Looking to light a room, but are trying to maintain a nice, clean look uncluttered by dangling light fixtures? If so, you need to look into recessed lighting. Recessed lighting, as the same suggests, is simply lighting that is recessed into your ceiling, providing a very non-obtrusive lighting source.
Just because these lights seem simple doesn't mean you don't have some choices to make when choosing recessed lighting. For one, you can get lights in multiple bulb types. The most popular are fluorescent, halogen, and incandescent. Incandescent lights are nice and affordable, halogen lights are very bright, and fluorescent lights provide excellent energy savings over the other types. There are even LED lights for those looking to trim energy usage even more.
These lights also come in different designs. You might think that since a recessed light is basically a can with a bulb stuck in a ceiling, there wouldn't be much variation, but it turns out that there is. You can choose different sizes, designs of the interior, and designs of the external flange. These allow you to match the design of the lights to the look of your room.
Installing recessed lighting doesn't have to be very complicated, though it will depend greatly on your access to the space above the ceiling and your wiring situation. If you have access to the veiling from above, installing the lighting is just a matter of running the wires, mounting the light fixtures to a stud, and cutting the hole for the flange. If you don't have this kind of access, calling in a professional might be a good idea.
As you can see, there is a lot to think about when it comes to choosing and installing recessed lighting. However, it is all worth it if you desire the clean, simple look the only recessed lighting can give you. Check into it today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aileen_McConnor
One of the most important principles to understand when designing a recessed lighting layout is beam angle. In recessed cans, the light is produced in the shape of a cone. You picture the light starting as a point at the light fixture and forming a circle on the floor. The beam angle is the angle of this light out of the bulb. For example a 60-degree beam angle will produce a circle of light about 9 feet across on the floor if the fixture is 8 feet off the floor. See a
Diagram.
That is just one part of the formula. That circle of light we now have on the floor is not all the same intensity. About five and a half feet of that circle is good intense light while the remainder is spill over and diminishes as it gets further from the center. This is very important to understand. With this information, you can overlap the spill over light so that you end up with a nice even light pattern over the entire area you are trying to illuminate. Something to remember when you are planning this out is something called the work plane. This is an area about 30" above the floor. It is an area where most tasks take place.
The work plane is important because as the distance between the light fixture and the surface to be lit decreases, so does that circle we spoke about. In a living room or den, designing the lighting plan so that we have even light on the floor is fine. In a kitchen though, this work plane becomes far more critical. This is why in a kitchen, keeping recessed lights about 4 feet apart, creates a pattern that is even on the work plane with the intense portion of the circle.
There are some other things besides the bulb and the can that shape the light pattern. The finish trim on recessed lights can vary the pattern of light. A wall washer creates a half cone that can be directed at a wall or fireplace. A pin spot trim can direct the light in a very narrow beam to light a small object.
This should give you a basic idea of what is involved when you undertake a recessed lighting layout. If you would like to learn more or have questions, please visit us at the links below.
(c) Copyright 2005 Paul Forte. All rights reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Forte
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Stair Runners Made Easy
There are basically two methods of installing carpet on stairs. One is the waterfall method where one piece of carpet covers each riser and tread. The other is the cap and band installation. In this case the cap is a piece of carpet installed over the treads and the band is the piece that will cover the risers. In this article I will show you how to install carpet using the waterfall method. These instructions are for basic stairs and not for spiral stairs which would require additional procedures.
Tools Needed:
Tack strips
Staples or upholstery nails
Measuring Tape
Knee Pads
Knee kicker (check your rental store)
Stair Tool (check your rental store)
Utility knife
Hammer
Safety glasses
Obviously you'll need to remove all the old carpet. Get rid of the tack strips and don't try to use the old padding. Make sure any nails and staples are removed and sweep down the area to be carpeted.
Before you get started you're going to have to figure out how much carpet you'll need. To calculate the width simply measure across the tread. If your stairs are open on one or both ends make sure to measure under the nosing to where it meets the riser and add it to the total width. Figure the total length of your flight of stairs by measuring the tread and riser. Assuming your going to use carpet pad make sure to add at least 3 inches per stair. If your steps have nosing add one foot to the total flight measurement.
Okay, let's get started. Apply the tack strip to the stair crotch location. Next you'll need to tighten the carpet by tucking in the crotch. You can do this by using a knee kicker. It is a tool used to install carpet in small areas and stairs. It consists of a piece of metal tubing with a pin plate attached to it. On the other end it has a padded cushion where you can position your knee to apply pressure to the carpet. You should be able to find one at your local rental store. Simply place the padded end several inches above your knee and add pressure.
This is where you will use the knee kicker:
To attach to the tack strip you need to use the knee kicker to stretch the carpet straight from the center of the tread and hook it to the tack strip located at the crotch. Once the carpet has been hooked to the tack strip you need to firmly attach it by sliding your carpet tool back and forth to compress the pins. Using your utility knife or carpet knife trim as needed. A carpet knife is better as it has two sides and is sharper than a utility knife. Repeat this process on each side of the tread. Before going to the next tread make sure the carpet is smoothed out on the riser and then staple to the stair lip. I would recommend you staple about every 2 inches. Don't forget to also staple along the edge of the riser.
Make sure to step back and take a look at your work before going on to the next tread. Is the carpet smooth? Did you kick it in evenly? It is also a good time to give your knees and back a rest. If everything looks good the continue onto the next tread. If not you'll have to pull the carpet off and install it again. Repeat this process until you are finished.
Once finished stand back and admire your work and give yourself a pat on the back. You now have a beautiful looking staircase.
Jerry Holt is a writer for the website Do It Yourself Today. Please go to http://www.diytoday.net for do it yourself home improvement and carpet tips and advice.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Holt
Tools Needed:
Tack strips
Staples or upholstery nails
Measuring Tape
Knee Pads
Knee kicker (check your rental store)
Stair Tool (check your rental store)
Utility knife
Hammer
Safety glasses
Obviously you'll need to remove all the old carpet. Get rid of the tack strips and don't try to use the old padding. Make sure any nails and staples are removed and sweep down the area to be carpeted.
Before you get started you're going to have to figure out how much carpet you'll need. To calculate the width simply measure across the tread. If your stairs are open on one or both ends make sure to measure under the nosing to where it meets the riser and add it to the total width. Figure the total length of your flight of stairs by measuring the tread and riser. Assuming your going to use carpet pad make sure to add at least 3 inches per stair. If your steps have nosing add one foot to the total flight measurement.
Okay, let's get started. Apply the tack strip to the stair crotch location. Next you'll need to tighten the carpet by tucking in the crotch. You can do this by using a knee kicker. It is a tool used to install carpet in small areas and stairs. It consists of a piece of metal tubing with a pin plate attached to it. On the other end it has a padded cushion where you can position your knee to apply pressure to the carpet. You should be able to find one at your local rental store. Simply place the padded end several inches above your knee and add pressure.
This is where you will use the knee kicker:
To attach to the tack strip you need to use the knee kicker to stretch the carpet straight from the center of the tread and hook it to the tack strip located at the crotch. Once the carpet has been hooked to the tack strip you need to firmly attach it by sliding your carpet tool back and forth to compress the pins. Using your utility knife or carpet knife trim as needed. A carpet knife is better as it has two sides and is sharper than a utility knife. Repeat this process on each side of the tread. Before going to the next tread make sure the carpet is smoothed out on the riser and then staple to the stair lip. I would recommend you staple about every 2 inches. Don't forget to also staple along the edge of the riser.
Make sure to step back and take a look at your work before going on to the next tread. Is the carpet smooth? Did you kick it in evenly? It is also a good time to give your knees and back a rest. If everything looks good the continue onto the next tread. If not you'll have to pull the carpet off and install it again. Repeat this process until you are finished.
Once finished stand back and admire your work and give yourself a pat on the back. You now have a beautiful looking staircase.
Jerry Holt is a writer for the website Do It Yourself Today. Please go to http://www.diytoday.net for do it yourself home improvement and carpet tips and advice.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Holt
Monday, August 3, 2009
Drywall Repairs.. Step by Step Videos
The beauty of modern walls such as drywalls (also known as wallboard, gypsum board, or Sheetrock) is that even if you get holes in them, fixing or patching these walls is easy. Believe me, it's no rocket science and you just need some hardware materials and a great deal of patience to pull the job off.
Whether you're repairing a small or medium sized hole, the techniques used are similar. Small and medium sized holes can be ½-inch to 6 inches in diameter. The smaller the hole, the easier it can be fixed, and the less time it takes.
For Small Holes
Small holes up to ½ inch across can be patched easily using a drywall compound. Other than cleaning the surrounding wall area, you don't need a lot of preparation to fix holes this small.
1. Use a hammer or to tap the wall around the hole to create a slight depression. Alternately, you can also use the rounded edge of the screw to tap it more accurately.
2. Fill in the hole with the drywall compound. For really small holes, a single coating is needed.
3. Once it dries off, lightly sand off the area.
For Medium Sized Holes
Repairing holes up to 6 inches in diameter will take more steps, although the process is still relatively easy. The trick here really is to get the gap covered and make the repair as "invisible" as possible.
1. Buy the needed materials from a home improvement store. For this job, you will need a peel-and-stick drywall patch, some drywall compound, utility knife, sanding paper, and a taping or putty knife. The patch that you can buy is usually made of a stiff metal backer covered with an adhesive mesh.
2. Prepare the hole area by cutting off any loose paper or loose pieces of gypsum with a utility knife.
3. Peel off the backing paper covering the adhesive, and position the patch over the hole. Use a taping knife to stick the patch firmly over the hole.
4. Apply a generous amount of drywall compound into the patch, making sure that the compound presses the patch into place.
5. Give the first coat about 24 hours to dry off, then apply another coating of the compound.
6. When the second coating has dried off as well, sand the area carefully. Using a fine-grit paper, sand the patch smooth, "feathering" out the rough edges so that the compound blends into the existing drywall.
Dry sanding can get really dusty so you may have to use vacuum cleaners that have special sanding screen attachments to clean of all the dust. Alternately, you can also opt to use wet sanding but you have to avoid rubbing off the compound too much, else you'd need to do the job all over again.
7. Lastly, you need to prime and paint the patch to keep moisture away and make the repair job even more invisible.
Drywall fixing is also an art more than simply repair -- get the task done as smoothly as possible so that you deceive the eye into thinking that no repair has been done at all. So what are you waiting for? Get on with the job and do your magic!
If you are looking for a handyman in Eagan, MN be sure to visit the Eagan handyman directory for a list of contractors that can help you with your home repair needs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Travis_Van_Slooten
Whether you're repairing a small or medium sized hole, the techniques used are similar. Small and medium sized holes can be ½-inch to 6 inches in diameter. The smaller the hole, the easier it can be fixed, and the less time it takes.
For Small Holes
Small holes up to ½ inch across can be patched easily using a drywall compound. Other than cleaning the surrounding wall area, you don't need a lot of preparation to fix holes this small.
1. Use a hammer or to tap the wall around the hole to create a slight depression. Alternately, you can also use the rounded edge of the screw to tap it more accurately.
2. Fill in the hole with the drywall compound. For really small holes, a single coating is needed.
3. Once it dries off, lightly sand off the area.
For Medium Sized Holes
Repairing holes up to 6 inches in diameter will take more steps, although the process is still relatively easy. The trick here really is to get the gap covered and make the repair as "invisible" as possible.
1. Buy the needed materials from a home improvement store. For this job, you will need a peel-and-stick drywall patch, some drywall compound, utility knife, sanding paper, and a taping or putty knife. The patch that you can buy is usually made of a stiff metal backer covered with an adhesive mesh.
2. Prepare the hole area by cutting off any loose paper or loose pieces of gypsum with a utility knife.
3. Peel off the backing paper covering the adhesive, and position the patch over the hole. Use a taping knife to stick the patch firmly over the hole.
4. Apply a generous amount of drywall compound into the patch, making sure that the compound presses the patch into place.
5. Give the first coat about 24 hours to dry off, then apply another coating of the compound.
6. When the second coating has dried off as well, sand the area carefully. Using a fine-grit paper, sand the patch smooth, "feathering" out the rough edges so that the compound blends into the existing drywall.
Dry sanding can get really dusty so you may have to use vacuum cleaners that have special sanding screen attachments to clean of all the dust. Alternately, you can also opt to use wet sanding but you have to avoid rubbing off the compound too much, else you'd need to do the job all over again.
7. Lastly, you need to prime and paint the patch to keep moisture away and make the repair job even more invisible.
Drywall fixing is also an art more than simply repair -- get the task done as smoothly as possible so that you deceive the eye into thinking that no repair has been done at all. So what are you waiting for? Get on with the job and do your magic!
If you are looking for a handyman in Eagan, MN be sure to visit the Eagan handyman directory for a list of contractors that can help you with your home repair needs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Travis_Van_Slooten
How To Upholstery
Life is built around routine. You wake up around the same time. You go to work around the same time. You come home around the same time. You eat at the same time. You go to sleep at the same time. Boring. The monotony begins to wear. The rut of life needs to be filled. But how? What can you do to change the tedium without losing your job or breaking your leg? Two words: Upholstery Fabric. Huh? That's right; upholstery fabric can alter your entire world view. Don't believe me. That's fine. Keep on reading, I'll change your mind.
Significant others make or break lives. Well, if yours has recently broken your life consider reupholstery. Take all that furniture that reminds of you of him or her and rip it to shreds. Leave nothing but the bare bones of its frame. Expose its nakedness to the world. And then, like a deranged plastic surgeon, recreate it in any style you see fit. Combine patterns, merge colors, it's your furniture do whatever you want to it. When you're finished, the memories will fade as you sit comfortably on your brand new, memory expunged, couch or whatever you have sitting around that house of yours.
Do you have a favorite chair or a part of the couch that you gravitate toward? Duh, yes. Well, no doubt you've spilled a soda or ice cream on it. You've flipped the cushion so many times that either side resembles a bar bathroom at closing time. Follow these instructions: go online and pick out new upholstery. Order it. Re-upholster said chair or couch. Your comfort is saved and all it took was a little gumption.
Of course I saved the best idea for last. Take a few weeks and re-upholster every piece of furniture in your house. Afterward, rearrange it all. Then shut off all the lights, lock the windows, draw the shades and leave for the weekend. Go visit a National Park, head to a part of the city you never go to, have an adventure. When you return, the site of your newly decorated place will send you into shock. After recovering at the hospital and returning home, you'll enjoy the new set-up. It'll feel like a new place all together.
Upholstery fabric changes things. Fix that rut in your life by sprucing up anything in your house. The result will fill you with joy for years to come and if doesn't, simply re-upholster it again.
Decided to grab some upholstery fabric for a weekend project? Head over to DIY Upholster Supply for fabrics, foam and furniture legs for your next upholstery repair.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Cruse
Significant others make or break lives. Well, if yours has recently broken your life consider reupholstery. Take all that furniture that reminds of you of him or her and rip it to shreds. Leave nothing but the bare bones of its frame. Expose its nakedness to the world. And then, like a deranged plastic surgeon, recreate it in any style you see fit. Combine patterns, merge colors, it's your furniture do whatever you want to it. When you're finished, the memories will fade as you sit comfortably on your brand new, memory expunged, couch or whatever you have sitting around that house of yours.
Do you have a favorite chair or a part of the couch that you gravitate toward? Duh, yes. Well, no doubt you've spilled a soda or ice cream on it. You've flipped the cushion so many times that either side resembles a bar bathroom at closing time. Follow these instructions: go online and pick out new upholstery. Order it. Re-upholster said chair or couch. Your comfort is saved and all it took was a little gumption.
Of course I saved the best idea for last. Take a few weeks and re-upholster every piece of furniture in your house. Afterward, rearrange it all. Then shut off all the lights, lock the windows, draw the shades and leave for the weekend. Go visit a National Park, head to a part of the city you never go to, have an adventure. When you return, the site of your newly decorated place will send you into shock. After recovering at the hospital and returning home, you'll enjoy the new set-up. It'll feel like a new place all together.
Upholstery fabric changes things. Fix that rut in your life by sprucing up anything in your house. The result will fill you with joy for years to come and if doesn't, simply re-upholster it again.
Decided to grab some upholstery fabric for a weekend project? Head over to DIY Upholster Supply for fabrics, foam and furniture legs for your next upholstery repair.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Cruse
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