By Guest

It is vital that you clean your ceiling fan and wall sconce carefully. Most people do not take the time to properly clean these fixtures. If not cleaned the right way then you may slowly damage your expensive lighting fixtures. It is important to use the right type of cleaning products and tools. Take you time and do not rush your way through this task. It is important to have a sturdy ladder or base to stand on. This will help avoid harm from falling to the floor. Try to have someone near by to help you stay safe and stable. Following the cleaning instructions given to you at the time of purchase it the best way to preserve these fixtures.

Metal parts of your lighting fixtures should be cleaned with a soft cloth. Moisten it with lukewarm water and a mild soap solution. Carefully go over all metal parts very slowly. This will help avoid any unwanted accidents to the glass of your wall sconce. Take you time to look over your work and then dry all metal parts. Use a dry soft cloth to dry and buff your wall sconce. It is important to never use a metal cleaning solution on a wall sconce or ceiling fan. These polishes contain abrasives that may harm the finish on these delicate lighting fixtures.

If you ceiling fan or wall sconce has any wood components then wood polish is fine. Avoid getting any of the wood polish on the metal part of the fixture. Wipe away any residue that is left behind from the polish. This will help avoid any damage to the glass and metals surfaces. Glass surfaces can be cleaned carefully in a sink. Lay a thick towel at the bottom of the sink and fill with warm water. Next add a bit of mild cleaning solutions and wipe carefully. Quickly dry and reattach all glass fixtures.

Your ceiling fan and wall sconce will look just like new after using these cleaning methods. Cleaning should be done weekly to monthly depending on the amount of dust that normally accumulates in its environment.

This article has been provided by Julia Ritzenthaler, owner and founder of several online boutique home furnishing stores including http://www.UniqueLightFixture.com/ visit or call 1-866-526-1843 for more information.

The winners of the National 2010 Awards for Design and Decorating were recently announced on April 26th, at a gala held by The Canadian Decorators’ Association (CDECA).

Entries for all six categories were judged independently and this year’s submissions really wowed the panel. Winners in each category received a trophy and a cash prize, sponsored by CDECA affiliates.

Winners from each category are as follows:

Winning entry for “Decorators Dilemma,” by MaryLynne Meschino of Allegro Interiors in Toronto. Award sponsored by Pittsburgh Paints.

“Design Excluding Kitchen” winner is Elizabeth Metcalfe of Elizabeth Metcalfe Interiors and Design, based in Caledon, ON. Award sponsored by Watermarks Kitchen & Bath Boutique.

“Design Kitchens Plus” is Patricia Miragliotta of Interior Images, which is based out of Ottawa. Award sponsored by Karndean.

In the category of “Decorating Under $25,000,” the winning entry was submitted by Melissa Hertzberger of M.D.H. Interiors Inc. in Kitchener, ON. Award sponsored by Royal Lighting.

“Decorating Over $25,000” The winning entry was submitted by Linda Crammond of Linda Crammond Interiors, based in Toronto. Award sponsored by Sun Glow Window Covering.

In the “Student” category, the winner was Nikki Fisher (award sponsored by ICS Canada).

About CDECA
The Canadian Decorators’ Association (CDECA) is a professional not-for-profit association representing both Student and Accredited decorators and designers, and Affiliate businesses across Canada. Its goal is to foster the growth of the decorating industry in Canada; provide advocacy respecting policy matters; promote a positive image of the industry through proactive activities and events; and offer its members continuous upgrading of skills and knowledge. Visit www.cdeca.com.

by Robert Wright

Many times when a homeowner is planning or thinking about a project they may think “that shouldn’t take too long” or “that shouldn’t cost a lot”. Then they get a surprise, sometimes a nasty surprise when the invoice or budget is produced.

What was missed?

When a professional renovator looks at a project for a client, they not only look at the work to be done, but also where the project is, what time of year it is to be completed, what kind of preparation and clean up is there, and are there any time restraints?

So lets look at what a pro renovator sees….stuff you may not expect to be an issue. A simple home repair can cause some of the biggest surprises. You have a damaged stipple ceiling, one too many rubs from the Christmas tree or the tub up stairs leaked. The repair work will involve stripping off the stipple, maybe patching the drywall or plaster and then reshooting the stipple. Maybe you will also have the ceiling painted. You would figure that this work would be done in a couple of hours and the materials of $50.00. For the work you would be right, what you would not realize is the amount of preparation and clean up involved. This would include furniture removal, floor protection install, wall protection from the over spray, and then final clean up. This can easily be 4 hours of work for at least one man. So $150 of repair work will require $250 to $500 of prep and clean up in addition. Yikes.

You want to change some windows and the front door of your home. You have now ordered them and they are expected to be delivered in January. The contractor says yes we can install them in winter, just close some doors in the rooms and we won’t freeze you out. What you don’t know is that the installer moves much slower in the winter…because its cold! The exterior caulking takes forever to apply even if it is kept warm in the house or truck; the nails and screws are difficult to use when you wear gloves; and the spray foam insulation may not expand enough in the cold. More time is required, in difficult weather to complete the same tasks, so hours get added to the invoice.

You would like a simple small addition or bump out on the rear of your home. The problem is that there is only 5’ between your home and your neighbour. There is no room to bring any equipment to the work area; but we can get men and wheel barrows in. For what could normally be done by a piece of excavating equipment in 8 hours by one man will now take 4 days by two men operating equipment with wooden booms. In addition, when you need to place the concrete, you can’t back the truck up to the form and install the concrete directly.

You will either need to hire a concrete pump at least twice, to place the concrete, or you will have to have an army of men to push wheel barrows to move the concrete to its final location.

Sometimes you want a project completed within a specific time frame i.e. the kitchen has to be ready for Christmas and you have been delayed in starting the project because of back ordered materials. To make up the lost time, the guys on site will now have to work overtime to complete the project within the timeframe. To work overtime, the guys will want more money, which can range from time and a half to double time and a half for the overtime hours. It would not take long to double up the labour costs with overtime.

The single largest reason for cost or budget overruns is labour. With materials, it is easy to calculate the amount needed, the cost, and the delivery. The install time of materials can be quite flexible, especially when any thing out of the ordinary is required. Also the set up and clean up time can be many times more than the actual work. So when you are looking at a project, consider the other things that need to be done to complete that simple project.

About the Author

Rob Wright has grown up around construction and in the mid 1990’s, Rob joined and took over Citadel Renovations in Ottawa. Rob has presented seminars at the local home shows on various renovations subjects and is a contributor to the Home Renovation Guide. Rob has been active in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association for many years and previously served as the Renovation Council Chair. For more information, visit CitadelRenovations.com.

Looking for a local contractor? Visit the Home Renovation Guide’s Complete Directory or Get a Free Quote.

by Guest

Contemporary is a big word in the decorating world. Many folks have chosen this beautiful look for their homes. The straight and clean lines and simple flavor makes this a very popular style to work with. When the word simple is used it does not mean that it is unsophisticated. It means that it is clean and direct, giving your home an uncluttered feeling and a purposeful design. A design touch you can use to make the bathroom in your home feel beautiful and contemporary is the by adding a vessel sink and faucet, a unique look of simple design with a classy modern feel.

What are we talking about are vessel sinks that have the appearance of a bowl that sits on the counter top instead of under the counter. They come in a variety of shapes, round bowls, square, custom shapes, and many others. They can be purchased clear, colored in just about any design, and any thickness you may like. If you look at an internet site that offers pictures of these bowls, you will have a lot of considering to do. The options just go on and on. You can buy these in marble, stone, ceramic, china, and just about any other hard, durable material. Glass is popular for the clear look. Enamel is also used frequently. White is used most often, offering that contemporary feel, and matching any bathroom scheme you have created.

Each different material used for these vessel sinks will have its pros and cons. You will want to make sure you follow all the care instructions that may come with your particular choice. Marbles and granites are strong and make for a good sink; however, if they chip it will need to be repaired, a good retailer will be there to help you find a stone craftsman to help. This is not too difficult to do, it just takes time. You will find that the materials used to make vessel sinks are very strong when put into sink form, removing most of this worry. Do not be afraid to try a few different looks before settling on the one you like best. Make sure when you buy your sink, that there is a return policy. Most online retailers, especially a good one, will help you and work with you until you find the perfect item for your space and design. Look into some of the beautiful faucets that are available as well. Getting that purchase right will make the right statement in your bathroom.

This is article has been provided by Julia Ritzenthaler, owner and founder of several online boutique home furnishing stores including http://www.UniqueLightFixture.com/ visit or call 1-866-526-1843 for more information.

by Will Jerome

Republished with permission from the original Granite Transformations blog post: From LA Dodgers Pitcher to Precious Stone Tycoon: The Matt White Story

Matt White as a Los Angeles Dodger in 2005

Back in 2007, a story broke on the national sports news wire. Matt White, a journeyman pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had pitched seven games in nine Major League seasons and seemed destined to cling to his baseball dreams at no higher than a triple-A level. In 2003, he had purchased a 50-acre plot of land in Cummington, Massachusetts from his aunt for $50,000. White’s aunt desperately needed the money to move to a nursing home, and he happily provided it, but perhaps she might have been served better sticking with the Northern Massachusetts property. While attempting to build a home on the land in 2004 White noticed that the ground was peculiarly hard and immovable. He found rock ledges on the property and decided to learn more about the spacious land he was now in possession of. He hired a surveyor to come inspect his property to gather more info and to hopefully shed some light on his building troubles. He was shocked when he heard the surveyor’s report.

Matt White’s new 50-acre property was sitting on top of an estimated 24 million tons of 400 million year old Goshen Stone – with an estimated value of over $2 billion!

Initially, White said that his one true calling was baseball and that he wouldn’t be hanging up his cleats just for some real estate fortune he had by chance happened upon. The manager of the Dodger’s Grady Little was quoted saying “The kid has a genuine love for the game. He’s quite a competitor, he’s always striving to get better. It’s not about money for him. He’s prepared himself well coming into camp and he’ll be going after somebody’s job. He’ll be given an opportunity.” Little added, “Along the way, if anybody needs landscaping stone, we know where to find it.” Unfortunately that opportunity never came for Matt White. Since the story broke, he has not pitched in another Major League game. Over time, his focus more sternly shifted to being a legitimate stone entrepreneur.

Shortly after the discovery of his quarry, and amidst the swirling chatter of his new found billions, (teammates call him Mr. Billionaire) an article was written by Matt Reis, editor of StoneWorld.com, titled “Stick to Baseball, Matt.” Reis cites a study of Colorado- based stone discoveries noting that 20 out of 20 of the sites surveyed none of them, zero, were commercially viable – speculating that White’s property might be worthless if it’s uneconomical for commercial quarrying. At first glance this article might be filed in the “sour grapes” category, but upon reading further Mr. Reis has a point.

Excavating efforts at White’s Swift River Quarry

The original $2 billion-plus estimate was mightily overblown, as he said that money for machinery, labor, proper plans for excavation, and processing the stone to make it ready for retail sale all eat up a healthy portion of that original figure – which was too high to begin with.

Reis was partially correct in thinking  that the find wasn’t worth nearly $2 billion, but he was wrong in assuming that the property wouldn’t be commercially viable. Around the time of the discovery Matt White began Swift River Stone, a small-scale stone supply company. He brought his father  in to help manage, an occupation he holds to this day. Right away they made $600,000 selling stone of various cuts and varieties, and sales have been steady since. With just him and his father working the machines and overseeing the vast amount of excavating, the business truly stays within the family.

A patio using White’s excavated Goshen Stone

I talked to Matt White and he was candid about his unusual situation.

“It was tough on my family, you know, being around town and people [assuming] we had all this money. It was hard on my parents,” White said.

Initially he hated all of that “Mr. Billionaire” talk and the overblown media stories of buried stone treasure, but today he sees this for the opportunity that it is: a great property to excavate stone and turn a generous profit, all while keeping it comfortably within the family. The property is currently on the market for “the right price,” but there’s no urgent rush to unload the land and the stone just yet – not when the business only continues to grow.

The ESPN headline about White’s lucky find.

White still wakes up every day and trains like the pitcher he hopes to still become. After a year of surgeries and setbacks he hopes to sign an Independent League contract and show Major League scouts that, besides the hype surrounding his quarry, he can still strike professional batters out with the best of them. He most recently took the mound for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan, but was released in August of 2008.  After turning down a spot on the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, a baseball team in Taiwan, this past January, White chose to stay home to continue to oversee the quarry, which he said will provide enough rock to excavate and sell throughout him and his children’s lifetimes. He now embraces his situation and understands the quality investment he’s stumbled upon. He said he’s always trying to meet new people in the industry and tries to expand his business sales flow as much as he can, as well as expanding the variety and quality of the products he offers.

Matt White working on his pitching delivery during spring training with the Dodgers, a club he hopes to one day return to.

From America’s pastime to the American Dream, stone has changed the life of one man, and provided a great example of the eye-popping riches juxtaposed with the buckets-of-sweat inducing labor that comes part-and-parcel with rock excavation. We wish you only the best of luck in the quarry and on the mound, Mr. White.

About the Author

Will Jerome is the mild-mannered moderator of the Granite Transformations blog.