Washington Home & Garden Blogs

Natural stone in its purest form can be a very beautiful material or an eye sore as exemplified in Exhibit A

America. It’s a wonderful place to live. It’s a land of opportunity and freedom. Freedom. That’s not too shabby either. Although it seems here you’re even free to make unreasonable declarations about yourself or your business.

Puzzled? I simply mean that evidently it’s ok to declare yourself the “King” or the “Expert” in a particular industry without any proof. And the glass industry is not immune to this. It seems odd to me that in our field, one would call them self the “King” or the “Expert” and yet they don’t even fabricate their own frameless shower enclosures. Instead they order them from a Whole other company and then install the other company’s frameless shower for you.  King, Expert, Bologna. That would be like if I opened up a pizza place, called myself the Pizza King, but every time someone ordered a pizza, I ordered one from Pizza Hut and served it to you. Mind-bottling. You know, when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle.

Well anywho. At River Glass Designs we cut, drill, and polish all of our glass on site. Yup WE fabricate OUR units, a novel idea huh? Whether it’s for a beautiful frameless shower or for one of a kind mirrors, we have an electronic cutting table, a polisher, a beveller, a drill machine, a cut-out machine, even a sandblaster for frosted glass. More importantly we have a fabricating crew with over 30 years of experience. So I guess you could say that when it comes to frameless showers, mirrors and anything glass, River Glass Designs is the King of the Experts…NAH! But we’re pretty darn good.

When a homeowner decides to start a custom remodeling project for their home, most choose to hire a contractor for the job. Many homeowners are not aware of a type of contractor called a design build contractor that is ideal for a custom remodeling project. A typical contractor usually only handles the construction part of a project and hires a designer to create a unique design. A design build contractor combines both the design and the actual construction into one step,

Vinyl. What's the point? Do you really need it? In a word YES, in another word NO. So how do you know if you need vinyl or not. Thankfully when you are getting a frameless shower, the glass company you use will help you make that decision.

At River Glass Designs we walk each customer through this decision making process, as it will affect the look, design, and functionality of your frameless shower door. If you are building a steam unit you will have to use vinyl on most of the shower door.

Say it out loud: "GLASS," sounds good doesn't it? Now maybe we are a little biased here at River Glass Designs, but we love glass and you should too. Need some convincing? Ok then, consider this - cleaning glass is a breeze, it couldn't be easier. There's no relentless scrubbing, in fact in most cases a little denatured alcohol and a paper towel will clean up any hard-to-remove gunk.

Let's see, what else?  How about, it's beautiful. You have to agree that a well designed piece of glass, be it for a shower door, table top, mirror, or staircase, can simply take your breath away. And the real kicker is it stays beautiful. It doesn't discolor or need a fresh coat of glass to look good in a few years; it just looks great all the time. Well, if you keep it clean, and as we discussed that's the easy part. It's great for countertops too, because unlike wood it doesn't absorb germs and bacteria. But River Glass Designs, I have or want granite countertops not wood? Well glass is a much greener option than granite. Prove it, you say? Ok I will. Yes granite is not bad, it's naturally hard, there's almost no maintenance involved and it practically lasts a lifetime. Let's see what else...oh,  granite is also known to release toxic fumes like radon, granite is also dug out of the ground so there's definitely some harm being done. But glass, glorious, beautiful, glass counter tops can be made from recycled glass. It's even a greener option in your shower. A glass shower door lasts longer, much, much, longer than a plastic or fabric curtain and it's not made from any hazardous material. Plus, if it's part of a steam unit then you are saving water because less is going down the drain. Ah glass. Beautiful, Long-lasting, Easy to clean, and Recycled. Ladies and gentlemen I believe we have a winner.

Christian F.

By: Donald Lee

One thousand square feet, fifteen hundred square feet, three thousand square feet-however big your home is, you know it could always be a little bit bigger. Whether you're in the throes of parenthood and trying to find spaces to stash your kid's toys, or you're starting a home business, you could probably use an extra room or two. One way to get more space is to buy a whole new house. For those of us in the real world, though, a far more economical and practical solution is to finish the basement.

Yes, that creepy, crawly dungeon can be turned into a playroom for your children, a home office for your bustling new business, or an entertainment room for the weekend's big game. You'll just need to cover over the cold concrete floors and the gray foundation walls. Then there's the pipes hanging from the ceiling that you'll want to hide, and the washer, dryer, and storage boxes that you might want to section off.

OK, maybe this project isn't sounding so practical or economical anymore. But actually, despite the time and effort that goes into it, finishing your basement is basically easy and cheap-if you know how to go about it the right way. There are eight key considerations you ought to make if you're down with finishing your basement. They'll help you figure out how to go about it, as well as help you decide if you really want to go about it in the first place.

No. 1: Just how much value will the basement add to your home. Chances are, a finished basement will make a "cellar" want to offer more to buy your home. But by how much? To be worthwhile, make sure the increase in your home's value will over-compensate what you spent to finish your basement. Talk to neighbors who have finished their basement, or do research online or with your real-estate agent to see what houses are worth in your area, with and without finished basements.

No. 2: Have a good sense how long you will be in your home after you finish the basement. Sure, a finished basement will bump up the value of your house, but you also want to be sure you will get some value yourself out of all that new space.

No. 3: Be realistic about costs and work time. Depending on your basement, finishing it could be more intensive than you first imagine. Can you really spent (or borrow) $10,000 at this time? Do you want contractors in your home for two weeks?

No. 4: I don't need a contractor to do work I can do myself! (Oh, really?). Even handymen or women can get themselves in over their heads when it comes to major projects like finishing a basement. And don't get us wrong. You may be capable of doing all of the necessary work. But are you able-meaning, do you have the time and energy after your 9-to-5 job, your children's sports practices, and a few hours of sleep?

No. 5: Local laws may have something to say, too. Hiring a contractor or doing it yourself-whatever way you decide, you may have to comply with local or state codes for such construction. Again, a neighbor who's recently done a similar home renovation could be a wealth of information, as well as municipal or state Web sites. Following such regulations may seem like a pain, but they may help you prevent real pain that comes from injuries if you carry out your project without safety codes in mind.

No. 6: Sure, it's a good idea to finish the basement-but exactly how? Here's the fun part. Once you determine that it will be worth it to go through with the project, now you need to figure out what sort of room you want down there. Will the theme be a spare bedroom, a playroom, work-out gym, office, home theater, etc.?

No. 7: Are you being realistic about the basement's new theme? OK, it would be great to have a fitness room down there, but do you really have the room for the treadmill and the weights? Do you have the square footage for two couches and a 60-inch high-definition TV? Will you have the ceiling height to fit your 7-foot-tall bookshelves?

No. 8: Your basement can handle your vision of finished glory-great, now make it happen. Start shopping around for all your necessary appliances and furniture. Do your research on price and selection and get your best value. In many cases-such as with office furniture or fitness equipment-buying used is the way to go. Used stuff can be none the worse for wear, and at online classifieds or auction sites, you can more often than not--get great deals on it.

Steps 1 through 8-just like that, it's simple to make your house that much closer to being that figurative castle, or that is, to turn your castle's dungeon into the king's (or queen's) court!

Author Bio

Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services. Buy, Sell and trade: auto, computers, household items, real estate, pets and much more. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com - Free Buy & Sell Classifieds

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

By: Lee Dobbins

If you want to add another dimension to your bedroom but it is too small for a separate sitting area, you can create a lounging area in less space by simply using floor pillows. Not only will this create interest in a boring corner, but the pillows can help add to the design elements already in the room.

A floor pillow is simply a large cushion that can be used for relaxing on. They are great for sitting on to chat with friends or reclining on when reading a book or watching TV. They are taller than regular pillows and make great foot rests as well as decorative accents.

The color combinations and the patterns used in floor pillows almost fit any decoration, any style. They come in a variety of fabrics as well. Wool, cotton, polyester and chenille are the primary material used to make floor pillows and floor pillow covers. These pillows are plump, soft, comfy and fun - a perfect look and use for any bedroom.

Floor pillows can also be custom made. You can get them to match your other fabrics and furniture which will help give a sense of completeness to the room by repeating fabrics throughout it. They lend a casual look to the room when used in a bedroom but you can get a more formal looking pillow if you prefer that type of look. These pillows are generally sturdier and firmer and do not flop. They are more rectangular or slightly squarer and used primarily for seating purposes only.

Floor pillows with removable covers are great for the bedroom. The covers can be taken off to change the look or to be washed. These floor cushions usually have zippers but may have other types of closures such as Velcro or snaps.

Since they need to be more durable than regular pillows, floor pillows are filled with tougher stuffing. This is to ensure that the shape of the pillow does not get distorted easily. One type of floor pillow that is seeing a resurge in interest are ban bags. These are great for sitting purposes, for playing, for lying and mould to ones posture easily. Bean bags are capable of being refilled and are washable.

Floor pillows are a great choice for the bedroom since they are soft and fluffy, like your bedding and bed pillows. They are decorative by nature and can add a little pizzaz to your room while not taking up too much space. They make excellent, inexpensive alternatives for extra seating as well as add an element of whimsy to your bedroom décor.

Author Bio

Lee Dobbins writes for Bedroom Designs And Decorations where you can find more tips on decorating your bedroom.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

You may often hear the term "tempered glass" used when you're around contractors. What exactly are they talking about? Well tempered glass is essentially safety glass. It's used in applications where if the glass were to break, it could cause potential danger to someone. For example your shower enclosure should be made with tempered glass, so that if for some reason the glass should break while you're in there you can walk away virtually unharmed, instead of having the paramedics find you in an embarrassing, helpless situation.

But what is tempered glass? Well it's glass that is heated up to approximately 650 degrees, after which a sustained blast of cooling air is applied to the surface. The intense heat and rapid cooling produce compression in the glass which strengthens it. It ends up being 4 to 6 times stronger than regular glass and becomes heat resistant, which is why you can use that glass cookware of yours in the oven and microwave. And in the very rare event that it breaks it shatters into millions of tiny little pieces, instead of large shards, thus eliminating any serious injury. So when it comes to your shower door remember to temper.

Christian F.

In this economy, everyone wants to get multiple estimates. That's called being a smart consumer. But the lowest estimates won't always get you the best quality. At River Glass Designs we offer our customers the absolute best in service and the highest quality products available. One such product is the hinge used for our frameless showers. In the past many hinges would warp or bend if tightened too much and because you couldn't over tighten they would at times cause the glass door to slip over time. Our hinges are masterfully constructed to withstand heavy usage; they are made of forged brass and do not warp or bend. They also have a positive glass grip gasket which virtually eliminates door slippage. And they come with a lifetime warranty. The most impressive feature is our two hinge system has a 100lb weight capacity while other hinges used by many companies only have a 60 - 80lb capacity. So when you are considering where to get that beautiful new heavy frameless shower, just remember how much ours hold.

By Christian of River Glass Designs, Inc.

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