Brass Name Plaques, Office Signs and Door Name Plates – Tips for Maintenance
Brass Name Plaques, Office Signs and Door Name Plates – Tips for Maintenance
Brass name plaques are an iconic and an elegant way to commemorate an individual, or even a momentous occasion. Brass plaques are also used as office signs and door name plates. Often, they have beautiful metal engraving on them. But these brass name plaques and signs often develop a greenish coating on their surface. This holds particularly true for brass door name plates, as they are often exposed more than the others since they usually hang on doors outside. This greenish coat, a sign of corrosion, can obscure the metal engraving on the plaque or sign over time, so it is important to remove it and/or prevent it from developing at all. Maintaining your brass plaques and signs need not be difficult job. Here are some tips to help you take care of your name plaques, office signs and door name plates, so that they will always retain their sophisticated charm and charisma:
• The harsh elements, as well as the pollutants in the air, mar the beauty and luster of brass plaques. If you notice any layers building up, the first thing you should do is wash the plaques with a solution of ivory soap and water. This should be done softly with a kitchen brush since a hard brush could scratch them. Do not use detergents as they can be too harsh. You might end up with a clean, but dulled plate.
• Rinse the etched plate well, until the greenish layers are all washed off. The last rinse should be done with distilled water to ensure that the brass plaque does not have a residue of any dissolved salts or chemicals.
• Dry the surface using a slightly moist, but clean cloth. This is because a dry cloth might make minute scratches which can dull the brass over time. Be sure to dry the crevices and deep parts of the metal engraving carefully. No water droplets must remain in them. If you can keep the plaque or sign in a dry place under the sun after this, do so.
• Applying a layer of wax after drying, and then brushing it off with a soft cloth or brush is helpful in preserving the shine of the plate and the clarity of the engraving.
If the layers of dirt and corrosion are too thick, and you can’t remove them through the process given above, then you should use a cleaner specially formulated for brass plates. With only a bit of care and work, your brass name plaques, office signs and door name plates will keep their shine for a very long time. Remember, neglecting them will only result in creating a bad impression, as people enter your home or office.…
Types of Table Saw Accessories
Types of Table Saw Accessories
A table saw is one of the most essential and most used tools in a workshop. It basically consists of a saw with circular blade. The saw is connected to a table with the blade protruding out. The blade rotates at high speed and is used primarily to cut wooden material. Due to its simplicity and accuracy it is widely used. It requires some basic accessories to work efficiently and accurately. The basic accessories used by a table saw are –
1) Saw bench assembly2) Saw fence system (rip fence)3) Miter gauge4) In feed / out feed table5) Splitter6) Inserter7) Blade protectors8) Feather board9) Tenon jig etc
All these accessories are used to increase precision and come in various different specifications. We will go through them one by one and make the selection process easier. The bench assembly depends on the type of table saw. The different type of table saws are bench saw, contractor saw, cabinet saw and hybrid table saw. Choose one that fits easily in your workshop and that fulfills your sawing and cutting needs. A bench saw comprises of just a simple bench with the saw attached to an edge. The contractor and cabinet saw are somewhat bulky and have their own assembly. They are more handy in places where cleanliness is require as they do not make much mess and the saw dust is collected in a separate chamber. They are also more powerful. A hybrid saw is a combination of contractor and cabinet saw.
A fence or rip fence is used to feed the wood to the saw. A good fence provides accuracy and precision. Usually the default fence that comes with the saw is enough for normal work. But if extra precision is required there are a variety of fences available in the market that comes in various sizes. But a three to five mm fence proves enough for most of the work. A miter gauge is used to make cuts at ninety degree angles. Longer boards or sheets of wood can be difficult to cut. In feed or out feed tables are used in such cases to help cut longer sheets of wood. Table saws are prone to kickbacks where the material being cut is caught by the blade and thrown back. A splitter is used to avoid kickbacks. Inserters are used to adjust the clearance of the blade. There are a variety of inserters available for purchase. Select one according to your needs. A blade can get dirty if kept in the open and can loose its sharpness. Blade protectors are used to cover the blade when not in use. Feather boards are used to adjust the wooden material against the rip fence. Like a miter gauge that makes cuts at ninety degree angles a tenon jig is used for vertical cutting of material.
Apart from this a variety of safety accessories are available to make the cutting process safer. Feeding sticks, hand gloves, anti kickback devices are a must while using a table saw. Keeping an extra set of different sized blades also helps and comes in handy. Choosing the right set of accessories will make the cutting process simple, accurate and safe. A little bit of research can help you in choosing accessories and safe you a lot of time and money.…
The Importance of Bathroom Design
Families are spending more and more time in their bathrooms than ever before, thus, they desire their bathrooms to be functional as well as inviting. If you are ready for a new bathroom look, take some time to consider ideas for the bathroom design and investigate remodeling your bathroom to suit your needs and style.
Several questions need to be asked prior to the start of any design process. It is critical before you decide to renovate to make sure that there are no underlying problems with the core of your home. Sound plumbing, heating and electrical service should be inspected before demolition begins. When talking to a designer, consider a few things: Do you need more storage? Are the fixtures out-dated? Do the vanity and faucets need replaced? Are you able to work around the existing fixtures such as the tub and/or sink? Do you want a separate tub and shower compartments? It is an important factor also to determined the style of bathrooms choices, you can choose from modern, traditional, contemporary or transitional type of bathrooms.
Once these questions are answered, sit down and work within a realistic budget. Determine how much you are able to afford. The focus on your bathroom improvements will also depend on the type of bathroom. If your remodel is for a guest bathroom, it should be useful, inviting, and even impressive for your guests. A children’s bathroom should be bright, colorful and even fun. A master bedroom bathroom can have a resort style, relaxing, or perhaps a sexy feel.
Making the correct lighting choices, such as decorative or accent lighting add elegance to a bathroom, or adding softer dimmable lighting can give you more of a cozy feeling. Another focal point in any bathroom is the vanity mirror, giving the area a bigger feel and a chance to show off your individual style with a decorative frame or a uniquely-shaped mirror. Incorporate your family’s own taste and fashion with accessories to complete you bathroom remodel. Tile designs, the color of the walls, and open shelves for display items add character to every bathroom as well.
Bathroom design should be attractive and just as comfortable as any other room in your home. Remodeling is also an ideal time to make your house healthier for you, the community, and the environment through the use of environmentally-friendly products and recycling or reusing existing materials.…
How to Stop Your Dog Digging Under the Fence
How to Stop Your Dog Digging Under the Fence
It can be an absolute mystery to us how dogs escape out of the garden sometimes. Their abilities are incredible and it can often take a while before their owners notice how they are getting out. One common method is tunnelling or digging under the fence. This can be dangerous for the dog as they can make their way out to a busy and unfamiliar road and damage themselves. It can also be dangerous for kids or others depending on the breed and temperament of the dog. So how can we stop this kind of behaviour from our dogs? Here are a few tips to stop your dog digging under the fence.
A very basic way to stop your dog getting out under the fence is to make it unpleasant for them. A little bit of chicken wire running along the base of the fence is sure to stop them as it will hurt their paws when they try to scrape against it. Another way is to give the dog a collar that emits an unpleasant smell when they go too close to the fence – citronella collars are available for this. Shock collars work as well, but are not recommended as they hurt and scare the dog.
These ways are all well and good, but do not address the root cause of the problem of your dog digging under the fence. For real and lasting results, you need to attempt to understand why your dog is acting the way he is. Dogs enjoy digging, and often do it when they are bored. So especially if you are away all day, the dog is likely to want to get out his excess energy in some other way. This can often be digging holes, and getting out under the fence is a great adventure for your dog.
To solve this problem, you should reward good behaviour in the dog and staying away from the fence. Give them treats and affection to try and have them associate positive things with staying in the garden. You should also try and make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise. Since boredom and excess energy can be the cause of so much of this digging, it is important that they have enough space to move around in during the day and get a chance to go for a walk every day.
Lastly, you should practice obedience training with your dog. If the dog is used to coming to you when called, they are unlikely to try to escape even when you are away, and if they do, will be easy to retrieve. You can also use the come command to stop your dog digging under the fence when you see it happening. To develop this command, start calling them to come at every meal time, standing at their bowl. This will have them associate the command to come with food, and eventually they will come every time, regardless of whether there is food not In the long term, these approaches are far superior to physical measures of stopping your dog digging under the fence.…
Kitchen Remodel Design
Renovating a kitchen can be an overwhelming experience. But, if you end up with the kitchen of your dream, it will be worth the effort. There are two things to keep in mind when renovating a kitchen, such as kitchen designs and functionality.
When planning a kitchen design, it is imperative to start with a kitchen layout. Looking through magazines, online design websites, or visiting kitchen appliance stores will give you ideas. However, you will want to be realistic in planning your kitchen design. Sometimes, it’s easy to flip through magazines and fall in love with how a kitchen is laid out. But, when you try to replicate the same picture in your kitchen, you may find that you don’t have enough room for that center island with the built-in wine cooler, sink, and range. Be sure that the design you select can fit into your existing kitchen or that you have the budget to knock down some walls or extend your house.
To help you decide on your kitchen’s layout and design, go through your daily regimen of use for the kitchen. What would you like to improve? What do you want to remain the same? Do you have enough cabinet space? Do you want display shelving for your collection of china?
If you cook for a large family or have dinner parties, you may want additional counter space for food preparation. Would moving your refrigerator or placing your stove against another wall give you additional working space or make it easier for you to move around the kitchen? Perhaps, you need to install a dishwasher that’s close enough to a storage cabinet so that unloading dishes it more convenient for you.
These are the types of questions that you will need to answer before renovating a kitchen. The answers will allow you to get a kitchen design that meets all of your needs to work in your kitchen. The end result of your renovation should be a kitchen that is both functional and beautiful.…
Why Bathroom Remodeling Pays
Bathroom remodeling is one of the most popular home improvement projects undertaken by homeowners throughout the U.S. By working with an experienced bathroom remodeling contractor, you can plan for a bathroom remodel that will increase the value of your home, reduce your energy costs and save water. Using environmentally friendly materials can also help to save the environment. This is why bathroom remodeling pays.
Updating and upgrading your bathroom, especially a master bathroom, increases your comfort as you live in the home. It also increases the value of your home by 61 – 74% of the cost of the remodel. Although you will not get this money back immediately, you can expect to recover this much of your cost when you sell your home. That, by any standards, is a good return on investment.
Careful planning with a qualified bathroom remodeling contractor will give you the opportunity to choose construction materials that are environmentally friendly in terms of how they are made and in terms of saving natural resources by reducing usage. Consider, if you will, that by choosing a low-flow or dual flush toilet you can save as much as four gallons of water with every flush (depending on the fixture you are replacing). Considering that each person flushes an average of nine times per day (minimum), a family of four would save 180 gallons of water every day. And low flow faucets and showerheads also save significant amounts of water.
Now let’s assume that your home is all electric. By upgrading the insulation in your bathroom, changing your window to a triple-paned vinyl framed window with Xenon gas between the panes, you will reduce your energy usage for heating and cooling by one-third in the bathroom. Then install an energy-efficient ventilation fan, an energy-efficient spa tub or shower, and energy-efficient lighting fixtures, and you can reduce your demand for electricity even more. If the bathroom you are remodeling is heavily used, your energy savings increases.
Next think carefully about the materials you will use for your remodel. Your contractor will be able to help you decide which materials are best for your needs and your location. Some of the materials you might want to consider are: environmentally friendly drywall, recycled glass tile, cork floor tiles (for comfort and beauty), natural paints, and engineered wood.
And you can consider other options for your bathroom that will improve energy efficiency, such as: an instant water heater for sinks, a whirlpool tub with an in-line water heater, radiant floor heating, insulate walls behind shower and tub, UV blocking window coating, a skylight or roof window (or tunnel/tube light) to bring in more natural light or motion activated light switches.
These are just a few of the materials, additional features, and considerations for you to discuss with your contractor. This should be enough information to help you understand why bathroom remodeling pays. In fact, by carefully considering your options, the materials you will use in your remodel and special features, you can expect to recover the cost of your remodel within a couple of years by combining the increased value of your home, your energy savings and your reduced water and sewer expenses. There’s no question that bathroom remodeling pays big.
Consider bathroom remodeling in your home. Work closely with your contractor in making choices and planning your remodel. You might be surprised to see just how much difference it will make!
Copyright 2009 by ABCD Publishing…
Different Types Of Wood Used To Install Hardwood Floors
Installing hardwood floors is an important part of the entire idea of home remodeling. Such wooden floors come in different types, shades, colors, and wood variety and look extremely stunning. Known basically for their uniqueness and beauty, hardwood floors also add charm to any room, thus helping in home remodeling to a great extent. Mainly due to this feature, numerous homeowners in a number of US cities like Beaverton (Oregon) and Tigard (Oregon) prefer to change the floors of their homes as a part of their plan of home improvement.
There are different types of woods that can be used for hardwood flooring. However, you have to keep a few things in mind before you decide what type of wood to use. For example, wooden floors can easily get scraped, scratched, and beaten down from regular wear and tear. Here are a few types of woods that can be used for hardwood flooring:
1. Engineered wood: These types are constructed with 3 to 5 layers of different types of woods and each layer is glued together under pressure and heat. Since engineered wood floorings are least affected by humidity, these can be installed either on or above or below ground level.
2. Laminate wood: These are versatile in nature since they look almost like real wood. Laminate woods are actually plywood with layers of veneer that look like real wood. These are durable and strong and the superficial layer cannot be scratched and is resistant to moisture. It is often seen in US cities, like Portland (Oregon) and Beaverton (Oregon) that residents use this type of wood to install hardwood floor for their homes.
3. Plastic laminates: These types of flooring are made of a fiber wood center which in turn is sandwiched between twin layers of laminates. These wooden floors cannot be sanded and refinished, so when they wear out after regular use the only option is to get them replaced. Plastic laminates are easy to install and are suitable for those parts of the home where people move around regularly like the kitchen or the passage-way.…