Creative Manipulation of Faux Paint Finish

Paint applications that are designed to imitate other materials are called faux paint finish. Different methods are used to apply paints, glazes, and texturizing materials to create illusions of fabric, stone, wood, and other natural surfaces. Depending on how it is used, most often it is applied by hand tools with a variety of paintbrushes, sea sponges, putty knives, and cotton rags.

There are many ways to vary this technique, and it really is a good idea to practice first. Here is a guide of some effects that you can achieve:

Sponging is the easiest decorative finish to master. You can sponge with paint or tinted glaze on a color base.

Sponging off is a faux finishing technique similar to sponging. However, for sponging off, first you apply the paint or glaze on the walls, then you remove it with the sponge before it dries.

Ragging is a faux finishing technique that's a little different than sponging. After you try it, you'll want to rag everything. The paint applicator is a rag and not a sponge.

Ragging off is a faux finishing technique similar to sponging off. First you apply paint or glaze to the surface with a brush or roller; then you remove it with a cotton rag.

Rag rolling is similar to ragging, except the shape of the rag and the way it's manipulated are key to the success of this technique. This technique is something like using a rolling pin. Hold the rag in both hands and roll it into the wall. The paint is deposited from the rag to the wall.

Rag rolling off is a faux finishing technique that combines rag rolling and sponging off wall sections, thereby removing the finish.

Color layering is a little time-consuming, but it can give your walls or ceiling a combination of old world charm and new age elegance. The most important part is to choose colors that work well together.

Paper pressing is a fun technique that can give some very unique finishes and textures. You can accomplish this by simply pressing various types of paper into wet paint or glaze and removing.

Brush swirling is relatively simple. All you do is lightly pull and drag a brush through a wet glaze surface. Which kind of faux paint finish you use depends on personal preference as well as drying time, workability, and cleanup.

Automatic Pool Cleaner: Is It Really Beneficial?

There are literally an unlimited number of benefits to owning an automatic pool cleaner. However, to understand those benefits, you must first learn about automatic pool cleaners and how they operate. As with many other pool products, including pool accessories, you will find that automatic pool cleaners come in a wide variety of different makes and models. Despite the different styles, all automatic pool cleaners accomplish the same goal. That goal is to keep your pool clean and free of wreckage.

When it comes to automatic pool cleaners, you will see that there are two main types of automatic cleaners. These cleaners are often referred to as a vacuum cleaner or a pressure cleaner. While both types of these automatic pool cleaners will help to keep your pool clean, they work in different ways. Before making a decision as to which type of automatic pool cleaner you would like to buy, you are advised to quickly familiarize yourself with each.

Automatic pressure cleaners often work in a way that is similar to a pressure washer. With these cleaners, high pressure water is used to stir, mix, and bring dirt and debris up from the bottom of the pool floor. Once this debris has been brought up to the surface of the water, it then can be removed through the pool’s filter.

Automatic vacuum cleaners work in a way that is similar to a traditional vacuum cleaner. Special hoses create suction that is used to lift dirt and debris up from the bottom of the pool. These hoses may then be connected to the pool’s filtration system or a special bag can be used to collect the debris. The pool vacuums that tend to have their own filter bags are often known as robotic cleaning systems. This is due to the fact that they can operate without the assistance of a pool’s filtration system.

Regardless of which type of automatic pool cleaner you buy, you will like be pleased with the results. This is because there are a number of benefits to using an automatic pool cleaner versus doing it yourself.

If you are currently a pool owner and you manually clean your own pool, it is likely that you know that it can be a long and difficult process. This means that you may be able to spend more time working, with your family, or better yet, you could spend more time swimming.

In addition to saving yourself time, you may also be able to save yourself money by using an automatic pool cleaner. Many pool owners do not have enough time to manually clean their own pools. For a reasonable price, an automatic pool cleaner can do the same job. In fact, you may find that, overtime, an automatic pool cleaner ends up paying for itself.

Whether you are manually cleaning your own pool or hiring a professional, you are advised to at least consider buying an automatic pool cleaner. After you take the time to examine the pool cleaners that are available for buy, you may start wondering why you waited so long to get one.

The Ins and Outs of Bathroom Showers

If you are thinking about changing your shower you may well have looked around a few bathroom shops and been surprised by the number of choices you have. Even choosing a shower valve can be a confusing business so here's a guide to tell you what is what when it comes to showers.

Manual Shower Valves This is the most basic type of shower. Most manual showers have a single lever control that you use to control the flow of the water and the temperature. They are very simple to use and usually are not expensive.

Thermostatic Shower Valves The great advantage of a thermostatic shower valve is that it can provide a constant, even temperature and cope with fluctuations in the flow and temperature of the hot and cold water feeds. Most thermostatic valves have extra anti-scald safety features and will cut off the flow of water if the cold water supply fails.

Concealed and Exposed Valves Concealed / Exposed refers to the way the shower valve is mounted on the wall. A concealed shower valve is built into the shower wall so that most of the valve is hidden and only the control levers are visible. An exposed valve is mounted onto the shower wall so that the whole mechanism is visible. Many shower valves can be mounted either exposed or concealed.

Twin Shower Valves Unlike a single lever valve, a twin valve has two controls, one control for the rate of water flow and a second control for the water temperature.

Triple Shower Valves A triple valve has three controls; one for the water flow, one for the temperature and a third which is usually a diverter. The diverter is useful if you have two shower heads. It's becoming more common to have a fixed shower head above the shower and a hand-held shower head as well. The diverter on a triple shower valve allows you to select which shower head water is fed to.

Sequential Shower Valves This is one we get a lot of questions about. A sequential valve has a single lever that works rather like the knob on your cooker. When the lever is fully anti-clockwise the shower is off. As you rotate the lever it turns the shower turns on. With a sequential valve “on” means fully on so you have full pressure straight away. As you rotate the lever further you increase the temperature of the water.

Shower Panels A recent newcomer is the shower panel or shower tower. This is a single unit that contains everything you need for a sensational shower. Specifications vary but usually include a shower valve (often thermostatic), a diverter, a fixed shower head, a hand held shower and several body jets. Shower panels are easy to install but can require quite high water pressure to work well so you may want to install a shower pump as well.

Customized Showers These days, shower components are standardized enough that you can pretty much pick and choose the parts you want to create the shower of your dreams. You can choose from hundreds of shower valves, diverters and stop valves, have multiple heads, ceiling mounted heads, riser rails, rigid risers or body jets to build exactly the shower you want, individual and customized to your own needs. After all, how else will you get a shower with 16 jets and a 12 inch shower heads?

Electric Showers Electric showers heat the water as it passes through the shower so they only need a cold water supply so you have simpler plumbing and don't need any hot water to run them. Electric showers are particularly popular in en-suites.

Power Showers A power shower is basically a shower with a built in pump. A power shower needs both hot and cold water supplies. A power shower does not heat the water; it pumps water through and increased water pressure, giving you a stronger shower. Power showers are ideal where you have low water pressure, perhaps in a bungalow.

So there you have it. Not quite everything you need to know about showers, but a good start!

The Best Composit Decking Material for Withstanding Mother Nature

Composit decking is one of the new decking materials for commercial and residential decks that is cornering a section of the market. If you are not sure about using this material for your decking, you should read some of the reviews of the various brands. Viewing photos of decks completed with composite decking material will also give you a good idea of the professional ambiance that this can bring to the exterior of your home. Although composit decking comes in second place to wood in the look and appearance of a deck, you can get this material that looks as if you have a traditional wood deck.

The word composit means that the material used in the decking is molded or extruded using a process of mixing wood and plastic to create a unique decking material. Composit decking has distinct advantages over wood if you want to have a deck with which you will have very little work in the future. If you read composite decking reviews, you will learn that some manufacturers use polyethylene plastic while others use vinyl. The wood used is generally wood fibers or sawdust, although you would never guess this when you see the composite decking photos.

The brand of composit decking that you buy depends on what you are looking for. Read the composite decking reviews of Elk, Procell, Trex Geodeck and more then 25 other manufacturers of composite decking. You will find very favourable reviews about all of them whether you choose plank decking or composit tile decking. In the reviews, you can also learn valuable information about how to install this decking and the best ways of fastening it to a wooden frame. You can learn from the mistakes of others by reading reviews, so that you can avoid some of the common problems homeowners sometimes have and then feel so foolish when they realize the simple mistake they made.

Composite decking photos in magazines and online are a great way for you to decide which type of composit decking would best suit your home. As you compare the various photos of the composite decking material, you can also compare the prices of this decking material. When you compare the prices of the composit deck prices with that of wooden decks, you should keep in mind that composite decking requires very low maintenance. This is not true of wood decking. Read composite decking reviews to help you understand how paying a higher initial price can help save you money down the road.

The only maintenance you will need to do when you install composit decking is washing it down with a hose. This decking material does not rot, crack or splinter and it never needs painting or staining. If you notice that the color fades a bit in the first few months, just read the composite decking reviews to find out that this is perfectly natural. The color will fade slightly as it adjusts to the weather of your location. After that, the color will remain constant in your composit decking so that it will always look like new.

Common Sense Fire Safety for Your Home

This will come as no great surprise, but did you know that the majority of house fires are the result of cooking? In fact, studies show that cooking results in approximately 400,000 fires every year in single family homes and multiple family dwellings. Add to that the number of fires that go unreported and the total is more like 3.5 million residential fires.

Here are some tips from the Orange County (Calif) Fire Authority to help prevent most of these fires:

*Never leave cooking unattended - This is probably the most common cause of kitchen fires. This includes all appliances including toaster ovens, coffee pots and other small appliances. They can overheat and cause a fire if left alone. Be sure to unplug them when not in use.

*Wear close-fitting clothes while cooking - loose, long sleeves can catch fire when dangling near hot burners. Wear close fitting sleeves and avoid storing things over the stove and having to reach over hot burners to retrieve items.

*Avoid overloading outlets - plugging too many appliances into an outlet could result in an electrical fire. Also be aware of cracked or frayed cords.

*Heat oil slowly - Fires can start easily if the setting is too high and the pan is unattended.

*Smother a grease fire - don't use water on a cooking fire as this will spread the fire and make the it worse. Slide a lid or other non combustible item over the fire and remove the heat source. With oven fires, close the door and turn off the oven.

*Do not allow children to play around the range and other appliances.

*Don't hesitate to call 911.

These are just some of the common-sense reminders that can help to prevent a fire and send your dream home up in flames. Or, worse, cause severe injury or death. A small amount of caution can make a world of difference. Remember what your mother said: don't play with fire!

Bring out the Beauty of Your Home with Bathroom Rugs

With so many different types of bathroom rugs to choose from, you can alter the look of your bathroom with a simple purchase. Before making your purchase, first you must decide what size of rug you would like, what color you would like, and what textures you would like. You can choose a small rug to place in front of the toilet or tub/shower, or one to cover the entire floor area.

Once you have established the size of your rug, you can start to think about what color to purchase. You can choose colors that will match with your paint scheme, colors that are light or bright to make the room look bigger, or just simply a color that you like. Be aware that darker colors, although they don’t show as much dirt or wear, may make the room appear smaller than it actually is.

So after you’ve established size and color, you can choose from many different materials and types of rugs. Anything from short shag to braided materials will be available to you. Most rugs designed to go in the bathroom are lined on the bottom with a rubber like material. This keeps the rug from slipping out of place, an important safety feature.

A bathroom rug is not only decorative, but functional when stepping out of the shower or tub. Stepping out of a shower or tub with wet feet is not only dangerous and exposes you to the chances of slipping or falling, but eventually the water can damage the flooring in the bathroom. Please keep in mind when choosing a rug that you may be stepping on it with wet feet and it may receive substantial amounts of water depending on where the rug is placed.

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to redecorate your bathroom, changing the rug is a great move. And if you tire easily of the looks of your bathroom, changing a bathroom rug occasionally is an inexpensive way to keep the room looking sharp and fresh.

For example, if you wish, you could change the color of the rug with the change of seasons—lighter colors during the spring and summer months and warmer, dark colors during fall and winter, or you can place a decorative rug in the bathroom to celebrate the holidays. Whatever your choice, the simple change of a bathroom rug can put a new look into your bathroom.

Lock Your Mailboxes to Keep Your Identity Safe

A lot of people don’t consider locking their mailboxes, but it should become a usual habit. Every now and again there are some people who decide to go digging through your mailbox. They may steal your phone bill or they may steal something as important as you social security card. That is just one of the reasons why everyone should have locking mailboxes.

Identity theft has become a very big problem for many people around the world. Many people who have gone through identity theft has happened just by unfortunately not having locking mailboxes. If you live in an apartment building, you have probably seen the neighborhood mailman deliver your mail. In the middle of the mailboxes of all your fellow neighbors there is one big lock in the middle that only the mailman has a key for. This prevents anyone else besides the mailman and the post office to have the ability to open everyone’s locking mailboxes.

If you are someone who owns a house and you have a regular mailbox that anyone can open it would be a very good idea to put a lock on it and make sure that only the people that you trust to have the key for it. Another thing you should make sure of is that your locking mailbox is big enough so if you are away for a couple of days you do not have to worry about it sticking out of the slot.

If you are expecting something very important a very good suggestion would be to wait in front of your window until the mailman gets it to you. Make sure that you do not leave it in the mailbox for too long; especially if it does not have a key. If it does have a key still wait for it, you can never be too safe.

Pay attention to where you keep your locking mailbox key so you do not lose it. You may consider it misplacing and you can just get another one, but to some people it may just be the beginning of an identity theft case. No, there are not many people who are willing to walk around to every mailbox and see if the key they have opens it, but there is a lot of technology now that can help them find out what household’s mailbox it belongs to.

Post offices all around the world have been thinking of many possible ways to keep your mail safe. In some states and countries have even set up security alarms on mailboxes that go off when someone besides the mailman opens the lock that opens all the mailboxes at the same time.

The best types of locks to use for locking mailboxes would be Deadbolt locks. This is not the usual key lock this lock is made up of a combination, key and springs so it is not easy to open. You do not have to worry about anyone breaking into that. These locks are so amazing that you cannot just buy them at your local hardware store you must order them. The companies that sell these locks are usually associated with the Post office.