Month: January 2018

Categories
Roofers Kildare

ARK Finishing Your New Fireplace Mantel

Word Count:
562

For the best Roofers Kildare company, call Ace Roofing Kildare.

Congratulations on your new fireplace mantel! Many people purchase an unfinished mantel so they can paint or stain it to match the d cor of their home rather than having the factory paint or stain it one of their standard colors. I have found that after receiving their new mantel, many people have questions and want advice on the best ways to go about finishing a fireplace mantel.

Painting or Staining?

The first decision that has to be made is whether the new mantel wil…


custom fireplace mantels, fireplace mantles

To find the best Roofers Kildare company, click here for Ace Roofing Kildare.
Congratulations on your new fireplace mantel! Many people purchase an unfinished mantel so they can paint or stain it to match the d cor of their home rather than having the factory paint or stain it one of their standard colors. I have found that after receiving their new mantel, many people have questions and want advice on the best ways to go about finishing a fireplace mantel.

Painting or Staining?

The first decision that has to be made is whether the new mantel will be painted or stained. Typically this decision is made before buying the mantel as different wood types and materials are used in producing a mantel based on if it will be painted or stained. Stainable mantels use wood types known for their grain and appearance and solid moldings because the wood s grain will be visible. Most people who plan to stain wood want the grain as well as other natural blemishes to shine through and would never cover those natural occurrences with paint. Paintable mantels use finger-jointed moldings and less-decorative wood or MDF (i.e. Medium Density Fiberboard) because the wood won t be visible. Once it is painted, it is really difficult to tell the material used that is why many contractors and homeowners alike choose MDF as an economical alternative to wood.

Installing the Mantel

While it is not really necessary to finish a mantel after you install it, it does make the job easier if you do this while it is on the wall; it is similar to painting any other wood trim. If you finish it and then mar the mantel when putting it up, you will have to repair it. Certainly many people paint or stain their fireplace mantel prior to installing it. It is really a personal preference.

Whether painting or staining I have put together a list of tips below to help homeowners finish their new fireplace mantels.

Tips for Painting Your Fireplace Mantel

o I recommend using a high quality semi-gloss paint in the color of your choice but any paint that is used for inside house trim is suitable.

o Have different sizes paint brush available. You will want a smaller brush if your mantel has dentil molding so you can get the paint into the small crevices. A larger brush will help you paint faster and avoid stroke marks in the paint.

o Although priming your mantel is recommend, you do not have to. You can simply apply two to three coats of paint.

Tips for Staining Your Fireplace Mantel

o Test your stain color on an inside area of the mantel before you install it to ensure the color is what you want to achieve. (If you will be using a polyurethane finish over the stain, I recommend testing the polyurethane on top of the stain so you can see the final appearance of your mantel.)

o If sanding the mantel, use a fine (220) grit.

o If applying more than one coat of stain, be sure to let it dry before adding the next coat.

o Once your stain is dry, apply one or two coats of polyurethane (satin or semi-gloss is recommended) or tung oil to protect your finish.

Finishing a fireplace mantel is a rewarding experience; once it is done you can see how the new mantel enhances the look of the room.

Categories
DPC

DPC How To Find Kitchen Remodeling Ideas Online

Word Count:
692

For the best Construction Cork company, call DPC Construction Cork.

Are you a homeowner who wishes that there were something different about your kitchen? Although most homeowners love their homes, including their kitchens, it is relatively easy to get bored of something, especially a room that you visit multiple times a day.


kitchen, remodeling, professional, looking, internet, ideas, improvement, home improvement, kitchen remodeling, home, countertops, online, stores, improvement stores, decorator, home improvement stores, kitchen countertops, displays, search, new,

To find the best Construction Cork company, click here for DPC Construction Cork.
Are you a homeowner who wishes that there were something different about your kitchen? Although most homeowners love their homes, including their kitchens, it is relatively easy to get bored of something, especially a room that you visit multiple times a day.

If you are looking for a change, particularly with your kitchen, you may want to think about remodeling your kitchen. A kitchen remodeling project may be just what you and your kitchen needs.

Kitchen remodeling; sounds fun doesn t it? If the idea of remodeling your kitchen sounds exciting, there is a chance that you may want to get started right away. Of course, you can start remodeling your kitchen whenever you want, but first you must develop a plan. That plan should not only include what particular parts of your kitchen you would like changed, but also how you want them changed.

For instance, if you are making the decision to replace your old kitchen cabinets and countertops with new ones, you need to choose a new set. In fact, you must choose a new set before you start your project; otherwise, you could be left with a mess. The only problem is that many homeowners, just like you, have a difficult time determining exactly what they want.

If you have decided that you would like to have your kitchen remodeled, but you don t exactly know to the full extent how yet, you may want to seek assistance. If you are looking for professional assistance, you may want to think about acquiring the services of a professional decorator. Professional decorators are individuals who have not only had training, but they also have experience in the art of decorating.

A professional decorator could not only advise you to replace your kitchen floor, but they could also offer you suggestions on what your flooring replacement should be. The only problem with this is that professional decorators charge money for their services; therefore, if you are looking to remodel your kitchen on a budget, you may find hiring the services of a professional decorator difficult or even impossible; however, there is an alternative.

If you are looking for kitchen remodeling ideas, such as the latest trends in kitchen countertops and so on, you are advised to use the internet. Perhaps, what is best about the internet is that it is free and the information is about the same as the information that a professional decorator would have provided with you. In addition to being free, the internet is quick and easy to use. This means that you don t have to wait until you get paid or wait until an appointment becomes available; you could easily familiarize yourself with the latest trends is kitchen remodeling, whenever you want.

Perhaps, the best way to use the internet is to perform a standard internet search. The internet search used should depend on what you are looking for. For instance, if you are looking for kitchen countertop ideas, performing a search with the words kitchen countertops may be best. You may be diverted to a website that offers free kitchen decorating or remodeling ideas, but you will likely be directed to an online website that sells kitchen countertops.

These types of online websites are most commonly the websites of online home improvement stores. Professional home improvement stores will not just show you their products, but they will likely have online picture displays, just like the displays that you can find in most stores. These picture displays may help to give you remodeling ideas, such as which kitchen countertops would look good in your kitchen and which ones would not.

If you do not want to shop or examine kitchen remodeling products and designs ideas online, you could also visit one or more of your local home improvement stores. Most large home improvement stores sell the products, supplies, and materials that are the most popular; therefore, even if you are looking to have a trendy kitchen, you could get remodeling and decorating ideas by visiting your local home improvement store, but as previously mentioned, the internet is a lot easier and a lot quicker way.

Categories
Patios Cork

CC How To Find A Contractor

Word Count:
514

For the best Patios Cork company, call Civil Construction Cork.

The internet revolution has changed practically every industry. Home improvement wasn t spared either. (In a good sense, that is).

Going through your local Yellow Pages book now seems to be quiet outdated. Instead, the internet now offers a multitude of opportunities of finding a contractor to take care of your repair and home improvement needs.


home improvement

To find the best Patios Cork company, click here for Civil Construction Cork.
The internet revolution has changed practically every industry. Home improvement wasn t spared either. (In a good sense, that is).

Going through your local Yellow Pages book now seems to be quiet outdated. Instead, the internet now offers a multitude of opportunities of finding a
contractor to take care of your repair and home improvement needs.

First of, there are many online telephone directories which offer generic information such as company name, address, and phone number. Such sites are usually very easy to use and let the user select a detailed field of contractor service that they need. Furthermore, the users may use the ZIP code option and have the site show only the contractors that are located within a certain mileage from their home. While online yellow pages are easy to use, they don t provide any information about the company itself.

There are also websites that actually pre-screen contractors, making sure that they are licensed and insured. The ease in this case is that you type in your project details and information and have the site do all the work. The minus is that these sites sell the information you give them to contractors and depending on how many such sales they make, you may end up getting phone calls from more contractors than you wish to talk to.

The last, but not least popular methods of finding contractors are contractor directories. Contractor directories enables contractors to post their own business description, capitalizing on their expertise and users leave feedback on their experience with the contractors, serving as a recommendation or a warning for further dealings with the contractor.

All of the above methods are good in some sense. However, it is the consumers responsibility to make sure that he/she isn t being serviced by someone who will defraud them or damage their property. After all it s always possible to pay to be included into websites and have multiple accounts to leave yourself a good feedback.
If you are looking for a contractor online, make sure to do some due diligence. Go to your local state or city website and check if the contractor indeed has a valid license number. Your local Better Business Bureau should be good places to check if any complains have been filed. Finally, talk to the contractor yourself. Don t be shy about asking for references and do check them out. Discuss your project as detailed as possible. Make sure that you re both agree on a date when the project will be completed and put it in a contract. The reason is that you don t want the contractor to stop working on your project if he gets a more profitable gig. As for the payment, don t pay upfront. Break it up into a few payments, one being a deposit and others should be paid upon completion of certain parts of the project.

Always remember, it s your money and your house. If you re paying someone to work for you, you have to make sure that you re getting your money worth.

Categories
Maths Tutor Ireland

5_Ways_to_Fund_Your_Child_s_College_Education

Title:
5 Ways to Fund Your Child’s College Educa
tion

Word Count:
702

Summary:
A degree level education is probably the most expensive single cost in bringing up children today. Unless parents take action early the chances of their children graduating without substantial debt are minimal – that’s if they can afford to go to college at all.

Keywords:
education savings plans, education savings, college education

Article Body:
Did you know that the cost of a 4 year degree program is around $20,000 dollars per year.

The cost of a college education is probably the most expensive item in bringing up children today. When you take into account tuition fees, exam fees, living expenses, accommodation, books and computers it’s not surprising that the average cost of college education is over $20,000 per year and that’s before the social side of college life.

For the best Maths Grinds In Ireland company, call Joe McCormack of Ace Solution Books. Today we live in a world where only the best educated and most prepared can succeed. The Job market is probably the most crucial and competitive element of our society and having a college education and degree goes a long way towards succeeding in it.

When our children are ready to enter the world of work it will be even more difficult and a college education will be essential to succeed. Here are 5 ways to fund your child’s college education.

1. The usual method of parental funding of college education is out of current income, that is out of your weekly or monthly salary.

Whilst this is the most common method of funding college education it is one that only the very rich or highly paid can afford to do with ease. Even if there are 2 salaries most families find it difficult and will require sacrifices, even more so if you have more than 1 child. At best most parents can only afford to contribute part of the costs of college education out of current income. Additional sources of income will be required.

2. Your child can work his or her way through college.

Many students have to work whilst studying but many find the experience of juggling a job, lectures and a social life very difficult. Often the result is that students drop out of college education, fail their exams or don’t do as well as they could.

3. Your child may have the opportunity to take out student loans to fund their college education.

Today the vast majority of students are forced to take out student loans to fund all or part of their college education. Usually to subsidize parental contributions, student loans are the most common way of students funding their own college education. Many students however, leave college with substantial debt and even with interest rates at historically low levels today’s students can expect to have to pay substantial monthly repayments for many years.

4. Your child may obtain a scholarship or be entitled to grants from either federal or local funds towards the cost of their college education.

There are many sources of student scholarships or grants and with a bit of research most students today can find some grant funding. These sources however cannot be guaranteed for the future. Whilst scholarships and grants do not have to be repaid and as such are preferable to loans they are not guaranteed or predictable and therefore relying on them for our children is a risk.

5. Take out an education savings plan to fund college education.

An education savings plan is a regular saving plan into which you and your children can contribute. The plans are administered by colleges or state authorities and can be taken out for any child including a newborn babies. Because of the effects of long term compound interest the earlier you take out your plan the easier it will be and the lower your contributions will be. Because the funds are built up prior to going to college students do not have to rely on scholarships, grants or loans and they can concentrate on their studies.

There are a number of options to fund your child’s college education but the only way funds can be guaranteed is by you taking out an education savings plan. With the education savings plan you decide what you can invest and your child can also contribute to his or her college education. With luck scholarships and grants will still be available as will loans to top up if necessary. If your child does not go to college the fund can be cashed in.

Taking out an education savings plan early will give your child the real opportunity of a college education and the best prospects for a job when they leave college.

Categories
Landscaping Dublin

APD Roman Shades: Light-Wise Window Solution

Word Count:
532

For the best landscaping dublin company, call Active Paving Dublin.

Fabric roman shades add a touch of refinement, flair and sophistication to any room. You can buy a ready-to-use set of Roman shades or you can create them from scratch in any fabric and size that you like. You can hang Roman shades flat for a more modern style, or fold them and create a softer and more conventional teardrop Roman shade style with buffs of any volume.

Roman shades are becoming a big home-decorating trend, returning on a wave of the interest to streamlined …


window treatments,roman shades,blinds,curtains,shutters

To find the best landscaping dublin company, click here for Active Paving Dublin.
Fabric roman shades add a touch of refinement, flair and sophistication to any room. You can buy a ready-to-use set of Roman shades or you can create them from scratch in any fabric and size that you like. You can hang Roman shades flat for a more modern style, or fold them and create a softer and more conventional teardrop Roman shade style with buffs of any volume.

Roman shades are becoming a big home-decorating trend, returning on a wave of the interest to streamlined minimalist or exotic designs. Made with beautiful soft fabric, simple and very practical, Roman shades fold into well-defined pleats when raised, much like a classic Venetian blind. At the top, a matching fabric is used allowing for an array of color and pattern. For the lining, a solid pale color is commonly used.

Roman shades are incredibly flexible and light-efficient. They also offer better temperature control than other types of shades. In winter, you can draw them high to allow the sun s natural heating rays to enter the room, and after the sunset you can close them tightly stopping the heat from escaping through the window. In the summer, you can close the Roman shades almost completely to prevent the overheating of the room, while in the evening you can open the shades to cool down the temperature. All other types of shades leave too much fabric around the window that doesn t allow for precise light and temperature control.

Roman shades are relatively simple to make. Before you start picking the fabric you must measure your window and estimate which hardware and mountings you need. Roman shades don t require any specific mountings that s the beauty of them. They draw up via a cord strung through the sides of the shade. The cords then travel through the pulleys mounted on mounting board above the window on or outside the window frame.

The fabric that you choose for your roman shades depends on where the window overlooks. If there is a beautiful scenic view you will most likely choose a plain sheer light fabric. If your window overlooks a busy street, then you will need an opaque fabric that gives you a sense of privacy. Plus, some people are prone to season affected disorders and need more light to remain positive and healthy. In this case, you may need a sheer fabric that doesn t block the sun light, but rather diffuses it.

The type of fabric is also determined on what type of activities the room is used for. If it s a living room with a TV, you may need a fabric that allows you to control the amount of light and glare on the screen. If you a planning to put your roman shades in the bedroom you will need a light-blocking dark fabric to help you sleep during the summer months when the sun rises early.

At the end of the day, all window treatments require maintenance and cleaning. The benefit of roman shades is that they are the easiest to keep clean you can wash them in your washing machine, iron afterwards and re-hang them looking as good as new.