The Right Finish for Your Natural Wood Floors

If you are lucky enough to be able to have a natural wood floor you need to spend a little time choosing the finish you have applied to it. Here we explain, briefly, why the finish is so important and give you some tips to help you to make the right choice.

Why the Finish Matters

There are two main reasons to take your time and choose the right finish. The first reason is that the finish is what provides protection for your wooden floor. If you choose the right finish, your floor will look good for decades.

The other reason is aesthetics. How your floor looks will be greatly affected by the finish you choose. That is why professional firms like Victorian Woodworks offer such a wide range of finishes to their customers.

Traffic Type and Volume

Where your wooden floor is located is a big consideration. If your floor is in a high traffic area, you may need to protect it with a commercial finish. Good quality water borne polyurethane finish works best for this kind of situation. On the other hand, if your floor is in a low traffic area you can go with a more natural wax finish or a simple stain.

Environmental Conditions

Environmental conditions also play a big role in the type of floor finish you choose. If your floor is in a kitchen or hallway where water can get onto it you will need a waterproof finish. Heat and cold are other environmental factors that need to be borne in mind.

Ease of Maintenance

It is also important to consider how easy the finish is going to be to maintain. If you choose a stain, you may have to have it re-done after a few years, if you are not going to be able to afford this that finish will not work for you.

Giving Your Home A Makeover? Don't Forget To Revamp Your Floors Too!

When people revamp the rooms in their homes, they sometimes forget to put some thought into flooring ideas. Many people will usually opt for a cheap, hard-wearing carpet. And they will spend most of their cash decorating the walls and ceilings instead.
These days there are plenty of options available to you when it comes to interior flooring. The only trouble is; which option is right for you? I’m afraid I can’t give you a definite answer because each room in your home will have specific flooring needs. For example, you wouldn’t want to fit carpet in the bathroom.

In today’s blog post, I will give you information on the different forms of flooring that you can buy. And I will also discuss the pros and cons of each option.

Carpet

Homeowners will use carpets for most rooms in their homes. They are nice to walk on when the weather is cold, and you can get them in a wide range of styles and colors. The more expensive carpets have deeper piles and last longer than cheaper ones with short piles.

When fitted with a quality underlay, they are soft and comfortable to walk on. But there are some downsides to fitting carpets.

If you choose light or cream-colored carpet, you will notice stains on them more than ones with darker colors. That means you have no choice but to spend more time vacuuming and cleaning them!

Some cheaper carpets don’t last long. In fact, I recommend avoiding bargain priced carpets with short piles because buying them is a false economy.

Wood

When you strip away the carpets in your home, you will often find wood floorboards lurking underneath them. Some folks prefer to sand and varnish their wood floorboards, especially if they're made of oak.

If your wood floorboards have seen better days, it’s always possible to replace them or fit new, thinner boards on top of them. Wood flooring has the advantage of longevity and ease of cleaning. You can use a mop or brush to clean any dirt from wood floors, and so you can dispense with the need for a vacuum cleaner.

The major downside to wood flooring is cost. Oak, walnut maple and hickory wood is quite expensive to buy.

Mosaic tiles

In some parts of your home, such as high-traffic areas like hallways and living rooms, it would be wise to fit mosaic tiles. They are affordable and can get fitted by any competent tiler. Mosaic tiles have a distinctive and attractive pattern.

You will see homes in Mediterranean countries using mosaic floor tiles. They are great for making small rooms look bigger, and are a welcome change from traditional flooring options. The cost of buying and fitting mosaic tiles isn’t much more expensive than with carpets.

If you decide to go down the mosaic tile route, make sure the tiles are “sealed” so that any dirt or chemicals do not get ingrained into them.

Hopefully, these different flooring options will give you some inspiration when you redecorate your home.

What Do You Need to Consider to Design the Ultimate Barbeque Area? Read on to Find Out

It is never too early to start thinking about fine weather and barbeques with friends; infact, the earlier you start planning, the better the chances of building the perfect space. Designing the perfect barbeque area is not as simple as laying the flooring (important though it is) and lighting the barbeque. There are other considerations, and here are a few for you to consider.

Size

The size of your barbeque area will depend on the size of your garden, and you will find that a compromise is often needed between the lawn and the area you are designing. Your barbeque area should be big enough to hold all of your guests, which can be difficult without encroaching on your lawn, but not so big that it dominates your back garden. Most people find that they have their visitors spilling onto their lawn, which is fine if you are prepared to have your lawn ruined, but it is usually better to have some strategic seating on your lawn for overspill. This will help to maintain the lawn while accommodating guests who may be feeling a little cramped; a perfect compromise

Material

Most barbeque areas are built from stone, and there are many good reasons for this. Keeping the area clean can be difficult because of food waste, but stone is generally easy to clean, and power washers can be used as often as you want. Maintenance is another important consideration, and stone will last a long time in all types of weather and doesn’t suffer from attack by pests or decay. There is also the added bonus that visiting a site like Easy pave will open up a world of different stones, colours, and designs, which you can use to make your barbeque area look exactly the way you want.

Lighting

If your barbeque is going to continue into the evening and on into the night, you will have to think about your lighting sources. Outdoor lighting is not too expensive to install, and with the advent of LED lighting, you do not need huge lamps to illuminate your party. You can find some excellent examples of outdoor lighting online, and whether you want to have a bright light over your cooking area, or subtle lighting that will create a chilled out mood for your guests, you can find a solution to your problems

Cover

At least a portion of your new project will need to be under cover. Unfortunately, we cannot rely on the weather to stay fine during the summer, so planning ahead will mean your barbeque can continue even in a rain storm. A permanent roof with open walls is one solution, but you will still need to have an open roofed area; otherwise you are not really having a barbeque. Retractable roofing is a great idea, and it is available with an automatic mechanism that will open it in a matter of minutes. This really is the best of both worlds as the cover will save your guests from a soaking, but will fold out of sight when not in use.

Entertainment

Many successful barbeques have had no more entertainment than great barbeque food and cheerful banter, but you are trying to build the perfect barbeque area, and not including entertainment would be wrong. Obviously, you will want to have some music for your guests, but you can expand on that, and have a large outside screen for sporting events or to watch a live concert. Pool tables and table football are always great fun when playing with friends, and take up very little space. If you have a little more space, you could set up a makeshift skittle alley, but for maximum entertainment a swimming pool is hard to beat; and will give you maximum kudos. By designing your ultimate barbeque area, you are helping your friends have the time of their lives; and isn’t that what friends are for?

The North-South Divide – Do You Need a Luxury Kitchen Up North?

Ask any foreign visitor to name the places they have heard of in the UK and they will undoubtedly wax lyrical about London. There are of course plenty of beautiful places in the UK, but apart from the most obvious tourist attractions such as London, a lot of towns and cities in the north of England are largely ignored. This is a bit unfair really because counties such as Cheshire in the North West have lots to offer, which is why so many Premier League footballers choose to live there.

There is a common misconception that outside of London, luxury homes are few and far between. However, Cheshire is one of the luxury home hotspots in the north of England and if you are looking to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, but you don’t want to live in London, there are plenty of villages and small towns in Cheshire with more than their fair share of prestigious residents.

Prestigious Cheshire Residents

Cheshire is the ideal place to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, and you can bet that these people have luxury homes, fitted out with designer luxury interiors. Just a few of the most famous residents in the county include:

• Lord and Lady Ashbrook – They live in Arley Hall, one of the county’s main tourist attractions. The current hall dates back to Victorian times, and the beautiful gardens are just as famous as their home.

• Peter Jones – Owner of The Emmerson Group, Peter Jones residential development firm builds over 500 houses a year in the UK. He now lives in Alderley Edge, and enjoys the easy access into Manchester that Cheshire provides.

• Alex Ferguson – He may have stepped down as the manager of Manchester United, but he still lives relatively close to the ground. Based in Wilmslow, he is easily able to travel to Old Trafford on match days. Many Manchester United team members also live in Cheshire, with everyone from Rio Ferdinand, Wayne and Coleen Rooney, Peter Crouch, and David and Victoria Beckham making their home here.

• Mark Boler – Also living in Alderley Edge, Mark Boler is the boss of the Mere Golf Resort and Spa. The resort has recently undergone a £15 million luxury redevelopment.

Many of the rich and famous members of society are now choosing to live in Cheshire, instead of more ‘traditionally’ popular cities and counties down south.

Luxury Cheshire Kitchens

With so many prestigious people living in the county, a luxury kitchen will be a highly desirable feature if you are planning to buy a new home in Cheshire. In London, restaurants are plentiful and eating out is easy. Instead of slaving away over a top-of-the-range Aga, you can pop out to the Chiltern Fire House or some other designer eatery and enjoy a bit of celebrity spotting. Up north, there are not as many high profile restaurants, so a luxury kitchen is likely to be more important for entertaining and general everyday food preparation.

Designer kitchens beautiful enough to grace the pages of an interior design magazine are not cheap, but quality should always be the most important criteria when choosing a new luxury kitchen for your Cheshire home.

Kitchen Designs to Consider

• When looking at the best kitchens Cheshire has to offer, think about how often you plan on using your kitchen. Property in Cheshire is not as expensive as property in London and the Home Counties, so you should be able to spend a bit more on a designer kitchen if you are moving to the area.

• Look at natural stone or granite worktops as these instantly create a luxurious ambiance in a kitchen. Remember that choosing a kitchen worktop material is the most important decision you will make in your kitchen, so choose one that fits the luxury vibe, but yet is easy to clean and maintain.

• Lighting is also very important, so make sure you have enough lighting and don’t forget to add some feature lighting above dining areas or kitchen islands. Dimmer switches are ideal for setting the mood, though make sure you have bright lights above cooking appliances.

• Since you may wish to do lots of entertaining, consider an open plan kitchen with an informal dining area for low-key dinner parties or relaxed dining with friends and family. If you add a door from the kitchen into the garden, you will also be able to enjoy open air dining in the summer.

• Extra features such as wine coolers and espresso machines will no doubt come in very handy if you do enjoy entertaining. It is also worth investing in top quality appliances, too, if you want a truly luxurious kitchen.

Finding a Property in Cheshire

Whether you want to move to Alderley Edge or Wimslow, there are lots of properties in the county available for rental or purchase. Some houses will already be fully fitted with the latest in luxury design features, however others will need to be fully kitted out from scratch or renovated. Alternatively, you could also opt to build your own home so that it is designed in just the way you want it.

The best thing to do is to visit the county and check out a few different areas. This way, you can find one that is in your price range, but that you also like. Remember, Cheshire has good transport links, so no matter where you choose to live, you will have easy access into Manchester and other northern cities. Even if you can’t afford to live in a prestigious area like Alderley Edge, you can still have an amazing kitchen that any top chef would be proud to cook in! Cheshire might be a long way from London, but with so many luxury properties in such a small area, there really is very little difference between the two. So if you can’t afford London property prices, but you still want a beautiful home with a luxury kitchen, Cheshire should definitely be top of your list of places to live.

Business Security: 5 Great Ways to Design a Better Security System

According to a report on policing business premises, if you are starting up a business that has retail premises, you are more likely (as a new business) to suffer from commercial burglary than an established business. This fact shows that new businesses would be wise to concentrate on security for their premises from the start of the venture. The belief is that as businesses become more experienced, they become more aware of the need for security and its effect on profits. However, a new business need not be at more risk, and if you are contemplating starting a new business, here are a few ways that you can keep your premises more secure from attack.

Alarm

An alarm system is a vital part of your premises’ security, and having one installed will deter most casual burglars simply by being in place. Fitting a system that goes to a central control room will mean added security and quicker reaction times to any break-in, and that it has been professionally installed. A badly fitted alarm system will give you a false sense of security, and is a false economy, so make sure you only fit quality.

Locks

All of the doors on a property should be fitted with high quality commercial door locks as a minimum, and the fitting of locking bars should be considered on as many doors as possible. Obviously, a lock is useless on a poor quality door, so you should fit reinforced doors with strong frames, and make sure that the hinge pins cannot be removed. Windows and shutters also need locks of the highest quality, and deadlocks all around the property are a must.

Lighting

Criminals like the dark, so you need to have lighting fitted all around your premises. Your security lighting needs to be carefully considered, especially as lights are so fragile. Your lighting needs to be professional, so that it is difficult to break or disable, and strong enough to penetrate every doorway or recess that could be vulnerable. Fitting sensors is usual on a commercial lighting system, but you should make sure that the sensitivity is set correctly, and you must keep up a maintenance and testing schedule if you want good lighting security.

Shutters

Shutters fitted to openings around your premises are a great deterrent to any would be burglar, and for a lot of potential break-in’s a deterrent is often enough. Windows and doorways should always be completely enclosed, as an open pane of glass is an invitation to a burglar. Your premises may not be the most beautiful business building on the block, but at least it will be secure

Security Firms

A security guard at your premises is obviously a great way to improve your security, but not all companies can justify the expense, and many business premises are too small to warrant it. However, employing drive by security is often a possibility, and many small businesses share the cost of employing a security firm to cover a few properties. It could be worth talking to other businesses in the area to see if anything is already in place, or whether you can find some other like-minded businesses to share the cost of the security. Whatever security you have in place, make sure it is well advertised, and can be seen. The fact that you have security will help to stop many criminals, and the more security measures you have in place, the less likely you are to be broken into.

Designing Your Dream Kitchen in 5 Simple Steps

When it comes to designing the perfect kitchen, it can be something of an arduous task. But you don’t have to worry about a thing. In reality, planning a kitchen is not the complex that many think it is. You can have a beautiful kitchen of your dreams by following five easy steps. It is that simple!

Step 1: Plan Your Kitchen

Yes, this is obvious. But, many people forget the importance of planning. You need to ensure that you have enough space for your appliances as well as room to manoeuvre. Appliance stores Edmonton have stated that improper planning is often the downfall of many when they are designing their dream kitchen. They want islands, cookers, Agas and room for a dining table. But, once everything has been ordered and delivered, they realise that this is unobtainable. So, don’t become a statistic. Plan your kitchen and make sure that you are in the right place to have everything you want. You may have to compromise, but it will be worth it.

Step 2: Speak to a Specialist

One of the easiest ways to plan your kitchen is to have a rough idea of what you want and the space that is needed. Draw up some loose plans based on your existing plans from your home. Once you have done this, speak to an architect. Ask for their input. Get their creative juices flowing. This is one of the easiest ways to make sure that you are on the right lines when planning your kitchen.

Step 3: Consider All Elements of Your Kitchen: From Cupboard to Lights

Considering everything in the kitchen is vital to its overall aesthetic appearance. So, while you may have a keen idea of what granite surfaces you are going to have, you need to envision how your kitchen will look with the added extras. How will light feature in your kitchen space? What about accessories? Will all of these things tie in together to create the perfect look?

Step 4: Be Space Conscious

Space is imperative in any room. While you may have keen ideas of how your home will look, you need to remember that space can be an issue. So, instead of cramming in everything, look at ways that you can add storage to your home with ease. Storage solutions in kitchens are varied. You can use wall space. You can fit extra cupboard. Make sure that you have space for everything. After all, cluttered worktops can look messy and not at all like a dream kitchen that you had in mind. If you want to save money, it may be worth while doing some of this work yourself by hiring a skip for the day and removing the old cupboards in preparation for your new kitchen installation.

Step 5: Add the Finishing Touches

Adding the final touches to your dream space is vital. This is what turns it from a bog-standard kitchen into a dream home. You need to think about paint, accessories and soft furnishings. Plan, in your mind, where these will be placed in your kitchen. Have a play around with the finishing touches and see what works best. You don’t have to stick to your previous kitchen design. It’s time to get creative.

A Quick Look At The Awesome Design Of The World Famous Butchart Gardens

Image:David K

Located in British Columbia, Canada, the Butchart Gardens are a modern marvel to behold. If you have yet to visit these gardens, and are planning a trip to Canada, you need to make sure that you include them in your travels. The gardens are over a hundred years old and attract many tourists every single year. When you gaze upon these gardens, there is so much to take in and understand. The expert designers have created a fantastic display of both modern and classic landscaping. Let's just have a quick look at the gardens and all they have to offer.

The Italian Garden and Star Pond

The Italian garden is a wonderful display of design and expert gardening. The massive pond, Star Pond, is at the center of this wonderful creation. The pond is home to a great many ornaments and decorative pieces, as well as some real life wildlife. As you walk around the pond, you should take note of some of the Italian style plants. There are many roses and brightly colored plants that compliment each other well. Behind the pond, you might also notice the strategic positioning of the statue of Mercury.

The Japanese Garden

If you have ever taken the time to look at Japanese architecture, you will have noticed its subtle design and style. Japanese style design is delicate and uses many natural elements. The Japanese gardens are no exception. Once you walk through the gorgeous gate to the garden, you will see a whole host of pathways in front of you. The garden is akin to a secret garden full of hidden spots and beautiful sights. ProActive Landscaping is truly at its best here, and you can see that the garden designers took great pains in creating this area. Water is a huge theme in this area of the garden. As you walk around, you will see streams and water displays everywhere you look.

Image: Makuahine Pa'i Ki'i

The Rose Garden and Fountain

The rose garden is just what it says - an entire garden of roses. Home to a stunning wishing well and fountain, the garden is a romantic escape from the rest of the tourists. Here, you can see a lot of passion and design combined. The flora outdoors is mostly summer style plants, and so when it is in bloom it is incredible. During the summer, a great many creatures, including exotic butterflies, come to the garden.

The Sunken Garden

The sunken garden is perhaps the most recognizable of the Butchart Gardens. If you have every seen photographs of the gardens before now, you will likely have seen this area of the gardens. There is a great lookout just above the sunken garden so that you can get a fantastic view of the area from above it. When you walk down into the garden, you will see an array of plants from different countries of the world. If you take a walk down the pathways, you will also notice some stunning work. In the sunken garden, you will also find the Ross Fountain, which is a great tourist spot.

Image: Makuahine Pa'i Ki'i

The Lawn Walk

Where the old Italian garden used to be, you will now find the lawn walk, which is a great part of the gardens. The best thing about the lawn walk is the art in the area. There are many carved, wooden statues. The statues range in theme. There is everything from animals to totem poles. Artists have created these marvelous pieces, and they have been in the garden ever since that. Throughout the year, there are loads of different concerts that take place next to the lawn walk, and so this area is a popular spot.