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Thank you for visiting our remodeling contractors website. Our remodeling contractors estimate general contractor website is designed exclusively for the homeowner and/or renter to get their job done efficiently and in a timely manner. We are dedicated to giving you an easy estimate request form for your remodeling project and following up with prompt and courteous service. We believe that between the customers request and our contractors skill your home improvement project will be a wonderful and delightful experience. Fill out the easy form and give us an idea of the project you wish to complete and you will receive an estimate from a qualified and licensed contractor. The benefit of a licensed contractor gives you assurance that your project is in capable hands and the job will be done right from start to finish. Bathroom Trivia A bathroom is a room that may have different functions depending on the cultural context it is used in. In its literal sense it means 'a room with a bath', but as bathtubs have partly made way for showers and steam showers, the more general sense of 'a room where one bathes' makes more sense. There can be just a shower or just a bathtub or both, sometimes combined and sometimes separate (in which case the bathtub may have a second shower). Usually, it also contains a handbasin or sink and often also a toilet. In the USA, 'bathroom' commonly means 'a room containing a toilet' (in other countries this is usually called 'toilet' or alternatively 'water closet' (or 'WC'), or 'lavatory'). For this interpretation of the word see bathroom (American). If a bathroom facility is attached to a bedroom it is often known as an en-suite or if it's attached to a master bedroom it's known as a master bathroom. A half (1/2) bath contains a toilet and a handbasin (lavatory). A 3/4 bath contains a toilet, a handbasin (lavatory) and a shower. A full bath contains a toilet, a handbasin (lavatory) and a bathtub. |
For information and articles about contractor laws and licensing we have included a link for your convenience. To find out more, simply click on the corresponding state you wish to obtain information from. - Home improvement contractor info Additional information and resources: Read Home Decorating Articles - We have included a great resource link for you to get ideas about designing to compliment any home improvement project. The link will open in a new window so you may keep our estimate form open for easy access. Find Decorating
Pictures - Finally...a source for interior decorating and
gardening pictures! A giant selection of home and garden, and interior
decorating from a great website that will give you many ideas about updating your home with an array of well thought ideas. Link opens in new window so you may return for an estimate. Design considerations The design of a bathroom must account for the use of both hot and cold water, in significant quantities, for cleaning the human body. Disposal of the water usually leads to a sewer or septic tank. Water may be splashed on the walls and floor and hot humid air may cause condensation on cold surfaces. From a decorating point of view the bathroom presents a challenge. Ceiling, wall and floor materials and coverings should be impervious to water and readily and easily cleaned. The use of ceramic or glass, as well as smooth plastic materials, is common in bathrooms for their ease of cleaning. However, such surfaces are often cold to the touch and so water-resistant bath mats or even bathroom carpets may be used on the floor to make the room more comfortable. Alternatively, the floor may be heated, possibly by startegically placing heater conduits close to the surface. Electrical appliances, such as lights, heaters and heated towel rails generally need to be installed as fixtures, with permanent connections rather than plugs and sockets. This minimises the risk of electric shock. Ground-fault circuit interruptor electrical sockets can reduce the risk of electric shock, and are required for bathroom socket installation by electrical and building codes in the United States and Canada. In some countries, such as the UK, only special sockets suitable for electric shavers are permitted in bathrooms, and are labelled as such. Bathrooms can also be a source of decorative inspiration. One can easily decorate the bathroom by choosing shower curtains or cubicles to match a theme. |
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Remodeling Contractors & Home Improvement Information |
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Understanding Air Purifiers
Purchasing an air purifier can be confusing, and you do get an awful lot of information thrown at you when you visit the different manufacturing websites, don't you? How can you tell what's what, and why do we need air filters anyway? And how do air purifiers work? Is the air really that bad? Haven't we been breathing the same air for thousands of years? Yes and no. First of all, we've been breathing the same air for thousands of years, but we live in a symbiotic relationship with the plants around us - that is, we rely on each other to survive. We breathe oxygen to live, and give off carbon dioxide. Plants exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen, effectively "exchanging" the air in a healthy relationship with us. This makes plants the first primitive air purifiers on earth, and explains why scientists are so concerned about the ecological balance on earth and the need for the survival of rain forests and plants - they ensure our own survival as well by preserving oxygen in our atmosphere. Nature cleans the air in other ways as well - ozone (positively charged oxygen molecules) is generated by waterfalls and thunderstorms. Ozone also cleans impurities and particulates from the air naturally. The Industrial Revolution and Air Quality The industrial revolution made great strides in everything but air quality. In fact, pollution such as emissions from automobiles, smog and pollution from everyday chemicals like cleaning fluids, carpeting and paints enter the air every day. In industrial settings, air purifiers clean the air before it is released into the atmosphere in order to meet government requirements. Today's homes are also more energy efficient and cost effective, but to get there they have become much more "closed in." When they are this sealed up, indoor pollutants are shut in so that today's homes are actually two to five times more polluted than outdoor levels! Obviously, air purifiers are essential to improving indoor air quality to combat the effects of this stale, recirculated air. Beginning in the 1980's, medical practitioners began to take note of the direct link between poor air indoor air quality and the increased incidence of conditions such as asthma, allergies and recurring colds and upper respiratory infections. The development of a variety of improved, scaled-down air filtration systems for in-home use soon emerged. How the Main Types of Air Purifiers Work One of the most commonly used type of air purifier is also one of the first developed, and is used in most hospitals and clean rooms. This is the HEPA filter. HEPA Filters During the Manhattan Project in the 1940's, the Arthur D. Little firm developed the first HEPA filters in order to filter out very small particles that had become contaminated by nuclear radiation in atomic bomb testing areas. It was during this initial development that the HEPA standards were set at 0.3 microns, which could effectively capture condensed radioactive iodine. The filters at that time were called "absolute filters," and not called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) until the filters were marketed in the 1950's. Today these filters are used by hospitals, surgical wards, biopharmaceutical research labs, micro circuitry labs, and the aerospace industry for their exceptional ability to control dust and particulates. HEPAs remove 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns or larger. For even more intense filtration, there is an ULPA, or Ultra-HEPA filter, which filters out 99.99% of contaminants pass through the filter. Obviously, something has to draw the air through the filter, and with HEPA filters this is a motorized fan. This can make them noisy, which makes them an annoyance to some people. A HEPA filter will need to be replaced every 12-18 months, depending upon how it is used and the interior environment of your home. For instance, if you have pets, especially cats or dogs that shed a lot, you may need to change it more frequently because of the dander. If there are smokers in the house you will also need to change your air filter more frequently to ensure proper filtration. However, for overall performance, nothing filters out or eliminates more particulates than a HEPA filter, so it is a matter of balancing cost, sound preference and convenience against your relative needs when choosing the right model of air cleaner for your home. Ozone Air Purifiers Ozone is created in nature by everything from waterfalls to thunderstorms, and is responsible for that fresh, clear smell after a heavy rain or storm has passed. It's nature's way of cleaning the air. Ozone air purifiers essentially do the same thing indoors by artificially mimicking the natural process that creates ozone. Ozone molecules exist in the air all around us, and will react with any particles they come into contact with, but are very unstable and tend to exist in small quantities for short periods of time. Ozone air purifiers work by using electricity to generate more ozone molecules, which have one more oxygen (O3) than we normally have in the air (O2) around us. Since ozone is highly unstable, one of the oxygen atoms is always inclined to break away and find another molecule to bond to. This process causes a chemical reaction which destroys odors and germs in the air and then converts what is left of the molecules into harmless oxygen and CO2. There is some confusion between ozone air cleaners and ionic air cleaners, but there are some differences. With an ozone air purifier, the ozone that is released into the air will be unstable and cause a reaction that will alter and destroy certain germs, viruses, bacteria and molds. It does not, however, have a collection plate where dirt or grime collects. Ionic Air Cleaners An ionic air cleaner also uses electrical charges to alter oxygen atoms in the air, like an ozone air cleaner. But unlike an ozone cleaner, an ionic air cleaner will rid the air your breathe of dust and pollen as well. Ionic air cleaners negatively charge the air particles in a room, which will cause a magnetic attraction to occur. The positively charged particles in the air, such as dust, pollen and pet dander, will naturally be attracted to these and they will "cling" to each other, creating a sort of magnetic bond. Particles that form into bonds like this become too heavy to remain suspended in the air and fall to the ground, where you will no longer be able to breathe them into your system. Vacuuming and regular dusting can get rid of these particles. In today's ionic cleaners, there are also fans that move the room air over negatively charged metal collection plates that the positively charged particulates will stick to. These can be regularly cleaned by simply wiping them with a soft cloth. Electrostatic Precipitators The original electrostatic precipitators were huge monsters used to control
pollution emissions from industrial plants. The waste by-products of a plant
were sent through large chambers that were charged by electrodes that acted as
enormous collection plates to attract the oppositely charged waste products
(such as dust, lead, sulfur, fly ash and other hazardous chemicals) from the
materials passing through, filtering out all harmful materials. Periodically,
the precipitators would be "tapped" so that these materials could be dumped from
the chambers into disposal units. Electrostatic Filters With electrostatic filters, a small static charge is created that attracts airborne particles as they go through a filter, capturing even those particulates which are too small too be captured by the relatively loose weave of the filter itself. Because of the looser weave, the air flow in an electrostatic filter is very good, but the filtration is very effective because of the electrostatic charge. These filters do have to be carefully maintained and cleaned at least monthly, and should be replaced every year for peak effectiveness. As the filters do become dirtier, the air flow will become less efficient. Finally, there are systems that combine two or more types of air purification system. While these are usually more expensive, they can be worth the price if you are looking for the best possible combination of features. For instance, an air purifier that will kill viruses and bacteria like an ozone air purifier, but will also effectively filter out dust and dander with a HEPA filter. About the Author
MORE RESOURCES: This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows the proper and safe way to remove an old finish from a hardwood floor When used safely, a space heater lets you keep a small area toasty without having to make the rest of the house feel like a sauna. Here are the ins and outs of the latest models See how these homeowners transformed a stuck-in-time 1950s Cape Cod into a comfortable home for today Save the earth and your budget with these noteworthy eco-friendly products You asked for it: medicine cabinets with built-in extras that resolve everyday issues This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows the proper way to replace an old kitchen faucet Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for kitchen fires. Learn how to protect yourself, your guests, and your property during the bustling holiday season I just installed two new chair-height toilets and one of them is dripping around the base bolts. I tried tightening and replacing, but it's still leaking. The other toilet is fine. What do I do? |
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