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floorsadvisor · 3 years

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How To Make Bamboo Floors Shine - 5 Steps Guide

Bamboo floors always add beauty to your home. With its beautiful outlook and durability, it has always been the popular choice for flooring. Moreover, bamboo floors are easy to maintain. The daily wear and tear are inevitable, but keeping it in its perfect shape is totally in our hands. In the long run, to maintain its lustre, learning a few tricks to make it shine like new always comes in handy and also gives you control over your floors. So we have a number of simple methods on how to make bamboo floors shine? Let’s get to it.

Preventive Measures You Need To Take Care Of Before You Proceed With Shining Bamboo Floors

There are many ways in which you can make your bamboo floors shine, but before that, you have to know how to keep the inevitable damage to a minimum. Keeping it minimal means less work for you, right? Who doesn’t want that? So let’s go. Reduce foot traffic

Our own foot is the arch-nemesis of wooden floors. Dust, dirt, oil, grease, and all other things we bring inside are the sole reasons for our floor damage. Unfortunately, too much foot traffic also tears down polyurethane laminate floors paving the way to wood damage. Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid that. All you have to do is remove your shoes before entering the bamboo floored rooms and walk with just your socks on. If you can, get your guests too to try the same. This prevents all the rock, dirt and dust from your shoes from entering the room. Another initiative you can take is to install doormats inside and outside every entryway so that you rub your feet clean and then enter the room every time. Also, remember to clean the mats regularly to get rid of the built-up dirt. You can also add long rugs on your floor to protect them from your feet to reduce the damage. Be careful with furniture

Furniture might look classy and rich on a bamboo floor. But at the same time, they can easily scratch your floors and leave marks. So while moving them, you ought to be extra careful as they can easily scratch. As a quick solution for that, you can use floor protector pads that are readily available in any home improvement and attach them under your sofa, table, bed and any other furniture that has frequent contact with the floor. Remember to buy the correct size of floor protectors that fits your furniture as it comes in a wide range of sizes. As the name suggests, these floor protectors will help protect your floor from scratches and other damages. Instead of dragging your furniture all around, you can try lifting it off the ground with a helping hand to avoid contact with the floor. If not, you can try using furniture coasters. This helps in sliding the furniture without much work and also doesn’t scratch your floors. Sunlight exposure

Keep changing your floor plan regularly to avoid keeping your rugs and furniture in one place for a long time. Bamboo floors, like any other hardwood floors, when exposed to too much sunlight for a long time, start fading. In order to avoid fading of bamboo floors, opt for heavy curtains that’ll stop direct UV exposure. Installing heavy curtains will definitely prevent the discolouring and fading of bamboo floors in the long run. Moisture

Moisture is another big enemy of wood floors. When not attended to immediately, it can cause serious damages. Make sure to clean spills as soon as it happens to avoid white spots on your bamboo floors. Never allow liquid or moisture to sink into your floor, as it brings damages to your floors, like wood warping making it very hard to get rid of.

How To Make Bamboo Floors Shiny?

Now that you’ve learnt all the preventive measures to keep your floors scratch-free and healthy in the long run, it’s time you learnt how to make them shine. Sweep or vacuum

The first step is to remove all the dust and dirt from the floor with the help of a broom or a vacuum. There are few tips to follow while vacuuming the bamboo floors. The vacuum must be lightweight because the heavy ones will scratch and dent the floors. The vacuum must also have a removable or no beater bar to prevent serious damage to bamboo floors. Also, remember to get a vacuum cleaner with enough suction to suck in all the dirt and grit. Make sure you sweep or vacuum all curves and crevices and empty the dust bag or bin regularly. Repeat until you’ve made the floors clean. Use a microfiber dust mop

A microfiber dust mop is a good alternative for regular brooms and vacuum cleaners. If your floor has a textured or a matte finish, then you should definitely opt for a dust mop. Like other appliances, a dust mop doesn’t damage your floor if it is used frequently, and it is also more efficient than regular brooms. These mops lift the dust off the floor and not drag around as other mops and brooms do. This mop can also be used alongside when needed to wax your floors, as they give the best shine when finished. Dust mops can either be wet or dry while using, but it is recommended to use a wet one to clear off all the dust easily. When using a dust mop, having a handy dustpan or a broom for cleaning small spots might be very helpful. Hardwood cleaner Sweeping and mopping a bamboo floor can definitely give a clean and classy look. But when you want to do a deep cleaning, to make your floors brand new, then you’ll have to use a hardwood cleaner. Step 1 When you plan to use a hardwood cleaner, move all your furniture aside beforehand without damaging the floor and then you can move it back after you’re done cleaning. Step 2 You can either use a microfiber dust mop or a vacuum to get rid of dust and dirt from your floor. While vacuuming, make sure you remove the beater bar cause you don’t want to damage your floor. For the more dusty areas, use a wet mop and wipe it clean. Don’t use a soaking wet one, because water and moisture always bring problems to bamboo floors. Step 3 Once you have got your floors dust-free, apply the bamboo cleaner to your floors. Before getting into that, you can try applying the cleaner to a small portion of your floor and wait for any reaction. If that cleaner doesn’t discolour or bring any problems to your floor, then you can proceed with cleaning. While using hardwood cleaners, always look for their concentration. If it’s high, dilute it first and then add to a spray can. Step 4 To make it easier, divide the floor into separate sections and continue cleaning. Spray the cleaner lightly on the floor and use a microfiber dust mop to wipe. Remember to apply light pressure and remove all dirt with ease. Make sure to get to all curves, corners and crevices and make the floors shine. To maintain the lustre of the bamboo floors, you can use the hardwood cleaner once a week. Step 5 With the help of a clean rug or a mop, remove all the extra moisture. If there’s any remaining water or cleaner on the floor, wipe it immediately because dampness and moisture bring warping of hardwood floors.

Refinishing bamboo floors

Only when your floors are dull, worn out or scratched will you need to refinish them. Step 1 Using a microfiber dust mop that is damp, you’ll have to wipe and get rid of all dust and dirt on the floor. After that, with a dry towel or a mop, clean the floor to get rid of all the moisture. Step 2 The next step is to sand the top layer of your bamboo floor. And for that, you can use a commercial disc floor sander. They are very easy to use and readily available for rent in any local hardware store. You can tell them your purpose, and they can fix you the correct grit sandpaper that is advisable to use. Make sure you follow all the instructions. Using a sander is very similar to a lawnmower. You’ll just have to walk back and forth, pushing gently and removing the top layer evenly. It’ll be easy to identify the sanded area because once you remove the top layer, the layer under that is slightly darker in colour. And with that, you can easily follow which area you’ve sanded and which area you’ve not. And while sanding, make sure to open your windows and allow ventilation. Step 3 You might want to clean up all the mess you made while sanding the floor. So with a vacuum or a mop, remove all the dust. Then, look into all of those corners carefully and get rid of the dust entirely so that it doesn’t get into the new coat of polyurethane that you’re going to apply. Step 4 The next step is applying a new coat of polyurethane to your floor, which you can get from a local hardware store. You can easily apply it with a roller dipped with the solution from a tray by walking back and forth. While starting, start from a corner or the wall opposite the entrance and work your way out. You’ll have to keep in mind to apply it evenly. And while doing that, keep your windows open, wear your rubber gloves and eye protection glasses. While dealing with edges and corners, you can always use small brushes to cover them thoroughly. It is advisable to use a shed resistant roller so that nothing gets into your new coat. Step 5 Once you’re done with your first coat, let it dry for 24 hours. Then sand over your first coat again and apply your second coat following the exact above directions. Remember, while sanding, don’t press too hard or else you’ll end up removing the first coat. You can also consider applying 3-4 coats of polyurethane if you need extra protection. And with this, you’ve made your floors brand new.

Conclusion

Maintaining bamboo floors is quite a tough job. However, with correct preventive measures and the proper methods, it definitely is a piece of cake. For all those wondering how to make your bamboo floors shine, hope that you’ve got all that you need from this article. Go make your floors shine like you always do! Read the full article

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: How to Use Life Hack

s Life hacks are quick, relatively easy, and usually fun things that save a bit of time or make your life a little easier. Try some simple hacks when you’re cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, or even just relaxing on the beach. You can find endless lists of life hacks online, but always use your best judgment as to whether a hack is both useful and safe. [Edit]Steps [Edit]Cooking and Food Prep Hacks Lay a wooden spoon over the top of a pot to prevent a boil-over. The foaming bubbles created by boiling water are filled with steam. If they touch something at a temperature below , the steam will condense (change back into a liquid) and break the surface tension of the bubbles.[1] A wooden spoon is the best choice because a plastic spoon might melt and a metal spoon will get very hot to the touch. Make Ramen Noodles in a coffee maker for a quick meal. Put the noodles in the carafe and add the recommended amount of water to the reservoir. Turn on the brewing cycle and leave the noodles in the dispensed hot water for the recommended time. Transfer them to a bowl and stir in the seasonings.[2] You can add the seasonings to the carafe as well, but this makes it hard to get the flavor of Ramen Noodle seasoning out of your coffee pot! Make there isn’t a used coffee filter in the machine before proceeding. You don’t need to add a clean filter. Reheat leftover pizza in a skillet to get a crispy crust. Place the skillet over medium heat and add a quick spritz of cooking spray or a few drops of cooking oil. Heat a slice of pizza in the pan for 2 minutes, then put the lid on and turn the heat to low for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.[3] Add a few drops of water to the pan before putting on the lid to cook the top of the pizza a bit faster. Be careful, though, as any oil in the pan may splatter. Use a skirt hanger with clips as a space-saving cookbook holder. Use the 2 clips on the hanger to hold the cookbook open. Put the hanger’s hook over a nearby cupboard handle to create an instant and very useful cookbook holder![4] The open book will be at just the right height for easy reference, and it won’t take up valuable counter space. Remove stems from strawberries quickly with a thick straw. Insert the straw into the side opposite to the stem and press it up through the center of the strawberry. When you get all the way through to the top, the stem will pop right up and out![5] A sturdy plastic straw works well, but a reusable metal straw is even better. In either case, use a wider milkshake or smoothie straw if available. Use tongs to more easily squeeze all the juice from a lemon. Cut a lemon in half, then wedge one half between the tongs, cut side facing out. Squeeze the ends of the tongs that you usually use for picking up things to press out as much lemon juice as possible. Repeat with the other half.[6] Consider laying a fine mesh strainer over the bowl or pitcher you’re squeezing the juice into in order to catch the seeds. Use your cereal spoon to keep milk from splashing when you pour it. Add your cereal to the bowl, then lay your spoon upside down on top of it. Pour the milk slowly onto the underside of the spoon’s head. You’ll notice far less splashing than when you pour the milk directly onto the cereal.[7] Alternatively, add the milk to the bowl first, then the cereal! Remove the yolk from a cracked egg easily with a water bottle. Crack the egg into a bowl or dish, then grab a clean, empty plastic water bottle. Squeeze the bottle about halfway (not enough to crush it), place it right on top of the yolk, and release your squeeze. The yolk will be sucked up into the bottle![8] Pit cherries quickly with a straw and a bottle. Choose an empty glass or plastic bottle with a mouth that’s smaller than your cherries, so that you can place a cherry stem-side up on the bottle opening. Press straight down through the stem with a sturdy straw (metal is best), a skewer, or a chopstick. The pit will drop right into the bottle.[9] Dip your finger in water to remove egg shells from a cracked egg. Wash your hands and dry them off with a towel, then dip one finger into a bowl of warm water. Use your wet finger to press down on each egg shell piece and pick them out of your cracked egg one at a time. The water will make the shells gravitate toward your finger, making it super easy to get rid of all the shells.[10] Don’t forget to wash your hands when you’re done! [Edit]Food Service and Storage Hacks Chill a beverage quickly in the freezer with wet paper towels. Wet down 1-2 paper towel sheets, then squeeze out the excess water. Wrap the paper towels around a can or bottled drink and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. The damp paper towels help chill the drink much more quickly.[11] Don’t forget about a glass bottle you put in the freezer—if the liquid freezes, the bottle may explode! Store mixed pancake batter conveniently in a plastic ketchup bottle. This is a great way to store extra batter in the fridge for up to 3 days, and it makes dispensing the batter easy! Just squeeze out the amount you need right onto the griddle when making pancakes.[12] Use a kitchen funnel to make it easier to pour the batter into the bottle. Or, find a plastic bottle with a slightly smaller mouth than the ketchup bottle. Cut off the bottom of this second bottle, place it upside down into the mouth of the ketchup bottle, and use it as a DIY funnel. Use a muffin tin to serve a range of condiments at a party. Add ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, salsa, mayonnaise, or whatever other condiments you need to the individual indentations in the muffin tin. This makes serving the condiments and cleaning up afterward a cinch![13] Cut clean slices of cheesecake and soft desserts with dental floss. Cut a length of unflavored dental floss and wrap the ends around your index fingers. Pull it taut and press it straight down through cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, fondant, jelly rolls, and so on.[14] Use the same process to cut through clay with a length of wire. Keep your packaged bread fresher longer with a plastic bottle top. Starting at the point where the cylinder starts to narrow toward the spout, cut the top section off of a clean, dry plastic drink bottle. Feed the open end of the bread bag up through the cut opening and out of the mouth of the bottle, then fold it down over the sides of the mouth. Screw on the bottle’s lid to make an airtight seal.[15] Use plastic lids as simple but effective coasters. Don't have a coaster on hand? A plastic lid from a mayonnaise jar or similar container can do the job! Just place your drink on top and you've got a neat coaster. [Edit]Clothing Hacks Make canvas shoes water-resistant by applying beeswax. Use a clean rag to spread the beeswax over the entire outer surface of the shoes, making sure not to miss any areas. Then, wave a hairdryer over the shoes until the wax melts and becomes invisible. Apply another coat of beeswax whenever you notice the water-resistant coating begin to falter.[16] Iron a dress shirt collar fast with a hair straightener iron. This is a quick fix that saves time versus getting out your iron and board. Just plug in the hair straightener, let it heat up, and clamp it over each side of your shirt collar for about 15 seconds. To play it safe, don’t do this while you’re wearing the shirt![17] This is a great hack if you’re going to wear a sweater over your dress shirt anyway—why bother ironing the whole thing? Use white wine to reduce the appearance of a red wine stain. If you splash some red wine on your white shirt, grab some white wine! Dampen a clean cloth in white wine and gently blot the red wine stain until it becomes less noticeable. It won’t remove the stain completely, but it does a surprisingly good job.[18] If you have a stain remover stick or wipes with you, use them—they work even better. If you left them at home, use them on the stain before washing the garment. Prevent lost socks by pinning pairs before washing and drying. Stop feeding single socks to the “dryer monster” by outwitting it! Simply secure each pair of socks together with a safety pin before putting them into the wash. Keep them pinned together when you transfer them to the dryer.[19] Replace any pins that start to show signs of rusting. [Edit]Housekeeping Hacks Screw a magazine holder onto the back of a cabinet door to hold a hairdryer. Choose a magazine/file holder made of plastic, wood, metal wire, or sturdy cardboard and secure it in place with 2-4 screws. Most standard hairdryers fit perfectly into this spot.[20] Alternatively, use several removable adhesive strips instead of screws. Use coat hooks instead of rods to hang towels in a small bathroom. These take up much less space, since each hook can hold 2 large towels. The towels may also dry faster than if you use towel rods that are stacked one in front of the next. Apply magnetic strips behind cabinet doors to store personal care items. Buy peel-and-stick magnetic strips, or use removable adhesive strips to secure the magnets in place. Use the magnetic strips to hold tweezers, bobby pins, cosmetic brushes, and other magnetic objects.[21] Check to see how many of your personal care items are magnetic before trying this. Buy a scrub brush attachment for your drill to clean tile and ceramic. Instead of relying on elbow grease alone to scrub a tub or toilet, let your drill do the hard work! Look for different types of scrub brush attachments where cleaning supplies are sold. Set the drill to its lowest speed first, then increase it as needed. Follow the brush attachment’s instructions carefully. Don’t use the attachment to clean fiberglass, laminate, wood, stone, or other surfaces unless the brush is specifically marketed for that purpose. Use a clean dustpan to fill a bucket that won’t fit under the sink. Place the bucket on the floor directly in front of the sink. Place the larger end of the dustpan under the faucet so that the pan’s handle is resting over the front edge of the sink. When you turn on the water it will flow through the channel in the handle, go over the edge, and fall like a waterfall into the bucket.[22] Have some towels handy the first few times you try this. It may take a bit of practice to get the placement and water flow just right. Paint your keys with nail polish to color-code them. This is a great hack if you have a bunch of similar-looking keys on your key ring. Gel nail polish adheres best to metal keys, but any type of polish will do.[23] Store your household cleaners conveniently in a shoe hanger. Hang or attach the shoe hanger to the back of a closet or pantry door, then fill the pockets with your cleaning bottles. Choose a shoe hanger with mesh or clear plastic pockets so you can easily differentiate the cleaning bottles.[24] If you have a hanging rod in the closet, get a shoe hanger with hooks. For safety, add a lock to the door if there are kids around. Try different home remedies to remove permanent marker. Different DIY removers may work better for different materials. Give the following a try: For fabric, try hand sanitizer. For your skin or for wood surfaces, try rubbing alcohol. For painted walls, try hairspray or toothpaste. For ceramic or glass, mix 1 part white toothpaste and 1 part baking soda. Soak a crusty paintbrush in vinegar for 30 minutes to ease cleaning. After 30 minutes, use a wire brush or paintbrush cleaner to remove the loosened paint. Then, wash the brush with soap and water, rinse it, and let it air dry.[25] If you heat the vinegar to nearly boiling in a pot on the stove, you can reduce the soaking time to 10 minutes. Reduce the odor of water-based paint with vanilla extract. When painting a room, stir in of vanilla extract per of paint. The vanilla will mask the unpleasant odor of the paint. Essential oils like peppermint work as well.[26] This hack doesn’t work on oil-based paint, since the vanilla extract or other essential oil creates a solution with the oils in the paint—which may negate the pleasant scent you’re aiming for or make the paint smell even worse. The oils aren’t soluble with water-based paint, though, so they remain separate and help mask the paint odor. [Edit]Childcare Hacks Use a rubber band to keep kids from locking a door. Loop the rubber band over one door knob, make a figure eight over the latch, then loop the free end of the rubber band over the other door knob. Choose a thick, sturdy rubber band that is stretched taut when positioned this way.[27] Make a smaller “laundry basket play tub” within your bathtub. Place a standard rectangular laundry basket into the tub as you fill it with water. Put your toddler or small child into the basket, along with their toys. When bathtime is done, just drain the tub and lift out the basket with all the toys inside![28] This is not a substitute for an infant bath basin. Use it only for kids who are big enough to bathe in a standard tub. Supervise children at all times while bathing. Create a child safety bead-bracelet with your phone number on it. Buy a container of colorful bracelet beads and let your child help you thread them onto the bracelet string. Pick out numbered beads and string them on so that they correspond to your phone number.[29] You might also want to spell out the child’s first name. A bracelet is no substitute for proper supervision of a child. Use pool noodles to help keep a kid from rolling out of bed. Lay a foam pool noodle along each long edge of the bed, right on top of the mattress. Tuck the fitted sheet over the mattress so that the noodles are held securely in place. The small humps created by the noodles will make it less likely that your child will roll off the edge of the bed.[30] Use this as a short-term measure for an occasional problem. Invest in proper bed rails if your child rolls out of bed frequently. Trace a kid’s feet on paper when you’re shoe shopping without them. Instead of having to guess whether a pair of shoes will fit, bring their tracing with you. Trace around both their feet, either barefoot or with socks on. If the shoes you’re looking at are larger (but not too much) than the traced outlines, the shoes will fit—at least for a few months![31] Use paper cupcake or muffin wrappers to catch drips from frozen treats. Poke the bottom of the wooden stick of your kid’s favorite frozen treat—like a Popsicle or ice cream bar—through the bottom of the paper wrapper. Slide the wrapper up to the base of the treat and let it catch all the inevitable drips![32] Paper wrappers with foil on the outside work best, but any paper wrapper will do. [Edit]Tech and Home Office Hacks Seal your tablet in a zip-close bag if you like to read in the tub. Use a clear, bag with a secure zip closure. Test the bag first by sealing a piece of paper inside and submerging it for 1 minute. If the paper is dry, your tablet should stay dry too![33] Play it safe and do your best to keep your tablet dry regardless. Don’t try to read underwater! Use springs from used pens to strengthen the ends of charger cables. Charger cables tend to kink, bend, and break right near the ends (where they plug into the wall or your device). To protect these sensitive areas, pull apart several old, dried up pens and pick out the springs inside. Wrap the springs around the ends of the cables to give them more protection while still letting them flex somewhat.[34] Organize cords at the edge of your desk with binder clips. This is a great hack if your desk is cluttered with several charger cables, printer cables, ethernet cables, and so on. Choose binder clips that are large enough to clip to the edge of the desk, but also small enough (if possible) to keep the head of each cable from falling through the binder clip opening.[35] If you can’t fit the head of a cord through the binder clip wires, squeeze the sides of each wire to remove them from the clip. Then, squeeze them again to put them back in place after you’ve pulled the head of the cord through. Organize cords using empty toilet paper tubes in a shoebox. For a smaller cord, stand a toilet paper tube up in the box and feed the cord down into the tube. For a larger cord, use the toilet paper tube as a sleeve and slide it over the cord once you’ve looped it around itself several times.[36] Stand your phone upright in a cup, glass, or mug to amplify the volume. If you tend to sleep through your alarm even when it’s set to high volume, give this hack a try. Put the phone’s speaker (which is usually at the bottom) into the bottom of the cup and get ready for a much louder sound![37] You can use this trick to amplify music, but it may take some trial and error to find a cup, glass, or mug that doesn’t distort the sound of your favorite tunes. Use a cassette tape case as a cheap but sturdy phone stand. Try this hack if you find some old cassette tapes (with their cases) in the attic. Open the case’s lid as far as it will go, then lay the case front-side down on your table or desk. The slot in the lid will hold your phone at a great viewing angle.[38] Some larger smartphones may not fit into the slot. [Edit]Miscellaneous Hacks Carry multiple plastic bags at once with a large carabiner clip. The problem with carrying several plastic shopping bags at once isn’t that they’re too heavy, but that the handles dig into your hands. Instead, buy a large carabiner clip at a hardware, outdoor, or sporting goods store. Clip both handles of each bag into the carabiner, then carry everything more comfortably by holding onto the carabiner.[39] Use snack chips as kindling to help start a fire. Light a loose pile of snack chips on fire, then slowly add wood to build up your campfire. Snack chips are made almost entirely of 2 components—hydrocarbons and fats—that burn readily, so you’ll be surprised how quickly and easily they go up in flames.[40] Cheesy tortilla chips (like Doritos) work great here, but any type of fried snack chip will do the job. Make sure not to eat all your kindling beforehand! Hide your valuables on the beach in an empty sunscreen bottle. Your best option is a bottle with a rounded rectangular shape and a large flip-top lid that also twists off. Clean and dry the bottle thoroughly, making sure to get rid of the oily residue on the inside. Then, stick things like your ID and cash inside it.[41] Unless there is a sunscreen thief around, your stuff will stay safe! Alternatively, you can buy storage containers online that are made to look like real sunscreen bottles. Use your phone and a Gatorade (or similar) bottle to make a lantern. Turn on your phone’s flashlight tool and lay it down so the light is shining straight up. Place the Gatorade bottle right on top of the light—it’s shape will diffuse the light and create a cool lantern.[42] Full bottles work better than empty bottles, and liquids with light coloring (like yellow or pale blue) work better than clear liquids. [Edit]Video [Edit]Tips These life hacks are by no means the only life hacks out there. Do not be limited by the ones listed here. Make up your own! [Edit]Warnings Do not try things that are unsafe. Always use critical thinking and common sense. [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.thrillist.com/home/how-to-hack-a-coffee-maker-to-cook-food-12-other-things-you-can-do-with-a-coffee-maker ↑ https://food52.com/blog/11021-the-best-way-to-reheat-pizza-at-home ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/a-cereal-controversy-what-side-are-you-on ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/can-you-use-an-empty-water-bottle-to-easily-separate-eggs-putting-tips-to-the-test-in-the-kitchn-200436 ↑ https://www.rachaelraymag.com/food/the-quickest-way-to-pit-cherries ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-the-easiest-way-to-remove-broken-eggshells-from-a-bowl-2017-2 ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/ ↑ https://www.farmersalmanac.com/tips/muffin-tin-condiments ↑ https://www.cuisineathome.com/tips/how-to-cut-perfect-cheesecake-slices-with-floss/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://vinepair.com/articles/white-wine-remove-red-stain/ ↑ https://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/ ↑ https://www.onecrazyhouse.com/organize-hair-styling-tools/ ↑ https://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-clean-hardened-paint-from-paintbrushes-naturally/ ↑ https://www.bhg.com/decorating/paint/how-tos/how-to-improve-the-smell-of-paint/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.kckidsdoc.com/kc-kids-doc/laundry-basket-baby-bath-correcting-facebook-misinformation.html ↑ https://www.danyabanya.com/phone-number-bracelets/ ↑ https://hintmama.com/2014/05/20/todays-hint-diy-frugal-toddler-bedrails/ ↑ http://www.froddo.com/how-to-pick-the-right-shoe-for-your-child ↑ https://www.pennypinchinmom.com/mom-tip-use-a-cupcake-liner-as-a-popsicle-drip/ ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2010/02/08/waterproof-your-iphone/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://twistedsifter.com/2013/01/50-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/ ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html ↑ https://www.safewise.com/blog/hiding-plain-sight-6-sneaky-ways-keep-valuables-safe/ ↑ http://www.shamelesstraveler.com/blog/weekly-travel-hack-the-gatorade-triple-threat

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/how-to-use-life-hack

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madisonexteriorsandremodeling · 5 years

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Wood Countertops Regain Popularity For New Kitchens

Wood countertops make a statement in any kitchen design from traditional to contemporary.

With kitchen design trending toward natural materials wood countertops are again popular. The “butcher’s block” kitchen counter was a top choice not too long ago and is earning its way back into 21st century kitchens.

Before ordering a butcher’s block countertop, understand that all butcher’s block is wood, but not all wooden counters are butcher’s block. Use the wrong terminology and you might wind up with something you didn’t expect.

Butcher block is created by gluing straight lengths of wood into thick slabs. They provide exceptionally sturdy and stable work surfaces. You’ll find butcher block creations in sizes ranging from small chopping blocks to large kitchen island tops and complete kitchen counter installations.

A butcher block can be made from almost any wood. Maple is the top choice for countertops because it is hard and has a clear grain. Popular today are counters formed from cherry and red oak because of their rich colors. However, look for countertops made from almost any species of wood including unusual choices like bamboo and exotics like wenge and zebrawood.

Wood Countertops Combine Form And Function

There’s no doubt that wooden kitchen counters offer warmth and luxury appearance. They provide a true natural appeal. But, are they as functional as alternatives like granite, quartz or natural stones? Wooden counters are not ideal for every situation. Like all the others, they have advantages and disadvantages. Your personal preference, lifestyle and budget dictate what’s best for your kitchen.

All “butcher block” counters are wood, but not all wooden countertops are butcher’s block designs.

One big plus favoring butcher block styles in a busy kitchen is that unsealed surfaces are ideal cutting surfaces. These countertops earned their name from centuries of use in hard-working professional settings. They are not as easy to clean as a mobile cutting board and over time repeated cutting leaves marks. To some that adds character, for others it’s a blemish.

Are there sealed and unsealed butcher block tops? For a kitchen countertop it is important to use unsealed, oil-finished wood. Sealed tops are not meant for food preparation. They are neither food nor knife friendly. In addition, most designers say using sealed wood covers up the natural warmth of the wooden surface with plastic. Sealed wood provides a high-gloss shine and works as a desk, eating area or bar top.

Location is an important consideration when deciding to use wood, a wood-look laminate or an alternative. Manufacturers warn that installing unsealed butcher block is not recommended as a sink surround. They report that after repeated exposure to water splashes and spills wood is likely to discolor and may even rot.

The Pros And Cons Of Wooden Kitchen Counters

Are wood countertops the right choice for your new kitchen? That answer depends on the look you want and how much work you’re willing to put in to keep the counters looking new. To appreciate the natural beauty of wood requires cleaning and maintenance.

First, consider these advantages of modern wooden kitchen countertops:

Wood has a special beauty– it adds warmth and rustic charm. Most people who choose wood choose it for looks alone.

Warmth – touch a wooden countertop and a granite top, the stone almost always feels cold.

Quiet – wood absorbs sounds and is quieter when working in the kitchen.

Environmentally-friendly – many wooden countertops are currently made from reclaimed materials. Wooden kitchen counters are recyclable, too.

Variety – there are many kinds of wood from which to choose, including maple, cherry, oak, birch and teak among hardwoods. Bamboo (although it is technically a grass) offers a unique option, too. Wood stains and finishes add customization. There are several styles, too – block, parquet, face grain, end grain, etc.

Designer-friendly – wood works with almost every style from traditional country to French, Old World, contemporary and modern to eclectic.

Hard working – wood makes an excellent work surface. It is easy on knives (although without care they are not easy on it) and resist scratching.

Repairable – a wooden surface, unlike stone or laminate, is repairable. Nicks and burns can be sanded and the surface re-oiled to become as good as new.

Healthy – wood has natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

Wood Is Not For Every Kitchen Remodel

Wooden countertops give a kitchen a special look. However, they are not for everyone. While most perceived disadvantages of wooden surfaces are overcome with routine maintenance, they are not ideal everywhere. Before making your decision, consider the disadvantages of wood:

Prone to damage – not all wood is equally suited for use as a work surface. No wood is stronger than stone. Wooden counters are prone to scrapes and dents. While the butcher’s block concept makes them popular, it’s best not to do your real cutting on the countertop. Water damage is another concern. If not sealed water puddled on wood can seep into it – that’s why glasses leave rings on wooden tables when you don’t use a coaster.

Require maintenance – wood needs more routine maintenance than other countertop choices. It needs to be oiled and/or sealed. It should be treated two or three times a year. If you want a countertop you install and forget about, wood is not your best choice.

Refinishing – with a lot of wear your countertops may require complete refinishing, just like hardwood floors. Depending upon the type of wood and how it is finished, you can expect a high-quality wooden countertop to last 10-20 years, though.

Atmosphere sensitive – depending upon the humidity in your home, wood can swell and shrink. These reactions to conditions in the room lead to cracks.

Health concerns – while studies show wood has some antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, when poorly maintained it is susceptible to mold and bacteria.

Points To Consider For New Kitchen Counters

As with any kitchen setting, keeping the surfaces clean and dry is a priority. Everyday care should include:

Keep counters clean with mild soap and water.

Don’t allow spills to sit on the surface – reducing stains, etc.

Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for finish care no matter what type of material it is.

Specifically for wood countertops, avoid these mistakes:

Never use bleach to sanitize the surface – it discolors wood.

Never use cooking oil – vegetable oil, olive oil or canola oil – on the surface because the spoil and invite bacteria.

Avoid scrubbing pads, steel brushes and any abrasive tools or materials.

If you cut on the countertop, don’t use serrated-edge knives.

When you’re ready to evaluate all your kitchen countertop options, Sims Exteriors & Remodeling is ready to walk you through the many choices. Call 608-825-4500, or email us. We’ll evaluate your space and discuss all the pros and cons. We know a kitchen remodel is a big step and you want to do everything exactly right. And, we understand the value of unique wood countertops in your Madison WI area home.

Kitchen Remodel Services

https://madisonexteriorsandremodeling.com

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endlessarchite · 6 years

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Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful

This “mini garden deck” made from scrap deck boards has already made a huge difference in keeping my feet dry around the new vegetable garden.

Hey everyone! As you saw from yesterday’s deck update, I’ve been spending a lot of time outside. Between that, the new vegetable garden, and the new shed build, I’ve been in a summer state of mind for quite some time. I’ve also kind of HAD IT with walking on muddy dirt patches (Georgia’s spring rains this year have been nuts!). With summer officially starting today, and with plenty of scrap deck boards around, I decided to hop in with the #scrapwoodchallenge and created my own solution for better garden maintenance. I’m calling it my “mini garden deck” !

My new vegetable garden bed has been a learning process. One part of that has been realizing that this area is going to get a lot of upkeep-related foot traffic.

So, as proud as I am of how well things are going, I have noticed a major drawback: frequent visits have made the inner triangle of the L-shaped garden bed a little dirt-rich… and grass-poor. I put down some landscaping fabric intending on eventually covering it with gravel, but then realized how well the leftover deck boards could solve the problem… without an additional materials purchase!

Recommended Tools and Materials

may contain affiliate links

scrap pressure-treated deck boards

stair balusters (other strips of scrap wood is fine, I just used what I had available)

miter saw

drill

speed square

pencil

exterior screws

plastic spacers (optional – see below)

landscaping fabric

The deck boards I used are designated for Ground Contact, which is recommended for wood projects that sit within six inches of the ground. You can find more about that here.

How to make a mini garden deck from scrap wood

Start in the middle

Keeping in mind that this was scrap, I basically took the materials available. I bought stair balusters and wound up not needing them, and I’m kind of terrible about returning leftover materials. I used these as stringers for fastening the deck boards together. Many had been cut already to fit the floating deck (and therefore could not be returned), but some were long enough pieces where they could be reused.

Since I was kind of winging it, I placed the stair balusters on the ground, on top of the landscaping fabric and spread them out, fanning in a sort of triangle shape. These would be what I would screw the deck boards to. If you’ve ever seen a wooden sign and looked on the back, it’s a pretty similar concept (such as here and here).

I began where I thought would be the middle (ish) of the L-shaped area, and cut my deck board at 45-degree angles on both ends.

From this, I cut more pieces to help form a triangle shape until the space was filled. I dry fit each board into place and then began fastening them to the strips underneath.

Spacing

For spacing, I used some old plastic spacers I bought a long time ago for installing the laminate flooring in my house (just held onto them, because I just knew they’d be useful again ). If you don’t have something like this, insert a few nails between the boards — anything that will serve as a temporary wedge to provide a small gap. You’re mainly looking for spacing to allow the wood to expand and contract with moisture fluctuations.

Screw together and fan out

I screwed in the first board on both ends where it met the stringers from the top down (2 screws on each end of the board, 2 screws down the middle). When the board was attached and spacing set, I moved the spacers to the next gap and fastened the next board. So on, and so on, until the entire triangle was complete.

If you were to look at the back, it would look like a hot mess — the stringers (the stair balusters) that attach to the deck boards are practically random in their placement.

But since you’ll never see them, all that really matters is that they are enough material to hold the entire thing together. Since the ground was soft from the frequent rain, I merely needed to stand on it the new platform to sort squish into the ground and hold in place. The corner was kind of an awkward spot with how narrow it got, so working an extra piece of the baluster (vertically) into the corner was a perfect fit.

And boom: no more muddy feet when maintaining the garden. It actually kind of finishes the area nicely, too.

There’s still a little more work to be done to make the widest end look more finished, but since I still have the shed build left to complete, I’ll wait to use up the remaining full-length deck boards before re-purposing one for the garden bed. This whole area is going to look so great!

I just love scrap wood projects… so feel free to do a little looking around at the links on this list. Jen from House of Wood asked a bunch of us to share some scrap ideas, and there’s LOTS more below!

Check out these other awesome Scrap Wood projects:

The House of Wood – DIY Bunk Buddy

3×3 Custom – Scrap Wood Trivets

Ugly Duckling House – Mini Garden Deck — that’s HERE! —

The Created Home – Animal Coin Banks

Her Toolbelt – 3D Pixel Art

The Kim Six Fix – Outdoor Drink Stakes

DIY Huntress – Scrap Wood Coasters

Mr. Build It & Mrs. Style It – Bent Plywood Headphone Stand

At Charlotte’s House – Buffalo Check Tray

Sawdust 2 Stitches – Scrap Wood Wall Decor

Bower Power – Pallet Baseball Hat Rack

Pneumatic Addict – Table with Epoxy Resin

Anika’s DIY Life – DIY Spice Rack

100 Things 2 Do – DIY Can Crusher

Hazel + Gold Designs – Patio Table Drink Holder

Reality Daydream – Scrap Wood Shoe Cabinet

House Becoming Home – Modern DIY Clock

Chatfield Court – Wooden Garden Obelisk

The post Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful appeared first on Ugly Duckling House.

More Where That Came From

How to Build a Concrete Form for an Outdoor Pad

The Gardenia Garden Beds Are Thriving!

Growing Seedlings for My First Veggie Garden

Simple DIY Tricks for Covered Porch Plants

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alexrodriguespage · 6 years

Text

Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful

This “mini garden deck” made from scrap deck boards has already made a huge difference in keeping my feet dry around the new vegetable garden.

My new vegetable garden bed has been a learning process. One part of that has been realizing that this area is going to get a lot of upkeep-related foot traffic.

So, as proud as I am of how well things are going, I have noticed a major drawback: frequent visits have made the inner triangle of the L-shaped garden bed a little dirt-rich and grass-poor. I put down some landscaping fabric intending on eventually covering it with gravel, but then realized how well the leftover deck boards could solve the problem… without an additional materials purchase!

Recommended Tools and Materials

may contain affiliate links

scrap pressure-treated deck boards

stair balusters (other strips of scrap wood is fine, I just used what I had available)

miter saw

drill

speed square

pencil

exterior screws

plastic spacers (optional – see below)

landscaping fabric

The deck boards I used are designated for Ground Contact, which is recommended for wood projects that sit within six inches of the ground. You can find more about that here.

How to make a mini garden deck from scrap wood

Start in the middle

I began where I thought would be the middle (ish) of the L-shaped area, and cut my deck board at 45-degree angles on both ends.

From this, I cut more pieces to help form a triangle shape until the space was filled. I dry fit each board into place and then began fastening them to the strips underneath.

Spacing

Screw together and fan out

If you were to look at the back, it would look like a hot mess — the stringers (the stair balusters) that attach to the deck boards are practically random in their placement.

And boom: no more muddy feet when maintaining the garden. It actually kind of finishes the area nicely, too.

Check out these other awesome Scrap Wood projects:

The House of Wood – DIY Bunk Buddy

3×3 Custom – Scrap Wood Trivets

Ugly Duckling House – Mini Garden Deck — that’s HERE! —

The Created Home – Animal Coin Banks

Her Toolbelt – 3D Pixel Art

The Kim Six Fix – Outdoor Drink Stakes

DIY Huntress – Scrap Wood Coasters

Mr. Build It & Mrs. Style It – Bent Plywood Headphone Stand

At Charlotte’s House – Buffalo Check Tray

Sawdust 2 Stitches – Scrap Wood Wall Decor

Bower Power – Pallet Baseball Hat Rack

Pneumatic Addict – Table with Epoxy Resin

Anika’s DIY Life – DIY Spice Rack

100 Things 2 Do – DIY Can Crusher

Hazel + Gold Designs – Patio Table Drink Holder

Reality Daydream – Scrap Wood Shoe Cabinet

House Becoming Home – Modern DIY Clock

Chatfield Court – Wooden Garden Obelisk

The post Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful appeared first on Ugly Duckling House.

More Where That Came From

How to Build a Concrete Form for an Outdoor Pad

The Gardenia Garden Beds Are Thriving!

Growing Seedlings for My First Veggie Garden

DIY Floating Deck, Part 1: Planning and Layout

0 notes

georgeycowell · 6 years

Text

Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful

This “mini garden deck” made from scrap deck boards has already made a huge difference in keeping my feet dry around the new vegetable garden.

My new vegetable garden bed has been a learning process. One part of that has been realizing that this area is going to get a lot of upkeep-related foot traffic.

Recommended Tools and Materials

may contain affiliate links

scrap pressure-treated deck boards

stair balusters (other strips of scrap wood is fine, I just used what I had available)

miter saw

drill

speed square

pencil

exterior screws

plastic spacers (optional – see below)

landscaping fabric

The deck boards I used are designated for Ground Contact, which is recommended for wood projects that sit within six inches of the ground. You can find more about that here.

How to make a mini garden deck from scrap wood

Start in the middle

I began where I thought would be the middle (ish) of the L-shaped area, and cut my deck board at 45-degree angles on both ends.

From this, I cut more pieces to help form a triangle shape until the space was filled. I dry fit each board into place and then began fastening them to the strips underneath.

Spacing

Screw together and fan out

If you were to look at the back, it would look like a hot mess — the stringers (the stair balusters) that attach to the deck boards are practically random in their placement.

And boom: no more muddy feet when maintaining the garden. It actually kind of finishes the area nicely, too.

Check out these other awesome Scrap Wood projects:

The House of Wood – DIY Bunk Buddy

3×3 Custom – Scrap Wood Trivets

Ugly Duckling House – Mini Garden Deck — that’s HERE! —

The Created Home – Animal Coin Banks

Her Toolbelt – 3D Pixel Art

The Kim Six Fix – Outdoor Drink Stakes

DIY Huntress – Scrap Wood Coasters

Mr. Build It & Mrs. Style It – Bent Plywood Headphone Stand

At Charlotte’s House – Buffalo Check Tray

Sawdust 2 Stitches – Scrap Wood Wall Decor

Bower Power – Pallet Baseball Hat Rack

Pneumatic Addict – Table with Epoxy Resin

Anika’s DIY Life – DIY Spice Rack

100 Things 2 Do – DIY Can Crusher

Hazel + Gold Designs – Patio Table Drink Holder

Reality Daydream – Scrap Wood Shoe Cabinet

House Becoming Home – Modern DIY Clock

Chatfield Court – Wooden Garden Obelisk

The post Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful appeared first on Ugly Duckling House.

More Where That Came From

How to Build a Concrete Form for an Outdoor Pad

The Gardenia Garden Beds Are Thriving!

Growing Seedlings for My First Veggie Garden

DIY Floating Deck, Part 1: Planning and Layout

.yuzo_related_post img{width:170px !important; height:170px !important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{line-height:14px;background:#ffffff !important;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover{background:#ffffff !important; -webkit-transition: background 0.2s linear; -moz-transition: background 0.2s linear; -o-transition: background 0.2s linear; transition: background 0.2s linear;;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a{color:#102a3b!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a:hover{ color:#113f5e}!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover a{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo__text--title{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post:hover .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{ margin: 0px 6px 0px 6px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; } jQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){ jQuery('.yuzo_related_post .yuzo_wraps').equalizer({ columns : '> div' }); }); from Home https://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/diy-mini-garden-deck/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

#construction

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garagedoorsbrighton · 6 years

Text

Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful

This “mini garden deck” made from scrap deck boards has already made a huge difference in keeping my feet dry around the new vegetable garden.

My new vegetable garden bed has been a learning process. One part of that has been realizing that this area is going to get a lot of upkeep-related foot traffic.

Recommended Tools and Materials

may contain affiliate links

scrap pressure-treated deck boards

stair balusters (other strips of scrap wood is fine, I just used what I had available)

miter saw

drill

speed square

pencil

exterior screws

plastic spacers (optional – see below)

landscaping fabric

The deck boards I used are designated for Ground Contact, which is recommended for wood projects that sit within six inches of the ground. You can find more about that here.

How to make a mini garden deck from scrap wood

Start in the middle

I began where I thought would be the middle (ish) of the L-shaped area, and cut my deck board at 45-degree angles on both ends.

From this, I cut more pieces to help form a triangle shape until the space was filled. I dry fit each board into place and then began fastening them to the strips underneath.

Spacing

Screw together and fan out

If you were to look at the back, it would look like a hot mess — the stringers (the stair balusters) that attach to the deck boards are practically random in their placement.

And boom: no more muddy feet when maintaining the garden. It actually kind of finishes the area nicely, too.

Check out these other awesome Scrap Wood projects:

The House of Wood – DIY Bunk Buddy

3×3 Custom – Scrap Wood Trivets

Ugly Duckling House – Mini Garden Deck — that’s HERE! —

The Created Home – Animal Coin Banks

Her Toolbelt – 3D Pixel Art

The Kim Six Fix – Outdoor Drink Stakes

DIY Huntress – Scrap Wood Coasters

Mr. Build It & Mrs. Style It – Bent Plywood Headphone Stand

At Charlotte’s House – Buffalo Check Tray

Sawdust 2 Stitches – Scrap Wood Wall Decor

Bower Power – Pallet Baseball Hat Rack

Pneumatic Addict – Table with Epoxy Resin

Anika’s DIY Life – DIY Spice Rack

100 Things 2 Do – DIY Can Crusher

Hazel + Gold Designs – Patio Table Drink Holder

Reality Daydream – Scrap Wood Shoe Cabinet

House Becoming Home – Modern DIY Clock

Chatfield Court – Wooden Garden Obelisk

The post Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful appeared first on Ugly Duckling House.

More Where That Came From

How to Build a Concrete Form for an Outdoor Pad

The Gardenia Garden Beds Are Thriving!

Growing Seedlings for My First Veggie Garden

DIY Floating Deck, Part 1: Planning and Layout

.yuzo_related_post img{width:170px !important; height:170px !important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{line-height:14px;background:#ffffff !important;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover{background:#ffffff !important; -webkit-transition: background 0.2s linear; -moz-transition: background 0.2s linear; -o-transition: background 0.2s linear; transition: background 0.2s linear;;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a{color:#102a3b!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a:hover{ color:#113f5e}!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover a{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo__text--title{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post:hover .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{ margin: 0px 6px 0px 6px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; } jQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){ jQuery('.yuzo_related_post .yuzo_wraps').equalizer({ columns : '> div' }); }); from Ugly Duckling House https://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/diy-mini-garden-deck/

#Ugly Duckling House

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jaclynbross1 · 7 years

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Planning Our Galley Kitchen

Our kitchen renovation has been one long ass journey, with many ups and downs, frustrations and really it's put a lot of our life on hold. But having a plan from the get-go was something that really helped us to focus on the job and keep going. It was also essential for knowing where to run electric cables, lights and plumbing too! I realised I never shared the plans for our kitchen, or how we came to design it - so this is going to be a very quick post before I share the actual kitchen installation and reveal. I think I'll do a full separate post on tips for designing your own kitchen as well as how to keep costs down. But, for now - he's the grand kitchen plan and design!

Why DIY-Kitchens.com?

So first up was selecting an actual kitchen supplier. We knew we wanted to buy from DIY-Kitchens after visiting their showroom which you can read all about here. Their kitchens are amazing quality, affordable and they have heaps and heaps of different options for cabinet sizes as well fancy units like internal pull out drawers, larders, plate racks and even dresser units. Their kitchens had the biggest selection of different colours and there's even the option to colour-match or pick your own bespoke paint as well. Unlike other suppliers, the idea behind DIY-Kitchens is that you design and plan the kitchen yourself, select the units you require in a kinda off-the-shelf type deal and then they are bespokely made and built especially for your order. You then fit it yourself, or you source your own kitchen fitter. It's simple, affordable and it works.

Choosing a Kitchen Range

I knew I wanted a shaker style kitchen, I think they look modern but also classic and are pretty much age-less. I also knew I wanted solid timber doors - I think they're a really good investment as they can be painted in the future without too much hassle and they can also be sanded if any damage does occur over the years. Affordability was a big part of our decision as well. I loved the Harewood Style kitchen but the cost was more than I was willing to pay, so instead we went for Linwood. It's not THE cheapest kitchen they sell, but it's the cheapest for solid timber - and that was something I was prepared to pay a little more for.

Grey, Grey or Grey?

If you didn't know, I love grey. Grey grey grey! So it had to be grey. But which shade of grey? Well, I wasn't prepared to go for a bespoke colour at additional costs, so that narrowed it down to the three greys they had in their standard range. Originally I thought I would go with Lamp Room Grey but after ordering a door sample in the colour, I realised it looked very different under different lights. Under a white-light it looked beautifully grey and I loved it - but under a more warm toned light, it had a very green undertone. Our lights happen to be warm lights and I really wanted them that way - particularly with the Edison bulbs that are also warm toned. So I went back to DIY-Kitchens to look at the colours again. I was particularly inspired to take a second look at the dark grey kitchens after I fell in love with a gorgeous dark grey kitchen on Instagram (to be more precise - Faith's @darcinderdiary on Instagram - or go check her blog out here!). Her kitchen is a gorgeous dark grey colour (Graphite) with white worktops, which I absolutely loved but I was really unsure whether a dark colour in our narrow and not-always that bright kitchen would work. So in some kind of rock n roll fashion, I asked Instagram to vote on it for me. And the outcome was pretty phenomenal 39 votes for Graphite to 14 votes for Lamp Room Grey. So we had a winner and I rolled with it!

Cabinet Colour

As well as door colours, DIY-Kitchens also offer a range of cabinet colours and wood effects. I really liked the look of the wood ones, just to add a bit of interest to the interior of the carcass when you open the doors. I decided to steer clear of the matching graphite colour available as I figured it'd way too dark for me to see inside otherwise! These were my top 3 picks, but Light Winchester Oak stood out to me the most. I think they work really well together and I also think it makes the units look more expensive/high end.

Wood Worktops from Worktop-Express

As beautiful and as much as I love quartz, our budget is miles too small it. I'm not really a fan of laminate, so the next obvious option was wood. We used Beech in our old house and despite the general upkeep of wood (not always for everyone!), I really loved it. This time I knew I wanted something lighter (Beech was quite orange-y toned) so ordered a whole bunch of samples from Worktop-Express. Unfortunately DIY-Kitchens don't offer many choices on wood and their prices are also more expensive. We used Worktop-Express in our old house and had no problems - they even offer a bespoke cutting service, so it can arrive and be put straight into place! The decision on which wood was pretty instant - Ash stood out to me straight away and luckily it was one of the most affordable option (second to Beech, that is!). It's light but with a gorgeous grain and I think will look perfect against the dark units. This photo does not do it justice! (And yes, it's a tad tea-stained from being used as a coaster!)

Layout & Design

So finally the fun bit - actually designing! The room that will be the kitchen is pretty much long and kinda narrow so it obviously had to be a galley kitchen - if you don't know what that is, it's a kitchen with cabinets either side of the room in a straight long kind-of runway type deal. We wanted our dining room to be a separate space, so that's why we're not bringing the kitchen out into there. On-top of that, it would have made the costs of a kitchen vastly more expensive! Designing a kitchen is much like doing a jigsaw puzzle. I took measurements of both sides of the room and positioned the appliances first; the cooker opposite the sink (keeping the sink in pretty much the same position really helps to keep costs down!), the washing machine and dishwasher either side of the sink and then the fridge against the back wall near the french door. Then I added units into the spaces we had leftover. I knew I wanted one set of pan drawers as well as a basket unit. Once those were positioned, the rest really just fell into place. We've opted for fewer larger units over many small ones - as this is also something that keeps costs down. Finally, I treated myself to wall dresser unit because well, I freaking love them and have always wanted one!

You'll notice there's no wall units - this is partly due to costs but mainly because I wanted the space to feel open. With the room being long and narrow, I was worried wall units could just aid the room into feeling claustrophobic. We have very few kitchen items anyway, so we really don't need a whole bunch of storage. We also toyed with the idea of a bench seat, which you can see on the plan above - but decided against this in the end.

Visualising the Plan

So as you can see, I pretty much designed it in an old-school kinda way. Good old pen and paper and terrible terrible drawings. I can visualise things quite well, so this worked fine for me. And I didn't feel like I needed a to-scale drawing to do the math either. However DIY-Kitchens do offer a layout grid which you can use to help you see everything to scale/see if it will fit - but if you want to see how your kitchen will actually look properly, I recommend using this 3D Kitchen Designer site. I used it to show Grant the plan, as he claims to have no visualising ability. ;)

The Style

If I had to use a couple of words to sum up how I wanted the kitchen to look, it would be classic chic, with a hint of vintage industrialism. Makes sense right? Basically I love classic chic kitchens, I love hints of industrial style interiors and I love vintage pieces. So I'm combining all three in some kind of messy mix-up. It sounds like a chaotic awful combination, but hopefully it'll look better than it sounds. We've already picked out our traditional limestone floor (go see it here!) and the kitchen style will hopefully fit with this. We've exposed the steel beam for some industrialism as well as adding some Edison bulbs. I'd also like a more industrial style tap as well. And as for the vintage, well I have a whole bag in storage of random little pieces I've been picking up from fairs and antique centres (I've written a couple about what I've been buying over the last few years, which you can see here and here) that will on full display in here too.

So now you've seen all my terrible drawings and the design ;) I'm going to do a separate post on tips for designing your own kitchen as well as one for keeping costs down. But before then, you'll be seeing our new kitchen reaaaalll soon... and I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with it! So, watch this space!

from Tips For Basements http://www.kezzabeth.co.uk/2017/08/planning-our-galley-kitchen.html

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endlessarchite · 6 years

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Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful

This “mini garden deck” made from scrap deck boards has already made a huge difference in keeping my feet dry around the new vegetable garden.

My new vegetable garden bed has been a learning process. One part of that has been realizing that this area is going to get a lot of upkeep-related foot traffic.

Recommended Tools and Materials

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scrap pressure-treated deck boards

stair balusters (other strips of scrap wood is fine, I just used what I had available)

miter saw

drill

speed square

pencil

exterior screws

plastic spacers (optional – see below)

landscaping fabric

The deck boards I used are designated for Ground Contact, which is recommended for wood projects that sit within six inches of the ground. You can find more about that here.

How to make a mini garden deck from scrap wood

Start in the middle

I began where I thought would be the middle (ish) of the L-shaped area, and cut my deck board at 45-degree angles on both ends.

From this, I cut more pieces to help form a triangle shape until the space was filled. I dry fit each board into place and then began fastening them to the strips underneath.

Spacing

Screw together and fan out

If you were to look at the back, it would look like a hot mess — the stringers (the stair balusters) that attach to the deck boards are practically random in their placement.

And boom: no more muddy feet when maintaining the garden. It actually kind of finishes the area nicely, too.

Check out these other awesome Scrap Wood projects:

The House of Wood – DIY Bunk Buddy

3×3 Custom – Scrap Wood Trivets

Ugly Duckling House – Mini Garden Deck — that’s HERE! —

The Created Home – Animal Coin Banks

Her Toolbelt – 3D Pixel Art

The Kim Six Fix – Outdoor Drink Stakes

DIY Huntress – Scrap Wood Coasters

Mr. Build It & Mrs. Style It – Bent Plywood Headphone Stand

At Charlotte’s House – Buffalo Check Tray

Sawdust 2 Stitches – Scrap Wood Wall Decor

Bower Power – Pallet Baseball Hat Rack

Pneumatic Addict – Table with Epoxy Resin

Anika’s DIY Life – DIY Spice Rack

100 Things 2 Do – DIY Can Crusher

Hazel + Gold Designs – Patio Table Drink Holder

Reality Daydream – Scrap Wood Shoe Cabinet

House Becoming Home – Modern DIY Clock

Chatfield Court – Wooden Garden Obelisk

The post Mini Garden Deck | Scrap Deck Boards Made Useful appeared first on Ugly Duckling House.

More Where That Came From

How to Build a Concrete Form for an Outdoor Pad

The Gardenia Garden Beds Are Thriving!

Growing Seedlings for My First Veggie Garden

DIY Floating Deck, Part 1: Planning and Layout

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