Outdoor patio heaters may be a luxury that you have only seen at restaurants and other commercial places. But these days, outdoor patio heaters are showing up more and more often at people’s homes. And why should they not?

When you have an outdoor patio heater, you can continue to enjoy the great outdoors (of your backyard) through not just summer, but spring and fall, too. When you have an outdoor patio heater, you can have outdoor parties and BBQs practically all year round!

So, perhaps you have already decided to buy a one, and you really do not need any extra convincing. In that case, let us get directly to what you should be looking for:

· An electric starter. Most outdoor patio heaters come with electric starters these days, anyhow. Nonetheless, just be sure that yours does as well. It is much safer to use an electric starter than to have to deal with matches and a pilot light.

· Speaking of safety, also be sure that your outdoor patio heater has an automatic emergency shut off, as well. This will ensure that your heater turns off automatically if it is accidentally overturned, etc.

· You must decide whether or not you want a table-top heater, a wall-mounted heater, or a free-standing heater. The benefit of a table-top heater is that it is small enough to transport with ease. Also, although it does not produce as much heat as a standing outdoor patio heater, it produces enough to keep those warm who are sitting around it.

· You must also decide how much heat you want your heater to produce. An outdoor patio heater generally can produce heat up to 20’ in diameter… of course, these heaters are going to be more expensive than less “hot” ones, and you may very well be just fine with one that has a heating range of 10’.

· Most outdoor patio heaters come in stainless steel, but it is also possible to find them with an antique copper finish or painted black, etc.
· Most outdoor patio heaters take propane or natural gas. Consider which is best for you.

· Also, if you are spending any kind of money on a outdoor patio heater, you might as well fork over a few extra bucks to get a cover to protect it!

Good luck in your search for a great outdoor patio heater. You will more than certainly appreciate the option of staying out-of-doors for longer that a heater will give you.

If you’re planning on building a wood deck yourself, one of the important considerations is the degree of difficulty in working with the lumber chosen. Not only do you want the lumber to be relatively easy to cut with normal hand or power tools, but you need to consider if splitting may easily occur when nailing, how easy it is to drive nails into the wood, and how easy it is to obtain a smooth finish on the surface of the decking.

The surface finish of course is taken care of by the lumber mill. But even with the best mills, for some exceptionally hard species you may notice machining marks remaining on the surface or a surface roughness due to lifting of the grain whilst machining.

Cutting
Most durable hardwood species are both dense and hard and should ideally be cut with a carbide tipped saw. For softwood species, a handsaw can be quite OK, but even in this case, a carbide tipped saw makes the job a lot easier and quicker.
With some hardwood species such as Teak and Turpentine, rapid blunting of cutting edges can occur due to the presence of a higher than normal level of silica. Ipe is another species which can cause blunting of cutting edges and care also needs to be taken when working with Ipe due to the fine yellow dust produced when sawing or drilling, as it has been known to cause dermatitis with some workers exposed to the dust.

Nailing
Splitting when nailing is a common problem and some species are more prone to splitting than others. For many hardwood species, pre-drilling will be virtually essential, although use of a nail gun can overcome this requirement to some extent. Even with some of the more brittle softwoods and in particular cypress species, care needs be taken when nailing. If nailing close to the end of the decking planks, pre-drilling is always recommended to avoid stress in the timber which may cause to cracks to develop at later stage.

If using nails to fix the planks to bearers and the deck is fully exposed to the weather, standard iron nails should not be used as they will rust. Instead you should use galvanized nails or nails specifically designed for exterior use. Another point to note is that some lumber species can corrode iron fixings or fastenings due to the extractives in the wood. Although this will only occur when the deck is situated in exposed weather conditions, it can speed up the corrosion of standard iron nails and cause them to fail quite rapidly. Western Red Cedar is one such species with extractives that can cause corrosion and some other species which are slightly acidic such as Kempas, can also cause corrosion with standard iron nails.

Drilling
Similar precautions need to be taken against corrosion if using screws rather than nails to fix the planks to the bearers. Stainless steel screws are certainly the best option, but plated screws could be considered provided they are recommended for exterior exposure. Remember that as the head of screw is much larger than a nail, rust stains will be more of a problem and can leave unsightly black marks around the screw holes if inappropriate screws are used.

Alternative fixing devices
A number of alternative fixing materials are also available which have the advantage of leaving the surface free of nail holes or screw holes. These systems generally rely on a fastening device which is driven into the side of the planks and attached to the bearers below. The only obvious drawback of this system is that replacing a single plank if damaged or decayed in any way can only be achieved by nailing or screwing the replacement plank back in place in the conventional manner.

Alternative wood decking materials
If you don’t want to build a deck yourself but just wish to cover an old patio with solid wood decking, another quick and convenient option is to use wood decking tiles. These tiles just click into place on top of an existing deck or patio and eliminate the need for cutting, drilling and nailing. You may need to cut a few tiles to fit around pipes, posts etc but that’s all. They can also be used to repair an existing wood deck by just placing the tiles over the top of the existing deck.

The Deck Building Ledger holds all the secrets to successful deck construction because it is the essential piece of wood that connects your deck to your home and from which all other measurements are taken.

Choose the piece of lumber for your ledger carefully, hold it up and look down the side of the wood to check for irregularities like warping and twisting.

Choosing your Lumber

The ideal deck building ledger should be free of ingrown knots and flaws, or at least only have very small knots.

The best flat board to pick out for the prestigious job of becoming a ledger is a vertical grain board – this is the wood which comes from the center of the tree and will show the center circles.

Boards with an arc grain, known as a flat grain board, are from the outer sides of the tree and are more prone to warping or cupping over time.

If you are building a top quality deck made out of only redwood or cedar then this doesn’t apply to you, but otherwise, please make sure that you are only using pressure treated lumber.

Many people who opt for a more expensive option in lumber still use regular pressure treated wood for the deck building ledger and the joists because these are parts of the support of a deck that will NOT be visible.

If this is the case, do remember to use the Redwood or Cedar for the Outer Joists and End Beam, because although they form part of the under support frame they are visible when looking back at your deck from the garden.

Once you have selected and separated the best lumber you should have choice pieces for both your ledger and for your beams.

Positioning your Ledger

The first step in building a successful deck is finding the right height at which to secure your deck building ledger.

It is really important that you allow for a couple of inches step down onto your deck from your door, this is to help prevent rain water from running off the deck and into your home.

Remember also, in the final part of construction, your surface decking boards will be secured on top of the side surface of your ledger and joists, so:

• Leave a 1″ — 2″ drop from your door
• Allow for the size of your decking boards – that will be another 2″
• So, measure 3″ — 4″ down from your indoor floor level
• And mark the wall showing the highest point of the ledger

A spirit level and a pencil are your next best friends, you should not try to place a deck building ledger without them.

Measure and mark along the wall, the full horizontal length of exactly where you are going to place your ledger.

Fitting your Deck Building Ledger

If your house is covered in siding you have to cut out the exact size of siding to insert the deck building ledger AND include enough at the sides to also insert the outer joists.

Flashing should be inserted up under the siding and onto the top of the ledger, the join should be closed with sealant.

If your home doesn’t have siding you don’t need to use flashing but you should still use sealant to close any gap between the ledger and the wall.

Galvanised four inch lag screws will secure your ledger into the wall and give you a level and firm foundation to build your deck design onto.

Admire Your Work

You can now stand back and admire the ledger attached to your house — if attached at the right level and perfectly horizontal — you have the beginnings of a great deck design for your home and it all starts with your deck building ledger.

Light has the ability to function both practically and aesthetically. Lighting control systems maximize both the decorative and functional lighting equipment and bring illumination under direct control of the homeowner. Lighting control systems by Vantage and Lutron also feature latent memory capacity, and can operate in unison with home-automated programs that control lighting with timers and sensors. Because ILD employs its home automation team to install lighting control systems and equipment, clients of our firm receive the additional benefit of integrated, multifunctional lighting and design solutions.

Lighting control systems help our clients with long-term, accumulated savings on power costs. Our many years of experience in home automation and control have shown us that clients consistently save approximately 10% per annum on their power bills. Vantage and Lutron lighting systems contain astronomical timers that control both indoor and outdoor lighting power and brightness levels. Lighting control systems can manage motorized window shades and draperies at either preset intervals, or we can program them to respond to user commands via touch pads and remotes. They can also operate on either light or heat sensors, thus intuitively responding to their environment. This sophisticated efficiency works like clockwork, and it preserves equipment life up to 40%. By reducing maintenance calls and costs for our clients, we can provide additional, long-terms savings on unnecessary replacements. Return on investment in lighting control systems is therefore reliable and measurable, and is one of the best financial investments ILD clients can make for themselves.

Living life with full control of one’s choices and maximized command of one’s environment is truly optimal living. Lighting control systems create one-touch command- control over the interior lighting, making it possible for homeowners to adjust lights in any portion of the house through the touch of a button. Lighting control systems can operate with equal efficiency from wall-mounted touch panels and from hand-held units. People getting up in the morning or going to bed at night can adjust lighting in the living room, den, or kitchen without having to leave their bedroom. Homeowners can also enjoy lighting control systems with pre-programmed lighting themes. Many of our systems feature multiple combinations of brightness, color, and shadow that make each individual room look like many different rooms when scenes change. Lighting control systems tie directly into home automation networks and provide excellent background lighting for home theater and stereo systems. Homeowners can either run automated sequences that correspond to musical themes, or they can dim the lights to create theater-like effects within the comforts of their own home. Perhaps most importantly, security lighting control systems work hand and glove with security alarms. In the event of a home invasion, the alarm can flood the property with light and turn the interior lights on and off as a beacon to the police and a panic indicator to intruders.

For twenty-seven years, Illuminations Lighting and Design has helped clients throughout Houston’s most exclusive neighborhoods optimize their lighting experience with the world’s best experience and Texas’s most expert electrical and lighting design specialists. With the right combination of vision, equipment, and creative touch, every corner of the house can be lit to just the right degree, and every major lifestyle choice can be supported and enhanced with lighting themes. Call now at 713-863-1133 for a free consultation that will show you exactly how we can light your personal world today.

To fully understand how to make the most of your home lighting, using the correct indoor light fixtures for the different types of light requirements, (i.e. task lighting, accent and general lighting), it helps to understand the basic types of light being given out by each.

Task lighting is that lighting which allows you to carry out your “tasks” around the house – for example, reading, knitting and playing the piano. All of these tasks require you to concentrate on the work at hand and in order to do this work you need good light. Task lighting is more often than not provided by fluorescent overhead lights and can be supplemented by other lamps, commonly adjustable table lamps which the worker can adjust to a more suitable angle. Adjustable lamps can be desk lamps, as well as floor lamps, or other portable lights that can be clipped onto shelves or other surfaces.

Accent Lighting is lighting that is used to focus on an art object such as a painting or a sculpture, or any other object that you want to highlight. Perhaps even to highlight a coffee table or a certain corner of a room. Picture lights for example, can be used to highlight a painting. A hanging pendant or a table lamp can be used to highlight a small table. Sometimes it can prove difficult to obtain the exact effect you are after because lamps have different sizes of beams and trying to make the beam fit the
object is not always easy. Low voltage lights or spotlights are other good ways of using lighting to highlight objects.

As well as having lighting pertinent to a particular use or task, the other side of the coin is to look at the types of light being emitted by different light fixtures and to see where this light might be better used. We briefly examine neon, fluorescent and low voltage lighting although there are obviously many other types of lighting available.

Whilst we are more accustomed to seeing neon signs and lighting in malls and streets, neon lighting is becoming more popular for special effects lighting at home. The ability to bend the neon lighting tube into different shapes at will is the principle reason why this type of lighting was so prevalent in the signs and streets for many years. The downside to using this type of lighting fixture is that it uses a high voltage and is quite vulnerable to breakage – hence for this reason it is not recommended to have neon lighting in children’s bedrooms. Whilst neon lighting can be very efficient and cheap to run once
it is installed, the initial cost of buying this type of lighting is relatively expensive.

Fluorescent lighting is a cheap and efficient lighting form. This is because fluorescent light uses about five times less electricity than its incandescent counterparts but still gives the same amount of light. Also, this type of lighting is longer lasting and doesn’t radiate as much heat from the tube.
Fluorescent lighting is a popular choice for task lighting. Low voltage lighting is another popular lighting choice as these lights do not give off a lot of glare and can still be used to provide sufficient light for your surroundings. Also, this type of lighting is cheap and efficient and the low voltage bulbs last a
lot longer than the conventional GLS bulbs. An added bonus is that that low voltage bulbs tend to be quite small, which means they can be tucked away inside small light fittings designed for a variety of purposes.

Outdoor Lighting Provides Security

Statistics report that outdoor lighting is a very effective way to prevent the thieves and burglar away from your home or your business. These statistics report that outdoor lighting will make any criminal very insecure and will deter intruder from entering your property or your home. The last thing these criminals want is for us to recognise them, so by having proper lighting outside of your property is a good way to encourage them to seek another target for their devious deeds. On top of that the lighting required to keep those thieves away does not have to cost a lot of money, in fact with today’s technology you can get access to devices that will save you money and energy.

There is some energy saving device that can be used with your outdoor lighting setup. Some device will turn on and off the outdoor lighting using motion detectors. This means every time there is motion within the range of the sensors the lights will come on. This device alone is very effective to frighten criminals who would try to make their way onto your property. On the other hand there is some energy saving devices that will keep the lights on for a very long time while saving energy. These devices are very effective to save you money and keeping your property and family safe.

Outdoor Lighting creates a Wonderful Atmosphere

On one hand outdoor lighting is great for security and on the other hand it can also add a great atmosphere for you personal or family activities. There is a wide range of beautiful outdoor lighting fixture available for the various areas of your property. Let’s take you swimming pool for example, it’s probably beautiful in the daytime, but outdoor lighting will make it a great place for entertaining and exercise after the suns goes down. On top of that it will make you landscape looks amazing.

Another good point about outdoor lighting is that it provides access to all area of your property at night whether it’s for entertaining friends or just for you. Who doesn’t like to make a good barbecue with friends during a warm summer evening? Having fine fixtures with proper lighting can create a very relaxing ambience for a dinner under the stars. If this is the type of ambience you are looking for there are a wide variety of fixtures for you to choose from. There are fixtures for every budget so you don’t have to ruin yourself in order to get the ambience you want. From ground level fixtures to elevated ones there is a wide choice of fixtures type. Yes outdoor lighting is a very wise investment for any owners of any property.

Some people have a natural artistic ability when it comes to home décor and design but for most of us we need a little help. A few simple tips on what type of floral arrangements and colors can go a long way in making your home beautiful.

Before you decide on where to put your fresh cut flowers, silks or dried flowers, you need to understand a few simple rules.

Color is very important!

1) If you have vibrant colors in your room such as a red wall and rich colored furniture then you will want to have soft colors for your flowers. An all white or soft creamy yellows can make a better statement than a brightly colored arrangement that will just blend in with the other vibrant colors.

2) If you have neutral colors in the room then brighter colored arrangements will bring life to any room. Look at the color scheme you have going. If the room has white or creamy walls and tan colored furniture for example, you will want to liven things up with colored accent pillows and floral arrangements of browns, reds and yellow. Remember you want to enhance but not overwhelm with them.

The size of your arrangements matters a great deal! You can easily overwhelm with an arrangement too big for a coffee table. If you look at any of the early morning talk shows you can get a good example of what to put on a small table and the larger flowers they put in the back ground. The larger flowers are always behind them and a little to the left or right of them.

It kind of follows the rule in photography, the 3rd, the 3rd and 3rd rule. There is a great motivational print called “Individuality” which demonstrates this perfectly. In a picture of a field of sunflowers, one stands out. All the sunflowers are about a 3rd of the way up. The sunflower standing alone is one 3rd to the right of the picture. Click on the blue letters motivational print and you’ll see what I mean.

This rule can be applied at home. If you look in design magazines you’ll see a floral arrangement on the fireplace and it will most likely be placed to the left or right of the mantle. The only time you will see it in the middle is if it is a long low arrangement or several smaller arrangements.

Larger arrangements are usually placed against a wall where they are accent pieces but make a bold statement. Large arrangements can also be placed in a foyer where it is the focal point and sets the tone of the rest of the house.

Whether you are designing with flowers or flower prints for your home I hope these few tips make it easier for you.

Since there has been a trend in recent years towards more earthy color tones for interior decorating, Native American Indian art can fit in nicely as part of home decor. Most subjects used in Native American Indian art tend to be focused on nature whether the pieces are prints, carvings or pottery. Colors tend to be earthy shades of browns, reds, blacks and yellows since the main raw materials are wood as in carvings from the Pacific Northwest region and clay from the Southwest. Even painted wood carvings or pottery tend to have natural colors often found in nature such as greens and blues. All of these colors work well with the more natural styles of interior decorating today.

The Pacific Northwest region which covers the states of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia (Canada) and the southern part of Alaska, produces some excellent Native American Indian art in the form of wood carvings. This is not surprising since the Pacific Northwest is abundant with forests which have provided the wood as raw material for the region’s Native American Indian art. The wood is sometimes painted in striking colors or just stained with natural looking browns. Either way, such pieces fit in perfectly in rooms with earthy color tones. I have seen walls of living rooms, bedrooms, office den rooms, hallways and even bathrooms enhanced with Pacific Northwest Indian art in the form of both prints and wood plaque carvings. The Pacific Northwest Native American artists also make some of the most striking aboriginal masks in the world which are also suitable for hanging on walls.

Native American Indian art as home decor helps bring in an atmosphere of nature in the overall interior decorating of a room. This is because of their natural colors and also their subject matters which tend to be animals such as eagles, bears, thunderbirds, killer whales and salmons. Pacific Northwest Native art in particular gives homes in that region a local flavor. Many homes in this part of North America have this type of artwork as part of interior decorating. This style of Native American Indian art is still relatively unknown to many parts of North America and the rest of the world so for homes outside of the Pacific Northwest region, a nice wood carving can be seen as exotic treasure brought back from a homeowner’s travels. Check out some examples of Pacific Northwest Indian art either in a gallery or online and imagine how a piece or two can be part of your home’s interior decorating.

Decorating your home and office can be a challenge if you are on a budget. There are so many different options, and most of them are outside of your financial grasp. A good piece of art work could cost you thousands, not to mention framing. How then do you decorate on a dime?

First, you need to know where to shop. Don’t go to a high end art gallery and expect to find something in your price range. Instead window show at the galleries for ideas on paintings that you like. Take that information and start shopping online. There are dozens of discount artwork websites, many of which offer prints of popular paintings. Try an e-coupon site to get some additional discounts on artwork. You can find coupon codes for some of the top discount artwork sites, saving you a great deal. Many throw in free shipping for going through one of these discount coupon sites.

Once you know where to shop, you need to figure out how to get the most art for your buck. Buying prints is an easy way to save some money. Print manufacturers will take a copy of a famous piece of artwork and print it out on a sheet of paper. Some of these prints may be printed on canvas for an authentic look, while others are on high gloss photo paper. They come in a variety of different sizes, and work well for almost any décor. Prints are so cheap; you can outfit a dozen houses for what you would pay for one piece of original artwork elsewhere.

Another tip is to forgo the framing and matting and do it yourself. Many artwork sites will tack on another hundred dollars for framing. Try going to your local craft store to purchase an inexpensive frame and mat. It takes only seconds to put together, and you will be very pleased with the overall look. No one will ever know how much money you saved by doing it yourself!

Lastly, be creative with your artwork. If you are unable to find prints that suit your style, try to think outside of the box. You can frame just about anything. Try framing posters, postcards, or even play programs for an interesting look. One of my favorite rooms in my home is filled with interesting postcards. They are all from different eras, and create a fun and interesting look. Best of all, it was super cheap! I spent about $50 dollars on frames, and about $20 for the entire set of postcards. It was a great deal, and I get so many compliments on the room.