Shopping Maniac

Great products, Bargains and gift ideas


You are here: Home / Archives for Home Improvement / Flooring

Berber Rugs Can Benefit Your Home

by






Designing a home is a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack. It can be difficult to find so many interior design “soulmates” all at once. If you’re a perfectionist at heart, you may want to find a sofa that’s ideal. You may want to find ideal cabinets, rugs and beyond as well. The rug world is a large one. There are countless options in rugs available to shoppers. People can choose between natural fiber rugs, kilims, flat woven rugs and more. They can also select Moroccan rugs. If you want to decorate your residence with a Moroccan rug that’s full of authentic North African beauty and charm, you should look into Berber floor coverings as soon as possible. These tribal rugs are the work of the Beni Ourain peoples. They’ve been institutions for these people for thousands of years.

Beni Ourain rugs are visually stunning. Looking at them up close can feel like an otherworldly and ethereal journey. They display geometric patterns and shapes that are arresting and dramatic. They’re white and off-white floor coverings that don’t overwhelm you with intense color, either. If you want to buy a home rug that’s a terrific blend of unassuming and attractive, a Beni Ourain rug may be part of your future.

These rugs offer multiple benefits. They can be suitable for warm and cold weather. If you live in a cold location, there are many Beni Ourain rug options that can help you stay toasty and comfortable. If you reside in a warm or hot location, on the other hand, you have access to just as many great Beni Ourain rug choices. Berber rugs help people who live in the mountains of North Africa feel warm. Lighter rugs help people who live in the arid and scorching hot deserts of North Africa feel cool and relaxed.

These Moroccan rugs generally are constructed using cotton or wool. They’re easy to find in interior design retailers all around the world nowadays. Moroccan rug fans can’t stop discussing all of their positive qualities. They can’t resist talking about how beautiful they are. They love talking about their durability as well. These rugs are extremely sturdy. They can manage considerable daily foot traffic in the home. If you live with a handful of mischievous youngsters who adore running around and releasing all of their energy after long days at school, you’ll undoubtedly welcome a Berber rug into your life.
Young children are often quite messy, too. They drop their food on the floor. They spill juice. If you want to protect your home from unattractive and lasting stains, you should think seriously about making a Berber rug purchase. These rugs don’t soak stains up easily. Cleaning them is also usually straightforward and hassle-free. A little H20 and a cloth can generally work.

If you want your home to look exotic, classic and elegant all at the same time, the Moroccan Berber rug world is calling your name. Berber rugs are a dream for passionate interior design aficionados.






The Pros & Cons Of The Top 5 Exotic Wood Flooring Options

by

Solid hardwood flooring is all the rage these days. Exotic hardwood in particular has become extremely popular in flooring for home and business. When you are thinking about using exotic solid hardwoods for your flooring, you should consider what your budget will allow, what colors will best suit your space, the level of durability you need, and what types of wood are best for the room. But you should also take ethics into consideration, for many exotic hardwoods are harvested in ways that decimate their forests of origin. As such, your choice should be guided by your needs as well as potential ecological consequences. Fortunately, it can be easy to satisfy both.

1. Zebrawood

Pro: Distinctive grain, consistent color
Con: Unsustainably harvested

The wood with the striped grain has an undoubtedly checkered past. As a beautiful flooring option, zebrawood has been so overharvested that existing forests are being destroyed to meet desire in the West for this precious commodity. If you must have Zebra on your floors, buy from a company that “upcycles,” meaning that they derive their wood from pieces that have already been cut and used for other purposes.

2. Brazilian Cherry/Jatoba

Pro: Similar to mahogany in presentation
Con: Color change, white spots, gapping

Brazilian Cherry (also called Jatoba) is not technically a type of the domestic Cherry. In presentation, it is much more similar to mahogany, and is equally hard and resilient. That hardness can make it difficult to install and puts pressure on fittings, which can lead to gapping between boards. And like other brightly-colored hardwoods, it is sensitive to light and therefore susceptible to color change. Additionally, Brazilian Cherry is vulnerable to buildup of calcium carbonate, which leaves white spots that are difficult to remove.

3. Rosewood

Pro: Beautiful color and scent
Con: History of unsustainable harvesting

If you are looking for an exotic hardwood that will make your house look and smell beautiful, consider Rosewood. Its name is derived not from the coloring, but from the distinguishing scent of roses that emanates from the wood. Rosewood has a gorgeous natural polish. Like zebrawood, Rosewood has a history of unsustainable harvesting, but recently producers have been growing the wood sustainably on farms.

4. Tiger Wood

Pro: One of the most durable exotic hardwoods
Con: Unsustainably harvested, color change, white spots

It seems that most of the exotic hardwoods that are best for flooring have a questionable history. Tiger wood is no exception. The wood from this African tree has, you guessed it, been unsustainably harvested. Its durability and color has made Tiger wood a very attractive option for flooring. However, like Brazilian Cherry, it is susceptible to color change and white spots over time.

5. Teak Wood

Pro: Water-resistant, long-lasting
Con: White spots, gapping, potential allergic reaction

Teak wood originates in Southeast Asia. But more recently, it is also grown sustainably in Brazil. Additionally, upcycled Teak is readily available. This wood is resistant to both water and insects, and is long-lasting, making it ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. Its density, however, can make it difficult to install and leaves Teak at risk for gapping.

Whether you choose Brazilian Cherry, Rosewood, Zebra, Tiger or Teak, your hardwood floors will be a statement of character to anyone who sees them. And with some careful choices, it will reflect your moral considerations as well.

This article was written by Nicole, a blogger who has spent many years researching the home improvement industry, including everything from DIY home improvement projects to the best options for timber flooring in Perth.

Tips for Buying Carpets

by

They’re soft and they instantly transform any space into something luxurious and elegant. It’s no wonder why carpets have become very popular among homeowners who are thinking of decorating their new house or reinventing their not-so-new space. But before you head out to any of the shops selling carpet New Zealand has to offer, here are some things that you ought to know:

1. Buy from a reputable source.

These days, you can buy carpets from just about any home improvement or hardware store. You can even find carpets being sold at department stores and even online. But before you start shopping your best bet is always to buy from a known carpet store. Not only will they carry a wide assortment of carpet styles in their inventory but their staffers are also more likely to be able to answer your carpet-related questions efficiently. And especially when you’re decorating without the aid of an interior designer, you need all the carpet-related expertise that you can get.

2. Think about the maintenance requirements before buying.

Since you’ll be stuck with the carpet you buy for a very long time and changing carpets every year won’t be such a practical solution, you need to know before buying a carpet its maintenance requirements. If you’re a busy person, then you ought to look for a carpet which requires minimal cleaning. You should also look for stain-resistant carpets if you have little kids or pets around the house. Also go for dirt-resistant carpets for high-traffic areas.

3. Find out about the warranties.

Every shop will have their definition of what a warranty is and what it covers. “Wear” is one of the terms which you will doubtless encounter but while you may relate this term as to when your carpet loses its original and “new” appearance, your seller may only think that your carpet is worn out once it exhibits bald spots. The crushing warranty also specifies that there is no problem with your carpet for as long as its pile can still be restored to its original fashion. And since hot water extractions and pile raking can always restore almost every carpet’s pile into its original state then your seller may yet again be able to dodge having to honor the warranty.

4. Choose special carpeting for your stairs.

Because your stairs is a high-traffic area, you need to find a carpet which can resist all that foot traffic. Woven wool carpets are suitable for stairs because not only are they thick but they are also very durable. Thick carpets are crucial for stairs because the backing becomes very visible at the curved regions of the stairs if the carpet is too thin. Unfortunately, you’ll have to shell out a considerable amount of money for woven wool carpets.

Phil Farell shares great home improvement ideas on his blog. He especially loves to write tips about Carpet New Zealand

Carpet Cleaning Company Services Can Keep Carpets In Great Shape

by

Persian carpets

Installing carpeting or adding area rugs to your home can be one of the things that can instantly make a big impact, in terms of creating a feeling of warmth, comfort and hospitality in your home. Rugs and carpets can tie together a design theme and create a wonderful ambiance. They can also provide welcomed relief to tired feel after a long day. By making use of the services of a carpet cleaning company, you can make sure your carpets stay in great shape for many years to come.

A carpet cleaning service can come in particularly handy when there have been some mishaps and you find yourself looking at stains on your new carpets, beautiful Oriental rugs, or expensive Persian carpets. If you have tried everything you know to get a stubborn stain out, then it is time to call in the services of professional carpet cleaners.

Any carpet cleaning company has all of the equipment and the various cleaning chemicals that will be needed for any carpet cleaning task that you need to have done. But more important than the carpet cleaning equipment they have or the selection of cleaning solutions that they can use is the years of experience that these professionals have and can utilize in taking care of your floor coverings.

There are many different ways of cleaning carpets professionally, yet not all carpet cleaning companies are set up to provide all of the various services. Some of the companies will specialize in just one approach, while other carpet cleaning service companies will be able to do just about anything you can think of in terms of getting rugs and carpets looking their best again.

One of the oldest and still most widely used approaches to cleaning carpets is carpet shampooing. While there are many carpet cleaning services that offer shampooing, you can also rent a machine, buy the carpet shampoo and do the job yourself. Shampooing is the simplest and most common approach and is perfect for many situations.

There have been instances of the shampooing product causing damage to the carpeting, so you need to be sure that you read the instructions carefully and that you know exactly what type of material your rugs and carpets are made from. Also, sometimes, really nasty stains will seem to have been removed by the carpet cleaning, but then will reappear a few days later. If you are not sure of the type of carpet you have or if you have stubborn stains, then it will probably be a better to hire a professional service for carpet cleaning.

Dry carpet cleaning is a method that is becoming a popular alternative to carpet shampooing. Technicians from the carpet cleaning companies will spread a power-like material all over the surface of the floor covering and then uses special carpet cleaning equipment to work the powder into the carpeting and then dry vacuum to remove the powder, which ideally ends up removing all of the dirt and debris, plus any stains as well.

For heavily soiled carpets, bonnet carpet cleaning is the preferred method because it can achieve deeper cleaning than the other methods. With this approach, the carpet cleaning equipment produces steam which is combined with a detergent that deeply penetrates the fibers of the rugs and carpeting. Once the cleaning solution has been steamed into the floor covering, the machine then uses suction to extract the detergent as well as all of the dirt and grime that it loosened.

No matter which approach for cleaning carpets you choose, be sure to hire a reputable carpet cleaning company to do the work for you. Make sure that the company has a long and positive track record, and anyone they send into your home has the proper experience and are licensed and bonded to perform the work.

Slate Floor Tiles, Natural Stone Flooring: Heavy Duty With Soft Beautiful Colour

by

There is nothing more beautiful than a natural stone floor.  Slate floor tiles are becoming increasingly more popular because of their heavy duty durability and their great amount of colour variation.As the riverbed sediment is compressed and heated by the earth’s crust slate stone is formed naturally.  It is usually textured and has veining of colours; however there are some colour variations that almost seem solid unless inspected closely.  There are over two dozen different shades of slate floor tiles, colours in black, grey, pink, gold, purple, rust, red and variations of the above. 

Slate Floor Tiles Are Lifelong

Slate floor tiles have a reputation for being heavy duty and lasting an extremely long time under heavy traffic.  They are often used in commercial applications, however large homes are now starting to put them in their kitchens and using them as bathroom floor tiles.  Even the DIY (DO-IT-YOURSELF) crowd is getting in on laying slate floor tiles.  They will last a lifetime in a regular home and last decades under most commercial applications.

Special Care For Slate Floor Tiles

Using such natural tile as slate floor tiles there are some things that need to be done after laying them.  Slate floor tiles need to be sealed with an appropriate sealer.  The sealers used after laying slate floor tiles come in three finishes; high gloss which offers a high sheen to the floor, semi-gloss which offers a little bit of light reflection but is dulled, and natural which is flat.  In most applications flat is used, however some people and some colours do call for a high gloss application to make the room standout and bring the slate flooring tiles to the forefront, rooms like bathrooms are one place that a high gloss or medium gloss may be used.

Cost Of Slate Floor Tiles

To install slate flooring tilecosts about $3.00 per square foot for the tile and up depending on the thickness and colour.Supplies other than this are just like that for ceramic tile plus the sealer.To get slate installed professionally is approximately $5.For one square foot 99 and more.  It is well worth the money to have slate installed as floor tile, backsplash, or wall tile.  All rooms can use slate if that is your choice especially with the advent of radiant heating systems.If you want that your home shines with natural beauty for life time or more, here is a product.

Meta

Pages