If you’re considering a remodel, log siding can be a great option. Whether it’s a vacation home or a full time residence, log siding can add a traditional yet contemporary look that a lot of consumers are looking for today. Regardless of the style and size of your existing home, you can likely find a style of log siding that will help create your desired look.

As most types of log sidings are made of natural wood, your home will take on a rustic look akin to that of a traditional wood cabin. The only issue is selecting the type of siding, as it comes in many colors, shades, and textures.

Types of Siding and the Manufacturing Process

Generally, a majority of log siding types are pure wood. The varieties of wood are pinewood, cypress, redwood, and cedar logs. Before using these logs, the manufacturers subject them to a special treatment of drying. It is important to dry logs properly so they stay lighter because the lighter woods are easy to install and maintain. [Read more…]

Blackout blinds can be an invaluable way to control the amount of light passing into a room, while also providing warmth and protection from UV rays.

Blackout blinds are particularly useful for children’s bedrooms, especially when trying to get children to bed during the summer when it’s still light outside.

Most kinds of blackout blinds can be created by selecting the right kind of fabrics, and by customizing existing blinds in a number of ways. While not always foolproof for completely restricting the amount of light passing through a window, blackout blinds can represent the next best thing. [Read more…]

If you agree that there’s nothing better than the taste of a ripe and juicy homegrown tomato that’s just bursting with flavor, you might be interested in growing a few (or even a lot) of your own. If so, here are a few tips for growing the largest, tastiest tomatoes around:

1 – Choose the right tomato plants. Arguably, the most important step in growing great tomatoes is choosing a great tomato plant in the first place.

Most any of the beefsteak varieties will make a great choice but my favorite tomato plant of all for a number of reasons is the “Giant Belgium”. Another of my favorites is the “Hillbilly”. You should be able to find either of these plants at your local greenhouse or farm supply store. [Read more…]

I can still remember the time when our house was burgled. I was 5 years old so the only annoyance was that they’d taken the TV, and with it my stream of daily cartoons, but I’m sure the experience was far more stressful for my parents.

Thankfully, I haven’t (yet) been the victim of a burglary as an adult, but not everyone is so lucky. My auntie for example lives in a nice, quiet neighborhood but has seven locks down the inside of her front door as a result of multiple burglaries the first year that she was living there.

The statistics are shocking, with a U.S. home being broken into every 15 seconds and a UK home every 37 seconds . The damage is not just a financial one either. While the first thing that springs to mind when you hear the word ‘burglary’ is obviously a loss of often very expensive possessions, for many people it also results in a loss of confidence. [Read more…]

Most new business owners are excited about the same aspects of owning your own business: hiring the staff you want, setting up the office the way you want, making the “big bucks,” creating a website, etc., because these are the exciting things.

On that same note, most are just as unexcited about the boring aspects of business, and this includes office copiers. For those who are not experts regarding office copiers (and who is?), it seems as simple as going to the store, picking one that looks affordable, and making the purchase. Unfortunately, there are a few more aspects to office copiers than most realize.

Before jumping into features and different types of office copiers, it is important that a small business owner understands why the company needs a copier. Do people make a lot of copies? Will you need to use the copy machine as an office printer? Is your office copier going to also serve as a fax machine?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help make sure you make the right decision. Always overestimate when it comes to answering these questions, and then you’ll be ready to start shopping.

Finding a copier that’s right for your company is easy if you answer the right questions and follow the right steps: [Read more…]