Maintaining Your Bathroom Drawers

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Posted by Josh Krundle | Posted in Home Improvement | Posted on 07-04-2010

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Some people consider their bathroom their sanctuary. Others get stressed out even being in there. If you are one of the latter group, you might want to get organized and take control of your inner sanctum. If you find it difficult to find items on a daily basis, you might need to stop and consider what times are needed to get out the door and off to work every day.

The way to begin getting yourself reorganized is to think about what you do day in and day out to get ready for work. What products do you use every morning? How about every night before you go to bed? For those of you blessed with a lot of drawers, you are lucky and your task will go fairly easily. If you have limited drawers and a micro-bathroom, we will have to make some significant changes.

Ok, brace for yourself for a little bit of momentary chaos. If you are really serious about taking control of your bathroom sundries, start by taking everything out of your drawers. As you take things out, separate them into groups.

You need to begin sorting your items in to categories. Think about your routines and split the times in to morning and evening. The remaining things should go into other categories such as medicines, makeup etc.

You will inevitably find things that you have no idea where they came from including a random loose aspirin or sticky piece of gum. Once your drawers are empty clean them thoroughly. When you fid pennies and other loose coins find a small bowl or box and keep them separated from the toiletries. Eventually, you will need to develop a zone to keep loose change. This place is usually best when it is located close to where you undress at the end of the day.

Clean out your drawers and take a tally of what items you have not yet moved into groups and make quick decisions about where they will best fit into the mix.

Now you can begin to move items back into your drawers. Keep only those items that you use on a daily basis in your top two drawers within quick and easy reach. If you have more than two drawers, perhaps you can store the other less frequently used items like your teeth whiteners and the hairbrush.

Sorting and storing items related to individual tasks is considered ‘storing by function’. This method works well in bathrooms and also kitchens but might not be the best for you so take it or leave it. The main point of the project is to create some type of zoning where everything in your bathroom has a place to live and everything in your bathroom fits and makes sense.

Now, for those of you without bathroom drawers I am sure you are still waiting for solutions to this seemingly impossible situation. You should probably look up and take a visual tally of the open vertical space in your bathroom. Do you have any open walls beside your sink? If so, buy a shelf unit and hang it there. If you need drawers, which are always helpful, buy small baskets to hold your loose items. Again, if you can store morning vs. evening routine items together, you can simply pull out a basket in the Am and PM and perform your routines with less effort.

If you don’t have any wall space by the sink, there is always space above the commode. Use a pre-made toilet shelf or install several shelves above. If you have a recessed area, consider going wall to wall with your shelves for maximum storage. Hang as many as possible about 12 inches apart and at least 12 inches deep. If you can squeeze in18″ deep shelves, you can also easily use this area for towels, washcloths etc.

For the poor women in this situation, use baskets to hold all of your loose items on the shelves. If you use a hair dryer on a daily basis, hang a hook to the side of your sink and hang your dryer from it when not in use. You either tie a knot in the cord or use a twist tie to hang it from.

Makeup is another challenge. You can get a rolling cart that might fit somewhere within the bathroom (under lip of sink and between sink and wall?) so you can roll it in during your morning routine and back in when you are done. If this does not work, consider a basket with a handle that you can place on the sink pedestal while in use and store on a shelf in-between uses. If applying makeup in you bathroom is too difficult, don’t give up, there is no law that says you have to put on make-up in your bathroom! You might be graced with a large walk-in closet or a large dresser. If this is the case, create an area with good lighting and do your makeup there. You might also consider setting up a hair zone there as well to make it a one-stop shop in the morning!

Have fun and get creative – there is no one way to do anything but always a way that is best for you and your daily routines! The trick is to experiment and keep refining your storage until you have used your space to it’s fullest potential!

Chia Trams is an expert author, professional organizer and expert on refrigerator organization she is also a contributing author for addspacetoyourlife.com.

Safety Proofing Seniors’ Homes

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Posted by Susan Love | Posted in Home Improvement | Posted on 05-04-2010

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Many seniors live in homes that have not been equipped for elderly care. This makes injuries more likely, which is unfortunate because it takes people longer to recover as they age. However, there are many safety tips that can help prevent a serious injury.

Bedrooms, the living room, and the dining room can all be safety proofed in a similar manner. * Tape rugs and loose carpets to the ground. This prevents seniors from tripping on turned-up corners or scrunched rugs. * Install railings that extend beyond the first and last steps on both sides of the staircase. Make sure the railing can hold a person’s entire body weight without breaking; a carpenter can check this for you and make any necessary adjustments. * Cover sharp corners on tables and countertops. This will prevent seniors from getting cut if they do happen to fall. * Secure electric cords to the wall or run them under rugs so no one trips.

Bathrooms can be one of the most dangerous rooms in the home if they aren’t prepared properly. * An elevated toilet seat allows seniors to get up and down easily. Adding a bar on both sides of the toilet further increases safety. * The shower can be safety proofed by installing a grab bar in case someone starts to slip. Using a shower seat is also safer than standing in a slick tub. * No-slip mats should be placed around the shower and sink. * To prevent scalding, label the hot water faucet or paint it red. * Many shower doors are made of glass, which makes it easy for those with poor eyesight to realize that there is a door at all. You can prevent injuries by placing bright tape or decals on clear glass doors.

The kitchen can be safety proofed easily. * Make sure all appliances are in good working order. If they aren’t, it may be time to make some new purchases or hire a repairman. * All appliances should be placed near an outlet at waist height so seniors don’t have to struggle to reach things that are either too high or too low. * Ensure that there is adequate lighting. This is especially important in the kitchen, where tools such knives and shredders are used on a regular basis. * Make sure the smoke detector has fresh batteries.

Safety proofing a home may seem like a daunting task, but it is necessary, and most of the jobs that need to be done are relatively simple. Enlisting the help of a friend is a good idea, as the job will go faster and you’ll be less likely to miss anything. With the proper precautions, you can rest assured that your older friend or family member is living in the safest home possible.

For more information about homecaregiving safety proofing, visit Susan Love’s site where you will find a wide selection of senior homecare products and services.

Swimming Pool Construction

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Posted by Miranda Jacobs | Posted in Home Improvement | Posted on 05-04-2010

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Shotcrete/Gunite is a process of applying concrete to a structure. It is commonly used to build pools as well as bridges, homes, tunnels, water tanks, sea walls, and bridge and dam repairs to name but a few. Gunite has been is use since the early 1900′s with excellent success. Shotcrete comes in two basic forms: “dry process or dry gun” and “wet process”. The dry gun method or dry process shotcrete (also known throughout the industry as “gunite”) uses a rig in which sand and regular cement are mixed and compressed. This mixture is then blown through a hose by way of extreme compressed air to the nozzle where water is added at the tip of the hose and then blown pneumatically into the rebar enforced walls and floor. Only the necessary amount of water is added for hydration resulting in superior strength over conventional concrete. The wet process, also referred to in the pool industry as “shotcrete”, uses premixed concrete. This mixture is pumped to a nozzle and pneumatically placed “shot” in the walls and floor of the structure via an air powered nozzle. Computers are used to control the concrete mixture by using a predefined design that can be adjusted at the site. Dry method pneumatically applied concrete (Gunite) is superior in strength to poured or redi mix. So it can be said that dry method “Gunite” is more dense than of poured concrete. In fact, 14 yards of gunite equal about 10 yards of redi mix concrete or shotcrete mix. Denseness is an important factor in the superior strength of Gunite and its high resistance to the passage of water. Concrete expands and shrinks with changes in moisture and temperature. The overall tendency is to shrink and this can cause cracking at an early age. Irregular cracks are unsightly and difficult to maintain but generally do not affect the integrity of concrete. Joints are simply pre-planned cracks. Joints in concrete slabs can be created by forming, tooling, sawing, and placement of joint formers.

Some forms of joints are: Contraction joints; are intended to create weakened planes in the concrete and regulate the location where cracks, resulting from dimensional changes, will occur. Isolation or expansion joints; separate or isolate slabs from other parts of the structure, such as walls, footings or columns; and driveways and patios from sidewalks, garage slabs, stairs, light poles and other points of restraint. They permit independent vertical and horizontal movement between adjoining parts of the structure and help minimize cracking when such movements are restrained. Construction joints – are surfaces where two successive placements of concrete meet. They are typically placed at the end of a day’s work but may be required when concrete placement is stopped for longer than the initial setting time of concrete. In slabs they may be designed to permit movement and/or to transfer load. The location of construction joints should be planned. It may be desirable to achieve bond and continue reinforcement through a construction joint Cracks in concrete cannot be prevented entirely, but they can be controlled and minimized by properly designed joints. Concrete cracks because: Concrete is weak in tension and, therefore, if its natural tendency to shrink is restrained, tensile stresses that exceed its tensile strength can develop, resulting in cracking. At early ages, before the concrete dries out, most cracking is caused by temperature changes or by the slight contraction that takes place as the concrete sets and hardens. Later, as the concrete dries, it will shrink further and either additional cracks may form or pre-existing cracks may become wider.

Joints provide relief from the tensile stresses, are easy to maintain and are less objectionable than uncontrolled or irregular cracks. Joints must be carefully designed and properly constructed if uncontrolled cracking of concrete flatwork is to be avoided. The following recommended practices should be observed. The maximum joint spacing should be 24 to 36 times the thickness of the slab. For example, in a 4-inch [100 mm] thick slab the joint spacing should be about 10 feet [3 m]. It is further recommended that joint spacing be limited to a maximum of 15 feet [4.5 m]. All panels should be squarely or nearly so. The length should not exceed 1.5 times the width. Avoid :-shaped panels.

For contraction joints, the joint groove should have a minimum depth of 1/4 the thickness of the slab, but not less than 1 inch [25 mm]. Timing of jointing operations depends on the method used: Preformed plastic or hard board joint strips are inserted into the concrete surface to the required depth before finishing. Tooled joints must be run early in the finishing process and rerun later to ensure groove bond has not occurred. Early-entry dry-cut joints are generally run 1 to 4 hours after completion of finishing, depending on the concrete’s setting characteristics. These joints are typically not as deep as those obtained by the conventional saw-cut process, but should be a minimum of 1 inch [25 mm] in depth.

Conventional saw-cut joints should be run within 4 to 12 hours after the concrete has been finished. Raveling during saw cutting is affected by the strength of the concrete and aggregate characteristics. If the joint edges ravel during sawing, it must be delayed. However, if delayed too long, sawing can become difficult and uncontrolled cracking may occur.Use premolded joint filler such as asphalt-impregnated fiber sheeting, compressible foam strips, or similar materials for isolation joints to separate slabs from building walls or footings. At least 2 inches [50 mm] of sand over the top of a footing will also prevent bond to the footing. To isolate columns from slabs, form circular or square openings, which will not be filled until after the floor has hardened. Slab contraction joints should intersect at the openings for columns. If square openings are used around columns, the square should be turned at 45 degrees so the contraction joints intersect at the diagonals of the square. If the slab contains wire mesh, cut out alternate wires, or preferably discontinue the mesh, across contraction joints. Note that the wire mesh will not prevent cracking. Mesh tends to keep the cracks and joints tightly closed. Construction joints key the two edges of the slab together either to provide transfer of loads or to help prevent curling or warping of the two adjacent edges. Galvanized metal keys are sometimes used for interior slabs, however, a beveled 1 by 2 inch [25 by 50 mm] strip, nailed to bulkheads or form boards, can be used in slabs that are at least 5 inches [125 mm] thick to form a key which will resist vertical loads and movements. Keyed joints are not recommended for industrial floors. Metal dowels should be used in slabs that will carry heavy loads. Dowels must be carefully lined up and parallel or they may induce restraint and cause random cracking at the end of the dowel. Joints in industrial floors subject to heavy traffic require special attention to avoid spalling of joint edges. Such joints should be filled with a material capable of supporting joint edges. Manufacturer’s recommendations and performance records should be checked before use.

What you need to know about Swimming Pool Construction What you need to know about Swimming Pool Construction This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

Energy Saving Tips For Your House Renovation

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Posted by Aaron Miller | Posted in Home Improvement | Posted on 04-04-2010

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Frequently, we link renovation with our existing budgets, or on a larger scale, on the current economic state. However there may be some renovations for your home that you should not postpone. In fact a lot of home renovations when covered early can actually help you spare some money in the long run. Renovate your home not only for aesthetics purposes but also to make your home eco-friendly. Here are some home renovation tips:

1. Add a small extra padding for your attic. This will help cut energy expenditure and thus be more frugal in the long run. Proper insulation can reduce heating and cooling bills by 10%.

2. Renovate your windows by upgrading old single-pane windows with Energy Star certified windows. These window types can spare you an amount of money when it comes to energy bills. Energy Star qualified windows normally more than a couple panes of glass, warm edge spacers between the window panes and better framing materials

3. Water heater is another of most home’s major energy expenditure. Not only that, it accounts a big part of the household’s monthly energy bill. It’s time to renovate your heater if your present one is more than 10 years old. Why? If your water heater is old, it is most likely running at a less efficient rate, with an efficiency level of 50 per cent or lower. However, you can still save money by insulating the water heater with a water heater jacket. You can purchase water heater jackets at most hardware stores or by lowering the temperature setting on the water heater.

There are many benefits in making energy saving renovations to your abode. These renovations can cut your energy and therefore save you money in the long run. Energy-saving renovations can improve your indoor air quality, and your overall comfort level.

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How Do I Change the Feel of My Living Space

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Posted by Ken Hedgpeth | Posted in Home Improvement | Posted on 02-04-2010

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People today are focusing on how to make their home a more attractive place to live. We can find all manner of ways to alter the appearance and character of our house. You can choose the most suitable home improvement tools and methods depending on your preferred style and, of course, your bank account. The market has everything to satisfy any of your needs. This is true whether you want a classical look or a conventional look, any preference can be fulfilled.

Replacing doors and windows is a great way to begin. Doors and windows can greatly affect how your home looks. By changing the windows and doors, you will be able to change the overall atmosphere of your home. Energy efficient and composite doors and windows are what is hot this season especially considering the available energy tax credits in the USA.

If you happen to have a garden, you should pay close attention to the layout. Your garden is the place where your family will spend free time together. Your garden is also the place where visitors will want to go when they visit you. It is best to have viewing areas, water features and gravel paths in the garden. You should also plant shrubs and flowers that bloom throughout the growing season.

If you want to add more spaciousness to your house, you could consider building a sun room or attached green house. A sun room can be a glass walled unit that actually extends into your garden. You will have an open, natural, living space in which the whole family can relax and have fun together. When your guests come for a visit the green house/sun room can be an great natural setting in which to entertain.

If you want your home improvement plans to be a real success, you should contemplate adding some paintings to the house. An acceptable painting can make a house or room feel very appealing and inviting.

When you don’t have the bank account to change all the furniture, why don’t you just change the upholstery of your couch or chair? Upholstery materials can be very fairly priced and you can completely alter the character of the house with the right kind of upholstery. There are many materials on the market and you just have to decide on the one that suits your need and taste.

The flooring also has a measurable impact on the look of the house. There are many floor covering selections available on the market to conform to every kind of budget. A wood floor will surely boost your house’s appearance and make your home look magnificent and elegant.

So don’t let the idea of improving your home be overwhelming. Just start the planning process for redecorating and renovating using some of these suggestions. Your house will become an even more appealing and inviting place to live.

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