Friday 31 July 2009

window panes are a threat to our birds

Simple methods to prevent the senseless death bird

Who has not ever been or even several times myself experienced or reported by other fellow human beings get? It has a beautiful new conservatory of his house built and beautifully decorated with plants and furniture, and in spring you will find the first dead bird out in front of the disc lie.

This happens not only at the winter gardens, all no bigger glass panels, for example in office buildings, schools and factories but also the large balcony in the house can contribute to death for our birds are. Such windows are for the birds very poorly identified as an obstacle, since it is usually always clean.

Remedy this very simple means, such as curtains and blinds, larger windows, or window decorations. Also very popular are so-called bird sticker, which simply stuck on the discs are. One knows this bird sticker, for example, from bus stops or public buildings such as hospitals, offices or shopping centers. Here, these stickers also used indoors, at glass doors or windows. Here, you do less to protect the birds, but rather the benefit of humanity, because clean glass doors and panes of us can even be overlooked and result in injuries caused by collision. In larger farms and factories with large production buildings or offices, hotels, hospitals and retirement homes, where there is also glass doors in the corridors as an intermediate has doors installed, such protection even in the OSH guidelines prescribed.

In our modern architecture, more and more glass in new buildings built, which is visually and technically very good lighting effects, but it also creates new barriers dangerous for humans and animals. It is therefore advisable that even before the start of a new house with the theme of welfare and risk avoidance is important. And how easy it is dangerous to defuse sources of accidents, you can at the examples above clearly.
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Wednesday 29 July 2009

Southwest Decor

5 Top Ways To Create The Perfect Look

Are you getting ready to use Southwest décor in your home but need some tips on how best to achieve your goal? If so, we can help. The great thing about this particular look is that it is a beautiful blend of Native American Indians and Spanish. As a result, you end up with tremendous options, each with amazing shapes, sizes, patterns, and colors. While the southwest look is rustic, it is also a casual elegance. With the use of earth tones, as well as reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues, you will end up with a comfortable space where people love to gather.

A house decorated with a southwest theme, usually radiates a warm and inviting atmosphere. The style fashioned after the west, brings with it a calm and relaxed feeling. Nature is most often included and the history it evokes could be written in volumes. Choose your room's elements carefully, in order to create the perfect southwestern ambiance necessary, to capture the true meaning of the rustic southwest. For an easy beginning to your project, consider these five ways you can incoporate southwest decor into your finished goal.

1. Walls - The walls in your southwest room can speak very loudly about the true intent of the room's design, so choose your paint color carefully. volumns so. If you like the rustic look of a southwestern style, consider purchasing pre-mixed stucco to give your walls an authentic feel. A textured wall gives your room an authentic feeling and provides an unusual canvas on which to build and add color to the environment in your room.

2. Art - In order to give your southwest room a feeling of authenticity, be sure to include Native American and western art pieces. There are many options available. Of the most popular choices are wall art made of metal, paintings produced with sand, terra cotta tiles decorated with unusual designs and simple paintings of Native American Indians.

3. Cactus Garden - If you have outdoor space, you could create a gorgeous cactus garden placed outside the door or window, bringing some of the southwest nature inside. You don't have to own a large and massive yard in order to create an interesting cactus garden. Simply use the space you have available indoors and design an area which hosts small types of cactus.

4. Accents - Color will work wonders in your southwest decor and can point the room towards a western, Spanish or Native American theme. Fantastic examples would include using a shade on the table lamp which is made of rawhide and painted with a unique western design. Or you may wish to add throw pillows with lots of stunning colors such as red, turquoise and green or add a lovely woven serape over the back of your sofa.

5. Flooring - Don't forget the floor when considering how to decorate with a southwest theme. You may wish to consider having your floors finished in wood or tile, but even if you prefer carpeting, it can be a soft touch and look nice with your decor. You always have the option of using many different smaller hand woven Indian rugs with brillant patterns and colors, or perhaps, your room would be better suited by placing only one larger rug, as a center focal point. Each and every Native American tribe such as the Hopi, Zuni and Navajo, is proud of their unique ways. The artistic patterns used in their crafts, reflect their natural heritage and should be chosen carefully in order to achieve the look you want in your southwestern decor.

Author:Craig Chambers
Get "The Rustic Southwest Decorating Guide" a popular free download with room by room tips and ideas to help you. You can also get discount coupons and special offers on southwest decor from Mission Del Rey. http://www.missiondelrey.com
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Sunday 26 July 2009

How To Build A Chicken Coop?

If you are looking for chicken coop plans on the internet, then you are probably looking for the perfect way to make a chicken coop. However, there are basic things you need to be aware of in order to pick the best plans that will suit your precise situation.

One of the largest obstruction when sustaining a chicken coop is cleaning it. Some people do not make their coops with ease of this in mind, and suffer the consequences later on. But you can understand from their mistakes, and make certain that your coop will be easy to clean in the future. One very important aspect is to make sure the floor of the coop is sloped downward toward the main door. When you wash the inside of the coop, the water will certainly drain outside, instead of gathering in the center.

Do not skimp on the size of your chicken coop. Chickens that live in tiny coops resort to aberrant pecking and even cannibalism. You do not want this! As a rule of thumb, you should allocate about 4 square feet per chicken. So if you have a coop holding 10 chickens, 40 square feet will be plenty of room for your chickens to grow, feed, and produce.

It is important that you construct your chicken coop with protection in mind. Both weather and predators can wreak havoc on your coop, so make it with these points in mind.

Build the coop on a high area with generous drainage and place it facing the sun. In the event that it rains, this location will not only make certain that the coop does not get flooded, but that it dries quickly when the sun comes out.

Build your doors with appropriate strength mesh wire. Believe it or not, this step is one of the most customary blunders people make when building their coop. Without the proper toughness, your mesh wire will succumb to even the tiniest of killers, allowing them easy access to your chickens.
Author:David Smiths
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Tuesday 21 July 2009

Home Interior Trends of Today

Do you want to know about new home interior trends for 2009? Maybe you are trying to get your home ready for sale, building a new customized home, relocating to a brand new office complex, or it could be that it is just time for a change of scenery. There are a lot of different styles, themes, and tastes in interior design trends today, allowing customers to choose from many options that are customized by builders. This year, the popularity of open floor plans will continue to grow, together with the tendency of homeowners to incorporate energy efficient features in their homes, but in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Houses in the 1800s to early 1900s were special, such that the house designs of big family estates were internally divided up to make distinct environments. For example, the servants' rooms were usually found on the first floor near the kitchen, while the family's bedrooms were almost always upstairs. An en-suite bathroom was found by the parent's master bedroom, with a powder room located downstairs. The parents' desire for privacy and a quiet retreat usually meant that the children's rooms were situated down a hallway in a separate part of the house, away from the master bedroom suite. A carriage house might have housed guests or in-laws. A trend in home interiors that has increased in popularity, returning for 2009, means that homes today have a second or third bedroom suite with additional bathrooms. Buyers prefer their master bedroom on one side of the house and the kids' bedrooms on the other so that they have a quiet retreat. Found in a part of the house, set apart from the main areas, are secondary suites, usually 300-400 square-feet, containing occasional sitting rooms and full bathrooms.

Family spaces should continue to be popular through 2009, according to home interior experts. Today having the family room and kitchen to the back of the house, referred to as rear living, is becoming the norm, so that mom can cook and watch the kids playing in the family room or she can keep an eye on the kitchen but still entertain guests in the living room. A lot of modern designs have less walls in common rooms with an "open concept" feel. Half walls that join dining rooms, dens, and kitchens are popular. Moreover, the European idea of backyard living rooms has finally arrived in America, bringing with it such amenities as full outdoor kitchens, brick ovens for pizza and bread, fire pits, chandeliers, even artwork and comfortable furniture all beneath a covered overhang.


Home interior designers usually look to create a sense of timelessness. Blue and greens are popular in rooms like bedrooms because they offer a calming feeling. Many times designers employ bright hues in their kitchen interior designs, such as startling splashes of yellow, red, and orange, as they are often centers that are very busy. There is a lot of versatility with living rooms from white and modern to elegant and dark. Bathrooms are designed to feel like a spa with light coming through crystal blocks, rich browns with accents in pastels, and peaceful hues on the floor tiles. A custom design will pull all of the rooms together for a unified feeling.

About the Author:
When Camella Trevors was redecorating her home she researched Valencia interior design specialists. She found Tami Smight, who revitalized her home using stunning fabric designs for her custom Canyon Country sheers, window treatments, and bedding.
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Saturday 18 July 2009

Pool Safety for the Summer

Owning a pool and having children can be a dangerous combination if you do not take steps to insure your children’s safety. Most parents know a few safety tips, especially when it comes to fencing off the pool. However, there are many other dangers that you need to watch out for if your children are to remain safe and still have fun in the pool this summer.

Fences - By county law, most U.S. citizens are required to put a fence around their pools, especially if a small child lives in their house. Make sure that the gate in the fence remains locked at all times when you are not using your pool, and make sure the keys to the gate are in secure location. Try to install a fence that is six feet high or higher because most children see fences as challenges and will readily practice their climbing skills to get over one. Make sure yours is tall enough to prevent that. You can find your communities’ fencing requirements at your local county offices.

Alarms – A door alarm is a great way to make sure that your children are not sneaking into the pool, especially if you have a small child in your household that likes to try doorknobs. There are many good wireless door alarms that will do the trick, insuring that no one goes into the backyard without you knowing it. Another great device is a pool alarm. Poolguard alarms are currently the best on the market, according to Good Housekeeping Magazine. They make a loud beeping noise if anyone or anything falls into the pool. Best of all, normal surface tension from wind or fallen leaves does not set it off.

So, if your child, one of the neighborhood kids, or the cat next door falls into the pool accidentally, they can be fished out and saved in no time.

Pool Covers – Pool covers are very important, and yet they can be very dangerous as well. Hard pool covers that completely cover the pool like a shell are the best. However, soft covers are less expensive and the most common. Watch out for these, as children can fall onto them and get tangled up, unable to get out. Also be careful with electric or automatic pool covers. More than one story has been told of a child accidentally hitting the cover controls and becoming trapped in the pool underneath the cover.

Leafy Plants - Leaves might not seem like a big problem, especially if they provide shade to an otherwise sun-blasted pool area. However, small wet leaves can be slipping hazards for children and adults alike. Trees with small, slick leaves and some forms of flowering plants are not good for your pool area, not to mention the fact that these trees will wreak havoc on your pool filters.

Wooden Block – One good idea, especially if you live outside the city, is to place a medium-sized wooden block in your pool when you are not using it. Make sure it is large enough to float and to support a few pounds of weight. The wooden block will ensure that small animals that fall into your pool will be able to climb back out without assistance and before they drown.

Pool Toys – Always have a safe place to store your pool toys. From larger floaties to small plastic rings, there are many different kinds of pool toys and each of them can be dangerous underfoot. Make sure that toys are placed in a storage device of some sort in the pool area or store them in the house or garage. Also, never store your pool toys in the same area as your pool chemicals. Chemicals can easily transfer onto the toys, which will create a poisoning hazard for your children.

Pool chemicals – Many people keep their chlorine tablets, PH balance kits, and other pool chemicals in the pool area. However, you should always make sure that these chemicals are secured. Just putting them in a storage box near the pool doesn’t count; that box must have a lock on it for true safety. After all, how many children wouldn’t want to see what’s inside the big, plastic box? A much better decision would be to keep all pool chemicals in the garage or shed. This will keep them out of your children’s reach and yet still close at hand.

While most of these things are common sense oriented, they are things that are often overlooked. It is always good to make sure that your pool area is safe, especially if you haven’t used your pool in a while. So, before the weather gets too warm, make sure that your pool area is a fun and safe place for the ones you most cherish: your children.

About the Author
Gunter Walderon is a successful business executive and, when he researched out the best Beverly Hills pool contractors for his estate, he found California Pools. After visiting several Hollywood pool builders, he was the most impressed with the quality and workmanship of the Pasadena pool contractors, especially their sculpted gunite pools and spas.
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Saturday 11 July 2009

A few things you should know before you buy Home Insurance

If you plan to purchase any type of home insurance policy this year. Whether it`s a building or contents policy. You must understand one thing. That the insurance companies have to make a profit to survive.And they are not going to pay out unless they have to.

When you bought your last insurance policy you were probably enticed by an advertisement on TV or in a newspaper,it probably implied that if you took out their insurance policy you would sleep safely in your bed at night, without a worry or care in the world. Why because you are insured and nothing can go wrong. Can it?

Well,it all depends. Advertisers will often push the law to the limit.Implying that only their insurance policy gives you full cover. However the most important document is not the advertisement, but the insurance policy document and you must study it carefully,and pay no attention to all the advertising hype.

So do you have to read the small print. Unfortunately yes, I know it`s boring and that life is to short, but by spending ten to twenty minutes studying it, you may save yourself from a lot of disappointment in the future.

Things to remember, if you want to make a successful claim.You must inform the insurance company of any changes in your circumstances. This could be things like a new lodger or pet in your home,or even changes in the area where you live, such as a new youth club in the neighbourhood, Also remember to keep all your insurance documents and paper receipts for any household goods. As you may need them for a future claim.

Always make realistic claims, don`t claim for a Rolex if you own a Timex, insurance companies will always pay out for realistic claims, but if you over-inflate your claim it will arouse suspicion, and your claim may be rejected as fraudulent.

Always disclose past insurance claims, or if you have had previous criminal convictions, otherwise they will accuse you of withholding important iinformation. Check excactly what you are covered for. You may have to pay extra for sheds, greenhouses and fences, or any valuables over a certain value. Even so called comprehensive insurance, does not cover every single thing. If it is not mentioned in the policy then it is not covered, if you are not sure exactly what you are covered for, get them to clarify it in writing, not on the phone, as in the event of a claim you will have no proof of a call.

Finally. If you complete the claims form, answering all of their questions honestly and truthfully, then the insurance company will not have an excuse to deny your claim. Always do a bit of research before you buy. And visit an unbiased insurance information website such as http://www.findukinsurance.com for lots of hint and tips.

E.D. Mealing is the co-author of the website http://www.findukinsurance.com It`s the insurance information website to visit for expert insurance advice about choosing the best insurance policy to suit you and your family .With handy tips and hints from expert contributors from all areas of the insurance world.
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Friday 3 July 2009

Modern Bedroom Furniture Ideas – Platform Beds

I grew up with traditional looking furniture in my parent’s home. It blended in well with their own home décor of wall hangings, art and other home accents. When it was time to move out onto my own with my wife and start my own family, I was hoping for furniture that could help reflect my own taste and style as well as my wife’s. We liked furniture with clean lines and contemporary design. So we began our search for modern bedroom furniture.

Modern furniture presents you with some interesting choices in the way of bedroom décor. The most modern concept in beds is referred to as a platform bed. These beds incorporate the idea that your bed doesn’t require an old bulky box spring but can instead be more open by having a foundation built into the bed that consists of slats or panels. These will provide ample support for your mattress and will help to open up the look of your bed.

Bedroom furniture made with modern styling can incorporate many new design elements to better make use of their unique designs. Modern platform beds may feature lift up storage which allows you to lift up the supporting frame and mattress on your bed to reveal storage beneath. Because platform beds don’t use box springs it allows for more space beneath the bed. This space helps to accommodate storage areas as well as under bed storage drawers which essentially give you a chest of drawers beneath your bed.

Many modern platform beds present more space beneath the bed since they don’t use box springs. This will help to open up the look of your bedroom with a less cluttered look. Still, other platform bed models will present lower profile designs which open up wall space. These beds will feature side rails or headboards which stay lower to the ground because the bed’s design and the absence of box springs. You’ll also find that modern platform beds still incorporate traditional materials such as wood or metal into their designs. However newer model features may integrate glass as well as fabric or upholstery into bed designs.

Other modern design elements in platform beds include integrated tables that float or align with the headboard of your bed. This provides a more unique design that creates a contemporary look for your bedroom by introducing new design elements into your décor that aren’t static. Other case goods like dressers, chests and mirrors also can be made with a modern flair which will bring together your bedroom with matching pieces.

Platform bed structures feature your typical side rails, headboard and footboard. The primary difference with beds made for mattress/box springs is that those beds use a wood or metal support system that consists of 2-4 cross pieces with minimal support across. Mattress/box spring beds are designed with the intent that a box spring be placed over the top of the frame which is typically close to the ground. Platform bed frames will sit higher up off the ground and will feature slat support systems with around 10 or more slats and center support rails or legs. Some platform beds may incorporate masonite or solid paneling as well.

Modern bedrooms start with the bed. Platform beds are a great way of achieving a cleaner, contemporary look by having a more open design beneath the bed. No box springs are needed with platform beds and these beds feature a built in foundation of slats or panels. These designs also give way to integrating under bed storage, glass headboard designs or even fabric or upholstery around the bed or in the headboard. Add matching case goods with these beds and your bedroom will feature contemporary styling that will blend in with your modern décor. Consider a platform bed when designing your new bedroom.

P.Pendleton is a furniture professional who writes for several online furniture websites. He continues to work with other furniture professionals in promoting new trends in modern bedroom furniture and platform beds.
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