When Installing A New Bathroom Floor - Consider The Toilet

One of the most common mistakes made when installing a new bathroom floor is not to raise the toilet bowl connection flange so that it is level with the surface of the new floor.

If you are installing ceramic, porcelain or natural stone tiles on a bathroom floor that had sheet vinyl on it, you are most likely raising the floor a minimum of ½” and possibly as much as ¾”.

In order for a proper seal to take place between the bottom of the toilet bowl and the drainpipe, the flange on the drainpipe must sit flush with the top of the new floor. There are products that you can purchase at your local hardware or big box diy retailer that will raise the height of the flange by increasing its thickness.

Toilet drainpipes do not have a trap installed within them, the trap resides in the toilet bowl. Hence, any sewer gases that may come back up the drainpipe will leak into the bathroom if the seal between the drainpipe flange and the toilet bowl is not tight. These gases, besides smelling very bad are toxic!

Bowl gaskets that have extended plastic are not sufficient to provide a seal.

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The "DIY" Guide to Fertilizer and Fertilizing

Everything you need to know about fertilizers - fertilizing your garden, trees and landscaping!

• Convenience Fertilizers for Home Landscapes


• Environmental Horticulture: Guide to Nutrient Management


• Factors Affecting Fertilizer Uptake


• Fertilizer Choices


• Fertilizing Containerized Woody Ornamentals


• Fertilizing Landscape Trees and Shrubs


• Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden


• Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs


• Garden Arithmetic


• Grow Your Own Nitrogen


• Iron Chlorodis Signals Problems


• Minimum Chemical Gardening


• Organic Fertilizers


• Proper Fertilization of Home Lawns


• Proper Use of Fertilizers in the Vegetable Garden


• Responsible Winter Storage of Pesticides and Fertilizers


• Slow-Release Fertilizers

Follow the link:

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Flooring - Consider Your Options!

Today, homeowners have a vast assortment of materials available for flooring and each of those materials provides numerous options in color, size, shape, quality, texture, and price. It is important to consider all your options before choosing new flooring material.

Homeowners have been applying coverings over nature’s floor, earth, for thousands of years. It started when cavemen removed the stones from the dirt and made the earth smooth and more comfortable to walk on. We graduated from bare dirt floors by the careful placement of straw (available at the local DIY - Cave Depot) over the earth to provide some protection from the ground’s dampness and to provide a cushion for our feet.

The Romans and Greeks, used fired clay tiles on the ground going farther back than 1,000 BC. The advent of fired flooring material allowed the floors to be properly cleaned for the first time in history. The Egyptians used natural stone, such as granite as a flooring material, and slate was used in other parts of Europe to cover the earth. In Persia, they wove animal hair into wool to create rugs and in other parts of the world complete animal skins were used to provide flooring comfort.

A lot has changed since our forefathers used straw as a flooring material. Today we have a vast assortment of materials available for making and covering our floors to provide us with comfort and aesthetic warmth:

• Wood flooring - in planks and boards (more than 50 varieties)


• Bamboo flooring (which is a grass)


• Cork flooring (tree bark)


• Ceramic Tile


• Porcelain Tile


• Clay Tile


• Laminate flooring (a manmade manufactured product)


• Natural Stone – in slabs and tiles (marble, granite, slate, limestone)


• Glass (produced in blocks)


• Vinyl – in sheets and tiles


• Carpet – in square yards or as tiles


• Rugs & Mats – in natural and manmade fiber


• Concrete

And, each of the above coverings comes in a vast assortment of textures, colors, patterns, shapes, thicknesses, and sizes. However, it is not only the aesthetic value that must be considered when purchasing flooring as each material has advantages and disadvantages pertaining in wear, installation, maintenance, cleaning, longevity, thermal properties, moisture properties, and price.

In many cases, it is advantageous to use combinations of flooring, such as placing area rugs over wood, ceramic, porcelain, or naturals stone floors. The combination can create a unique appearance as well as adding comfort to the room.

If you are considering changing your flooring, you should take some time to consider all the possibilities and options that you have available.

Planning and knowledge are the keys to any successful diy home improvement!

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Basement Sub-Floor

If you are installing a sub-floor using Dri-Core or your own construction method, in your basement, it is important that you start at the highest point of the floor. The highest point is usually the farthest point from the drain.

If you don't start at the highest point you will have a serious problem leveling the floor.

We're On Squidoo!

Renovation Headquarters now has a page on Squidoo!

Follow the link to see the page and give us a vote.

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Australia’s Drought – It Could Happen Where You Live!

Australia may seem like a long way away for many of us, but what they are experiencing could happen in any country.

For whatever reason weather patterns are changing, Australia is in a drought, it has been going on for six years and if they do not get heavy rains in the next six to eight weeks, they are going to implement rationing. This is not rationing where you cannot water lawn on certain days of the week, this is serious rationing whereby they are going to stop any irrigation of farmland in order to conserve water for urban needs.

The economic consequences, of the water rationing, will be bankrupt farmers and exceptionally high prices for Australians when they try to buy any fruits, vegetables, grain, and meat products.

It was recently announced that the Australian government had signed a technology pact with Israel in the area of water conservation. Israel turned desert into cultivatable land and are experts in water conservation and drip irrigation.

Drip irrigation is what we should all be practicing, there are fresh water shortages everywhere in the world and one of the best conservation methods is drip irrigation not only on farms but at home as well.

To learn more about drip irrigation follow the link below.

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Home Depot & A Lack Of Service

Is it possible to find to find anyone at a Home Depot to help you choose the correct product? Sure it is, there is also a chance you will win a multi-million dollar lottery. Actually, I think the odds of winning a lottery are probably better.

Recently I had an opportunity to get insight first hand from a former Home Depot sales associate – as they are called within the company.

Home Depot is not interested in hiring full time anymore, unless it is a new store and then it only amounts to a small percentage of the staff. They want part-time employees, why you may ask? It saves a lot of money, no benefits, and no guaranteed number of hours a week. Incentives that were provided to sales associates for excellent customer service have been eliminated. Training on products and services amounts to an hour on a computer, and if you can answer a few questions correctly, after they tell you the answer, you are qualified to work in that department. Part time employees are at best transients, trying to earn a living until they can find a full time position. Do they care – most of them are just serving time, or maybe they will win an Olympic medal.

Where a few years ago Home Depot sales associates were considered to be very knowledgeable and customer service was key, it has changed to where a sales associate’s prime responsibility is to put merchandise on the shelf – in a precise location as designated by a merchandiser that doesn’t even work in the store. The Home Depot’s are designed to be self-service – a page out of Wal-Mart.

There is one exception and that is credit cards. Every person in a Home Depot is to push credit cards, get the customer to fill out an application. A Home Depot sales associate carries the various applications in their apron and if they forget to present an application, they are reprimanded.

It’s back to the small hardware stores and Lowes (which doesn’t appear to be following suit, at least not yet) to get service. Maybe we will pay a few more cents for knowledgeable service, but it is worth it in the long run. I am tired of being ignored by the pumpkin patch! (The term for a group of Home Depot sales associates having a conversation while ignoring customers).

Hurray, for the independent Ace Hardware stores!

Kitchen Remodel

Most families spend a substantial amount of time in their kitchen area. In some cases it is the place where families gather in the morning and evening and share their experiences. In some homes the cook spends many hours preparing meals.

It really doesn't matter whether the kitchen is the family gathering place or whether it is the cooks domain, in either case the kitchen needs to be a comfortable and well laid out room with an ambience of warmth.

A kitchen remodel will add monetary value to the home should you decide to sell. The quality and appearance of the kitchen is the number one driver of resale properties.

New appliances, are more energy efficient each year and they provide increased efficiency for the cook and those who work during the day and still prepare a quality meal every evening.

If you are considering remodeling any part of your home, the kitchen is the area that should be considered first.

Follow the link for additional information on remodeling your kitchen!

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Standby Generators

Now is definitely the time to consider installing a standby generator. Hurricane season starts in a couple of months and there is no reason to believe that the shortage of electrical power will be corrected in the near future. Weather systems have been producing severe weather throughout North America and other parts of the world, in areas that have not seen these phenomena previously. The installation of a standby generator will provide you and your family with security and comfort in the event the power grid or local disaster stops the flow of electrical power to your home.

Standby generators come in a variety of sizes for both residential and commercial applications. The size governs the maximum power that you will have available in the even of a power outage. Some homeowners want the comfort and security provided by a total replacement of the incoming power, while others are satisfied with having enough energy to maintain, heating, refrigerators, freezers, and some basic lighting.

Convenience is also a consideration when considering the size of the standby generator that you require. As an example, the stove and hot water tank (if they are electric) create the highest amount of power consumption in a home. A standby generator can be installed so that you can have hot water and your stove but not at the same time.

Heating and air conditioning are also heavy electrical energy draws. Again, a homeowner may be satisfied with the loss of air conditioning for a few days rather than pay for a standby generator that can deliver enough power to keep the house cool. If you have forced air heating, the blower uses a motor that requires electricity to operate. Without an operating blower, the furnace will not work even if gas or fuel oil supplies are still available.

A standby generator is not the same as a portable generator although a portable generator can be used to supply temporary power. Standby generators are generally installed so that they start automatically and switch the load, in the event of a power failure. A portable generator usually requires set-up, including the physical connection to whatever load it is to service, and must be started manually. The amount of fuel available is usually substantially different. Where a standby generator is usually equipped with enough fuel for at least 72 hours of uninterrupted operation a portable generator may have three to five hours of run time with its fuel supply.

Standby generators are available to operate from natural gas (NG), liquid propane (LP), or diesel fuel. If your local zoning will allow, I recommend the installation of a LP standby generator. LP has the advantage that it is stored on your property so that should the natural gas delivery system also be affected because of the natural disaster (in many instances the natural gas pipeline will be shut down after a natural disaster to avoid potential explosions from fallen wires), it will not affect your ability to generate electrical power. Diesel standby generators are generally used in commercial facilities. Diesel, although stored locally on the site, has the disadvantage that after a period of time it needs to be replaced, if not used. This can be a costly expense.

Whichever type of generator you purchase make sure you follow the manufacturer's installation instructions and your local building codes. The installation of a standby generator does require a building permit. Remember that any electrical generator, portable or stationary, uses a combustion engine to power it. Where there is a combustion engine operating, you have will have carbon monoxide gas, which is toxic.

Proper planning is the key to a successful standby generator installation.

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Tree Pruning

Proper tree pruning is critical to the longevity of the tree. As well, proper tree pruning provides you with a tree that is safe, strong, healthy, and attractive. If you understand the how, when and why to prune your trees and then by following a few simple principles you can reach these objectives with ease.

For fruit trees, proper pruning will stimulate the production of fruit, both in quality and quantity.

We have recently added a 6 part series of detailed information on the proper pruning of trees. Follow the link below for access to the articles.

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Choosing The Right Windows For Your Home

When considering a window replacement for your home the two most important items to look at are the method of construction of the window frame and the construction of the windowpane.

All materials transfer heat or cold through them. However, some materials have better insulation factors than others. Air is one of the best insulators and because of that, a window frame should be constructed so that there is a gap between the outside and the inside of the frame. The gap will help to prevent the transfer of heat and cold through the window frame. Some manufacturers will insert a thermal barrier between the inside and outside of the frame made of a different material such as a plastic or composition plastic.

The best windowpane insulation comes from placing an inert gas between two panes of glass. A gas such as argon has very low thermal conductivity. The second best method is to have two panes of glass, sealed, with an air barrier between them. A single pane of glass, even with a storm window does not provide much of a thermal barrier whatsoever. Tests have indicated that the temperature difference on the inside of a single piece of glass compared to the outside of the same piece of glass will be less than five degrees Fahrenheit, the addition of a storm window may take that difference from five to ten degrees.

With the cost of energy increasing yearly, it is very important to buy windows that will maintain the indoor temperature whether it is heating or cooling that is required. Windows and doors are the primary entry points for cold and the primary exit points for heat. An investment in good thermal windows will save you money in the long run and provide you and your family with the indoor comfort you desire.

Mother’s Day – Home Handywoman, Landscaper or Gardener

With Mother’s Day around the corner now is the time to consider a unique gift for the handywoman, landscaper or gardener in your life.

More and more ladies have taken up the hobby or in many cases the necessity of doing their own home repairs, improvements, remodeling, decorating, gardening and landscaping and they would rejoice in obtaining a new hand or power tool in the same manner as any handyman would. The roses will wilt after a week, the chocolates may last a few days, and the bath and beauty products will end up in the bathroom vanity, under the sink, right next to last years, and the year before Mother’s Day bath and beauty gifts. Tools will last a lifetime and every time the tool is used, you will be thought of. Is there any better gift?

Follow the link for a complete selection of unique products for that special person in your life!

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Bulk Material Calculator: Loam, Gravel, Sand, etc.

As part of a home improvement, remodel, renovation or landscaping project there may come a time when you need to buy materials such as sand, loam, earth or gravel in bulk.

As well, there are times that you need to know how many cubic feet of material you will need to complete a job, as many manufacturers and packagers of material will state that a bag has a certain amount of cubic feet of material in it.

This is especially common in landscaping and gardening. Most garden nurseries and landscaping centers will sell and deliver bulk materials by the cubic yard.

Calculating how many cubic yards of material you may need can be confusing to say the least and an error can be costly. Follow the link to get a free bulk material calculator that you can download onto your computer.

The formulas for calculating the volume of a square or rectangle and a circle are:

Square or Rectangle: Length x Width x Height = Cubic

Circle: 3.14 x Radius x Radius x Height = Cubic

All numbers must be in the same units, inches or feet. When entering values in feet remember that 6" is not 0.6 of a foot, it is 0.5 of a foot. As an example, a measurement of 10 feet 3 inches would be entered as 10.25 feet, as 3" is a 0.25 of a foot. A measurement of 6 feet 9 inches would be entered as 6.75 feet as 9" is 0.75 of a foot.

If you used inches in your calculation: to convert to cubic feet, divide by 1728, to convert to cubic yards, divide by 66,656.

If you used feet in your calculation: to convert to cubic yards, divide by 27.

Planning and knowledge are the keys to any successful home improvement, remodel or landscaping project!

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Home Design Software

If you haven't had a chance to view the new 3D software that is available for home decorating, remodelling and landscaping, you owe it to yourself to spend a few moments experimenting and having fun!

For more information follow the link.

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Laminate Flooring - Buckling Problem

Yesterday I saw a laminate floor that had buckled. The laminate flooring had been installed for about 6 months and was a medium quality product. The homeowners did the installation themselves, after getting verbal instructions from a sales person at a big box retailer.

They admitted that they had felt comfortable in doing the project themselves and had only skimmed the manufacturers installation instruction sheet. The room size was approximately 11’ x 17’.

To my knowledge, there are only 2 reasons for a laminate floor to buckle:

• The laminate flooring was not allowed to acclimatize itself to the room before installation. (Warehouses and big box retail stores are exceptionally dry facilities).

• There was no expansion space allowed between the flooring and the wall.

On questioning the homeowners, they said that the material was in their home for more than a week before they installed it and that they had left a 3/8’ gap all around the room. Both of these should have been adequate to prevent buckling.

Quarter round had been placed around the room to hide the gap between flooring and the walls. I removed a piece of quarter round and immediately discovered the problem. The homeowners had nailed the quarter round to the floor, through the laminate, rather than to the wall, thus locking the floor into place and not allowing the flooring to expand and contract under the quarter round.

Simple mistake and one that was relatively easy to correct.

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Rebar, Wire Mesh or Fibers in A Concrete Slab?

The great debate on whether to use rebar or number 10, 6 x 6 wire mesh in a concrete slab may go on forever. However, the consensus of opinion seems to be that wire mesh sheets, not rolls, should be used where slab thickness is between four and six inches and rebar should be used in slabs with thicknesses of eight inches or more. The wire mesh should be raised to between one third and one half of the thickness of the slab from the bottom. This can be done by using supports prior to the pour or by raising the mesh after the pour.

Individuals who find that their concrete slabs are cracking with the use of wire mesh may not be compacting the subsurface adequately before pouring the concrete slab. Secondarily, a spacer to help with stress cracks should be placed every 10 feet.

The use of fibers in concrete does not replace wire mesh or rebar. Fibers will aid in preventing surface cracking, but do not provide much in the way of support for thermal expansion or shrinkage of the entire slab.

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Water Features, Mosquitoes, and West Nile Virus

Water features can be a beautiful addition to any landscaping. Fountains, birdbaths, waterfalls, and ponds provide an enhancement and peaceful tranquility.

With spring upon us, many homeowners are considering their landscaping and with that may come the addition of a water feature. The dilemma is that water features can be a haven for mosquitoes and mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus and other diseases.

So what can a homeowner do?

Mosquitoes enjoy the luxury of standing water, which is why tires, wheelbarrows, pots, pans, and pails should never be left outside in a position where they can collect water. For the same reason birdbaths are attractive areas for mosquitoes to lay their larva.

If you want to have a water feature incorporated in your landscaping, the water should be continuously filtered and aerated utilizing outdoor pumps and filtering systems specifically designed for the task.

For additional information on how to protect your family from West Nile Virus when landscaping, follow the link.

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Waxing Hardwood Floors

If you have a hardwood floor that has been finished with a polyurethane coating, or are installing a pre-finished hardwood floor, there is no need to apply wax to the surface.

Applying wax is probably one of the worst things you can do. First of all, wax holds onto dirt, which is an abrasive, by trapping it in its surface layer. When you walk over a wax floor, the trapped dirt particles rub against the surface of the wood, which in turn scratches the finish. Secondarily, wax yellows, especially when it is in direct sunlight.

Polyurethane’s provide the ultimate protection for hardwood flooring. The better pre-finished hardwoods may have as many as seven layers of polyurethane coating applied over the stain or natural wood as the case may be.

For additional information on cleaning and maintaining hardwood floors, follow the link.

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Steel Studs In Residential Construction

Using steel studs in residential construction is a valid and beneficial alternative to wood. If you have tried to find a straight, relatively smooth 2 x 4 recently, you are well aware of the shortage of construction grade lumber.

Steel studs come in equivalent sizes to construction grade lumber. A 2 x 4 in wood is a 1.5 x 3.5 inch steel stud and a 2 x 6 wood stud is a 1.5 x 5.5 steel stud. There is even an equivalent for the 2 x 2 wood stud.

Steel studs are always straight, do not warp, or rot, and they are not subject to termites or other insects. They cut easily with a pair of tin snips or straight blade aviation snips. They are screwed together, rather than nailed with self-tapping screws. After a very short learning curve, steel studs assemble quicker than wood studs and they are much lighter. Most home handymen will already own the tools necessary to install steel studs.

For the home handyman it is wise to only use steel studs for non-supporting walls, those that are not carrying the weight of a second floor or a roof. Although steel studs can be used in a supporting role, it requires some engineering to design the framework.

The studs are used in the same manner as wood, there is a floor, and ceiling plate, which in steel stud terminology, is called a track.

Installing steel studs is much easier on the arms, legs and back. Driving in two self tapping screws takes a lot less effort than driving in a couple of 4 inch nails and the material is much lighter. There is no need to install the frame on the floor and then hoist it into position as the steels studs are screwed to the track from the side rather than nailed through the top and bottom plates.

When shopping for steel studs the only specification that you must pay attention to, is the gauge or thickness of the steel. The lower the gauge, the thinner the material, and the thinner the material the more flex in the stud or track.

Although a steel wall may seem to have a lot of flex in it, once the drywall is hung the wall will stiffen up dramatically.

Next time you are building a new wall in your home, consider the use of steel. You will be pleased with the results.

Home Improvement or Remodel!

What is the difference between a home improvement and a home remodel? I generally define a home remodel as a major undertaking that significantly changes the appearance of the property. It usually involves structural changes or at least adding or deleting walls.

I also consider the complete renovation of a kitchen or bathroom to be a remodel. By that I mean changing fixtures, cabinetry and floors.

Another distinguishing feature can be whether or not a building permit is required in order to undertake the work. No building permit required then in my opinion it falls under decorating or home improvement. If a building permit is required then it is a remodel.

All that being said, it really doesn't matter whether you consider your project to be a remodel, home improvement or decorating the same considerations applies to making it a success.

Those two considerations are:

• Planning
• Knowledge

Toilet Repair

With a few simple tools, anyone can repair a broken toilet!

Basic Toilet Construction

Toilets are simple devices and they are all work in a very similar manner. They are based on two items, a bowl and a tank although some manufacturers have models where they have molded these two items as one piece.

The bowl sits on the floor and has a rubber or wax gasket sealing the drainpipe to the base of the toilet. These gaskets should not be reused. They are very inexpensive and anytime the bowl is lifted from the floor, the gasket should be replaced. I prefer the wax gasket as I feel it molds better to any imperfections in the porcelain material on the base of the bowl and the drainpipe flange. The bowl is held down tight to the drainpipe with two bolts. The bolts, which should be brass, are designed with heads that fit through slots in the toilet drainpipe flange. These bolts stand straight up and fit into the holes in the base of the toilet. When tightened they compress the gasket between the base of the bowl and the flange and subsequently hold the toilet tight to the floor. In a few instances, there may be an additional two holes in the toilet bowl base. These holes allow for the placement of two additional fasteners through the base of toilet and into the floor.

For the balance of this article, follow the Link!

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The Proper Method For Planting Trees

Every year more than one million trees are planted on public and private properties throughout North America, these are not the trees are not planted as a part of a reforestation project, they are the trees that we use for personal and community ambience. Of these trees, less than 50 percent will survive more than two years.

Shock From Transplanting:

The greatest transplanting shock comes from the loss of the tree’s root system that occurs when the tree is dug-up at the tree farm. Placing the tree in shock makes it much more vulnerable to disease, insects, drought and other potential life threatening situations. The transplant shock lasts until the root system is fully replaced to the level it was prior to being removed from the tree farm. Most trees that die after being transplanted do so during the period of time prior to restoration of the full root system. Although there is no method of transplanting that will guaranty that a tree will not die, regular care and good gardening practices, for a three-year period following the transplant, will definitely improve the trees likely hood of survival.

For the balance of this article and information on how to protect your tree from shock follow the link.

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Why Are Area Rugs Popular Again?

Area rugs have been around for centuries. In modern decorating the usages seems to have peaks and valleys that cycle ever 10 to 15 years. Right now, area rugs are definitely the "in" floor covering. There, maybe a number of reasons for their current popularity.

Carpeting, in one manner or another, has always been a popular floor covering. The decorating cycle that seems to be prevalent is between area rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting. One of the inherent problems with wall-to-wall carpeting is the difficulty in cleaning. Carpeting is one of the worst enemies of individuals with respiratory or asthmatic health problems. It traps, dirt, dust, mold spores, animal dander, and a host of other allergens.

The better the carpet, by number of fibers per inch, the worse the problem. Vacuum cleaners, no matter how powerful, never remove a 100% of the dust or other contaminants. If you don't believe me, use your current vacuum over an area of wall-to-wall carpeting (after vacuuming, with the power still on, hold the hose in the air, stretch and shake the hose as best you can to remove any dust that may be trapped in the hose). Clean out the bag or canister, ensuring that there are no dust remnants. Vacuum the same area again check the bag or canister and you will see more dirt and dust!

Area rugs have the same inherent problem of trapping dirt, dust, and pollen, however they have the advantage that they can be conveniently removed from the home and taken to be dry-cleaned. The residential and commercial so called steam cleaners, I say so called because they do not use steam to clean the carpet or rug, do a better job than a vacuum, but they still do not remove all the dirt, dust and other contaminants that have made their way through to the under padding.

Now that other floor coverings, such as hardwood and laminates have come down in cost and are being manufactured for installation by the home handyman, wall-to-wall carpeting is decreasing in popularity and area rugs are being used to create warmth and decoration. Where wall-to-wall carpeting is generally a flat color, area rugs give a homeowner the ability to decorate with an assortment of colors and patterns.

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