Granite Countertops Still Top List of Home Improvements

(NewsUSA) - Despite the sputtering economy, consumer spending on home renovation remains healthy. Across the nation, homeowners are investing in home remodeling projects - especially kitchen makeovers - either to make their homes more appealing to buyers or more comfortable and enjoyable while they ride out the housing slump. And one of the most popular home improvements is, once again, granite countertops. A recent study of 10,000 consumers, conducted by the Research Institute for Cooking and Kitchen Intelligence, found that kitchen renovations remain at the top of the list for consumers seeking to add value to their homes. When the study asked homeowners, "If you were changing your kitchen now and had no budget constraints, what improvement would you make?" granite countertops were among the kitchen features they coveted most. Many consumers are tightening their belts but remain eager for granite countertops, according to Garis Distelhorst, executive vice president of the Marble Institute of America, the nation's leading natural stone association. "Historically, consumers recognize that granite countertops enhance the value of a home in ways few other improvements can," said Distelhorst. "No other countertop surface can measure up to granite in terms of practicality, timeless beauty, durability and safety. This natural stone has held its value in ways more trendy materials have not." Consumers continue to invest confidently in kitchen makeovers because the projects typically increase the resale value of their homes. In the last five years, kitchen remodeling projects have generally returned 80 to 85 percent of consumers' investments, according to the "Cost versus Value Report" from Remodeling magazine. Because kitchen renovations increase resale values, experts agree that if consumers can only afford to renovate one room in their homes, it should be the kitchen. In fact, an all-new kitchen "that looks great and is fun to work in" was the top priority of 2,200 home enthusiasts surveyed recently by Better Homes and Gardens magazine. "What we've discovered is that the home continues to be our emotional center and the sweet spot of everyday life," said Gayle Butler, Better Home's editor in chief. "Economic uncertainty aside, we won't stop spending, improving and dreaming." For more information, visit the Marble Institute Web site, www.usenaturalstone.com.

Redecorating and Keeping it Green

(ARA) - The redecorating bug has bitten you hard, and you want to join the “green” society by making your home stylish but healthy and environmentally friendly.

You can start from the floor up, and environmentally-friendly decorative flooring is just what you need. Something that allows you to choose from many colors, have simple installation and follow up with easy maintenance. Materials like sustainably harvested hardwoods and ceramic tile aren’t your only eco-friendly choices. A better option might be Marmoleum Click, an all-natural flooring made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosins and limestone.

With a visit to www.themarmoleumstore.com, you can match colors, look at decorative designs already created or plan out your own. “Previously, linoleum was available only in large sheets and generally required professional installation,” says Scott Day of Forbo Flooring, manufacturers of Marmoleum and Marmoleum Click products. “But Marmoleum Click makes installing a simple linoleum floor -- or even a complex design -- very easy.” The product is available in 12-inch by 36-inch panels or 12-inch by 12-inch squares. The panels click together, much like most other floating floors, to create a durable, attractive surface.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when creating fashionable designs for the floor in a room:

* Room size and shape.
A dark color or busy pattern may not suit a small or long, narrow room, because it may make the room look smaller. Stripes or diagonal patterns, however, can create optical effects that completely transform a room.

* Function.
A living room or bedroom often lends itself to darker, warmer colors, whereas a clean, crisp environment may be more appropriate for a kitchen.

*Furniture.
The more furniture there is in a room, the smaller the floor area that is visible, so a simpler pattern is often the best choice. Amazing effects can be achieved by a well chosen pattern.

After the floor is finished, you can move onto furniture. Some green ideas are to reuse your current pieces that are solid in construction. A new color of paint, slipcovers, reupholstering or adding decorative furnishings can give the room an entirely new look without thowing anything away. If your furniture can’t be saved, look into garage sales for used pieces that have simple, traditional lines which won’t look dated in a short period of time. Also, look for furniture built from natural products and using stains or paints with limited environmental hazard.

When it’s time to tackle the walls, look for paints that contain little or no volatile organic compounds. Latex- and water-based paints with a flat finish typically fit into this category. These paints provide little to no chemical leakage from the walls to the air as the paint is applied and dries, keeping the air inside your home cleaner.

If you have a redecorating project planned, it’s not hard to keep the project green and environmentally friendly.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Faux Wood Mini Blinds

Though wood blinds and shutters are the most popular window coverings sold in America, these two products are among the most expensive. Faux wood Blinds offer nature's rich, subtle colors and unique textures at a fraction of the cost of real wood shutters. Moreover, wood does not last long in high moisture areas. Manufacturers have introduced quality alternatives to wood blinds in the form of faux wood blinds.

Though wood blinds and shutters are the most popular window coverings sold in America, these two products are among the most expensive. Faux wood Blinds offer nature's rich, subtle colors and unique textures at a fraction of the cost of real wood shutters. Moreover, wood does not last long in high moisture areas. Manufacturers have introduced quality alternatives to wood blinds in the form of faux wood blinds.

Faux wood blinds are made of vinyl, vinyl compounds, and a combination of wood and vinyl. The wood look-alikes are either a wood-polymer mix or 100-percent polymer. Since these use vinyl for at least a portion of their slats they have two inherent advantages to wood blinds: they cost less, and they resist moisture.

All of the faux wood blinds require more ladders than wood blinds. The sturdier the blind, the farther apart the ladders can be placed and therefore will require fewer ladders.

Many interior designers favor faux wood blinds because they are easy to clean, an advantage in a kitchen, and they don’t warp, fade or crack, a great advantage in a room with high humidity such as a bathroom.

Faux wood blinds control light and privacy as effectively as wood blinds, yet they're made of polymer which makes them sturdy, resistant to moisture, easy to clean and impervious to warping, cracking or peeling. They're also energy efficient, to keep your home warmer in winter, cooler in summer.
About the Author
Mini Blinds provides detailed information about vinyl, discount, wood, faux wood, custom, and aluminum mini blinds, plus advice on cleaning mini blinds. For more information go to http://www.e-miniblinds.com and/or visit its sister site at http://www.e-woodblinds.com for related information.

Mosaic tiles: A great way to light up your interior décor

Mosaic is a type of tiling used commonly in showers and on floors in order to add a lot of color and style to the room. You can find a wide variety of mosaics available on the market. The textures, colors, layouts and shapes can be purchased according to your choice. Mosaics are also known to be pieces of art.
Most of these tiles are available with ridges on the backside so that the glue can bind itself more securely to the tile. Experts consider all types of ceramic, glass and stove material as mosaic tile. The most famous vitreous glass mosaic tile is a glassy stone-like material. The tile is opaque and not sharp as glass when cut. It would be a wise idea to use mosaic glass cutter for cutting glass mosaic tiles.
Remember that regular tile nippers may cut the tile but may not prove as accurate as mosaic glass cutter. Ceramic mosaic tiles are widely used for architectural applications due to their easily availability, low cost and easy to cut feature via regular tile nippers.
You can also see broken pieces of china and some other types of dinnerware being used as mosaics. Some of the mosaic tiles come attached to fiberglass mesh that helps the tiles remain arranged in a grid. Thereafter, this mesh is glued directly to the floor to be tiled. In case, you require removing the mesh to get loose tile, you should soak the tile in warm water. This way the tiles will fall off the mesh.
Mosaic tiles can be used for a variety of purposes other than flooring. You can use these amazing pieces to produce art. Mosaic tables look awesome as a piece of furniture. The bottom and the edges of a pool look exquisite with mosaic tile patterns.
One of the most popular variety of mosaic is mosaic glass tiles. These tiles are ideally used in making mosaic arts, mosaic pools, mosaic tables and many other varieties of utilities. You can choose from a variety of designs when it comes to glass mosaic tiles such as mini, swirled, metallic, vitreous glass mosaic tile and iridescent tiles.
A glass mosaic tile, usually measures ¾” x ¾” x 1/8”. These measures are industry standard. You need to make sure that stone and ceramic tiles are thicker than glass mosaic tiles. These glass mosaic tiles have a flat face. The back is embossed with very small ridges in order to bind to the glue faster. It is very important to use a mosaic glass cutter with wheel-shaped blades. These blades can easily cut the tiles in a cleaner and precise manner as compared to a tile nipper.
Mosaic tiles are versatile, trendy and durable. These tiles can be easily used in areas with high traffic in home. You can choose from a wide variety of textures, colors, layouts and shapes to suit to your specific requirements.
Consider mosaic tiles if you really want to get something that is worth giving a second look.
About Author:
We, at BBM Impex are dedicated to represent the nation’s treasure of natural stone. For more info on stones visit: http://www.bbmimpex.com/ You can also find some of my articles at: http://www.smanik.com/ and http://www.article-ghost-writer.com

Author: Steve Manik

Steve Manik: I am freelance writer, I have written on many fields that are under the sun. Accuracy, clarity and impact are the hallmarks of my work. If I have to define myself in a few words, I am a copywriter, I can write on any subject, from beauty to intellect, food to travel, Tumors to Health and fitness. You can also find some of my articles at: Freelance Seo Copywriter & Article Ghost Writer