Inexpensive Home Decor Project - New Rug(s)

One of our favorite home decorating techniques that can be accomplished for minimal cost is adding or changing out your ornamental rug(s). When you change a large feature of a room, it impacts the rest of the room. An ornamental rug is such a feature. Changing the color of an area rug and perhaps some pillows or other accent items, you can create a whole new look for the room for very little cost. And if you happen to find a nice area rug at a flea market, consignment shop or yard sale you can even get a better price.

It is always a good idea to have a used rug professionally cleaned before introducing it into your home. Pets and other factors can be a good reason to have this service performed. Having the rug professionally cleaned will ensure that the colors will be vibrant and achieve your intended purpose - livening up the room.

As we've seen over the course of the last couple of weeks, achieving a new look or refreshing a room in your home can be accomplished for very little cost. It just takes a bit of creativity and little some 'elbow grease' to give your room a makeover.

Available Tile Choices - Series

 Tile Flooring Series - A Look at Tile Choices

In this series, we will be taking a look at a variety of tile materials. In individual posts, we will be discussing pros and cons of each material. The materials we will be posting on include:

• Ceramic
• Porcelain
• Natural Stone
• Granite
• Marble
• Limestone
• Travertine
• Slate

As you can see above, some of these tile materials fall into a common group of natural stone. Each of these materials will be considered one at a time. However, there may be a post describing the natural stone group as a whole.

Why the End of Summer Can Be a Good Time to Have Your Carpet Cleaned

Many people wonder what time of the year is the best time to have carpets cleaned. The simple answer to that question is, “Any time can be the right time to have them cleaned, depending on your individual circumstances.” In this article, I will consider why summer’s end is a good time for many people to have this necessary service performed.

Summer is a very active time of the year. The kids are out of school, the family is busy with all kinds of events and social functions. Also, entertaining in the home is often times ramped up in the summer time. With the increase of activity, there is often times more traffic in and out of the home and with more traffic, there comes more dirt. Furthermore, when everyone is busy the time needed to thoroughly clean after every occasion is just not there. This mark of the summer season is one of the reasons some choose to have the carpets cleaned at summer’s end.

Since it is recommended that carpets be cleaned regularly, many choose this time of the year as one of the times to have their carpets cleaned. Since the children go back to school at the conclusion of the summer, it can be easier to keep traffic off the freshly-cleaned floors according to the recommended 8-12 hours following a carpet cleaning.

There are other times of the year that can also be good times to have carpets cleaned, but if you have a busy summer schedule, a nice way to wrap up your summer activity is with a good, thorough carpet cleaning.

Evironmentally Safe Flooring Choices - Tile

In a previous post, I explained that I am writing a series of floor covering posts in which I will be discussing environmentally safe flooring options and in the last post I talked about the factors that make stone flooring a green choice for protecting the environment. Here I will discuss some of the things to consider when choosing tile as a floor covering material.

Tile flooring can be made up a variety of materials. To gauge the degree of environmental friendliness, the buyer needs to know what is in the tile. You will want to be sure to research the materials that comprise the flooring so that you can make an educated decision regarding the company and the product.

If you are wondering what types of things can contribute to the 'green index' of the tile, here are some ideas I found on a web site that sells tile flooring:

One aspect of environmentally friendly tile flooring is the process of manufacturing the tile. Gaining as much information as you can on the the manufacturing process can help you to see if the end product is something you would choose to use in your project.

An additional aspect of measuring the tile's 'friendliness' to the environment is the material itself. There are many substances that can be added to the 'mix'. Knowing what materials are used in the tile's construction an help you decide which tile to choose for your home or business. For example, is the tile constructed of partly recycled material? If so, what material was used?

As with many of the substances that I have considered in this series of posts, tile comes in a variety of kinds and the more information you have about the process and the substances as well as the rate at which the material is replenished, the more comfortable you will be with your decision.

Evironmentally Safe Flooring Choices - Stone

As mentioned in a previous post, I am writing a series of floor covering posts in which I will discuss floor coverings that are safe for the environment. In the last post I talked about bamboo flooring and in this post, I will discuss some of the environmentally friendly benefits of stone.

When it comes to Eco-friendly flooring, you readily think of stone as a material that ranks up toward the top of the list, then again, you may not know the specific reasons why that may be the case. A quick look at a list of items to consider when contemplating environmentally friendly building materials will show that stone has some important factors mentioned on that list. Here are things to keep in mind about stone flooring.

Durability

No doubt that the durability of stone contributes to its popularity with many which may play a part in its being listed as one of the ten natural building materials in this list. After all, stone has existed for countless years even prior to its being installed in a home as a floor covering.  Additionally, the material is hard and that makes it durable as well. Since it is so long lasting, stone floors do not require replacing as frequently which translates into a green benefit.

All Natural Material

Another factor that makes the stone flooring choice appealing to those that are concerned about the environment is the rate at which it is regenerated. Since stone is a natural material it is being replenished regularly and does not require manufacturing plants. True, it does need to be harvested, but it stands to reason that processing a natural material would require less resources than producing and then processing a comparable material.

Another point that contributes to benefit of stone being a natural material is that is already earth friendly, since it is technically part of the planet and is easily cleaned without the need for harsh chemicals. Your choice of sealer is an important contributor to how environmentally friendly your stone flooring will ultimately be. Consider using a low toxic sealer.

Temperature Efficiency

Stone is a material that acts as a thermal mass when used in the proper manner. This technique used in building can result in heating and cooling efficiency increases which leads to not only a cost savings but also to a savings in resources.

In closing, stone is a material that can be used as an effective tool for offsetting the use of resources that are not so environmentally friendly. Its durability, and efficiency are properties that enhance the appeal of this natural material.

Evironmentally Safe Flooring Choices - Bamboo

As mentioned in a previous post, I am writing a series of floor covering posts in which I will discuss floor coverings that are safer for the environment. In the last post I talked about techniques that manufacturers are using to decrease the environmental footprint of their vinyl flooring and in this post, I will discuss the material Bamboo.

Bamboo is an environmentally friendly floor covering for two primary reasons. Namely regeneration and carbon absorption. Bamboo, after it is established, can grow new shoots every year. Additionally, it can grow at a rate of 1 foot per day! This fast regeneration rate means that more floors can be produced with fewer plants. 

As for carbon absorption, bamboo absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees and it produces more oxygen. These characteristics mean that bamboo contributes less to the greenhouse effect and are more Eco friendly than trees. 

These key aspects, as well as the visual appeal of the material, itself can be a huge factor for many.

Evironmentally Safe Flooring Choices - Vinyl

As mentioned in a previous post, I am writing a series of floor covering posts in which I will discuss floor coverings that are safer for the environment. In the last post I covered cork and in this post, I will discuss vinyl.

Some may think that the possibility of an environmentally friendly vinyl flooring is out of the question. This post will provide some information that will allow you to decide whether vinyl floor covering is a viable choice for you.

What makes it a challenge? Well there are multiple things that make vinyl flooring more difficult to produce in an earth friendly manner. many would think of the material itself. Being a form of PVC, vinyl coverings contain chemicals that are difficult to dispose of in an environmentally friendly manner.  Another aspect that makes vinyl flooring a challenge to the environment is that it has to be bonded to the sub-floor with an adhesive. These bonding agents also can be environmentally unsafe.

What that means is that to increase the safety index of vinyl flooring, one would need to lower the factors in the material and then figure out a way to minimize waste so that less of these chemicals get to a point that they can affect the earth. 

You may be surprised to learn of some of the advancements that are being made in these areas. Here is an article from a flooring dealer that explains some of those methodologies of making vinyl flooring safer.