Selecting right lighting for your verandah

Outdoor Tiles

If you have a verandah outside your home, then you must of different ways of designing it. One of the important things when decorating any outdoor space is how you do up the lighting. The type of lighting you select for your outdoor space determines the aesthetic appeal of the place.
For your verandah, you may want fancy lights to impress the guests and visitors who come flocking to your house. When it comes to choosing fancy lighting for your verandah, you have a lot of options to choose from as fancy lights comes in a pool of different shapes, sizes and varieties and you can easily hunt for them in the local market. If you want your fancy lights to be custom designed, then you can also place an order for these fancy lights according to your preferences and the look of your verandah. If you opt for the right type of lighting for the outdoors of your house, it will just not add beauty to your home but also provide an enhanced level of security and protection for your home.
Before you start to install fancy lights for your vernadah, you need to check the pavements and courtyards while you wander in daylight as well as in the night. This will let you know at what places you will need the maximum lighting and what places can suffice with minimum lighting. The idea is that the entire verandah of your house is reasonably illuminated. You do not want a lot of light focussed at one place while another place remains pitch dark due to insufficient lighting. Mark the areas where there is a lot of darkness as this will help you to fit appropriate lighting for your verandah.

Replacing damaged ceramic tiles




Ceramic Tiles

  Ceramic tiles are known for their aesthetic value and long shelf life and they come if various shapes, sizes apart from varying degree of thickness. Sometimes, harm may be caused to the ceramic tiles when a hard object smashes on the floor. Damaged ceramic tiles need to immediately removed and replaced.

Once you see that any of your ceramic tiles is damaged, you need to purchase new ones. The damage may have caused uneven ends at the corners. This requires correct shaping to be done. Once you are done with shaping, you have to start the procedure of laying the tiles. To lay the tiles, you need to first prepare the floor surface. To start with, you need to remove all the broken pieces of the ceramic tiles. Following this, hack the dry grouting that is present beneath the surface of the tiles. While doing this, care should be taken to see that the surrounding tiles are not harmed. Ensure that you clean all the debris before proceeding with installing the tiles.

When you finally start replacing the broken tiles and fitting new ones, you should see to it that you do not harm the existing tiles which are in good condition. Before you start to lay the tiles, wet the surface and let it be for around forty minutes. To even the surface, a mixture of cement and sand is used. The ratio is two parts of sand and one part of cement which gives a rich mixture. Add the right amount of water to make the mixture consistent. Spread the mortar in the area. Put the cement grouting on top of the surface. After this, lay the tile on the top and use a mallet to level the tile while pounding it.

Getting creative with your ceramic tiles

Ceramic Tiles

You may be thinking of installing ceramic tiles for your home but must be wondering whether these tiles will add a new look to your home or just look like the conventional tiles. There are many ways you can give a artistic and a creative touch to your ceramic tiles. If you really want to play around with the design of your ceramic tiles, then one easy and affordable option you have is hand-painting them.

If you are wondering whether hand painting will do a good job for your ceramic tile, then worry not as ceramic tiles look amazingly wonderful once they have been hand-painted. Hand-painting ceramic tiles are the most popular method of decorating your ceramic tiles. Once your ceramic tiles are hand-painted, then it just not adds to the aesthetic value of your home but also greatly increases its resale value. All you need to do is put some effort to ensure you get a handsome price when you finally sell of your home. Your home may consist of different parts like the living area, stair risers, counter-tops, fountains, patios, floor accents, display windows apart from wall coverings. Having the flooring for these places will hand-painted ceramic tiles will surely add a new dimension to each of the place. When it comes to hand-painting your ceramic tiles, you can get as creative as possible and paint from anything right from abstract images, geometric shape, ancient designs, historic pictures, Egyptian hieroglyphics apart from Mayan stone carvings. 

You may be surprised to know that hand-painting ceramic tiles has developed into a full-fledged hobby for many people and people like to hone their skills into becoming professional painters in a bid to express their thoughts and imagination.

Two simple ways to revamp your kitchen



Kitchen Wall Tiles

 You may have watched innumerable TV shows demonstrating how to design your kitchen the right way. Though you may be excited looking at the different designs presented in the show, you really are clueless as to how to proceed with those designs for your kitchen. For starters, there are simple things you can do that can really augment the look and feel of your kitchen. There are a lot of do-it-yourself and self help ideas which can surely assist you in decorating your kitchen the way you want to do it. Here are some easy tips on how to give your kitchen that unique look.

Kitchen walls

Your kitchen walls play an important part in how your kitchen looks on an overall basis. The first step in giving your kitchen a whole new look is by changing the appearance of the walls. It is also the simplest step as you do not have to spend a bomb and it does not even involve a lot of hassles. You can give your kitchen walls a whole new look by going for a new paint or simply opting for a latest design wall paper. Be it paint or the wall paper, they help to create a unique ambience in the kitchen. Once you are done with the walls, you can then safely proceed with designing the rest of the kitchen.

Kitchen Island

If you are blessed with a larger sized kitchen, then you can always incorporate a kitchen island into your kitchen. The added space in your kitchen can be used for small food preparations or casual gatherings. A kitchen island always helps to smoothen out traffic in your kitchen. If you have a small kitchen space, then you can go for a kitchen cart that occupies minimum space and is functional too.

Choosing a design for your living room



Living Room



When it comes to designing the living room, you surely want to go with something that is not too expensive on the pocket. There are many ways to design your living room in a opulent manner without going too haywire with your budgets. If you are working on a tight budget, then you can look for DIY projects. You can go through various interior designs instead of hiring a interior designer. DIY projects are not that demanding. You can always check on the internet or refer to the various décor magazines and home decor sites to get an idea of how you want to design your home. If you are looking for some ideas to design your home, then read on.

Classic design

Designing your living room in classic design has always been preferred by most home-owners. This is one of the most common of ideas when it comes to doing up your living room. If you have chosen to do up your home is a classic design, then you can be assured that your living room gets a relaxing atmosphere and a unique texture. If your living room has sharp edged spaces and is too geometric, then offsetting it with textures is the right way to go about.

Hawaiian design

Another great theme that you can opt for your living room is the Hawaiian inspired look. This look is not that difficult to achieve as you think it to be. While going for Hawaiian themed look, you need to get a few ornaments and artefacts. Hand-made native accessories, bamboo accessories, woven furniture apart from the classic Hawaiian floral prints and designs make for classic Hawaiian themed home décor.

Getting right tools to clean industrial tiles

Industrial Tiles

Industrial tiles are a lot more different from the standard tiles that we see in homes and other commercial spaces. Industrial tiles or the standard tiles, you must have noticed that tiles began to lose their sheen after some time. They do not look the way they used to when they were installed. You may mop the floor several tiles with all the cleaners present in the market, but somehow the sheen does not come back completely. After certain point of time you tend to give up and let the floors remain as they are.Industrial tiles need to be maintained properly as industrial spaces go through a lot of rough activities and this may harm the tiles or permanently stain them. The first thing while purchasing tiles for industrial spaces is to see that they have a good shelf life unaffected by the regular dents and stain marks. For industrial tiles, many people prefer to go it simple and use a normal vacuum cleaner to clean the tiles. After the vacuuming, a drained mop is used to get rid of the remaining dust. But while using the wet mop, you are scared. There is a danger that that water may seep in to the tiles causing the flooring to swell.
Floor buffers
If you want to be assured of the beauty and the long lasting ability of your industrial tiles, then it makes sense to go for a floor buffer. You must have probably heard of a floor buffer earlier and chances are that you may know a few people who have already gained the benefits of installing a floor buffer. Floor buffers are quite common in markets. Floor buffers for industrial tiles might look difficult to use, but the reality is that they are quite simple to use. While using floor buffers for industrial tiles, always use a new pad every time you take up cleaning the floor. For tough surfaces, you can use cutting pads. For a wooden surface, a finishing pad will do the job well.

Cleaning your floor tiles effectively

Cleaning Floor Tiles

You may have installed the most beautiful looking floor tiles for your home but remember that they also need proper cleaning. Cleaning floor tiles and grout lines can be a challenging task at hand. Your floor tiles are subjected to a lot of moisture and heavy traffic throughout the day which makes them susceptible to catch dirt. Add to this, the porous nature of the grout makes it easy for dirt and dust to build up making the cleaning procedure even more difficult. If you want an easy solution to clean your floor tiles effortlessly, then look no further than vapour steam cleaners.

In the past years, technology has advanced to a great extent and there have been many innovations brought about in the make and design of steam cleaning machines. Steam cleaners endowed with latest technological inputs have made the cleaning procedure easy, quick and effective. Apart from quick and efficient cleaning, some vapour steam cleaning machines also help to get rid of germs and bacteria from your floor tiles. Another good thing about steam cleaners is that they do not require any harsh and strong chemicals to be used for cleaning your floor tiles. Thus, your floor tiles are not exposed to strong chemicals and as such, this is the most eco-friendly way of cleaning your floor tiles. 

Benefits of steam cleaners

Steam cleaners use vaporised steam for cleaning your floor tiles. The steam is heated under very high temperature and contains almost negligible moisture content. This means that the steam is dry and once the cleaning process of your tiles is finished; there won’t be any moisture left on the grout lines or the floor tiles. This feature of no moisture content is extremely beneficial for floor tiles.

Kitchen counter-tops- Different materials to choose from

Kitchen Countertops

There are so many options you have when looking for kitchen counter-tops.Kitchen counter-tops are manufactured in different materials like stone, corian, quartz and laminate. Natural stone remains a popular choice when it comes to choosing the material for kitchen counter-tops. The functionality and beauty of stone counter-tops easily makes them a preferred choice for kitchen counter-tops. However, other materials are also popular. They are further explained below.

Quartz 

A large range of Kitchen counter tops are manufactured in quartz material. Many popular brands produce kitchen counter-tops in quartz material. Counter-tops made from quartz material are known to be sturdier than granite and are also resistant to most types of bacteria. There are also different colour options when it comes to choosing counter-tops in quartz material and you can easily select the colour of your choice. Quartz, as a material is known to be homogenous and have a firm and tight graining pattern. Some manufacturers also provide quartz counter tops in colour's which might not be available in natural stone. 

Corian 

Corian is another solid material that is used to produce kitchen counter-tops. Many people are unaware about the features of corian material but it is also an extremely good material for kitchen counter-tops. Counter-tops made from corian are known to be resistant to staining and this material does not require sealing. Another good thing about corian material is that it can be moulded into any shape and thus you can get a sink and a counter-top in whatever shape you want. This flexibility of having the counter-tops in any shape is not given by any other material.

Two simple ways to save space in your home

Home renovation is a much debated subject. What designs one may like for their home may be completely detested by another. When it comes to designing small homes, you need to extra careful as even a small mistake can end up making the home look claustrophobic. Not all of us are blessed with large homes but one should not lose heart just because your home has small space. There are many things you can do that can create an illusion of a larger area. Some of these things are explained below...

De-clutter

The first thing you need to do is get rid of all those unwanted things that are unnecessarily acquiring space in the room. Get a large box, dump in all the items that are not needed and be super specific about what accessories and artefacts adorn the room. When you cut down on the number of accessories in the room, it creates a lot of free space and this gives your room a neat appearance. You will be amazed at the amount of space saved but removing all the unwanted accessories. 

Do away with window treatments

If your room size is small, absolutely avoid going for large, bulky window treatments for your room windows. These bulky window treatments not just block out the limited light entering your room but also eat up a lot of space in the room. Instead of the window treatments, you can simply opt for light curtains, blinds or shutters. They do not take a lot of space and also provide right amount of privacy required in the room. If you are flexible with your budgets, then you can also go for custom designed blinds for your windows. You can choose the material, size and the shape of the blinds that you want for your windows. 

Tiles for industrial spaces

Industrial Flooring

Industrial flooring has to be chosen wisely as it will be drawing a huge number of footfalls. The flooring for industrial spaces has to be durable enough to last for a long time without getting spoilt.

Unlike the olden days, when there were limited options for industrial flooring, the market is now buzzing with a variety of industrial flooring types available. There are different types of industrial flooring available, in diverse textures, materials and designs. It is important that you select an appropriate type of tiles for your industrial space. Tiles meant for a hospital would not be suitable for a restaurant or a shopping mall.

Factors to consider 

Before you start looking for tiles for your industrial space, you need to get answers to a few questions. You have to first decide what type of industrial space need to be tiled, what will be the type of usage of the tiles- whether the flooring will attract a lot of traffic throughout day or will there be heavy traffic only at certain periods. You also need to determine how often you will be cleaning the floor tiles. If you plan to clean the tiles once in a week, then it is good to opt for stain-free tiles. You also need to chalk out how often will you be changing the tiles and what extent of durability are you looking at. Lastly, you have to figure out what extent of moisture will the tiles be subjected to. If the flooring will be subjected to a high amount of moisture, then it makes no sense to opt for tiles that have high water absorption rates.

Industrial tiles from Endura

Industrial tiles from Endura come with a lot of features and benefits. They are designed to withstand a high amount of traffic and also have an abrasion free surface apart from being anti-skid. If you are looking for industrial tiles, then look for Endura tiles marketed under H & R Johnson (India).

Hiring a contractor for kitchen design job ..

Kitchen Decor

When designing your kitchen, you surely want good praises from family members as well those who come visiting your place. Someone who exclaims ‘wow’ on seeing your kitchen is surely a sign of good kitchen designing. If you are confused as to how to design the kitchen the right way, start by taking an elaborate look around your kitchen. Identify the focal points in your kitchen. When you look at your kitchen, pretend as if you are seeing it for the first time. You may sometimes feel the need to hire an interior decorator to remodel your kitchen. On other occasions, you may feel that a good DIY job can do the trick for your kitchen.

Hire a contractor

When you intend to take up the task of remodelling your kitchen, it always helps to have a good piece of advice from a professional. You can always ask the local kitchen contractor to come over and have a look at your kitchen. The contractor can give some expert inputs that can help you design a dream kitchen. The contractor will be able to give a long term perspective when it comes to designing the kitchen space.

You have to have a deep understanding of what will work for your kitchen and what ideas do not fit well into your budget. Your contractor will provide you with a lot of alternate designs if you are looking to redesign your kitchen on a small budget. Thus, if you do not have enough knowledge about DIY projects, it always makes sense to hire a kitchen design contractor who will know the nitty gritty of kitchen styling and décor.

Choosing right sanitary ware for your bathroom

Johnson Sanitaryware

When choosing bathroom sanitary ware, you have to be extra careful because they should not just be pleasant to look but also be practical to use. A little technical knowledge while choosing bathroom sanitary ware always helps and ensures that you make the right purchase. Though you may lay more importance on the design and the colour of the sanitary ware, other things like ease of cleaning, resistance to breaking, ease of fixing should also be considered. Some of these factors are explained below.

Ease of cleaning

The one important factor that needs to be considered while buying sanitary ware is the amount of cleaning required to maintain them. Frequent use of abrasive solvents and bleaches can make the surface hoarse and also affect the glaze of the products over time. This reduces their smoothness and they become more susceptible to absorbing dirt and dust. If the sanitary ware has to be used in commercial spaces, then they should be checked for their ability to get rid of cigarette stains. Leading sanitary ware brand Johnson Sanitary ware provides accessories that can help to get rid of harsh stains and marks with minimum cleaning.

Resistant to deformities

The strength and design are two major factors that you have to take into consideration while choosing bathroom sanitary ware. Your bathroom basins and toilet bowls should not just be scoring high on the design but should also be strong enough to endure chipping and breaking. Two factors that contribute the most to breakage and chipping are sharp edged designs along with incorrectly fitted accessories. If you opt for sanitary ware from leading brand like Johnson Sanitary ware, then you can be assured that the accessories you choose are subjected to quality control and are manufactured using the best and the latest technology. Always look for Johnson Sanitary ware label while purchasing sanitary ware for your bathroom.

Three features of vitrified tiles ...

Vertified Tiles

If you are wondering what tiles to opt for your flooring and walls, then vitrified tiles are an excellent option. Vitrified tiles are manufactured with the latest technology and they offer a host of benefits. Some of their features are listed below.

High quality

Vitrified tiles are manufactured in such a manner that their quality standards are notches above the standard floor and wall tiles. Latest technology combined with advanced craftsmanship has resulted in superior quality vitrified tiles unmatched by most other types of tiles.

International expertise

For manufacturing vitrified tiles, advanced technology is borrowed from different countries like Italy and Ukraine. Ball clay is imported from Ukraine and this coupled with the modern technology to produce vvitrified tiles in the longest kiln in India and subjected to a temperature of 1200 degree calices makes these tiles extremely strong. As vitrified tiles are subjected to very high temperatures during production, they turn out to be absolutely moisture proof and do not soak in or retain moisture. Their zero percent water retention quality is what makes them a viable choice of flooring in commercial establishments like restaurants, high rises and offices.

Stain and scratch resistant

Vitrified tiles easily score over other tile options when it comes to being scratch and stain resistant. They are also a preferred flooring option compared to marble and other types of flooring. As they have a high modulus of rupture, they are strong enough and can easily resist stains and scratches. As they can easily repel scratches and stains, they are known to have along shelf life which makes them a favoured option for commercial establishments where changing flooring frequently may not be a viable option.

Few reasons why you should opt for ceramic tiles...

Ceramic Tiles

Many of us are not aware that ceramic is an aesthetic, strong and enduring flooring and wall material. Tiles made out of ceramic are known to add a beautiful appeal to homes and other establishments. Ceramic tiles not just look good, but are also resistant against most types of wear and tear suffered by other flooring types. Some more benefits of ceramic tiles are explained below.

Long shelf life

Ceramic tiles are manufactured in such a manner that they have en extremely long shelf life compared to all other types of flooring. Ceramic tiles last for a long period of time and you do not have to worry about installing new tiles for a long time to come once you have installed ceramic tiles.
Resistant to fire
Another important feature of ceramic tiles is that they are designed in a manner which makes them fire-proof. They will not catch fire under any circumstances. Also, they will not give out toxic fumes and harmful gases which may be bad for small kids or senior members in the home.

Anti –skid surface

Ceramic tiles are produced in a way that their surface prevents slipping or skidding. If there are small children or senior members in the home, you may be worried about their safety. Ceramic tiles are coated with an abrasive grit which is added to the glaze. Some other types of ceramic tiles have studs, ribs or an orange peel finish added to the texture. This makes the ceramic tiles anti-skid and you will not slip on them even if you walk fast or run.

Tiles and balconies...

Outdoor Tiles

When the summer temperatures reach a zenith, you always look for cooler pastures where you can just relax yourself. For people who have small gardens in their home, it is good thing as they get to soak in the coolness of the trees and plants. However, those who cannot have a garden in their home, have to look for other alternatives. Terraces and balconies are places which provide them some respite from the sweltering heat. Balconies and terraces are wonderful apartment facilities. With little thinking and effort, you can transform your small balcony or terrace into a calm and cool oasis. However, before you decide to remodel your balcony, you need to have a clear understanding of what will be required for the decoration.

Tiles for balconies

When you look forward to decorate your terrace or balcony, tiles are a great option for the flooring of these spaces. If you are a budget spender and looking for cost effective options to decorate your balcony, then tiles are a great option. Within a small budget, you can redecorate your balcony without having to compromise on the décor of the balcony. Another great thing about tiles is that they are extremely durable and once you install them for your balcony floors and walls, you do not have to worry for a long time to come. Tiles will not break or deform easily and are known to be extremely durable.
With tiles, your balcony or the terrace will remain cool in hot summers. This is because most tiles are made up of stone which helps to keep the surface temperature pleasing. Hence, tiles are an ideal flooring option for your balconies and terraces.

Marble tiles for your flooring...

Marble Tiles

Deciding on a perfect home renovation plan can be a tricky task for most home-makers. A lot of things have to be decided when you take up remodelling of your home. Things like what colour to be used for painting the walls, what type of furniture should be purchased, what kind of upholstery should be used are just a few of the things which need attention when you take up home renovation. Apart from these things, one thing that needs attention is the flooring of your home. When choosing the flooring for your home, you have different options to choose from. You can opt for solid hardwood flooring or marble tiles. Both have their unique features and qualities. While wood flooring lends your home a more classic look, marble flooring will give it a more chic appearance.

Marble tiles

Marble tiles are a preferred option for flooring among many home-owners. If you are confused about the quality of marble tiles, then a fact to note is that marble tiles are superior in quality compared to most other tiling options. Marble is a naturally occurring stone and thus it is stronger than most other materials. Marble tiles are also sometimes better than ceramic tiles. Before installation, ceramic tiles have to be glazed as they have a porous surface. However, this is not the case with marble tiles. Their installation is simple compared to ceramic tiles.
When looking for marble tiles, Marbonite is a trusted brand. Marbonite, the arm of H & R Johnson, a worldwide recognised company, specialises in the production of marble tiles in different forms, shapes and colours. You can find the tiles of your choice and like as Marbonite offers a wide range of tiles.