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- How to choose your
carpet
- Check for overall
finish and Strength In Furniture...
- Wavy Glass Is Defective...
- Buy A Plywood According
To The Application It Is Used For...
- Take An Interior
Decorator's Quotation In Advance..
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How
to choose your carpet:
The wearing qualities of all carpeting depend on the
fibres used and how dirt resistant they are. Wool carpets
are dirt resistant, luxuriously soft, and when mixed
with 20% nylon they are very hard wearing. The polysters
like Tereleyne and Dacron are fairly water proof and
are ideal for bathrooms
Using the right
carpet:
Since different areas of the home wear differently,
use different qualities of carpets. For eg, stairs,
passages and living rooms get rougher use than bedrooms.
Adult rooms get more gentle treatment than children's
rooms and rooms near water (kitchens, bathrooms) need
tougher surfaces. Hard wear areas need the best quality
that you can afford. Light wear aeas can be covered
with more luxurious carpets. Have your carpets measured
and laid by experts, and check their estimates carefully
to prevent over-ordering.
Caring for your carpets:
Vaccum clean it at least once a month and spot clean
any stains as soon as they occur, making sure you do
not over wet it.
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Check for overall finish
and Strength In Furniture...
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Gone are the days when you had to buy what furniture
your local furniture store had in supply. Today you
can order exactly the kind of furniture you want. Largely,
buying furniture is a matter of personal taste, limited
though by practical considerations like size of the
room and the general climateof the area you stay in.
Low lustre woods
like pine and cane and light finishes suggest a casual
atmosphere. Highly polished dark woods like mahogany,
teak and walnut and dark finishes suggest a formal atmoshere.
Before you buy furniture, measure the dimensions of
the space where you intend to place it. Then measure
the piece to see that it fits.
Regarding the quality:
*Check if the wood is of the good quality you want.
*See that the finish is even throughout and the wood
grains match across the pieces. See that the piece stands
squarely on the floor.
*The joints should be firm and tight (fitted with screws
in case of cupboards, etc.). Uneven joints and glue
indicate sloppy workmanship.
*Check if movable parts like drawers fit well. The wood
inside, beneath and behind the drawers should be sanded
to a smooth finish.
*Hardware like hinges, latches and handles should be
tightly and securely fixed. In upholstered furniture,
the cloth used should be thick and closely woven, the
patrterns should match all around and seams should be
straight without loose fastening.
*Sit on the chair or sofa to see that it is comfortable.
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Wavy
Glass Is Defective...
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The price of glass generally depends on the thickness,
which can vary from 3mm to 19mm. A 3mm sheet can cost
upto Rs.550 per sq. ft.
The tint on the glass
adds nominally to the price. To check the quality of the
glass, inspect it from the sides. The glass should not
be wavy; if it is, it is defective.
Glass used on automobiles or windshields is toughened
glass. This glass is manufactured at temperatures of upto
900 degree centigrade.
While sheet glass is supposed to break into large pieces
on impact, good toughened glass is to break into minute
crystals.
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A square inch of glass is supposed to break into approximately
64 pieces. Toughened glass also goes through an electricity
resistance test. |
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Buy A
Plywood According To The Application It Is Used For...
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The quality of plywood you buy depends
on the quality of wood and the adhesives used for bonding.
There are two varieties:
The commercial variety
- where softwood is used. The Phenol Formaldehyde variety
(water proof variety) - where birch, teak, etc. is used.
Birch or teak can be identified by its rich, dark colour.
Buy according to the application of plywood. For kitchen
or bathrom doors, or areas exposed to moisture like
kitchen cabinets, use water proof plywood. If you use
commercial plywood in these areas it will start chipping
because of the moisture.
Commercial plywood is ideal for shelves, living room
or bedroom cabinets or storage cupboards. Always treat
areas where you use wood for protection from termites
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Take
An Interior Decorator's Quotation In Advance...
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When you hire an interior decorator for
your home or office, here are a few things to keep in
mind:
Check the firm's credentials. Talk to
their previous clients, inspect some of their earlier
work to check on quality of materials used and timely
completion.
Check the interior decor of their office, it will give
you a fair idea of what they can deliver.
Take the quotation in advance and make sure all agreements
are in writing.
These days, a fairly large architect's firm can also
provide interior decor services. If you hire such a
reputed firm, you can be assured of quality work.
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