Take The Time To Seal Your Grout

Author: Lynn Bulmer

Ceramic tile is one of the most durable, low maintenance floors you'll ever have. However, just like any well used surface, there are certain things you can do to keep to keep your floor looking its best.

One simple step home owners often over look is the process of sealing the grout. Many are under the impression that since the glazed tiles themselves don't require sealing, that the same goes for the grout. Many installers will say the grout doesn't require sealing, but doing so will make the tiles easier to clean and stay clean. It also helps to repel water and stains from the porous grout surface. This simple process also goes a long way for homeowners who are preparing their home for sale. An clean entrance with a sparkling grout line makes a great first impression.

Follow these simple steps to seal the grout in your ceramic tile floor.

If you have a new floor, wait at least 30 days to allow the grout time to fully cure before sealing.

Clean the tiles with a neutral PH cleaner before sealing. Use a damp mop to prevent water from pooling in the joints. Never clean with bleach or strong acids such as vinegar, as they will break down the grout in time. For an existing floor, you may need to scrub the grout lines with a small brush to remove any stains and dirt. Rinse with clean water and dry the tiles completely.

There are two main types of sealers: Penetrating sealer is used with cementitious grout that chemically attaches itself to the grout, repelling water. Topical sealers coat the surface of the grout, repelling stains and water until the product is worn off.

Usually topical sealers are cheaper, but may give a plastic appearance to the grout. This type of sealer is not recommended for showers or wet areas, as they tend to retain any moisture that may make its way into the grout.

The penetrating sealers are a little pricier, but are more durable. Instead of simply coating the grout, they are absorbed by it.

If the sealer you've purchased doesn't come with an applicator, invest in a separate bottle with a built in roller applicator to make your job easier. Usually the bottle will come with a selection of rollers, simply attach the one that best fits your grout line and roll on.

Later, be sure to clean any existing sealer that may have strayed onto the tiles before it dries, or you'll never get it off.

Sometimes the grout on existing floors is badly stained and even cleaning doesn't help. In those situations, a grout stain pen will work wonders. Choose a color that most closely resembles your grout color and run it along the grout line. It also contains a sealer, so it does two jobs in one.

The sealer will eventually wear off and you can expect to repeat this process about every two years. You'll know its time when the tiles seem to get harder to keep clean. Try not to mix brands; the finished result is much more effective when you re-apply the same product.

About the Author:

View the many Washington D.C. homes for sale at LynnBulmer.com. Let Lynn be your guide to Kent DC real estate.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/take-the-time-to-seal-your-grout--799134.html

Right Way to Fix Leaks in Your Basement

Hundreds of Americans are dreaming of owning their own home. Right now they might be renting an apartment or another home and are restricted to doing things the way that the landlord wants them. They feel constricted and like they are not able to truly decorate it or make it their own. Owning a home of their very own is liberating and allows you to make the decision without having to consult with someone else.

Those of you who own homes understand this feeling – but can attest that there are certain negatives to owning a home. The biggest one is the facts that the responsibility to find someone to fix repairs and to pay for those repairs no longer falls to someone else. That is all on your shoulder and the costs can sometimes be high.

One of the biggest problems that older homes and a few newer homes can have is a basement that leaks through the floors and sometimes the walls. This problem can cause serious water damage and can be a place for fungus and mold to grow unhindered if it is not taken care of fast and efficiently.

The good thing is this very big problem can be fixed – but it requires the right tools and patience. If you want to save yourself some money you can fix the leak yourself. If done right you will save yourself from hiring a professional – which can cost hundreds of dollars.

One of the first things that you will need to do is to find where the leak is coming from. Most likely it will be coming from your basement floor – but it is possible for the walls to have a few problems. Once you have found all of the holes you must patch them up and seal them completely.

Once you have finished all of the patching it is time to apply the waterproof mix. There are many types of basement floor waterproofing mixes. Most of them will only require that you add water before placing it in the designated area. Just make sure that you follow the directions carefully.

Depending on what mix you chose you, will either have to spray down the floors and walls with water or keep them completely dry. Some mixes cannot be applied to walls that have been painted. If this is the case you will need to sand down the paint before applying the mix.

Apply the basement floor waterproofing mix onto the designated area using a stiff brush. Rub it in a circular motion over the wall or floor. You only need to apply the mix to the area that has been leaking. It is important to go out to the edges and only a few inches beyond to ensure that it is properly sealed – but not too far. Once the mix has completely dried and not able to rub off soak it with water and let it set overnight. You may have to apply the mix more than once.

Kitchen Remodeling Tips

Baring it to the essentials, you’d say that kitchen remodeling should be easy, as easy as pointing your finger over the right direction: putting the refrigerator here and installing the sink there. That, however, is the planning of a conventional designer living decades ago. There are now so many magazines and books to tell you the best kitchen remodeling tips.

The kitchen of today has evolved more than what it is naturally intended for. Yes, it still has to grill those tenderloins to meaty juiciness, but today the kitchen has to put up a number of guests in its confines. Treatment of kitchens had made many to consider these rooms as guest accommodating next to living rooms. While in the past they are more inclined for efficiency, over the years kitchens are becoming as much aesthetically pleasing and comfortable as it is efficient as the margin that separates the two becomes more blurred.

Yet, the kitchen is still easy to plan or remodel as long as during the designing phase, these kitchen remodeling tips are in close regard. So don’t scratch that blank matter yet. Get it filled with these kitchen remodeling tips.

Kitchen Remodeling Tips 1

Are you a housewife that juggles everything: baking, babysitting, and doing the dishes? Then increase your scope by putting your domain in the midst of the household. Design your kitchen (and your household) such that it would make the kitchen the center of the household.

There are several boons that come along with this design. Previously we have discussed how the kitchen has become an accommodation room than in the past. This design will also allow the patron to entertain visitor while periodically checking her cooking. As for the visitor, he will get to know what to expect for dinner.

Kitchen Remodeling Tips 2

Wood as a major material in kitchens is a common approach. However, wood is bad for places that gets a lot of heat and steam, even with exhaust. Wood softens when over-exposed and paint expands and also softens. However, wood is essential for cabinets and similar fixtures. Glass is a new approach for countertops, tables and sinks. These materials don’t hold grease in smoke, unlike wood and is easier to clean and maintain sanitarily.


Kitchen Remodeling Tips 3

Tabletop integration is another new feature in most modern remodeling ideas. These ideas are rather new, and the applications to them are yet to show. However, most integration designs shown over popular kitchen remodeling sites are quite gorgeous.

Modernising your home

Everybody wants their home to have the latest fashionable ornaments, pictures and furniture to make it attractive and appealing to anyone who views it and also for you as the owner to be proud of your home.
Your home reflects your personality and therefore speaks a lot about you as a person, so you wouldn’t want your house to look dingy, dull and old fashioned when your guests arrive.
Another problem is miss-matching furniture. If your house is decorated with original antiques or ornaments and pictures to suit its era, it would be pointless in buying a brand new modern sofa to put with it as it would look alienated. But to decorate the whole house from scratch would also be very expensive and there’s no point struggling to pay for it in time for your guests or family to arrive.
You will find if you search around that there are many other cheaper options to modernising your home in a short amount of time and the internet is a good place to start your search. The most popular of these options is furniture rental.
Not only do furniture rental companies have a huge range of different styles of furniture to suit your home but the process to rent your chosen furnishings is quick and easy and after your chosen time scale is up they simply come to your home to collect it again. From tables and chairs to lamps and rugs, furniture hire companies supply a whole range of different furniture to suit your home and make it a nicer place for everyone.
Nothing could be easier than booking furniture over the internet for it to arrive in plenty of time for your guests to turn up and having no hassle for it to be taken away again once they have left. With items such as mirrors and lights, it can also be nice to add these smaller bits and pieces to add character, warmth or detail to your residence.
The furniture these companies supply also come in a number of colours so if trying to match the other furniture in your room with a new item you will find no problem with colours or sets if you’re looking to start your chosen room from scratch. The furnishings are all of excellent quality and wooden objects such as tables, desks etc are made of fine materials such as Oak or Walnut wood.



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About the Author: Laura room works for a company where you can you find furnishings for any occasion with furniture rental

Kitchen Design: Trends in Kitchen Cabinets

Aside from the flow and functionality of kitchen design, the right kitchen cabinets are the most important part of the process. In fact, they are essential to having a beautiful functioning kitchen.

Though it is important, there is more to consider than the color and wood you want. Storage methods and space as well as hardware are all important decisions and today, there are more choices than ever to make your space organized and pretty at the same time. Here are some of the options when choosing cabinets for your kitchen design:

1. Custom or Stock: If you have an unusually arranged kitchen or you just have very specific ideas about what you want, custom cabinets will probably suit you better. Of course, this route is more expensive, but at least you know you can get what you want.

However, even the stock pre-made versions are now coming with a lot of little extras as standard practice. You can walk into a home improvement store and find a variety of options that have a lot more to offer than they used to.

2. Woods and Finish: If you decide on custom cabinets, your wood choices are greater. Here are some of the common woods used: Oak, Cherry, Maple, Walnut and Mahogany. If you are environmentally minded, bamboo is now being utilized in kitchen cabinetry.

Also used in wood flooring, it is a sustainable resource. As for finishes, you can choose between painted or stained and cover that with a glaze or not.

3. Doors: You can give your kitchen design a little personality by opting for door-less cabinets or use glass, either clear or frosted. If you do this, you want to mix it up and only do it with select areas. You also want to make sure the result is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and not a jumble of plates and glasses.

4. Drawers or Shelves: There is a lot you can do with drawers and shelves today. For convenience in hard to reach spaces, you can opt to have some shelves pull out or drop down. You can also make a more organized space with vertical shelves.

These are great for storing baking sheets, racks, and other tall slender items that you would normally just stack up and hope it doesn't fall over. Drawers are also showing up in unusual places. Just when you think it is a cabinet, you open the door and find drawers. This is a great way to more efficiently use the space as well as making pots and pans easier to get to.

5. Special Storage: There are also special storage options that also add to the decor of the kitchen. Even in the stock ones, you can find spaces such as built in wine racks or plate display shelves. There are roll-top cubby holes that can be used for counter top storage while also hiding it away. Special sliding spice shelves and garbage drawers are also popular.

6. Surprise! Another trend is hiding the appliances. This is where a custom order would have to be made, but many people are having faux fronts built to allow their dishwashers and refrigerators to be hidden away. It looks like a pantry, but it's really the icebox!


So, as you can see, there are a lot of things you can do to make your kitchen design functional but also a room you want to be in. Really think about your style and how you use the kitchen before you place your order.

About the Author:
Some of the things to consider when choosing well designed kitchen cabinets are custom, type of wood and finish, type of doors, drawers, shelving and specialty storage. For beautiful kitchen cabinets in Sarasota Florida, contact the Eurotech Cabinetry firm at www.eurotechcabinetry.com.

Wallpaper - Inexpensive, Easy, Beautiful

Author: Barbara Tobiasz

In this global economic crisis we are presently going through, it is nice to know that you can still beautify your surroundings on a limited budget. But don’t get me wrong. This does not mean that just because you did not spend a lot of money, your home has to look like it came from the bargain basement. There is one word that can change the overall look of your home for the better. That one word is wallpaper.

To make wallpaper extremely easy to understand, I’m going to go over Color Groups, Design Groups, Types, Materials and Features. By the time I’m finished you will be an expert on Wallpaper.

Okay, so here we go. When it comes to color groups, you have every shade imaginable. The following Color Groups represent the full spectrum of color shades for each color. The colors are blues, browns, greens, neutrals, oranges, purples, reds and yellows. You should be able to find the perfect shade of color you are looking for from the basic colors stated above.

So now we will take a look at the different Design Groups. In alphabetical order they are Accents and Accessories, American/Armed Forces, Animals and Insects, Art and Architecture, Cities/States/Countries, Clothing and Accessories, Fruits/Vegetables/Foods/Beverages, Furnishings and Household Items, Games and Recreation, Kids, Kitchens, Men, Music, Other (See for yourself), People, Plaids/Stripes/Faux and Natural Finishes, Plants and Flowers, Religious, Shapes, Space, Sports, Themes and Eras, and Vehicles.

If there are any Design Groups that you feel we left out, see ”Other” and I’m sure your category will be included there.

So now we’ve come to Type. Under the category of “Type” you have Accessory, Border, Border Mural, Fabric, Mural, and Wallpaper. Each of these types has a plethora of examples to choose from. They say that variety is the spice of life.

At this point we will go over the different materials these wallpapers are made from. You have a choice of Expand Vinyl, Fabric Backed Vinyl, Foil, Grass Cloth, Hand Print, Solid Vinyl, String, Vinyl, and Vinyl Coated. Each of these materials are pretty much self explanatory.

Features are important. You might make your final decision on what wallpaper you want with a heavy consideration on feature. Your choices on features are Peelable, Prepasted, Scrubbable, Strippable, and Washable. You can see how important this may be according to your situation.

By now you’re probably saying to yourself, “Wow! I did learn a lot about wallpaper in this article.” You certainly did learn that you a great deal of choices. You also know that you can put an entirely new look to your home for a very reasonable cost.

So go ahead. Research and explore your possibilities. See what will work. Make an educated decision. Your end result will be something that will make you feel proud and all who see your new wallpaper will compliment you on a job well done.

About the Author:

Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Wallpaper, go to: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/wallpaper-inexpensive-easy-beautiful-723258.html

Common Problems When Remodeling an Older Home

Depending on the age of your home, it is not uncommon for walls to not be perfectly square, or surfaces to be perfectly level. This is often one of the biggest challenges when remodeling an old home, especially the kitchen. In older homes, the cabinets were often build specifically for the space, so you will often find that modern cabinets (which should be square and level) will not fit exactly right. It is amazing how fat off surfaces can be and you won't notice it until you try to remodel.
In one of the houses that I was remodeling, the floor was off by a staggering 5" from one end of the room to the other... I had to level the floor before I could even think about adding anything new. When it comes to older homes, it is often recommended that you hire a professional that has experience in dealing with the oddities that come along with older homes. They will often know how to correct or even mask some of the common problems you will run into. Below are some of the common problems you will run into with older homes-

Uneven floors- this is can be from a combination of things. The house could have settled, which created an uneven floor, the floor joints could be rotting, or it could be the way it is built. This can be an expensive repair which is not recommended for a novice.


Walls that are not perfectly square- even in newer homes it is not uncommon to find walls that are not square, but this is especially true in older homes. This often makes it difficult to make matching repairs, or install cabinets, windows, etc. For cabinets, you will often have to shim the cabinets so that they are even. Installing new windows can often be difficult of the wall is not even, so some creativity may be needed.

So when you are thinking about remodeling an older home, be prepared for the challenges you might face. Looking for a way to save thousands on kitchen cabinets">? What if you could also create custom storage solutions to fit your families needs? Find out how....

Signs You Need to Repair Your Roof

In terms of being expensive, Roof Repair should be rated the costliest, and yet you would find roof repair as something that can just not be compromised on. And with all this being said, this activity is not something very tough by any stretch of imagination.
Leaks are considered to be the biggest enemy of roofs. Leaks result in rot setting into the roofs, which further causes deterioration of the roof material. To avoid this, you should be visiting the attic at least once a year, but for people who are possessive about their homes, a visit as regularly as possible is always desired. The bottom-line is - Prevention is always deemed better than cure, especially for roof repair works.

Going to an attic and checking it for any leaks is not a tough thing at all. After all, you just need to go there at the right time, and trust you would be able to locate signs of dampness. The best time for you to go to your attic checking for signs of dampness or rut will be soon after the rains, because this is the time the attic gets really moist and wet.


Repairing a roof, just so you know, is not a tough task at all. Of course, for this the preceding step of finding the leak becomes very important for you. You really have to work on a plan to identify the leaks. Once you do, the only thing remaining is for you to drill a nail from the top of the roof to cover the leak.

Vent pipes. Chimneys, roof vents - All these places are extremely vulnerable to have leaks. Especially the connectors to the roof and attic, both below and above it, are extremely sensitive to taking in more water. You should also pay some attention to the flashing to check for its flatness. Also check for the creases, and bends, and make sure the flashing does not have them.

One of the best ways of inspecting a roof for any shingles or cracks is by climbing on top of the roof.

This will allow you to get a perfect view of what the crack is all about. But this should be done only if you can climb on your roof and inspect it without jeopardizing safety.


If it is too complicated for you, you could outsource this work to a professional contractor, who could charge you a small fee but will get the job done.

Jim Warren is a consumer advocate who enjoys writing about the right way to purchase and take care of Vinyl Log Siding. Be sure to visit http://vinyllogsidingreport.com for more important vinyl siding tips and resources.