http://www.sitemy.com/articles/articles_home_improvement.html Need some fresh ideas for the home? Check out our latest home improvement articles. en-us livesupport@superiorincome.com livesupport@superiorincome.com Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:02:16 -0500 SiteMY.com - RSSBIN http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.sitemy.com/logo.gif http://www.sitemy.com/articles/articles_home_improvement.html http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19218.html Make Space Clear out excess furniture and accessories from the interior of your home as much as possible. If a piece of furniture is too big for the room, or is crowding the room, put it in storage, have a garage sale, or give it to a deserving charity. This also goes for decorations, oversized stuffed animals, and other items that you may have collected over the years. Anything that takes up space should be considered, and if it’s not necessary, you’ll want to clear it out. Nothing is more effective at opening up a house than getting rid of clutter. It will look immeasurably more spacious without all of your extra things in the way. Go through your house and clear off all of the horizontal surfaces, kitchen count... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19218.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:21 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19216.html When buying luxury baby bedding, perhaps first decide what style and fabric you like best. When you decide what luxury baby bedding you want, mix and match colors and patterns on your babys bed. Different flower fabrics mix well with solid or stripe materials, for example, but keep them all in the same color family. Be sure and consider which fiber is best for your baby bedding. You should be able to find and choose from the following materials when shopping for bedding: • Cotton - percale, sateen, flannel or organdy. Cotton is a natural fiber that breathes well, and it tends to be durable, easy to machine wash and to dry. • Linen - linen, damask or venise. Dry-clean this natural fiber to avoid excessive shrinkage. It is a... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19216.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:20 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19217.html Flood insurance is not included in basic home owner's insurance! Interestingly enough, one of the worst natural disasters that could possibly affect your home is not included under most normal home owner's insurance policies. As a result, flood insurance is one of the most important pieces of extra insurance that you could possibly get for your home. If you are worried that you might possibly live within range of some sort of flooding, then you should make sure that you get flood insurance as soon as possible. It doesn't matter if you have never had any floods during your time living where you are - it's always possible to have too much rainfall and for the flooding to reach record levels. Of course, however, if you live high o... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19217.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:20 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19214.html A greenhouse has the potential to provide many benefits for the average flower-lover. However, if they are not built in the appropriate location the results can be detrimental. That said, before you build a greenhouse, it is important to consider all aspects in order to ensure you receive the best results possible. If you are thinking of building a greenhouse, but are unsure of factors which can affect the outcome, read the information below which will inform you on everything you need to know before you start building. Consider the following factors when determining where you are going to build your greenhouse: 1. Light – Everyone knows that plants need light to grow and sunlight is even more crucial for greenhouses because t... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19214.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:19 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19215.html Greenhouses provide a warm, humid atmosphere and are home to a variety of different plants and flowers which is why they are a perfect target for insects. There are numerous types of insects which will want to live in your greenhouse and feed off of the wonderful plants and flowers which you have put so much time and effort into maintaining. The information below will provide you with tips and guidelines to follow in order to ensure you are doing everything in your power to ward off any unwanted pests. The first step in learning how to prevent and eliminate insects from entering into your greenhouse is to understand and become familiar with the types of insects which are likely to reside there. The following is a list of the most ... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19215.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:19 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19213.html Small cabin plans - how do you find that special log cabin plan that is just right for you? Before the internet, you would buy some cabin plans books and look through the plans to see if any appealed to you. If you found one, you could order the log cabin plan you wanted by telephone or mail. Eventually, your plans would show up. And you can still get cabin plans this way if you like. Fast-forward to today and the internet. Here is how to use the speed and power of your PC to find small cabin plans or anything else online. Search online by putting quotation marks around your search terms so you will get the best results, like "small cabin plans" or "log cabin plan" and so on. When you arrive at a plans site, it is important to see ... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19213.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:18 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19211.html Choosing the right bulbs involves more than just selecting colors and cultivars. Timing, bulb size, and most importantly, bulb health are equally significant factors in designing your spring garden. Before purchasing any bulbs, know the differences in bulb types. Along with true bulbs, several types of flowers, sold as bulbs, grow from the underground stem growth of rhizomes, tubers, and corms. True bulbs are rounded, self-sufficient, underground storage organs. True bulbs are an incubator for a flower bud embryo already inside. Many perennial flowers grow from tubers, which are flat underground stems that store food and plant energy. Corms are thick underground stems that produce the new roots, leaves and flowers of ... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19211.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:17 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19212.html As a way of relaxing, more and more people are adding a hot tub to their home. Not only are hot tubs relaxing but they also offer tremendous benefit for people of all ages. Today, the number of sales for hot tubs has skyrocketed. Made from redwood, cedar, and teak, hot tubs are attractive and designed to accommodate two to twelve people. In addition, you can choose from a stand-alone unit or one that can be moved from home to home. The following are five of the top reasons why you might consider a hot tub! Relaxation The number one reason people choose to install a hot tub is for the benefit of relaxation. In today’s society, people rush around more and faster than any other time in history. There are deadlines to meet at wor... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19212.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:17 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19209.html Most people like you love to keep everything in its place. They like also to clean up every room of the house often. However, it can take some hours to get everything in the correct place, specially if you don’t have a kind of storage organization guide. Everyone knows that getting organized is either a small or a huge battle. It depends on how thoroughly you clean and organize your stuff. Closet organizers are definitely the storage space that will make your life easier. You can increase the current storage space as much as you want. There are many options to achieve either a double or triple space, depending on how organized you are and the available space to work with. Try to make the most of available dimensions and existing storag... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19209.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:16 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19210.html Most gardeners and landscapers will agree almost unanimously that the single best thing you can do for your lawn is to add compost. Good, organic compost can remedy almost any problem you have with your soil. If you soil is too acidic, adding compost will help neutralize it and bring it back to a proper pH level. If your soil is too alkaline, ditto! Adding compost will help balance the alkalinity in the soil. If you live in an area with a lot of heavy clay, adding compost will help loosen and aerate the soil. If you live in a coastal or southern area with a lot of sand, adding compost will help bind it together. Soil lacking nutrients? Add compost to add new life to overworked soil. So how do you make compost? It’s easier than you ... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19210.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:16 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19208.html Part four in a series It’s hard to think about winter when our gardens are in full bloom and the vegetables are ripening on the vine! But we must keep winter in mind when we are planning our landscape. Afterall, we have to look at our landscape all year long, including winter. (Unless, of course, you are fortunate enough to be able to move to warmer climates in the winter or live in a climate that is tropical all year long!) But for most of us, we have to contend with four seasons and the life cycle of our landscape. So when you are planning your landscape, keep in mind this life cycle of the plants you choose to add to your landscape design. Some plants, like flowering trees and shrubs look their best in Spring, others reach t... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19208.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:15 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19206.html There is a lot of concern about herbicides and what they are doing to our environment. Large amounts of chemicals leech into our groundwater polluting our water supply. Cancers and strange diseases with no apparent cause are being linked to chemicals and pollutants in our environment. So how do we control all those pesky weeds in our perfectly manicured landscapes? I will outline several different ways to eradicate weeds without polluting our environment. The first and probably the simplest of all, is to roll up your sleeves, get down on your knees, and pull the weeds out! I know this seems counterintuitive in an age when we are accustomed to instantaneous and easy ways of doing things. When all we have to do is spray some highly-t... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19206.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:14 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19207.html Part Two in a Series Once you have your landscape design on paper, now it’s time to transfer it to the actual location where you will be planting your plants. You will need a couple of tools in order to accomplish this. First it’s handy to have a long tape measure. For example a 50 foot or 100 foot tape measure is a lot easier to use an 8 foot or 16 foot one. You will be able to easier layout your landscape with a longer tape measure. You might also need some wooden stakes, some string, an old garden hose, and some marker paint. If your landscape design calls for a regularly repeating pattern, or a very rigid formal grid structure, you’ll want to use stakes and string. Start by finding a fixed point on your design and take all ... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19207.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:14 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19204.html When redecorating a room, don’t forget about your lighting. While it may seem that you will have to purchase all new lamps for your new décor, sometimes all you need is a new lampshade. Replacing a lampshade is a lot cheaper than purchasing a whole new lamp. I find it is easier to wait until your major room components are in place before selecting new lampshades. Let the theme of your new room eveolve, then select lamp shades that either compliment or contrast with your theme. For example, a wild safari room with a zebra rug on the floor, might be well-served by a simple solid-color lamp shade to help offset the boldness of the rug. However, in a less wild décor, such as a simple, clean, contemporary design, a bold lampshade would ... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19204.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:13 -0400 http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19205.html When redecorating your room, you may be faced with looking for new lampshades (or perhaps a lampshade you currently have has gotten damaged). So why not make your own! If your lamp currently has a lampshade on it, half of the battle is already won! You have a base to start building your new shade. When selecting a material for your new shade, you can use paper, fabrics, plastic, or any heat-resistant material. Do keep in mind though, that the surface of a 100-watt light bulb can reach over 200 degrees and could cause a fire hazard. Make sure the material you choose for a lampshade is either far enough from the light bulb, or is fire-resistant. Next, have fun! Take a trip to your local craft store or fabric store and get some id... http://www.sitemy.com/articles/article_19205.html Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:57:13 -0400