Exploring Various Wood Options for Home Furniture

Wood is the most widely used home furniture material. Nothing compares to the classic and contemporary elegance of natural wood. The smell of wood refreshes the mind; this is why wood is the favorite material for indoor and outdoor furniture. The type of wood used in the furniture largely affects the style, strength and life of the furniture. In most of the cases people are not aware of what type of wood is best for their home or what type of wood the manufacturer has used. Even if you know about the type of wood used, still you have no idea about the quality of that wood.

So, let’s have a look at the various types of wood used in home furniture by carpenters:

• Teak and Rosewood

Teak wood is a world famous wood used in furniture making. These two woods are hard woods and durable. They are used to make beds, dining tables, sofas, dressing tables, study tables, cup boards, etc. These two varieties are trusted by most of the people for making furniture. The fine grains of teak wood are a delight to the eyes.

• Sheesham

Sheesham wood is the top choice for furniture. It is a hard wood and is generally costly. Rich people prefer this wood over others. This wood does not have any stain. This wood is extremely durable, lasts long. Walnut wood and mahogany wood come close to sheesham wood.

• Aspen

Aspen is pale in color but strong. It is soft to touch and does not catch fire easily.

• Hickory

Hickory is also a very important wood due to its shock resistant property. For this reason, hickory is widely used in tool handles.

• Pine

Pine is a great option for flooring. It is light in color.

• Mango

Mango wood is an inexpensive option but it does its work finely. It is hard and gives a tough competition to the likes of teak and sheesham. Most of the furniture can be made using mango wood.

• Acacia

Acacia wood is suitable for furniture like that of palaces and classic style.

• Cedar

Cedar comes in many colors like light yellow. Cedar is anti bug and insect resistant wood. For this reason, cedar is used in shelves and cupboards.

Different types of wood have different advantages and disadvantages. Also different wood finishing give different looks on the same wood. Wood furniture is a great addition to one’s home, but frequent maintenance increases the life of your furniture and also keeps the shine of your furniture intact. Carpentry services from Advantage Handyman constructs high quality wooden furniture for your home at reasonable prices.

Hiring a Pressure Washing Company: What to Look For

Home improvement needs proper maintenance of home. Proper maintenance needs good washing. Pressure washing is a great method to wash the outside of your house. Power washing is very useful for industrial as well as residential purpose. It is much more effective than normal cleaning methods.

Normally you can this power washing job by yourself by buying a power washing equipment from the market. Or in other case, you can also hire one from others. But before using that, you have to read the instructions carefully. However, hiring a professional pressure washing company for cleaning your home is the best option for you because they are pro in this field. You have to look for some points while hiring a power washing company.

Power washing does not require any professional training. It just needs to buy the required equipments and start your power washing business right away. Anybody can start this business. It’s so easy. There is nothing new to learn or know in this. But washing companies, who start their business, face a big problem. Their newly recruited washing men might damage properties or might not wash properly. Gradually as time pass by, they would learn the things properly and do a good job professionally.

There are many important points that you should consider before going to hire a professional power washing company. Some of these are:

• You should see what is the experience of the washing company is. How much time they have been in this business can tell you what level of performance they can give you.

• The insurance of the company is of vital importance. If the company is insured, they will pay for any damages that they do to your property. Else, you have to pay from your own pocket.

• Some associations are present in US which give certifications to pressure washing companies. These are UAMCC and PWNA. These associations also train the people how to do the work properly.

• There are various sections of pressure washing job like graffiti cleaning, roof cleaning and concrete cleaning. You should hire that company which is expert in that particular work. You can also look at the reviews of these companies.

Advantage Handyman services have many years of experience in pressure and power washing. We give hot water pressure washing services. We ensure spic n span home exterior washing. Hire us, and we will not let you down.

Latest kitchen counter designs: How to learn

Counter top design is one of the most important aspects of kitchen design. The type of counter you use is very important for a kitchen. With advancement is home designing, many new kitchen counter designs have come to the market. A magazine is a very useful tool to find out the latest kitchen counter designs. A kitchen counter design can greatly improve the look of your kitchen. If you use tiles for your counter, then it will look cheap and will be difficult to clean. But marble and granites are the best option. Especially granite is the better choice since it is colored and will look less dirty after usage. Your counter should also complement the cabinet design as well.

When someone visits your kitchen, the first thing that attracts him is the kitchen counter. The kitchen counter design and color should be so attractive that it makes you feel good. You should ensure that the cabinet should have the same pattern as the cabinets and flooring. If your kitchen cabinets, flooring and walls have traditional style, then your counter design should not be of modern design. You can go and visit different local furniture stores and see different kitchen counter top designs.

In designing a kitchen, you should give special emphasis to counter design since it plays the most important role in increasing the beauty of the kitchen. Many materials and many colors are there to design your kitchen counter. If you are not able to know how to design your kitchen counter which will look the best, then leave it to the experts. Leave it on us. We are Advantage Handyman services. Call us on 1.434.817.7222 today.

What Makes High Gloss Interior Paint a Good Choice for Your Home

An interior paint job can transform your living environment within a short span of time. But you have to consider several factors to make the paint job innovative and durable. Along with deciding the best interior painting services and color, you also need to choose the right interior paint for your home. As the interior paints are available with varying finishes, you have to compare the sheen, gloss and texture of each brand of paint. Also, you can opt for high gloss paint to avail a number of benefits.

4 Distinct Benefits of High Gloss Paints

1) Greater Sheen

The luster of the surface is determined by the sheen of the paint. The ability to reflect light makes high gloss paint an effective for home interiors. The sheen and high gloss of the paint can constantly draw the attention to the surface covered using the paint. Further, the paint can be used on decorative moldings as well as on the trim around doors and windows. However, the high gloss often fails to hide the imperfections on the surface. So the surface must be prepared properly before starting the paintjob.

2) Durable

The high gloss paint is considered to be more durable than other paints. The frequently handled surfaces require a hard finish that can be provided only by dry high gloss paint. At the same time, the paint is also effective in holding up on doors, cabinets and trims. The kitchen, bathroom, entry areas and other parts of your home that take constant abuse can be covered using high gloss paint.

3) Waterproof

In addition to being durable, the high gloss paint is also waterproof. Unlike the less glossy paints, the high gloss paint does not absorb oil or dirt. Further, you can simply use a damp cloth to clean the surface covered with the paint. The effectiveness of the paint in resisting humidity, also make it the best option to cover your bathroom doors, trims and cabinets. The easy-to-clean feature of the paint also makes it suitable for covering the surfaces that are used and abused frequently.

4) Decorative

You can further use the high gloss paint as a decorative tool to avail its reflective quality. If a room receives adequate natural light, the high gloss paint will have a glassy or mirror-like appearance. It is also a good idea to combine different high gloss paints to make the surface more stylish and appealing. 

It is also a good idea to choose the high gloss paint according to the recommendation of the interior painting service provider. The consultants will help you in choosing the right interior paint with the required level of sheen and gloss.

Exploring Different Ways to Keep Rainwater Out of Your Screened Porch

In addition enhancing your home’s aesthetic appeal, the screen porches can provide you a comfortable and usable living space without investing a lot of money. During hot summer months, your family members will love to hang out in the cool and shaded area without any hassle. But you have to look for effective ways to prevent damages caused to the items placed on these screen porches during heavy rain. You can further make the screen porches more durable by keeping water out of these during the rainy season.

Different Ways to Keep Water Out of Your Screened Porch

Storm Windows: You can find a variety of storm windows at the local home improvement stores. You have option to clip the storm windows onto the existing exterior screen porch windows on a permanent or temporary basis. If you install the storm windows permanently, these need to be closed during heavy rain. Also, you can clip the storm windows onto the existing exterior screen porch windows during rainy weather to keep the water out of your porch. Despite being a bit expensive, the storm windows can effectively keep rain water out of your screened porch.

Specially Designed Eaves: You can prevent the rainwater falling vertically from entering into the screened porch by installing eaves or overhangs. However, you must choose the plastic or metal eaves that are designed specifically to prevent rainwater. You also have option to choose the stationary or retractable eves. The retractable eaves can be rolled out to prevent rainwater from entering into the screened porch. Despite being cost-effective, these eaves are not effective in protecting your porch during extreme weather conditions, hurricanes or heavy wind.

Plastic Sheets: Instead of investing additionally in eaves and storm windows, you can consider placing plastic sheets to protect the screened porch effectively from rainwater. You have option to choose the specially designed plastic kits. Also, you can buy the plastic sheets can be easily measured and cut according to the size and design of the porch windows. Once you adjust the sheet to fit porch windows, these can be attached using a stapler or shrunk using a hair dryer. Despite being inexpensive and hassle-free, the plastic sheet may adversely affect the aesthetic appeal of your porch.

Floor Drains: It is also a good idea to protect the screened porch from rainwater by placing floor drains inside the porch. These drains can be attached to the hole cut into the floor of the screen porch. After being attached to the hole, the drain will effectively divert the water from the floor to lawn. However, you cannot use the floor drains to keep water out of the porch effectively. These drains can be placed as an additional option to prevent damages to the porch by removing the water entering into it during rain.

While constructing screen porches, you must consider several factors to keep water out of these effectively. For instance, if the screened porch is being constructed on a concrete patio slab, you must ensure that the center of the slab crowns slightly. The crowned slab will prevent the water from pooling without putting any extra effort.

4 Simple Steps to Clean Your Screen Porches

You have several options to expand your existing living space. But none of these options except screen porches adds great outdoor space to your home without investing a lot of money. You can further choose from several types of screen porches according to your specific needs. Along with providing respite from hot sun and frequent thunderstorms, the screen porches will further keep the mosquitoes, bugs and pests away.

But the porch screens will be filled with dust and pollen due to constant exposure to harsh weather elements. The dust and pollen can further affect the comfortable outdoor space by causing allergy problems. So the porch screen must be cleaned regularly to keep the outdoor space comfortable. You can use a set of simple items to clean the porch screens without putting any extra effort.

Steps to Clean the Porch Screens

1) Weaken the Dust and Pollen

The dust and pollen must be removes from the porch using a vacuum. The initial vacuuming off of dust and pollen will make it easier for you to scrub the area properly. Also, you can consider using the hose attached to the vacuum to weaken the dust and pollen more effectively.

2) Scrub the Porch Screens

After vacuuming the dust and pollen off the porch, you have to prepare a washing solution by combining a bucket of warm water and one teaspoon of dish soap. Now dip a scrub brush in the bucket, and use it to scrub the porch screens lightly. You must remember that scrubbing too hard may stretch the porch screen. So you must be careful and scrub the porch screens lightly.

3) Rinse the Screens

Once you scrub the porch using the scrub brush, these needs to be rinsed by squirting water through the screens. You can squirt water through the screens by using a squirt bottle. Alternately, you can also use the garden hose to squirt water through the porch screens.

4) Prevent Mold

You have to use a pump sprayer additionally to prevent mold. Start by filling the pump with one cup of bleach and water. Now spar the washing solution from inside out without soaking the porch. However bleach is tend to stain clothing. So you must wear irrelevant or useless clothing while working with the bleach. 

Instead of the pump sprayer, you have option to use a power washer to clean the porch screen. But the washer must be positioned from the inside of the porch to outside to prevent the porch from getting soaked.

Understanding the Most Effective Way to Apply Paint Primer

The right paint job can completely transform your living environment. The look and feel of a home can also be optimized by adding color. You also have option to hire professional exterior painting services to make your home look extraordinary. But you must remember that the paint always looks better in the can. So you have to choose and apply paint primer to make the paint look perfect on the walls.

How to Apply Paint Primer

Measure the Surface: You must consider several factors to decide the amount and type of primer. Along with measuring the square footage of surface that needs to be covered, you also need to identify the paint material. The minimum square footage of the area to be painted can be determined by measuring the length and height of the wall, and then dividing the figure by 12.

Decide the Amount of Primer: The amount of primer required for the painting project will vary according to the square footage and specific characteristics of the surface. If the surface is smooth, you will require about a gallon of primer for each 350 sq/ft. On the other hand, one gallon of primer can cover only 250 square feet of a rough textured wall. Also, you need to consider the current as well as new color. If you are planning to apply a lighter color to cover surfaces already painted with a dark color, additional layers of the primer must be applied.

Prepare the Surface: The surface or wall must be prepared properly before applying the primer. You must wash the surface thoroughly using a solution made of warm water and dish soap. Use a rag to wipe the surface thoroughly, and then allow the wall to dry completely.

Apply Primer: The primer must be applied to cover the entire surface. It is also important to apply the primer in even and long strokes. After applying the first coat of primer, you must allow over one hour to let it stand before applying the paint. You can further read the manufacturer’s directions to understand the best way to apply the paint primer.

Sand the Surface Lightly: Once the primer has dried, you have to smooth the surface out by sanding the surface lightly. The sanding will further provide a strong bonding agent to the primer. You can simply pick a fine grade of sandpaper, and rub it lightly over the primer, before applying the initial coat of paint.

As you have option to choose from a variety of paint primers, it becomes essential to pick the best primer according to your requirements and budget. Along with providing a smoother finish, a good quality paint primer will further allow the paint to bond and stick to the surface better.