Adding Glass - For a Touch of Class.

Glass is a wonderful medium and it will do wonders for any room of your house if you chose the right piece.

It could be singing from a sunny window sill or a centre piece in the quiet hearth throughout the warm summer
months, or sparkling from a stand in a bright sitting room or study.

The type of glass you decide to buy is all important. There is absolutely no point buying a cheap Chinese piece of tat
or some Venetian tourist trinket that are banged out of a press nineteen to the dozen. They will look exactly want they
are – cheap, factory made, mass market glass.

A real piece of art glass will not only enhance any room, it is also a great investment if well looked after. Imagine
making 15% a year on a piece of glass appreciating in value when the banks are paying next to nothing in interest.
Just remember to put it out the way when the children are young.

Top quality crystal art glass that has been hand blown by a master glass craftsman is the ultimate glass with class.
A Glass vase that has been made with real care and attention to detail is what you are seeking. Once cooled and
sat proudly on the glass studio workbench the quality will be clear immediately. It should ooze style and finesse and
be both colourful and shapely. The quality of a glass piece should scream out at you and will leave the other factory
produced glass languishing in the distance.

There are even pieces of art glass now that are an infusion of metal threads into molten glass which builds up in
layers and gives a wonderful reflective surface when finished.

An ornate glass sculpture can really make a room, drawing attention to a sunny window sill or mantelpiece. Or a large
glass vase can make a fabulous centrepiece to a large table, stand or fireplace.

A dazzling glass paperweight will enliven a dark bookshelf and an art glass crystal bowl will look so delicious on your
dining table you will be loathe to put any fruit in it.

Choose wisely and you will have a glass artwork that will add a touch of elegance to the room and give you much
pleasure over the years.

Barnaby Kirsen runs Boha Glass – an online shop specialising in hand blown art glass from Bohemia and beyond.
You can read more about glass on his blog : http://www.bohaglass.co.uk/blog/

Garden Gates

Garden gates which are also known as simple sides are the focal points of our homes. They mark the border between public and private around our homes. They always give the first impression to everybody visiting our homes and it is very important that we select for them designs that will secure your property and at the same time also enhance your property. This depends on the following factors. The first one is how the surrounding area has been designed and the second factor is the function that the gate is going to perform. Construction of garden gates is very simple. Garden gates that are meant to be installed at the entrance of the gate or at the side of the house usually measure six feet in height. They must be made using materials that are weather and corrosion resistant since they will be able to endure the vagaries weather will present. Use of the correct material prevents wearing or tearing and also weakening of gate posts. Garden gates are constructed using metal, wood and bamboo which has become popular lately. For example, for a six feet tall gate, five by five lumber posts which have been cut to a height that is suitable are required. These posts have to be bolted to a structure that is fixed or to beams or headers which are for stability and for holding the posts. Holes which these posts will be concreted into should be of a size of one foot squared and two feet deep. For extra support, a concrete bridge or timber can be run below the ground between the two posts. This will also keep them straight. The gates width is required to be proper, and it should also be given enough space on any side of the gate that you will choose. An inch has to be removed from the width present between the posts to allow for a half an inch clearance. The frame of the gate should be made on level ground using two by three lumber pieces. This frame should be squared by adjusting it till the two diagonal measurements that are opposite are identical. This helps in ensuring that the corners of the frame are at right angles and that the frame is square. For extra support, use galvanized nails to nail a two by three lumber piece on each corner of the frame. The vertical boards of the gate should have fence boards measuring one by six and two and a half inch nails (galvanized and flat headed to offer stability) should be used to nail them. They should be overhang the bottom and top of the frame equally at the same time lying flash using its edges. The last board has to have its width deducted to maintain what is known as the flush fit. The gate is then hung two inches above the ground between the posts. Parkers or wedges are used to jam the gate into place while installing hinges on the inside of the gate.

Why you Need a Professional Plumber

Sooner or later you are going to find yourself in need of a professional plumber. You never know when you are going to wake up and find yourself ankle deep in water due to a busted pipe. When this happens, you will certainly want to make sure that you have the name and number of a professional plumber in your area who responds quickly to plumbing emergencies.

A professional plumber will be able to come to your home and repair your busted pipes to help you get your home back to normal as soon as possible. Being able to respond on a moments notice is so important especially when your home is flooded. It's so frustrating to you and your family to have to deal with plumbing problems, but a professional plumber can have you fixed up in no time.

Perhaps you are experiencing clogged pipes and nothing in your home will drain. This could be the result of something as simple as a grease clog in your pipes or something as difficult as tree roots in your pipes. No matter what the cause is, a professional plumber will be able to get to the bottom of the problem and have your drains flowing freely in no time.

Just knowing that you have a professional plumber that is highly knowledgeable, bonded and insured, eager to help you and fast to respond can take a great load of stress off of your shoulders. Many plumbers will offer 24 hour service for emergency plumbing needs, this is a great comfort knowing that you can call anytime of the day or the night and get a professional plumber to help you.

Maybe you just would like to have some new faucets installed in your home, with a professional plumber, you can easily have new faucets installed throughout your home. It's a great way to give you home a minor make over and to insure that you won't have to deal with leaky faucets any time soon in your future.

If you're planning to build a new home, you will definitely need a professional plumber. It's a great idea to have a professional plumber from the time that you begin planning your new home. Many plumbers work first hand with the contractor that will building your home to make sure that all of the plumbing needs of the home are taken care of efficiently and that everything is going to work perfectly when you are ready to move in.

If you don't have a professional plumber on your speed dial at home, you really need to find one in your area. Talk to your friends and relatives and see if they have a professional plumber that they recommend. You can also contact the Better business Bureau and check out the plumbers that they have on their list.

Don't wait until you need a plumber before you find a plumber that is going to provide you with excellent customer service and have the knowledge and experience that you need.