Counter Stools - Compare and Contrast the Options You Can Use to Make a Unique Kitchen Design

Kitchen remodeling is always a challenge. Breaking away from an established seating pattern can be exciting and1C84 frustrating at the same time but it affords you an opportunity to compare and contrast the options you can use to make a unique kitchen design. This is especially true if you're installing a counter or a pub style table.

A contractor or draftsman's yardstick will come in handy in measuring the height of the table or counter. How many times have you been in a restaurant or bar and the stool seemed to be wrong size for the table or the counter? The yardstick will allow you to accurately measure the distance from the floor to the upper edge or the counter of table thereby giving you an idea of what style and height would be most appropriate.

For instance if you have a kitchen counter that is 46", the most appropriate stool would be 34". A quick rule-of-thumb is to have a 9-13" gap between the seat and the counter. This will provide a very comfortable seating experience to the average person.

In lieu of a kitchen table, counter top dining space is an aesthetically pleasing alternative. Kitchen counter dining space is usually incorporated in a multi-use island. These islands can be an exaggerated square, oblong or kidney-shaped. The top may be made of wood coated with a polyurethane finish, marble or ceramic tile. They can usually comfortably accommodate two, four or even six people depending on the width of the counter stools.

When designing the counter seating area and counter stools due consideration should be given to the users. In order to feel a part of the overall family dining experience allowances for a lower counter and smaller stools will have to be incorporated to accommodate smaller children. Many manufacturers make these smaller stools in the same style as the normal size counter stools.

For a more European flavor metal stools are usually a good choice. The circular ringed footrest adds to the overall comfort of the stool. Multicolored art deco stools are more reminiscent of a retro look, while thick padded upholstered stools lend themselves to a more elegant look. For a more eclectic look chairs of similar but somewhat different styles can also serve as counter seating.

No matter what the style the stool should be sturdy in design and allow for a 6" to 10" comfort gap between the seated diner and the counter. The design should never overpower the overall dcor of the kitchen, but rather complement it. Counter stools add warmth and unique seating possibilities; much more so than the traditional table against the wall with chairs shoved underneath or a large table taking up a large amount of space in the middle of the floor. Keeping the height requirements in mind, the possibilities are endless when creating a uniquely designed eating area using counter stools.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of different niche online stores that offer customers not only products, but information relating to furnishing and decorating indoor and outdoor living spaces. Whether you want to redecorate your living room or create the ultimate outdoor environment perfect for entertaining, there is a lot of helpful advice to take advantage of to make it happen. Today, she shares her insight when investing in luxurious dining room furniture and sturdy dining tables. For your space, each would be a great fit.

Refurbishing Your Home With a Reputable Remodeler

Refurbishing your house is a large undertaking and you want to make sure you get a reliable remodeler to help you get the job done right and to the specification you agree upon in the cont2238ract before hand. Always insist on the contract to spell everything out as to what you expect the remodeler to do and in what time frame. A reliable remodeler should have no problem signing a contract because they want to satisfy you as their customer.

There are several places on the Internet that collect data for reliable remodelers and contractors so that you don't have to go blindly looking to the telephone book and come up short when it comes to refurbishing your home. You never know what you're going to get unless you have recommendations from previous customers that are willing to vouch for these remodelers. The places on the Internet collect information such as licensing and certification of the remodelers and sometimes testimonials from former customers so that you are satisfied your chosen the right person to refurbish your home.

Your house is your biggest investment in so anyone doing any work on it needs to be reliable which means showing up when they say they are going to and doing the work as outlined in an agreed-upon contract. You are the customer, you are the one who gets to be the boss and say what is what. If you don't like something speak up or you will have to live with it or have it fixed by another contractor who might not be as reliable as the first.

Cheryl Criswell: I am also a registered builder, and build 2 spec houses a year for the market. I also provide project management for those wanting to be their own builder. For more information got to http://www.renovatingreferral.com Find out how this website can find the best contractor, project manager, or remodeler for you and your project.

Metal Gazebo - The Best Gazebo For Your Yard

A gazebo is a great way to add functional space to your backyard with grace and charm. Envision entertaining your guests in your handsome gazebo on a warm summer evening as the stars twinkle above you. The uses for a gazebo are many including a dining or sitting area or an enclosure for your hot tub or spa. They are becoming ever more popular for large gatherings like w5B4eddings and corporate events. A metal gazebo will offer structural strength without the mass of other materials such as those made of wood.

A metal gazebo will offer a wide range of protection against the weather depending upon which design you choose. If your metal gazebo has roofing or a tarp, this will provide you with protection against the sun and rain. With a screened metal gazebo or a gazebo with netting, you will enjoy being protected against those pesky, biting insects that can ruin even the most casual evenings.

When you are in the planning stages of your gazebo, you can include metal structures when researching the type of gazebo you want without fear of the metal gazebo rusting. Most metal structures are made out a non-rusting material such as coated steel or aluminum. A metal gazebo can add elegance and appeal to any backyard setting and it will last for years to come without requiring too much up-keep.

When you opt for a metal gazebo, you will find many unique and unusual styles that are not available with other materials. You can be as elaborate or as understated as you like. You are sure to find the perfect gazebo to fit yours and your familys lifestyle when you see how much is available. They are easily assembled, and often provide legs for giving extra stability. You can purchase your metal gazebo in a kit and do the assembly yourself, or have someone from the store you purchased it from, 527come and install it for you.

You will never be sorry you chose a metal gazebo to construct in your backyard. It will make everyday family events seem like something special. You can decorate your metal gazebo to reflect the changing seasons and your unique personality. Start looking into getting a metal gazebo for your outdoor needs and begin enjoying the al-fresco lifestyle you deserve.

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Sanding Hardwood Floors

There are certain hardwoods that are vulnerable to weather and climate changes. Some woods contract or shorten when it is hot. Others expand when there is moisture. When this happens, the floor becomes uneven. If left unchecked, it could ruin the look of the room and even become hazardous enough to cause accidents.

You1C26 do not have to take out the planks and replace them. The more practical solution is to sand them. Sanding your floor is a project that needs your dedication and time, whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor for it.

Sanding It All Away

For the initial sanding, you will need to use the coarsest sandpaper- the 20 grit. There is a sanding machine that you can use to make the whole ordeal easier and faster.

For efficiency, you will need to sand the floor at a 45 degree angle to the grain. It may take several rounds before the surface evens. It really depends on the precision of the tongue-and-grove milling of the hardwood.

Another technique is pushing and pulling the sander as it moves. The pressure is strong as it moves forward. You will need to lift the sander at an angle and apply pressure as it moves back. Continue this method until the diagonal scratches are not visible anymore. You must be careful that the traces of the sandpaper are eliminated. The slightest pattern will show after you apply a coating.

The process may take a long time. Be prepared to change the sandpaper form time to time. Stock up on 20, 36, 60, 80, and 100 grit sandpaper. For wood that is coated with aluminum oxide, use a commercially available softening solution before sanding. It may be hard to sand if you do not do this. Sandpaper also contains aluminum oxide so scratching the two surfaces against each other will take more force.

Hardwood Floors provides detailed information on Hardwood Floors, Engineered Hardwood Floors, Solid Hardwood Floors, Long-strip Hardwood Floors and more. Hardwood Floors is affiliated with Install Hardwood Flooring.

Lego - A History Of These Building Blocks Of Imagination

Lego bricks. Creativity. Childhood. They go together like Mickey Mouse and Disney, wizards and Harry Potter. Lego has been a part of childhood for more than three generations. Nearly everyone under 50 has played with these building blocks of imagination. There is no telling how many engineers and scientists were spawned by these plastic building blocks.

Lego is synonymous with plastic toy bricks that can be easily transformed into buildings, space ships, cars, boats, trains and a myriad of other toys. The key is that the child gets to assemble the toy from the basic building blocks. Each toy can be assembled, disassembled and reassembled in enough new shapes and forms to tickle the imagination and stretch the youngsters creativity.

Today, Lego is much more that the simple blocks invented in 1949. It is toys, theme parks, movies, and CDs. Lego building blocks and other products are distributed around the world. These tiny plastic bricks and the company they have built, are a phenomenon with a success as remarkable as Mickey Mouse.

Lego Bricks Become The Building Blocks Of Fantasy

Where did Lego come from and how did it get to be such an important tool for childhood creativity?

Our story begins in Billund, Denmark. It is 1932. Master carpenter and joiner Ole Kirk Kristiansen opened a new business. His little company makes stepladders, ironing boards and wooden toys. He has just six employees. Nobody could have imagined, but Lego and the little building blocks of imagination had just been born.

Two years later, Kristiansen adopted the name Lego as a brand name for his toys. The name is derived from the Danish words "leg godt," which mean "play well." Ironically, he later discovered that Lego in Latin means "I put together. Lego has truly come to mean "put together" and "play well" in virtually every language. At this time, all of the companys toys were being made from wood.

In 1942, the Lego factory burned to the ground. Kristiansen rebuilt.

In 1947, the Lego Company became the first company in Denmark to buy an injection-Molding machine. It began making plastic toy dolls and other toys. The famous bricks were yet to be invented.

It was not until 1949 that the Lego company introduced the Automatic Binding Brick, a little plastic brick, some with four studs and some with eight. At this time, the company was producing about 200 different plastic toys. The Automatic Binding Brick was sold exclusively in Denmark.

By 1950, plastic toys became half of the companys business. Ole Kirks son, Godtfred Kirk, who had worked in the company since age 12, was appointed junior vice president at age 30.

In 1954, Godtfred Kirk made a trip to England to meet with a purchasing agent. The purchasing agent told Kristiansen that he thought the Automatic Binding Bricks lacked an idea and system. Godtfred returned to Denmark. The Lego System was developed. The following year, Godtfred introduced the Lego System at a toy fair in Germany. It was the first time it was introduced outside of Denmark. The results were disappointing. Kristiansen did not give up. Later that year, the Lego System Play was developed. It was an improved system for the Lego bricks. The Lego System Play was exported to Sweden, where it sold well.

In 1959, Lego bricks and the Lego System were introduced in Great Britain, France, and Belgium.

It wasnt until 1961 that Lego bricks were first marketed in the U.S. and Canada. They were an immediate hit and distribution around the world continued. By the end of that decade, 843 people in Billund worked for the Lego company. The first Legoland film was produced. In 1969, the DUPLO system for children under age five was introduced.

By 1970, there were almost 1,000 employees at the plant in Billund.

In 1980, the Educational Products Department was established. The DUPLO Rabbit logo was introduced and a survey showed that 70 percent of all Western European families with children under age 14 had Lego in their home.

As 1990 unfolded, the Lego Group had become one of the worlds 10 largest toy manufacturers and the only toy company of that size in Europe. The others were in Japan and the U.S. More than one million people visited the LEGOLAND theme park and Godtfred Kirk Kristiansen celebrated his 70th birthday. Lego Publishing was renamed Lego Licensing and the LEGOLAND Band issued an LP.

With the beginning of the new century, LEGO continues to grow. It has also continued to remain a family owned company. These days, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the grandson of Ole Kirk, runs the company.

In 2003, a record 1.63 million people visited the LEGOLAND theme park in Billund. The Lego mini-figure celebrated its 25th birthday and the BIONICLE film Mask of Light was released to great success. Representations of the Lego mini-figures Biff Starling and Sandy Moondust are the first earthlings to reach the planet Mars onboard the NASA Mars rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity." The Lego Education Center in Shanghai opened. The concept was aimed at children from age three to age twelve. There are more than 80 Lego Education Centers in Korea alone. www.lego.com receives around four million visitors per month.

Lego bricks are more than just building blocks. They are learning toys. They build on favorite themes and childrens stories and allow the child to exercise his or her own imagination and creativity. Offshoots of the basic brick include such toys as Lego Robotics, Star Wars Lego, Harry Potter Legos and many other building toys and kids' games. It is truly amazing what a few bricks and a full measure of imagination will produce.

About the author: Royce Armstrong is a successful freelance writer with a business and banking background who believes consumers should get the best value for their money when shopping for legos, building toys and building blocks.

Kitchen Renovation Contractor

Our whole homes should be a reflection of our personalities, our kitchens are no different. They are very personal rooms that are considered as the heart of the house. In order to i5B4mpress people with your kitchen you should make sure you get exactly what you want.

There are two ways to get what you want when you are having your kitchen renovated. The first is doing it yourself, now this is obviously very difficult, but you are guaranteed to get exactly what you want. The other easier way is to hire a contractor and guide him closely. You could even use kitchen design software to lay out your kitchen and help to make sure your contractor knows exactly what you want.

Discussing Your Choices With Your Contractor

Before you rush out to buy some software to remodel your kitchen you should decide what you want to gain from your kitchen remodelling project. Carry out some research to find out what would work well for your kitchen, investigate all of the current trends and see which you like. You can research these things in magazines and even on the internet. There are lots of websites where you can get this information for free which will save you the price of a magazine!

There are many different designs of kitchen available, you should start by making a list of everything you need in your kitchen. Do you need a dishwasher? Do you need a microwave? Continue in this fashion until you have listed all of these things. You will need to make sure you leave enough space for these appliances when you are fitting your new cabinets and remodelling your kitchen. Try to cater for everything that will be fou5ABnd in your kitchen, even including somewhere to store your utensils.

If you are renovating your kitchen using home renovations software I should warn you it can be contagious! Just watch you don't get carried away and do the whole house. You should try to make the house design flow, and this can be done by renovating the house in stages. Your contractor should be able to offer you valuable advice on your renovation projects so make sure you ask your contractor for their opinion.

Kurt Schefken's papers can be found on different web publications with reference to kitchen cabinets. His observations on wall mount faucets can be discovered on http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com

Any Central Vacuum System Can Pick Up Water

Imagine your house flooded with water from broken plumbing pipes. For many of us it doesn't take much imagination, because we have lived through the experience. For me it was the day my five year old, unbeknownst to me, decided to draw a bath in the upstairs bathroom, got distracted, came downstairs, and left the water running. I walked into the garage to find water pouring down from the ceiling. We scrambled to rent anything we could find that would suck up water.

Recently, a friend of mine, in the last stages of a kitchen remodel, was watching the plumber as he connected the water to her kitchen sink. With beautiful new cabinets and new hardwood floors she was just a breath away from the kitchen she had dreamed of for the past 15 years. When the plumber finished and turned the water back on, it was as if a dam had burst. Water poured out from under the sink, flooding her dream kitchen. Just like me, she scrambled to rent anything she could find that would suck up water.

And then last Christmas another friend had family visiting from out of town. His bathroom, unable to handle the extra waste load, flooded, sending water onto his hardwood floors. Unlike my friend and myself, this family owned a central vacuum system and a wet-pickup accessory for the system. He said he got the accessory, hooked it up to his system, and proceeded to quickly get rid of all the water in his house, leaving the hardwood floors undamaged.

If you own a central vacuum system, this accessory is a must. Many companies make them including Aqua-Air, Dust Care and Lindsay Manufacturing. Aqua-Air also manufactures a central vacuum system that is self-flushing and is designed to pick-up water. However, if you already have a central vacuum and are not ready to replace it, a wet pick-up accessory is a must have for your home.

Renee Ambrose is co-owner of Central Vacuum Stores, an online retail company specializing in helping the do-it-yourselfer install built-in home products. https://www.centralvacuumstores.com

The Best Time to Inspect Your Home!

Home inspections conducted prior to a home being placed on the market is one of the wisest moves a seller can make. The initial response from sellers when approached with the idea of an inspection done as the home is about to be put up for sale is most always the same - "What?!"

Let's review a few of the most common concerns about Pre-Listing Home Inspections.

1. "The buyer will not accept an inspection done for the seller."

That is correct! The inspection done for the seller is not intended to replace the inspection done for the buyer. The purpose of the pre-listing inspection is to put the seller in control!

Given that no good surprise can come to the seller during the home inspection, regardless of when it is done or whom it is done for, it makes perfect sense to get every strand of information as soon as it can be gotten. Bad news doesn't get better with time.

If there is some b111Cad news, or more correctly, some items that needs attention or might have an impact on the home's value, who better to receive that information than the seller? And when is a better time to receive that information than before the home is placed on the market?

The simple fact is this - a home inspection at the time of listing will put the seller in the best possible position. With the complete and clear view of the home's strengths and weaknesses, the home can be marketed to the best benefit of the seller.

2. "I don't want to pay for the inspection."

This is certainly understandable. The seller generally perceives that the inspection is intended for the buyer, hence, should be a buyer's responsibility. But to have the benefit of the information it must be paid for. Never have we had a complaint from a seller about the value of the inspection! In every case at the conclusion of a pre-listing inspection, the seller felt they had made a good choice in spending the money to get the inspection done.

In most cases, the seller's feel good getting the peace of mind of knowing that no major event or expense will be uncovered by the buyer's inspector. And on the rare occasion when it is discovered by the pre-listing inspector that the roof is completely shot or there is some other big expense or danger, the sellers, while not happy to have the problem, are glad to have discovered it on their own terms. The small expense of the inspection is always less then the cost and aggravation of a hurried hunt to get something repaired or replaced after the home is under contract.

Save the pain, spend the money. Get every home inspected prior to putting it on the market!

3. "The home is selling 'as is'."

This may be the best reason of all to inspect at listing! If the home is being sold "as is", reduce your risk and liability as the seller by getting a pre-listing inspection. In order for the home to sell quickly and at the highest price, disclose every condition of the home. The inspection gives both the buyer and the seller the comfort of knowing that the home "is as it is". With a pre-listing inspection, there is a high likelihood that the home is as represented.

Even in an "as is" contract, the buyer may still have their own inspection performed. If these two inspections are similar in content, it is rare the buyer will walk or counter offer. That, in fact, is the goal of the "as is" sale.

Another concern of sellers is that they will have to repair every item that is discovered to be discrepant on the inspection report. This is simply not true. It would be true that every discrepant item needs to be disclosed, and those disclosures may impact value and hence asking price, but nothing need necessarily be corrected.

Amazing as it may seem, homes inspected prior to going on the market have two very significant attributes:

1. They sell faster than homes not inspected until the buyer has made an offer.

2. They sell closer to the asking price than homes not inspected until the buyer has made an offer.

Why the heck does that happen?

When the buyer makes an offer, there is an assumption made by the buyer, reasonable or not, that there is nothing wrong with the home! If there was something wrong with the home that the seller knew about, but did not disclose, shame on them, it is about to cost them money. Most often, though, the items that come up on the inspection by the buyer were unknown to the seller. Sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise! And we've already established that surprise is not good in real estate. So how is it that the inspection for the seller makes the buyer pay more for the home and do it in less time?

Let us create an example of a 20-year-old home that has a fair market value of $100,000, just to make the math easy. That value assumes that nothing is wrong with the home. When the buyer has the home inspected it is with the assumption that anything discovered to be wrong will be corrected by the seller or a price concession will be made.

Now, let's consider that the buyers inspection revealed the need for a new roof, several plumbing leaks, and the need for replacement of three exterior doors. When these discoveries are made by the buyer's inspection, the clock is running and running fast. These items need to be corre5A6cted before the sale can be completed. This time crunch puts the seller at a disadvantage when dealing with the contractors. When time is critical, you have fewer choices and the costs go up. Additionally, the buyer often wants to have input on who does what work.

This situation is always tense and expensive. It can be avoided!

Let us now assume that the inspection result occurs, but it is for the seller as the home goes onto the market. The seller is now in control. Armed with a clear picture of what is wrong, the seller can choose to shop calmly for the best value in repair contractors, offer a credit at closing or adjust the sales price to reflect the diminished value. They can even make the necessary repairs, then increase the price of the home to reflect the increased value!

No matter the choices made, the seller, on the seller's time frame, makes them. This actually makes for a neater, simpler buying decision for the buyer. The buyer knows better what condition the home is in and knows what issues to base the initial offer on. The buyer will still in most cases get the home inspected, but this is a breeze. It is rare that any additional items of significance arise.

The pre-listing inspection puts deal killing at the lowest risk. Most often, it makes for an awesome deal-closing tool!

Copyright Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.

Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and is featured regularly on HGTV's "House Detective". As a speaker, instructor, author, and host of The Happy Home Inspector radio show every Saturday at 3 PM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit http://www.wallyconway.com and http://www.gohomepro.com for more information on his new book, "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector"!