Easy Way To Install A Ceiling Fan

By Scott Rodgers

If you want to connect a ceiling fan then this can be done by you also. You just need to be little attentive while making the connections. Also for connecting different wires, tightly connect the wires and don't use loose nuts as they make the connection loose. Never leave the connections uncovered and wrap an electric tape around it.

Mostly all the ceiling fans have 4 wires or say 3 wires plus a ground wire. Their colors are black, white, green and an additional color (usually red, blue, or black/white striped).

The black wire is the hot lead for the ceiling fan motor. The red/blue/striped wire is the hot lead for the optional light kit to the ceiling fan. The white wire is the neutral lead for both the ceiling fan motor and light kit. The green wire is ground wire for the entire setup.

Now as you know the significance of all the wires, you can start connecting these wires. Connect the neutral wire of ceiling fan to neutral wire of home wiring. Some of the ceiling fans have a white wire that is wrapped by a striped tape or a colored tape. Such wires sometimes show that they should be used for some other purpose rather than for making a neutral connection.

As green wire is used for making grounded connection of your ceiling fan assembly therefore you need to attach it to ground wire of your homes wiring. If ground wire is not there in the wires of your house then you may connect the green wire of the ceiling fan to electrical box or metal conduit that have a grounded connection.

Now you are left with two leads associated with the ceiling fan. These are the hot wires for the ceiling fan and its light kit. In case your ceiling fan doesn't have a light kit then connect the black wire to the hot lead (usually black) from your power supply.

Other case could be that you are fixing the light kit along with your ceiling fan. In this case for providing connection to both of them, connect their hot terminals to the black lead in your home electric wire. But make sure that operating switch of both is separate.

Your work of connecting a ceiling fan is over now. So by now you must have got an understanding of doing it. But if you find things different while performing the task then consult a professional to help you out. - 29857

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Picking A Right Cabinet Hardware

By Kevin Stevens

Picking the right kind of cabinet hardware can be a tough and challenging exercise especially when there are thousands of options. Just by keeping few basic things in mind you can always narrow done your search. Location of the cabinet is very important aspect as only then will you be able to decide. Out of sink or mismatch items do not look good in a room. It should blend with your room theme.

When you want to pick it for your bar cabinet then going for non conventional look can be exciting. For more natural one like the wooden stuffs opting for ironwork and brass finish adds to the classy touch. You can also find one with antique finish like antique brass or antique copper hardware.

Depending on the shape and size of the cabinet you have to choose the handles correctly. They should blend well with the cabinets and not look odd. Too much of mixing and matching sometimes spoils the whole look. Being creative is good but overdoing it can be disastrous. To make the cabinet yield a professional look, picking the right cabinet hardware is very important. It adds a spark to the whole look.

The cost can vary depending on various factors like the shape, size, and usage. It accessories the whole look of the cabinet. The style and design enhances the look of the furniture making it unique. Cabinet hardware not only enhances the look but is also a very vital part of the cabinet.

Another thing to know about it is to keep the cabinet hardware clean. Make sure you use the specified cleaner rather than using the regular grocery store cleaner. Use of a soft brush instead of a hard one to avoid scratches is necessary. Polishing the metal hardware and making it completely dry by wiping it with a piece of soft cloth is a good practice. It not only keeps the product new for long but also helps in retaining its shine. Some cleaners can be harsh on your furniture so use the one that are recommended especially when looking for wood cleaners.

Small screws attached to the cabinet hardware can be easy lost when you take them out for cleaning. Make sure you keep all the screws in one box so that later on you not look for it all over the place. For old tarnished cabinet use the tarnish remover cleaner than the regular ones.

Spending the money on a cabinet hardware should be done wisely helping to enhance the look of the cabinet. A well researched hardware that matches with your cabinet can help you achieve that perfect look. Make sure it is a practical design rather than just focusing on the look. It is a part of the cabinet which can change the whole look.

A small cabinet hardware can help the cabinet look better so keeping that in mind be sure that you pick the best which complements your cabinet the most instead of just making it look worse. - 29857

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Custom Closet Designs in Miami FL: Looks Plus Comfort

By Daniel Nakamura

Making the most out of your closet space can be simple when you have a closet design plan. Before you purchase anything, you should plan the closet design with care. You will need to ask yourself a few questions before you begin the project.

One of the questions you may want to ask is should there be a place to sit? If your closet is large enough, then a sitting area may be a nice touch.

Linen closets - To maximize the space for this type of closet design, or at least provide better, neater storage, there are some options. Compartmentalized shelves can make it much easier to keep wash clothes, pillow cases and other small items sorted. Large rubber tubs or other similar devices can work great at the bottom of a closet for holding blankets and other big items. Regular shelving tends to work best for towels and sheets.

Bedroom closets - The options for closet design here are many. Some of the more simplistic tools to bring into play include such things as full dressers, narrow chests of drawers, shoe racks and even plastic storage tubs or shelving systems. There are some great options pre-fabricated that can make a do-it-yourself job really easy.

Some people install floor to ceiling shelving on one wall to handle sweaters, blankets and other things they don't always need to get their hands on. Hanging shelving for shoes, for example, can also be a great addition that is very easy to install.

Make the storage space bigger. The shelf area can be doubled by expanding wire racks. Some items can be placed under them while others can be placed on tops. Using wire racks are really much safer than stacking cans. An organizer on the door of the closet can provide storeroom for small packages that can easily be misplaced when placed on shelves while the over-the-door organizer can be the place for medicines and vitamins so they can be kept out of children's reach. This can also be the right compartment for the things that you used everyday. Expanding the closet's shelf can also provide storage for paper goods.

Combine and clarify items. The items put inside the bags or boxes such as cereal, pasta and chips can be transferred into transparent plastic containers that are capable of storing food stuffs compactly while allowing to you see right away what's inside.

You will find all the supplies and inspiration you will need to get your project started as well as adding all the finishing touches to your beautiful, spacious closet design. - 29857

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Enhancing Your Home With Rugs

By Alex Bacheller

If you are fond of looking at magazines or books about interior designing, you will be amazed on how they design each room regardless of its size. If you are a keen observer, you will notice that 98% of these pictures have rugs on them. Why? Because rugs play a very important role in enhancing any room.

Rugs can instantly create that perfect ambiance in your home. It is one of the easiest ways to redecorate your home without spending too much. Moreover, it serves as a protection from cold tiles and concrete floors. It also prevents our hardwood floors from scratches made by furniture. Rugs are for protection and for ornament - two purposes in one.

So, do you want to know how to modify your home with rugs? It is actually easy as long as keep in mind these critical factors:

The first thing you need to consider is your room area. Determining the room size will give you the idea on how big your rugs should be. As a rule of thumb, the rug should be 24 inches shorter than the shortest wall of the room. It does not matter whether you have your entire floor carpeted or not. You may still use the rugs on them.

For living rooms, it would best to choose area rugs that will complement your furniture layout. You can have 1 big rug if you only have 1 conversation area, or 2 to define 2 seating areas. With these groupings, you need to remember that there should be at least 1 foot of rug from the furniture but not more than 2 feet of it extending from them. Usually, an 8 x 10 foot rug is used in a living room.

Bedrooms. A rug placed in the bedroom is usually placed to enhance the focal of the room, which is the bed. It should be remembered that at least one-third of the carpet must be under the bed. It should also extend to about 30 to 36 inches on its sides.

Dining Rooms. Dining rooms with elegantly designed home rugs can create an intimate dining area. When choosing the appropriate size, you need to be sure that the table and the chairs can fit in it. You should also consider the chairs being pushed back, your rug should also cover that area. As a rule, you need to add at least 40 to 48 inches of rug to the total measurement of your dining table. This will give you enough space for your chairs.

Another factor that you need to consider is choosing the right type of rug. Rugs are made from different materials. There are natural materials such as wool, cotton and grass rugs which usually cost more. Synthetic materials on the other hand are a lot cheaper. These include nylon and polypropylene/olefin.

Lastly, let us go the fun and most exciting part; you need to choose the suitable color and patterns. Dark colored rugs tend to create an intimate space in the room while light colored rugs can expand the area. To hide falling hairs, pet hairs and dirt, you may opt to choose heavy patterned rugs to conceal them. You may choose Oriental rugs for traditional themed room, bold geometric patterns for a modern, sophisticated room and a braided area rug for a countryside themed room.

The market can offer you a wide array of options. There are different designs, shape, colors and sizes. You just need a creative mind to use these affordable floor accessories to redesign and enhance your room in an instant. - 29857

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Some Tips For Ecofriendly Design & Construction

By Adriana Noton

The way that buildings are designed and constructed has much to do with how much water and energy they use. Thus, utilizing ecofriendly design & construction can minimize a house's effect on the environment and can make it eco-friendly. Designing homes to be sustainable can significantly help the environment. Proper architectural drawings are needed.

The way that a building is shaded can significantly affect its energy usage. If a house is faced north, it can have maximum shading during summer and more sunlight during winter. Also, utilizing shades over windows can help keep heat and glare from coming into a home. This can reduce the energy used for heating and cooling a house, as the home will have a more stable temperature. Drafting can help reduce temperatures during summer.

Solar panels can help a home reduce its environmental impact. When solar energy is used as a home's main energy source the home is in turn powered by a completely sustainable form of energy. Solar power also does not cause the harmful emissions that other forms of energy do. By utilizing other forms of energy along with solar power, a home can be powered with solar panels all year long.

New heat-trapping windows can prevent heat from getting into or out of a building. These windows use a new type of glazing that, like shading, can reduce the heat of a house during summer and increase it during winter. When sealed, the windows can reduce energy costs because the home stays at a more stable temperature so that the air conditioning and heater do not need to be used as much.

An eco-friendly home is always designed to have water-efficient appliances. Many people have negative opinions of water conservation appliances because they have been faulty in the past. However, today water-efficient appliances are very effective; shower heads have good pressure and toilets do not need to be flushed twice.

Insulation is another great eco-friendly technology that traps heat. It serves to keep a house warm for the winter and cool for the summer by protecting the home with a layer of protection. A building can be quite affected by outdoor weather without insulation, which can increase home energy costs. Therefore, any eco-friendly home should use some form of insulation.

For the outdoors, xeriscaping is a great choice. This technique uses certain plants that are native to the area, which means that they will live "in harmony" with the soil and other elements. Xeriscaping also utilizes water-efficient plants. Sadly for some lawn-lovers, traditional lawns are rarely if ever used for xeriscaped gardens because they use up so much water. However, native grasses can be used in place of a lawn if necessary.

One last tip is to utilize rainwater harvesting, which basically captures rainwater. It can then be used for gardening. Because landscapes do not need filtered, pure water, the use of rainwater is perfectly fine for gardens. Thus, harvesting rainwater instead of using hose water can help to save a significant amount of water. The water collected in rainwater tanks is both convenient and free; the tanks are thus a wise investment for any serious landscaper. - 29857

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Various Options In Providing A Healthy Environment To Your Kids

By David Darby

One major thing that majority of parents want to ensure is that they provide a safe environment for their kids. One of those concerns for families is to make sure their home is free from pests. Certain pests like cockroaches, rodents or ants can make for a very unsanitary environment. They can carry with them some diseases, so it is very crucial that you keep your home free from these pests.

First of all probably the best way to keep your home free from pests is to hire a pest control company. A pest control company is equipped with advanced equipment to make certain they can eliminate pests quickly and efficiently. Also, they can provide some great tips on how to prevent the pests from coming back. That is key in our pest control services the fact we give prevention tips as well.

Well if you really want to save some cash, but still make sure that you keep pests away from your home, there are some options you might want to take. There are some options you can obtain for that kind of issue at your local hardware store. Eradicating pests like ants can be accomplished if you know where to begin it. In our ant control company the secret is killing them at their ant hills. This will help you in keeping them from coming back.

The next pest which can bring disease into your home are rodents, like mice for example. This is another pest that you can fight on your own if money is limited.

The main goal here is to make sure that there are no openings and to seal up your home properly. If they actually were able to gain entry and enter your home, you need to use poisons and traps to finish them off. That is the successful combination we use in our rodent control service.

As you have discovered, there are lots of options to keep harmful pests away from your home. Your budget will actually determine what method you will undertake, but either of those two will be effective. - 29857

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Important Questions About Termites

By Russ Frank

Here are some questions that property owners often ask about termites. Do you know the answers to these questions?

Q: How many types of termites are there? A: Over 2600 species have been identified by experts. Of those only 55 live in the U.S. Homeowners only have to worry about 2 types: subterranean termites and drywood termites.

Q: How are subterranean and drywood termites different? A: Termites live in colonies because they are social insects. One difference between subterranean termites and drywood termites is where the colony is located. Subterranean termites need the moisture in the earth to survive, so they live in underground nests. They tunnel to into nearby homes to feed. Drywood termites, however, don't need the moisture in the earth to survive, so they nest inside the structures they're feeding on.

Q: How will I know if my property has termites? And, if so, what kind? A: Subterranean termites may be detected when they swarm, typically in the spring, when some termites leave their nests to start more colonies. Subterranean termites may also be detected when their mud tubes are seen on walls or foundations. Both types of termites may leave weak, broken, or blistered wood. Drywood termites can leave wings or piles of what looks like sawdust on floors and windowsills.

Q: Is my home free of termites when none of these signs are present? A: No, because termites do their damage on the inside of the wood, which makes them very hard to detect.

Q: I see insects with wings running around. Are they termites or ants? A: Until you see them up close, termite swarmers and ant swarmers may look alike. But when you look closely, termites have straight antennae, ant antennae are bent. Ants have a narrow waist and termites have thick waists.

Q: Aren't termites generally found in older buildings? A: The only preference termites have is for wood. They don't care where it is. They've even been found in recently completed new construction. Termites have no preference for older buildings.

Q: Is there anywhere in the U.S. that's free from termites? A: Other than Alaska? No. Subterranean termites are present in all of the lower 48 states plus Hawaii. Drywood termites are limited to most of the coastal regions of the U.S. plus the desert southwest. - 29857

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