Miles Of Styles With Tiles

By: Shaun Parker

With our climate becoming ever more erratic, fashions in interior design are changing in accordance and this has led to an increased use of ceramic tiles. Both floor tiles and wall tiles are fired in ever increasing quantities for use in all rooms of the house. In the UK, they are mainly used for the bathroom, wet room, kitchen or utility room. This is because they are practical and probably offer the best protection against the amount of water that is likely to be around.



The UK are very hot on their interior design and home interiors are beginning to settle at two ends of a very large scale. On the one hand, we have a group of people hankering after the traditional, reverting back to country style interiors that are full of muted colours, warmth, fabrics and traditionally patterned ceramic tiles.



Many old kitchens would have a chequer-board pattern of floor tiles in natural tones which would have been set when the house was constructed and never altered, covered or changed in any way. The floors of old houses were made for a purpose and had to be practical, comfort and looks were of secondary concern yet people now want to go back to those ideals.



At the other end of the scale, we have the ultra modern fashionistas whose homes are nothing short of sleek, minimalist, in fact quite clinical in appearance. Yet, this suits the hectic lifestyle that goes with many of today's younger people. Life is a constant round of work, kids and socialising that leaves little time for the maintenance of a fussy home.



To this end, kitchens and bathrooms are often covered with floor tiles and wall tiles to ensure every surface is smooth and easy to keep clean. Of course, this doesn't mean they can't be trendy. Stark blacks and whites in ceramic tiles are a hot favourite and will often be mixed for a dramatic effect. These tiles can now be made from glass, marble, stone or many other natural materials and come in every possible colour from the spectrum that you could ever dream of.



For those who are looking for something in between the two poles, ceramic tiles are still a very good idea. With the era of digital printing, ceramic tiles have been given a totally different lease of life. They are now available with patterns that hark back to days gone by - Victorian leaf patterns or swirls reminiscent of more 'flowery' interiors, yet all with the wipe-clean practical surface that we have come to love. These patterned tiles are rarely much more expensive than the plain ones because the printing on of the patterns is relatively easy compared with the different painting and firing that was needed to get colour and pattern into original tiles.



Of course, in the Mediterranean countries, ceramic tiles are a god send. They are used as floor tiles in all rooms of the house and do an excellent job of keeping the rooms cool. Ceramic floor tiles are used in lounges and bedrooms as well as wet rooms to ensure a cool surface beneath the feet. However, once warm in the winter, they are also pretty good at holding their heat.



So, it would seem, there is a style of tile and a possible application for every home, wherever it may be and whatever interior design you may favour.

Author Resource:-> Shaun Parker is a leading interior design expert with many years of experience in the kitchen and bathroom industry. Find out more about ceramic tiles at http://www.tileclick.co.uk

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Solar Power Do It Yourself

Solar power do it yourself (DIY) systems are available and you can too make or assemble these systems your own. Lots of people are saving plenty of money by producing their own electricity from solar power and as it is readily available hence if you have not thought about making your own solar power yet, think about it as it can save you thousands of dollars per annum. Solar power do it yourself guides are available at Internet and with the help of these programs; you can make your own solar power panels and can produce electricity from it. If you think about purchasing a solar panel from market, it might cost you a few thousand dollars, however if you purchase the raw materials and assemble it yourself, the cost of getting electricity will be below $200. You only need a space on your roof or in your backyard where these panels can be installed and can get regular sunlight. Even if the panel don’t get regular sunlight, don’t worry these will produce electricity whenever these gets sun rays and the electricity produced by these solar panels will be stored in batteries, which will be utilized by the electrical appliances of your house.

This is one time investment of approximate $200 and you start getting electricity from this investment. You can thus save your electricity consumption up to 80% or even more and sometimes people are producing excess electricity and selling the electricity to the electricity boards. So, utilize the solar power and opt for a do it yourself guide and start earning, and believe me hundreds of thousand of people across the globe are already utilizing the technology for producing solar energy. So, Utilize solar power for fulfilling your electricity requirement and do it yourself guide is the best option for you to assemble and gain knowledge about this form of renewable energy.

About the author:
Earth4Energy is a Solar power do it yourself guide that explains you building you own Solar Power Panels however the benefit of Earth4Energy is that you can save few thousand dollars, which would have otherwise been paid for purchasing a readymade solar panel. Check out Earth4Energy ReviewArticle Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Designing With Solar Power Designing With Solar Power encapsulates five years of work by over thirty international experts from the fields of research, development and design...

Avoiding leaks when installing vinyl retrofit windows

Avoiding leaks when installing vinyl retrofit windowsThese days a lot of homeowners are replacing their old windows with vinyl windows using the retrofit style of window frame. This is particularly true in the west, and specifically, in California. The number one arguement that I have heard against using the retrofit method, is that it is susceptible to water leaks. Well, that's true if you don't do it properly. But, if you do a complete tearout of your old window down to the studs, you're going to have water leak issues there as well if you don't install the new window properly. So I think that arguement is, well, all wet. So, let me tell you the best way to install your retrofit windows that will ensure that water cannot get in.There is an old song that goes,
"It never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya, it pours, man it pours".

For those of you in California, you know how true this is. While California doesn't get a lot of annual rainfall, when it does rain, it can come down in buckets due to the close proximity to the ocean. So, you want to be sure that your windows are well sealed. If you are installing retrofit frames against a stucco house, you want to put a thick bead of sealant right on the outside face of the old window frame, all the way around. Latex caulk should work fine, but if you want to spend a little more to get the best sealant available, use 100% silicone. Depending on the number of windows you will be doing, this extra cost can add up. You pay approximately $1 for a tube of acrylic latex caulk, and $4 or more for a tube of 100% silicone. You are going to use 1-3 tubes per window, depending on the size. So you can see how it could add up.

Here is a trick that I used to do to save a little money; The most vulnerable part of your installation is the top of the window, because gravity will have the water running down from the roof to the ground. It's not likely that water is going to find it's way through the sides or bottom. So, I used to carry two caulking guns, and load one with the silicone, and the other with the acrylic caulk. I would run the silicone accross the top of the old frame, and caulk the sides and bottom. Then, put your new window into the opening and have a helper hold it firmly in place while you plumb and level it, then screw it into place.

After you have the window completely installed, your final step should be to caulk where the retrofit lip meets the stucco. Here again, I used to use white silicone on the top, and caulk on the sides and bottom. You now have a double barrier against water infiltration. After about a week, check the sealant around each window for signs of cracking. Because stucco is usually uneven, there could have been gaps that were larger in some areas than in others. If you don't force the caulk into the gap to completely fill it, the caulk can sag before drying, causing a crack to form. Simply recaulk over any cracks that you see. You can check the silicone on top as well, but because silicone dries like a rubber substance, you shouldn't see any cracks there.

OK, what if the replacement windows are going between wood trim surrounding the opening?

If you are using the retrofit lip, and trimming it to fit between the wood, then you still apply the heavy bead to the old frame before installing the window. But, instead of sealing where the retrofit lip meets the stucco, you seal where it meets the wood. Then, you want to be sure to seal above the window, where the top piece of wood meets the stucco. Again, use silicone up there. Now, no water can run down the stucco wall and get under the top piece of wood. Sometimes, though, you might decide not to use a retrofit style frame between the wood, choosing a block replacement frame instead. If you choose to do it this way, you have to add trim to the outside. You still want to apply the sealant to the old frame, then apply your trim so it contacts the new window as well as the sealant on the old frame.

If you follow these procedures, you won't have to worry about any water penetrating into your home, I don't care how hard it pours!