by WHITESTAR LIVING

Having a fireplace and mantel, the holidays can be an markedly joy time. This will make possible you to decorate according to the season, when it plays a part in fun innovative decorations as well as ideas. Of course, Christmas is the greatest enjoyment holiday to decorate your mantel. You can use lights and hang Christmas stockings, but for the mantel, you can lay out boughs of holly and seasonal flowers can add a joy festive seek to your room. Fortunately, there are lots of great fireplace mantels that can be used as replacements and even those that can be handcrafted to add an extra touch to a room. Those looking to replace their fireplace mantels will find there are lots of ideas out there. Whitestarliving presents a wide range of Fireplace Mantels with exclusive design with different shape and sizes. Enjoy the warm glow of a fireplace without risk or inconvenience. Our electric fireplaces combine a safe, efficient heat source with glowing ember effects to create a special fireplace magic at the flip of a switch. These units are easy to install yet beautifully crafted to match the décor of the finest homes. This functional elegance is much more affordable than you might expect. We work with suppliers and top manufacturers to ship merchandise directly from the warehouse. On top of factory-direct savings, we are pleased to offer free shipping on all the items we sell. Shop with complete confidence. Our guarantee is simple: 100% satisfaction. All units are brand-new and carry a full manu¬facturer’s warranty. If you find a lower price elsewhere, contact us for a competitive quote. At White Star Living, we discount prices but never compromise on quality. Expect sterling customer service and a secure, pleasant shopping experience every time you visit.

by ROGER TITLEY

Electricity bills have been constantly rising for many years but it has now reached the stage where power is now a major element in the household budget. The growing cost of electricity in conjunction with the climate warming problems created by burning fossil fuels, is driving more people to think about the environment and explore the possibility of creating their own renewable power supply. Constructing your own solar panels or a wind turbine is very tempting but how realistic is it? Can a home made solar panel or DIY wind generator really result in a practical difference to a normal household power bill? Or are they just fanciful dreams and marketing hype?

There are lots of variables that impact the answers to these questions. The answer will depend on where you live and how far you wish to go with your DIY power system.

One of the main factors that impacts the viability of home made solar panels will be the exposure that your house has to the sun. It is obvious that a hut deep in the heart of a forest is not going to get much benefit from a solar panel! So check the travel of the sun over your house, how many hours of direct sun does your house get? The encouraging news is that most houses should not have any trouble in gathering enough sunlight to generate electricity from a home made solar panel.

The same logic is true when considering a DIY wind turbine; you will need wind to turn it! In most places the wind cannot be trusted as the only source of power–it simply fills in the gaps left by solar power quite nicely. Luckily when the sun stops shining the wind tends to blow.

The amount of power that can be produced from a DIY power set up will depend upon the size and type of the devices being used.

Solar panels which generate electricity are also known as ‘photovoltaic cells’ or ’solar pv modules’ The amount of electricity that you can expect to extract from a solar panel is calculated by surface size and weight and usually will range between 5 and 50 watts, although many cells can be simply linked together. Any excess electricity that is generated can be stored in batteries for release at a later time.

The energy that comes from a home built wind turbine is related to the square of the blade diameter (double the diameter and you get 4 times the power) and the cube of the wind speed (double the wind speed and you get 8 times the power). Although you can’t order the wind speed, you can select the blade diameter. Typical home wind turbines will have a diameter of around 6-8 feet and a typical home power system would be capable of creating 1 – 6 kilowatts with a wind speed of about 6-10miles per hour.

A home power set up consisting of a home made wind generator and solar panel is not only achievable but very practical. With a bit of investigation it is possible to find plans for constructing DIY wind generators and solar panels and these do not require any great degree of skill or unusual tools. In fact, all of the components are easily obtained from local sources and the whole construction stage shouldn’t take more than a couple of weekends.

Can a DIY home power system save you money, yes it certainly can. Either you can feed electric items in your house directly from the free renewable electricity, or if you are able to connect your home built power system to the power grid then you can sell your electricity to your power company.

Home generation of electricity is not only a reality; it is an easy way to reduce your power bills. Who knows, maybe all houses will have a renewable energy source in the future.

Visit www.my-ecopower.com and check out the plans that I used to construct my own low cost, easy to build domestic power station.

by Jerry McKinish

When you say you want to start remodeling your home sometime soon, that is a rather broad way of describing what you want done. You have to be more specific about your remodeling plans so that the contractor knows exactly what you want to achieve in this home makeover project.

The sub-project of bathroom remodeling includes new vanity, new sink, new faucet, new bath tub, new shower walls, new shower doors, new vinyl flooring – at the very least, that is. You may also need to have a new toilet, new water closet, new mirror, and new medicine cabinet integrated into your bathroom layout as well. Whew! And that’s just the bathroom for starters.

In kitchen remodeling, you may need new countertops (like granite countertops which stand up very well under wear and tear due to its sturdiness) or perhaps new kitchen cabinets. A new kitchen sink may also be warranted if your old one has stains that won’t come out even with the toughest detergents and regular scrubbing on your behalf, or if it has rusty parts that may prove dangerous if young hands get too close.

Acoustic ceiling removal may prove necessary before you have recessed lighting installed in your living room and dining room. Recessed lighting is great for showcasing the interior details of your house, including the new carpeting you may have had installed. New dual paned windows or retrofit windows might look good here as well.

Regardless of how you want to conduct remodeling of your home, you will probably need the professional services of an experienced and knowledgeable contractor (unless you have extensive experience in home makeovers yourself and want to make the home remodeling a DIY project instead.)

The rule of thumb when hiring any contractor is: make sure everything you ask the contractor to do for you is stipulated in a written agreement that both parties have signed. This also protects the contractor so that he gets paid for everything that he does for you .

When you ask the contractor to purchase the materials for the home makeover, you should list down what sizes, colors, models and/or brands should be bought. This cuts down on any misunderstandings and assures you that you get what you asked for.

The labor aspect is another sticking point. You should come to a definite agreement with the contractor as to how many people he should have in his team, how long they should work on the project, and what happens if the team doesn’t finish the project on schedule (meaning, do you wind up paying for the additional days or not?)

A good contractor will provide a warranty for the work that he and his team finished for you. This way, if evidence of shoddy work shows up later on, you can hold him to the warranty and get the mistakes redone (without you having to pay extra money to him.)

By the way, who will handle disposal of trash and any debris that is produced by the home makeover project? There are contractors who include that in the service though there may be projects where you have to find a hauler who will cart away your debris and trash for you instead. Clarify this beforehand as well.

It is also helpful if there is a stipulation in your contract permitting you a grace period before the project starts so that if you change your mind, you can always bow out gracefully without spending a cent or incurring the ire of the contractor.
About the Author
Extreme Makeover Pros is your affordable contractor serving Orange County, Ca. for nearly 25 years. Specializing in Home Improvement and Renovation. For more details visit http://www.extrememakeoverpros.com

by EDWIN MAH

Choosing the right frame and mat can greatly enhance the overall look of the art work and complement the decor of your room.

There are a few reasons for framing your art piece. Firstly, it prevents the art work from dust and dirt; it also prolongs and preserves the life of the art work, and prevents it from fading and sustaining damage over time. Aesthetically, a frame also makes the art work look more presentable, and helps to bring attention to the art work.

Framing is especially essential for reproduced prints and posters. When simply stuck on the wall without any framing protection, the print will start to tear on the edges and some of the color may also fade out within a short period of time.

When choosing a frame, avoid picking one that is the same color or tone as the wall the art work is to be hung on. For example, do not use a white or pastel colored frame for a white wall. Find a frame color that contrasts the color of the wall. For example, on a pastel colored wall, a dark frame color, like brown or black will do nicely. In my opinion, black or brown are the most popular choice colors for frames, but sometimes metallic colors like silver and gold do nicely as well, it all depends on the theme decor of your home. Never pick a loud color like red or yellow as the frame color. In my experience, these colors almost always never look good as frames. Unless you’re framing a picture of Mickey mouse in your child’s playroom, avoid these colors like the plaque.

On the other hand, also be careful not to pick a frame that takes attention away from the art piece itself! Remember, the artwork is the center of attention, not the frame. Find a frame that compliments the art, not compete with it. In any case, if you’re still unsure, always consult a qualified interior designer, artist or a framing specialist for advice on the best choice of frames to use.

The design of the frame should also match the surroundings, for example, a frame with a lot of intricate carvings may be pretty to look at, but may not be suited for the modern, contemporary home. Such frames would do well in a Victorian styled decor. If you’re finding a frame for a contemporary interior, you should choose one that’s simple and minimalist.

A framed art piece consists of several components, namely the art piece itself, the frame, the external glazed surface that is placed over the art work to protect it, and a mat. The frame itself is fairly straightforward. Most of them are made of wood, though there are some that are made of metal.

The clear protective glazing layer is made of either glass or acrylic. Acrylic, more commonly known as Plexiglas, is more recommend due to its lightweight and impact resistance. Higher quality acrylics may offer enhanced features like non-glare and UV protection, thus providing even greater protection for your art piece.

The mat is used for 2 main reasons; it serves as a support for the art work, to prevent the art piece from being damaged through bending and folding. It also helps to create a separation layer between the art work and the glazing so that the glazing is not directly “touching” the art piece, damaging it in the long run. Most framed art pieces come with a single mat layer, although you can choose to have double, even triple mat layers. Having triple mats would add extra depth to the art work.

When choosing a mat color, you might want to go with a neutral color, like whites, cream, ivory, sandstone, pearl, grays and blacks. Neutral mat colors not only take a back seat to help enhance and guide the viewer’s attention to the art work itself, it also can easily be fit into any room, without seeming out of place.

As a general rule, choose a color that is no lighter than the lightest color within your art piece, no darker than the darkest and no brighter than the brightest. This way the mat will not outshine the art work and steal the attention away from it. Light colored mats tend to make the picture seem larger and your perception more “open” or outward. Dark colored mats seem to turn your eye inward; creating a “tunneling” effect and making the picture seem smaller then normal.

Happy framing!

Copyright 2007 Edwin Mah

About The Author

Edwin is an art enthusiast and owner of Abstract Prints, an online gallery selling a wide range of abstract art prints, suitable for interior decoration of homes, offices, hotels and restaurants. Visit his website at http://www.abstract-prints.com/

By James C

The home steam cleaner market has completely exploded. If you go to your local home improvement store you will see a dozen different home steam cleaners. But are they worth the money or will they become just a waste of space? Read this article and find out.

Home steam cleaners can be worth the money if you put them to the right use. They are generally advertised as being the cure all for your carpeting. The makers would like you to think that you will never need to hire a carpet cleaning company again. This couldn’t/t be more wrong. Just ask anyone who has ever tried to clean their entire home with one. They will tell you that it took them nearly all day and the cleaner lacked the power to extract deeply embedded soil. Nothing replaces a professional carpet cleaning.

So these machines are just a waste of space right? Wrong. They can be a worthwhile tool if you use them to do what they are best at. Use them as a home spotter for maintenance between cleanings. They make great spotters and can definitely extend the time between professional cleanings. This alone will allow them to pay for themselves.

So the decision is up to you. If you are buying a home steam cleaner so that you will never have to hire a carpet cleaner again you are better off saving your money. If on the other hand you are buying a home steam cleaner to do some occasional spotting and extend the time between cleanings you should go ahead and buy one. Good luck with whatever you decide.

By Daniel Roshard

Chimneys add a lot to a house, there is a great thing about having a fireplace in your living room and a nice picturesque smoking chimney outside your house, as you drive up to your place you can see the smoke slowly raising from it, indicating that your family is in the house and that it is nice and warm inside.

Fireplaces and chimneys need to maintained and need to be secure at all times, there is absolutely no way you can make any compromises about your fire place and chimney working state and safety.

Here are a few maintenance tips and ideas for you to consider applying to your own fir fire place and chimney.

As recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (in NFPA 211), your chimney should be checked at least once a year to ensure its efficiency; that is, if you are using your fireplace on a regular basis. However, if you are only using your fireplace for 2 to 3 months a year, you can have the option to have it checked every other year.

Stove installation should be checked at least once a year to ensure that the clearances from combustible surfaces are maintained to prevent any hazard. Stove pipes are subject to high temperature so it should be checked periodically for corrosion. Replace it if corrosion level exceeds the safe zone.

If there is a need to clean your chimney, take a professional chimney sweep to do the job. You can use the opportunity that you have a professional chimney cleaner at your property and ask for some regular cleaning advise and tips, these should be adapted to your fireplace and chimney and the area in which you live, a professional would know how humid it is in your area and what kind of animals try and get into your chimney in the summer and winter.

Keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not used to prevent the heat or air conditioning from escaping.

Installing a chimney cap of high quality can extend the life of your chimney. It also prevents birds, insects, and animals to nest in your chimney, the most known and popular chimney caps are made out of copper, which is an excellent metal to use for this purpose, if you need a chimney cap you should look into what kinds there are on the market.

Installing a smoke detector inside your home will provide you with some peace of mind, knowing that if anything will go wrong you will have a clear indication of it, and that you will have a practiced routine for a case that the fire alarm goes off.