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Jennifer Parker

Choosing the Perfect Backsplash for Your Kitchen

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A backsplash is a great way to introduce style into your kitchen and increase the value of your home. Finding the right backsplash takes time and patience, but when done correctly is well worth the results.
Image via Flickr
Image via Flickr

Decisions Decisions

Choosing a backsplash is very different from picking out a new pair of drapes–you are probably not going to change your backsplash again for quite some time; you need to proceed with caution. Taking the time to shop around and weigh all your options can make all the difference between simply liking your backsplash and truly loving it. Get a large sample for each material you are considering and put it on the wall. Live with it for a week or so and see which ones you still love.

How to Stay Neat and Tidy While Living in Close Quarters

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You would think that living in close quarters means there’s less to clean up, right?  Wrong! Believe it or not, smaller spaces are actually much harder to clean because clutter accumulates quicker, which can give off the appearance that your place is actually much dirtier than it looks.  Organization is key to keeping any living space clean, and whether you live alone or with friends, maintaining a tidy home means constantly picking up after yourself. Experts know that the best way to keep a small place nice and tidy is to clean, and clean often.

Image via Flickr

Stick to a Schedule

To keep your place looking its best, it’s important to set up a cleaning schedule to help keep on top of things.  By allocating a few minutes a day to a particular project, you’ll help keep your space it’s cleanest.  If you’re one of those people who prefers to have things written out in order to do them, set up a cleaning calendar that shows which area to clean and what day to clean them, this works particularly well when living with other roommates because it helps coordinate your entire living space.

Hardwood Flooring [INFOGRAPHIC]: Confident Choice for Eco-Friendly Homes

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Hardwood floors are both eco-friendly and easy to maintain.  In fact, hardwood growth in the U.S. has drastically increased over the last 50 years, making hardwood products like flooring a strong benefactor for a better, healthier environment.  Because the rate of hardwood growth in the U.S. is now drastically higher than the rate of forest removal, hardwood products are big contributors to the long-term sequestration of carbon.

More on Hardwood Floors

Not only do hardwood floors come in a wide variety of styles, they also increase the value of your home by up to 70%.  The three main types of hardwood floors are solid hardwood, engineered wood, and bamboo flooring; each comes in a wide array of styles and options.  Hardwood floors require very little upkeep and do wonders at opening up a particular room. The Janka Hardness Test is used to measure a particular hardwood’s ability to withstand wear and tear, helping you to find the right type of flooring to suit your particular needs. The ecological and monetary benefits are just a few of the advantages of hardwood floors, making them a wonderful choice for your home.

HardwoodFlooringInfographic
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Properly Caring For Your Hardwood Floors

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Floors were made for walking. With all the foot traffic that your beautiful floors endure, it’s only right that you give them some serious TLC.  When it comes to maintaining your floors, there are a variety of methods based on the type of flooring that you have installed in your home. The task of caring for your hardwood flooring has the potential to be time consuming. Knowing the proper techniques for cleaning your flooring will prevent you from stressing over the task. You will have the advantage of taking care of this chore quickly and with ease.

It is important that you are familiar with the correct kinds of products to use on hardwood surfaces. You have the option of purchasing products or even creating your own.

how to care for hardwood floorsFinding the Right Surface Cleaner

You want to be sure that you are aware of the kind of hardwood flooring you have in your home. This is essential to choosing the correct cleaner. Some cleaners contain ingredients that are harsh on surfaces while others provide a gentler alternative.

Combining water and vinegar is popular as a homemade cleaner. The two can be used as a cleaning agent for polyurethane floors. Though this is a method that works, prolonged use of vinegar on hardwood surfaces can begin to eat away at your floor’s finish.

You should clean waxed floors with a substance intended specifically for that surface. These products typically remove dirt while at the same time coating the floor with a new layer of wax.

When polishing your floors be sure to use those that are water-based. There are also advantages to using urethane-based polishes. These polishes dry fast and don’t leave a buildup on your floors.