Plan Your New Porch

Never begin a home improvement project without a detailed plan. Before stripping paint from your porch or tearing down the railings, think strategically about what you want the final product to look like. Think about how you typically use your porch. Do you like to gather with a group to have a drink in the evening or is your porch a private reading sanctuary? These considerations will affect the size of your porch, its style, how many electrical outlets you need and how you decorate the space.

Draft a detailed plan including precise measurements, design features and construction materials. Set a budget for the project to ensure that your new porch remains cost-effective. Once your plan is in place, you are ready to tear down the old porch and begin building anew.

Basic Structural Considerations

A strong, well-constructed foundation is the key to a long-lasting porch. Consider local soil conditions, temperature fluctuations, the weight of your porch and any slopes that may affect your foundation. If you live somewhere that freezes in the winter, ensure that your concrete footings extend deeply into the soil to create a sturdy foundation. Building your porch so that water runs away from it prevents later structural damage. Many porch builders use pressure-treated wood, which is relatively inexpensive and resists insect damage and decay.

Typical porch foundations have floor joists running perpendicular to your home. These joists support the decking material and are placed 16 inches on center. If you have a particularly long span, you may need bridging between these floor joists to further strengthen the porch and prevent swaying.

If your porch needs a new foundation, you will need to enlist the help of a professional. While you shouldn’t redo the foundation without professional help, taking care of the problem will set the stage for your DIY porch makeover.

Planning the Design Details

After constructing a strong foundation, turn your consideration to decking materials. Wood is the most commonly used material, but deck tiles and brick porches can be lovely as well. One of the most popular pressure-treated lumber options is Southern Yellow Pine, which is easy to stain and paint. Other porch flooring favorites include Ipe wood, which is very strong and resistant to cracking. Tigerwood also has beautiful coloring and resists termites. Angel’s Heart, a light tan alternative to cedar and mahogany which has fewer knots than other woods are also commonly used on porches. Red cedar, which is both beautiful and extraordinarily durable, adds a punch of color to any porch renovation.

Next, choose a stain or paint that complements the color of your house and overall vibe of the porch. Rich, dark stains look good on many porches, while a simple coat of white paint enhances a classic Southern style. Water damage is the enemy of your porch, so weatherproofing is an important step. Finish your porch with deck enamel as opposed to polyurethane, which may not stand up to rain or snow.

Although not all porches have railings, they can provide safety as well as enhancing the look of your home. Whether you prefer simple squares slats or elegant scrollwork, a railing sets the tone of your entire porch. Many porch railings are wood, but wrought iron or aluminum railings can be durable alternatives. Many pre-made railings can be purchased at your local hardware store and self-installed.

Depending on your climate, having a screened-in porch may be a good idea. Screens keep bugs out of your porch area, making it a relaxing oasis in insect-filled summer months. Carefully choose the mesh size and material to complement your overall porch vibe.

The Finishing Touches

The last step in renovating your porch is to decorate the space. If you tend to host gatherings on your porch, ensure that there are plenty of chairs and tables for food and drinks. Alternatively, place a few comfortable chairs or a couch in the space for a relaxed reading cove. Ensure that the overhead lighting is appropriate for your needs, and add other lighting sources as necessary. Use weatherproof furniture in your porch area to prevent damage.

Regardless of which type of renovation you decide on, sprucing up your porch adds curb appeal. Plus, with a personal DIY remodel, you will be able to better utilize the space for your needs!

For many, spring is a time of great excitement, renewal and promise of warmer weather and greengrass. For others, the word “spring” strikes fear into their hearts, because of another word that is forever combined with it:  cleaning. Over the winter clutter accumulates, the floor under couches and beds have been invaded by hoards of dust bunnies and your fridge begins to emit a strange odor. Instead of dreading this chore, create a room-by-room game plan to ensure this year’s spring cleaning is less daunting. The experience might even be an enjoyable one.

Create a Plan of Attack

Any good general knows that you cannot march onto the field of battle without a well-planned attack and arsenal. Be realistic when planning this year’s spring cleaning. Don’t assume that your busy schedule will allow you to finish the job in a single day, or even a weekend. Plan to thoroughly clean one room a day or weekend. Also, it’s critical to enlist your family members to help with process. After all, they helped make the mess, so it’s only fair they help clean it up.

Create a list of must-have cleaning supplies and purchase them ahead of time. This ensures you’re not running to the grocery store every five minutes to pick up toilet bowl cleaner or extra paper towels. Include on your list:

• Rags or paper towel
• Garbage bags
• All-purpose cleaner
• Furniture polish
• Buckets
• Scouring pads
• Vacuum cleaner
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Mop
• Glass cleaner
• Broom and dust pan
• Duster
• Old or expensive toothbrushes

The Kitchen

• Remove any excess clutter including outdated or inedible food from the shelves.
• Clean out the fridge. Remove any outdated or moldy items before removing the trays and washing them in the sink. Clean out the sides and bottom of the fridge before reassembly.
• Remove all the items from your cabinets, including food, pots, pans and dishes. Wipe down the inside of the cabinets with a rag and all-purpose cleaner.
• Wipe down the walls, molding, cupboard doors and baseboards.
• Clean out the inside and outside of the microwave, oven and dishwasher. Microwave a bowl of lemon juice to loosen the stains and eliminate any unwanted odors. Use oven cleaner according to the package directions and clean out the inside of the dishwasher with an all-purpose cleaner.
• Clean out sink with a scouring pad and all-purpose cleaner. Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to eliminate any unwanted build-up and odors.
• Finish by thoroughly sweeping and mopping your floors. If possible, get on your hands and knees and scrub the floor.

The Bathroom

• Use an all-purpose cleaner to thoroughly clean the tub, tub surround and toilet. Slip on a pair of rubber gloves and remove any stubborn stains with a scouring pad. Remove the shower curtain and clean it with the all-purpose cleaner. Replace the curtain, if necessary.
• Wash out the sink with the all-purpose cleaner and rag. Use this cleaner and rag to clean off the vanity top and cabinet doors.
• Discard any unused or expired beauty products.
• Wipe down the walls, molding and light fixture with a rag and all-purpose cleaner.
• Use a toothbrush and a bleach-based cleaner to scrub any grout, faucets and crannies.
• Finish the job by washing the windows and mirrors, sweeping and mopping the floors.

Bedrooms

• Remove all the bedding and launder with warm water and a mild detergent. Vacuum between the mattress and box spring.
• Clean out any clutter from beneath the beds and inside the closet.
• Dust any hard surfaces, including night stands and dressers.
• Dust the blinds and remove and launder any window treatments.
• Swap your winter clothes for your spring and summer wardrobe.
• Finish by washing the windows and sweeping or vacuuming the floor, paying attention to remove any dust bunnies from beneath the bed, dressers and night stands.

The Living Room, Family Room or Den

• Dust every surface you can find, including furniture, shelves, artwork and electronics.
• Shine any wood furniture with a rag and furniture polish.
• Vacuum under the furniture and between the couch and chair cushions. Clean out any of the larger items and discard anything that’s not your child’s toys or stray pens. A good amount of carpet cleaning may be necessary.
• Dust the blinds and remove and launder any window treatments.
• Wipe down the walls, baseboards, molding, light fixture and ceiling fan.
• Finish by washing the windows and sweeping or vacuuming the floor, paying attention to remove any dust bunnies from beneath the furniture.

While cleaning, make your life easier by skipping elaborate meals and taking on too many tasks. Assign kid-friendly tasks to children under five, including dusting or washing windows. After all is said and done, reward yourself with a great meal or relaxing night out with your family.

This post was written and contributed by Victor Simmons. Victor has been a land lord for over ten years and has dealt with plenty of spring cleaning.

Before you join historical greats like King Louis XVI and Mark Twain with your own in-home pool hall, consider whether you should build your own table or browse new or used pool tables for sale. Choose a traditional design or customize your table with a unique design and unusual materials. With your table in place, decorate your basement or den to reflect your personality.

Build your own Table

Pool tables typically measure seven, eight or nine feet long and three feet high. They are half as wide as they are long. Most home tables measure eight feet long by four feet wide, and you can adjust the height. While you could choose to buy a new pool table, you could buy a used table and re-cover it or build your own table from a pre-built frame. Before moving your table into the pool room, measure the space. You need at least five feet of space on all sides of the table in order to provide adequate room for the players.

Die-hard do-it-yourselfers might consider building the table from scratch. If this approach suits you, start by assembling a sturdy, straight table. Cut a piece of wood to the desired length and width. Insert holes for the pockets before securely attaching the legs and support brackets between the legs.

After building the base, glue the one-inch thick piece of slate to the tabletop. Gently cut out the pocket holes. Use adhesive to seal the felt or fine worsted, wool bedcover to the slate. Traditionally, green felt represents the grassy origins of the game, but red and blue felt will not hinder game play. Finish assembly by attaching the cushions to the board and the netting under the pockets.

Unconventional Building Materials

Designing a customized table remains one advantage of building your own pool table. Use the wood of your choice for the legs and frame. Add decorative inlays or fancy designs. Consider specialty woods like pine or bamboo to fit your personality and the style of your home. As long as you have the space, you can convert nearly any rectangular object into a pool hall table.

While most pool tables function as pure entertainment, you can design a table that offers additional options. Set a solid cover over the billiard table, and turn it into a dining table. Build your own ping-pong tabletop that easily sets over the pool table. These convertible options give you the best of both worlds—a functional pool hall for the weekends and family dining space for weekdays.

Décor

When your friends walk into your in-home pool hall, they will be ready to play and have a good time. Create a functional party environment that reflects your personality.

Every pool hall needs space for the pool supplies. Hang cue racks, chalk and sticks near the table. If you’re competitive, consider hanging a chalk board on the wall to keep score.

Everyone’s going to want refreshments during your pool tournaments. If you have space, build a generous bar area where your guests can serve themselves drinks and snacks. Nail shelves or ledges along the wall to hold wet cups. You don’t want your friends spilling food or setting their wet cups on your table. Consider covering the floor with stain resistant carpet or hardwood to make post-party clean up a cinch.

Lighting sets the atmosphere for your pool hall. Hang a single light above the table to illuminate your playing field or install recessed lighting in the room. Pendant lights set the mood and are reminiscent of traditional pool halls.

While you may love pool, your guests might wish to do something else, especially because only a few people can play pool at one time. Set up a dartboard or plug in an arcade game to give everyone an enjoyable time together. Find used bar stools and tables to provide affordable seating for players waiting for their turn or for guest who wish to visit with each other.

Polish your pool hall with memorabilia. Hang pendants from your favorite sports team, items that represent your hobby or framed mirrors. Personalize your pool hall to create a fun, exciting atmosphere where your friends will want to be every weekend.

An in-home pool table adds value to your home and gives you a reason to entertain friends. After you build or buy a pool table, decorate your pool hall to fit your style and personality. Bring your gang together in a cozy but functional pool hall for hours of entertaining fun.

Whether you are building or buying new furniture, there are several factors that you need to take into consideration when making design choices. This includes the materials and quality and durability of the products you wish to purchase.

But at the time of selecting furniture try not to spend beyond your budget, and if you have got a good budget don’t overbuy. That can make your room small and congested.  Minimalist design furniture’s are popular and never goes out of fad.

Browse around for design ideas, look through more options offered by online furniture companies and even give them a call for advice if you need it. The above info-graphics was created to raise awareness for people that mixed everyday gestures at the time of buying furniture.

Tauseef Hussain is an online business entrepreneur and a blogger. He writes in various topics such as home improvement, home design, DIY and the competitive world of Bathroom Sets Niche. Learn more about latest products in bathroom furniture at his website at QS Supplies

Fun Home Designs

If you thought you had to leave tree houses behind when you hit puberty, think again! From exclusive hotels catering to vacationers looking for alternative accommodations to primary homes, tree houses are not just for kids anymore. If you’d like to live like a bird, check out Blueforest. This UK-based business can create a modern-day, adult-sized tree house for as little as $15,000.

Depending on your choice, it will contain a bathroom, small kitchen, and a full-sized living room. Not too bad for the price! If you’d like to try one out before committing to full-time life in the air, spend a night or two in the branches with a room in a tree house hotel. Find one as close as Connecticut or Washington State, or venture out to Belize, Thailand, or New Zealand for a full-blown adventure vacation!

Charming Jewelry

Who doesn’t remember the twinkly, jingly, overfilled charm bracelets of our youth? Even though those tacky little things caught on every piece of clothing we ever owned, we still yearned for just one more hanging ornament to place on the chain bracelet. Every hobby, every award, and every vacation was an excuse to squeeze another token onto our treasured, but crowded, charm bracelet. If the mere thought of your old charm bracelet has you digging through that old jewelry box, don’t bother.

You can create a modern, and more stylish, charm bracelet designed for adults with mind by Aaron Basha. Created using 18K gold, French enamel, and precious gemstones, these charms are anything but childish! Choose from ruby red ladybugs, glittering starfish, or baby shoes with diamond bows to represent each child or grandchild in your growing family!

Still Need Training Wheels?

If you were never quite comfortable on your two-wheeler, the Triclo might be the perfect eco-friendly vehicle for you. When you take a look at this ultra-modern conveyance, your inner child will immediately start doing flips of excitement!

You actually sit in the over-sized third wheel of this tricycle and steer the remaining two front wheels to get where you’re going. Just like the rounded design of the old VW bugs captured our imagination as children, you won’t be able to stop wondering what it’s like to tool around town in this circular work of art!

My Favorite Number is … Onesie!

If you miss the plush comfort of those cute little onesies you wore as a toddler, you can enjoy that full-body, childlike functionality all over again. Adult-sized onesies are the new rage. If your inner child is nudging you while whispering in your ear about endless opportunities for sliding across a newly waxed floor, choose the footie design! Available in a wide range of colors and styles, this type of sleepwear is destined to replace pajama bottoms as the en vogue lounge-wear.

Just as children dream of growing up, adults continue to wish to turn back the clock and become child-like again! How do you indulge your inner-child?

Annie is the delighted mom and blogger for Square-Deal. Do you want to have fun and save? Visit our collection of Land of Nod coupons to find discounts for children’s furniture, bedding, playrooms, accessories, and now baby gear.

Research Is Key

Before purchasing a piece of property in Portugal the first thing a person should do is research. The first thing to look at is all of the factors that pertain to the buyer. The buyer needs to ask themselves are they looking to live in permanently, live in on vacations or rent the property for income purposes. From there the buyer can branch off to determine the other factors involved before purchasing the house. Budget must be figured out in all scenarios and should be split into purchasing budget and a budget for money to be put into house requirements. Lastly the buyer needs to figure out what they need to have in the home they are looking to purchase.

Location, Location, Location

When looking to purchase a property it is very important to not only look at the house, but to also look at the surrounding community. After taking a thorough look at the interior and exterior of the prospective house, take a look at the surrounding houses. Look at how they are kept and how the neighborhood looks. Ask yourself do the houses look refreshed and are the lawns kept well. Also locate how many community buildings are in the area like libraries, parks, dog walks, schools and gyms. The next step is to go to local bars, restaurants and cafes and ask about the neighborhood.

Portugal Property Laws

It is always smart to check the property laws in a place before purchasing a home. Even if you are familiar with the area, it is always good to seek the professional help of a property lawyer. Even in Portugal there are lawyers that are familiar with both the Portuguese language and can speak yours. They should notify you of all legal responsibilities should you decide to purchase a property and all of the options available to you. They should also be able to walk you through the process of making an offer, haggling over price and what happens once an offer is accepted.

Know and Respect the Culture

It is always good to familiarize yourself with the culture and the rules of business in the community that you are planning to purchase a house in. Places may seem laid back to vacationing tourists but can be very bureaucratic when it comes to individuals looking to conduct business. It is also good to have a notary that speaks fluent Portuguese and speak your language. Purchasing property, contracts and notarizing documents comes hand in hand and it is essential to have someone who can translate word for word. The final thing to do is to budget for the currency change between Portuguese money and your currency.

Following these steps will allow the purchasing of a property in Portugal to run smoothly.

Image by O Palsson courtesy of CC license via flickr.

Dale is a writer for PrestigeProperty.co.uk who feature Portugal property along with many other European properties on their website.

Robert Young Architecture + Interiors a New York-based firm, has designed what’s called the ‘Kettle Hole House’, a rehabilitation of a single family house in East Hampton, New York. Originally constructed in the 1980s, the outdated structure was permeated with bands of glazing, increasing transparency through the home to continue views to the woods behind and introduce dappled daylight into the interior. Cubic and rectangular volumes are mixed with horizontally striated cedar cladding, strongly related to the pine trees standing within the surrounding grounds in a peaceful manner.

Opening the entry foyer to a double height space, the bordering rooms on the lower and upper have been visually expanded and linked to each other. Open riser stairs with treads formed from steel plates connected to a translucent partition maintain an airy presence, allowing light to pass through the material. Dwellers are continuously offered vistas into the forest, fostering a relationship with nature.

Visit the website of Robert Young Architecture + Interiors here.

For the better part of three decades multidisciplinary artist Guy Laramee has worked as a stage writer, director, composer, a fabricator of musical instruments, a singer, sculptor, painter and writer. Among his sculptural works are two incredible series of carved book landscapes and structures entitled Biblios and The Great Wall, where the dense pages of old books are excavated to reveal serene mountains, plateaus, and ancient structures. Of these works he says:

So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint Romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.

January 31, 2012. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software the leader in 3D sky, light and nature technologies, today announced the immediate availability of LumenRT 2 Review, the second generation of the company’s revolutionary product for the interactive visualization of architectural projects with full physical lighting.

The product, currently compatible with SketchUp, is being ported to other platforms. To support this major release, e-on software also publishes a free trial version of LumenRT 2 for Macintosh and Windows, immediately available for download from try.lumenrt.com.

LumenRT 2

E-on software invites all architects and designers to watch the LumenRT 2 Review presentation video, showcasing the true real-time power of LumenRT 2. This video, entirely rendered with LumenRT 2 is visible on the company’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/eonsoftware.

Last but not least, e-on software is happy to announce that the upgrade to LumenRT 2 is available for free to all registered users of LumenRT 1. However, because this offer is limited in time, e-on software indicates that current users should upgrade without delay.

LumenRT 2 Review: A New Media for Architects Is Born!

With last year’s successful introduction of LumenRT, e-on software made a noticeable entry into the real-time market. This first version was immediately recognized as a significant advance by the architectural industry (including a nomination to 3D World CG Awards 2011 for Plugin of the Year), leading to many prominent ArchViz companies embracing LumenRT’s revolutionary approach. The ability to create accurately lit, immersive 3D visualizations of their projects and to share them with their clients was indeed considered a substantial asset.

LumenRT is the only solution that combines real-time rendering with a full, physical simulation of light, letting architects and their clients accurately experience the true volume and lighting of their designs.

Thanks to LumenRT 2 Review, architects no longer have to choose between high-quality images and real-time visualization. They can create high quality real-time visualizations of their models, explore them with any standard or 3D mouse and share them with their clients as self contained executables.

With a completely new, state-of-the-art real-time engine, LumenRT 2 hoards a plentiful number of new features and enhancements:

• Complete physical simulation of light,
• Physically accurate reflections,
• Adjustable time of day,
• Precise anti-aliasing and motion blur,
• Soft shadows with varying softness,
• Superb water and underwater effects,
• Advanced material rendering,
• Photo-realistic skies,
• Low quality mode for optimized performance on slower boards,
• And a lot more

The complete list of new features in LumenRT 2 Review for SketchUp is available at: www.lumenrt.com/overview/#Release 2.

LumenRT 2 Review Trial Version

The release of LumenRT 2 also marks the release of the first Trial Version of LumenRT, immediately available from try.lumenrt.com

The trial version of LumenRT 2 Review for SketchUp is a fully functional version of LumenRT 2, valid for 15 days. Output from the trial version is watermarked and not valid for commercial use. The trial version enables all SketchUp users to check how their communication could benefit from e-on software’s cutting-edge technology! The trial version can easily be converted into a full commercial license by purchasing the product directly from within the plug-in or a LiveCube.

Those who don’t use SketchUp can still experience the visual quality of LumenRT LiveCubes right away by downloading a set of sample LumenRT 2 LiveCubes at www.lumenrt.com/download and explore them live on their computer while they wait for support of their favorite application. The complete electronic documentation is also available for download from that page.

Get a free download of an active x test program!