Steel Kit Homes

Steel kit homes look like any normal house. Expect for the main difference being that all parts are packaged together in correct quantities, so when they arrive on site, the building process is made as quick and simple as possible. Steel kit homes are light to handle and constructed with ease. All measurements are computer generated, meaning precise quantities of all materials.

Termites are a major problem in Australia. Steel framing is impervious to termite/white ant attacks so you will never experience this problem when you purchase a steel kit home. All homes can be individually designed to suit your specific requirements. Enjoy complete freedom of design! Steel frame homes are ideal for sloping blocks due to the fact that it does not crack or warp. This alone can save you thousands on site works and construction costs. Building a kit home may be a cheap way to build your dream home. Whether you choose to build your own home completely yourself or just manage the project, you will find that this is one of the most affordable options in getting into your home sooner.

The fastest way to get your dream home is to approach an agent representing a company. Usually a company offering manufactured kit homes, not only has a large range of modern designs, but also provides outstanding customer service and after sales support. While the kit home designs can be modified to suit your personal requirements, you also have the option to design your own home.

There are many reasons why people are choosing to build steel kit homes. Affordability has always been a large factor but now more than ever people are starting to realize the many other benefits. These benefits include: Strength - Steel has the highest strength to weight ratio as compared to any other framing materials and can be made to withstand cyclonic conditions.

Advantages of steel kit homes

1. Will not warp - Steel frame kit homes will not warp, bow or rot resulting in a high quality home that will last for many years.
2. Non-combustible - Steel framing will not burn and therefore will not contribute to a fire. This gives you more time to escape the fire.
3. No load bearing walls - Steel lends itself to longer spans therefore negating the need for load bearing walls. The result is the ability for more open living spaces.
4. Termite Proof - Termites don't destroy steel thus eliminating any structural damage that they might have caused.

So if you have decided to own a dream home that suits your budget & needs, visit http://www.kithomes.net.au to choose from a wide range of kit home designs.

This article is copyrighted, all rights reserved, and it may be used only if kept entirely intact with the author's name and URL.

Good Orange County Contractors

I would love to hear your good contractor stories. I'm so tired of hearing about contractor nightmares, is there anyone out there that has a good contractor story. Place it in the comment area underneath this question.

Home Door Books

Curtains Or Draperies - Which Room and Why

I get a lot of email from people across cyberspace asking me to explain the difference between Curtains and Draperies. At the same time, these same inquisitive people ask me to direct them on what are the proper rooms of their home in which to hang curtains and what rooms should they hang draperies. I will do my best to explain what type of window treatment is best suited for the room.

Before I start, I would just like to say that what I have to say here are just suggestions. None of my suggestions are written down in stone. All I am trying to do here is give you an idea or two in order for you to get a basic understanding of where to hang curtains and where to hang draperies around your home. So let's get started...

The first room of your home I will discuss is the living room. Here you would more than likely want to display a more formal look to the room. This room would be the place to display draperies as the primary window treatment. Also, if any of these rooms has a sliding glass door to a patio or balcony, drapes around these doorways are a pleasant solution to a classic look.

Now you want to consider a drapery style to coincide with the decor or theme of the room. Depending on the degree of formality, you may want to go with Bradley Linen, Capri Batiste Drapes or Grammercy Park Deco. Without my knowledge of how you have decorated the room, I can only suggest what styles are available to you to choose from.

Other rooms in your home such as the Family Room, Bedroom, Den, Library, Study, and Loft may also be rooms in which to display draperies. It all depends on how formal you wish to present the atmosphere of each of these rooms.

There are several styles of draperies to choose from such as Balloon Shade, Deco Cascade, Deco Swag, Pinch Pleated Pair, Pinch Pleated Panel, Rod Pocket Pair and Patio.
To get a good idea of what all these styles look like, go online to view.

If you would like to take advantage of the insulating advantages that some curtains offer, then to make draw curtains a more formal presentation, you could combine a valance over the top edge of your curtains to complete the look.

When it comes to a child's bedroom, you might want to go with curtains. You have a wide variety of choices for both boys and girls.

For the girl's bedroom you might want to go with curtain styles such as Candi, In Bloom, Manchester Brights, Pizzazz or Simmi. All these curtain styles have shades of color or prints that are more in the direction of a little girl's bedroom. Take a look online.

For a boy's bedroom you would go in a different direction. Some of the choices you have for a boy's bedroom are Moon and Stars, Sailboats or Groovy Dots. These have a tendency to lean more to the styles that are more appropriate for a boy's bedroom. All you have to do is explore you boy's bedroom curtain options online.

Now we will take a look at what styles of curtains are available for your kitchen. Like every other room of your home, the kitchen has a color theme and a style theme. All you have to do, when it comes to kitchen curtains, is match both the color and style of your kitchen.

I have researched many possibilities for kitchen curtains and came up with a variety of different styles and colors such as Angela Tiers, Battenburg Tiers, Beach, Briar Rose, Butterflies, Celebrity Tier, Climbing Roses, Cottage Stripe, Countryside, Darcy, Denim Look, Dublin Stripe, Fruit Medley, Fruitopia Cottage Set and Gingham Panel.

All of the kitchen curtains are available with a choice of colors. You will find that perfect kitchen curtain match just an online search away.

Sometimes there are applications for curtains that are somewhat unusual. The perfect examples of this are the two rather large side wall windows of the garage that a friend of mine has at her townhouse. She happens to be a fan of American football, so she put up the logo curtains of the NFL. There are also other choices for garage curtains such as car brand curtains or NASCAR curtains. You're probably saying, "Wow, there are curtains out there that will compliment your garage?"

So there you have it. There is a wonderful world of curtains and draperies just waiting for you to discover. Go out and explore you options. You won't be disappointed.

Draperies/Curtains: The difference between Draperies and Curtains is very simple. Draperies are pleated and are more formal, whereas Curtains are informal and generally gathered.

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 Curtains and Draperies, go to: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com

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Motorized Blinds - High Tech Wonder At Home

The remote control has become a standard element in the lives of many people around the world. Most will have a remote to their TV and stereo systems, while others may have remotes to other things such as their computer or printer. But what about having remote control blinds? That's right... instead of having to use a cord to open, close or draw up your window covering, you can conveniently use a remote control. These are known specifically as motorized blinds, since a motor is used as part of their mechanism.

Top-Notch Technology

Now, if you think that motorized blinds must be flawed in some way, think again. The technology used is top-notch, meaning that both the remote control and the blind will last for a very long time. Style-wise, they come in the same type of varieties as their cordless or manual-cordless counterparts. You can get them in vinyl, fabric or even wood. They are also not limited in style, since vertical and horizontal blinds as well as shades all can be motorized.

Safety

Remote control blinds also offer a lot in terms of safety. If a person has small kids around, having the remote type eliminates the fear of worrying whether or not they're going to be playing with the cord. But they can go even further than that. If one has high windows, they can prevent the possibility that accidents could occur with the ladder. Not to mention they just make life easier. Indeed, which is better, having to climb up to adjust them, or just pressing a button on a remote?

So, why don't more people have motorized blinds in their homes? Many may not even know they exist. This is because the corded ones are so popular, many just assume that's how blinds go. It doesn't help that many stores seem to showcase their corded or manual-cordless items even more than their remote control ones.

Too Expensive?

Another reason people may not want to go for the motorized version is the fear that they might be too expensive. While remote control blinds might be priced a little bit more than other types of blinds, they still shouldn't break the budget of the average person. You definitely do not have to be wealthy to enjoy the wonder of this convenient product.

In conclusion, remote control blinds are very revolutionary in the industry. They offer a lot in terms of both convenience and safety. However, they need to be marketed more, since many people who are not into window coverings may not even know they are around. Even online stores don't showcase their motorized products as much as they could.

Indeed, a new era is blooming when it comes to window styling, and manufacturers should work to simply eliminate the corded type from their inventory. Of course even then some may still question the value of the motorized blinds, but once they get a set for themselves, they will see that they are well worth purchasing.

Ernest Jarquio is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Blinds-n-Curtains.com. He provides more resources on topics such as American blinds and wallpaper, patio blinds and arch window blinds that you can research on his website even while lounging in your living room.

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Remodeling Your Home In Carlsbad

What you are thinking about remodeling your house and you live in Carlsbad. Let me give you some advice about some local contractors and some of the people involved. I used a company called Service Magic to find a local heating and air conditioning contractor. All I had to do was go on the internet , type in some information about my self and what I wanted to have done to my home. This didn't seem that bad of a idea at the time. But look what I found out.

I went to their web site, filled in my information and with in minutes I had received the names of at least 4 contractors. Wow this is neat. I didn't even get to start calling any of them when my phone rang. It was one of the contractors secretaries. She introduced herself and asked what would be a good time for someone to come out to look at the work I wanted done.

I was surprised at the speed things were taking place but in a way glad that I had a reputable contractor from one of the largest construction referral services on the internet. I told her 10:00 would be fine. I got a call shortly after that from one of the other companies. He wanted to meet me that mourning at 8:00 if it was Ok with me. I told him of course, let's do this. Then the next one called and I thought great you can come at 1:00. Well you guessed it the next one was coming over at 2:30.

The first contractor showed up as scheduled at 8:00. We talked about what I wanted done and he whips out his note book and starts figuring out a price. This took place around 15 minutes into the meeting. This guys good I thought. Being a General Contractor in Carlsbad myself, for a job like this I would go back to my office and figure out a price and then double check my figures for a accurate estimate. It took this guy less than 5 minutes to create a proposal of around 10,700 dollars for every thing.

Well I was thinking to myself, the job should be around 7,000 dollars but what do I know about construction. I informed him that I would think about it and that I was going to meet with a couple of other contractors that day. He ask me who the other contractors were. I proceeded to tell him that I probably shouldn't tell him who they were. Well your not going to believe this. He put on his physic hat and told me who was coming over. The only thing he didn't know was what time they where coming over.

Oh I forgot to mention before he left he told me he would knock ten percent off the job if I signed the contract right now. I pretended like I was excited just to see his reaction. He looked at me like he had won the gold metal in sales. I told him thanks but I bet your new offer with the ten percent discount will be good for the next few day. Right I asked. He wasn't looking that excited any more as he replied with a Yes it will be good for a while. I thanked him and he went on his way.

My 10:00 never showed but his secretary gave me the old, " He had to go do a emergency job and could he reschedule tomorrow at the same time. I said that would be fine. As a contractor myself I have always put the work I had to do first and foremost.

About 12:30 I get a call from my next heating and air conditioning contractor. He is running late but will be there at 1:30. I appreciate the call and I will see you then. The only problem now is that I have another contractor coming at 2:30. That give the next contractor less than one hour before the next guy shows up. I never liked going over to someone's house and running into another remodeling contractor.

The next contractor was very informative and knew his stuff. I listened and learned. He told me he was going to have to go back to his office and would have a price back in the mourning. Great I told him as I hurried him out the door.

The last contractor of the day shows up and wants to know whose been over to the house, was it these guys or those guys. I told him I wasn't going to tell him who was over. Now this guy was a salesman. He did a little more probing before he let me in on the fact that his company doesn't do complete home installations. He made up some story that his company only replaces the forced air units. I could tell he didn't want to do the job once he found out I knew what I was talking about. So I said my good byes to Mr. Salesman.

The bad part about him was latter on that week his company sent us some mailers. The kind that doesn't have your name on it and everyone in the neighborhood get's one. I couldn't believe my eyes when I started to read this letter. It said we would be glad to give you an estimate on all your heating and air conditioning needs or services. " We Do Complete Installs". I told my wife we could have used this a few weeks ago. Then I recognized the name of the company and now knew that the salesman had lied to me for sure.

That night I started to think about what was going on here it seemed like I was being set up. Everyone knew what was going on but me. It seemed clear to me that these people knew each other.

Well as time went on we ended up hiring the first guy that came over. He seemed to have the best product at the most reasonable price. His company also did a great job. Keep one thing in mind here out of five contractors that I gave the opportunity to bid the job. Only three showed up and from them I only got two bids. Why didn't I get more bids? Quite frankly I was to busy working at the time and of course the other two guys were always going to show up and that kind of strung me along. My mistake.

Here's the kicker to all of this. Service Magic calls me up one day to tell me they would like to start sending me construction leads as a General Contractor.

I listened to what they had to say and was almost ready to sign up with them again. That's right, I was signed up with them when they first started until they changed the rules on me. The salesman that originally contacted me said if I paid them the 100 dollar sign up fee they would let me pick what jobs I wanted to do. That lasted about 5 months before I noticed that they were not sending me siding referrals to pick from. I called them up only to talk to someone who didn't understand the State Of California Contractors Licensing Board.

Well I wasn't about to reinvent the wheel. I simply told them that I should a least get my money back, right. They said they would look into it further as I never heard from them again about my 100 dollars. Well things have changed at Service Magic since I was with them when they started.
As a home owner you don't think you are paying Service Magic because all you do is fill out a simple form giving some information about yourself.

I found out that Service Magic sent all four of these contractors my original information. Each contractor then had to pay 55 dollars each to Service Magic for a total of 220 dollars. All I have to say is how are they getting away with charging this much money for sending a out a simple referral to these contractors.

The contractor unfortunately passes this expense on to his customers. You as the home owners end up paying these fees as a cost of doing business with them. Some contractors think this is a great way of doing business but you might think differently in the future if you start paying over 100 dollars for a simple construction referral.

Greg Vanden Berge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Home Building Books

Is Your Real Estate Agent in a Hurry? Real Estate Advice

If any of these statements sound familiar to you, it could mean that your real estate agent is either in hurry or doesn't have an answer to your question. Either way, this could lead to an unpleasant relationship.

Have You Ever Heard the Words:

Don't Worry about a Thing, Will Take Care of You.

Come on That Roof Will Last for Another 30 Years.

I Wouldn't Worry about That, That's Easy to Fix.

How Many Times Do I Have To Tell You, It's Not a Problem.

I'm on Your Side, There Won't Be Any Problems.

With a Little Bit of Caulking, You Won't Even Notice It.

Just Plant Some Bushes in Front of It and You'll Never See It.

The Floor Squeaks, That Gives the House Character.

Or What about the Ever Famous, Are You Going to Buy the House or Not.

Are any one of these experiences familiar to you? Don't be afraid to ask your questions again. Be firm when asking, but please don't be rude and if the answers don't sound right ask someone else to verify or ask your real estate professional if they are positive and know for a fact their answer is correct. It's always good to get a second opinion anyway.

You don't need to do business with anyone that will not answer your questions and is always trying to hurry you along. If you sign a purchasing agreement with a real estate professional you're not getting along with, ask them to let you out of the contract.

With no fees of course, there are other ways to purchase a home if your now old real estate agent doesn't want to play fair.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping

If you're having problems with your real estate professional, you might give some thought to look in at some home foreclosures, and then contacting someone to help you, after you have found the home that you are looking for. Some real estate agents can be extremely unhelpful

Installing A 32 Inch Back Door

Latest Shower Designs

The new age human being seeks convenience and luxury at the same time. He has brought out a multitude of products and services to achieve this end. Showers are also a part of that stream of innovations. As days passed, showers also changed for the better. Electric showers are the present day kings in the field of bathrooms and showers.

Electric showers are very convenient to use and easy to install. It is the ultimate answer to the showering needs of the entire family. They can be attached to any existing domestic electric circuit and plumbing systems without making much modifications. Main bathrooms or en-suite ones or the ultra modern shower cubicles - all sport an electric shower system these days.

A refreshing shower after a hectic and tiresome day can do wonders to pulling up the morale of a person. What if it is done in a perfect ambience with water warm enough running over you pampering your body and spirits? It can be a heavenly feeling. That is exactly what electric showers provide.
Thousands of different brands and models with different capabilities are available for you to pick. Always exercise discretion while choosing one. The one you buy should be compatible with the existing systems of your house and also your budget. However, this is an easy task due to the huge choices available.

Triton electric showers and Mira electric showers are two leading brands providing quality products. Triton showers have some novel models that heat up water as soon it enters the heating system.

Written by James Chapman, a director of Bella Bathrooms Ltd who supply Electric Shower products across the UK.

Bella Bathrooms is an online retailer formed by 2 plumbers from the North East of England. Having hands on experience of custom bathroom installation and products has enabled Bella Bathrooms Ltd to only select quality bathroom products for their online shop. They sell bathroom furniture, bathroom suites, showers and bath related products for consumers through the United Kingdom.

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