Saturday, December 31, 2011

How to Find a Natural Gas Leak in Your Home?

The most common way to find a natural gas leak in your home will be to use a simple mixture of water and soap. This mixture can then be applied to any gas pipes that you think might be leaking.

Let's think safety first, natural gas is flammable and if you don't feel comfortable, trying to find a natural gas leak, you can simply call your local utility company that supplies your home with natural gas and they will gladly send out a representative to help you with your problem.

Grow Calendar 2011

Remember these people are supplying your home with an extremely flammable product and they do not want any problems or bad publicity. These people are your friends and they are definitely there to help you. Even if you don't feel comfortable, you simply just don't want to deal with the problem, these professionals can usually find the gas leak within a few minutes.

That's the easiest way to find a home gas leak, however there is another.

If you think a pipe is leaking or even if you can hear a hissing sound and smell the natural gas, you can mix any soap, but I preferred to use a liquid soap with water to produce a soapy mixture.

Then you can apply this mixture with a brush around the pipes that you suspect might be leaking and if there are any bubbles that form around these pipes, you definitely have a leak and this gas leak should be repaired as soon as possible and then re-checked to make sure that it isn't leaking anymore.

To make any repairs to your gas supply system, make sure that the gas supply valve is properly shut off. The gas supply valve should be near your gas meter.

Remember, the gas is extremely flammable and this article is about helping you find the gas leak. I suggest that you contact a plumber to repair the damage.

How to Find a Natural Gas Leak in Your Home?

Grow Calendar 2011

You Need A Cake Marketing Plan!

Are you passionate about cake decorating and are ready to take it to the next level? Are you finally up to starting a cake business from home? Starting this business from home will be an amazingly fun adventure but you need to prepare yourself from day one.

Starting a cake business from home is just like any other business, you need a plan. You have your business plan and a crucial part of that includes a marketing plan. You can ask any business owner and they will tell you that marketing is going to be one of the most crucial elements of running your business. You have to reach customers to sell to, without these people; your business is nothing but equipment.

Grow Calendar 2011

Before you start your cake business, let's get the marketing aspect under control. A budget is crucial but sometimes frustrating. Most people don't have thousands of dollars to throw into their new company so budgeting is absolutely necessary. If you have your market strategy in place, stretching your budget will be much simpler.

So, your question is? How can I market for little or no money? Good questions, let's answer it...

1. Ask local schools, churches, YMCA's, Boys & Girls Clubs, Recreational Centers and libraries if you can post some flyers. Make these flyers at home for relatively no money. You just need paper and a printer.

2. Take photos of the finished products and place them on these flyers.

3. Offer some free or reduced priced cakes to your friends and family for their events. Ask your neighbors and people you work with or your spouse works with if you can use there event as a stepping stone.

4. Ask for testimonials from your customers, friends or family. Use these testimonials in your flyers or website.

5. Search for local events in your area and ask if you can sponsor or participate in the event. Offer samples or demos of your product for free. You will be surprised at the results you get.

It is very difficult when starting a cake business from home or any business for that matter to spend NO money. You are going to have to invest money in your marketing. Once you get out there and get noticed, the possibilities are endless. Offer cakes for all types of occasions and soon you will notice your calendar is never empty! Just remember, you must have a marketing plan in order to be successful in your new cake business! So, start planning, good luck and have fun!

You Need A Cake Marketing Plan!

Grow Calendar 2011

The Very Latest on Enclosures and Gazebos For Hot Tubs

One of the latest trends in hot tubs is gazebos and hot tub enclosures. They in fact serve several purposes, such is protecting the spa from the elements, blocking unwanted access and providing privacy for people who are using the spa. So just how are they made? Also can they be purchased in prefabricated form?

Definite Benefits of Prefabricated Kits

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The fact is that there are several makes and models of prefabricated gazebos for hot tubs and they do have their definite benefits. For one thing, the kits come with all the parts that are required to build it and also minimal carpentry skills are required.

A Broad Choice of Design Styles To Choose From

The number of styles that these prefabricated enclosures come in is also quite eclectic. What this means, is that no matter what the design style of your home, you should have no trouble locating a spa enclosure of a similar design style to match it.

Enclosure Plans for Hot Tubs Online

Even so, you can build your own if you have access to some carpentry tools. Even if you don't, you can rent just about any type of woodworking tool now, down at your local Home Depot or Lowe's Hardware store. Also plans are available online too.

A Few More Things To Think About

One thing that you will want to make sure of, is that no matter what your plans call for, you will need to build a floor with an underpinning support network that will support your hot tubs weight after it's filled with water. Also make sure that you treat your wood with a preservative to protect it from the water that it will be getting exposed to.

The Very Latest on Enclosures and Gazebos For Hot Tubs

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Church Marketing - Top 10 Items to Include in Your Church Welcome Packet!

So, you put a marketing plan together, even got a budget that didn't have "shoestring" associated with it, ran your campaign and guess what? It all came together. People have started to flow into your church. And if you have read my past articles, you are saying that you are done and have done the warm hand off to others as these folks are on their way to becoming regular visitors and perhaps even members. You job is done.....almost!

Let's face it, marketing's job is never done, but there is one thing that you should give some thought to before the marketing team's job is considered done. And that is a good welcome packet.

Grow Calendar 2011

Why have welcome packets?

A welcome packet can be a marketing tool to provide new visitors information about your church, its' doctrine or belief's and some of the ministries or activities that go on there. It gives the guest something to review when they have left the church and have some time to reflect.

There are several objectives of insuring your guests are given a welcome packet when they visit:

* Makes them feel welcome! You want to express your gratitude for allowing you to share and to also indicate that they are welcome to return

* Understand your structure. One of the reasons visitors come is to learn something about your church. How it is organized. What sets you apart from the other churches in the area. Welcome packets can accomplish that.

* Become familiar with your worship style (is it more singing then they would like?) and church beliefs.

* Review activities calendar. Visitors want to know the upcoming schedule of events and ministry meeting times.


What should go into the packet?

While there is no absolute must have list, here are some ideas that will help to make a great impression and give guests a reason for returning:

1. Video or DVD of your organization

- It could be a video tour of the entire grounds or maybe just a 30 second clip that tells about each ministry in the church. Perhaps it is the vision for where you want to get to.

2. Refrigerator magnets

Are you looking for an inexpensive marketing tool that has long term staying power? This may be better than you think! According to a study at Purdue University, the average American visits their refrigerator 22 times a day. What else could you get that is going to get that much exposure? And strange as it sounds, even if people don't like them, they tend to put them on their refrigerators.

3. Letter of Greeting from the Minister

Perhaps a personalized message with an invitation to return the following week. Studies have found that a personal interaction with the Minister can have a dramatically positive effect on whether someone returns or makes a church home. (So, don't forget about the Minister making a personal phone call to follow up the next week either!)

4. Information on the membership process of your church.

Some visitors are ready to become members from day one. They may have just moved and want to keep their denominational affiliation intact. Others just feel good and know when they have found their new church home. It takes the awkwardness out of them having to ask.

5. Invitation for on-line survey.

A quick survey of a visitor's church experience is good. But they may feel uneasy filling out one in church especially if they are the only guest that day. Online surveys provide an easy way for you to determine how things really are since they are truly anonymous.

6. Audio recording -

Could be a recent Sunday Message or perhaps something more of an invitation. Keep in mind that at the least we are a CD world. Cassettes are dead. Podcasts or downloads are a great way to get them to your website.

7. Informational brochure

- General info about the church and its' ministries (if you can't do a video or want to cover your bases). It could also include a brief history of the church, or the denomination if that is deemed important.

8. Calendar of events -

Announcement flyers of public events such as fall festivals, Christmas programs, etc.

9. Coupons!

A coupon to turn in at the church book store or on the website for a free token of appreciation or a discount. I love the coupon that entitles the user for a free cup of coffee with the minister!

10 Tote bags or bookmarks -

Both of these have become very inexpensive and help to keep your church in the guests mind. Be sure to include your website address on these!

While these are not all-inclusive, they do make a favorable impression on any church guest. A good welcome packet can make the difference if a visitor comes back for a second look. It can provide the answers to some of the questions that arise after they have left the church. Of course, nothing beats a personal note or phone call from the minister

How do they get distributed?

Don't leave it up to chance whether a visitor gets a welcome packet or not. While my experience has gone from having to look for them myself or being told to pick one up on the way out, anything short of personally handing one to me loses some of the welcome packet's purpose... to make me feel welcome. Make sure your church doesn't make that mistake!

Church Marketing - Top 10 Items to Include in Your Church Welcome Packet!

Grow Calendar 2011

Church Marketing - Top 10 Items to Include in Your Church Welcome Packet!

So, you put a marketing plan together, even got a budget that didn't have "shoestring" associated with it, ran your campaign and guess what? It all came together. People have started to flow into your church. And if you have read my past articles, you are saying that you are done and have done the warm hand off to others as these folks are on their way to becoming regular visitors and perhaps even members. You job is done.....almost!

Let's face it, marketing's job is never done, but there is one thing that you should give some thought to before the marketing team's job is considered done. And that is a good welcome packet.

Grow Calendar 2011

Why have welcome packets?

A welcome packet can be a marketing tool to provide new visitors information about your church, its' doctrine or belief's and some of the ministries or activities that go on there. It gives the guest something to review when they have left the church and have some time to reflect.

There are several objectives of insuring your guests are given a welcome packet when they visit:

* Makes them feel welcome! You want to express your gratitude for allowing you to share and to also indicate that they are welcome to return

* Understand your structure. One of the reasons visitors come is to learn something about your church. How it is organized. What sets you apart from the other churches in the area. Welcome packets can accomplish that.

* Become familiar with your worship style (is it more singing then they would like?) and church beliefs.

* Review activities calendar. Visitors want to know the upcoming schedule of events and ministry meeting times.


What should go into the packet?

While there is no absolute must have list, here are some ideas that will help to make a great impression and give guests a reason for returning:

1. Video or DVD of your organization

- It could be a video tour of the entire grounds or maybe just a 30 second clip that tells about each ministry in the church. Perhaps it is the vision for where you want to get to.

2. Refrigerator magnets

Are you looking for an inexpensive marketing tool that has long term staying power? This may be better than you think! According to a study at Purdue University, the average American visits their refrigerator 22 times a day. What else could you get that is going to get that much exposure? And strange as it sounds, even if people don't like them, they tend to put them on their refrigerators.

3. Letter of Greeting from the Minister

Perhaps a personalized message with an invitation to return the following week. Studies have found that a personal interaction with the Minister can have a dramatically positive effect on whether someone returns or makes a church home. (So, don't forget about the Minister making a personal phone call to follow up the next week either!)

4. Information on the membership process of your church.

Some visitors are ready to become members from day one. They may have just moved and want to keep their denominational affiliation intact. Others just feel good and know when they have found their new church home. It takes the awkwardness out of them having to ask.

5. Invitation for on-line survey.

A quick survey of a visitor's church experience is good. But they may feel uneasy filling out one in church especially if they are the only guest that day. Online surveys provide an easy way for you to determine how things really are since they are truly anonymous.

6. Audio recording -

Could be a recent Sunday Message or perhaps something more of an invitation. Keep in mind that at the least we are a CD world. Cassettes are dead. Podcasts or downloads are a great way to get them to your website.

7. Informational brochure

- General info about the church and its' ministries (if you can't do a video or want to cover your bases). It could also include a brief history of the church, or the denomination if that is deemed important.

8. Calendar of events -

Announcement flyers of public events such as fall festivals, Christmas programs, etc.

9. Coupons!

A coupon to turn in at the church book store or on the website for a free token of appreciation or a discount. I love the coupon that entitles the user for a free cup of coffee with the minister!

10 Tote bags or bookmarks -

Both of these have become very inexpensive and help to keep your church in the guests mind. Be sure to include your website address on these!

While these are not all-inclusive, they do make a favorable impression on any church guest. A good welcome packet can make the difference if a visitor comes back for a second look. It can provide the answers to some of the questions that arise after they have left the church. Of course, nothing beats a personal note or phone call from the minister

How do they get distributed?

Don't leave it up to chance whether a visitor gets a welcome packet or not. While my experience has gone from having to look for them myself or being told to pick one up on the way out, anything short of personally handing one to me loses some of the welcome packet's purpose... to make me feel welcome. Make sure your church doesn't make that mistake!

Church Marketing - Top 10 Items to Include in Your Church Welcome Packet!

Grow Calendar 2011

3 Easy Exercises For Lower Abs

Are you looking for an exercise for lower abs? Well, I am going to do you one better. Today, I will share with your 3 exercises for lower abs. These exercises have been passed on to me by various trainers and therefore trust me, you are going to get only the best.

Are you ready to get rid of that nasty pouch or beer belly that we all detest with a passion. These exercises I will outline below, will hopefully help you do that. Just make sure to do them regularly to get the best results. Rome was not built in one day.

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Here are 3 exercises for lower abs:

1. Lay on your on your back with your legs stretched out on the floor. Put your hands on your sides and rest your head on the floor. Now all you have to do is lift your legs to a 45 degree angle of the ground and then bring them down again, but make sure not to rest your legs on the floor. Repeat this movement for 10 - 15 repetitions and then rest your legs back on the floor.

2. Now the second exercise, continues from where you left of with the first one. Simply raise put your hands behind your head and lift it up of the ground slightly. Now all you do is bring in your legs to your stomach bending at the knees then kick them out again but do not make your legs touch the floor. Repeat this movement 10 - 15 times, and then we will move on to the third exercise.

3. The third exercise you can do, for your lower abs is as follows. Bend your legs at the knees and let both big toes touch, so that your knees are outwards. With your head still in same position from the last exercise, that is slightly off the ground with your hands behind your head for support, rock your legs back and forth using your bum as the pivot point. You should feel it, right where you want it, that is your lower abs.

There you go, 3 simple exercises you can do for your lower abs. Now it is very important that you do not overdo these exercises, always start with a lower number of reps and build your way up. Also if you start to feel any discomfort or pain, stop the exercise immediately, or you are going to end up hurting yourself. Always remember to breath as you do these exercises, or you will go south.

Don't forget to have fun with these exercises for lower abs, if you do not have fun with your workouts, it all starts to seem like work and we all know how much we hate work, right? Play some music, watch tv just have fun with them.

3 Easy Exercises For Lower Abs

Lowes Build

A Child Care Center Marketing Plan

One of the leading factors that will contribute to your success or failure when you start a child care center is marketing. In order to win customers and grow into a larger business with more than one facility or just to maintain your existing group sizes you need a solid marketing strategy in place.

Here is an outline of a child care center business plan to guide you.

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Identifying a Hungry Market

The first step in putting a child care center marketing plan together is to identify your market. This may seem obvious at first but there are many niches or sectors in this industry. These range from infant care, regular child care for preschoolers, after school care, weekend and evening care. The niches vary by the age of the children, location, what time the children are there and also increasingly by the quality and style of care, facilities and educational program.

The most successful operators identify a niche that is not being catered to sufficiently in their local area and they move into and dominate the market. Doing extensive market research for your childcare business and working on differentiating yourself from competitors are the keys here.

Packaging and Pricing Child Care Services

Once you have defined your niche you can then look at clearly defining the services that you offer to meet niche demands and you can look at ways of packaging your services in a way that appears to enhance their value. While still being flexible in what you offer you can put together attractive packages with catchy names such as 'Saturday Koala Club' for example. List what is included with each package and offer discounts for customers signing up for a full package (clients who prepay for every Saturday for three months in advance get 10% discount for example).

It is also important to do research into child care pricing so that you can come up with rates that make your business marketable.

Branding

By now you should have a fair idea about the child care brand that you will be establishing. Give some thought to thinking about how you want the public to perceive your business and note down a company philosophy and the values that you want to project to the community. Then you can meet with a graphic designer and start discussing how to visually represent the brand that you want to create with a logo design.

Child care Center Advertising and Promotion

The next step is to get word out about your new child care center and the services and packages that you offer. Advertising is an important part of any marketing plan and you should look at the many options available and start running some campaigns several months before opening for business.

Networking and Cross Promotions

Advertising is not the only way to go about attracting clients. You should look at ways of cross promoting your services with other local business and network in your local community to meet a wide range of people.

Don't write off working together with competitors to cross promote each other's services respectively. If you get an enquiry and find out that the child in question would be better suited to a program at another daycare then you are doing the parents a favor by letting them know. And if the other daycare center is also referring children that they feel are more suited to what you have to offer then this arrangement is a win win for all involved.

Word of Mouth Marketing

If you serve your existing customers well they will refer friends to you. This kind of 'word of mouth' advertising is free and can be fully exploited by giving your clients every reason to talk about you to their friends. Providing a great service is one thing but there are many other ways to get customers talking about you. Make their interaction with your business so unique, interesting and memorable that they can't wait to bring your center up in a conversation with their friends.

Refining a Sales Process

If your advertising and networking efforts are successful you should start to receive a good number of enquiries from families. At this point you need to have developed an effective sales process right through from making the appointment, the interview session, a tour, some soft selling and then closure of the deal.

Don't Stop Marketing to your Customers

Keep marketing to your existing customers even after they have signed up with your service. There are always additional products and services that you can sell to maximize the revenue that you make off each client.

Many small centers spend too much time focusing on the day-to-day work of running their business and neglect their marketing. To make your child care business a success you need to ensure that you, as the owner, or another trusted staff member can devote a large part of their day towards marketing. This will ultimately help to determine how successful and profitable your business will be.

A Child Care Center Marketing Plan

Grow Calendar 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Improve Your Assisted Living Marketing Plan by Adding Integration

Don't Think Piecemeal

Even a growing market (like assisted living) is effected by the down economy. In this type of environment, those with a more effective marketing plan will attract a larger share of the available move-ins. Those with weak plans will suffer. So its critical to hone and strengthen your plan. One way to do this is to weave integration into the strategy.

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What do I mean by integration? The commonly designed marketing plan is designed to be piecemeal...elements of the plan are treated independently and executed separately. For example, a marketing director will visit professionals in the community and hand out their brochure to "earn?" referrals. When the visit is over, they may send a thank you card and set their calendar for the next visit. (After all, it is the visiting part of their plan.) But they will seldom think about interviewing the professional while they are there and including that professional's expertise in an advertisement for their facility or on their website.

If they would, they would acquire valuable content (along with its credibility) for their ad and/or website. At the same time, they would also be building a stronger relationship that can turn a professional into an ally, and even a key referral source. And the new information on their website would help them to serve their community. This one effort would inject continuity and synergy into their plan, making it more dynamic and effective. The end result, more people take notice, are attracted and are referred. That leads to move-ins.

Flow From One Element To Another

There are seven key elements to any assisted living marketing plan are:

Referral Source Development Advertising Community Outreach & Inreach Public Relations Visits & Tours Inquiry and Family Member "Keep In Touch" Website & Internet

When executed well, each element can lead to move-ins. However, when organized as a team, each one can become more powerful and increase their results. For example, what is shown on a tour of the facility will be remembered and trusted more if it has already been seen on the company website. When a variation is also seen on a community bulletin board or in a follow-up mailing, the trust level increases even more. (FYI - Trust is critical to the assisted living selling process.)

Place The Website In The Center Of The Plan

The website is commonly thought of as an extended brochure and an independent element. Big mistake! It should be the hub of all marketing. Most (if not all) strategies should either start on the website or lead back to the website. Some should do both. The dynamics of the added continuity and synergy, as well as the use of technology the market has come to expect, result in a more effective plan. In addition, the staff can save a lot of time on the creative process and may even lower the expenses of execution. Here is an example of what I mean.

Visit and interview a local professional who serves seniors and/or caregivers... That leads to adding their information and a sample of their expertise to the "Support Services" page on your website... That leads to including that sample of their expertise in an advertisement in the local newspaper for your community outreach event... That leads to the community outreach event that involves the same referral source... That leads to a news story released to the local media outlets... The event is also added as an "Activity Scrapbook" entry on your website... The Scrapbook entry is easily converted into a new, quick, printed in-house handout... That leads to follow-up mailings and e-mails to event attendees, family members and referral sources... And the new handout is also added to community bulletin boards you have set up.

This one strategy blends together six of the seven key marketing plan elements - referral source development, advertising, community outreach or inreach, public relations, inquiry "keep in touch" and the website. It can also share copy, design elements and photos which saves time and money. Note: Of course, to do this effectively and efficiently, their must be systems in place that take advantage of technology.

Put Me In Coach

Adding integration is similar to managing a team sport. You have to recognize and understand the individual players at your disposal (marketing elements and people), then blend them into a cohesive unit that performs better as a team than as individuals. When designing a plan, you should look at your list of key elements, then weave (at least) some of them into each campaign. They could work together or they lead to one another. The goals of this integrated team include:

Creating added credibility. Building trust faster with the help of continuity and synergy. Providing tools to those would like to promote you. Saving time and/or saving money. Attracting more inquiries. Providing more incentive to offer referrals to your facility. Improving inquiry/tour/move-in ratios.

This concept of integration is not new, but it is underutilized. A big reason why is that it demands an organized leader who sees things differently, has the ability to blend the positive attributes of people and marketing elements, and works within a company culture that allows change to what has been done in the past. Is it worth the effort and the change? I believe it provides a marketing advantage that should not be overlooked or underestimated. An assisted living company that utilizes integration properly will come out of this down economy with added market share and will be well positioned for growth in better times.

Improve Your Assisted Living Marketing Plan by Adding Integration

Grow Calendar 2011

Foundation Wall Crack Repair - Vertical Cracks

Vertical cracks in a foundation occur most often due to poor construction practice or when foundation concrete shrinks and cures. These cracks are common in both newly constructed homes and in older ones. While vertical wall cracks in the foundation do not often lead to structural issues as often as horizontal cracks, they commonly leak water from the foundation outside into the basement or crawl space area. In fact, this water flow can be so heavy that some customers call in saying that water was literally squirting into the house!

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that no one wants to buy a home with a leaking foundation wall crack. Certainly, no one wishes to live in a home with foundation water! Damaged or deteriorating foundation walls lead to a great deal of problems for homeowners and their bank accounts. Foundation soil water entering into a basement will cause a home to be difficult (if not impossible) to sell and will cause the home to lose 10% or more of its value. This means that with a 0,000 home, the value will suffer by ,000! The problem will only worsen with time as more water rushes through the crack and the forces of nature open the crack even wider.

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Home Foundation Repair

Do-it-yourself wall crack solutions are not the answer. In many cases, homeowners will attempt to repair the problem simply by adding caulk in the gaps. With a caulk seal, efflorescence will build up as water fills the crack up to the caulking and cause this plug to peel off. Additionally, if the crack isn't clean, the caulk will bond to the dirt instead of the cement, which will weaken its effectiveness. Of course, the seal will work for a little while, but if you want to fix the problem so your foundation wall never leaks, this isn't the answer.

Filling a wall crack with hydraulic cement or other rigid substances is also doomed to failure. The problem here is that while the hole is plugged, the problem (foundation water pressing in from the outside) still exists. Over time, as the foundation swells and shrinks with changes in temperature and moisture, the movement will work the plug loose. Foundation leaking will often begin again in about two years.

In cases where epoxy is used, the seal may still hold, but its rigidity will cause the wall to simply crack again nearby as it continues to expand and contract. Additionally, epoxy tends to cure very slowly, and it may actually run out from the other side of the crack before completely hardening. The surface to which the epoxy is added must be completely dry so it may form a proper bond. Alternatively, urethane seals work somewhat better because they're flexible and expandable, but cracks can easily shift and expand over 100% in time, which is far beyond the ability of this material to stretch.

Dirty Work

Another possible way to repair a leaking foundation wall crack is from the outside. To do this, you'll have to dig straight down the foundation and uncover the entire wall crack. Hopefully, there's no sidewalk, bush, garden, front steps, or anything else in the way of the area where the crack is located or they will need to be removed. If there's a porch, deck, or outside stairs in the way, you'll have to work around it somehow or remove it as well. Digging out the dirt will leave mounds in your yard and create a mess, and as the dirt is backfilled back in, it will be more porous and water-absorbent than ever. While the multiple layers of synthetic waterproof materials you install will often be effective in solving the problem, if there is ever a failure on the seal, the entire process will have to be repeated. Also, you will have to regrade the soil that was excavated over the next year to prevent it from pooling around the foundation and adding to the problem.

Foundation Wall Crack Repair - Vertical Cracks

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Wood Frame Greenhouse Plans, Styles, and Designs

Greenhouses can be built from all kinds of materials. Some of the more common ones are PVC, metal, and wood. By far the easiest to work with, and most attractive, is wood. There are also multiple styles of greenhouses to choose from. This article outlines these styles, as well as the best wood frame greenhouse plans available.

The Best Type Of Wood

Grow Calendar 2011

First of all, there is quite a selection of woods available to you. Treated pine is by far the cheapest and most common. Unlike other non-treated species, it is water resistant, and won't rot. However, for a more upmarket look you could go for something like cedar. This species is naturally water proof, and simply won't rot. This eliminates the need for chemically treated lumber. You'll need to use this kind of wood if you're looking to grow organic produce.

Small, Mid-sized, Or Large?

It's obvious that not all growers require a massive greenhouse. Naturally, there are many sizes in which wood frame greenhouse plans come. Why build a huge walk-in construction when you really only need a small, cage-like greenhouse?

You've got a few options here, including:

- The tall, refrigerator-like greenhouse, complete with growing racks.
- The small, portable "hot bed" style greenhouse.
- The lean-to greenhouse, which can be built against your house, shed, or fence.
- The large, arch-shaped greenhouse that is surprisingly cheap to build.
- The premium, Victorian-style greenhouse, which is as amazing as it sounds!

As you can see, you really need to put a lot of thought into the size, and style of your greenhouse. Don't be scared though, all can be built cheaply, and you don't require too much woodworking experience, if at all.

Getting Cheap Lumber

We all like inexpensive things. Lumber can usually be obtained free, or very cheap from neighbors, friends, and/or family. Most of us have a crazy uncle with a big scrap heap in his backyard. Look for things like old furniture. Also, if you decide to build one of the larger greenhouse designs, you may qualify for a discount from your local lumber yard.

Wood Frame Greenhouse Plans, Styles, and Designs

Grow Calendar 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Retaining Wall Design and Cost

There are lots of ways to build a retaining wall. This article will show you what the most attractive walls are and what they might cost.

Dry Stack Flagstone Retaining Wall

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Hands down it is the best looking wall. Everyone will love your wall. It takes a skilled craftsman to produce it. You will get a lot of variety in the wall because the product is natural. The best dry stack walls actually have some cement holding them together that can not be seen.

Block Retaining Walls

If you like a good design, stay away from any man made block walls. They just don't look natural. Many give you a boxy feel. It's like you're in a city park instead of a natural setting.

Boulder Retaining Walls

Boulder walls are beautiful and cost effective. To get best results, make sure you know what the rock looks like before ordering. Boulder walls should start out with larger rocks and move up to smaller rocks. A typical wall will start out with five foot rocks and work on up to two foot rocks for the top level. Don't build boulder walls with all the rocks being of one size. Larger rocks definitely look better, if you have enough space.

Wood Retaining Walls

The most common wood retaining wall is the railroad tie wall. The oil in the wood helps preserve it for a long time. They are extremely strong, inexpensive, and long lasting. Railroad ties come in grades. If you purchase low grade ties, the wall will be very inexpensive. The main downside is that about 50% of people think they are ugly.

Concrete Retaining Walls

Not a great landscaping wall. They are pretty ugly unless resurfaced with stone or stucco. And, by the time you add on the cost of making it look good, you might as well have built something else.

Pricing

.00 per foot, including labor, is a good average. If you have the materials, .00 per foot, for labor, is a good starting point.

Railroad tie walls are the least costly option.

Boulder walls are also one of the least costly walls. The biggest factor is buying the stone because the prices fluctuate wildly. 0.00 per 12 yard truck is an average price.

Dry stack flagstone walls look the best, but are the most costly.

Prices on retaining walls are close enough that you are usually better off focusing on what you want more than price. Prices don't make a large difference unless you are building a lot of wall.

Retaining Wall Design and Cost

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How to Start a Greeting Cards Home Business

Do you like to create pictures and designs, or writing? Do you love to look at the greeting cards in your local stores? Then a greeting cards home business could be for you. This is a business with incredible growth, and income potential. It also gives the greeting card home based business owner several options in the business itself.

A greeting card home business opportunity can have you doing only one part, such as drawing or writing. This same business can be selling e-cards or cards sold in stores. It could also entail purchasing a territory from a larger card distributor.

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The first step in how to start a greeting card company is to decide what part of the greeting card business you want to focus on. As a freelance greeting card artist, you would focus only on designing cards for other companies. There are costs associated with this option and could include the purchase of a computer and graphic art software if you don't already have these items.

If you decide to be a freelance greeting card writer, your home based greeting card business would focus on only writing the phrases to be used on greeting cards. For this, you only need a computer and quick turn around time.

Of course, you can always freelance as both a writer and artist. To get jobs you must contact companies to see if they are in need of freelancers. They pay from an assignment to several hundred dollars per assignment. However, until you build up a portfolio of samples, and sometimes even after, jobs can be hard to find.

Another option is to purchase a vending route from a larger greeting card company. This route becomes your way of starting a greeting card company. You are required to keep current clients stocked in cards, replace old cards with new ones and get new clients to build your income. You have start up costs that can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars in inventory. However, when you take the cards to the clients, you receive your payments right then.

If you want to start your own line of cards, your greeting card business plan would focus on all aspects of greeting card businesses. You will design and write each greeting card inside and out. Your creative freedom would not be hindered by someone telling you what they want. You would make all the decisions and it would truly be your greeting cards business.

Being a greeting cards home business owner would make the internet your best marketing tool. You wouldn't be able to compete with larger greeting card companies, so you will want to create a special niche for your cards on the web and in small local stores.

This option requires research before beginning the creation of cards for your greeting cards home business. You will need to price printing services and software. Once you have these ready, you can being creating. Go ahead a start creating cards, but at the same time, think of a name for your greeting cards home business and create a website.

Websites are very easy to create, depending on the provider you decide on. Research domain name registries and web site providers. The more web pages and information you want to provide will influence the charge of the web site. A greeting cards home business web site should be able to be effective without many extras at first. The extras can come later.

Once your website is ready, put pictures of your cards and ordering information into it. If you create the web site yourself or pay someone else to do it, make sure the site is search engine optimized. This will bring more people to your greeting card web site and start selling your cards.

Since some people like to hold cards and feel their quality before purchasing, it may be best to have your greeting cards home business web site offer one free card, or one free sample package per household. This gets your cards on the market and helps drive customers to your web site. Also, consider creating a special "Thank You" card that you personalized by you for all inquiries and orders. This is another way to let people know the quality of your cards.

Have the cards printed as the orders come in to the web site. Offer personalized cards to increase sales. Make sure you have plenty of designs for each category. You want your greeting cards home business website to look full, but not cluttered.

You now know several of the options available to start your greeting cards home business. Now all you have to do is to decide which is the best option for you. This business can grow to be as large or as small as you want it.

How to Start a Greeting Cards Home Business

Grow Calendar 2011

3 Free Wiccan Spells For Flying, Far Hearing, and Owl Wisdom

Here are 3 free wiccan spells you can use right now. They will take some practice to get good at, especially the flying spell. However, with time, energy, and effort, these spells will bring amazing results. They are 3 of the best free wiccan spells you will find. Remember though, proper training in the magical arts will never be replaced by quick fix spells.

Free Wiccan Spells #1 - Flying Spell:

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This spell is a good step for learning how to levitate yourself and then move onto the ability to fly. Start on the ledge of something. Make sure the ledge is only about 2 or 3 feet tall as you don't want to get hurt as you practice this spell.

As you stand on the ledge, clear your mind of everything. This spell requires extreme concentration. If you are thinking about getting hurt or fearful you will fail or thinking about anything other than what you are about to do, you will fail. Focus, focus, focus on the task at hand. Once you are clear and ready, just jump off the ledge.

As you jump off the ledge, attempt to put your entire being and mind into it and miss the ground and move up. Imagine yourself floating. Will yourself to float and fly. You must concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. I can't tell you enough how a small seed of a thought other than floating will ruin the whole deal. This spell of all the wicca free spells included here takes extreme concentration.

Free Wiccan Spells #2 - Owl Wisdom:

This is a great spell for when you need answers or wisdom. You will need a statue or a picture of an owl.

As you stand in front of the picture, focus on your question and say:
"Sacred owl, bring me wisdom.
Help me make the right choices.
Assist me in planning my future.
Walk with me on the spiritual path.
Sacred owl, show me the way."

Focus on your question or need as you say this three times. Afterwards, meditate on the question at hand or use a method of divination.

Free Wiccan Spell #3 - Far Away Hearing Spell:

This spell is to develop the ability to hear sounds or things at a great distance.

Start by cupping your right hand over your right ear and say : "some sounds are here and some are astray, give me the hearing of far away." When you are finished, simply remove your right hand from your ear and the spell will end.

I hope you enjoy these free wiccan spells as much as I do. Keep training and keep looking for more opportunities to learn and grow. The more you learn and understand, the quicker and more powerful you will become and the easier it will be for you to perform what seems like magic to the average person.

3 Free Wiccan Spells For Flying, Far Hearing, and Owl Wisdom

Grow Calendar 2011

How Much Will My Laminate Countertop Cost?

So you've decided to install a new laminate countertop in your kitchen. Whether your home improvement project is to increase the value of your home or to create the dream look you've always dreamed of, price is always a consideration. By choosing laminate for your countertop you're choosing durability, ease of maintenance and customized look and feel at an affordable cost.

Laminate sheets can range in price from to 0 per linear foot based upon color, texture, manufacturer, design and location. First you must determine what type of laminate sheet you will choose for your countertop. You can then determine the material costs associated with your countertop.

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Next determine the area of your countertop you will cover, one key point to this is to understand the difference between linear foot and a square foot. Countertop manufacturers build sheets that are customized to a depth of 24 inches the average depth of countertops. The average countertop is between 28-30 feet which means 28-30 linear feet if you measured by square foot your countertop would cover a 56-60 square feet. So measure the linear square feet of your countertop.

Now that you have your price per linear foot and total linear feet to be covered you can now determine your material costs.

[Price per linear foot * Total linear feet = Material Costs]

With your materials costs now known you must now make a decision, will you install the laminate countertop yourself or will you contract out the installation.

Costs associated with Installing the laminate countertop yourself

Tools & Supply Costs

Contact Cement ()

Wooden Mallet ()

Paint Brush w/roller ()

Power Sander ()

Work Gloves ()

Router ()

Router Special Grooving Disc ()

Sanding Block ()

Straight Edge ()

Utility Knife ()

Fine Toothed Hand Saw ()

Fine Toothed Back Saw ()

Power Saw ()

Power Saw Fine Toothed Blade ()

File ()

Sandpaper ()

Total costs will be around (7.00) for tools and supplies, please note prices may range based upon region, manufacturer or customized need. Prices listed are the median cost of five different items researched online.

2. Contracting out the installation

Common rates are -30 per linear square foot this may differ based upon the rate that you agree on with your contractor or any additional costs associated to supplies or tools needed for your installation. To get a budget range for the installation use the following to get a rough idea of costs associate with contracting out your laminate countertop project.

[ * Total linear feet = Labor Costs]

So now that we've determined your material costs, tools & supply costs and labor costs you can now get a better idea of the cost that will be associated with your countertop home improvement project.

How Much Will My Laminate Countertop Cost?

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Build Your Own Generator From Scratch

There is no better feeling in the world than becoming 100% energy independent, especially if you've set up your home energy system by yourself from scratch. It's definitely worth making a choice to convert now, as electricity prices and dependence is only going upwards. This article gives you an overview home made electricity, and how to start to build your own generator from materials available at your local hardware store.

First things first, you need to understand just how much better life can be after converting to self generated power. You won't be affected my fluctuations in the energy market, you won't be affected by blackouts during storms, you won't have to pay energy bills (or at least they'll be significantly reduced), and best of all, if you build your own system, you won't have to fork out thousands for installation!

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In my experience, the best 2 systems are solar and wind generators. Depending on the climate where you live, you can focus mainly on one of these systems, or both. I'd recommend both. Despite what you might be lead to believe, building and installing one or more of these babies is relatively simple if you've got the motivation, and/or some good help.

Projects can naturally start small, but grow quickly. After one weekend you can realistically expect to be running one household appliance off a solar panel that costs less than US0 to build. That means that you can be saving money and emissions in only one weekend! You can save even more money faster if you get the help of a friend.

Like all Do-It-Yourself projects, you want to make sure that you have the best blueprints and advice. You can buy appropriate books and material at your local hardware store, or even easier yet (and cheaper), you can get a full home energy blueprint from the internet, instantly. These packages often come with all the knowledge and schematics on how to build a generator, and also constant updates on new technologies. This makes it even better value.

Build Your Own Generator From Scratch

Grow Calendar 2011

Couples Making Love Positions Everyone Should Know

Out of the many thousands of couples making love positions, they all can be grouped in 6 basic categories, learning the many different variations can keep the spark alight in your love life. In this article we will cover the six different groups and go into detail on some of the actual positions themselves.

Starting with the six category groups, we have:

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- Man on Top
- Woman on Top
- Side Position
- Man from Back
- Standing and Sitting Face to Face Positions
- Cross Positions

Now that we have the categories out of the way, let's go into detail on some of the individual positions themselves. Starting with the Man from back category the first options in this position and probably the most well known is doggy style. Have I have heard time and time again from females that this is the only position that they can achieve an orgasm. I will fill you in on a secret, why this is.

The doggy style position is the easiest position to allow the man to stimulate the woman's g-spot with his penis. The position itself is achieved with the woman on all fours, and the man entering from the back, variations of this include the woman kneeling on the floor with her chest resting on the bed, or the woman lying on her stomach with the man on top.

Next let's cover some of the positions in the sitting and standing face to face category. This is a useful position if the male has weak erections, and it is versatile, being able to be performed on the edge of a bathtub, on a chair, or on the floor, the options are countless.

This position is also good for guys who are a bit larger than normal, because in most cases it does not allow the male to penetrate deep into the vagina. This position is achieved by the woman sitting with bent legs on the edge of a small chair or stool, the man gets on his knees facing the woman between her legs, the woman can also choose to wrap her legs around the mans back. A variation to this is the man sitting in the chair with the woman in his lap facing him.

Lastly lets talk about the Standing couples making love positions, this can be a difficult position to master, but it is advantageous as it allows the couples to make love without getting completely naked. This is a great position for quick sex, which guys usually love.

This position is achieved by both partners standing face to face, tilting the bodies back a bit. Another option on this position is the man stands holding the woman's hips or buttocks, while the woman grasps his body with her legs and thighs. These positions work well making love in a swimming pool or lake.

Lastly we will cover some positions that fall into the cross positions category. The positions in this group consist of the couple bodies being place across each other to an extent. The first option in this category is for the woman to lie on her back, legs bent at the knees, and legs spread. The man is between her legs on his knees.

The variation to this is the woman lies on the bed with her legs lifted up, with her back on the edge of the bed. The man stays on his knees in front of her. The benefits of these positions is that the penis has a better chance of rubbing the clitoris. Lets face it no clitoral stimulation, no female orgasm, and one unhappy female.

Couples Making Love Positions Everyone Should Know

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Low Calorie Wine Ideas - And A Warning!

If you're looking for low calorie wine, there are a few different drinks that you can go with.

There's Beringer Blass Wine Estates, which is lower in calories and alcohol than their similar California wine counterparts. They say that this is because the grapes in their wines were picked before they had time to build up a lot of sugar. A 5 ounce glass of White Lie has 97 calories instead of the typical 115, and the alcohol level is 9.8% versus the typical 13%.

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Bacardi's Island Breeze is another drink that's lower in calories because they use sucralose to sweeten the rum instead of the usual sugars. The alcohol level is lower as well, as it's 18% compared to the normal 35%.

There's also a new alcohol that came out by the brand called The Mad Housewife and Two Wives, and an online retailer named Lola that boasts the same low calorie, lower alcohol wines.

Consider yourself warned, though - drinking low calorie wine (or following any kind of solely low calorie diet) will not necessarily help you lose weight.

Eating low calorie all the time will eventually make your weight loss stagnate, because your body will get used to what you're giving it and expect it. And as soon as you put in more calories... you'll gain weight. The only thing that you'll be able to do to lose weight is to eat LESS... and then you'll start the same cycle all over again.

Calorie cycling is just the thing that you should look into. It makes you switch your calories up constantly, so your body never knows what to expect, and it continues to churn out fat like a machine.

Low Calorie Wine Ideas - And A Warning!

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Monday, December 26, 2011

What is the Relationship Between Relaxin and Pregnancy?

What is relaxin?

Relaxin is a pregnancy hormone. It is pro­duced in the early stages of pregnancy by the corpus luteum (the shell of the egg left behind after ovulation), and then by the placenta from about the twelfth week onwards. This hormone is evident in the body from as early as the second week of pregnancy, when it is produced in large amounts during the first trimester, then reduces by 20% and continues to be produced until the birth.

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Relaxin affects collagen fibres

Collagen is the main component of connective tissue found in cartilage, tendons and liga­ments. The stability of all joints is maintained by ligaments which are made up of these dense, fibrous strands of connective tissue. During pregnancy relaxin increases the water content of collagen fibres, increasing their size and elasticity.

What effect does this have on the joints? Ligaments are normally inelastic, a quality necessary to maintain joint stability and prevent unnecessary movement around the joint. Under the influence of relaxin the liga­ments become more supple and pliable, allowing increased movement which in turn reduces joint stability.

Which joints are most at risk? The symphysis pubis and sacroiliac joints of the pelvis are fibrous joints. Very little space separates the ends of the bones in a fibrous joint, and in a non-pregnant state very limited movement, if any, takes place around the joint. Additionally, fibrous joints have no joint cavity and rely solely on ligaments for their stability. The resulting increased range of movement of the symphysis pubis and sacroil­iac joints, together with the progressive pres­sure exerted by the growing baby, places these joints in an extremely vulnerable position.

What about the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles? Collagen is also found in the connective tissue of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. This is necessary for the abdominal muscles to stretch and allow the uterus to grow out of the abdomen, and for the pelvic floor muscles to stretch to deliver the baby. However, this adaptation severely reduces the support previously given by these muscles and has major implications

What is the Relationship Between Relaxin and Pregnancy?

Grow Calendar 2011

Dallas, TX - North Plano, Frisco Real Estate Development Pipeline

There is quite a bit of development activity going on in the North Plano/Frisco area where Legacy Business Park butts up to Stonebriar Centre. Developers have been taking advantage of the available land, favorable demographics, and close proximity to major employment centers. Included in this article is a demographic snapshot of the area, a synopsis of the nearby major employment centers, and a summary of the real estate development activity in the pipeline.

Demographic Snapshot: The demographic profile for residents in this area is as follows:

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Population- As of the 2nd quarter of 2008, the population of this area was 12,336 people in a total of 5,027 households (avg. HH size of 2.4 people). This represents a population growth of 89% since census 2000.

Ethnicity- 85% White, 2% Black, 5% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 1% Other.

Income Level- Approximately 90% of residents within this geography fit into "High Income" categories. MarketAtlas breaks down the residents in this area into the following 8 categories: 42% are High Earners, 22% are Young Professionals, 15% are Upper Middle Families, 11% are Upper Middle Class, 3% are Middle America, 3% are Blue Collar, 3% are Lowest Income, and 2% are Lower Income.

Major Employers: Several major employers make this an attractive area for real estate development. The following is a summary of the employment centers that can be seen in the MarketAtlas screen shot below.

Retail- Stonebriar Centre is a regional mall and the main retail attraction in the vicinity. It is anchored by Macy's, Sears, Nordstrom, Dillard's, JC Penny & Dick's Sporting Goods. The Centre at Preston Ridge is a big box retail center across Gaylord Parkway and includes retailers such as Super Target, Best Buy, Floor Expo, Staples, Marshalls, Old Navy, Ross, etc. Other retailers in the immediate area include IKEA, Office Max, Michaels, WalMart, Sam's Club, Home Depot, LA Fitness, Sports Authority, Bed Bath & Beyond, Maytag, Circuit City, Office Depot, JoAnn and Lowe's.

Office- Legacy Business Park, on the south side of HWY 121, is a 2,655 acre business park that includes tenants such as the JC Penny Corporate Headquarters, Frito Lay Corporate Headquarters, Electronic Data Systems Corporate Headquarters, Lincoln Property Co., Ericsson, PepsiCo, Verizon, Cingular Wireless, Capital One, and many others. To the north of HWY 121, Hall Financial owns a 162-acre business park that houses tenants such as GE, Kimberly Clark and Levi Strauss. North of Warren Parkway, Duke Realty owns a 3 building office complex on a large site where they plan to build an additional 4 buildings.

Real Estate Development Pipeline: There are 7 projects in differing phases of the development process within the subject area.

Village 121- Lincoln Property Co. is planning to build an 80-acre mixed use project at the intersection of Preston Road & HWY 121. Plans include 500k sqft of retail, 150k sqft of office, a 250 room boutique hotel, and an unknown quantity of residential units. IPic Entertainment is also planning to build a 60k sqft movie theater, restaurant bar and bowling center on the site.

High Street at Stonebriar- The Ainbinder Co. is planning to build a 550k sqft, 0MM mixed use project on as 35-acre site directly west of Village 121 (Parkwood Blvd. & HWY 121). Plans include 250k sqft of retail, 100k sqft of office, and a hotel. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2009 with completion in 2010. The Container Store has already been identified as a retailer.

Hall Office Park- Hall Financial owns a 162-acre business park on the corner of Warren Parkway and the North Dallas Tollway. There are currently 14-multitenant office buildings complete on the site, but plans include adding up to 6 more. The 15th building (127k sqft) is scheduled for delivery in early 2009. Buildings 16 & 17 are currently in the planning stage.

Dr. Pepper StarCenter & Deja Blue Ice Arena- The Home of the Dallas Stars & Frisco Thunder is currently undergoing a MM renovation that will add 1,500 seats, 4 luxury suites, a private club, a new concession area, and an additional parking garage. Completion is scheduled for June 2009.

Centre at Preston Ridge Apartments- Westwood Residential is building 655 apartments and 15k sqft of commercial space on Parkwood Blvd. north of Gaylord Parkway. Completion is scheduled for March 2009.

Post Frisco Bridges Apartments- Post Properties is building 269 apartments and 30k sqft of ground floor retail space on the southwest corner of Parkwood Blvd. and Warren Parkway. Completion is expected in March 2009.

The District- Margaux Development owns a 91 acre site on the northwest corner of Warren Parkway and the North Dallas Tollway. As of February 2009, the project had been put on hold. The partnership was still deciding exactly what to build on the land, and when to start. Previous plans included building more than 6 million square feet of retail, hospitality, residential, and office space.

Dallas, TX - North Plano, Frisco Real Estate Development Pipeline

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Build A Garden Fence - Low Cost Ideas

If you want to add a wonderful country touch to your garden, building a country style fence is not as difficult, or as expensive as it might seem. Here at The Garden Glove, we wanted to add a gothic picket style to the front garden. However, purchasing and installing 150 feet of picket fencing was NOT in the budget. So we chose to add just two sections of fencing to the corners of the front drive as accents. We also used inexpensive materials to create the fence. Using the low cost materials and keeping the amount of fencing small but in a focal point area kept costs way down. Here's how we did it.

Materials Needed

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Pressure treated or cedar 2x4 lumber for posts and cross pieces

2 ½ inch screws

Quick Setting Concrete (I used 1 60 pound bag for every two posts)

Pickets

Saw

Drill

Using 2x4's instead of heavier posts saved me 50% of the cost. Pressure treated 2x4's won't rot quickly, and will give you the most bang for your buck. Do not use pressure treated lumber near edible plants.

Step 1:

Measure the height you want the posts, and then add 18 inches to 2 feet, depending on how heavy your freeze is in the winter. The harsher your winters, the deeper you should set the posts. Mark where you would like the post holes with flour. Post hole should be as far apart as you decide to cut your cross pieces. We used 8 foot 2x4's that we cut in half, so each post hole was 4 feet apart, on the outside. (On the outside refers to the outside edges of the posts being 4 feet apart.) Dig post holes 2 feet deep.

Step 2:

Place posts into holes and check to make sure all posts are at the same depth. You can check this with a level along the tops of all the posts. Using the same level and another person to help, pour the quick setting cement into each post hole. Have your helper hold the post straight (check with a level) and slowly add water as directed on the package. Have your helper continue to hold the posts until the cement starts to set, should take only a few minutes. Allow the posts to set overnight.

Step 3:

Using a drill and screws, attach the cross pieces to the posts at the inside of the fence.

Step 4:

Attach with nails or screws whatever material you chose to use as pickets to the cross piece. Use a measuring tape to mark equal distances that are pleasing to your eye; remember, this is a country fence. You can use traditional pickets, branches or even scrap wood all cut to the same size as the "pickets".

Done! Plant a climbing plant at the base to add old fashioned country charm such as morning glories or a climbing rose. With just a couple of sections of fence instead of a whole row of expensive fencing, you've added a wonderful architectural element to you garden!

Build A Garden Fence - Low Cost Ideas

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How Much Will My Granite Countertop Cost

There are many reasons why people are choosing granite countertops. Many of the reasons include the benefits, installation issues, and cost. You have made an excellent decision to use granite for your counters. The best decision with the installation of granite counters is to use a licensed contractor for the job.

Cost of Materials For Granite Countertops

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Granite can vary in cost. It may depend on the type of granite that you choose and the type of finish you select. However, installing granite requires more than just the granite slab or tiles. There are many other materials that you need to purchase for the installation of your new countertops like a 25 lb. of thin set mortar (), a 5 lb. bag of unsanded grout (), a quart of polished sealer (25), a roll of fiberglass mesh tape (), a trowel (), a putty knife(), a honing stone(), a grout float (), caulk that matches the color if you are using tiles (), and plastic spacers (). All of these materials will be needed for installing granite countertops and you should consider the costs when you are budgeting for your new counter. You also might need a tile saw. You can purchase one for around 5 or you can rent a saw from many places for around for each day. The cutting should be able to be done in one day. You also need to estimate the lumber materials that you will need to purchase also. The materials that you will need include a full sheet of ¾ inch plywood. Every 8ft. of countertop that you have you will need one sheet. You will need a sheet of Denshield to back the tile for every 5 ft. of counter that you have. Roofing nails and screws will be needed for securing purposes.

The cost of granite differs by the type of granite that you decide on. If you would like a solid surface granite countertop then you will pay around 5 per square foot. If you are thinking about tiles on your counter then the costs will run around per square foot. Tiles can be very cheap or they can be expensive. It depends on the type and texture of the granite. The finish you would like for your counter will make a big difference also and will increase the price. Many people prefer the faux finish which can cost you approximately .

Installation Costs For Granite Countertops

There are many things that you need to think about when you hire a contractor to professionally install your granite countertops. Hiring the wrong person could be disastrous and cost you more money in the long run. You should find out how long the contractor has been in business so you can be sure that they have been in business for a while. This will also verify that they are well-established. You should also verify if they have any complaints against them through consumer protection officials. You want to verify how many projects the contractor has completed and ask to see a portfolio of the work they have done. Some contractors take pictures of their finished work and this will give you a good idea of what you have to look forward to when it is finished.

You should also ask for a list of references and you should verify all of them. Don't just take their word for it. Call everyone. If the contractor is going to be using other sub-contractors to help them with the project, you should meet them and make sure that you feel comfortable with them in your home. Verify that everyone who will be working in your home is licensed and that they are all covered by insurance. You can protect yourself by asking to see a lien waiver to verify that the contractor doesn't owe anyone any money. A contractor should have personal liability insurance that will cover damage to property and anything else that could happen.

When you pay the contractor for the work completed, verify that you are satisfied with the work done before you make a final payment. You should limit the down payment to as little as possible and if you are asked to be paid in full then you should go with someone else. You can work with the contractor and set milestones for payment. This means, as the contractor completes defined amounts of work, and then you pay them. You should also always avoid paying cash at all costs. You should also have a contract that clearly spells out all of the work that will be done for the countertops. Be sure that warranties are defined for the materials and the work done. Also be sure the contractor cleans their mess of excess materials and things before they leave.

When you hire a contractor to install granite countertops in your home, the price may vary by how experienced the contractor is and how large the counters are. The price can range from 0 to 00 and higher. If you decide to install granite countertops on your own, then you can be looking at prices from 0 to approximately 0. It is usually not recommended to install granite counters yourself. This is because you should have skill when you are cutting granite and installing a counter. The cost of mistakes with granite might cost you more than what you can afford. It is always better to hire a professional contractor to install granite in your kitchen.

Choosing granite countertops for your kitchen is the best decision that you can make to beautify and increase the value of your home. We wish you the best of luck in finding the slab of granite that is right for you and your home. You are sure to find it.

How Much Will My Granite Countertop Cost

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

A Guide to Platform Bed Plans

Do you want to try your hand at building a platform bed? For those of you who don't yet know what a platform bed is, it's an exciting, old way of sleeping that incorporates a simple, elegant frame and a single mattress. Its lines have been used in Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Platform beds can be made of wood or metal. If you're looking to build a platform bed, you're probably thinking about wood.

Platform beds can be extremely simple. The extremely simple platform beds have no headboard or footboard, and certainly no canopy. They incorporate slats, which, in effect, replace the need for a box spring, since, because they are sturdy yet somehow slightly flexible, support the single mattress on top. The result is that you get a good night's sleep, are very comfortable, and yet don't end up with back pains or numb muscles in the morning.

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It's ever better for your back than sleeping on the floor. And now, with the rapid proliferation of memory foam, your platform bed can be even more comfortable and healthy. Memory foam is a gel-like polymer that accepts your shapes and bones, but supports it fully. (It was first used in hospitals, and is now a popular mattress and pillow material.)

Platform bed plans can be more complex too; you can add headboards, footboards, canopies, even extra flourishes and storage units. You can build the storage units as one with the bed frame, or you can create rolling drawers supported by castors, so that the drawers are modifiable and easily maneuverable throughout your bedroom.

It's not the most difficult job in the world for a handyperson. If you want to build a platform bed, you can order platform bed plans from any of a number of plans retailers. Woodworking clubs, furniture enthusiast groups, and other organizations can give or sell you plans. You can also buy plans online.

A Guide to Platform Bed Plans

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Starting a Business? Inventory Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Almost every business start-up checklist that aspiring entrepreneurs will read, refers to "must know" information about legal issues, money management, sales, marketing and operations. In fact, success as an entrepreneur not only relies on your knowledge and effective execution of these fundamentals, but also requires a constant commitment to keep growing and gaining knowledge in these areas. Fortunately, there are many resources available for small businesses in the form of professional services or public agencies available to help us augment our own skills in these areas at affordable rates. As we busy ourselves getting on top of these business-technical skills to manage day-to-day operations, it doesn't take long for us to realize that these skills, although essential, might not be enough to make your business start-up succeed.

What could be missing? Maybe it is that other, less talked about, business start-up check list - the one that speaks to the actual success behaviors necessary to run and grow your new business. Skills or traits such as judgment, confidence, agility, and creativity are some of the critical intangibles that are hard to measure, next to impossible to farm out but critical for start-up business success. For most of us it's relatively easy to look at the numbers and know if cash flow is good or bad or to look at a marketing plan and say if it worked or not. On the other hand, however, it might be hard for many of us to own up to having limited knowledge or weakness especially if we are fearful that admission might force us to shelve our dreams of business ownership. The fact is, we can significantly enhance our chances of new business success if we take the time to inventory our skill set and put strategies in place to enhance those skills we can and seek help and support where we struggle.

Grow Calendar 2011

For most of us, much of this self discovery will take place once your start-up is in motion. In other words, we will learn on the job. Our hope, of course, is that it will happen early enough to avoid serious consequences. However, with a little bit of introspection and honest evaluation of our preferences or behaviors, we can actually examine our own tendencies and put corrective actions in place early.

The following simple assessment, albeit non-scientific, is one way to take inventory of our abilities in some of the required non-business-technical areas. It is based on the well accepted principle which has been used successfully in the job interview for years - that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior.

Create a spreadsheet with five columns and label them as follows:

Column 1 - Skill or Trait - List the following 20 traits that are generally regarded as new business start-up skills. Feel free to add others you know to be important.

i. Agility

ii. Confidence

iii. Courage

iv. Creativity

v. Decisiveness

vi. Self discipline

vii. Good judgment

viii. Flexibility

ix. Hard Worker

x. Leadership

xi. Multitask effectively

xii. Networking ability

xiii. Objectivity

xiv. Openness to new ideas

xv. Political Savvy

xvi. Resilience

xvii. Self-starter

xviii. Interpersonal skills

xix. Risk tolerance

xx. Visionary

Column 2 - Rating: On a scale of 1-10, rate yourself on each of these entrepreneurial traits - with "1" meaning you have concerns about your strengths and "10" meaning you have confidence your skills are strong in this area.

Column 3 - Example: Identify the best example in your past that demonstrates your strength with regard to the entrepreneurial trait or skill in question.

Column 4 - Strategy - Define a plan of action to address your shortcomings in any entrepreneurial trait where your self score is less than a 6 - especially if you consider it important to your start-up business.

Column 5 - Sensitivity - To help focus and prioritize your efforts, rank the entrepreneurial skills and traits based on their relative significance to your business. For example if you sell widgets via the internet, interpersonal business skills, which are always important, might be less significant than agility to keep up with internet marketing trends. On the other hand if you run an in home day care, agility within very stringent government regulations might be a little harder and so you might choose to focus on your networking abilities to keep and gain new customers.

Column 3 is quite possibly the most important. It forces us as entrepreneurs to not just say how good we are, but to actually identify specific examples to demonstrate how we have acted in the past. If you have scored yourself with a high rating (6 or higher) and cannot identify great examples in your past to support that ranking - you might need to rethink your self rated scores.

Once you have completed the exercise yourself, ask someone whose opinion you value or potential business partners to complete a similar chart with their observations about you and each other. Comparing the results should give you a good idea of skills you have mastered and those which are potential weak areas you might need to address to improve you or your team's chance of success. Brainstorm potential solutions and be open to the fact that it might come in many forms. One entrepreneur might choose to join business clusters to share ideas another could decide to create a board of advisors. No one path will fit everyone or every business model.

Facing our fears head on will significantly improve our chances of business start-up success. The last thing we want as our businesses begin to grow is to find out that our skills bank is close to running on empty and doing this personal inventory is long overdue and. Begin taking stock of your entrepreneurial skills today!

Starting a Business? Inventory Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Grow Calendar 2011

Saturday, December 24, 2011

How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup Business "On the Cheap"

There are some definite costs to starting a foreclosure cleanup business. It's not one you can start with no money - and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. But, costs can be mitigated. Following are some concrete suggestions on how to start a foreclosure cleaning business "on the cheap."

3 Concrete Suggestions for How to Business Cleaning Foreclosures Cheaply

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Rent Equipment: While it's ideal to have your own equipment when you own a foreclosure cleanup business, you can rent almost everything you need until you can afford to outright purchase it.

For example, a trailer and a dumpster. Most jobs will require these, as you will have to clean and remove trash and debris from a property. But this equipment can be rented very reasonably.

Equipment Tip: Familiarize Yourself with Costs before You Start Marketing

To start to get an idea of the costs of things you will be renting often (eg, ladders, lawn equipment (in warm seasons); tools, etc., visit your local Home Depot or Lowe's. As these are built-in costs for your business, you should have an idea of how much it will cost to rent these things for your foreclosure clean out business until you can afford to buy them.

Subcontract: Another way to start a foreclosure cleanup business on the cheap is to subcontract out as much as you can. Cleaning, you can handle yourself. But, if there are jobs that you're not equipped to handle because you either don't know how, or don't have the proper tools, outsource - eg, painting, plumbing, electric, window repairs, etc.

Just build the cost of hiring contractors into your estimate.

Market Online: One of the biggest costs most new businesses face is marketing. Luckily, a foreclosure cleanup business is one where marketing can be done on the cheap. Why? Because your primary customer base (eg, realtors, bankers and investors) are all online.

And, they are easy to find. So use email marketing. It's free. Add a couple of vehicle signs to this (every foreclosure cleanup business should have vehicle signs) and this is all the marketing you'll need to do to get business flowing in initially.

While there are legitimate startup costs you can't get around when you start a foreclosure cleanup business (eg, insurance, vehicle, phone), everything else can be done "on the cheap" until you start bringing in business.

Learn more of what you need to know to start a successful foreclosure cleaning business.

How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup Business "On the Cheap"

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Adjustments of Final Accounts

To ensure that the final accounts disclose the true trading results, it is necessary to lake into account the whole of the expenses incurred, whether paid or not, and whole of the losses sustained. Likewise the incomes and gains earned, whether actually received or not, during the period covered by the trading and profit and loss account under consideration must also be recorded.

In mercantile system of accounting, it is essential to adjust different accounts before the preparation of final accounts. It is quite common to adjust expenses paid in advance, incomes received in advance, income accrued but not received, bad debts, provision for bad debts depreciation on assets and soon. Journal entries are passed to effect the required adjustments, these entries are known as adjusting entries.

Grow Calendar 2011

Usual Adjustments

Outstanding Expenses

Certain expenses relating to a particular period may not have been paid in that accounting period. All such expenses which are due for payment in one accounting year but actually paid in future accounting years or payment of which is postponed are all outstanding or unpaid expenses. All such expenses must be accounted for in that accounting year in which they are incurred, irrespective of the fact whether they are paid or not. In other words, all paid and also unpaid expenses must be recorded in an accounting year if they relate to that accounting year only with a view to ascertain true trading results e.g. if salaries for the last month are not paid, no entry will appear in books of accounts unless these are paid. So profit and loss account in respect of salaries will thus be under charged than the actual expenditure, therefore the profit will be more.

Prepaid Expenses

The, benefit of some of the expenses already spent will be available in the next accounting year also, Such a portion of the expense is called pre-paid expense; since such expenses are already paid, they are also recorded in the books of accounts of that period to which they do not relate. The result shown by the final accounts of a particular period will not be correct because such expenses relate to future periods. Therefore, such prepaid expenses must be adjusted in the books of accounts to arrive at true profit. Generally insurance, taxes, telephone subscriptions, rent etc. are paid in advance, thus requiring adjustment e.g. Rent paid by x for one year on 1.7.79 when his accounting year is calendar year; thus rent for 6 months will remain unexhausted and will be c/f to the next year.

Accrued Income

There may be certain incomes which have been earned during the year but not yet received till the end of the year. Income like interest on investments, rent and commission etc. are normally earned by merchant during a particular accounting period but actually not received during that period. Such income items need adjustments before the preparation of final accounts. Such incomes should be credited to that particular income account. At the same time the income so -earned but not received is an asset because the amount is still to be received.

Income Received in Advance

Sometimes, traders receive certain amounts during a particular trading period which are to be earned by them in future periods. Such incomes though actually received and therefore, recorded i.e. not yet earned. Such incomes should be credited to the profit and loss account of the year in which these are earned. Therefore, such income though received is not the income but a liability of that period

Closing Stock

It represents the unsold stock at the end of the year. Closing stock is valued and following entry is passed at the end of the year: Closing Stock account To Trading Account Closing stock at the end appears in the balance sheet and is carried forward to the next year. At the end of the next year it appears in the trial balance as opening stock and from there it is taken to debit side of trading account and thus closed.

Depreciation

The value of fixed assets diminishes gradually with their use for business purposes. Although this decrease in the value happens every day but its accounting is done only at the end of accounting period with the help of following entry :Depreciation account To Particulars asset

Interest on Capital

The proprietor may wish to ascertain his profit after considering the interest which he losses by investing his money in the firm. Interest to be charged is an expense for the business on one hand and income to the proprietor on the other hand. Following adjusting entry is recorded at the end of accounting period: Interest on capital a/e To Capital a/c Interest on capital being an expense is debited to profit and loss account and same amount of interest on capital is added to capital.

Interest on Drawings

As business allows interest on capital it also charges interest on drawings made by the proprietor. Interest so charged is an income for the business on one hand and expense for the proprietor on the other hand. Following adjusting entry is passed at the end. of accounting period: Capital ale Dr. To Interest on drawings a/e The interest on drawings being an income is credited to profit and loss account is shown as a deduction from the capital.

Bad Debt to be written off

Bad debts are irrecoverable debts from customers, during the course of the financial year. These are recorded as follows: Bad debts a/c To Sundry Debtors a/c It results in the reduction of customers debit balance and addition to the loss i.e. Bad Debts. At the end of the year when the trial balance is drawn, these two accounts show debit balances. The balance on sundry debtors account, thus arrived, is the net balance, after deduction of any bad debts recorded during the year. But after the trial balance is prepared and before the final accounts are drawn trader may find that there are additional bad debts. Such bad debts must be recorded with the same adjusting entry and giving it following effect in ledger and final accounts.

Provision for Bad Debts

At the end of the year, after writing off the bad debts about whom we were sure of becoming irrecoverable, there may still be some customer balances from whom it is doubtful to collect the entire amount. However, it cant be written off as bad because non-recovery of such amount is not certain. But at the same time the balance in sundry debtors account should be brought down to its net realizable figure so that balance sheet may not exhibit the debtors at more than their actual realizable value. Therefore, to show the approximately correct value of the sundry debtors in the balance sheet a provision or reserve is created for possible bad debts. Such an adjustment entry is recorded at the end of accounting year.

Provision for bad debts is an attempt to anticipate possible losses due to bad debts and to keep aside an amount out of profit to meet the loss estimated in the following years. When the provision for bad debts is created, following entry is recorded:

Profit and Loss A/c Dr. To Provision for bad debts A/c

Some important considerations while creating provision for bad debts

(i) Sundry debtors account should not be credited with the amount of provision for doubtful debts because the loss has not actually been incurred.

(ii) Treatment of bad debts or provision for bad debts appearing inside the trial balance. If some balance (credit) is already appearing in provision for doubtful debts account inside the trial balance, it is the previous years unutilized balance of this account. If some bad debts are also appearing on the debit side of the trial balance, these should be transferred to provision for bad debts account, with the help of following entry: Provision for bad debts a/e To Bad debts a/e. It is important to note that, as these items appear inside the trial balance, so these are to appear only in profit and loss account as debtors have already been reduced during the year.

(iii) When bad debts and provision for bad debts appear in trial balance, new provision is to be created and further bad debts are to be written off. If already bad debts and provision for bad debts are appearing in trial balance, these should be adjusted and only difference should be taken to profit and loss account.

If bad debts written off plus bad debts to be written off plus new provision for bad debts is more than the credit balance of old provision appearing in the trial balance, the difference should be debited to profit and loss account.

Provision for discount on Debtors

It is normal practice in trade to allow discount to customers for prompt payment and it constitutes a substantial sum. Sometimes the goods are sold on credit to customers in one accounting period where as the payment of the same is made by them in the next accounting period and so discount is to be allowed. It is a prudent policy to charge this expenditure to the period in which sales have been made, so a provision is created in the same manner, as in case of provision for doubtful debts

An important point to note is that no discount win be allowed on debts that become bad. Therefore, the provision required for discount will be in respect of the other debts only. So the amount of provision for discount be calculated after deducting the provision for bad debts from sundry debtors.

Provision for discount on creditors

Prompt payment, if made, enables a businessman to receive discount. The question arises whether this discount should be treated as income of the period in which purchases were made or of the period when the payment is made, if both events are in different accounting years, it has been well decided by accountants that it should be treated as income of the period in which purchases are made. So on last date of accounting period if some amount is still payable to creditors, a provision should be created for such probable income and amount should be credited to the profit and loss account of that year in which purchases are made. Following adjusting entry is passed for it :Provision for discount on creditors a/c Dr. To Profit and loss account

Losses by Accidents

Sometimes a business suffers certain losses not because of trading but because of certain accidents. These may destroy some fixed assets of the merchant. In such a case the asset account is credited and the profit and loss account is debited.

If goods (stock-in-trade) are lost by accident the value of closing stock win be lower than otherwise. This will reduce the amount of gross profit. So the cost of goods lost by accident is credited to the trading account and debited to the profit and loss account. The increase -in gross profit will be neutralized by the debit to the profit and loss account and thus the net profit will not be effected. The entries to the passed are as follows: Loss by accident a/c To Goods lost by accident a/c

Commission to manager payable on profits

Sometimes the manager is entitled to a commission on profits.. Such commission may be :

(a) Fixed percentage on net profits before charging such commission.

(b) Fixed percentage on net profits- after charging such commission.

Such commission being an expense is debited to commission account. However, as it has not yet been paid, so commission payable account is given the credit and finally it is shown in the balance sheet as a liability. Calculation of Commission First of all trading account should be prepared in usual manner and after transferring the gross profit or loss all expenses and incomes should be debited or credited except the commission which is still to be calculated.

Goods used in business

Sometimes goods purchased for the purpose of resale are used in business as giving them away for charitable purpose or distributing them as free samples. In these conditions purchases account should be credited with an amount equal to the cost of goods used in business and same amount is debited to charity or advertisement expenses account, as the case may be.

Adjustments of Final Accounts

Grow Calendar 2011

Enhancing Your Doors With Enclosed Blinds

When you buy your first house, enclosed blinds might not be at the top of your list of most important things to purchase. However, after a few days of no privacy and bright sunlight, you'll start to understand how great enclosed blinds can be.

What are Enclosed Blinds?

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Enclosed blinds are more upscale and less frustrating than mini-blinds. Unlike mini-blinds, they sit between two pieces of glass so they're not exposed. Mini-blinds are the most common blinds out there. They're very popular in apartment buildings and rental houses because they're cheap. Mini-blinds are plastic. They're opened with a long chord that frequently gets tangled up. The shutters are opened by turning a rod.

Enclosed blinds are much more user friendly, they last longer, they don't need to be dusted and they're more decorative than mini-blinds. These blinds fit the windows more snuggly because they sit between two layers of glass. They can be opened, closed and tinted by using a tab on the frame. This eliminates all tangled strings.

Because the blinds are placed between glass, they can't get caught in the door or window and they don't get tangled. This is an especially nice feature in high traffic areas of the home. Enclosed blinds attach to an aluminum frame and are most commonly used on doors.

Advantages of Enclosed Blinds

Enclosed blinds share the same benefits as vinyl mini-blinds. They keep out sunlight, which in turn keeps your house cooler. They also give you privacy. Unlike mini-blinds, enclosed blinds don't need to be dusted because they're never exposed to dust. Instead, they sit safely between two pieces of glass.

Finding Enclosed Blinds

You can find enclosed blinds in a variety of different places. Home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowes carry enclosed blinds. These places will install your enclosed blinds for a fee. Many enclosed blind buyers install their own blinds because it's a relatively simple process.

Enclosed blinds come in all different colors and can be made to custom fit unusual doors. Before you go shopping for your blinds, measure your door window. You need to measure the height and the width of the door measuring from the center of the screw holes. Your salesperson should be able to tell you if you need custom blinds.

Enclosed blinds are more expensive than mini-blinds. For a full-length door, enclosed blinds cost more than 0. You can find them for about for a door that has a half-piece of glass. This may be expensive, but keep in mind that you'll only need enclosed blinds for doors. You don't have to get them for every outside door in the house, just the high traffic areas. If your family never uses the patio door, you don't need enclosed blinds for the patio. You really only need enclosed blinds for the doors that are most commonly used.

Enhancing Your Doors With Enclosed Blinds

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