Fireplace Design Ideas

Are you trying to find some inspiring information about fireplace design ideas? There are some basic elements to any fireplace that are generally addressed in turn, in order to come up with a complete fireplace design. There are three main components to any fireplace design.

The three primary components to fireplace design include the hearth, the firebox and the type of opening that is employed between the firebox and the room in which the fireplace is located. The hearth is the area outside of the firebox, in general. The firebox is the area in which the fire itself will be burned.

Hearths

Let's first talk about hearths. A hearth may be flush with the floor, raised above the floor, or sunk down lower than the floor. Additionally, there may be no hearth to speak of at all. In these cases the firebox should be at least two inches above the floor, as the hearth is what helps protect the floor from the heat of the fire.

Another type of hearth may include hearth seats of various kinds. The most traditional and popular type of fireplace with hearth seats are the kinds that feature simply two blocks on either side of the firebox opening.

Fireboxes

As with the hearth types, the different kinds of fireboxes generally have mainly to do with the height relative to the floor and / or hearth. There are raised fireboxes, flush fireboxes that are the same height as the floor, and there are dropped fireboxes that are somewhat lower than the hearth and / or floor in front of the fireplace.

Fireplace Openings

Of course the most widely utilized type of fireplace opening is the rectangular opening. Generally, a rectangular opening will be just that: rectangular in shape. However, even with rectangular openings, the sides typically flare outward from the firebox toward the face of the fireplace.

There are flat arch top openings where the sides are straight, yet the tope of the opening has a slight arch to the shape. As with the traditional rectangular opening, the sides typically flare outward from the firebox toward the face of the fireplace.

There are full arch fireplace openings where the opening contains no straight lines. These types of fireplace openings have one continuous curve all around the fireplace opening. This is the type of opening you are probably used to seeing in American Southwestern style fireplaces.

There are also corner fireplace openings that allow for there to be two open sides to the fireplace. As the name suggests, a corner opening fireplace is situated in such a way that an entire corner section of the firebox is exposed.

There are U-shaped fireplace openings where the firebox is exposed on three sides, the front, as well as the two side areas. These last two types of fireplace openings will generally produce better heat radiation. If you will be using your fireplace to heat your home, and not merely as decoration these are certainly worth looking into. For images of these various fireplace styles, take a look at http://www.fireplacesnow.com/FireplaceStyles.htm .

Jon worked in construction for 10 years before starting his own local fireplace installation service 8 years ago. At his website, Jon will show you how his years of experience in the industry can help change your fireplace into the focal point of your home. To learn more about fireplace design ideas visit http://www.fireplacegate.com

Tract Houses Framing Problems

The house you live in was probably a mass produced home built as part of a housing track. The track home is a rapidly built house in phases. These phases if possible will over lap the other home building trades. If possible you will have the plumbers working on the same house as the electricians and the framers. This is called fast tracking.

Fast tracking a house is building a home as fast as humanly possible. So you can imagine the pressures put on all of the people involved in building a track home.
The pace is so fast sometimes that I have seen job superintendents and foremen look like they were actually going to blow up. I mean explode from the pressure they where under.

Framing the stairs on the job was the same experience for me most of the time. Sometimes I had three jobs going at once. Think about it. At the most, I could only go to each of the jobs twice each week. That involved working on Saturday of course. This made a lot of framing foremen extremely upset. They had full time crews on their jobs always working five days a week. If I missed one day of work. I was behind for the rest of the job.

Now it rarely happened but if I did miss a day of work I had to make it up some how. The only way to make it up was by working late or on Sunday. Well most of the time I worked six days a week from 7:00 in the mourning until 5:00 at night. So working late meant sunrise to sunset. Oh did I mention that I did have a family. This wasn't easy for them either.

One time I got so far behind on a job that I was putting stairs in while they were roofing the houses. Talk about one unhappy foreman. I think you get the idea about the pressure I was under to install these stairs on time. My experience building stairs on track built homes taught me to build homes extremely fast while being proficient.
I'm not interested in working like that anymore. My life is simple now and I want to keep it that way. The next time you see a construction worker working late on a Saturday show some compassion. Maybe by reading this article you will understand some of the pressure he is under.

Building tract homes is hard on you mentally and physically.

Happy Home building.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry. Stairway Safety

7 Mid - Winter Energy Saving Tips

Now that much of the country is in the depths of winter, it is a great time to think about those energy saving do it yourself projects you did not have time for in the fall.

1. The first place to start is with your thermostat. Did you install a programmable thermostat? If you didn't, do it as soon as possible. If you did, now is a good time to reevaluate the programming. Take some time to really think about when everybody gets up in the morning, when they leave the house, when they get home and when they go to bed. Take the time to learn how to program the thermostat to get the most out of it.

2. Next, go around the house to each window and door and feel for the cold. You might even bring a disposable lighter with you and check for drafts. Did somebody open a window and forget to lock it tight? Is there a draft you didn't notice before or get around to sealing? Plastic film on the windows can stop drafts and adds an extra layer of insulation even if you don't have drafts.

3. Check the insulation in your attic. Often the area where the roof meets the floor of the attic (soffit) is the area most over looked. Nobody wants to crawl in that tight space but it is a common place for heat to leak up from downstairs. Then turn on the lights downstairs and leave the attic lights off, do you see any light? If you can see light, heat can see a way to escape. Always wear gloves and a mask over your mouth and nose while working with fiberglass insulation. Also, use baby powder over your body, it helps keep the glass fibers from getting in your skin. If you do get irritated from the insulation take a cold shower to wash it off and keep the fibers from getting deeper in your pores.

4. Is your hot water heater turned up too high? In our house everybody takes a shower in the morning. The first one up turns up the hot water heater and when the last person is finished the hot water heater is turned down for the next 22 hours or so. Also an insulation blanket on the hot water heater can save a lot of energy, especially if it is down in a cold basement.

5. Don't leave the bathroom fan on endlessly, as it is exhausting all that steam it is also exhausting all your heat.

6. Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible, there are detergents specifically designed for this.

7. At the hardware store, for a few dollars, you can buy little insulation pads for light switches and outlets. Go around to all your light switches and outlets that are on exterior walls and insulate them. Another trick while you have the cover off the outlets, take a pen and mark the circuit breaker number that corresponds to that switch or outlet. This will save time and headaches next time you need to shut that breaker off.

Enjoy the winter, and remember with each cold spell and snow storm how much more you will appreciate spring.

Victoria Waterhouse is a small business owner who knows there are ways to save fuel and "go green" without going broke. She is on a mission to find products and ideas that can save the average consumer money by saving energy.
http://seeenergysavings.com
http://seefuelsavings.com

Kitchen Backsplash Tile Designs - Home Tips

Creating breathtaking kitchen backsplash tile designs is not something that can raise one's hackles. Right? Quite the opposite, actually. With the staggering array of designs in glass, metal, ceramic and stone to choose from, your rather cavalier approach to this very serious task could prove to be the harbinger of gloom. To add to your consternation is the deluge of fabulous colors and spectacular finishes that demand their pound of flesh, a la Shylock.

Discard That Antiquated View

Most homeowners don't really care a fig for the kitchen backsplash, and treat it with an air of disdain. You may like to dismiss it rather nonchalantly as just another too-generic-to-be-effective, functional feature of the kitchen, but the fact remains that this small but supremely significant space can actually transform your kitchen from dull and dreary to dazzling and delightful.

Today's tile designs are more than just the protection that your inanimate wall deserves. They can become the supreme inspiration behind the most artistic of all creations.

Challenge The Natural Order

The best part about tile designs is the simply mind-blowing choice that's available to homeowners. Thankfully, you are liberated from the constraints of the ceramic tile designs. Here's how you can bring about a Renaissance of sorts in your vapid space:

• Metal tiles: Copper, tin or stainless steel, you are treated to the dual benefits of style and substance. And the fusion of a metal backsplash with other metallic features of the kitchen like the faucets and cabinet handles is a marriage that leaves a sterling impact. Retro, modern or country, kitchens will never be the same again.
• Glass tiles: It's their sheer brilliance that causes a flutter. These tiles are ideal for those that are keen to look beyond their inherent advantages of ease of installation and low-maintenance, and want their kitchen to shine and sizzle.
• Stone tiles: Your research on tile designs for the backsplash is incomplete without their redoubtable presence. They leave no stone unturned in sweeping you off your feet.
• Ceramics: The numero uno choice that seems to have carved a niche for itself in the world of tile designs. With a gargantuan range of colors, sizes and prices to choose from, they have made unimaginable leaps to the frontline.

These tile designs certainly have what it takes to gladden the hearts of many.

See exactly how you can easily generate 100's of BRILLIANT Kitchen Backsplash Design Ideas ... F-A-S-T ! See http://www.TrulyLovelyHome.com

Five Marvelously Simple Ways to Save Energy

With the economic slowdown, more people are wisely slashing down their budgets. But saving doesn't have to be painful. Try these five easy tips to save on home energy costs and you may actually free up enough cash for that cute dress you saw at Macy's or that long overdue vacation to the Caribbean!

The Tips!

1. Lights out

There are not enough ways to stress the importance of turning off a light to save energy. When you leave a room, remember to turn off the lights. And try to turn in early. This way, you not only save electricity but you also get a decent night's sleep.

2. Stay "disconnected"

You can save energy at home by turning off unused electronics such as the fan, the TV and your computers. Make sure you pull out the plugs too. Although they're innocuously in "off" mode, plugged equipment are still consuming energy, albeit at smaller amounts. These small amounts, when combined, can be substantial. If you hate pulling out the plugs, you can buy an adaptor with a switch. I use several at home. Then, you can simply flip the switches to allow or discontinue the flow of electricity.

3. Go CFL

Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). There are CFLs that give off that warm, sunny glow you so love in your energy-hungry incandescent bulbs. CFLs are also more durable than incandescent ones. With CFLs, you save up on both electricity and bulb replacement costs!

4. Insulate

Covering up all the little holes in your room can also cut down on heating and cooling costs. A lot of heat exchange occurs at these sites and this puts a strain on your air conditioner and heater. Foam strips can readily obliterate all these nasty openings and they're very affordable too. In the winter, simply use thicker blankets and snuggle up. You can then set your heater at a lower temperature and save energy.

5. Let the sun shine

Work during the day and open the blinds! This allows you to work without lights, set your monitor at a dimmer setting, and stay warmer in the winter. What more can I say? These are energy saving habits that you can acquire without altering your lifestyle. What's more, these simply marvelous ways require little or no effort to do. So save energy now and free up some of your budget!

If you like this article, check it out at Squidoo and visit Toni Joanne's other Squidoo lenses!

Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Systems

If you're like me, you're probably pretty weary of salesmen. They would lie and cheat just to get you to purchase their products. People that sell home water purifiers are one in the same. The example that really comes to mind here are companies that sell reverse osmosis systems. Sure, having a reverse osmosis water treatment system is better than having no water treatment system at all but there are far better options out there. Here are 5 ugly lies to watch out for so you understand why reverse osmosis systems are mediocre at best.

1. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are inexpensive. Using a reverse osmosis system may be cheaper than drinking bottled water but it is by no means inexpensive. Reverse osmosis costs 18 to 24 cents per gallon. In contrast, carbon filtration systems cost less than 10 cents per gallon. Which would you choose?

2. A reverse osmosis water treatment system removes all contaminants. Reverse osmosis systems are not capable of removing synthetic chemicals. It helps to understand how they work in order to see why that is. During reverse osmosis, water is exposed to a porous membrane under pressure. Contaminants such as minerals and organic chemicals, which are molecularly larger than water, are caught by the membrane. Synthetic chemicals are molecularly smaller than the membrane so they pass through. For that reason, reverse osmosis systems must be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. Why not just use a carbon filter in the first place? Carbon filters remove both organic and synthetic chemicals.

3. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are convenient and easy to use. In comparison to other water treatment systems like carbon filtration, reverse osmosis systems are high-maintenance and complicated. Reverse osmosis systems require adequate water pressure and a diaphragmed storage tank and as such as very high-maintenance. They are also difficult to install. Carbon filters on the other hand can be installed in a matter of minutes without the help of a plumber.

4. A reverse osmosis water treatment system produces healthy, pure water. Having a reverse osmosis system is better than having no water treatment system at all but the water it produces actually isn't that healthy. The problem with reverse osmosis systems is that they produce de-mineralized water. Studies show that in order to maintain good health, we must drink water that contains natural trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Drinking de-mineralized water can lead to multiple mineral deficiencies and an increased risk for cancer. Comparatively, carbon filtration systems remove all the bad stuff while leaving in the good stuff.

5. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are efficient. The truth is that reverse osmosis systems are wasteful. They waste 2 to 3 gallons for every gallon of clean water they produce. They are also notorious for being slow because they produce less than a gallon of water per hour. Carbon filtration systems can produce up to 30 gallons of water per hour without wasting a single drop.

Now that you are armed with this information, make your decision wisely and carefully. There are many water filters out there to choose from but when you consider cost, effectiveness, efficiency, and convenience, a reverse osmosis water treatment system simply isn't a good choice. Carbon filtration systems are the best option available when it comes to home water filters. So get out there and find a carbon filtration system for your home if you want the best water filter money can buy.

John Lim Cher Sern who is an avid proponent of natural health. To get more information about reverse osmosis water treatment systems make sure to visit our website at http://www.cleanhomewaterfilters.com

Home Repair Costs - Home Tips

Home repair costs can be quite expensive, that is why it is important to see how you can reduce those costs. You certainly don't want to have to spend money that you don't have, so it will be worth your while to look into what ways you can repair your home without paying an unnecessary price.

Below are ways you can do just that:

1. If some kind of accident occurred on the property that caused the damage, check with your insurance company to see if your home insurance will cover it. If so, that is money that you do not have to spend out of your pocket.

2. Schedule a home inspector to come to your home so that you can have all of the damage assessed. This allows you to see what needs immediate fixing and what doesn't. It also helps you pinpoint areas that could easily become damaged again after making the repairs.

3. Sometimes home repair costs can be reduced by doing things such as painting, cleaning, and waxing. An entire wall may not need replaced. It just might need some cosmetic help.

4. Compare prices at the various home improvement stores. You can reduce home repair costs if you look for the same quality materials at lower prices. Every little bit helps.

5. If you must use a home improvement firm, compare rates. Don't simply go with a company because they claim to be the best. Ask questions.

6. If you don't know how to repair common issues yourself, purchase a manual that can teach you to do so. You can reduce home repair costs by not having to hire a professional.

7. If you must get a loan to cover your home repair, be sure to shop around for the best interest rate.

8. You can also reduce your costs by simply using preventable maintenance. Tackle the problem before it exists.

9. If you use a professional service, be sure they provide you with a signed estimate before they touch anything within your home. That way, you can either negotiate with them or find a cheaper service.

10. If you can establish a relationship with a good home repair service, then you can reduce your home repair costs dramatically over time.

These are simply ten tips that you can use to make sure you don't pay more for home repair costs than what you have to. No one should have to lose money that they don't need to, so use caution and be patient. That way, your home repair costs don't get the best of you.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about home repair costs, please visit Quality Home Repair for current articles and discussions.