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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Stone Fireplace Mantels Look Elegant!

Most people love to decorate their fireplace mantels with some decorative items to give the place a catchy look. Most houses in the northern region have fireplace in their homes and if you notice to leave the fireplace alone without any decoration will look very untidy. Mantels are such things which are built or installed around the fireplace for decoration purposes.

These mantels are made of different materials and you can choose from a wide variety of design and structures to install around your fireplace. Mantels are available marbles and stones, these two are popularly used around the world and they are in demand because stone and marble mantels give a neat and elegant look. Good design and color of the mantels can boost the look of the place and will easily compliment with the décor and furniture of the room.

Stone mantels are usually made of different stones such as granite, limestone and river rock. Stone mantels are suited for large fireplaces and they are beneficial because they do not get damaged or scratched easily. Stone mantels will not break or get damaged unless serious damage is caused through the use of hammers and other sharp materials. Stone mantels tend to last for a life time and there will hardly be any need of replacing it. You can find stone mantels in variety of designs and colors which will easily blend will the environment of the room.

The best way to buy stone mantels is to search through the internet and you will see so many lists of mantel providers and you can check on their websites for their designs. You will surely be amazed to see that fireplace mantels are boosted when they have such beautifully crafted stone mantels built in them. You can see more than hundreds of designs and it will be hard for you to choose the best because there is a wide variety of designs that it becomes difficult to select. But you will definitely choose the one which you think will easily blend with the interior decoration, furniture and color of the room.

You can get the mantel built according to your specifications, though it will cost you a bit more than applying cast stone or limestone in pieces. The benefit of your custom built mantel will be that it is your own design and you will have no complaints later because you will design it yourself. You can select from a variety of cast stones which are in different colors and built from different stones. You can see fabricated pieces of lime stones as well which are built in different designs.

Stone mantels give a very natural look to the surrounding and give a cozy feeling to the room. Stone mantels are being used since hundreds of years because stone mantels were the first mantels which originated in the form of fireplace by cutting through walls.

You can visit your local fireplace stores or search the internet for variety of designs.

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Brick Driveway

Brick driveway provides more creativity and a long lasting result and also requires less overall maintenance than the concrete and asphalt counterparts. If you are looking for a very long lasting drive way then you should think about the brick drive way. These driveways comes in a wide variety or range of muted colors and individual driveway and can also be cut in order to create any seemingly unending designs and patterns. It is now possible to create or produce a driveway that resembles to a brick wall having alternating rows of bricks with a radial or circular array of colored designs and patterns. You can create interesting and elegant free flowing patterns and designs in bricks rather than any simple customary rectangular concrete driveway and asphalt driveway. By comparing these all types of options with the standard, concrete or asphalt driveway both are not good competitive events.

It is much likely to those used driveways in the Roman interstate system about 2000 years ago, and they last for a long time. But the same for concrete or asphalt driveways does not hold as they are not that much durable. Brick drive way "float" on gravelly base and/or sandy base allows water to easily run off and also percolate into the substrata as well. This sort of driveway is very environmentally friendly and the reason behind this is that they help to build water table and also lessen runoff.

Asphalt and concrete driveways are mostly predicated on having water runoff. The pressure of vehicles driving across it, concrete often cracks and asphalt develops cracks so bricks are better than these. And when water penetrates into cracks of drive ways, the freeze thaw cycle get coupled with the movements of vehicles across it which often leads to the increasing degree of failure. In order to prevent bricks from cracks in concrete or asphalt driveways, you have to have a periodically resealing of. But in concrete driveways, repairing these bricks are one of the most desired options than viewing an ugly concrete cracks sealer.

Should Things Go Wrong

If you did your homework in selecting the right fabricator to install your granite or marble countertop, you need not to worry about faulty installation or poor workmanship. But even the best have their off days. The important thing to know now is, what do you do when things go wrong? Here are some tips when dealing with your granite or marble slab fabricator should you have a complaint.

First, review the service contract. One should have been provided and signed by both parties before the installation took place. The service contract outlines your rights and the responsibilities of the fabricator on the project. There should also be warranty information included with the contract. Be fair and honest when reading the contract. If your complaint is outside what is agreed upon in the service contract, unfortunately you would have to shell out extra for any repair.

Talk with the fabricator. If there are any gray areas in the contract or warranty, you should clarify it with the granite or marble fabricator. More often than not, they would be accommodating to questions and complaints since it's their reputation on the line. Be sure to work with them and not against them; make your case but don't come out as antagonistic.

Do some research. Check online for any similar case. It is possible that marble slab was defective or that you've both been had by the supplier of the granite or marble slabs. Unfortunately, deception does exist in the natural stone industry.

If you know you have a case, take it to the authorities. Licensed business owners wouldn't want to have to deal with the law as much as possible. Most will negotiate with you and come up with an agreement. But should they not, then you should seek the help of your local government. One good place to go is the local Better Business Bureau and file a complaint. Just remember to be calm and honest when making your claim or complaint.

Though this is the extreme, for example if the issue entailed injuries or extensive property damage, you can ask for a lawyer's help and file a case. Again this is the extreme scenario.

These are the things you should do when things go wrong with your granite or marble countertop installation. If things fall apart, there are several options for you to correct things and get the natural stone countertop that you rightfully deserve.

Chimney Waterproofing for the Most Vulnerable Part of Your Home

A lot of people have a notion that a chimney made of brick or stone doesn't need any kind of upkeep. They picture these materials as being extremely tough and able to take care of themselves. Unfortunately, this is not really the case, and these homeowners eventually find themselves faced with crumbling mortar and disintegrating chimneys. Most of this damage is caused by water. Being on the outside of your house the way it is, a chimney withstands a lot of bad weather conditions, from hurricane-force winds to torrential rain to raging blizzards. Chimney waterproofing is an important step in preserving the integrity of your structure.

Your chimney is the most vulnerable area of your house, because it sticks up above the top of the roof line and has no protection. This vulnerability can result in staining, freeze-thaw damage, loss of insulation value, structural deterioration, and ultimately complete failure of the chimney altogether. Therefore, you can see that it's far easier to do preventive maintenance before any problems occur than it is to clean up the mess afterward. There are a number of good waterproofing sealers available that you can coat your chimney with from the very beginning that will help it stay in good repair.

If your chimney has already begun to deteriorate, you need to start by taking a good look at what's going wrong with it. Check to make sure that all of your mortar joints are in good repair. If they haven't been treated with water sealer before, they could be cracking and breaking. Even if a previous owner did use a waterproofing product, there could still be problems if the wrong type was used. Certain sealers cause water vapors to be trapped under the coating. This causes wear on the mortar. If your mortar is in bad enough shape that it is actually falling apart, you may need to have some tuckpointing done prior to using an appropriate waterproofing agent.

Your chimney is an important part of your house, and you need to spend time maintaining it just like you do anything else. A good water sealer only needs to be used every five to ten years, so it isn't a job that has to be done very often. Although waterproofing sealants aren't cheap, the price you have to pay for chimney waterproofing will be a whole lot less than if you have to completely rebuild your chimney. In addition, keeping your chimney in prime condition will help you maintain the value of your largest investment, your home.

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Backyard Fire Pits Ideas

Your backyard is a place and makes you would like to hang out your friends all or grill barbecues. My point is, the backyard is one of the places that you would like to hang out on chill at. But easily, the backyard is not that attractive and most of the time looks boring. So if you are trying to find ways that would change the way your backyard looks, then here's how to save a lot of trouble. One effective method of bringing life to your backyard is to install a fire pit. It is one of the most effective methods of dramatically changing the way your backyard looks like. Additionally, it does not only change the looks of your backyard but it is also functional. You could actually use it as a warm spot whenever you hang out on cold evenings in your backyard, or you could cook barbecues and other stuff. The point is having a backyard fire pit is a great addition to your backyard in terms of overall books and functionality plus loads of fun.

Another great thing about backyard fire pits is that you could actually create one yourself. Like any other product, you don't always have to buy it. Sometimes, there are products that you can do yourself; the only thing that you need is to buy the materials that are needed to create it. It's pretty much applicable with backyard fire pits. For more information, there are some backyard fire pit ideas for you:

Tire fire pit - one of the best materials and probably the most inexpensive once around that you could use to make them are tractor tires. You could virtually get one from any junkyard and always remember not to steal it so that you would avoid trouble from cops. Now, how would you use a tractor tire to make the fire pit? First you must find a surface in your backyard that is flat and even. Place the tractor tire in the spot that you found. Before moving on, make sure that it is pretty much far away from any materials that are easily flammable. Things like fuel, wood and paper and other stuff that are flammable should be out of sight. Also, keep it away from your house. If you happen to have concrete surface in your backyard, that would be perfect. Lay down the tire, surround it with bricks or stones and fill it with fire.

That is just one example of the utilizing ordinary objects, even objects that are trashed to create the best backyard pits. Actually, you don't have to spend a lot of money just create the backyard fire pit of your dreams. All that is needed is a supple amount of creativity and determination plus, a lot of resourcefulness would really hit the spot. So now, now that you know how to make your own backyard fire pit ideas, you are now ready to have a much more enjoyable evening in your backyard together with your friends in your family.

Why You Should Consider Investing In Brick Veneer Walls

The words "brick veneer" often give a mental picture of a house that has been made of brick. This is accurate but inaccurate at the same time. A brick veneer wall that has been put in place correctly will have the same appearance as a home that has actually been made of brick. The problem is that due to the fact that the both homes will look exactly the same to the untrained eye, most people do not actually know that these are two completely different things. A brick house uses the bricks as its support whereas a house that has had a brick veneer will be there for the sake of outward appearances. These are some of the reasons why some homeowners will use a veneer brick wall.

Changes The Look Of Your Home

It has been stated once before, but brick veneer is used to give those passing by the impression that the home is made of brick. The house will have its own way of supporting itself but the veneer will make it seem like the house is made of brick. Homeowners who are looking for something different use this often to make substantial changes by making essentially only one actual adjustment.

Installation Is Much Easier

The bricks that make up a house actually made of solid brick needs the bricks to be there during construction. The bricks give the house stability and support and the house will not stand without them. Veneer brick though is similar to adding a garden or something similar in the sense that it can be added at any point after the fact. It doesn't need any background in bricklaying to be installed, it just needs some ambition. It is a perfect project for a homeowner who may prefer the idea of being a little more hands-on.

Not Very Costly

A house made entirely of solid brick tends to have higher costs. Brick veneer basically covers the walls that are already there. Because of this and by extension the amount of raw materials needed by comparison, veneer brick is not very expensive in terms of its price. A homeowner who does not have a whole lot of expensive tools can still place an appealing layout without spending a whole lot in terms of buying the bricks.

Despite the fact that people can get mixed up very often, a brick veneer wall and a solid brick wall are two completely different things. A solid brick house needs the bricks in order to remain standing. Without those bricks the house has absolutely no support. A veneer wall differs because it can give observers the impression that the house is made of bricks, but the house will actually be using the bricks for cosmetic purposes. Brick veneer can be valuable to a home because it completely changes the way your home appears, it is not hard to install, and it is not an expensive thing to put in. A do-it-yourself kind of person can easily place the wall independently should they so choose even without a background in bricklaying or related professions. Renovators who want to make huge improvements at affordable prices need to seriously consider brick veneer wall.

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