Saturday, August 29, 2009

Baby Room Furniture

While going to buy furniture for your baby room, keep in mind the comfort and safety of your little baby. It should compliment the décor of your baby room also. If the furnishings are comfortable and baby-friendly, your baby can get full relaxation. A crib, a changing table, a rocker or glider, a chest, a side table, and a toy box etc. are essential articles for your baby room. The below are given some options for baby room furniture.
  • Baby Bassinets: the bassinets are very useful to keep new born babies close to parents. Make a choice of bassinets that can be lifted easily and be moved freely anywhere. Good bassinets keep your baby safe and sound. When baby is able to roll onto by self, it’s time to choose another option.
  • Baby Stroller: Strollers offer you comfort while you are going outside with your baby. They are available in a variety of styles and designs. But opt for the one giving you and your baby maximum safety and comfort. Baby strollers come in single, double and triplet options. There are carriage and umbrella styles. It is easy to use umbrella stroller since they can be folded easily and used while traveling.


For more tips on baby room furniture, click here.
Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Friday, August 28, 2009

Precautions while cleaning ceiling

When you are planning to clean whole house, start the project from ceiling followed by dusting off walls, doors, windows, cabinets, furniture, covering utensils and cleaning floors. Some precautions should be followed while cleaning ceiling since it is a tough job and needs regular maintenance.

  • Cover furniture, floors and fixtures with cloths, polythene sheets or any other covering material to protect them from droppings.
  • Avoid using ladder or stool for cleaning instead use long handle device.
  • Always wash ceilings before washing walls and floors to avoid dirt fall on clean walls and floors.
  • Wear rubber gloves with cuff for safeguard of hands while cleaning the ceiling with liquid cleaner.
  • Utilize goggles or cloth to protect eyes while cleaning the ceiling.
  • Ensure that no drips of water or cleaning agent run on the walls.
  • Never rub cobwebs on ceiling or walls for cleaning as it will spoil the finishing leaving ugly marks on the surface.

For more precautions on cleaning of ceiling, click on this link.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Benefits of modular office furniture

Modular office furniture is useful to get full comfort during office hours and create perfect working place for all employees. It comes in all shapes, colors and sizes. The chairs, tables and other articles have adjustable settings. This enhances the look of your office and creates an innovation in office as well. Employees are more creative when they feel comfortable in office environment. This office furniture is cost effective and provides a large work area for group of people sitting altogether. Modular office furniture can be made from pieces designed to fit in a number of different combinations. For example if you need an L shape desk, you can make it with two or three pieces of modular desk. You can rearrange modular office furniture according to your need.





For more info on modular office furniture, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Choosing plants for roof garden

A roof garden reduces pollution in urban areas and makes your house attractive as well. Growing a roof garden is good option to make the environment fresh. Let’s know how to select plants for roof garden.

Plants with fiber root are good for roof garden. Don’t make a choice for the plants with deep roots as they can cause harm to the building. The plants with deep roots can be planted in big planters. While planting keep in mind that hard plants are planted at sunny side and plants requiring less sunlight are planted at non-sunny side. Several vegetables and shrubs can be grown in roof garden also. Heavy shrubs and vegetables with deep roots can damage the structure. You should prefer the plants having less requirement of water. So, let’s grow a roof garden to make roof appealing and beautiful.


For more info on choosing plants for roof garden, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Enhance office interiors with stained glass

Stained glass is used to add to the beauty of office interiors. The glass in front door creates a charming look and greets every visitor. The front glass panels of drawer or cabinet in shelves ornament offices well. Multicolored stained glass panels cover portions of windows in offices. Card holders and pencil boxes of stained glass are charming office things. Stained glass offers you matchless décor with various colors, themes and artworks. You can make your home or office worth looking with a variety of glass and artworks on glass as well.

For detailed info on stained glass office interiors, click on this link.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Tips for Office Furniture

While buying furniture for your office you should think about employees’ comfort and health. It is important to think about size, shape, comfort and material of furniture. The office furniture mainly includes chairs, desks, filing cabinets and cupboards. You can opt for ergonomic furniture to increase the productivity of employees since this furniture is not harmful to body.

Office Chair: Office chair should be comfortable since employees spend eight hours daily. Your office furniture is not too comfortable or too uncomfortable. If you place too uncomfortable furniture, it may affect the health of employees causing fatigue, back ache and spine problem.

Filing Cabinet: To make your office clutter free and store files, filing cabinet is required. The filing cabinet of small size is adjustable in your cabin. It can reduce clutter and organize your work. Horizontal filing cabinets or storage pedestals are easy to access and help to reduce the cutter in office.




For more tips on office furniture, click on this link.


Visit us at http://www.GharExpert.com

Friday, August 14, 2009

How to landscape a small place?

Greenery and flower plants can be grown in small space for landscaping and pleasant surroundings. Only you should be selective for ornamental plants and trees. Though a small space can limit your imagination of an attractive garden, yet there are lots of options of plants having a variety of color, shapes and sizes to make the small piece of land inspiring. Here are given tips on creating a landscape.
  • Place colorful plant containers: Place plant containers if you do not have enough space. The containers should go well with the theme of garden. They are of normal size; too big containers can look odd in small space. Also keep in mind the color and design of plant container. You can use hanging containers and baskets, to decorate your garden.
  • Use window boxes: You can place window box on wall and place them in window. Window boxes come in various sizes, colors and designs. Select annual flower plants for window box and pick a plant that does not grow quickly.

For more tips on ‘how to landscape a small space’, click here.

Visit us at http://www.GharExpert.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Installation of Kitchen Sink

Kitchen sink is used for disposal of wastages into sewerage system. You can increase sink utility by installing a unit suited to your needs, for example you can replace single bowl unit with double bowl unit. Here are given a few steps for installation of kitchen sink.

  • Place the sink at right space: Measure the space left in countertop for sink and place the sink to the correct size according to existing hole. Put the sink in space left in counter top from upper side and keep the top of sink 2 cm or equal to the thickness of stone used in counter top below top level of countertop.
  • Keep the sink parallel to countertop: Ensure that the sink is parallel to countertop and is placed in a way as not to disturb underlying cabinet.
  • Install the sink properly: Fit C. P. brass or P.V. C union in sink drainage hole as per manufacturers’ instructions with white lead and thread. Make sure that the fitting is tight without having any leakage. C. P. brass or P.V. C. union should be connected to 40 mm G. I. or P. V. C waste pipe, which are bent towards wall and discharge into floor trap.

For more tips on installation of kitchen sink, click on the link below.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Friday, August 7, 2009

Stylish Bathtubs

Taking luxurious bath in tubs and enjoying its freshness is the pleasure that we want to enjoy. A stylish bathtub is one of the luxurious choices that give comfort, relaxation and refreshment. You can make a choice from a variety of bathtubs from modern bathtub to claw foot and from Jacuzzi to drop in bathtubs to match the accessories of your bathroom. Here are given a few choices for you.
  • Modern bathtubs: Modern bathtubs made of stone, glass, wood, steel, plastic and acrylic are popular choices of bathtubs. Thee bathtubs are very light weight and durable. Another feature of modern bathtubs is that they are available in various shapes, styles and designs. Modern faucets can be fixed with these bathtubs.
  • Drop in bathtubs: Usually located in floors drop in tubs are designed to overcome the problem of floor mounted bathtub. These are available in different designs and have faucets. Light weight material fiber glass, acrylic and plastic is used for such bathtubs.

For more designs of bathtubs, click on this link.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Know house wiring rules as per ISI specifications

I’ve come to know some Indian electricity ISI rules which I want to share with you for the safety of your house and you too. To make your home electric shock proof, keep in mind the following precautions while doing house wiring.

  • Implement wiring on distribution system: The wiring should be carried out on distribution systems with main and branch distribution boards to convenient centers. It is without isolated fuses. As far as possible all conductors should run along walls and ceilings for thorough inspection.
  • Don’t exceed load on circuit: The number of points on light circuits should not exceed 10 or total load on circuit should not exceed 800 watts. For power wiring circuit the number of points in a circuit should not be more than 2 and the size of wire should be 1.5 mm square for copper and 2 mm square for aluminum.
  • Utilize earth wire of proper gauge: Earth wire should be 14 SWG in case of copper and 4 mm square in case of aluminum. Fuse wire should be connected to phase wire only and neutral link should be connected to neutral wire. Connect all switches in phase wire. Minimum size of earth wire for light circuit is 1 mm square for copper and 1.5 mm square for aluminum.

To know more ISI house wiring rules, click on this link.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Monday, August 3, 2009

Gardening Tools

A number of gardening tools are used for proper maintenance of garden. The requirement of tools is based on the size of garden, soil type, plants and grass of the garden. If your garden is small, hand fork can be used for removing weeds. Here are given some common tools like spade, hand fork, rakes, hoes, gloves and seep hose required for garden.

Trowel: It is another tool used to dig small holes for planting or weeding. It is similar to hand fork and can be used to loosen the soil of container plants for aeration process.
Hand Fork: A hand fork is used for removing weeds from small garden. Wooden handle fork is preferred as it is durable and easily accessible. Avoid hand fork with plastic handle because it is less durable than wooden handle fork.
Lawn Mower: It is used to cut grass from the garden. Electric lawn mower and ‘Push on Mower’ are ideal for small lawns. Ride on mower is ideal for big lawns. Hand Pruner: This tool is used for pruning as well as for taking cuttings from plants. While using hand pruner, take care that it is fitted to your hands.
Seep Hose: Seep hose is black rubber pipe with holes in it. That’s why it’s called as leaky pipe. The pipe is laid on the ground among plants and water seeps through the pores of pipe. Thus the plants are watered with the help of ‘Seep Hose’. It is an economic way to water the garden.


Friday, July 31, 2009

Choosing colorful granite countertops

Now you can easily search a counter top of an attractive color to enhance the prettiness of your kitchen. It is very simple, just go to the supplier and ask for some samples of granite tops. Take those samples at home, compare and match them with the furnishings of kitchen and then deicide which color matches best with décor of your kitchen. After taking decision, go back to the supplier and ask him to show the slab of same color. If it fulfills your requirements, you can buy it for countertop of your kitchen. “Dark granite best matches with lighter cupboards, cabinets and décor of the place”, say some homemakers.

Granite countertops are available in various shades of white to browns, reds, greens, blues black etc. The most popular choices are brown and beige. Granite counter tops with cool polished surface offer an excellent surface for rolling out pastry dough. These countertops are hard and tough, extremely scratch resistant and keep their luster longer than other materials. They are inflammable and do not let bacteria grow on them randomly.


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Making a trendy master bedroom

You can give ornamental touch to your master bedroom with elegant furniture, romantic lighting, soothing colors, attractive curtains, fireplace etc. Fireplace is a pretty addition to create a romantic atmosphere in master bedroom. It offers a royal look and warm feeling and makes your bedroom a beautiful paradise. You can use fresh flowers to spread fragrance and cheer up master bedroom. Any charming window treatment gives finishing touch to the beauty of the room. Cover windows with curtains to maintain privacy when you need it. You can use valances, drapers for windows as they are of light weight. Wooden blinds add luxurious feel to your bedroom. For warm and cozy feel in master bedroom, lay wooden flooring or laminate flooring. Carpet is another good choice to create luxurious feel in master bedroom.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

How to accessorize kids’ room curtains?

Kids want to seek pleasure from every object inside or outside of the house. They are attracted towards colorful curtains, bright accessories, themed wall papers and playthings. So while you are going to decorate kids’ room, always remember their interests for colors, patterns and themes. Here are some choices of curtains’ accessories in kids’ room.
  • Curtain Rods: Curtain rods are used not only to hang curtains but also to enhance the prettiness of your kids’ room. Wooden curtain rods give a cozy look to their room. Since kids like trendy and stylish things in their room so you can choose from a variety of metal curtain rods such as solid brass, chrome and brushed chrome etc.
  • Curtain Tiebacks: Curtain tiebacks are used to tie curtains with windows. You can make tiebacks of same fabric for curtains. For a dramatic look, you can make tiebacks of contrasting material.
  • Curtain Tassels: Tassels offer stylish touch to kids’ curtains. They are available in different colors. Attractive colors of tassels make your kids’ curtains eye-catching. You can make tassels of same fabric for curtains.

For more options of accessories in kids room, click on this link.

Visit us at http://www.gharexpert.com/home/home.aspx

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

How to refresh your bathroom?

A refreshed bathroom keeps our body and mind revitalized throughout the day whereas a damp and smelly bathroom increases the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew and creates unhygienic environment. Here are given some tips to eliminate bathroom odor for the delight of bathing.
  • Clean bathroom floors regularly: If bathroom floors are not cleaned daily, they become unhygienic and give unpleasant odor. They must be cleaned to remove dust and hair and be mopped with detergent soap and water to remove decaying things. Wash the floors with clean water and make them dry with clean coarse cloth.
  • Wash bathroom curtains and floor mats: Bathroom curtains, floor mats and towels give musty odors due to bacteria and mildew. You can avoid this problem by using clean curtains and floor mats in your bathroom. They should be changed daily to keep your bathroom fresh.
  • Clean clogged drains: Clogged bathroom drains create odor in bathroom. You can do water flushing daily to prevent drains from clogging. Also flush the drain after 3 or 4 weeks by pouring the mixture of one cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar. After one hour of pouring the mixture, also pour some hot water into the drain and flush it thoroughly. You can use plunger to unclog the drain. If bathroom drain still emits odor, pour either bleach or white vinegar down the drain to make it odor free.

For more tips on how to refresh your bathroom, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Monday, July 27, 2009

Embellish your garden with gurgling fountains

Garden fountains enhance the beauty and functionality of your garden filled with flowers or plants, shrubs and trees. You can choose from various designs of fountains ranging from statues, ornamental platform and wall fountains. Fountains not only increase a beautiful accent to your garden but also refresh the surrounding environment. If you have a large garden, you may choose a large garden fountain. For small garden you can choose a statue fountain or free standing fountain. Garden fountains giving water fall look make your garden more elegant. A statue fountain in water pond looks like a center piece of garden. You can fix fountain in a small pond in garden. Fountains are one of the main attractions and boost up aesthetic sense of the exterior décor of your house.

For more info garden fountains, click on this link.

Visit us at www.GharExpert. com

Friday, July 24, 2009

Ideas for teenagers’ bedroom décor

While decorating teenagers’ bedroom, remember the taste and needs of your teenage boy or girl. You need to be creative to make their room amusing. Your teens would like to sit on comfy beds and prefer stylish dressers and trendy storage choices. Colorful curtains, appealing rugs and good-looking wall accents enhance the beauty of their rooms.
  • Ornament bedroom walls: Colorful paintings, oil portraits, black and white photographs etc. offer a charming look to your teenagers’ bedroom. You can stick their favorite photographs, greeting cards etc. on walls. Also display the artwork of your teens on bedroom walls to give a personal touch to their room.
  • Select right bed: Choose appropriate bed for the full comfort of your teenagers. Beds with storage are very useful in your teen’s bedroom. Bunk bed and loft bed are suitable for teenage boy or girl. For small space bedrooms, bunk bed is an ideal choice to save the space. You can add an element of fun and creation with loft beds.
  • Place lovely bean bags: Use bean bags and ottomans for sitting purposes in teenagers’ bedroom. Bean bags are available in various shapes and designs such as banana shape, round shape, football shape etc. They offer stylish look to your teens’ bedroom. For spacious feel, you can place a long loveseat sofa in their bedrooms.


For more decorative ideas on teenagers’ bedroom, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tips to make a small space bigger

Lots of people live in small houses facing problems due to cluttered space. If you are facing such problems, GharExpert has solution to untidy space. Here are given some easy tips to make your small home comfortable, clutter free and organized.
  • Remove clutter in the room: To make the room organized clear unnecessary stuff from small space. Place essential articles on shelves and organize stuff behind doors, table skirts. When the things are neatly arranged, small space looks more open.
  • Choose natural or artificial lighting: You can opt for natural or artificial lighting to make your room look larger. Open outside windows to let natural light enter the room. Track or recessed lighting makes small space bigger also. To reflect light and maximize the feel of space, you can use large frame mirror on a wall or stand a large frame mirror against the wall.
  • Use plain upholstery and light fabrics: Make use of upholstery of plain color for furniture instead of dark colors, bold plaids or stripes to save the space. To create interest and stick to neutral tones, make use of textures. Apply soft floral vines or simple stripes to keep the space look simple.

For more tips on small space, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Various features of TMT bars

Thermo mechanically treated (TMT) bars are high strength deformed steel bars which are used in reinforced cement concrete work. TMT bars have strength, ductility, welding ability, bending ability etc. These bars have following features.

For more features of TMT bars, click here.

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Tips for Garden Pest Control

Garden pests can be killed without using chemical pesticides that harms you and your family. Pesticides pollute air, water, soil, plants, and animals and cause harm to honeybees, butterflies, ladybugs that eat lots of pests also. To kill pests without chemicals is a good way to keep your environment safe. We’ve identified some tips to control garden pests.
  • Grow plants in organic soil that does not let pests flourish. Use one or more compost bins for making compost at home.
  • Use ‘Orange Guard’, a non-toxic pest killer. D Limonene, an ingredient destroys insect's respiratory system.
  • Grow pest resistant plants like daisies, mint, and rosemary that attract many birds eating pests. Also learn about pests that destroy other insects.
  • Don’t spray chemicals to save some pests like ladybugs, ground beetles, and birds that eat other pests and fungi.
  • Do pruning to remove diseased parts and leaves of plants so that they can grow well.

For more tips on garden pest control, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Protect your home from bugs

Bugs destroy household items and create unsanitary conditions in the house. They can enter food items and may affect on the health of occupants of the house. During rainy season the number of bugs is increased but the people don’t take them seriously. We are serious about the problem of insects, so we have identified a few tips to keep them at bay.
  • Wash dishes instantly: Wash dishes without any delay as soaked dishes can attract bugs. After washing dishes ensure to drain out water and wipe down the sink.
  • Fix instant screen door: You can install instant screen door, an excellent bug checking device into each door, especially in doors to family gathering or at places outside the house. The bug screen shuts automatically with two magnetic fasteners.
  • Spray anti termite chemical: Anti-termite chemical should be sprayed on all door and window shutters periodically. Also insecticidal spray should be done at regular interval.
  • Check leakages in water supply pipes: Any leakage in water supply and sewer pipes should be checked to avoid dampness which attracts bugs. There is no leakage through rainy water pipes and roof slab.
  • Remove all debris and garbage: All debris lying around your home should be cleaned. Also wash inside and outside trashes and recycling containers once a month. Put lids on your trash to keep bugs away.

To know more tips on ‘protect your home from bugs, click here.

Visit us at http://www.gharexpert.com/home/home.aspx

Friday, July 17, 2009

How to make bedroom clutter free?

If you want to make your bedroom a place of recreation, remove clutter and organize all items. To enjoy peace, harmony and sound sleep in your bedroom, use comfortable and space saving beds and efficient storage space to keep your clothes. Fix soft and subtle lighting to set up pleasant mood. Here are given some more tips to make your bedroom clutter free.

  • Utilize storage bed: Bed with drawers is used to store things and decreases clutter in bedroom. You can store bed sheets, quilts, blankets, towels, garments, extra curtains, pillow covers, seasonal clothes and other items that create clutter in your bedroom. Futon beds are very functional and save space in bedroom. You can use futon bed as sofa during day and turn it into bed during night. Wall folded bed is another choice of bed as it can be folded into the wall during day and be utilized to sleep during night.
  • Install shelves: Shelves are space saver and can be used to place books, containers, boxes, CD’s holders, torch, trophies, computer, and get them organized. You can make three or four small shelves which look like a box on the wall and put a decorative item in single box which looks organized as well as decorative.

For tips on clutter free bedroom, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Thursday, July 16, 2009

How to ensure the quality of white cement?

White cement is one of the important raw materials used for construction of your house. It has high degree of whiteness and is mainly used for architectural beauty, interior and exterior decorations. To make sure the quality of white cement you can apply the following tips.

  • Check fineness of white cement: After sieving, the cement on IS test Sieve No.9 (B.S. Sieve No 170) should not exceed 10% in case of Ordinary Portland Cement. The specific surface by Air Permeability method should not be less than 2150 sq. cm/ kg in case of Ordinary Portland Cement.
  • Ensure the soundness: Alternatively autoclave expansion should not be more than 0.5% when tested according to IS 269 of 1989.
  • Check setting time: Setting time of any type or any grade of cement when tested by VICAT apparatus method described in IS: 4031 should confirm following requirement.

a) Initial setting time: Not less than 30 minutes

b )Final setting time: Not more than 600 minutes i.e. 10 hours

For more info on quality assurance of white cement, click here.

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Friday, July 10, 2009

How to keep your home during rainy season?

Rain is a fun but it may affect your health if your home is not ready to face the problems due to rain. To avoid any problem and enjoy rainy weather, make sure you have checked all related elements of your home before the start of rain. Here are given some tips that you can follow before/during rainy season.

  • Fix ventilators to remove dampness: the humidity of rain reaches the contents of house and can cause harm to the health of occupants. To remove humidity and ensure enough cross-ventilation and fresh air throughout the house, fix ventilators in high humid areas of the house.
  • Protect wooden cupboards and drawers: The moisture of rainwater can destroy articles put in your cupboards and drawers. To protect clothes and other valuable things, put camphor balls in your closet. Also you can place Neem tree leaves in cupboards since it also protects clothes and furniture from silver fish.
  • Do regular house cleaning: Clean your house regularly to protect it from moisture present in air. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers are good options to reduce humidity levels inside your home. Upholstery and rugs should be exposed to sunlight to protect them from moisture.

To know more precautions before rainy season, click here.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Thursday, July 9, 2009

What affects orientation of building?

Orientation of building offers maximum ventilation and natural light, provides comfortable living in house and saves energy bills as well. There are many factors that affect orientation of building. GharExpert has identified some of them which are following.
  • Solar radiation and temperature: Intensity of solar radiation depends on the direction of sunrays. The temperature of a living space increases due to sun radiation and affects whole environment of the house. Solar radiation acts in two ways i.e. one is when sunrays directly come to the house through openings and the other is when radiation comes indirectly through walls and roof of building by absorbing heat.
  • Prevailing winds: winds help create natural ventilation in a building and offer more comfort during high humidity. During orientation of a building and designing doors and windows openings, the direction of wind flow should be considered. Fix windows and ventilators at proper location in building to provide maximum air and light. Maximum air and ventilation can be obtained if the level of opening is at the level of occupancy.

To know more factors on orientation of building, click here.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Precautions for dampness during construction

Dampness creates an unhealthy environment for inhabitants of the house and gradually spoils affected part of the building. To avoid the problem of dampness, you can apply several safety measures during construction of the building. I’ve tried to identify a few precautions for the treatment of dampness.
  • Make proper drainage system and fix water supply pipes tightly. The joints of rainy water pipes are fitted tightly and properly to avoid leakages through them.
  • Create proper slopes in floors of kitchen, bathroom, roof and “Chhajja” for smooth flow of water.
  • Finish the joints of parapet with tile tracing or with rain water pipes and any expansion joints smoothly to avoid stagnant water which could eventually penetrate into the building. Cement concrete gola in corner ensures proper flow of water and protect building from dampness in long run.
  • Ensure if rainy water penetrates through the joints of building. If the joints are treated during construction, the water would flow without penetrating into the building.
  • Plaster top surface of “Chhaja” and maintain proper drip course to avoid leakage/dampness.

For more pre construction precautions of dampness, click here.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

What are sources of daylighting?

Would you like to enjoy natural light or daylighting in your home? If yes, fix windows, ventilators, skylights etc. while designing building to get the benefit of daylighting. Daylighting creates productive environment for occupants and reduces 30 to 40 % of total energy costs. It depends on color of walls, ceiling and floors such as light color reflects more light than dark color.

Source of Daylight: The Sun is primary source of daylighting and the sunlight comprises following two parts.
  • Direct solar light
  • Sky radiation

Direct solar light is not taken into consideration during daylighting. Sky radiation is considered while designing daylighting in homes. The value of sky radiation depends on the position of the Sun defined by its altitude which changes with the change in altitude of the area throughout the year.

Daylight Factor: Daylight factor is the quality of daylight in a room. It is the ratio of outside illumination over inside illumination. The intensity of daylight in a room is subject to frequent fluctuations and harshness. It is found more or less constant when the sky is clear or overcast.

To know more about daylighting, its sources and daylight factors, click here.

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Monday, July 6, 2009

How to prepare & utilize ready mix concrete?

Ready Mix Concrete, known as RMX refers to a concrete mix in plastic or unhardened state. It is prepared in a factory or batching plant as per required specification. The concrete is mixed under computer-controlled operations according to quality control norms. At mixing site the ready mix concrete is prepared by mixing Portland cement, water, coarse aggregate comprising gravel or crushed stone and fine aggregate consisting of coarse sand which are procured separately and be mixed in specified proportions.

How to utilize ready mix concrete?
After mixing cement concrete, the mix is carried through trucks mounted with transit mixer on working site and is placed at required component of building/work with the help of sophisticated equipments and methods. Ready mix concrete is preferred to on-site concrete mixing due to non-availability of good raw materials at site, lack of facilities and non-availability of trained technical staff. However, ready mix concrete prepared at sites of longer distances can reduce the flexibility in supply chain and in actual components of the building.

For more info on preparation and utilization of ready mix concrete, click here.

Visit us at http://www.gharexpert.com/home/home.aspx

Saturday, July 4, 2009

How to install oak flooring?

Before you begin to install oak flooring, lay base coat and compact earth properly. Level cement concrete in proper slope in ratio of1:2:4. The floor material should be stored at room temperature at least 24 hours before starting installation. The following tips are useful for further installation of oak flooring.

  • Clean and level the surface: Keep the surface clean, dry and in proper level before laying oak flooring.
  • Start laying oak flooring using wedges: Begin laying engineered oak flooring boards along longest straight wall in the room and use wedges to maintain 10 mm gap between boards and skirting board or wall.
  • Ensure proper joints in rows of boards: Make sure that the joints or offsets do not coincide in the rows instead they are staggered. To obtain staggered joints, use full length of board in first row, start with 2/3 length of board in 2nd row and begin with 1/3rd length of board in the 3rd row.
  • Fit boards & do finishing: Cut the ends of boards at walls allowing a gap of 10 mm. To fit boards around corners or odd shapes, draw a cardboard template and trace outline of the template on board and use jigsaw to cut out the shape. To fit engineered oak flooring under a doorframe, use handsaw to cut thin slice from the bottom of doorframe allowing boards to slide under it.

Click here to read detailed installation tips.

Visit us at www.GharExpert.com

Friday, July 3, 2009

Electric Shock – Causes & Preventions

Electric shock is the flow of electrons, electrical current through body. Electric current gives shock depending on the intensity of voltage. Electric shock occurs due to leakage and earth faults in electrical appliances.

What causes electric shock?
Open electric sockets, fallen high voltage line, or any exposure of an electrical energy source cause electrical shock. If you touch electric wire of low voltage, you will get light electric shock but if you get in touch with high voltage electric wire, you would get high electric shock. Electric shock causes pain to our body, generate heat inside body and can damage our tissues leading to permanent disability.

How to prevent electric shock?
Stop electric supply while repairing: Shut electric supply from the mains before taking up electrical repair work. Make sure the power is off using a simple pocket tester, a multi-meter, or lamp, blow dryer or any other appliances after closing power supply.

Make use of good wiring: Utilize good wiring and change any damaged, rusted wiring immediately. Don’t make joints in wiring. All necessary joints should have proper tapes/insulation. Avoid loose connection in wiring and make use of fuse / MCB’s of appropriate. Keep away from overhead lines and do not touch broken wires.

Utilize safety standards: Safety equipments such as masks for dust, safety glasses for eye protection and gloves to preserve your hands should be used at the time of electric works. Keep your face away from the panel at the very moment you turn on or off a breaker.

For more causes and preventive tips on electric shock, click here.
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Thursday, July 2, 2009

How to pick textured paint?

Do you want to add stunning effects to the beauty of your home? Opt for textured paint which makes interiors of your home inspiring. They have different looks like gritty look of sand stone or marble stone, wooden appearance. Premixed form of textured paint contains small, grainy appearance. These paints protect walls/ surfaces from weather changes; withstand extremes of heat, cold and rain. They are extremely resistant to Fungs and Algae, peeling, flaking and fading and stay bright. Textured paints can cover minor defects, uneven surface and imperfection in walls. To get more ideas about texture designs, the best way is to look at model houses, go through magazines or pick sample cards showing different finishes available with paint dealers.




For more info selection of textured paint, click here.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

How to design a cottage garden?

GharExpert has found out some guidelines on “How to design cottage garden”. The first step is to plan layout of garden like pathway, seating area, fences etc. A traditional cottage garden has straight pathway whereas a modern cottage garden has curved pathways and the plants are grown along them. Evergreen shrubs are planted in cottage garden. Cottage garden is rich source of a variety of roses. Grow these plants with annuals or perennials of different colors. The plants having soft colors add to the beauty of the garden. A platform of wood or concrete can be provided for seating purposes. Wrought iron furniture and cane furniture can be placed there. A variety of containers such as an old water pitcher, old flower vase and old basket used for planting tree enhance aesthetic sense of the garden.



For more tips on “how to design cottage garden”, click here.


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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

What causes indoor air pollution?

Everyone should remember that the quality of indoor air always affects our health and contents of the house as well. Polluted indoor air can cause asthma, allergic diseases and other respiratory problems. Unclean indoor air weakens our immune system and makes us sick. Burning of wood, charcoal, dung, crop residue, heating, cooking, and smoking, use of chemicals, dampness, and improper drainage are major causes of indoor air pollution. Dust collection can create pollution in indoor air and a few building materials such as asbestos fibers; particle boards etc. also affect indoor air. So unhygienic air in and around home create risk to our lives. A few more causes of indoor air pollution are given below.

For more causes and preventions of Indoor Air Quality, click here.

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Monday, June 29, 2009

How to ventilate your kitchen?

You can ventilate your kitchen with many approaches. Ventilating fans are one of the approaches which remove vapor, smoke and unpleasant smells from kitchen. They maintain indoor air quality as kitchen needs more ventilation than other rooms at home. You can opt for extractor exhaust fans which remove air having smoke or grease generated from cooking. This fan is installed over cooking top and becomes an ideal choice for kitchen ventilation. Wall mounted exhaust fans hung from the wall of kitchen remove unpleasant air outside. Kitchen range exhaust fans are mounted above kitchen stove to get rid stale air in the kitchen and to expel foul odors and reduce moisture levels in your cooking area as well. Before you install ventilating fans, make sure they are of proper size and be installed properly.


Fore more details on ventilation approaches, click here.

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Friday, June 26, 2009

Make a choice of swimming pools

Swimming pools are rich source of cooling down boiling summer and getting refreshed the body and mind. Swimming into pools is very useful exercise for heart and whole body. It gives us pleasure and pleases our senses too.

A variety of options of swimming pools are available in the market such as you can opt for above-ground pool and in-ground swimming pool. Above ground pools are convenient, economical and require less maintenance. They are available in decorative and extra thin vinyl pool linear. These pools are cheaper choices and are convenient in comparison to in-ground pools. People prefer these swimming pools in small apartments as the space is limited. In-ground swimming pool is available in vinyl, concrete and fiber glass choices. Concrete swimming pool can be constructed in any shape whereas vinyl swimming pools are basically pre-fabricated in shape. Fiber glass swimming pools are available in pre-designed format and can be placed inside a hole into the ground. There is less need of chemicals to keep fiber glass pool germ free. Use chemicals to kill germs, maintain swimming pool properly and keep on enjoying freshness from bathing.


For more options of swimming pools, click here.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Benefits of Shell Roofs

Do you want to create architectural view for the roof of your house? Shell Roofs are the right choice of roofing that meets practical requirements of the building. These roofs are useful for the areas where large floor areas are required to be covered without any obstruction from the columns. The roofs are provided in public buildings like libraries, theatres, recreation centers, factories or workshops etc. Shell roofs have several benefits such as these roofs cover more area without any intermediate columns. These roofs have no leakage problems and their architectural view adds to the beauty of nearby area. The large area under these roofs may be used for conferences and big gatherings.


For detailed info on Shell Roofs, click here.

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

How to grow container garden?

Container gardening is a hobby which makes smart use of space, selection of plants and the choice of containers. Some design principles can be followed to make container gardening effective and beautiful. At first make a choice of plants according to the size of pot. Large pots should not be used for small plants since they will be lost in them. You can pick containers of different heights, colors and plants to create focal point inside the house. Make a choice for plants such as perennials, herbs, trees, shrubs, ferns, vegetables etc. that you want to grow in container garden. Thus you can experience beauty and benefits of greenery from container gardening.




For more info on how to grow container gardening, click here.

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Know Vastu for Your Office

Gharexpert has identified a few Vastu rules for interior of your office so that the business can be enhanced day by day. First of all select a site that is free from vastu defects and choose rectangular or square plot for your office. You should plan reception in northeast of office where the receptionist sit facing north or east direction. Make waiting room in northeast or northwest direction of the building. The northeast corner should be utilized for temple. The office of chairman or general manager should be built in southwest or south direction of the building. The employees should sit facing the north or east direction but they should not sit under beam. The loft of beam can be covered with wooden board if necessary. The center of office should not have any heavy structure. Avoid dark colors since they make us short tempered. Don’t hang or paste paintings showing sadness in the office to avoid discord among staff members.

For more tips on office Vastu, click here.

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Friday, June 19, 2009

Home security with advanced safety systems

Many advanced security systems can ensure the safety of your home. These devices inform us about the theft, burglary and wrong doings inside or outside the house. Surveillance camera is one of the best devices to detect thieves and check outside activities. It sends signals through wireless transmitter and the house owner can check home security at any point of time during day. Motion detector can be the first line of defense against burglars and thieves whereas automatic electric security gates make home security tougher. You can open or close these gates manually as well as automatically with the help of remote. Home security alarm is a telephone based monitoring system which is directly linked to a ‘Security Company’. This company provides 24 hours service with fully qualified security guards.


To know more advanced security systems, click here.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Enhance the prettiness of drawing room

You can add to the beauty of your drawing room with nicely decorated furniture. Traditional three seater sofas, loveseats and couches, sectional sofas and even modular corner sofas with awkward angles are beautiful furniture options for drawing room. You can use sofa beds for occasional guests. Modular drawing room furniture not only has matching sofas, side tables and chairs but it is more functional and practical. Lighting is another important point for enhancing the look of your drawing room furniture. Install proper lighting for relaxing feel in the room. You can add facilities to drawers to drag, open and then push back to hide them. The matching color of walls with furniture or matching shades with furniture look interesting. Luxury and modular furniture are best suited for elegant, classic, formal and stylish drawing rooms. You can make extensive search on internet for furniture stores or home decorators providing furniture of premium quality.


For more info on the décor of drawing room, click here.

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

How to Start Gardening?

Before you start gardening, you need to prepare soil for planting trees. At first remove grass and weeds from garden area with the help of shovel. Ensure that the type of soil is right or not for garden. Black soil is very good for plants. If it is dark brown that’s quite good also. Yellow, grey, mottled are not so good. You can add compost to such soil to improve its’ fertility. To add compost to the soil, spread it on the top of existing soil and make use of shovel to mix it with soil.



In fact gardening is an excellent hobby to make environment pollution free and improve natural phenomenon. For being successful in the task you need to know some basic things like selection of plants, soil and water requirements of the plants. Go for flower plants to make your garden beautiful. Bulb flower plants, shrubs and creepers look beautiful in the garden. You should know about water requirements of plants since proper watering is essential. In first week, the plants need water daily whereas they can be watered after every two days in second week. In later the plants may be watered once a week.


For more tips on starting a garden, click here.
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Vastu principles for plants

Grow plants in east and north area of the house to fetch positive energy to the house, verifies vastu. Vastu tells that flower plants are planted in the south west portion of the house. Jasmine, Rose, Marigold, Champak, Mogra and Prijat are good around the house as they offer positive energy. Grow money plant inside the house to bring good luck to the occupants of house. Any large tree should not be planted in the centre of the house. A rock garden in southwest portion of the house is useful.

Big trees can be planted in south and west portion of the house. They should not be too close to the building since they block sunlight and their roots can damage foundation. No tree should be planted in north east corner of the house. Avoid thorny plants except rose as they have negative energy.

For detailed info on Vastu for plants, click here.

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Making a green house

You can make your house energy efficient and environment friendly by using natural light, growing environment friendly plants, applying thermal insulation techniques and using low VOC products. Here are a few ways to make your home energy saving and environment friendly.
  • Grow environment friendly plants: Grow such plants which are good for your environment and animals. You can go for perennial plants that live for more than a year and reduce the cost of plantation frequently.
  • Apply thermal insulation technique on walls and roof: Thermal insulation on all outer walls of the house minimizes weather effects and saves energy during summer and winter season. Insulate roof of the house to save energy since it receives solar radiation throughout the day.
  • Use low volatile organic compounds (VOC): Make use of low V.O.C. products to maintain healthy indoor air for good health. Low VOC paint for walls and cleaning products are useful. Do not use particle boards or medium density board for articles of furniture as they have adhesives releasing urea formaldehyde which is harmful to health.
  • Utilize natural light and CFL:Use sunlight from doors, windows, ventilators and openings and enjoy the benefits of natural light. You should opt for energy saving compact florescent light, CFL bulb/ tubes. These bulbs/tubes produce less heat and save energy required for thermal comfort


For details on green house, click here.

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Saturday, June 13, 2009

How to enjoy safe bath?

A safe and pleasant bathroom not only soothes our body and mind but also amuses the senses. A pleasant bath is remedy to all day long worries and laziness. To enjoy unhurt bath, make sure the floor of bathroom is not slippery. Follow all safety measures for energetic bath and put everything in its right place. Never leave child alone in bathtub else he may sink into the tub. Non skid bathroom mats are placed to avoid injury. Grab bars or rails are installed as they help come out from bath tub. Install sink with cabinet which is used to store floor cleaner, drain openers under the sink. Heaters, electrical products are kept away from bathtubs, shower place and sinks. Water heaters are set up at a degree of 120. Keep shampoos, lotions and soap dish away from children’s reach. Make use of good lights in bathroom especially in the night.


For more safety tips in bathroom, click here.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Vastu for Paint Color

Vastu verifies that auspicious colors bring peace, happiness and energies into the house. It recommends some lucky colors for every room of the house. As pink is an auspicious color for bedroom. Light blue and light green are also considered good for bedroom. Green color in children’s bedroom is helpful in their study. Yellow, blue, green, tan and beige are excellent colors for living room since these colors are pleasant for guests. The white is thought best color for kitchen. Yellow, orange, rose pink, chocolate and red colors are also good colors for kitchen. Bathroom can be painted in white or a mix of black and white or gray colors. Pink and other pastel colors are also good for bathroom. The pink, green and blue colors are considered good for dining room as they are refreshing colors. Orange color promotes positive feeling, happiness, and good social relationship.


To know in detail on vastu for paint colors, click here.

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Making a pleasant bedroom

You can turn your bedroom into pleasing and private space by applying several embellishing thoughts. For example you can make use of attractive wall colors and can renovate the room by painting it into attractive patterns. You should have at least one accented wall in your bedroom to avoid monotonous appearance. To add glitters and curiosity with Jewelry, use Sham diamond jewels on porthole to make the room shiny. A few ornamental materials like butterfly sticks enhance the decor. You can do fanciful artwork in bedroom or hang wall paintings from famous artists. Hanging paintings in a sequence give wonderful effect to the wall or bedroom. Also you can place lamps on bedside table or fix it on accented wall of bedroom. Velvet blankets and matching colored pillows make your bedroom luxurious and beautiful. You can use fragrant candles to cheer up your feel for the room.


To know more on interior décor of bedroom, click here.
 
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