Flooring Slip Tongue – Important Facts To Know Before You Buy

If you are installing a hardwood floor, you will need to use hardwood slip tongue. Slip tongue is nothing more than a sliver of wood used to connect to separate pieces of wood where they join together. For example if you are laying floor in two directions, eventually they will need some way to connect – that is where slip tongue is used!

Before you begin to lay your wooden floor, you should prepare everything you’ll need. And one of those things is a strip of hardwood spline. Here are some thing you need to know about and should consider with hardwood spline:

Consider How Much You’ll Need: It’s worth preparing in advance how much flooring slip-tongue you need before you begin laying the hardwood floor panels. There’s nothing worse than getting started on a project and having to stop halfway through because you don’t have everything you need. If you don’t have any slip tongue, then you’ll have to halt any progress as soon as you need to change the direction of the wood.

Size Requirements… most hardwood slip tongue used today is 3/4 inch, but just to be safe, make sure you measure for correct size. Once you are sure of the right size go ahead and place your order. The worse thing is to order the wrong size – that will stop your flooring installation dead in its tracks! It is a real pain, but if you get stuck and only need a piece or two you can try cutting the piece yourself.

Make Sure You Order The Right Size: Obviously, you must have the right thickness of hardwood slip tongue to do the job. While hardwood floors do come in may different sizes, so does spline. Having said that, most hardwood floors installed today use 3/4 inch spline.

Again, there’s nothing worse than being halfway though laying the floor then realizing you have to stop because the slip tongue is too thin or thick. So as well as getting the appropriate length of hardwood slip tongue, be sure to get the correct thickness. If you don’t want to buy the slip tongue of the specific thickness, you can always cut a piece of hardwood yourself to the appropriate length and thickness.

Bottom line? If you want your new hardwood floor to look great and flow seamlessly between rooms, you will need hardwood slip tongue made from poplar because poplar takes nails much better than oak.

Finally, make sure you buy quality – poplar, not oak. Poplar is far easier to nail. Also make sure each piece of slip tongue is double end trimmed to eliminate end checks and problem splits. Also remember buying from the manufacturer typically means better prices and better quality.

Bamboo Flooring For Luxurious And Cosy Living

Bamboo is a common material for housing construction. The world’s tallest grass has a lot of uses for houses from beams, mouldings, walls, posts, and flooring. Bamboo-thatched homes are common sights in shanties and cottages because they are inexpensive.

Timber flooring and bamboo floorboards are created to last for 20 years or more. Apart from giving the home a cool effect, bamboos are environmently friendly because they are not synthetic unlike asbestos, cement or vinyl floorings that emit obnoxious substances. Houses that are made of bamboo materials are comfortable and inviting. Bamboo manufactures uniquely designed bamboo to create an aura of elegance, style and comfort at reasonable price.

As a leading manufacturer of flooring materials the company that you choose should assure its clientele that they provide high quality timber flooring and bamboo floorboards. In fact all the products should have met the requirements set by the government as well as the Quality Control Standards ISO 9001 and the ISO 14001 of Environmental Management System. This shows that the company is reliable in terms of quality, durability and creativity. Architects and interior designers never waste their time in making enquiries with regards to Bamboos.

While it is true that there are lots of bamboo manufacturers selling almost the same construction materials but the question is, how durable and standard are their products? Customers should be extra careful when selecting bamboo flooring, timber flooring and bamboo floorboards because a single mistake means waste of money. Bamboos are favourite preys of weevils. Customers need to be assured that the company they choose harvest mature bamboos and treat them to prevent bamboo pests from harming the flooring. Young bamboos are eaten by weevils and they don’t last longer. Woven bamboo floorboards and timber flooring from this market leader are standard and customers can pick different colours and tones to suit their home or office designs. This company is working closely with major architectural and construction firms so that they are always updated of the latest bamboo technology and innovations.

Generally a company should produce reasonably priced bamboo flooring even if their designs are exquisite and world class. The dimension of these bamboo floorings is 1830mm by 130mm by 14mm. Customers are asked to scrutinise the because there are some firms that use the company name to dupe customers. Presently, there are 13 bamboo flooring designs available in the market today and each has its distinct characteristics and colour that make customers wonder which one they would pick.

Here are the designs to choose from Sandhurst, Beachwood, TeaTree, Vintage Brown, Stonewood, White Haven, Ochre Sands, Straw, Merlot, Licorice, Whiskey and Driftwood. Building a house does not always mean expensive materials, with bamboos customers are assured of the quality, craftsmanship and functionality.

Some Help for Home Improvement

If you have some home improvement projects to do, you might be wondering if the cost will be less if you do some of the work yourself. Of course you can, but you should know your limits and start small. You’ll find in this article tips that can help you decipher whether a project is a “do it yourself” or one that needs a professional.

Roofs leak and drip and the shingles wear down. It’s inevitable. So when you need to repair this, switch out to a lighter color tile. Attics can become incredibly hot and a dark color roof only exacerbates the problem. Lighter colors reflect the sun, instead. A cooler attic will help should it become necessary to get in your attic.

Learn how to do as much of the home improvement project on your own when planning it. While a professional may charge you $50 an hour to do the job, doing it yourself can has minimal costs and allows you to enjoy the fact that your improved your home.

Bathrooms are very important to consider if you want to flip a property. Buyers are usually fine with customizing living rooms and bedrooms, but they want the bathrooms to be in excellent condition right from the get-go. The fixtures, sinks and bathtubs should be clean and free of rust or scum. If the floors are linoleum, swap it out for tile.

You will save a ton of money by living in your house while you complete home improvements, so try to stick to one room at a time. This can make the changes bearable until you’re left working on your only bathroom! Consider visiting a family member or friend in this case.

Hire an electrician to help install electrical outlets in the area where you want your microwave to sit. This will give you a place to plug your microwave in that is not visible. This will eliminate unsightly cords from your kitchen.

When you are going to be doing home improvement projects, you should do the ones that you can see first. Whoever looks at your house is going to go off of what they see, so the last thing you want to present to them is peeling paint or some untrimmed hedges, which can cause them to not buy the house. Although a number of important home improvements cannot be seen, if you want to sell your house you must focus on the ones that can be.

In the real estate market, a beautiful view can often command a significant premium. But remember that any improvements you make to the curb appeal may only increase your viewing pleasure, rather than acting as an investment. There is also the matter of personal taste to consider. A view you think of as perfect might be unremarkable to a certain buyer, who would not want to pay more for it.

If your area is prone to hurricanes or flooding, look into purchasing some ‘hurricane socks.’ These socks are made of absorbent material that will catch water that is pushed into your home due to heavy rain. Put these at entry points such as windows and doors.

There are times in life when you lack inspiration. The following article will provide you with a few good ideas, however don’t make your decisions hastily. A serious mistake could have you living in a hotel for awhile. Follow these tips and you’ll have projects you enjoy seeing until completion.

Victorian Pine

A lot of English Victorian country pine furniture has disappeared from great Britain, probably most exported to the united states.
The Victorian period 1837 to 1901 you associate with ornate carved furniture, but there would have been plenty of plain country
Victorian furniture. Which has been slightly difficult to find as many shops have closed or gone on to the Internet.

The market for antique pine furniture in the UK is still here so traders have had to look elsewhere for pieces namely Europe Germany France Czech republic. So the European pieces are made during the same period in another country. The dutch seemed to get the grip of this due to the fact they have been prolific traders throughout history and began sourcing large quantities through out Europe and bringing it over to the UK. This market still carries on but not in the same volume as years ago as wages and transport eat away any profits. Not all the old pine furniture you see is of our Victorian period there is some of the nineteen twenties period so check for ply wood being used in the backs and internal panels, if it is of a later period but there’s nothing wrong in that. There are still older pieces from the Germany and France sometimes of a better quality than English pine as its construction tends to be of thicker panels. There are still plenty of pieces throughout Europe from large glazed dressers, wardrobes in all shapes and sizes some static and some that breakdown. Small pot cupboards which some still have the original marble tops, which are replaced for the English market. Ninety nine percent are painted or still in the dark stain and varnish, made to look like a more expensive piece in mahogany or similar when bought new.

Old pine furniture or Victorian country furniture created by craftspeople whose skills were passed from generation to generation. Its appeal lies in the fact that each piece is hand-made and therefore unique. Having a handmade piece of furniture is something special. Most of the old furniture was intended to be painted. The paint protected the timber in damper homes and was easier to keep clean than unpainted wood. It would be better if we could keep the paint on, but some pieces need restoring which makes this impossible. The the paint is an intrinsic part of the history of the furniture but practically if you have a piece that’s one hundred years old and never been restored the finish of ether paint or varnish is usually beyond repair. People think that old pine furniture wasn’t authentic unless it had been stripped but it really was meant to be painted. The hot caustic stripping is a bit drastic but if done by a expert its OK, also i should kill of any worm. People are often afraid of antique pine because of a fear of woodworm. Old Victorian furniture can have woodworm, but its treatable. If you have holes in the wood, it means the worm has already gone, but if you see traces of fresh powder the wood may have live worm in it. Safest way to treat the piece with a chemical spray.

Londons Dirtiest Buildings

An energy survey that carried out recently on several public buildings in and around London shows that Buckingham Palace is the least energy efficient of them all. The palace which was built in 1820 and was first ever occupied by Queen Victoria received the worst possible green score of 0 out of 10 when a team of energy surveyors carried out a survey of the palace following Januarys big freeze.

The surveyors was carried out by using thermal image testing to find out where the building was leaking energy. However, despite these tests being carried out in total darkness, the palace still lit up due to the amount of heat that was escaping from the building. The major culprits for this big loss of energy were the windows, the roof and even cracks in the wall. According to the surveying team, it appears that Buckingham Palace is better at heating the air outside than inside.

Furthermore, the latest Royal Household Financial Report that was carried out in 2008 showed that 5.9 million were spent on running Buckingham Palace, of which 2.2 million were spent on utility bills. However, according to the energy saving expert Ivan Lucas, the construction of Buckingham Palace does not lend itself to easily turning it into an eco-home.

However, there a few quick fixes that can be carried out in order to help Buckingham Palace save energy. These include replacing the single pane windows by brand new double glazing windows, because despite the thick curtains, a lot of

heat is still escaping the building.
Other repairs that can be carried to improve Buckingham Palaces energy efficiency include installing insulation panels to the outside as well as the inside of the property in order to minimize heat loss.

Carrying out these types of repairs will contribute to relieving the building industry that was very hardly hit by the recession. It would enable many companies to save jobs and train their staff in using energy saving materials.

According to energy saving experts, Buckingham Palace was not the only offender. Many other official or public buildings such as the MPs office building of Portcullis House in London and MI6 header quarters in Vauxhall were also part of the main offenders. Whats more, this happened despite the government recently launching a multimillion scheme that would lead to British households slashing their energy emissions by 50 percent by 2050.

In the light of the results of the surveys that were carried on many public buildings throughout, it transpires that the government is not setting a good example when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, and this despite multi-million schemes that aim at saving more energy.

How To Select The Right Swimming Pool Heater

Swimming pool heaters are essential if you want to use your pool after the sun has set or if you want to enjoy a longer swimming season. There are many different types and models of pool heaters available to choose from and it’s important to have one that meets all of your needs. While the many available choices and the number of considerations that need to be taken into account may seem overwhelming when purchasing a pool heater, it doesn’t have to be that way. Simply by determining the answers to a few questions before you start shopping, you can greatly narrow down what you’re looking for and make your choice much easier.

Whether you’re in the market for a heater for an above ground swimming pool or an in-ground swimming pool, you will have a number of different types of heaters to choose from. To begin with, different models of pool heaters are powered by different energy sources. For example, swimming pool heaters can be powered by electricity, natural gas, propane or solar energy. The power source that will be right for you will depend upon what is available in your area as well as your preferences with respect to operation, efficiency, cost and environmental impact.

The specifications for swimming pool heaters will typically use BTUs, or British Thermal Units, to express the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of your pool by one degree Fahrenheit. Most models of pool heaters will fall somewhere in the range of 75,000 BTUs to 400,000 BTUs. The higher the BTU rating, the faster the unit will heat the pool water. Therefore, it’s not surprising that higher BTU ratings also come at a higher cost. The speed that you need your heater to warm up your pool at will depend upon your pool usage. For example, if you only want to heat your pool for weekend use, you might want faster results. However, if you are keeping your pool at a constant temperature throughout the swimming season, you might not mind if it takes a few days to raise the temperature of your pool at the beginning of the season.

In addition to considering the amount of energy required by a certain pool heater to raise the water temperature of your pool, it’s also important to consider efficiency. Fortunately, swimming pool heaters are given an efficiency rating so this factor is typically easy to determine. While most electric and gas heating units feature an efficiency rating of 80% to 83%, it’s possible to find models with a rating as high as 95%. Naturally, heaters with a higher efficiency rating require less energy to operate and therefore will also cost you less money to operate.

As a result of modern-day energy costs, electric heaters are generally the most expensive type of pool heater to operate. Propane heaters are next in line while heaters powered by natural gas tend to cost approximately half as much to operate as propane heaters. Solar heaters, on the other hand, are very inexpensive to run and are extremely efficient as they are powered by sunlight. In fact, solar swimming pool heaters involve extremely low or even zero energy costs. While solar pool heaters depend on sunny weather to heat pool water, they are a great option for regions that receive plenty of sunshine.

Another consideration to keep in mind when shopping for a new pool heater is the durability of the models that you’re looking at. Since your heater will be outdoors, it’s important to make sure that the model you choose is designed to withstand harsh weather and UV radiation. Many high quality units will come with weather resistant housing which protects the internal components of the heater and extends the lifespan of the unit significantly.

Some people like the peace of mind that often comes with purchasing products from trusted manufacturers with a long history of providing top-quality, long-lasting products. In the swimming pool equipment industry, there are several manufactures and brands that have been around for many years and that have a reputation for producing durable and high-performing pool heaters. If you’d like to go with a trusted brand name, you can either rely on word-of-mouth from other pool owners or conduct some simple research online to determine which manufacturers have the best reputation.

When considering the purchase of a new pool heater, you will also have to figure out the size of heater that your pool requires. This will depend upon the surface area of your pool and the thermal efficiency that you want. Pool equipment retailers will often provide equations or sizing charts that will allow you to easily determine the size you need. Last but not least, you will need to consider how much you are willing and able to spend so you can determine which swimming pool heaters will fit your budget.