How To Choose Stone Flooring
Stone is a fabulous material for floors as its durability and natural beauty will bring a long lasting statement to any home.
Even though it is most commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and conservatories, there is no reason why you should not choose stone for a bedroom or sitting room. There is a growing trend to have the same stone laid throughout the ground floor and seamlessly to a terrace to create a wonderful sense of space both indoors and out.
Old, New or Composite Stone Flooring?
Reputable specialists offer both freshly quarried and “reclaimed” stone. The latter tends to be more expensive, but has an immediate patina and softness and can be more environmentally friendly (although weigh up the transportation implications). Solid stones such as slate, sandstone, limestone and granite are all good choices, but also consider composite flooring. Made from chipped or ground stone mixed with a bonding agent, it is cast as tiles and has a more uniform finish with a lower price tag.
Stone floors must be properly installed. A professional fitter can advise you on sealants, adhesive, grouts and the preparation of the substrate to avoid movement.
Stone Flooring Maintenance
• Although neutrals are popular, consider more unusual shades such as the pinks and greens of Peacock Riven slate from Mandarin.
• View as many different stones as possible.
• Ask to see a similar floor in situ, as it can look quite different en masse and sealed.
• Look out for interesting patterns. Mark Wilkinson of Hopton Works comments, “It is still possible to find rare colours and patterns.”
• Check lead times as stone that is not held in stock may take longer to arrive.
• Ensure that your stone is properly sealed. Charlie Smallbone of Paris Ceramics says, “A big misconception is that limestone floors stain or discolour with use. But modern seals preserve even the palest stone.”
• Immediately wipe away any acidic spills.
• Clean with a dedicated cleaner such as Lithofin
Miniature Room Addition Atop Garage
If the size of your lot prohibits building outward, or if you want a private studio or an apartment, building above a garage – whether it is attached to the house or freestanding – is a convenient way to expand your home. Garage foundations, built to withstand the weight of automobiles, generally require no further reinforcement to support an added second story.
And because your car, not your family, lives in a garage, general contractors can remove the roof and proceed with construction without disrupting family life. You then have the option of either providing private access to the addition with an indoor or outdoor stairway, or cutting an entryway to connect to the second floor of the house.
The tricky part of a garage adaptation is the conversion of the ceiling, which was not designed to support activity above, into a floor strong enough for living quarters. If you have a one-car garage – usually no more than 12 feet wide – you need only to reinforce or replace the existing ceiling joists before raising the new walls and roof. However, the structural requirements for adding a floor over a 2-car garage are more complex.
The size of a 2-car garage – usually about 24 feet square – gives a span too great for unsupported floor joists. The problem of providing the necessary support is complicated by the existence of a weak wall in the garage – the wall that contains the garage door or doors. The wide openings make this wall unsound as a bearing wall for the new floor joists.
In a garage with two separate doors, you can install a girder perpendicular to the doors so that the new floor joists are supported by this girder and the side walls; whichever walls supported the old roof can then support the new roof on the addition.
Continue reading the blog post here – Miniature Room Addition Atop Garage-2
Emergency Repairs When Heat Goes Out
Keeping your family warm on an icy winter day or night is a high priority – it affects both comfort and health, especially in those who are elderly. If the heat goes out in the dead of winter, do all you can to keep the warm air inside and the cold air out. But before going to extreme lengths, make a few simple checks. Sometimes the heat goes off merely because a switch has been accidentally flipped off, the thermostat needs adjustment, or a circuit breaker has tripped or a fuse has blown.
First check the thermostat temperature and time settings. Push the temperature setting 8 to 10 degrees above room temperature; the heat should come on within 5 minutes. Check the circuit breaker and fuse box. If a breaker has tripped, reset it. If a fuse has blown, replace it with one of the same amperage. If the breaker trips or the fuse burns out again, the system may have a short circuit; call a repairman. Follow the other checks described below. If the heat doesn’t come on, call a repairman.
While waiting for home repairs, make sure that all doors, windows, and storm windows are closed tightly. Seal cracks around doors and windows with rope caulk or newspaper. Close draperies or shutters. Go to a neighbor’s if you can. Otherwise, gather everyone into one or two rooms and close off the rest of the house. If you have a fireplace, stove, or portable kerosine heater, use it, but leave a window open a crack for ventilation. If the heat will be off a long time, have the water system drained.
Central Vacuum System For Home Climate
To keep the air inside a well-insulated and well-sealed house healthy – particularly for people who suffer from respiratory allergies – a central vacuum system can be helpful. Many common allergens, such as dust, pollen, molds, and mite pellets, aren’t trapped by the filter in a regular vacuum cleaner. In fact, they are blown back out by the exhaust action of the vacuum and stay suspended in the air for several hours.
A central vacuum system solves this problem by sucking dirt and debris into a single receptacle located away from the house’s main living spaces, in the garage or the basement. Dust-size particles are vented outdoors (but not onto walks or patios).
Besides cutting down on dust, central vacuums offer an easy, convenient, and quiet way to clean. Suction is activated when you plug a vacuum hose into a wall outlet; disengaging the hose turns off the motor. Outlets are placed at strategic spots around the house so that all areas can be reached with the hose. Usually about 30 feet long, the hose has attachments for different cleaning chores.
Choose a motor size to match the cleaning power you want, not the size of your house. Vacuum motor power is expressed as water lift (suction power) and cubic feet of airflow minute.
PVC pipes lead from the wall outlets to the vacuum power unit and the canister. In a new house, these pipes are laid after the wiring and plumbing but before the wallboard is installed. However, putting a central vacuum system into an existing house is not difficult. The main pipe runs between joists or through the attic; branch pipes run between studs or through closets. An installation usually takes a service person one day. Using a kit and doing it yourself may take a little longer.
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