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Privacy Screen Fence Options

The first image that comes to mind when discussing privacy fences is that of a high-rising, solid wood or stone wall. While that, in a very literal sense, is a definitive privacy fence, there are myriad options that should also be considered.

Materials that run the gamut from cloth to green-growing fencing, from lattice to bamboo, or from PVC to concrete provide viable privacy screen fence options. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and applications for which some are suited while others are not. Many of the best privacy fence designs incorporate a combination of two or more options.

The first of these is the “green” screen fence. That buzzword may intimate either a growing, shrub or plant-based divider or an eco-friendly concept. In as many instances as possible, eco-friendly considerations should form a part of your decision-making. However, pure green-growing fences have the advantage of being almost maintenance free, and generally more economical to plant. However, long growing times may mean that your “fence” may not be truly private for a decade or so! In winter, all but evergreens will shed their foliage and leave you exposed to the outside world.

Eco-green fences are a bit more nebulous, with some claiming that only a wood fence is “green,” while others insist that the materials used must be recycled and reclaimed, as well as requiring sustainable installation processes. The reality is that even PVC fencing can claim to be “green,” due to its very low maintenance regimen, the dearth of painting required, and the low demand for equipment for installation.

Bamboo is one of the “green material” choices that has exploded in popularity recently.

Bamboo is used for dinnerware, window shades, flooring, walls, fences even clothing. In the proper climate and environment, it is durable, and offers a distinctive natural look. However, simple bamboo pole construction is not as sturdy as is needed in extreme environment conditions, and requires special care in design and installation.

Shade cloths and semi-transparent natural cloth or manufactured materials are excellent choices for patio dividers and for toppers on fence segments. While great accent pieces, they are not generally recommended for exterior standalone fencing.

Commonly, homeowners are choosing lattice fencing, lattice fence toppers or lattice used as a net for climbing plants. The choice of materials runs from softwoods to light low-grade wood to vinyl. Low-grade wood lattice is inexpensive, but very fragile. While vinyl materials often are 400-500% more expensive than inexpensive wood, they are far more durable, low maintenance and equally easy to install.

Stone, manufactured stone, concrete or cement decorative block fences can be quite costly, labour-intensive to install, and sufficiently heavy to result in sag and shift over a period of time. However, there is such a range of attractive materials and design that many homeowners prefer these types of privacy structures.

One of the considerations when contemplating a solid, transparent or semi-transparent “privacy” fence is the impact it will have on the surrounding vegetation, if sunlight is blocked. The concept of “privacy” is, for the most part, a two-way street, and if the fence blocks out views from the outside looking in, it will similarly block views from the inside looking out. When planning your fence, consider to what purpose it will be put, and what the ramifications of your chosen deign will be.…

Home Improvement Ideas – Upgrading Your Home To Enhance Looks and Value

Are home improvement projects really as easy to accomplish as shown on television shows by do-it-yourself amateurs? That would depend on whether you have the creative ability to address the various issues that crop up when upgrading your home. Home improvement involves a tremendous amount of planning and an eye for details.

Every home improvement project starts with a detailed plan. You must have the details broken down to the basic and advanced requirements of each and every room. It is not entirely possible to do it all yourself. Professional help will be required at many stages if the final result has to look good. You can identify a group of contractors, plumbers and other service providers for assistance whenever the situation arises.

Kitchen and bathrooms are two areas of your home that demands the maximum attention and best effort. A kitchen improvement can look like a truly daunting task but once you break down the tasks to its simplified form, handling them on a time-bound basis can make the task seem more manageable. Kitchen flooring, countertops and wall tiling requires special attention. The cooking area must be designed, taking care of the provisions for proper ventilation and exhaust.

Bathroom improvement is all about choosing the right tiles and color shades. If you are going to retain the fixtures, them your color scheme must complement the fixtures to enhance the looks of the bathrooms. Tiles can be laid in a creative style using striking color combinations and textures. Using the same color for the walls and the ceiling can create a feeling of continuity. If you do have to change the fixtures, you can focus on replacing the faucets, showers, taps and other similar fittings with the latest styles available in the market.

Other areas where you can concentrate on to give your home a new improved look are the windows, doors, and its accessories. Something as simple as new stylish curtains and freshly polished windows can make your home better than before. Using contemporary hard wood flooring or laminate flooring can be great to enhance the looks of your living room and bedrooms. Vinyl, linoleum and textured rubber are also some of the attractive options that you can consider for the flooring.

Choosing the best modeling and redecorating options can not only improve the looks of your home but also add to their long-term value.…

Affordable Home Improvements for Safety

Do you live in Florida and are terrified of hurricanes having been trapped in a storm once before? Do you want to remain where you are, but need to feel safe in the event of a hurricane or a tropical storm? Hurricane shutters is the most economical way to protect your windows, your family, and your house during a storm. They also increase the value of your home, especially as buyers notice the increase of hurricanes in Florida and into Alabama. Safeguard your family and protect your investment by installing attractive and affordable hurricane shutters.

Majors Home Improvement has installed these shutters since 1997, and will have a presence when the storms die down. Here are some benefits of hurricane shutters.

• Hurricane shutters are locally manufactured for residents in Florida and Alabama.

• They offer customized configuration to meet aesthetic standards.

• Shutters are built to meet Miami-Dade County Building Code requirements.

• In-house installers improve installation time and ensure proper installation.

As installers are in-house, you don’t have to worry about hiring a contractor who might know a lot about other projects, but maybe not enough about installing these shutters, because he has no experience with it. A family’s safety is involved. Go for the best hurricane shutters from manufacturers who know the devastation that can be caused by hurricanes and tropical storms. You don’t want to be caught in the path of a hurricane, but if you are, you want to feel secure in the knowledge that you are protected.

There are five kinds of hurricane shutters

• Rolling hurricane shutters

• Colonial hurricane shutters

• Bahama Hurricane shutters

• Accordion hurricane shutters

• Hurricane storm panels

These shutters when properly installed have minimum impact on the architectural integrity of your property. They can be stored in an enclosed box above your window when not in use, but at the first warning of a storm you can manually lower them with crank handles from inside or outside the building – or automatically lower them with a motor, in which case manual overrides are included. In addition to storm protection, rolling shutters function for security, light and sound control and installation. In a nutshell, features include automatic deployment, easy operation by a single person, it aligns with the architecture of your home, no storage is necessary, and it makes for an excellent theft deterrent.

You may also be interested in hurricane storm panels, which are secured to the outside of the house using bolts or tracks. These storm panels provide excellent protection for doors and windows without changing the look of your house. These storm panels are made of aluminum and provide an economical, yet highly effective alternative to conventional steel hurricane panels, which can be heavy and more likely to corrode. Clear storm panels are also available and provide effective protection, as well as allowing light inside your home. In addition, these storm panels are inexpensive, removable, simple to store, easy to install and easy to clean. Most of all, you are feeling safe.…

Unsoiled Soil

The soil that we all take for granted is actually a very valuable commodity on Earth. It is only the uppermost of the Earth’s crust, usually just the top two to eight inches. This soil has the highest concentration of microorganisms and organic matter of all the topsoil available to us. The majority of biological soil activity occurs here, and it is where your food is grown. Without this soil, water, and oxygen we wouldn’t survive. Let’s take a look at dirt and see what we can find out about what we walk on every day.

As you should know from buying bagged soil, a plant will grow most of its roots in topsoil as most of the nutrients in the soil are in this upper layer. The layer below topsoil is known as subsoil, and it is commonly found about eight inches below the topsoil. It is the first densely packed soil you will find, and is made up of sand, silt, and clay that has been partially broken down by the elements. This subsoil being broken down is the process by which more topsoil is produced. If you’re at all interested in how topsoil can be made quickly from subsoil, look into P.A. Yeomans’ 1954 book ‘Water for Every Farm.’ Within that book he explains the Keyline Design, of his invention and research, which shows how this process can be used to create nutrient rich and fertile topsoil from subsoil at an accelerated rate.

Topsoil may seem like a meaningless topic, but consider this: topsoil erosion has an estimated annual cost in the excess of $45 billion. Topsoil erosion occurs when loose soil is washed away by floods, or blown away during a dry spell, such as what happen during the ‘Dust Bowl’ which lead to the depression of the 20’s. Contributors to this also include traditional agricultural techniques, this is caused by the soil having to be plowed and planted each year. I remember when my Dad first tried no-till farming and this technique can help reduce the impacts of modern farming, but not eliminate it entirely. It also takes less time, care, and fuel to care for a no-till farm. Even with this, maybe it is time for us to go take a look at what P.A. Yeomans had to say so that our topsoil is healthy for years to come.

At home on your mini-farm, you garden, bagged soil is what you likely grow in. Topsoil for purchase has many options as far as composition goes. And you can buy it from a bag, to a whole truckload. Check with your local gardening centre to determine what exactly you need to get your garden growing its best. A quick recommendation is to be sure to find one which offers a proper mix of plant growth, and weed control. This background work will ensure that your soil is the best it can possibly be. Maybe you’ll grow crops as well as my Dad, but you’ll need a whole lot of soil to grow anywhere near as much!…

Different Types of Door Signs

In an office building, where there are multiple rooms for multiple purposes, a closed door without any sign on it can mislead people and create confusions. That is why door signs are so important and popular in the business world. People also use decorative welcome signs on doors for residential purposes. A door sign can convey an important message, an instruction or even a warning.

There are a number of online services that offer a large variety of door signs for offices. The different types of door messages that are most commonly used in offices and other business premises include conference room, employee nameplates, office hours, reception, lobby, restroom, laboratory, security, “No Smoking”, exit signs and so on. These are the primary signs used for business purposes. However, sometimes signs are also used to convey temporary messages to the employees.

The importance of an office door sign is that it lets you know the purpose of the individual rooms. It guides you to the right door and clears all confusions, making things easy for all the employees. It is not only the new employees and visitors who get benefited from these office signs, but the signs also help an old employee to locate the doors easily.

The office door messages come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These are also made of different materials. Some of these message frames are made of wood and some are made of metals like brass, bronze, copper, stainless steel and aluminum. Plastic message frames are also very popular. Choose the one that suits best your office decor. All these materials are durable and thus they make the door marks last for a long time.

Many of the online services offer custom signs. The reason behind the increasing popularity of these custom signs is that they give you the privilege of designing your own personalized door signs. These engraved custom signs are very stylish and you can personalize them by selecting their size, color, material and fonts according to your need. It is also very easy to design the custom door messages, as many suitable sizes are available on the websites along with different types of materials. You just have to select the right size for your door and then enter the text that you want to display on the sign and that is it.…

10 Affordable Home Remodeling Trends

It’s possible to do a home remodeling project on a budget. You can even save money on future energy costs with the right design.

Use Imitation Materials: Hardwood floors and granite countertops are pricey, but you can get imitations – such as laminate floors – that are so close to the real thing most people can’t tell.

Freshen up the Exterior: After you remodel, invest in new shutters, a new coat of paint, a new front door or some landscaping. This can yield big dividends for a small price.

Re-use Space: Instead of a big home addition, maybe you can get what you want by re-using a room for a new purpose or by taking down some walls to create one large area. For instance, you can combine two small rooms to make one big one, or you can take out the wall between the kitchen and dining room to open up the space.

Do It Yourself: Figure out which parts of the job really require professionals. You might not be up to installing plumbing pipes, but you can add insulation or paint walls.

Do Your Own Demolition: Demolition doesn’t require the same skills as construction. You need to take precautions, however, especially if you’re taking out an interior wall.

Avoid Moving Plumbing: You can save on the plumber’s charges.

Don’t Make Changes: Once you’ve started the home remodeling project, try not to change your mind. Those will be costly decisions.

Shop Around: Get bids from several contractors. Look around for materials – and don’t forget to try the Internet.

Be Energy Efficient: While you’re remodeling, take advantage of the opportunity to add insulation to existing walls and attics. Any windows you add should be energy efficient. Installing windows and skylights will bring in natural light and save on electricity costs.

Install New HVAC: Evaluate your heating and air conditioning needs. You may need new HVAC equipment for your additional space, or you may want to take this opportunity to get a more energy efficient furnace or air conditioner. For a lot of savings, consider solar panels or a geothermal heat pump.…