[Guest Post] Things to Know Before Buying a Rug

Tweet

It’s summer time and there’s a new feel in the air. You want to get rid of your old dusty rugs and get the fresh feeling of a new one. Do you just go out and buy one, then? NO. There are a number of factors to consider other than style when it comes to choosing rugs—remember, this is a long term decision. Luckily, I am here to guide on your path to a smart rug purchase.

Color

Yes, you guessed it; the most important aspect to a rug is color. Remember that your rug will take up the majority of your room, so choose colors wisely. Coordinate it with the walls, furniture...whatever you think suits best. If you like to redecorate often and change furniture, you may want to invest in a natural neutral color. Rugs you see in-store, catalogues, or online, are usually lighter when installed in your home.

Colors can affect the entire feel of the room.  Think of your favourite color, how would that make you feel if you were surrounded in that?  Color choice is a very personal thing.  Teal means a different thing to me than it does to you, for example.  But of course, color shouldn’t be your only consideration point. Let’s look at other factors.

Padding

Padding is the layer of cushion under the rug. You know that feeling when you step on the rug and it feels like heaven? Well that’s the padding at work, not the rug itself. As you may have already guessed, the padding is a vital decision when purchasing a rug. Good padding not only makes a rug more comfortable, it also increases the lifespan by protecting it from wear and tear as well as protects the floor underneath. Good quality padding will be more expensive, but a good investment in terms of quality for price.

Cost

Cost per square yard or foot is the main component when looking at the price of a rug. But there are many other factors to consider.

1. Furniture – rug installers may charge you for moving furniture in order to actually get the rug installed.
2. Old floor covering – old floor covering needs to be disposed of
3. Product delivery – if not included in the cost per square yard/foot, suppliers will have a separate delivery charge based on the size of your rug
4. Installation – again, if this is not included in the original price, installation is also expressed in square feet
5. Maintenance – maintenance is usually optional but a recommended cost to incur. Warranty may be another factor. 

[Guest Post] The Impact of Over-Heating Your House

Tweet

Definitely not something that we want to think about right now with all of the heat we've been having lately, but this post definitely is an informative one and I thought that it was worth posting now!

In extremely cold weather conditions, heating the house becomes a must. It is essential for survival and creates a warm comfortable environment for us to live in. But over-heating a house can cause a lot of problems in many aspects including financial, health and environmental problems.

Health Problems

The surrounding environment has a direct impact on a person’s health. An over-heated environment is not only detrimental to the health of children but is also very harmful for adults. Too much heat in the house can lead to hyperventilation or over-breathing. Children are very sensitive to changes in temperature. They can suffer from mouth breathing problems in over-heated surroundings. Such environments can also lead to an advancement in chronic diseases and lead to poor health in children.

Heating a house excessively will remove the moisture in the air, which assists in breathing. Breathing in dry air can prove to be hazardous to health as it can lead to many respiratory ailments such as sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, nosebleeds and dehydration. Also, moisture evaporates from the skin, which can cause itchiness in the eyes and skin irritations. Low air moisture can also cause static electricity and can result in mild shock when you come in contact with metal.

Financial Problems

Energy resources are depleting at a fast pace and their prices are constantly on the rise.  Using the heater excessively in your house can result in exorbitant energy bills. You should, therefore, use your heaters moderately so as not to waste energy resources as well as keep you energy bills low. Also, using heaters a lot can cause them to heat up and break down. The cost of getting the heater repaired is very high and may force you to exceed your monthly budget.

Environment Problems

The environmental also bears the brunt of heaters that run in houses. Firstly, it creates unnecessary noise pollution. Moreover, heaters also cause air pollution by giving off hazardous gases and fumes.

Many heaters just give off hot air into the room but fail to evenly distribute it in the surroundings. Such uneven distribution of heat can cause one area of the room to become extremely hot. The other equipments in the house can also malfunction due to over-heating. Too much heat can cause the mechanism of other equipment in the room to breakdown.

Therefore, it is preferable to turn your thermostat down to a level which provides sufficient heat. Keep your house insulated so that there is less heat loss when you shut the heater and the heat lasts longer in your home. Furthermore, getting an automatic heater is a good choice as it shuts itself off when the room is sufficiently heated and turns itself back on when the temperature drops a little.

Allan loves blogging about energy saving and environmental issues. Over the last 3 years, he has reviewed appliances at OO and published numerous articles on various blogs and websites.

New Sale at Mercer Floor and Home!

Tweet

 

If you're looking to updated the carpet in your home, now is the time!  Only at Mercers save 50% on ALL styles of Relax it's Lee's carpet - the best synthetic carpet available with...

• a 25 year no exclusions stain warranty!
• a25 year texture retention warranty that includes stairs and hallways!

Truly a no worries carpet.  And with hundreds of design options, we're sure to find something for your style!  Stop by either of our showrooms to learn more!

Plus, with any orders including Relax it's Lee's carpet, Mercers can offer 36 Month No Interest Financing!  And every other floor in the store is at least 25% off!

But hurry, because this sale ends at 6pm on Labor Day 2012!

Come test the stain resistance of Lee's carpet at the Spill Bar at Mercer Floor and Home.  Try acidic coffee, high dye orange soda, and even red wine...with only tap water, see as these stains are removed from white carpet!

Remember to ask for me and I will thank you with a free gift with your next new floor!

[Guest Post] Key Elements to Create a Cozy Living Room

Tweet

After a long and hard day at work, there is nothing that people want to do more but relax, kick back and enjoy their time at home. However, if your retreat isn't cozy, you might not be able to relax in the end. Fortunately, whether you need to spruce up your living room or give it a complete overhaul, these key elements will help you create an area that you are sure to love.

1. Effective Seating Arrangements

Before anything else, you have to make sure that the seating arrangements in your living room are effective. Ask yourself: are you able to talk to other people around the room without yelling?

Unless the room is very small, you should really avoid putting your seats along the walls. Instead, you should pull your ottomans, couches and chairs towards the middle of the room, so that the arrangement becomes more conversation friendly.

Ideally, you should have a focal point that will guide the placement of the rest of the furniture, as well, and then add a carpet for visual boundary if possible. Don't worry if you don't get things right the first time, though. Just keep experimenting until you get the perfect arrangement for you.

2. Ample Space

You also need to have ample space to move around the room. If you need to squeeze your way between furniture, then make some changes and try to create a space that is more flexible instead.  Certified interior designers strive for walkways that are at least 2½ feet wide.

3. Layered Lighting

Lighting should never be forgotten when creating a cozy living room space. A lot of home decorators tend to overlook this, but lighting can actually completely change the look of a room. So, if you want your room to be more comfortable and warm, try to layer your lighting somehow.

Try starting with a ceiling fixture that looks good with your current home decor. Then, get some decorative lamps to lighten up the darker corners of the room and use several spotlights to highlight your artwork and decorative items. Lastly, add several decorative candles to give your room that perfect glow.

There are different types of lighting to take into consideration: ambient, task, and standard.  Look at how you use the different areas in your living room to decide on how much of each type you need.  And don’t forget to take into account natural lighting!

4. Accessories

A fragile and formal space is never considered to be cozy, so try to make your living room feel more lived in. Add some family photos to the room and fill up your shelves with your favorite books, for example. Accessorize with special objects that will keep you and your design scheme happy, as well.

5. The Utmost: Comfort

Lastly, never skimp on comfort. Choose chairs and couches the way that Goldilocks would and base the area on floor cushions, poufs, chaise lounges and ottomans. Add some throw pillows and regular pillows, too. This will ensure that you successfully create a cozy place where you can watch movies, read good books and take long naps in. Enjoy!

Allan has a passion for interior design and loves blogging on the topic. Allan works for a rugs online store, but spends a lot of time blogging in his spare time. In the next few months, Allan plans on setting up his own interior design website.

[Guest Post] Home Security Tips For Your New Home

Tweet

The vast majority of home burglaries do not involve well-planned out strategies or professional thieves, but rather are targets of opportunity.  An unlocked door, an open window, or an expensive possession left outside for too long are all the difference between a burglary and a house passed over.  

There are several simple home security guidelines that can keep your property and loved ones safe, as very few thieves will risk breaking into a house that is sealed up well and protected from intrusion.  A home security company like Lifeshield can be an excellent step towards preventing burglary, as a sign outside a home that proclaims it is under alarm may be enough to deter potential thieves. 

Start any home security plan by thinking about how you would break into your own house.  The average burglary is simply a crime of opportunity, and the average burglar has no more experience breaking into a home than you do.  As such, you will be able to find any weak points that a burglar could exploit.  If you have a security system, determine whether it covers all the entry points. 

It should go without saying that you should always lock up a home, but it must be emphasized due to the number of burglaries that occur simply because a door or window was left unlocked.  Even if you only plan to go around the corner, do not give anyone an opportunity to enter your property.  Whenever you move into a new house, change all the locks and get new keys immediately -- while the previous owner may not be a thief, the presence of a set of keys may prove too much of a temptation for them or their friends and family to overcome.  If you happen to lose your keys, change the locks the very same day.

If you plan to use an alarm system, make sure that the wires are not open and in sight.  Disconnecting a system is not difficult, especially if they have tools needed to cut electrical wires.  

A house that is occupied, furthermore, is not an attractive target for a robbery.  Even when you leave your home, you can keep lights on a timer or have a television on to project the illusion of occupation.  If you have professionals cleaning your home or carpets, check that their business has good testimonials.

The locks on a door are only meant to stop a person from entering without a key.  They are not designed to stop brute force attacks or tools that can spring the latch within the lock.  A deadbolt lock is more effective at stopping a person from kicking down a door, as well as using a tool (like a credit card) to force the latch within the lock.  A home robber would have to use a hacksaw or bolt cutters to break through a deadbolt, making it impossible for a person with nothing in their hands to get through.

[Industry Spy] Acacia Hardwood Flooring

Tweet

Exotic, or foreign, hardwood species have long been popular in the flooring industry especially the classic Brazilian Cherry (the marketing term for Jatoba).  But the Lacey Act has made acquiring these species legally difficult and pricey.  And for good reason, the exotics our industry is used to come from South America, which isn't an area strong in tree farms and other forms of sustainable forestry, putting the world's largest rain forests at risk.

Brazilian Cherry - Jatoba

But for those who love the look of exotic hardwoods, there is hope.  Hardwoods from other countries give you similar looks at a much better price point plus they're much more easily Lacey Act compliant.  Why?  Because there is a much stronger tree farming and sustainable forestry system set up in those nations, protecting our Earth's forests.

So far the species that has infiltrated our market the most is the stunning Acacia from Australia.   

Acacia tree

Acacia - Natural

 The Acacia hardwood has a beautiful variation in its natural color with blonds, golds, and chocolate browns.  The grain has a large swooping pattern and has a similar effect to Tigerwood but with a gentler curve to the grain.  And when a stain is used the grain evens out.  This is a hardwood you can dress up as well as dress down very easily.

Acacia is also a very dense hardwood so with a good finish this will be a very durable hardwood.  Plus, it is actually one of my personal favorites.  For those who love the look of hardwood and want a classy richness, this is wonderful hardwood to consider.