The ML Editor

In today’s technological revolution, everybody is turning to the Internet for their shopping, as in a matter of a few seconds, it’s possible to find hundreds of retailers. Of course, among millions of different products, we can also find ceramic tiles online. Although, when it comes to ceramic tiles, it is preferable to see them in real life. A good Internet browsing can help finding some of the best retailers and get an idea of which kind of price to expect. In addition to that, the Internet can guide you in selecting different styles and patterns, just at the click of your mouse.

Another very important use, when searching ceramic tiles on line, is the actual search for professionals or companies that can deliver a proper installation work. It is indeed extremely important to have a good job done and you certainly don’t want cheap labor taking care of such delicate task. If you really are interested in ceramic tiles, then try finding some of the best ceramic tiles online directories and they will have a listing of website to check or telephone numbers to call. It is very common, especially in the past few years, that homeowners use the web to find solutions for their homes and finding good ceramic tiles should not be any less than any other home related matter.

Pendant lighting has gained a great deal of popularity for use in kitchens over the last few years. A common place to install them is over an island or peninsula. One of the most frequent questions I see is how high do I hang them and how do I space them out? Both questions can be answered in several ways and as with any home design aspect there is no absolute or right answer. There is however some guidelines to use that can help you make the right decision.

One consideration on the height is with the fixture you choose. If a fixture has an open bottom and it is installed to high, it can become very annoying looking up into the light bulb all the time. By the same token, a fixture that is designed so that the top is not made to be viewed, if installed too low, can be very unappealing. There is an average height you can use as a guide, about 68″ - 72″ off the floor to the very bottom of the fixture. This puts the fixture at about eye level for the average person. The reason there is no correct answer is in a house where everyone is 6′ 4″ and taller this height would most likely be too low.

Over a dining room table this same rule can be applied. A little tip or word to the wise. If your fixture is going to be installed before there is actually a table under it put something there in its place. It could be a large box, bench, folding table or a chair. It will save someone a trip to the hospital for stitches after walking into the fixture or a broken fixture.

Spacing the pendants when there is more than one is a matter of a little mathematics. The most common mistake is to just split the space into even sections but that is not entirely correct and I’ll explain why. Let’s say your island is 60″ long and you have two pendants. A common thought would be to split the space into three sections that are even. This would give you each fixture 20″ off the ends and 20″ between them. A better choice would be 15″ off each end and 30″ between them. Why is that you ask? Well for one thing you’ll see it is more visually appealing. The other reason is the light spread on most pendants is in the shape of a circle. If you can imagine the actual light that falls on the counter area picture two circles of light. To best illuminate the counter we want the edge of the circle to hit the edge of the counter. The other two edges should meet or overlap in the middle.

If you are not sure what it is I am describing take a look at the link below and view the diagrams along with the explanation.

For more info on How to layout Pendant Lighting visit: http://www.forteelectric.com/PendantLayout.html
Paul Forte is a licensed electrical contractor with over 25 years of experience in residential lighting. If you would like some lighting ideas for your project contact Paul or visit his website http://forteelectric.com

When building a new home or renovating an old one, there are
innumerable choices in commercially produced building and
finishing materials; but when you want to restore an old home,
particularly one built before standardized building materials
were widely available, you may need help from a custom
millworks. Stairways in old houses are narrow and steep, rooms
are off square, and dimensions vary tremendously from home to
home. How do you incorporate a modern, functional kitchen, for
instance, into the design of a home restored to its original
1850s design?

You may have the expertise or the research capability to make
the design decisions yourself; otherwise, hiring an architect
who specializes in the restoration of antique buildings is a
must. Many antique buildings, particularly in New England, were
built and renovated over a period of centuries, with additions
in different styles (sometimes compatible, sometimes not) tacked
on to the original building. You probably don’t want to remove
the additions, particularly if they’re a substantial part of the
building; but do you restore them to their original state, or do
you impose the style of the original building onto the addition?
If embellishments were added to the original structure, do you
keep them or get rid of them? If your house is a hodge-podge of
different styles from different eras, can your architect
incorporate a new design which will blend the warring styles
together? And do you want him or her to do that, or are you
enough of a restoration purist not to want to add modern
elements to the design?

Antique buildings were most often created using materials
locally available at the time of its construction; but some
materials may have been imported from far away; by the
nineteenth century, New England ruled the seas, importing goods,
including exotic woods, from places as scattered as Ireland and
Southeast Asia. Whether originating locally or abroad, these
antique materials may or may not be readily available from local
sources now. Maple, oak, walnut, cherry, ash, hickory, mahogany
- all may be found in an antique home, and all may need to be
specially purchased. You or your architect will probably need to
communicate with manufacturers of custom building materials; so
be sure to choose a millworks company which has experts on staff
who can provide design and specification assistance. These
millworks companies should be able to provide custom milled wide
plank floor
ing, individually designed stairs, historically accurate
reproduction moldings, and special lengths and widths of lumber.

Antique homes offer a fascinating look into the history of a
region and the lives of people who lived through various eras.
The story of a particular house may span centuries of building,
rebuilding, and renovations, making each home a unique
connection to the past. Restoring one of these gems to its
original beauty can not only extend its life to another
generation of residents, it can contribute to the legacy of a
region.

We recently repaired and replaced a leaded glass panel. If you
want to view the photos that we took for the article, you can
see them at
www.betterstainedglass.com/newsletter/archives/2005-june-leadrepa
ir/june2005leadrepair.htm

1. A client called and asked us to repair a window in their
home. The window had a broken piece of glass and we would need
to take it from their home, repair it at our shop and reinstall
it in their entryway. 2. The window frame had been assembled
with 45 degree miters in the wood, which required that the nails
be removed in order to get the wood out. Fortunately, the nails
used were very thin pin nails, similar to a staple in size, so I
was able to break the fasteners with a sharp rap on a putty
knife at each nail. 3. Once all the pin nails were cut, I was
able to carefully remove the wood from the frame work. 4. The
leaded panel was very tight in the framework, which is rare, and
I had to gently work the panel loose so as not to break it. This
installation had one piece of tempered glass on the outside of
the door frame and then the art glass. In our studio we insulate
window units so that there is tempered glass on each side of the
art glass. 5. Because the tempered glass was still in place, I
simply replaced the wood pieces back in the frame till the
reinstall took place. Normally we put a piece of cardboard or
plastic in the opening while it awaits replacement. 6. When I
got the panel back to our studio, I first traced the outline of
the panel. I knew that since this window was so tight, I had to
be absolutely sure that it didn’t grow on me in the repair
process. 7. I heated the joints of solder and, using pliers,
rocked the outer bar back and forth until the outside strip of
zinc came loose from the panel. 8. Using a razor blade knife, I
loosened the cement joint between the lead and the glass so that
I could remove the glass pieces. 9. Once the cement was loose
from the glass, I was able to de-solder the joints and work the
lead free from the glass. 10. Next, I applied clear tape to both
of the broken sides of the glass so that as I eased it out of
the panel, it would stay in one piece which I could use as a
pattern for the new replacement glass. 11. Once I had the cement
and glass loose from each other, I applied gentle pressure on
the glass and spread it apart so it was easy to remove from the
panel. 12. I used the removed piece of glass as a template to
cut my replacement pieces. Since the glass was a close match,
but not quite perfect, I replaced both of the pieces so that
they both looked the same. Your eye would notice the difference
if only one of the pieces was replaced, but couldn’t see the
small difference since both were replaced. 13. Next, I nailed
down the panel on the pattern I traced earlier, so I could make
sure the window stayed the right size. 14. Then I slid both of
the replacement pieces of glass into the lead came. 15. I tapped
them into place tightly using gentle pressure from a glass
hammer. 16. Then I nailed the outside lead, in place making sure
that the glass was tight and inside the lines of the pattern.
17. Up until this step, the techniques I used are those that
both a copper foil artist and a lead artist would use. From this
point on, I focused on copper foil methods. I placed a strip of
copper foil along the bottom of the panel, so there would be
something to solder to. We might have used lead came but the
came we had in stock didn’t match the original lead. 18. I
foiled the bottom three beveled pieces with copper foil, getting
ready for soldering the panel. 19. I cut a piece of zinc to fit
the panel and nailed it in place, making sure that the panel
still fit inside the penciled in pattern. 20. I carefully
soldered the joints at the bottom of the panel, using care to
only heat the lead that was being attached just enough to solder
to, trying to avoid melting the came. 21. When the solder lines
were complete, they were a little too shiny to match the
original window, so I cleaned it with an ammonia based cleaner
which darkened it and then added a dilute black patina to knock
the color down. 22. After polishing and waxing the window, it
matched the original pretty well. 23. When we went back to the
home for the install, my wife, Jeanne wiped the window down for
a final cleaning to get rid of any dust and smudges. 24. I
removed the molding that was in temporarily and a couple of
nails from the frame work. Then I followed Jeanne’s example and
polished the inside of the tempered glass to get rid of any dust
that might have collected. 25. I used my putty knife as a lever
to center the window in the opening. 26. Then I applied a small
bead of silicone caulk around the entire framework. 27. I gently
tapped the wood back in place. 28. Then, since I wasn’t going to
nail the trim back in place, I forced a stick in the opening
between the molding so that they’d be held tightly while the
silicon dried. The silicon will form a good enough bond to hold
both the window and the molding in place.

Just a few simple steps later, we had the job done with very
satisfactory results.

The metal coated sinks that are available in the market these days comes in wide ranges of shapes, sizes, styles and price tags. The metal coated sinks are slowly gaining popularity among people all over the world.

While stainless steel remains to be the most sought after type of metal coated sinks, the copper and the brass sinks are also in demand among people who want to have antique, elegant and contemporary look to their homes. The maintenance of most of the metal coated sinks are easy while some need extra and special care to retain its gloss,new look and proper working status.

The nickel coated stainless steel sinks are the most popular type of kitchen and bathroom sinks as it is the least expensive of the metal coated sinks and is also highly durable. The nickel coating on the steel sinks will prevent it from rusting, scratching and staining.

The chrome coating on the stainless steel sinks provides the strength for these sinks and hence prevents it from denting, cracking and chipping. Another type of metal coated sink, the enamel coated cast iron sink is the most expensive as well as the most durable among the metal coated sinks.

Carpets have continuously increased in popularity and millions
of people have them in their homes now. With in-home carpets
comes a whole new area of marketing. People now need things to
clean their carpets and things to keep their carpets clean. They
may hire carpet cleaning specialists or rent carpet cleaning
equipment. They may purchase stain resistant carpet.

Carpet Installation

If you are thinking of getting carpet for your home, there are
many different things to consider. You will want to decide what
type and color of carpet you want. You want to choose where to
purchase your carpet and if you will need someone to install it.
You will also want to include installation into the cost of the
carpet when considering your budget.

There are many colors and styles to choose from so you will
likely have a tough decision to make. Some other things that may
help your decision are your room decor, your family and the room
it will be in. If you have small children, you probably don’t
want to go for a very light color or white carpet. You may
choose to have white in your master bedroom if you don’t plan to
have your children using that room. If you have indoor pets, you
will want to avoid carpets that show pet hair easily. These are
some of a few factors that can affect your carpet-buying
decision.

Carpet Cleaning

If you have carpet in your house, you will need to consider
carpet cleaning. No matter how clean you keep your house and
your carpets, at some time, your carpet will need a good
cleaning. Keeping your carpet clean will ensure that is has a
longer life.

There are things you can do to keep your carpet clean. You may
first want to get a carpet with a stain resistor. This will make
stains easier to come up. You will also want to be sure you
clean any spills and stains on your carpet as quickly as
possible. If you clean the stain before it has had time to set
in, it will likely come up easier and more completely. A stain
that has been there longer will be harder to clean up. You can
perform regular steam cleaning of your carpets, about every 6
months, to keep it clean.

Whether you’ve just found a hardwood floor under your old carpeting or the wood floor you installed is looking a little beat, refinishing is the best option to bring out it’s inner beauty. Here are the steps you need to take to refinish your floors on your own.

Clear the Area

You need to remove everything you can from the floor area you are going to refinish. Sofas, curtains, tables, rugs, etc. Another, often overlooked, important thing is to block as much of the airflow through the area as possible. While your finish is drying any airborne particles will stick and become part of the floor. Anything left in the area or those surrounding it should be properly protected while sanding. Dust covers and plastic blocking doorways are two of the best ways to accomplish this.

Before Sanding

You want to go over your floor and fill in any cracks or gaps in the wood. Use wood putty in visible areas and caulk along the baseline if necessary. If your floor was beneath carpeting, use diagonal pliers to remove any left over staples or remaining carpet padding. Then go around and sink any nails that may be sticking out as these can damage the sanding equipment.

Floor Sanding

You need to wear a dust mask and ear protection, sanding your floor might the noisiest, dustiest thing you ever do! You want to start your sander above the floor and gently lower it down. Be careful not to gouge your floor, it isn’t hard to do. Just remember to be gentle and let the sander sort of float along the surface of the wood. Also make sure you never let the sander sit in one place on your floor, it will leave a swirl mark in seconds that will take you hours to remove.

Sand with the grain of the wood. Move forward and backward over each row so you get a nice even sanding. The first pass is your rough pass, now you need to change to a medium grit paper and go over the entire area a second time. Then go over the floor again looking for cracks, gaps and nails. Use putty and sink any nail heads you see.

Now you want to use a palm sander with a fine grit paper for your final sanding pass. Once finished, vacuum the whole area including the walls and ceiling. You need to remove all particles, dust, and anything else that can stick in the you wood finish. Now it’s time to buff. Follow the grain in the wood and start in the middle of the room. After that your wood floor is ready to be stained, that’s it.

Further wood floor refinishing techniques are illustrated at Home Hardwood online along with detailed tools descriptions and instructions.