering what all the fuss about planning your lawn garden is all about.
A lawn is a deliberately cultivated piece of land that is groomed to produce a lovely green landscape. Your lawn should be a preselected area covered with soil that plants can be easily planted on. Planting on such soil areas will ensure that the ground is soon covered with green grass, giving your otherwise soil-covered land a green view.
You can also determine the height, dimensions, and pattern of growth of such plants to give your lawn garden an aesthetic effect. You will also need to pay attention to the eradication of weeds to ensure that you are in control of what you have growing on your lawn.
The simplicity involved in having a lawn is evident. With the right tips and care, you can have a carefully groomed garden for recreational use and aesthetic beauty.
It is also not uncommon to find lawns planted in homes and offices, suggesting that you can also have your lawn garden any and everywhere. This is why you should know how to go about creating your own lawn. Learning some tips for lawn mowing and care can go a long way in helping to maintain your space.
If you want your lawn to come out great and last long, you need to plan adequately for it. Like everything worth doing well, creating a lawn garden needs to be well-thought-out.
Here are a few things you must pay attention too as you plan your lawn:
Lawn materials
One of the first things you’ll need as you begin to plan your lawn is the materials required to have a typical lawn garden. These materials are not necessarily just items but things that, without them, creating a lawn would be impossible. They are the first things you must ensure you have around you. They include:
a) Outdoor space
This primarily is the most important thing you would need before you can think of having a lawn garden. Without space, having a lawn garden is impossible. The outdoor space doesn’t necessarily have to be excessively large. A tiny space that is not in use will do, especially if it is filled with soil.
However, if your outdoor space is not an area filled with sand, you can choose to sand-fill the land area yourself using loamy/humus soil because these soil types are the ideal type for a lawn.
You can also use any type of soil you have available in your area if loamy soil is unavailable. Just make sure that you find some compost waste to fertilize your soil type and make it nutrient-rich. Your compost could be any biodegradable waste that you otherwise would have disposed of if you weren’t planning on creating a lawn garden.
b) Seedlings/Plants
The very next important material you’ll need in your lawn garden is seedlings and plants. Plants are a good addition to any lawn, but to truly achieve a lawn garden, you must include a variety of seedlings or plants. These seedlings are what you would plant on your outdoor pre-prepared soil space once you have ascertained their level of the nutrient.
Having a variety of seedlings and plants available will also ensure that you are deliberate about your lawn and don’t leave what grows in your lawn garden up to chances.
Not making deliberate and conscious efforts about what grows in your lawn would give weed and unwanted grasses unlimited and unrestricted access. Check here for common lawn mistakes to avoid at home.
c) Lawn Mower
Having a lawnmower is something you should think of acquiring as you plan your lawn. This is because you are definitely going to need to mow your lawn at some point. Mowing your lawn means to groom your yard to fit it into the shape that you have imagined.
Mowing makes the eradication of weed and general grooming relatively easy and effective. This is why it is highly recommended that you get your own mower as you plan your lawn. Check out some of the best mowers on the market and find one that fits your needs.
d) Gardening Tools
Having a well-groomed lawn will be impossible if you don’t have the right tools available. Most people wrongly assume that the only thing needed to have a good lawn is water, sunlight, adequate space, and viable seeds.
However, getting all of this without the right set of tools will lead to a wasted effort. Some of the tools that you will need for your lawn garden include:
2) Lawn Costs
Having an estimate on how much the lawn is likely going to cost you is a smart way of planning your lawn. With a budget, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and stick to just what you need. This is why it’s important to have an estimate of what it will cost you to create a well-groomed lawn.
However, if you already have a lawn, you should begin to put plans in place to determine how much is needed to make what you have currently, meet up with your dream lawn and things you’ll likely need to correct or repair.
Also, when it comes to the cost of lawn gardens, you will have to understand that there are different types of lawn with different designs and materials used in making them.
All these types of lawns also require different financial budgets. Therefore, it is advisable to know your budget before embarking on a journey that you won’t see to the end due to cost oversight.
3)Lawn Designs
Choosing your lawn design is one of the most important tasks you’ll ever do when planning a lawn garden. When it comes to lawn designs, you will have to be very creative and be open to exploring different options. This is because even though there are a lot of concepts for lawn designs, you will still have to come up with a plan that best suits the architectural layout of the structure of your home.
Asides from this, there are several other factors you need to consider; these include:
a) Size
This is one of the most critical considerations for lawn designs. The size of your outdoor space would largely determine the size of your lawn garden. Your dream lawn should be such that it can be cut out of your overall outdoor space without causing an unhealthy overlap between free workable space and lawn space.
The size and architectural shape of your outdoor space is a significant determinant of the type of lawn design that you end up with. It will be easier and cheaper for you to just go for a lawn size that perfectly fits into your outdoor space.
However, if you want a bigger lawn, you may need to hire a professional to help you figure out how to maneuver and maximize the space you have.
You will also have to put in mind that the larger the lawn size, the higher the maintenance costs. This is because more resources will be needed for irrigation, mowing, and other routine maintenance practices. You can also use some clever budget-friendly landscaping ideas if you are trying to cut costs.
b) Location
Location is also a major determinant of the type and pattern of lawn designs you will have. This is why you have to be familiar with your environment to make the right decision in your lawn plans.
An area with no fence will preferably have a lawn designed to show a clear distinction between the work paths and the lawn. On the other hand, creating a lawn garden in an area with restricted access to water should feature a lawn design that will favor irrigation.
Here are just a few designs you can consider out of a broader list of lawn designs.
I) Mowing lines lawn
This type of lawn design has this catchy circular outlook that brings a particular aesthetic beauty to the lawn. Most people who are creating lawn solely for beauty usually opt for this lawn design as it usually turns out very lovely if done right.
The concept behind this type of lawn designs is to make line patterns using a device such as a mower. It is these patterns that determine the growth direction of the planted grasses on the lawn.
The other benefit of this design is that maintaining such lawns is usually relatively easy and affordable. All you need is to get it mowed from time to time.
ii) Irrigated Lawn
You might be wondering if making a lawn is an ideal thing to do in your area, either because of inadequate rainfall or the fact that your outdoor space doesn’t support the free flow of water. The good news is that inadequate rain shouldn’t be a reason to prevent you from planning and designing your own lawn.
There are several lawn designs that perfectly allow for irrigation. To achieve this type of lawn, all you will have to do is locate the nearest direction of water flow to your outdoor space and then channel the flow of water into that direction.
For more effectiveness, you can use a hose to channel the water and then design your lawn to slope so that water can freely flow across your lawn. This type of design is often known as irrigated lawns.
iii) Edging Lawns
This type of lawn design is particularly suitable for houses without a fence. It protects your lawn garden by preventing animals and people from coming in to disturb the lawn design. Edging lawns are made with really conspicuous edges. The prominent edges are for protection, and they ensure that no one would accidentally step on your precious green.
There are different types of lawn edging techniques you can try ranging from, wooden lawn edging, lawn edging stones, plastic, and metal lawn edging.
iv) Garden walls
Another lawn design that you might also want to consider is garden wall lawns. This is a type of lawn garden that is literarily resting on the walls of your house. This kind of lawn is designed to give a strategic impression that the lawn is growing on the walls of the building while, in reality, it is growing from the soil but resting on the walls of the building.
To achieve this type of design, you will need to plant species of grasses that crown tall and that require horizontal support to arrive at their full potential.
Creating a lawn in your outdoor space adds to the aesthetics and value of the home. People looking to design their lawns themselves need to plan ahead to ensure a seamless operation. Following the guide above can help you achieve your landscaping dream in no time!
Don’t forget to have your plans clearly mapped out so that you won’t run into any troubles as you begin to work on your lawn. With research and a little hard work, you’ll create a lawn to enjoy your own piece of the great outdoors.
]]>Imagine looking out your window at a bed full of beautiful and vibrant flowers, maybe even with a few vegetable plants mixed in. Even better, the garden you are admiring is one you created from scratch. You have walked around your neighborhood and admired the gardens for years and now you are ready to build one of your own.
But you aren’t sure where to begin and feel a little overwhelmed with the idea of tilling the soil or digging up large areas of grass. The good news, turning your lawn into a garden is not as complicated or challenging as you might think. You do need to plan ahead and decide which method to use and what plants will do best in your climate.
With a little help from your local gardening shop or hardware store and a bit of exercise out in the fresh air as you move mulch and dig up dirt, your lawn can transform into the garden of your dreams. Before you get too attached to one type of flower or plant, you will need to figure out the direction your garden will be facing in relation to the sun.
You will also want to start thinking about whether you want perennial flowers that will come back each year or annuals that tend to have more blooms but are only in a garden for one season. But before you even get to the planting part, you need to prepare the soil and choose the best space for your garden to bloom.
Just like in real estate, a garden’s location is one of the most important aspects of its success. When planning a garden and the plants that will go in it, you need to think about where and when the sun hits that specific area. You also need to keep in mind where a water source will be so that you can maintain the garden once you are finished planting.
If you have never gardened before, you will probably want to start with easy to maintain plants such as shrubs and hardy perennials and work your way up to more complicated and finicky flowers. Shrubs and large plants like hydrangeas or roses are a great starting point as they are perennials and come back year after year.
Once you decide on the location of the garden in your lawn, then you need to map out the perimeter. As you have admired your neighbor’s yards, did you like the look of brick or rock borders better? Did you enjoy the raised bed look of a garden or prefer the in-ground garden style? Think about what you want as a border and start laying a perimeter with string in the shape you prefer.
One option to consider if you are hesitant to commit to changing a large space of your lawn into a permanent garden is a raised bed garden. The materials for this type of garden are more expensive, but if you change your mind later it is much easier to remove than an in-ground garden.
There are a lot of options out there for building raised flower beds so you can choose which option is best for your space if you decide to go that route. Assuming you want the in-ground option, the next step after choosing the location is to start preparing the soil.
Making sure the soil is ready for planting is one of the reasons people hesitate to start their own garden. But science has come a long way and taken a lot of the guesswork out of the nutrients and steps you will need to complete to help your garden thrive. You can get your soil tested, but it isn’t necessary as long as you add composted soil with nutrients.
There is a technique called sheet-mulching which is a foolproof way to ensure the grass won’t grow back (this has also been referred to as the lasagna method because of the layers used). As you decide whether you want to do sheet mulching or a raised flower bed, you need to decide how patient and thrifty you want to be.
If you are ready and anxious to plant right away, it is going to involve more heavy lifting with the raised flower bed. If you can wait a few weeks then you can let the grass stay as it is for the sheet mulching method.
If you are going to start planting soon, you will want to use a hoe to cut through the grass and sod to get to the bottom layer of dirt. Hardware stores often let you rent a sod cutter if you are looking for a more efficient method. You can throw the dug up sod into a compost pile to use later.
Whether you are going to wait it out or go ahead and hoe the ground now, both options will need to use composted soil as the base. This will help the roots of your new plants grow strong and healthy.
When you start an in-ground garden the grass needs to be removed before anything else can happen. The first step is to mow the grass down to as short as possible. Once the grass is short, you can spread a light layer of composted dirt before you begin to lay down newspaper or cardboard.
The middle layer of either cardboard or newspaper is the most important as this layer is what will help smother the grass. Using a biodegradable material ensures that it will eventually break down over time while also being able to keep grass and weeds from growing through.
Once you have covered the area you plan to use, wet the cardboard. This step helps moisten the ground while also keeping weeds and the previous grass from taking over your flower bed.
Now you are ready for the top layer. Using the same compost dirt you chose for the base layer, spread a two-inch thick layer on the top. Make sure the newspaper or cardboard layer is still moist first before doing this step.
If you plan to wait to let the soil adapt, experts recommended waiting a minimum of six weeks to let the soil adjust. If you plan to plant right away, you will want to add one more layer of potting soil. Potting soil tends to be rich in nutrients which will help your plants adapt to their new home.
Finally, you want to add a layer of mulch or pine straw. Seasoned gardeners have different views and opinions on whether you should use mulch or pine straw, but ultimately it is up to your personal preference and whichever material you find more aesthetically pleasing.
You’ve done the hard work of manual labor so now it’s time to observe. As you dug up some of the sod, did you notice if there were earthworms? If so, your soil can likely support a variety of plants. If your soil tended to be on the drier side with sand, you may want to look into adding more compost and potting soil. Once you determine the type of soil in your yard, you can then start planning which plants will do well in your new garden.
Now that you have prepared the soil, the fun part can begin: choosing what to plant. Depending on whether you are new to gardening or not, you may want to choose plants that are more hardy and low maintenance when you are first starting out.
Regardless of your experience level, you will want to do some research to decide whether or not you want more perennials or annuals. Most gardens tend to have some staple perennials such as gardenia bushes or rose bushes mixed in with the annuals. Remember annuals don’t come back the next year, but they do add a lot of color and depth to a garden as many annuals tend to have luscious blooms for a season.
Once you start planning out your dream garden, you also want to keep in mind the type of soil that is already naturally occurring in your space as well as what climate you live in. One of the best ways to plant a successful garden is to observe what plants and flowers do well in your neighborhood. Walk around the gardens near your home and ask more seasoned gardeners for advice on what they have found to be successful.
Plants are an investment and you want to make sure you invest well so that they come back year after year or so that they can thrive during the season. You need to determine which direction your garden is facing. If you have a south-facing garden you will want to plant flowers that are heat tolerant. If your garden is shady, you want to invest in plants that can tolerate less sun.
As you search through the different flower options, keep in mind what native plants grow in your area. Starting with native plants ensures you will have successful blooms. It is also helpful to choose plants that bloom at different times so that pollination can happen as well as having blooms for a longer period of time.
After you have chosen your established perennials, have some fun, and choose blooms that you enjoy clipping to have in your home. You can also buy inexpensive packets of seeds to experiment with. There is nothing more satisfying as a gardener than growing a plant from a seed to bloom.
Whatever you choose to plant, know that you will learn more as a gardener the more you practice. Most gardeners love talking about their garden so don’t be afraid to ask the experts questions. You’ll likely learn a few tips and tricks from those that have spent countless seasons cultivating various plants.
You took time to research and plan and did quite a bit of manual labor. After all of that, you now have a beautiful garden which will provide beauty and color in your front yard, congratulations! Since you put so much work into making the garden, you will want to make sure to continue to take care of it as time goes on.
Depending on what you planted and how ambitious you were, you may be able to get away with only having to water once or twice a week depending on where you live. The rule of thumb is that when you first plant a new flower you want to water it every day for seven to ten days to help the roots become established.
As you continue to work to maintain your garden, notice what plants do well and which plants seem to struggle. Many gardeners suggest making a blueprint of your garden for each season so as plants go dormant for the winter you can remember what plants were located where for the spring.
If you notice that the grass is trying to grow back or weeds are popping through the soil, you may want to invest in some weed killer to help combat peskier weeds. Or you can use the old fashioned method of pulling them up from the root. Just remember that some weeds can become invasive quickly so once you notice a problem you will want to address it right away.
The longer you garden the more you will learn about the plants and which flowers do well in which conditions. Spend time visiting your local botanical gardens to note the native flowers and to learn more about all of the varieties available to grow in your own garden. You’ve done the hard part, now it’s time to enjoy the beauty of the blooms and admire the fact that you turned a blank canvas into a work of art.
]]>There are three different types of insurance claims adjusters, and each has its own interest in mind. So it’s a good idea to figure out which type would suit you the best. The three types include staff, independent, and public.
The public adjuster is one that you personally hire that interacts with your insurance company. The benefit with public adjusters is that they are on your side and will work with you every step of the way to get you the claim payment that you deserve. The incentive for them to do so is that the more money you receive the more money they also receive. The caveat being they get a cut from the payment.
Staff and independent adjusters are similar in that they work directly with the insurance company. Staff adjusters are part of the company and can be considered your enemy in getting the maximum claim payment. Their interest aligns with the insurance company’s interests.
The independent adjuster is a third-party that is hired by the insurance company. It can either be another insurance company or a hired public adjuster. The objective of the independent adjuster is to provide the most objective investigation aligning with neither side.
You should contact a home insurance claims adjuster as soon as you can once the damage is done. Whether it be a public or staff adjuster. The sooner that there is an adjuster figuring out the damages and what that ultimately owes you, the sooner repairs or moving on can occur. But there is a difference between the adjusters and how long they might take.
If you’re contacting your insurance company directly then they will assign you one of their adjusters. Figuring out the damages can happen in person or on the phone, but if it is on the phone then it may be harder to get the money that you are entitled to. That is because nothing is being documented nor recorded aside from that phone call. And chances are they won’t be acting in your interest but of the insurance company’s.
The point is that it could be quick but you might not get as much as you are entitled to. But, if you contact a public adjuster, the process may take longer. This is because the more money you get from the insurance company, the more money they get from the whole process. So they may take longer looking at damages or just communicating with your insurance company to get as much money as possible.
When contacting an insurance claims adjuster, it’s best if you get it in your home if you seek as much as you are entitled to. Staff adjusters are not on your side, they seek to minimize the payout from your insurance company. Therefore, it’s best that when contacting an adjuster, to get the inspection done in your home to point out the damages specifically.
The caveat as said before is that it will take longer, but if potentially making more money through entitlement is worth it to you, then you shouldn’t worry about the time. If you hire a public adjuster then the caveat there is that they need to be paid so there is a chance that you can get more in reparations from a staff adjuster since they are provided by the company.
A staff adjuster nor an independent adjuster is working in your interest. They seek to either make it as objective as possible or to minimize compensation that you would otherwise be entitled to. But if you contact a public adjuster, they will be on your side. And either make it objective or attempt to lean it in your direction.
If you want to play it as safe as possible then going with a public adjuster is the way to go. Chances are they will be more thorough in their investigation as well as more willing to look in harder to reach areas without being pointed out. This would be all to document all damages and how severe the damage was.
With the investigation being through, chances are you’d get as much out of you claim payment as you possibly could. So the best and possibly easiest way to maximize the claim payment is by contacting a public adjuster. In addition to that, you also wouldn’t have to watch your words as much or at all as compared to when speaking to an independent or staff adjuster.
The side-objective of the staff adjuster is to minimize that claim payment, while they don’t want to rip you off which would give the company a bad image. They certainly don’t want to pay you more than what they deem they should. Therefore, it’s best to watch your words of what you say and also of what you don’t say. Any fault that falls on you could reduce the payment.
The objective of the independent adjuster is to neither help you or the insurance company. Since they are a third-party they will be as objective as possible. In doing so, you will be paid what you should rather than being ripped off or even being compensated more than needed.
No matter which adjuster you get, may it be staff, independent, or public, they should keep records and record their observations. Everything should be written out as a form of evidence that will eventually help you. It’s even a good idea for you to record conversations so that adjusters will keep their promises or statements made.
When contacting an adjuster, it’s important that you hire or receive one that is licensed within your state. Doing so ensures that they are familiar with local costs. If they aren’t familiar with the local costs then it could mean that you get less than what you ultimately should. No matter which adjuster you get, this is important.
There are three different types of adjusters. The public adjuster has your own interest in mind but needs to be paid. The staff adjuster has their insurance company’s interest. And the independent adjuster works directly with the insurance company but has no connection with it and is therefore objective.
Ultimately which one you decide on, between public or staff, is dependent on how long you want the process to last and how much of the maximum payment you’re fine with receiving. If you’re working with a staff adjuster you might not get the full amount but the process may be easier or faster. But with the public adjuster, they will be fully on your side and you would be able to trust them.
]]>If you are building a new house or you’ve been looking at your dated floors for too long, you’re going to start considering new flooring options. Walking into a flooring store lined with stacks of tile, hardwood, carpet or laminate can be overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to begin.
Take a look around your house and get a sense of your style. Would hardwood look best or a nice plush carpet? Once you invest in new flooring, you aren’t going to want to pay to change your mind. You should begin to think about what color or pattern choices you like.
You might even consider doing two different types of flooring. Perhaps, carpet in the bedroom but hardwood throughout the rest of your house. Either way, you should have an idea of what your best flooring options are before you even step foot in a store.
You will want to make yourself aware of each type of flooring and whether you think it will work for your space. Flooring options have a wide range of pricing and style types. There is no need to feel overwhelmed if you inform yourself ahead of time.
When many people want to upgrade their flooring, they immediately think of hardwood floors, but is it the right choice for you? Hardwood floors fall into two categories: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood.
Now you know what your flooring options are, let’s take some other factors into consideration. It’s important to think of your lifestyle and who will be walking on your new floor.
Narrowing down your choice of flooring options can be easier based on what room you are working on. Not all flooring is created equal and can serve different purposes throughout your house. Remember, you can always go with more than one type of flooring in your home.
For the main living rooms of your home, you really can’t go wrong with any of the flooring choices. Family rooms and sitting areas should be a warm and inviting space. You can put a nice cherry hardwood in or even a neutral carpet color.
If you are finishing off your basement, you might want to avoid hardwood. While not impossible, hardwood usually isn’t designed to go below grade level in a home. Instead, consider choosing a durable option like ceramic tile downstairs because it is not affected by moisture.
If you are re-flooring the bedrooms in your house, you may want to consider carpet. You are likely barefoot in your bedroom and the carpet will feel better on your feet. If you are set on avoiding carpet altogether, you can always put down hard flooring and put an area rug on it for some comfort.
Any rooms that tend to get messy, like the kitchen or bathroom, do well with laminate or tile. It makes for easy cleaning if there are any spills or accidents. The tile is less porous and won’t retain the messes as much.
While it would be nice to have no budget at all, reality tends to set in as you begin looking at price tags. Your budget is something you should consider before you begin selecting your flooring. You’re likely to find something in every flooring category that falls within your budget but you need to know how much you would like to spend.
If you are going with two types of flooring, perhaps go higher end on one and a cheaper model on the other, especially for areas that don’t get a lot of foot action. If you are on a tight budget, consider putting in the flooring yourself. An option like clink and lock vinyl or laminate would be your easiest choices here.
If you have a furry little friend running around, you may not want carpet throughout if you don’t like scrubbing the occasional, or frequent, accident. Carpets also tend to show more dirt and stains than hardwood or tile.
If you have dogs that run free in your home, you may not want them scratching up your brand new hardwood. Porcelain tile can be a good option in homes with pets because it can hold up to the test of your animals with its durability and resistance to staining.
If you have the slightest bit of allergies, you may want to avoid carpet altogether. Pet dander and allergens love to creep into the tiny fibers of your carpet. It can prove difficult to fully clean it, no matter how many times your Roomba rides over it.
If you have little ones running around and have been eyeing a bright white carpet, you may want to think again. Carpet has a pesky habit of collecting dirt and stains, some of which are difficult to get out. If your son plays on the football team, you aren’t going to walk him walking on your fresh carpet with his dirty cleats.
If you’re set on carpet, you can try a darker gray color which can hide blemishes better than a lighter color. The color of your carpet can truly make all the difference in keeping it looking great long-term.
Carpets are great if you have a crawler around, as it’s soft on their little knees. Carpets can also help reduce the noise in the house which comes in handy with sleeping babies. They absorb sound much better than any hard flooring.
You’ve decided what type of flooring you want but now you have to pick out the color. If you have a smaller space, going for a lighter, bright color will help it feel more open. Choosing a dark color will only make it feel tighter and closed in.
If you think you’re going to resell your home in a few years, perhaps step back from anything too bold. While it might look fun today, it could prevent a future homebuyer from wanting to step foot on it. Grey is a great neutral color for carpets and tiles and can do well over time.
Consider the color of your walls. You can always re-paint to better match your new flooring but do you really want to? If you aren’t interested in dragging out the paint cans, be sure to find flooring that will go with your already colored walls.
If you are set on a more expensive flooring option but don’t want to pay the cost of labor, consider doing it yourself. Granted, there are some you should avoid doing yourself but you do have options. It will give you great pride knowing you did the work yourself.
Peel and stick vinyl flooring is easy and quick to install and won’t put too much of a dent in your wallet. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment and the tiles are easy to measure and trim. They come in a variety of colors and patterns to choose from.
If you think you can’t install carpet, think again. Consider installing carpet tiles, which typically are cheaper than your standard rolled carpet. They are simple enough to put in and easy to switch out if you get a stain on them.
Any type of flooring, like hardwood or tile, where you need to cut it down will prove more difficult without a contractor and the right equipment. But if you are on a tight budget and want to take a shot at a DIY project, you definitely have a few flooring types to choose from.
If you’re adamant about high-quality floors and a good deal, check out home flooring outlets. You might find a discontinued item that fits your house and budget perfectly. Don’t hesitate to negotiate either. If you are buying flooring for a large space, you might be able to get a good deal out of it.
It’s no secret there are plenty of flooring options for you to choose from. If you can narrow down where in your house you will put it, it will help you decide what quality of the flooring you need. Remember, you don’t need the highest-end hardwood flooring in your laundry room.
The process of picking out your flooring should be an enjoyable one. It’s a statement of who you are and what your home represents. So, sit back and enjoy gazing down at your new, beautiful floors and be proud of the flooring options you chose.
]]>In most places, recycling has become easier than ever. There are many districts that come and pick recycling up from your curb just like they do garbage. In every district, there is a center available to drop your recycling at.
This easy access to recycling resources has made recycling more popular and widely spread than ever. However, that means that there is more confusion about what exactly can be recycled. Recycling and garbage look the exact same because they often are.
Knowing which items you use can be recycled will help you start to protect the planet in a small, easy way. Waste management plays a huge part in saving our planet as well. Once you learn how to identify recyclables it will become much easier to recycle and control your waste. Here are a few ways to tell if your garbage is recyclable or not.
The first step to finding out what you can recycle is to look into what your townships recycling center allows. This will tell you the things you need to start putting aside as recycling and the things that can remain garbage. It can also help you locate the nearest recycling drop off to you.
Most counties will have one or two places you can drop off your recycling. It will tell you what types of recycling can be dropped off there and have designated bins for each type of recycling. This will help you know where to put all of your recycling and how it should be organized.
Your county also might pick recycling up from your curb the way they do garbage. If that is the case, you should be able to find what you are allowed to put in those county-owned bins and what needs to be thrown away. Checking with your town for recycling resources in your area is the best way to get started.
Plastic is probably the most confusing recyclable because it is not always recyclable. Depending on the number on the plastic it might still need to be thrown away. Usually, plastic numbers one through seven are recyclable but that might change depending on your county.
The number of your plastic will be stamped somewhere on the item inside a recycling symbol. If that number is one that your nearest center recycles then that piece of plastic should be recycled. If the number is not one accepted by your county then it should be thrown away or recycled in a county that accepts that number.
You will likely find that most of the plastic, if not all of the plastic, that you use can be recycled. Putting numbers into your recycling that are not accepted will make the process of sorting through your recycling at the center much more difficult and time-consuming. It is important you comply with the recycling rules your county has put in place to make the recycling system run smoothly.
Aluminum, tin, and steel are pretty much always recyclable. This includes soda cans, tin foil, and steel cans. Things like that, which are used every day, can be recycled and cut down on your footprint significantly.
Food is recyclable through composting. It should never be put in your recycling bins. This includes the items that you are allowed to recycle.
It is important you rinse off all of the items you are recycling before you recycle them. This keeps them clean and helps prevent the food rotting while your items wait to be recycled. You may choose to compost, but do not recycle food along with your recycling.
Pretty much everything made from paper products is recyclable. This includes cartons, cardboard, newspapers, magazines, books, and loose paper. As long as the item is not covered in food it can be recycled and re-used.
It is best to recycle all of your paper products. This will significantly decrease the amount of waste you are putting into the world. The number of paper products you use will become apparent as soon as you begin recycling.
One of the main rules you will hear about recycling is “when in doubt, throw it out”. This is a good rule of thumb for everyone who recycles. If you are not sure you are allowed to recycle it and you can’t find any information on it then it is best to throw that item away.
Many items that people are not sure about are products that are not recyclable. If you send a non-recyclable product to a recycling plant it runs the risk of slowing down the whole system. For instance, plastic bags are not recyclable and often jam up recycling machines that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
If you are not sure it should be recycled then do not recycle it. This might produce one or two extra pieces of garbage, but it is much more likely that the item was not recyclable anyway. When in doubt, throw it out is the best way to go about recycling once you know the general products that can always be recycled.
Glass is recyclable. It is also being taken off most counties lists for products you can put in their recycling bins. Many counties will now have designated places you can take your glass to be recycled.
The reason for this is because it is expensive to recycle glass. There are different colors of glass that must be melted down to create a new product. This is a lengthy and expensive process that many places are not willing to undertake at this time.
This does not mean you should not recycle your glass. There is likely a place near you that will accept at least some types of glass. Do not throw away your glass unless you are sure there is no place that will take it or you are unwilling to go that far out of your way to recycle.
Recycling is not as confusing as it can first appear. Often the items that should be recycled are obvious and easy to remember. Once you learn to know the differences between recycling and trash you will be able to easily sort out all of the recycling you had been throwing away.
]]>When you’re considering renovating the floors in your home there are a lot of choices to make. With so many different flooring options available it can be hard to make up your mind. After all, each type of flooring has benefits!
As you are narrowing down the choices it may be helpful to consider how you want your home to feel? Does your home want to be a cozy getaway from the hustle and bustle? Are you hoping to go for a feeling of timelessness? Whatever emotion you want your home to convey there is a flooring solution that will help you achieve that goal.
Before you settle on one type of floor that you may regret, take a look below at these 5 best flooring options that work for family homes. You’re sure to find the perfect flooring option and you’ll soon have the floor, and the home you’ve always wanted.
Nothing suggests comfort like carpeting. If you want your living room or bedrooms to be extra cozy then it’s likely the best flooring option for you is to have carpeting. There are many benefits to adding carpeting to a room, including its insulative properties. Especially if you live in a colder climate wall to wall carpet can help but down on your energy expenses.
The thicker the carpet pad you choose, the plusher your carpet will feel. Plus the thicker pad will act as insulation from drafts. The thick cushion of a carpet pad is also ideal for young children learning to walk and can also make sitting on the floor more pleasant. Carpeting is the perfect flooring option for a growing family’s home.
It may be almost overwhelming to think about carpeting your home with so many options on the market, but once you figure out what kind of style of carpet you prefer, choosing your new carpet can be a lot of fun. There are two varieties of carpeting, cut-pile or looped. It’s a personal preference in style and design that you’ll need to choose between.
The best example of looped carpeting is Berber. Berber works extremely well for high traffic areas in a home but it won’t feel as plus as cut-pile carpeting like a Saxony carpet. It’s a great idea to take home small carpet samples to help you decide which you prefer, cut pile or loop.
Another benefit to carpeting is that it can also help reduce echoing in a larger room, making it a particularly good flooring choice for rooms with high vaulted ceilings and the potential for sound to bounce around. Carpeting will help absorb sound waves, so the noise of televisions, children playing, and even the sound of people walking will be muted on a carpeted floor.
Most current carpet offerings on the market are treated to be stain-resistant, making carpeting the easy to care for flooring choice. Carpeting is easy to care for and will look nice for a long time. For a flooring option that offers both comfort and ease of upkeep then carpeting is definitely the best choice for your family and home.
There’s a reason that hardwood flooring is the gold standard of floors. For a traditional look and feel for your home, hardwood flooring is a great choice. Depending on the type of wood you choose you can make a statement of traditionalism or even a rustic feel. There are many other benefits to hardwood floors as well.
Did you know that having a hardwood floor can affect the resale value of your home? For the flooring option that will give you the best return on investment, a hardwood floor is the way to go. Not only can hardwood floors when treated well age beautifully but with proper care, they can last for a long time!
Hardwood floors can be damaged by prolonged contact with water. In order to avoid lasting damage to your floor be certain to wipe up spills and drips right away. While wood can be prone to scratches from furniture and even dog nails, hardwood floors are able to be refinished if need be! Using an area run in high traffic spots around your home can help protect your floors.
There are so many possibilities with designing hardwood floors. With many wood varieties to choose from in varying hues ranging from dark to light, you can match your new hardwood floor to a favorite table or just pick your favorite. You can even mix the wood tones with careful consideration.
So long as you also take into account the strength of the wood, some are harder and softer depending on the variety of tree. If you have small children and large pets you may prefer a stronger and more durable flooring material. A flooring expert can help you make the right decision for your family home.
One flooring material that is a great option is a tile floor. While tile may not be appropriate depending on your geographic location, if you live in an area that gets hot or humid you may not need or want carpeting in your living room.
There are also many instances in which a tile floor is the best living room flooring choice for cleaning. If you live near the beach and you don’t want to vacuum sand constantly for instance. Tile floors are strong and easy to keep clean making them a great floor. Or if you have a hot tub off of your living room, you may also want to consider tile.
Because tile is extremely versatile and available in many different sizes, styles and design options you’re bound to find something you like. Even after you’ve chosen your time you can change the look of your floor simply by laying the tiles in different patterns. Tile is great for expressing personality in a flooring option.
Did you know that tile is available in either ceramic or porcelain, and the only big difference between the two is that porcelain is made from more pure source materials? This makes porcelain more durable but it can also be more expensive so it is really up to you which tile is the best choice for your living room.
Because tile is known to stay cool, it is a great flooring option for those who live in warmer climates. Since tile is impervious to water you won’t have to worry about spills or even those unfortunate puppy accidents. Whether you opt to floor your whole home in tile or just a few select rooms, tile can make any family’s home pop!
It’s true that laminate floors sometimes get a bad reputation but if you love the look of hardwood floors at a lower price point, then it may be the exact right floor for your home. Laminate flooring is created by fusing together multiple layers to make the laminate strong overall. The top layer of laminate is a protective finish that will further help protect the floor from fading or staining.
If you have a lot of pets, you may actually prefer laminate floors in their homes over hardwood flooring because they don’t want to worry about potential damage to their floors. Because laminate flooring is so strong it will not require resurfacing to look great. Especially if you have a large dog and small kids you may want to skip hardwood over laminate.
For a low-cost and easy to care for floor in your living room or the kitchen consider a laminate floor. Many busy families also appreciate how easy it is to keep clean and your guests will be impressed by how great your floors look!
Another hardwood floor alternative is vinyl flooring. Being able to withstand a lot of damage, spills, and fading, vinyl flooring is one of the most durable floors on the market. Vinyl flooring can also be quite cost-effective depending on your preferences for design.
Vinyl requires very little in the way of upkeep. There isn’t any need to refinish your vinyl floors, simply keeping them clean is your only goal! And choosing a design that complements the rest of your home’s style. With many colors and designs to choose from you’re sure to find a vinyl floor that will make your home look great.
It may surprise you that some floors can be damaged if spills aren’t wiped up quickly but most vinyl floors are 100% waterproof so accidental spills aren’t a problem. Vinyl is also scratch and dent resistant you can be sure your floors will be able to withstand your active lifestyle or having toys be dropped all over it and they will look great for many years to come.
As you begin thinking about the new floors for your home you have to decide which type of floor will work out for the best. These 5 options are excellent, and whichever choice that is right for your family and house is going to serve you well over the years. From cozy to convenience, there is a floor for you!
]]>Are you thinking about remodeling your home to prepare it to hit the market? Or do you just want to make some updates you can enjoy while adding value? Renovations have the potential to positively impact how much your home is worth.
There are value-adding projects at every budget. It’s essential to make updates that are neutral to appeal to many tastes to get the most bang for your buck. Focus on making changes that you can enjoy, but will also attract potential home buyers.
From removing walls to floor renovations, there are both big and small projects that can improve your home’s aesthetics. Making both visual and functional improvements can increase the potential market price of your property. Here are five ways to remodel your home and increase its value.
One of the biggest impacts you can make is a full floor remodel. Updating floors can change the entire look of your home. You can add value by using high-quality materials with a timeless look.
Flooring that isn’t consistent from room to room makes the flow of your space feel choppy and awkward. Create a seamless flow by choosing to use the same flooring throughout the whole floor, if not your entire home. The consistency will make your space feel much bigger and more finished.
Look for flooring materials that stand the test of time both in looks and durability. A beautiful, neutral floor will increase both the value of your home and your enjoyment of the space. Tones of grey and brown are classic hues that will be relevant for years to come.
Replacing floors is a significant investment, and you want to make sure they look beautiful well into the future. Durable materials like composite, bamboo and high-quality laminate can take a beating and still look great. Classic materials like tile and wood are also good long-lasting choices. Look for a material that has an impressive warranty term that’s transferrable for added value.
Bright and open floor plans are often more desirable to buyers. It makes a space feel grander and more modern. And it offers more decor options.
Consider opening up your space by removing a wall. Even eliminating a small wall can make a big difference in the feel of the room. Consult with a contractor to see what your options are. You can often still remove a load-bearing wall by adding structural support.
Another option to open up your space is by adding natural light. Look for dark areas or expanses of walls where adding a window could make a big impact. Letting in outdoor light makes a space feel larger and completely change the mood. Not only does it impact the inside of the home, but it adds curb appeal and interest to the exterior as well.
Lighting is a super cost-effective way to update and add value to your home. The right lighting can perfectly illuminate a space, making it feel bigger and more welcoming. And adding built-in light fixtures is an inexpensive way to make your home more custom. It can also make your home more energy-efficient.
Ceiling fixtures are a perfect way to draw the eye up and flood a room with light. Choose high-quality designs that are neutral and fit the space. Look for fixtures that brighten the room with a design that fits the function of the space.
Adding dimmable recessed light to your kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces can make a huge difference. They will give you the option to set a cozy mood or fully brighten the space. And having them installed seamlessly in the ceiling creates and timeless, polished look. Homebuyers love the idea of convenient lighting already built-in.
By choosing energy-efficient lighting, you can add value to your home and make it more eco-friendly. Reduced energy costs are appealing to buyers. Consider adding smart light switches to create a full, updated smart lighting system.
One of the best places to add value to your home is the bathroom. Consider updating your existing bathroom or expanding it to create a larger space. Regardless of the size of your remodel, an updated bathroom is appealing to buyers.
Removing walls to make your bathroom more spacious may not be an option for your layout. But there are many ways to make your existing space more spa-like. Consider improvements that you would enjoy while keeping in mind the preferences of potential buyers in the future.
Cosmetic changes like an updated vanity or light fixtures make a big difference in the feel of your space. A high-quality countertop can make your bathroom feel polished and luxurious. Keeping colors and materials clean and neutral will make the color scheme appealing long term.
Functional changes are more investment. But they have the potential to make a significant impact. Consider upgrading a standard bathtub to a Jacuzzi or soaking tub. Or add a steam shower with a built-in seat.
If you have the ability to expand the bathroom, you have the option to make more extensive changes. Think about adding a double sink or vanity for more flexibility. Or building a water closet to make the room more functional and private.
So much of your time is spent in the kitchen cooking and entertaining. And improving it happens to be the best way to add value to a house. The trick is balancing form and function.
The flow of the kitchen is essential. Ease of movement makes the space more accommodating to food prep and socializing. Consider restructuring the layout of your kitchen. You want the path from work surfaces, sink, fridge, and cooking surfaces to feel natural.
Updating countertops and cabinets can be a huge transformation. Look for sturdy and neutral materials that are both durable and beautiful. A coordinating backsplash is a great upgrade that brings the look together.
Appliances can be a huge investment, but also an impactful selling point. Consider upgrading appliances to make your kitchen more functional and appealing. Look for energy-efficient options for cost savings and to appeal to eco-minded buyers in the future.
You may plan to stay in your home for years to come or put in on the market in the spring. Renovations can be a smart investment either way. You’re increasing your equity in the property and setting yourself up to fetch a higher price when you sell.
Once you decide the scope of your project, balance transforming it into something you love but will also be attractive to buyers. You want to enjoy your home but be proactive in making it marketable. And you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve increased the value while adding beauty to your home.
]]>Commercial offices never seem to have a reputation for feeling inviting. Cubicles, white walls, and fluorescent lighting just don’t make things feel very warm. They’re built for function and most of the time companies are pretty happy to leave them that way. Unfortunately, having an office environment that doesn’t feel welcoming can be hard on employee morale.
Wanting to update your commercial office to make it feel more inviting isn’t a bad thing. It’s a great way to make employees feel more comfortable in the workplace and that can mean morale and production can improve. Trends in office design really have changed in recent years and refreshing how your office looks is a very popular thing to do.
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for used office furniture in Houston, or hoping to find some edgy minimalist looks for your office across the country there’s a design idea out there for you to try. If you’re looking for some design inspiration you’re in the right place. Here are five awesome office design ideas that will make your commercial office feel more inviting.
Area rugs are inexpensive and easy to move around the office. They don’t require any major permanent changes and they can make a space feel warmer and more inviting almost instantly. You can bring color and intrigue into a room without having to do more than place a rug down.
Area rugs will cover industrial carpeting and that can make a huge difference in how the whole office looks. They can also be used to define areas of the office. If you have a reception area, placing an area rug there with some couches for your guests to wait can help define where people should be expecting to spend time in reception.
You can use the same idea to define break areas or meeting spaces. Area rugs are a low risk, high impact way to make an immediate change to how inviting your commercial office building will feel.
Another low risk high reward way to make your office more inviting is to bring in lighting that is more like home and less like an industrial building. Floor lamps, table lamps, or even installing hanging pendant style lighting can really warm up a space.
Fluorescent lighting just isn’t a good look for any space and it does nothing to make anyone feel welcome in any environment. It can even cause headaches for some of your employees if they spend a lot of time in the office.
You’ll probably still have to use at least some of the fluorescents in your office but you can really make a difference by bringing in lamps or other styles of lighting. Some offices even have chandeliers installed in break areas or reception spaces. It’s all up to you and how much you want to change permanently in your building.
Much like the area rugs, floor or table lamps won’t require permanent changes so you can make a big impact even if you do decide to skip installing new lighting fixtures for now. Your employees are likely to appreciate the more welcoming environment you create no matter which route you go with this one.
You can make your office feel a little less standoffish by bringing in elements of the outdoors. Whether you decide to do that by placing plants strategically around the office or by doing something more creative like installing a skylight or floor to ceiling windows is up to you. The benefits of bringing the outside into your workspace have even been studied.
A Stanford University study found that walking outdoors on a treadmill vs walking indoors on one resulted in 81% of the participants having a higher increase in their creative thinking output after being outside.
Another study by the University of Utah had similar results, showing that workers who had outdoor elements surrounding them were able to be more productive and solved more creative thinking puzzles than participants who were not around natural environments.
These studies were both done to determine how bringing the outdoors into a work environment may improve creativity and production. As you can see, both have determined that elements of nature really do make a difference. Not only will your work place feel more inviting, your employees are likely to get more done during the day. It’s a win for everyone involved.
You can add in pops of color on the walls or in your office furniture to make things more exciting. You don’t have to paint your entire office electric blue, but you can focus on accent walls in meeting rooms or break areas.
You can also source your local art community to see if anyone is interested in painting something like a mural in your office. If you have a very large blank wall sometimes a mural can make things feel a little less cold and sterile.
Your employees are also likely to enjoy the idea of supporting your local community in a way that improves their work life as well. It doesn’t have to be anything that will be extremely distracting, but changing up the otherwise white walled atmosphere really can do a lot to make your office feel less drab.
If you’re going to make permanent and expensive changes, an entryway that stuns and wows is the first think you should think about. If the first thing everyone sees in the morning is a grand entryway that has features that make them think “wow” no matter how many times they see it, it instantly puts them in a better mood.
Making an entryway that welcomes people into your building puts them in the mindset of getting ready to be productive and creative. It will help people distinguish work time from other things they have going on in their lives, and it will just make your office look better overall. If you’re going to go big with your office design change, this is the place to start.
Updating your office’s design to make it more inviting can really change how your office operates. Your employees are likely to feel more at home, and more at ease. Stress levels could decrease and seeing more creative ideas come from your entire team would be well worth the time spent to do any changes or renovations. Give some of these tips a try and see what a difference they make for you.
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