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A Guide To Cleaning A Gas And Rayburns

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An AGA or Rayburn, the traditional range cookers from Britain, often form the heart of a country or farmhouse kitchen. AGA owners are simply passionate about them, while others rave about Rayburns, which also provide hot water and central heating. Reconditioned AGAs now sell for a small fortune in the major cities, where they’ve become very fashionable kitchen accessories.

With oil, gas and the traditional solid fuel versions all available, there’s great flexibility in fuel sources. Of course, solid fuel versions require more cleaning as soot and ash from coal can quickly build up. With potentially harmful fuels used in the first two versions however, it’s absolutely vital to take extreme care when cleaning – especially inside.

A guide to cleaning agas and rayburns
It’s crucial to have both types of range serviced regularly to keep it running in tip-top condition, and safely. Always use a qualified, trained AGA engineer. But a lot of cleaning and prevention of problems can safely be undertaken yourself at home. While the ranges are simple to clean, the best way to keep them looking as if they were new is to prevent dirt and grease building up in the first place.

If anything spills onto vitreous enamel surfaces, it needs to be cleaned away immediately with a damp rather than wet cloth. That includes the doors and front, and sometimes the back plate. If spills are given a chance to bake dry, they can stain and are much harder to remove. Milk and fruit juice is particularly important to get off straight away. If you don’t, the acids will weaken and stain enamel.

Inside the oven, splashes aren’t a concern as they simply burn off. The dust left behind can just be brushed away, and it’s OK to use wire brushes on anything that’s cast iron inside. There are even self cleaning models now. It’s the same with the hot plates: most spillages simply burn away fast. Avoid cleaning them when the range is hot.

So its the delicate enamel that’s the most important to protect. It can be scratched and dented, so make sure the doors and wheel vent are treated with care. Far better to handle them with oven gloves than to kick them shut when they are hot. You can buy branded cleaners and cloths specifically designed for cleaning Aga and Rayburn enamels. A soft rather than abrasive soap pad also works well. Look for products that have the VEA – Vitreous Enamel Association – seal of approval.
A guide to cleaning agas and rayburns2
It’s very important not to use oven cleaners in spray form either inside or out, nor scourers, nor abrasive creams. Also don’t use very wet or cold cloths: damp only and warm is good. A gentle cream south east London cleaner should be fine. You can hoover away dust, but only when the range is not lit. A good polish with a lint-free, soft cloth, will buff up the surface, rails and lids to a shine. For ease, the doors can be removed as can the insulating rings: just don’t mix them up! Each only fits perfectly on its original position. Don’t soak any of the parts in water, however.

Older ranges may be more prone to scratches, stains and scorch marks than modern models. Enamel has come a very long way since the 1950s! A modern Rayburn’s surfaces should be able to withstand sudden temperature changes, and maximum heats of 400 degrees centigrade. Acids in food should not stain them these days. The enamel is hard and wont chip very easily, and it has the advantage of not allowing bacteria or mould to develop on the surface.

Top 5 DIY Home Security Projects By Naomi Broderick

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property-protection-trustThere are many valuables that we would like to keep protected within our homes including important documents, jewelry, and money. Although burglary and theft can’t always be prevented in your home, there are many ways that you can make it more difficult for them to find your things. Here is a list of the top five DIY home security projects to help prevent theft of your valuables.

Hollowed Book – One of the most common, but most successful and popular ways to protect your valuables, is to hollow out a book. It may take you a couple of days depending on how determined you are to finish it, but it’s a pretty simple process. First, you’ll need a hardback book, some glue, a box cutter, and a brush you don’t mind getting glue in. Mix the glue with a little water (making it about 60% glue), hold the pages together and begin gluing the outside of the book. Once it’s dried, you can begin cutting out your pages from the middle leaving about ½ in. around the edges to make it look like the pages are still in the book. Once you reach the back of the book, you can take glue to the inside of the book to make sure that everything stays together. Now, you have a hollowed out book to hide some of your valuables in!

Safe Pillow – Although this way is a little bit trickier, it is a great way to make sure that your valuables stay safe. You’ll need a throw pillow that you’re willing to cut up, some scissors, thread the same color as the pillow, and some scissors. Cut a horizontal line on the back of the throw pillow that matches the length of the zipper. Take out the stuffing and start stitching the zipper into the pillow. Then, you can put the box or valuables you have set aside into the pillow with the stuffing, making sure the valuables are surrounded by the stuffing so you can’t feel them, and zipping up the pillow. Now you have a secret hiding place, in plain sight, that can help you keep your valuables safe and away from prying eyes.

Painted Jar – A great and simple project that you can finish in a day is to paint a food jar, particularly mayonnaise jars, to make them look like they still have food in them when in fact, it is holding your valuables. Find a paint that looks like mayo and gradually paint the inside of the jar with the color, making sure that it doesn’t get on the outside. A good way to prevent this is to use a plastic bag on the outside to prevent drips. Then, once your paint is completely dry on the inside (could take a couple of days depending on the paint and how thick it is), you can hide your valuables that won’t be harmed by cold temperatures and put it in the fridge!

Potted Plant – Although it may seem simple, using a potted plant to hide your valuables or money is a great way to thwart people who would steal from you. All you need is a plant that you want to hide your items in, and an old medicine bottle or small watertight container. Then, put your valuables or money into the bottle or container and dig a hole big enough for the container in your potted plant. You can then try to remember where your valuables are hidden, or you can put down a small rock or plant decoration to remind you where you hid your valuables.

False Bottom Drawers – Hiding things is drawers is not always the best way to protect important documents and valuables, but hiding things ‘underneath’ your drawers is a great way to prevent valuables from getting stolen. All you need is fabric or wood that looks like the bottom of your drawers cut to the size that you need. Then, you can put your valuables in the drawer, put the false bottom over them, and fill up the drawer with things that you normally would such as clothes, office supplies, or less important paperwork. False bottom drawers are a great way to hid paperwork and other important documents that people might want to steal. This way, even if someone rifles through the drawer, they won’t be able to find anything of value.

 

Wall Glazing Tips and Tricks by Ella Andrews

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Wall Glazing Tips and TricksIf you are in need of redoing and reworking your walls, then you may want to invest in something a bit more sturdy and long-term than wallpaper or a simple paint job. Paint jobs may look nice, but you can go one step beyond that by glazing the walls. If you do things right, you won’t have to deal with any problems with your walls for a long time, making the room both beautiful and sturdy. Follow these steps to get things started:

• The first and most important step is finding the right tools. Since glazing is essentially a type of painting, you will need to get all paraphernalia connected to the job. The difference being however is that you will need a ruler, a squeegee and a neutral glazing medium. You must make sure you have enough of the medium to get the job done. When you’re buying paint you should make sure you get semi-gloss paint instead of full gloss.

• The next step lies in the preparation of the room. You shouest, writer, ld place painters tape on the trim, the light switches as well as windows so you won’t make a mess during the process of painting. Remove any and all furniture pieces you can remove from the room as well as other things such as electronics and any pieces of art. Place drop cloths around the flooring and furniture remaining if you can’t remove it.Wall Glazing Tips and Tricks3

• You should adjust your tools according to the job at hand. Before you start work, you will need to check the squeegee so you can get the distances right. You can do that by cutting a few shallow notches that show you lengths in inches on the surface.

• Up next comes the actual job of painting the room. You should do that like any other paint job, however using the lightest color as a base coat. You can get things done fastest with a paint roller, however you will also need good paint brushes as they will be needed for the trim and other sensitive areas. You should allow each coat of paint to dry before you apply the next one, as this will allow you to get the job done right.

• Step number five is making the glaze you’ll be using up next. You will need to mix your glazing medium with a darker color paint in a 4:1 ratio. Pour the glaze you just mixed in a painting tray and begin painting the walls with it, using a foam-based paint roller. You can use a hand brush to cut into difficult areas once again like before.

Wall Glazing Tips and Tricks2• Up next comes combing, which can be done by running the squeegee on the wall in curved strokes. This will have to be done while the paint is still wet, so you may need more than just one pair of hands to get the job done before its all over.

• The last step is to allow the paint to dry completely and over the course of at least a day before you remove the painter’s tape. Once that is done you will have a nice, brand new glazed room to enjoy at your leisure.

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What Perennial Flowers to Put in Your Spring Garden By Ella Andrews

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The perennial flowers are the most preferred to be grown at home or in a garden. This is easily explained, because they bloom every year and will bring joy to its owners regularly.What Perennial Flowers to Put in Your Spring Garden

The annual flowers on the other hand are not less beautiful, but they need many cares and have to be seeded each year, the old flowers have to be taken and thrown away. Everything has to be cleaned and started from the beginning.

When the climate is mild and warm, the perennial flowers can bloom more than once for a season. If the weather is colder and not so mild, these flowers blossom in the spring and summer and die in the late autumn and winter.

Their root system is better than most of the annual plants and that can be easily understood. That is fact because the length of their life made them more durable and the stronger roots will do great job. They can successfully take the necessary vitamins and minerals, and also can supply the plant with water easily.What Perennial Flowers to Put in Your Spring Garden2

The Joe-Pye flower is one good choice for an spring flower. It is originally taken from Eastern North America. In its structure no dissected foliage can be seen. Besides being very nice part of a garden, it was in the past much used from the Indians as major healer. The story says that it was mostly cure for hard fevers. The American colonists took the tradition and started to use it as a medicine of typhus situations. As it seems its range of use to treat special conditions is very wide. The Indians knew that the Joe Pye weeds can make the stone kidney symptoms much more bearable.

Helenium is another famous and beautiful flower to put in your garden. It will bring live and will make the garden even brighter, though it is very small plant and most people, who are not so aware of the floral world, will think it is there by accident. The usual colors of the helenium are orange, red and yellow and these are the shades that are symbol of vividness and spirit. Sneezeweed is another name used for this flower. It can be explained with another use of the plant. Its leave and flowers are often dried and special water for inhalations is made from them. This water, when is breathed causes sudden sneezing. In the past some tribes in America, from where this flower comes originally, believed that the sneezing is the way to get rid of the bad spirits.What Perennial Flowers to Put in Your Spring Garden3

When you evaluate the conditions of the place, where you are going to put your garden and future flowers, and this happens to be not so well watered part of the yard, or for example the climate in your area does not allow high level of humidity, the helenium is the perfect flower for you. It can successfully be grown in badly drained parts.

Every garden will welcome any plant that looks like the sunflowers. There is some magic about this flower and any other similar to it. The perennial sunflower and false sunflower can do great job in this case. By the name we can tell that they really look very much like the real sunflowers. The difference is that they are significantly smaller and can be grown in gardens as decorative plants, which make them slightly different from the original sunflowers.

What is even greater about these two kinds of plants is that they usually attract many birds, as also bees, to which everyone has to be extremely careful. This will also bring special spirit to the house and the garden.

 

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Key Interior Design Improvement Tips By Kelby Kniat

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Improved interior design can change the way of life. Interior design is not only about decorating your home. Rather, it creates functional and gorgeous look of all the interior places. Therefore, it is important not only for homes but also for different public buildings, restaurants, shops, libraries etc. Efficient and imaginative use of space, light, texture, pattern and color can make a huge difference in your interior. Some consider interior design as reflection of taste, ambition and status. Besides, improved interior design adds value to your property. There are many things that can be done to improve the interior of any space. Few important steps that can improve your interior greatly are discussed here.

fabrics-paint-swatches-1Break Rules – The first rule to improve your interior design is to break all the rules if you want. Interior design should be the reflection of your life and therefore you must give priority to your own concept to design your interior.

Provide Logical Layout – Try to keep transparency within home by ensuring clear views across and into common space. It is good to avoid dog legged corridor. In the case of public buildings, apply different themes and orientation in different levels.

Get off the wall – It is an old idea to keep all of your furniture up against different walls of home. Try something different. You can put them in different angles or different places off the walls.

Make Welcoming Entrance – People get the first impression about your home when they enter. Therefore, make entrance attractive and welcoming.

Get Rid off Unnecessary Furniture – Too many furniture might reduce your open spaces in home. Therefore, remove any unnecessary furniture to make more space which also gives a decent look to home. Nowadays, people believe ‘less is more’. Besides, do not keep any flawed furniture just to fill empty space.

Make Staircases Attractive – You can use different types of spiral staircases in your home that goes better with the structure of home. Be choosy about every little item in staircases such as staircase railings, color of stairs, material used etc.swatches-turquoise

Give Attention to Ceiling – Usually people think about their walls, floors and furniture to improve their interior design. Most people do not pay much attention to their ceilings. But if you design it properly, it could improve the look of your entire interior.

Add Life With Green Plants – A few green real plants or some flowers can make a big difference in interior. It can bring life to your home and any guests come at your home will like that for sure.

Have Fun Decorating – It’s your home and you can do anything you want. Do not be afraid. Remember one thing – you always can change whatever you do. You may consider choosing different colors. Repaint your home walls to your favorite colors.

Pay Attention in Lighting – Lighting is very important in interior designing. Light reflects from all the things of home. Lighting can change the look of all the colors, furniture, walls, and floors. It is important to choose lightings that help your interior look better.