Style Pointers
Bunk beds can be an economical way to provide added sleeping space while saving floor space, but they need to be used with a certain amount of caution. A recent study discovered that nearly 36,000 adolescents and children are treated for bunk bed-related accidents every year. From 1990 to 2005 about 573,000 children from infants to age 21 experienced injuries serious enough to require a visit to the ER. Almost half of the injuries occurred in children under 6, but there was also a surprising jump in injuries among 18 to 21-year-olds, who were more than twice as likely to be hurt as kids ages 14 to 17.Almost three-quarters of the children were hurt by falls, with approximately 30 percent suffering significant cuts, nearly one fourth reporting bruises and scrapes and about 20 percent suffering fractures. More than one in ten sustained concussions. The study indicated half of the children suffered injuries to the neck, face or head, and that children younger than 3 years old were nearly 40 percent more likely to suffer head injuries than older children. Approximately 60 percent of the kids injured were boys (are we surprised?!)
There are voluntary safety procedures for bunk bed manufacturers which have been published by both the American Standards of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Be sure to determine if the bed you are thinking about buying meets these standards:
(1) Thoroughly inspect and test the frame of the bed for strength. The best test is for someone to climb onto the bed and move back and forth, and side to side; the bed should easily support an adult’s weight without feeling any movement of the frame or hearing any squeaking sounds. Better yet, have the salesman climb up on the top bunk to show its strength. (2) Inspect the entire bed from top to bottom to ensure that there are no potentially dangerous parts protruding, that there are no sharp edges, and that the complete construction is smooth. Make certain the bedposts do not have knobs or finials that can snare clothing and other things. (3) The top bed must always have rails attached on both sides, even if one side is next to a wall. To stop a child from slipping between the rails or stuck between the bottom rail and the mattress, no space should exceed 3 inches, therefore preventing entrapment and strangulation. The top rail must be at least five inches higher than the top of the mattress to keep the child from falling. (4) The gap between the mattress and the bed frame must not be more than three inches anywhere all around the bed. If there is a gap larger than three inches, then you will need to get a different mattress. A child who falls down between the bed and the mattress while they are sleeping might be strangled, which unfortunately has happened. (5) Ensure that the ladder is well constructed and well attached to the frame of the bed. A secure ladder should be able to hold an adult’s weight with no moving around. As suggested above, have the salesperson demonstrate the strength of the ladder by getting on it and moving from side to side. The ladder must not move at all. (6) There have been a number of reported injuries in which the mattress on the top bunk is moved by a child on the lower bed shoving up on the upper mattress supports. The mattress supports for the top bunk should be safely attached to the bed frame with either screws or bolts. A floating support system might cause injuries if anything is unfastened and this style of assembly must be avoided. (7) Occasionally examine the bunk bed for any loose or missing fasteners and replace them immediately. Immediately! During your inspection be sure to look at both the horizontal supports holding the top mattress and the fasteners holding the bed together. (8) Never allow a child less than six years old to sleep (or play) on the top bed. As pointed out above, one half of the accidents occur to children under that age. (9) Situate the bed out of reach of ceiling fans and light fixtures (that should be obvious!). Plus you should make sure there is plenty room between the upper bed and the ceiling.
An alternative type of elevated bed you might consider is the loft bed which has an open space where the bottom bed would usually be. This area can be used for a dresser, desk and chair, a TV, or even storage. The safety procedures for bunk beds also apply to loft beds and the same care should be taken when visiting a furniture dealer. If you acquire either style of bed over the Internet, make certain it follows the ASTM standards. Continue reading and find help in purchasing tent bunk beds.
These minute blood-thirsty parasites can live anywhere the corner of a credit card will fit. Equipped with a vacuum and a bright light you will be able to search for and suck up the elusive pests. Thoroughly vacuum box springs, mattresses, dresser drawers, couches, and under the edges of carpets and rugs. Vacuum behind headboards, baseboards, wall hangings, and light switch and electrical socket wall plates. Search for openings in plaster and around plumbing fixtures. Besides discovering these pests hiding or scurrying, be on the look-out for any tiny brown dots of their fecal droppings, their tiny whitish eggs, and drops of blood (yours). In case you are still convinced you are experiencing a bedbug infestation, but can’t find where they are hiding, you might think about using a bedbug dog. Dogs who are trained to find narcotics, explosives, or mold are easily trained to find the sick-sweet smelling Cimex Lectularius, as the ordinary bedbug is known in academic circles. If bedbugs are discovered, and you cannot get rid of them yourself, it’s best to speak to a commercial exterminator. There are many preventative measures you can pursue, like encasing your mattress and box springs in vinyl, however, for thorough elimination one needs to call a specialist. Continue reading and get help in obtaining bed bugs treatments.
Sleeping on an air bed
An air bed can offer you a more restful sleep than a regular mattress. The ability to manipulate the softness of a mattress could help ease soreness since your body’s mass can be evenly distributed around the mattress. Unlike the thin vinyl tubing that is utilized in camping-type mattresses, the chambers of an air bed are tough and durable. The concept of sleeping on air started with hospital use. When patients became bed-ridden, an air mattress would provide them with a more relaxed sleep, plus they would also experience fewer bedsores. Given that the air baffles or chambers contained in the mattress are the central elements of support, the sleeper can regulate their half of the bed to the level of firmness that will be the most comfortable. Need help finding air beds? Go to Buying Air Beds.
Using an air mattress for camping or for overnight guests
An air mattress is an critical item for folks who enjoy spending a significant amount of time camping. A few of the things you ought to consider when choosing one will be portability, durability and ease of care. How readily it can be carried around or stored away may be the most important factor in your buying decision. Since the ground of a campsite will often include rocks and twigs you want to make sure you pick something that is durable. Moisture can develop in your tent while you are sleeping so you ought to get one with a bottom that’s waterproof. It will help you to see a floor model both inflated and rolled up to get a good idea about how much room it uses. It doesn’t matter whether you will be using them on the road or for guests in your home, ease of set up and take down is also important. If a power or manual pump isn’t included with your purchase it is recommended that you buy one unless you don’t don’t have a problem with blowing it up on your own. Need more answers to your questions about an air mattress? Then go to Air Mattress Guide.
Bed curtains for a more romantic bedroom
To raise the romantic mood of your bedroom decor put up some fine canopy curtains over your bed and instantly add grace and charm to your bedroom. Curtains around a bed raise a heightened sense of privacy in your bedroom, along with a flavor of royalty. Neutral, soft colors are usually the best design scheme for both your bedding and curtains, and you can always add vibrant accents for a brighter look. Four-post canopies are very popular in the bedroom, but there will be other ways to install a canopy over your bed, such as hanging them from a headboard attachment or from a wire frame fixed to the ceiling. For a heightened sense of privacy you should select thicker curtain fabric, or use thin or semi-transparent fabric whenever you want a feeling of openness. You will experience the difference in ambiance instantly upon hanging your curtains, and you will feel surrounded in luxury without leaving your bed. Place the bed by an open window and the romantic mood may be heightened even further by the flowing fabric which surrounds you. Assistance to help you search for canopy bed curtains is available at Fine Canopy Bed Curtains.
Adjustable beds
Nothing has a bigger influence on your sleep than the quality and comfort of your mattress, and adequate sleep has a significant effect on your overall well-being. Mattresses that are old and lumpy probably won’t give you the opportunity to get a good night’s rest, and it is recommended that you replace your mattress every 7 to 10 years. In light of this time frame of service for all mattresses, it is never too early to begin looking around for an adjustable model for the mattress you buy next. Although standard beds are less expensive than adjustable mattresses, it’s hard to put a price tag on a good night’s rest. By giving you you body better support they relieve pressure points on many parts of the body and reduce the chance for back and neck pain. All the well-known bedding makers also make adjustable beds, including Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Tempurpedic and Craftmatic. Since you can spend a lot on this kind of bed, it behooves you to do some research and search the Internet for the available good deals. Advice to help you search for adjustable beds is available at Sleep Better Adjustable Beds.
Need additional space in a child’s room? Consider buying a loft bed
Utilizing a loft bed in a bedroom is an effective way to make a great deal more usable floor space when furnishing a smaller or compact room. Regrettably over the years loft beds became associated with decorating on a budget, since loft beds are usually rather economical. The truth is that a fine quality loft bed will add functionality plus great style and looks to a bedroom and that means you do not have to trade one for the other.
Loft beds work by just raising a bed onto a frame and then lifting it a few feet above the floor. This is similar to a bunkbed, but lacking the bottom mattress and frame, so there is an open area beneath the bed. This open area is undoubtedly great for a table and chair for a study place, or a small sofa, chair or love-seat for additional seating, or as a play area for kids. Dressers, bookshelves, stereo equipment, and televisions can be neatly put under the bed. You could even put in a fold-up bed in order to make a temporary bunk bed.
When searching for the right loft bed for any bedroom you must take into consideration the height of the ceiling along with the length and width of the room. This is very important since you do not want to buy a loft bed and then have a confined bedroom simply because you acquired one which was too large for your room. You are going to typically want the bed to be high enough that you are able to use the area underneath for practical purposes, but you don’t want your bed to be so high that the person sleeping on the bed may scrape their head on the ceiling whenever sitting upright. You can even have a shorter loft bed in case you are simply interested in additional storage space for a dresser or cabinets.
Loft beds are often more common in children’s bedrooms and undergraduate dormitory rooms. It is normal nowadays that your college-age student will need to share his / her dormitory room with one or more individuals, resulting in a crowded and cramped room. By acquiring a loft bed for their room, you are able to help make a more comfortable as well as laid back space for everybody living there. One of many useful things about loft beds in kids rooms is that if you have a couple of kids they may battle over which one should get the top bunk when you are getting bunkbeds to save on space. With two individual loft beds in the room, each child will have their very own “top” bed plus they will still get plenty of floor space for playing and/or studying. You can even utilize fabric to be able to close off the area beneath the bed by merely draping them over the edge of the bed, thereby setting up a separate, personal play area for each child if they need to have a private time.
In these times loft beds have come into style because so many more folks have older homes, smaller apartments or condominiums. The additional area created by these beds is rather significant and will go a long way towards eliminating the problem of forcing “ten pounds of stuff in a five pound bag” without going over your budget.
Indoor fountains
Indoor fountains might be an easy way to change any home decor. The sound of running water can be very soothing and may give the home a more peaceful ambiance. And there is something primal about water splashing over rapids or crashing down a waterfall.
The basic materials required to build a table top fountain will be a small underwater pump that you should acquire at a garden center or at shops where aquariums are sold, a large bowl or other leak-proof container, something that will cover the pump, rocks or marbles, flexible tubing which plugs into the pump, one regular copper elbow to direct the water flow downward, and (of course) water. Lighting is very important to the overall ambiance of your fountain. There is a special beauty about light reflecting off water. One might utilize halogen or LED pool lighting, submersible fountain lighting, or outdoor lights, in addition to colored lenses to produce that little more “kick.” Whenever you are designing a tabletop fountain and its lighting, you will need to take into consideration whether the fountain will likely be viewed from one side only or all around, and that will allow you to increase its effect. Read more and find help in acquiring indoor fountains.
Indoor table fountains
The calm tranquility of a Japanese garden can be readily available these days in the shape of an indoor table fountain. Table fountains bring calming sights and sounds into your environment and subdue the unhealthy stress of modern life. Not only are the majority of table fountains easy to move and maintain, but they are typically quite inexpensive unless you need to spring big money for a larger custom-made model. Japanese styles of indoor fountains are the most popular right now, but you will also buy models which evoke American farm life for the more traditional decor, or postmodern art styles to blend with a contemporary decor. If you are intrigued by the idea of having a one-of-a-kind, custom-made fountain, but you don’t want to drop too much money on one, you can find websites which will describe how to design and build one on your own. Be careful how and where you position these fountains to avoid having pets or small children accidentally tip them over. Don’t place your water-loaded table fountain in the proximity of electronic gear such as computers, televisions, or stereos, an obvious hazard if the fountain is knocked over. Indoor table fountains are built of a variety of materials including terracotta, metal, concrete, fiberglass, slate or ceramic, and all of them create a natural, soothing aura for your home or office. More assistance in obtaining indoor table fountains is conveniently located here.
Cheer up your home with floral decorator fabric
There’s nothing comparable to floral fabric to provide the rooms of your home an open, bright and inviting look. Open your mind to the infinite possibilities of home decoration, from wall coverings, pillows and throw blankets to bedroom embellishments and kitchen accessories, simply by crafting it with floral fabric. Making throw pillows is an simple decorative project, since they don’t require a pattern and only need a few simple materials like fabric, foam or batting for stuffing, and thread to sew it all up. If you match the pillow fabric to your drape, blankets and furniture, you can produce a decor that is as unique as it is attractive, and as endearing as it is practical. The brilliant, spirited colors of these fabrics extend to fashion choices like purses, hats and scarves. There is no reason to stop with home accessories, since there can be floral print fabric clothes for women, and ties and handkerchiefs for men. For the best appreciation of the potential of floral fabric, take a look at a some catalogs to pick out patterns and colors which will perfectly match your decor. Floral decorator materials will be most apropos for festive holidays like New Years, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, or whenever bright, sunny colors are the order of the day.
A wall cross can be a gift of love
Crosses make wonderful gifts for many different occasions, as they are expressions of love and faith, and appealing even to secular eyes. Decorative wall crosses come in many themes, colors and sizes, and are prized for their visual aspect as well as religious expression. Among the varieties of crosses are rustic, wrought iron, Gothic and Celtic, and some celebrate Bible quotes or great religious art like The Last Supper. When friends or family members need moral support you could think about giving the gift of a cross to lift their morale. For families of faith with sons or daughters overseas serving their country a cross is a most treasured token of love. Weddings are also a great time to give a cross to Christian newlyweds who have the bare walls of their new place to decorate. The holiday usually associated with crosses is Easter, but Christmas is a great time to give these gifts. Read more and find help in searching for decorative wall crosses.
Glass figurines
One gift that is bound to bring a smile to grandma’s face is a figurine made of spun glass, a small sculpture that will always add grace to any room. Glass can be spun to craft all kinds of figures, among the popular favorites are dolphins and other animals, or religious figurines featuring angels. So long as you have bare window sills around your house you have a place for unique, decorative spun glass figurines. People greatly appreciate the workmanship that goes into creating these figurines. You will be able to delight a little kid by hanging one of these figurines in their bedroom window so when the figurine catches the sunlight it refracts a rainbow of multicolored lights onto the walls of their room. When you have no idea what to give as a wedding gift, you can’t go wrong with a nice spun glass figurine. The rear view mirror is a popular place to hang glass figurines, particularly figurines of a spiritual theme. Advice to help you search for spun glass figurines is available at Unique Spun Glass Figurines.
Wall clocks
Everyone has a clock in their home, as they are essential to every day living, and your clocks should harmonize with and enhance the decor of the room. Regardless of how unique your interior decoration is, you can find an attractive wall clock to harmonize with the colors and themes of every room in your home. Budget concerns are paramount, but decorative wall clocks are usually available in a wide range of prices. Place your new wall clock where it will be easily observed, since a clock is one item everyone looks at sooner or later. Art deco and art nouveau are two best-selling contemporary styles, and for the traditionalist there are cuckoo clocks and miniature grandfather time pieces. Depending on the prevailing interior decor plan you can find wall clocks with bright, vibrant colors, or subdued wood clocks. It is always best to do some homework and visit the dozens of Internet sites to comparison shop, or you can visit a local home decor specialty store. Assistance to help you search for wall clocks is available at My Decorative Wall Clocks.
Creative and playful wall clocks
Keeping the time is the most critical function of a clock, but clocks also make great decor accents. The selection of fun novelty clock designs is practically endless, particularly for children with a lot of interesting activities. To lend a whimsical, playful spirit to your kitchen, family room or bedroom all you need is the appropriate novelty wall clock. Young kids enjoy novelty clocks, particularly if they feature some of their most beloved television figures or cartoon characters. Clocks are great gifts, and choosing one for a child is a snap once you have a look at their bedrooms and see what are their favorite colors and characters. Standard clocks tend to be boring while fun clocks have bold, vibrant themes and colors, so some people claim that novelty clocks are the best option for visual impact. Movie star themed fun clocks are excellent for a child’s bedroom, and also an interesting touch for family room. Read more and find assistance in searching for novelty wall clocks.
Save money and energy with electric radiant flooring
Rather than having a furnace on constantly, more and more homeowners are relishing the benefits of radiant heating. You get a far better distribution of energy with this system since the heated floor transfers energy directly to people and objects in the room evenly. The uniform floor surface temperature translates into a significant reduction of energy use compared with other heating systems. You don’t have any upkeep issues with this system since there are no valves, filters or ducts to replace or clean out. You won’t experience the same dust and draft issues with this heating method as you will with traditional forced air systems, which tend to bring in a lot of allergens and dust from the outside. There aren’t any rattling pipes or noisy fans with this system, and after a while you may forget its there, until you walk around barefoot, that is. Because radiant heat can change the amount of moisture in flooring you should stay away from hardwood floors and go with ceramics, porcelain, or stone instead. Visit Electric Radiant Flooring for more recommendations.
Prolong the life of your carpets by keeping them clean
No matter how careful you are the carpeting in your house will eventually need to be cleaned. Carpet machines come in a full array of models to help you do the job quickly and simply. Selecting a suitable model is a lot easier if you patiently think about what you need. Think about whether it will be often used to quickly pick up minor spills or if you intend to only use it every now and again to deep clean your carpets. If you are looking for an appliance to clean up pet accidents or liquid spills you will probably appreciate the convenience of a hand held unit. You will be able to find lots of stand up units that are built for occasional cleaning of areas of light traffic. Those places in your house that tend to get dirty the most are best served by a deep cleaning model with a brawny motor. These units will often come with a variety of attachments that will clean the furniture, stairs or car upholstery. Further help in searching for carpet cleaning machines is available here.
Enrich your patio decor with outdoor carpeting
Outdoor carpeting nowadays can now be found in many different textures and styles. Decks, patios, and the area around a backyard pool are great places to install it. The place you select to install the carpeting, as well as the weather patterns in your area, play important parts in deciding which option suits you the best. The product you choose needs to be capable of standing up to the type of moisture and sun it will be exposed to. Olefin is the most commonly found carpet material because of its ability to resist damage from both sunlight and moisture. Plush varieties are normally manufactured with top quality synthetic yarns which are very comfortable to walk on. Stains and dirt are best hidden by patterns and designs which come in darker colors. It’s essential to take some time and consider all the available choices so you will be able to find the best quality carpet that will match your budget and blend in with your exterior decor scheme. Read more and get assistance in locating outdoor carpets.
Covering stairs and hallway floors with carpet runners
The most popular places to use carpet runners are long, narrow walkway areas such as stairs or hallways. Typically they are installed to add warmth to a space and offer comfort when walking on hardwood floors and other solid surfaces. With the full array of sizes and styles on the market these days it should not be hard to find one that enhances your interior decoration. It is wise to stick with a color plan that matches the walls and floors. Besides providing warmth and glamour, they can also help to preserve your floors. You will also keep your stairs less slippery and therefore more secure for you, your family, your guests and your pets. Carpeting in hallways and on stairs will cut down on the noise that is made from foot steps. It is essential to be patient and look at all the assorted options in order to get the ideal match for your style and your budget. Read more and find help in acquiring carpet runners.