Tips in Choosing a Dining Table

The dining table is an important part of your home. This is a place in which both practical and aesthetic aspects are necessary. Having your own dining table? Get some helpful tips to make your dining room perfect for you, your family and even your visitors.

• The size of your dining table depends on the size of your family. Also consider the size of the dining room so that you’ll avoid problems with space. Consider also the size of the table if you often have visitors for meals – a leaf or two might be necessary. Be sure of the table dimensions before purchasing. There is the standard of having at least 18 inches of space behind each chair to have enough space for moving.
• A rectangular table is the perfect choice if you have a huge family or if you often have many guests. This ensures proper accommodation of each. Round tables are of course very attractive but inserting the practical sense is very important and round tables are suitable only to those who have a only a few number at the dining table.
• Square dining tables will always achieve that contemporary look which is still perfect even if your dining room is small.
• And of course, you should choose a dining table that matches the style of your home. Pick a traditional sort of table if the style of your home is traditional, rustic if rustic, modern if modern and so on. Otherwise this will turn to a style disaster
• Always check the items that you’re planning to purchase – especially those that are for long term use such as your dining table. A wooden dining table should have wooden joints and zero wobbly movements should be there.
• If you have kids around, it is recommended to choose a solid and a practical type rather than the costly and fancy type.

 

Pat Naselow
NMLS# 91665
PLN Mortgage Services – company NMLS#: 9250
Office: 425-452-5345
Cell: 425-531-1694
Fax: 206-774-2795
http://PLNMortgage.com

The Importance of Regularly Cleaning Your Air Ducts

Most homeowners don’t give their air ducts a single thought, usually because they aren’t very visible, and as long as the heat and air systems work, they do not notice them. Disregarding the air ducts in your home, however, can lead to problems, which could end up costing you a great deal of money in the long run.

Here are three important reasons why you should check and clean your air ducts on a regular basis:

1. Air pollution indoors is a serious health hazard. Studies have linked dirty air to several health conditions, including allergies. People’s allergies can get worse the longer they put off cleaning their air ducts. Once they clean them, however, they usually notice an improvement in their symptoms.
2. Dirty air ducts can be a fire hazard. Accumulated dust in an extraction system can be ignited by a spark or hot gasses that pass through the duct. The fire can then spread quickly through the extraction system. Regular duct cleaning can remove that dirt buildup and potential fire risk.
3. Debris buildup can clog the ducts, causing them to malfunction. It forces the machinery to work harder to push air through, which can wear them out and cause them to break. That can be a costly repair, depending on the extent of the damage.

You should make it a rule of thumb to deep clean your air ducts every three years. There are many companies that specialize in air duct cleaning, and hiring a professional service is smart because they will be able thoroughly clean all of the components within the system using the right kind of equipment.

 

Pat Naselow
NMLS# 91665
PLN Mortgage Services – company NMLS#: 9250
Office: 425-452-5345
Cell: 425-531-1694
Fax: 206-774-2795
http://PLNMortgage.com

Steps in Building a Retaining Wall

Do you plan on installing a retaining wall? Draw up your plans first to ensure a successful outcome. Your location is the primary consideration for building a retaining wall. Some important things need to be considered.

1. Prepare the materials

Before starting on a retaining wall, ensure that you have all the needed materials. Since this project can be easily done by you, safety is the most important priority here. Prepare some personal protective equipment such as safety goggles to protect your eyes from chips and other foreign objects from construction. Certain materials should also be available to make your project possible. A chisel is needed since it is used for splitting blocks, wooden stakes are also required as well as the stones used to build the wall. Brick pavers, sand and aggregate base material are also important for the construction of a retaining wall. Then, careful and accurate measurements should be made to ensure that the wall that will be created will suit well with the surroundings in which it will be built. Make sure that you won’t encounter utility cables that will delay and prove costly, as well as dangerous. You can call your local utility company BEFORE you start digging. You don’t want to be responsible for your whole neighborhood being without electricity or water!

2. Start digging

This is the time to start making trenches. Always remember that when trenches are created, the stones will be placed to create the retaining wall. Ensure that the bottom row of stones or blocks should be completely buried into the dirt for at least one inch for every eight inches that you are planning to stack your wall. For example, if you’re planning to build a wall that is two feet high, then the bottom layer of the stones should be covered with less than three inches of dirt. It is vital that that the trenches are an even level of depth, so as to avoid it from being crooked.

3. The wall in place

Now that the trenches are in place, finally building the retaining wall can begin. First, insert base material in which it should not be round since this will sink more to the ground under pressure. Sharp and angular shapes are important so that these can easily spread to the area. Either concrete or a good sand base is important.

 

Pat Naselow
NMLS# 91665
PLN Mortgage Services – company NMLS#: 9250
Office: 425-452-5345
Cell: 425-531-1694
Fax: 206-774-2795
http://PLNMortgage.com