Home And Gardens

Whether you are repainting an interior door or adding paint to it for the first time, giving your door a splash of paint is a great way to add color to your home and make your door look fresh. However, if done wrong it can also be a source of headaches.

Before you start painting your interior doors, it’s a good idea to have a game plan and know how you want to do it. Here are a few things to consider before you put your paintbrush to your door:

• If you are painting a door with a dark color, you’ll need to be extra careful. Darker colors show lines more readily than lighter coats, so you want to take your time to apply even coverage.
• Decide if you want to use a full gloss paint or semi-gloss. Glossy paint can add brightness to a room when done right. However, it can be overwhelming and is typically harder to clean than a semi-gloss paint.
• Start at the top and work your way down when you are painting a wooden door. The reason to do this is obvious: paint will drip down and you don’t want to drip paint on areas that have already had a coat applied. You also need to make sure that you apply paint in the same direction as the grain of the wood in order to get a smooth finish.
• Make sure that you use high-end materials when painting your doors. Skimping on paints, brushes and other items will only mean that you get a result that isn’t as nice looking as it could be.

Bio: Eto Doors has provided this blog post. Visit the Eto Doors website to read Eto Doors reviews and to browse their selection of high end doors and accessories at low prices.

The hinges are one of the most important parts of a door, but it’s something that many homeowners overlook when it comes to performing routine maintenance around their homes. It’s important to care for the hinges if you want your door to work effectively. Along with squeaks and other annoying noises, not taking care of your door hinges can lead to problems that affect the entire door.

The most obvious thing you can do to take care of your door hinges is to apply oil to them on a regular basis. As with any sort of metal moving part, door hinges need lubrication in order to move smoothly. In order to do this, you’ll need some oil in a can that can penetrate tight spaces along with a rag. Use the oil can’s spray nozzle or spout to get as close as possible to the round pin that is located between the flat plates of the hinge. You can lift the pin halfway out to oil both the pin and the hole. Use the rag to wipe away any oil that leaks from the hinges while you are applying the oil.

It’s obvious when you hear a squeak that it’s time to apply some oil to the hinges, but you’ll want to inspect the hinges regularly to see if there is a need for any other maintenance or repair work. You might notice that a screw is loose and be able to fix that before the door becomes misaligned and potentially is damaged when opening or closing it.

Bio: The preceding blog post was written by the experts at Eto Doors. Eto Doors has been providing customers with high end doors at very affordable prices since 2002. Check out their Eto Doors reviews and see their inventory at their website.

If you operate a farm or own rural land that is home to cattle, you need to purchase an electric fence. It’s simply the best way to keep those animals where they’ll be safe and far from causing harm to others. Fortunately, there’s never been a better time to purchase electric fencing due to the numerous options available. Keep reading for some ideas on what your land might need.

One newer option is a solar powered electric fence. It’s great for those of you who are working on going green. However, even if decreasing the size of your carbon footprint isn’t a priority, it’s still a great way to save on the electric bill.

If solar energy isn’t something you’re interested in, you can still do well with a normal version. You may want to consider an electric fence charger though, in order to keep things running at all times in case of an emergency.

For those of you who are handy, you can probably install your electric fence by yourself. The great thing about electric fencing is it requires so few materials and equipment in order to get the job done. Nonetheless, there are a number of manuals and videos out there that will help you along the way to make sure the setup is done correctly.

By utilizing electric fences you can keep your animals safe at a very affordable cost.

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Article submitted by Farm Supply Store. The company sells everything from garden fence options to electrical versions.

Everyone wants to finish their basement at some point. It seems to be one of those projects that perpetually gets put off until “someday.” However, if you’re ready to begin taking steps towards finally getting it finished once and for all, continue reading for some simple tips.

If money is a concern (like it is for most people), understand what needs to get done and forego the rest for now. For example, you might have closets or even whole rooms in your basement that you use for storage. Don’t stress about getting the floors and walls finished, if no one is going to be in there for months at a time.

Likewise, if there are areas of your basement you can finish on your own, this can be an easy way to save money as well. However, only take this project on if you actually have experience. Otherwise, your Chicago home improvement project will turn into a nightmare.

Next, start looking for the best contractor possible. When it comes to basement finishing, Chicago residents have countless options. Ask your friends and family for recommendations first and then begin searching by the ones who have the most experience. After you’ve narrowed down the list that far, ask each of the remaining candidates to offer a free quote and you should be able to make your final decision after that.

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Article submitted by Chicago Remodeling Solutions. They are a Chicago-based contractor with over 30 years of experience in the industry. The company offers everything from gutter repair to kitchen remodeling Chicago residents love.

With winter here, more and more of us will be spending as much time indoors where we’re free from the cold. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Nothing’s worse than coming in from the outdoors and discovering it’s not much warmer outside. When this happens, your home isn’t properly doing its job. Fortunately, there’s a new, easy way to warm your house. Modern science has introduced underfloor heating, a method of actually warming the floors in your home, so each step is another comfortable sensation. Keep reading to learn more.

There are two main ways floors are heated. Radiant floor heat systems use electrical coils beneath conventional materials like ceramic tile. They heat the floor and the occupants feel warm as they walk around their home. The great thing about radiant systems is they’re incredibly easy to install. In fact, many homeowners simply handle the process on their own. As a result they get a warm floor and more money in their pocket.

Though it’s still a relatively new accommodation, the original way floors were warmed was through a process known as Hydronic heating. This system uses warm water to heat coils which then transfer that warmth to the tile. As you can imagine, however, this system is not one you want to try to install on your own.

Warm floors are a great way to fight off the nasty cold of winter. However, if you’re in the market, you should consider the radiant floor option as it’s just as effective and far more affordable.

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Article submitted by EZ Floor Heat. The company is helping to popularize Underfloor Heating by selling products that make it easy to install.

When looking to renovate a room or simply add a touch of class, the options are limitless. You can paint the walls, replace the floor or add new light fixtures to achieve a desired look. There are a number of simpler ways too. Sometimes just adding a new centerpiece or changing out a piece of furniture can have surprisingly noticeable benefits. However, there’s an even simpler method that is sure to draw attention to a very unlikely part of the room: your floor. Continue reading to find out why floor medallions are facing a resurgence in popularity.

Floor medallions are nothing more than geometric shapes that occupy one exclusive section of your floor. Generally, it’s about 4×4 ft. the medallion is made up of a circle, with some kind of geometric shape inside. This can be a compass, a starburst or any other design. Some people have even had their initials put in.

The cool thing about medallions is they can be made out of just about any material. Ceramic tile, mosaic, marble, even hard wood can be used to create a floor mosaic. You can choose to match floor materials or change them out. Even mixing and matching is allowed when it comes to mosaics.

If you’re sick of how one room looks, it might be time to renovate its appearance. While you have many options to consider, be sure to give some attention to the idea of floor medallions.

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Article submitted by Medallion Depot. The company specializes in ceramic and marble floor medallions for the home and elsewhere.

One of the most important things you have to decide when buying new garage doors is which material is right for you. There are many different types of materials that can be used in constructing a garage door, from wood to aluminum. The type of garage door material you select should be based on your budget, the amount of maintenance you are willing to do and how much wear and tear you expect your garage doors to receive.

Here are a few of the most common garage door materials to choose from:

Wood: Doors made from wood have typically been considered a “luxury” item, although composite woods and new manufacturing processes mean that it’s more affordable than ever to purchase a wood garage door. These doors are made from layers of cedar, redwood or fir. They can be pre-stained or finished after installation. Because they are wood, they are resistant to minor damage (like being hit with an errant basketball) but can require frequent refinishing.

Steel: Steel doors offer an affordable and lower maintenance option to wood doors. A garage door made with a dual layer of galvanized steel can be painted to match the look of your home. Since steel can rust and is susceptible to minor dings and scratches, you can add a fiberglass overlay to provide additional protection.

Aluminum: Because aluminum doors don’t rust, many people prefer them to steel, especially considering their initial low price of purchase. However, aluminum is more likely to receive dents and dings than thicker steel. If this is a concern, you can opt for more expensive aluminum doors that are made from thicker and more durable aluminum.

This guest post was written by Eto Doors, a leading retailer of residential and commercial doors. Eto Doors has a large selection of garage and home doors to choose from. See the collection and read Eto Doors reviews at www.etodoors.com.