Paint Your House Green

Paints add beauty and elegance to your house. However paints have negative impact to air quality because of presence of chemicals called Volatile Organic Compunds (VOCs) and other toxic components that evaporate into air at room temperature anc can cause a variety of health problems like nausea, dizziness, irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract and more serious illnesses like heart, lung or kidney damage and even cause cancer. 

You Can Be A Contractor Yourself

In a lifetime, there are not many projects that equal the enormity of building a new home. It is a tremendous investment of time, funds and for many, the realization of a long awaited dream. One way to ensure that your dream house becomes a reality is to be your own contractor.
                 Acting as your own general contractor means that you manage the project yourself. You do everything from dealing with subcontractors, costing the jobs, checking the work, obtaining the permits, to setting up a construction schedule. Doing your own contracting means that you maintain more control over the project. Overseeing the work reduces costly mistakes and misunderstandings.

Understanding The Area Of House

Buyers of real estate should be very aware of what the builder or seller implies when he talks about area. What area is inclusive of and what it is not is the first clarification a buyer should seek.
                            For instance, a builder may tell a potential buyer that his quote is based on an area covering 3,000 sq ft. And, it may seem like a bargain. But what the builder may be referring to is super built-up area while the unfortunate buyer is under the assumption that it is the amount of area he will get in his apartment.

Window Frame Tips

Window frames are an important part of a window's overall energy efficiency.
Maintenance is a critical issue. Some window frames are maintenance free, while others need annual attention. Lifestyle and tolerance for repair and restoration should determine the window frame you choose, along with energy efficiency and budget.

Design a Teenage Bedroom

Designing a teenage bedroom is not so easy, but you can help your teenage boy or girl to select the bedroom design according to their taste and needs. Use a little imagination and creativity to create a such bedroom that your teen will love and cherish.
          Always keep in your mind that you have to decorate your teen’s bedroom according to your teen’s requirement and choices. Be sure to take into account the size of the bedroom, your budget, and the practicality of the style.

Do you know what you should know before hiring an electrician? You are responsible for all electrical faults and its repair. You need to hire an electrician for repair of electrical faults. Hiring an electrician may be difficult for you because you don’t know how to hire a skilled electrician.  The following checklist should help you when hiring an electrician. 

Advantages Of Kota Stone Flooring

Kota stone is a naturally available limestone with an elite blend of shades. It is usually available in the Kota district of Rajasthan state of India . Kota stone is well known for its attractive colors. However, the brown color is the popular. Other colors are - Black, Pink, Grey, and Beige. Physical properties like hardness, non- porous and homogeneity make it extraordinary from other stones.

Vaastu For Children's Study Room

• The apt direction for constructing children's room is west. North or East directions can also be used for constructing kids room.
  Vastu for children room suggests that a married couple should not use East direction bedroom. There is no problem if an unmarried child uses that room.
• The colour scheme should be mild.

Bed Sizes For Rooms

Single or Twin Bed

A single bed is suitable for an individual. This is ideal for bachelors or guest rooms or or kids' room or if you have a servant room.

The dimensions for a typical single bed are 36" X 75".

Twin beds are nothing but single beds that are narrower and can fit into tiniest bedrooms. They are good choices for kids' room or guest room and often come as bunk beds or have 'trundle' fitted under them that can be pulled out to accommodate a sleepover friends. They are 39" wide and about 75" long. Their bedsheets are easily available but it may be too short for some adults. 

Wardrobe Tips

To design a walk-in wardrobe you will need a separate room. You could also use the bedroom balcony. A niche in the wall is also a neat way to contain a wardrobe. But remember the wardrobe should be at least two feet deep.Do not have the wardrobe directly opposite the bed. It is very imposing. Plus, if you want mirrors on the shutters, it is considered bad luck according to Vaastu.

Furniture Maintenance Guide

There are a number of things that we do not know about the furniture we use. There a number of small problems that crop up every now and then with the furniture that is regularly used. It would be simple if someone gave you a few ideas on small repairs that you can do yourself at home. Given below are a few tips on dealing with simple problems with furniture and answers to some common questions about furniture.

Choosing Your Builder

Choosing your builder is an immensely important decision. If you pick a skilled craftsman who is properly qualified to do the job it will make the renovation experience stress-free and exciting.
But hire an incompetent goof who doesn't know a spanner from a spaniel and your housing project could be less than enjoyable.
That's why you need to do your homework. Keep the following in mind as you select a builder.

House Buying Tips

Must it be a bungalow, a condominium, an apartment or a penthouse? The actual area and size will depend on the size of your family as well as your own personal requirements. Think long term. Maybe you and your spouse require just a one-bedroom apartment at this point in time but plan to have two children later. In that case, a two-bedroom or even a three-bedroom is a better option.
                            Why do you need a house?Are you purchasing it to reside in it? Or do you view property as an investmentand you are looking at capital appreciation. If you are buying to reside in it, you may consider a 3-bedroom apartment. But, if you are planning to rent it out, even if you can afford a 3-bedroom apartment, you may want to settle for a 2-bedroom because the chances of giving it out would be easier. Also, if you are looking at capital appreciation, you should consider making the purchase in the suburbs, where the price appreciation will be higher than in the case of prime property.

Tips On Plumbing

Slow draining sinks
If your sink drains are chronically slow and you live in an older house, the problem may be an accumulation of sludge in the lines. No amount of plunging and chemicals is going to fix this. What's needed is to climb up onto the roof of your house with a metal snake (preferably one with a business end looking a bit like a ballpeen hammer) and ram that snake down each of the drain lines, entering through the vent stacks, with a fair amount of force. It may require 50 or 100 motions for each stack.You can venture it yourself or call a plumber. You should also snake out any drain clean-outs you can find at ground level.

Chimney For Home Decor

In earlier times, homes were heated by varities of fuel and chimneys were constructed to propel emissions outside to prevent pollution inside the house. Fumes were drawn out of the house using tubes within walls. Now these have become decor aspects of homes. These are built of bricks with fireplaces on all floors and caps to prevent drafts and water coming in.
These days, an external chimney adjacent to the external wall is also constructed as a decorative feature.

Garden Design Style Tips

There are so many ways that you can create a garden. ultimately it comes down to personal preference. There are a few basic garden styles that you can follow. Make sure when you choose a style that you consider the architecture of your home. A formal garden will not necessarily be the best choice for a cottage style home. Also, consider the color of the items in your yard, the fence, any outbuildings. The color of your home and it's trim are also important factors. There are five general garden styles.

Vastu For Pooja Room

Location of Pooja RoomsAccording to Vaastu Shastra, North-east is an excellent location for Poojaroom. Pooja room in north quadrant provides good results. You can opt east, north and north-east for pooja room. Avoid other directions if possible. Special pooja’s can be performed in Brahmasthana (center of house). In big plots, pooja room can be in Brahmasthan (central portion) of the house. Pooja room should not be inside bed room. It should not be made above, below or next to toilet or kitchen. It should be on ground floor, not on first floor or in basement. Avoid Pooja Room under the stairs. 

Energy Saving Tips

The Domestic Sector accounts for 30% of total energy consumption in the country. There is a
tremendous scope to conserve energy by adopting simple measures.
This information is a guide, which offers easy, practical solutions for saving energy in Home
Appliances. Please, take a few moments to read the valuable tips that will save energy & money
and ultimately help conserve our natural resources.
It would be useful to know which gadget consumes how much electricity. Economic use of home
appliances can help in reducing electricity bills.

A Door Guide

We look at how to install and store a door along with common pitfalls to watch out for.
Installing a door is by no means impossible for the average person, but a poorly installed door can cause problems. We look at why you should get an expert to fit a perfectly square door. But first, let's see the things you need to take into account about your rooms when you're looking for a door for them.

Home Building Tips

Few other projects in life are as frustrating, stressful, and expensive as building a home. However, with the proper research, planning, and advice, building a home can be a rewarding, exciting, and even joyful process. In other words, it is possible to stay sane while building a home.

Dark Blue Colour In Interior

Dark blue and blue are natural colors. These are the colors of water and sky. They bring calm and energy; you will never get tired of dark blue color.
Interior in dark blue tones not only calms, but also possesses freshening effect.
Dark blue tones are especially good for small premises. Blue color in interior is also recommended as expanding tone for small rooms. Light blue color of ceiling will visually make a premise higher and more spacious. It is good color for working zone as it helps to organize itself. The walls, painted in blue, are good for the premises, arranged in the southern part of the house, but they are not recommended for the rooms which windows leave on the east and the West, as they will make room dark and gloomy.

Why Painting Is Needed

Around your home, you'll ordinarily require paint for three basic elements - walls, metal and wooden surfaces. In their lifetime, each of these will necessarily need painting because with time, their beauty and strength decreases.
Wall surfaces chip and crack, metals rust and corrode, while wooden furnitureand doors get warped and scratched. Different paints have specific properties that prevent, or at least delay this. They form a protective layer around the substrate, keeping it relatively safe. Naturally, since walls are different from metals, which in turn have properties dissimilar to wood, each surface requires a different type of paint. Today, different paints have been developed, specific to each category.

Decorate your staircase

If decorated and designed imaginatively, a stairway can easily be made the most attractive feature of a house or building. There are two options available for decking up a staircase. First, if you are constructing a new one, you can choose from a number of innovative designs. Second, you can adorn the old staircase in your house in various simple ways.

Blinds Buying Guide

Blinds set the style and tone of a house as well as providing privacy and insulation. You can control the amount of light that enters the room. Blinds can be easily maintained and can be dusted regularly with a feather duster or hand vacuum cleaner once in a while.

Make Your House Dust Free

Dust may contain moulds, fibres, dander from your pets, as well as tiny dust mites. These mites thrive if the house is warm and humid. To a large extent, you can eliminate dust from your house. Follow these steps:

Terrace Garden Tips

Terrace gardening is a type of indoor gardening where you take care of your indoor plants. The terrace may be either at ground level, below ground level, or raised above it.
Terrace Gardening is an activity which you can use as an end of day activity for relaxing.

How to choose a right Builder

Choosing your builder is an immensely important decision. If you pick a skilled craftsman who is properly qualified to do the job it will make the renovation experience stress-free and exciting.

But hire an incompetent goof who doesn't know a spanner from a spaniel and your housing project could be less than enjoyable.

That's why you need to do your homework. Keep the following in mind as you select a builder.

Construction Tips

In case of any construction project, proper planning is very important to ensure that the timelines are met and the construction is strong and durable. With the rapid development taking place in the industry, there is often a multiplicity of factors to be considered and decision making can be complex. To avoid your dependency upon the site engineer or contractor, it is advisable to be aware of certain important aspects with regard to construction planning. 

Dining Room Design Tips

East, south or west portion of the house are for the dining rooms. Stimulate your appetite by painting its walls with shades of pink or orange. The dining room can be an independent room or in continuation of the kitchen.
The dining table, preferably a rectangular one should be so arranged that the master of the house, or his wife or eldest son occupies the south of south-west or west of south-west chair in the room. 

GUIDELINES AND RITUALS PRIOR TO STARTING CONSTRUCTION

Before starting any construction, Vaastu recommends major guidelines, that are defined here for your reference. It is suggested that before the starting any construction, we must be well prepared. Hence, the guidelines explained here will enable us to be ready for the time-consuming task of construction of a House. As Vaastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline. As a Vaastu Expert, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.

Roof Leaks - Causes and Repair

Roof leaks weaken roof structure of the building and destroy household items also. They are irritating and most frustrating to the house owner. More than 90% of roof leaks are caused by improper installation and defective roof flashings.  This article tells about several problems, 

causes and repair of roof leaks.

Study Rooms Design

A study is a quiet room in the home used for reading, homework, computer tasks and relaxation. You can easily convert an extra bedroom in your house into a study. Tranquil paint colors, comfortable furniture and plenty of book shelves are all you need to create a perfect study for your family.

Dining Room Decorating

There are those who would trade anything to have a separate dining room, others pooh-pooh the one they have as a wasted bit of space and shut the door.

The first group has nothing to envy since there are myriad ways to forge comfortable, part-time dining areas in other rooms. The naysayers can take heart, too. With some adjustments, their forlorn rooms can be made as satisfying as mom's home cooking.

©Gail Green for Green & Co., Inc. Almost any space can be transformed into a spectacular dining room.

Carpets A Short Discription

Carpets

Carpets or rugs as some people use both the words for a simple thing which refers to covering of floor. Carpets have always been in a trend and today in this globalization era carpet or rugs trend has become more prevalent. It is made up of different natural things and the designs which are available in the market are endless and beautiful. 

Furniture Styles

Today several designs of furniture are available today to suit the diverse styles and taste. Your atmosphere portrays your persona and the décor of your home represents your own traits of personality. Thus, the living space designed by you should not only be comfortable, but should be trendy to suite the latest vogue.
We can take a broader look on the fashion which has created today’s stylish furniture. 

The Importance of Light in Bathroom

No bathroom remodeling design is complete without a plan for improved lighting. Lighting serves many functions in the bathroom, from highlighting the décor to helping you accomplish your daily grooming and hygiene routine to complementing your reflection in the vanity mirror. By installing the appropriate lighting in your bathroom, you can both make the space feel larger and create place for personal retreat.
Here’s a look at the types of lighting you should include in your bathroom remodeling plans :

Bathroom remodeling

Are you dreaming about transforming your utilitarian bathroom into a soothing oasis? You’re not alone. As the country slowly emerges from the recession, homeowners across the country are attacking this tiny but important room, and no wonder. In today’s hectic digital environment, the bathroom is the final sanctuary; it’s the only place where you can lock the door and just relax. In fact, according to ABC News, the average American spends 2 weeks a year in the bathroom. Certainly, a bathroom remodel is worthwhile; the question is how to go about it. As you imagine your ideal bathroom, one of the first questions you’ll need to answer is whether to install a shower or bath. This article contrasts these two fixtures, offering benefits and downsides to each.

The Advantages of Hiring a General Contractor!

A general contractor is the specialist you need to take care of all problems related to constructing or renovating a property. If you need someone to repair your home, then you should consider all possibilities. The Internet is king when it comes to finding the men you need. In just a few minutes, you can discover a company specialized in general contracting, offering solutions for roofing, mold remediation and other types of home repairs. 

How to Clean Old Furniture

Furniture refinishing is a time consuming job. Before you strip the old finish off any piece of furniture, take a good look at it -- a complete refinishing job may not be necessary. In fact, refinishing an antique can decrease its worth. A piece in good condition, with its original finish, is much more valuable than one that has been completely refinished. In this article, we'll discuss how you can use a few simple restoration techniques to revive the old finish on your wooden furniture. The first step is knowing what kind of finish was used on the furniture piece, then deciding how to clean it. 

Give your Home A Rich Look With Wall Putty

Wall Putty

              It is a mixture of whitening powder and linseed oil (javas tel ),used to make wall surface smooth or plane. After plastering wall was not too finish or smooth. you can use 12mm coat of 'plaster of paris', before painting. This makes wall surface gloosy and after painting it looks great. It cost's too much.Instead you can use wall putty,which is cheap and gives good looking. You can use wall putty to fill cracks and holes also, for good result you can use 'crack seal' to fill gaps.

False Ceiling Ideas

1. When another ceiling is installed beneath the original, it is referred to as a drop ceiling, suspended ceiling or false ceiling. Its purpose is to hide such things as the heating and air-conditioning ductwork, wiring, pipes and anything else that needs to run from one area to the next. Other reasons for installing a false ceiling are thermal insulation, soundproofing or something to accommodate a change in lighting, such as recessed lights.

Paint Your Walls

Thinking of some cheap but fabulous wall painting ideas? Well, wall painting is a very innovative way to make your house look gorgeous. Wall papers have become backdated, wall painting is the new in-thing. It is cheap and also easy to change as compared to wall papers. We shall discuss some wall painting ideas that will light up your room.

Feng Shui For Your Home

Who wants to live a long life without health, money and fame??? .. Everyone wants to live a healthy happier life and Feng- Shui, a practice of object arrangement helps you to achieve a healthy, happy life. Today, Feng -Shui absorbs the interest of millions of people all over the world and many choose Feng- Shui as a belief system as well as a Science. 

                              The term feng shui literally translates as "wind-water" in English. This is a cultural shorthand taken from the following passage of the Zangshu (Book of Burial).An Ancient Chinese concept that a positive energy exists that is unseen among everything on earth and this should always be able to flow freely through a space so that the positive 'chi' or energy to improve a person's good fortune and prosperous. If the person himself with disturbed negative energy he would experience his life with full of difficulty and obstacles. So we should control  our actions and our lives and attain our goals by spotting the obstacles that may not allow Chi circulate freely. Here are some feng shui tips to help you.

Do you Have a Small Kitchen

A small kitchen can function as well as a large kitchen if it is planned carefully. There are two main elements that need to be considered when designing a small kitchen. Firstly, how to maximise storage and work spaces in a small kitchen and secondly, how to make a small kitchen look more spacious. Here are some ideas:

Your Garden Tips

Gardening is a fun and relaxing hobby. Some gardens are for growing beautiful flowers while others are to grow vegetables. Regardless of the type of garden you have, there are some general guidelines to help ensure your garden produces the best results. Once you have decided what type of garden you want to have, do some research to find out what types of flowers and vegetables grow well in your region. Some thrive in wet environments while others need plenty of sunlight to grow.

Kitchen Tops

The kitchen is known as the hub of the home, its the room where the whole family comes together to share a meal. It can be a great time to share a problem or maybe forget about one for a while either way the kitchen is a place for the family making it a special room in the home.

Types of Flooring

With the wide variety of flooring materials out there, homeowners must decide which type of flooring would work best for their home, as each type of flooring has advantages and disadvantages. Some of the factors to take into consideration are cost, durability, appearance, and life of the floor.

French Interior

France is a country rich in architecture. You can spend all your days day walking through the streets of Paris, or any other region, visiting the museums, and taking pictures next to one of the many impressive monuments. France has many old monuments and some of them they are in well good condition like the Maison Carrée and the Pont du Gard near Nîmes.
             French interior design is bold, sophisticated, and of course chic. A touch of French style can be integrated into your own home with the minimum of ease and you can choose how strong you want the look to be. 

Design Your Living Room

Your living room is the place for your family or friends to sit and visit, relax and enjoy- so a special effort should be made to create a comfortable and a harmonious environment. Usually living room is the first room you see upon entering your home, it is a room that must show well and a multipurpose room serving as a playroom, a dining room, a reading room, a sitting room or a TV room. 

A living room creates harmony through a successful combination of color, scale, shapes and patterns. How you furnish your living room depends on a number of factors. Here are some tips to decorate the living room to suit different levels of comfort and aesthetic senses and serving lots of activities.

Know Your Bedroom

Bedroom

A bedroom is an inherent part of your home, hence while decorating or remodeling a bedroom the entire home improvement "theme" must be considered for a smooth visual experience as Your bedroom is your sanctuary so you want it to be delightful and inviting. Here are 10 great ideas to inspire you to create the bedroom of your dreams.

Bricks: an Overview

Brick is one of the important part of the building construction, It is one of the oldest man-made building materials. We will explore the forms in which brick is used today. In this article Brick sizes, types of bonds, and mortar details are the topics that we will be focusing on to.

Interior The Japanese Way

Japanese interiors generally use neutral, natural colors, to provide a simple background. Interiors emphasize architecture, and as a result, provide a sense of geometric order. In addition, natural colors minimize a feeling of clutter, which is also essential to eastern design and its philosophy of simplicity. When a statement is made in a Japanese interior, it is usually through a single strong exclamation of color or a predominant texture.

Interior Design The Italian Way

Italian interior design evokes cool modernism, a distinctly urban aesthetic. For others, it conjures up visions of quaint Tuscan villas or crumbling edifices with ornate architectural details. Then there are those who think of breezy Mediterranean beach houses filled with windows, niches and natural light.

Floor Designs

Remodeling and renewing the home structure is one of the major lifestyle concepts in today’s world. One of the aspects that have gained a lot of significance and attention is the designs related to flooring. With the development in technology and home décor our modern day flooring design has taken the art of flooring patterns to an altogether new dimension of lifestyle.

           The advent of the fitted carpets have altogether put into oblivion the scope and beauty of wooden flooring. For people either it is the usage of the carpet on floors or the traditional mosaic floors in different variants. Majority of the floors that are designed are placed in for sanding. Also, it’s a laborious task to sand the floors, but people still do that.

Vastu For Bedroom

Vastu is one of the popular sciences today. Promising to make life better in homes, offices and even plots, Vastu plays an important role in shaping our world. Vastu works on bringing positive energy in each and every room ofyour house. Right from theliving room to the bedroom, each room is decorated differently and having a different purpose. Therefore the Vastu of every room is different. 
              In this section we talk about Vastu for bedroom and through some simple changes how we can improve our home world and life as well. Read through these simple but very useful bedroom tips and see positive energy flowing in your world. 

Interior Colour Scheme

Every one has a dream in mind of having a own home, having a home that look fresh and different from any other's Colours can change the look of your house as you want here is a general idea of appropriate colours have been given here to help enhance the specific room's atmosphere and use.

Happiness with colours

Colour Theory offers a way to enhance nearly every aspect of our lives -improving our moods and stimulating our minds, increasing our effectiveness at work and in society and creating better physical and mental health.

Colours affect various domains of our life - world, food, clothing, the living place, transportation, education and recreation. Wise arrangement of colour will help to increase their happiness, enhance their wealth, and faster their marital harmony. 

The Historical Mysore Palace

Mysore is a city of palaces, but the most magnificent of them all is the Mysore Palace sometimes known as the Main Palace as well. One of the most unforgettable images of the city is the image of the illuminated Mysore Palace against the dark black sky. It takes ninety seven thousand light bulbs to produce this enchanting image of the Palace. The Palace is situated in the middle of the city and is a reminder of the grandeur of a bygone era and is today an invaluable national treasure.

Construction Finence Sources ( Loans )

One of the major problems facing any business enterprise is that of obtaining finance. This is a problem not merely of quantity but also of type. The situation is further compounded by legislation. a the dynamism of the economy, but fundamentally by the requirement to minimize costs.
The construction industry comprises a wide variety of firms from the single person enterprise to the large multinational public company. The sources of capital available to any firm are quite numerous but public companies have the great variety of sources available for their use and the single person enterprise, the least variety.

Cave Architecture

The cave architecture in India is believed to have begun in the third century BC. These caves were used by Buddhist and Jain monks as places of worship and residence. Initially the caves were excavated in the western India. Some examples of this type of cave structure are Chaityas and Viharas of Buddhists. The great cave at Karle is one such example, where great Chaityas and Viharas were excavated by hewing out rocks. The Karle caves are big in size and the interior is lighted up by great windows.

Ancient Indian Architecture

Indian architecture is as old as the history of the civilization. The earliest remains of recognizable building activity in the India dates back to the Indus Valley cities. Among India's ancient architectural remains, the most characteristic are the temples, Chaityas, Viharas, Stupas and other religious structures. In ancient India, temple architecture of high standard developed in almost all regions. The distinct architectural style of temple construction in different parts was a result of geographical, climatic, ethnic, racial, historical and linguistic diversities.