There are several factors that are instrumental in helping people create the perfect ambience in their homes, and proper lighting is one of them. Whether it is the outdoor lighting for your patio or the fancy LED lighting you wish to fix in your false ceiling in the kitchen to create the perfect atmosphere for a fancy dinner, you need to get the lighting right. People often assume that picking the right lighting is an easy task. However, what most people aren’t aware of is that there are different types of lighting, and each has a different task to perform. This is why you cannot use ceiling lights to highlight only a particular part of the room or why LED lights cannot double as patio lights.

So, take a look at the basic types of lighting, and apply this knowledge while choosing your home decor items to create the “perfect space.”

Ambient indoor lighting
The ambient indoor lighting, also known as general lighting, is intended to light up the entire room. The main aim of this form of lighting is to offer a uniform level of illumination throughout the room independent of other lighting sources. Also, ambient indoor lighting strives to ensure safe and easy traffic and creates a perfect overview of the room. This ambient light is reflected off the walls and illuminates as much area as possible. This type of lighting includes a chandelier, floor lamps, or ceiling-mounted fixtures.

Task lighting
As the name suggests, this type of lighting is used for specific tasks that the person carries out in a particular space. For instance, there are reading lights or the ones on the top of the cooking stove that shed a brighter light on a particular spot and make it the focal point of the room. Task lighting allows you to see clearly, but it can be a little hard on your eyes. If such is the case, you should avoid harsh lights that cast shadows. Some examples of task lighting are pendant lighting, tape and extrusion, and portable or desk lamps.

Accent lighting
The major function of this type of lighting is to focus on a particular spot to create the desired effect. Such lighting is effective in making the room appear larger, and it is often used to highlight an architectural feature, a sculpture, a plant, or a collection of objects. The cardinal rule when it comes to making the desired impression with accent lighting is that you should install thrice the amount of actual light on the focal point than ambient lighting usually provides.

Tags- Lighting(LED lighting,Outdoor Lighting,Ceiling Lights)

Lighting makes for an essential part of the home’s interior. Not only does it set the right ambiance but also impacts the mood of the occupants within the home. Thus, it is imperative to put in great thought when arriving at the best kind of lights for your personal space.
Lighting options are available in abundance, no matter what the requirement, there is something out there for everyone. However, the wide range and factors to consider can also leave you overwhelmed. If you are uncertain and unable to choose the right kind of lighting fixtures for your home, here are some factors that will help you make a choice smoothly.

Set a budget
First, it is important to set a budget when deciding on the perfect lighting for your home. While lighting elements are of immense importance, it does not make sense to blow a huge chunk of money on the same. Allocate the resources well, e.g., ceiling lights may take up more of your budget. Choosing how much you want to invest will bring better clarity when picking from the array of lighting options.

Lighting purpose
Lighting indubitably contributes to uplift the look of the home; however, it is also essential to determine its use. Consider factors like whether your lighting fixture must brighten up the room, reflect sophistication, render a feeling of calmness, or be a combination of everything. The LED lighting technology is becoming a popular pick as it lets one enjoy varying atmospheres within the home.

Different rooms with different requirements
A major factor to understand, the entire room cannot have the same lighting fixtures. Albeit, when trying to make a statement. It is advisable to consider the kind of space within the home before picking the right type of lighting. A certain lighting fixture works best for an individual space. A back panel would work best for a room that serves as a television lounge; on the other hand, dim lamps work best in bedrooms and leisure areas.

Following the above tips will greatly aid in avoiding the several pitfalls associated with home lighting. Remember, investing enough thought into lighting will instantly transform your personal sanctuary.

Earlier, home elevators were considered as a utility for individuals with limited mobility or a luxurious addition rendered by the rich. However, over the years, the cost of home elevators as well as their installation have drastically dropped, encouraging many homeowners to opt for them. Are you contemplating about getting a home elevator but aren’t sure whether it’s worth the investment? Continue reading to know why you should install one in your home.

Functionality
As mentioned earlier, home elevators are practical for people tackling mobility issues. It can help them move around their house with ease, minimizing physical effort. Moreover, other homeowners can use it for easily moving bulky items up and down instead of holding or lugging them on the stairs. This also helps prevent wasting time in going back and forth. As compared to stairwells, home elevators can take up limited space, and that helps save a lot of space.

Increased real estate value
Having a home elevator automatically amplifies the resale value of a property. Several prospective home buyers look for spaces that have elevators as it ensures fuss-free accessibility. This feature matters for home buyers who want to settle down in place and don’t want to switch properties in the future in case their mobility worsens.

Safety and security
Home elevators decrease the instances of accidents, especially when it comes to children and seniors. In terms of security, certain home elevators come with the feature of limited accessibility to avoid unauthorized use. It could be coupled with the home safety system to secure the residence further.

Stylish addition
Home elevators can make a house look stylish and sophisticated. The great part is that now home elevators come in a variety of designs and can be customized according to a homeowner’s preferences. Such a luxurious appeal is also instrumental in increasing in the home’s overall value.

If you are planning to get a home elevator, here are some brands that you should check out:

• Easy Climber
• Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators LLC
• Savaria
• Inclinator
• Garaventa
• Waupaca Elevator Company

Typically, you can expect to pay around $25,000 to $60,000 for installing a residential elevator, based on its type, features, and designs.

Tag – Home elevators

Home elevators are gaining importance and becoming a more practical addition to one’s house. There are budget-friendly elevators made specifically for homes and therefore the cost is no more a hassle. From being functional to making a style statement, home elevators are being adopted by most homeowners. If you don’t know of the home elevators would suit your needs the best, here are 3 types that you can choose from.

Roped hydraulic home elevators
Combining the benefits of both hydraulic systems and the roped systems, roped hydraulic home elevators work on the basis of a hydraulic pump. This pump is connected to a pulley. These elevators are a great option for homes because, in most of the cases, they do not require a separate machine box. Although these elevators do need a separate space for the related machinery, the pipes can be used in the same manner as a plumber runs the lines in the house. Most importantly, this means that you do not need supporting machinery for the elevators and therefore the machinery can be placed anywhere convenient for you.

Winding drum and counterweight chain drive elevators
This type of home elevators works on age-old designs and are based on the mechanism of revolving winch and counterweight. Most homeowners prefer to go with the winding drum and counterweight chain drive home elevators systems because the footprint of the elevator is comparatively smaller than the other elevator systems and the motor and drum can be placed either on the top or bottom of the hoistway. Moreover, these elevators are a budget-friendly option as compared to the roped elevator systems.

Pneumatic vacuum elevators
Also known as PVE home elevators, this is the latest innovation in the elevator design systems. These do not require pistons, cables, or chains and use the hoistway in the lifting process. Comprising of a tube-shaped cab and hoistway, the pneumatic vacuum elevator system uses parts that are perfectly fitting to one another. This is important to keep the right pressure. The lifting action takes place when there is a reduced pressure above the cab. Moreover, when the lift descends, the pressure is released by a control valve, which also creates a pad of air beneath the lift. Also, the pneumatic vacuum home elevators conserve energy as only the lifting action requires energy as compared to other elevators that use energy for both lifting and descending.

A greenhouse is a glass structure where one can grow plants in regulated climatic conditions. The way this works is that the interior of the greenhouse that is exposed to sunlight traps the heat and warmth making it warmer than the temperature outside, thus protecting the plants in cold weather.

Greenhouses can be of various sizes, ranging from a small shed to large industrial-sized structures.

If you’re just starting out and want to find your depth, there are a few fruits, vegetables and flowers that are super-easy to grow. Starting out with these will boost your confidence as a greenhouse gardener and serve the purpose of being great training wheels.

Leafy greens: Most leafy greens in the salad family need the same kind of care and growing different kinds is a good place to start.

Chilies and Peppers: Peppers come with mild to intense taste and growing them is surprisingly easy. Plus there are many varieties so your greenhouse will have a nice pop of color along with nice plump peppers!

Citrus fruits: These fruits can withstand even very cold weather so growing them isn’t really a problem. Melons, oranges, and lemons are some of the wonderful zesty fruits you can start growing as a novice greenhouse owner.

Herbs: These are pretty simple to grow and having them in your greenhouse is a great idea. Mint, parsley, coriander are just some of the herbs that you can consider.

Petunias: These beautiful flowers are a great addition to a greenhouse and can be grown easily all-year through.

Onions: These are a great addition to your greenhouse. In here, they’ll have the correct growing temperature and can be left at peace until they mature.

Ginseng: Not only is this a great medicinal plant to have at hand, but it’s also a potential cash cow and can earn you an additional income.

Microgreens: These are surprisingly easy to grow and do not need too much space – making them perfect to grow in a small greenhouse – if space is what you lack.

Strawberries: This luscious juicy tangy fruit is quite easy to grow and can even be planted in containers so you can move them around the greenhouse if you need to.

Okra: This vegetable grows super-well in the heat so obviously it’s one of the best ones to grow.

Start off your greenhouse venture with these and who knows you just might have that green thumb you’ve wanted all along!

Gardening isn’t as tough as it sounds, provided you do some research, have the correct equipment and of course the patience and dedication to coax a little seed to life. Here are a few basic tips for the greenhouse gardener who is just starting out for a successful beginning.

1. Start with seeds: Starting off with a sapling or a cutting might be tempting, but the way to minimize the probability of insects and disease is to start with seeds. Sow more than you expect to grow because not all seeds will germinate.

2. Be mindful of your plants’ space and needs: Choose plants according to the space you have. Assess the room your plants would need when they are full grown. Overcrowding can hamper the growth of the plants and make them prone to disease and insects.

3. Keep the space tidy: You might love the look of a space full of green plants vibrant with clean air and bursting with color, but you’re going to have to take great care to keep everything in its place and have room for potting et al. Dark spaces and stacks of unused equipment can be havens for slugs and snails, that could destroy your plants slowly.

4. Start easy: Start off with easy-to-grow plants to get the hang of running a greenhouse. Peppers, salad leaves, microgreens, seedless cucumbers etc. are all great options. Don’t opt for trees and shrubs as these take a while to grow and also need more effort.

5. Light: Summer and Spring will bring enough natural light into your greenhouse but come Autumn and Winter, you will need an alternate source if you want healthy plants. Fluorescent lamp strips and LED grow lights are popular and economical options.

6. Compost: Don’t overlook this “gold”. These ensure healthy, thriving plants and what’s better, you can make your own. Biodegradable materials make great compost.

7. Watering: There is such a thing as too much water! Ensure the pots allow excess water to drain away and ensure you use well-draining soil. If there is too much water retention, the roots could rot.

Having a greenhouse can be a fulfilling experience. Watching a tiny seed blossom and bloom into a full-fledged living breathing plant can be exhilarating! So, if you have space, forgo that pool in your backyard and build a greenhouse.

Also knows as tarpaulins, tarps have a wide range of applications, which include constructing camping tents, wedding canopies, floor coverings, and other industrial and commercial applications. Most of these tarps are water resistant, and some are even fire resistant. Although most tarps are manufactured based on specific requirements (such as truck tarps, lumber tarps, and boat tarps), there are a few types of tarps that have a general purpose use. Here are three common types of tarps available in the market.

• Canvas tarps
  These are one of the most popular types of tarps that are versatile as well as affordable. Canvas is a closely woven plain weave fabric, which is usually made of synthetic or natural fiber. It is commonly used to make soft luggage, awnings, and tarpaulins. Due to the material’s ability to withstand strong wind, canvas tarpaulins or canvas tarps are used in the trucking industry as well as by painters. It is preferred by painters since the material is not 100% waterproof, and therefore, the paint will be absorbed without leaking through while the other side of the canvas will still be dry and soft. Canvas tarps can also be used to protect floors made of hardwood from weather elements or to let people walk over the floor without damaging the wood.
• Poly tarps
  These tarps are made from the highly durable polyethylene material. The tarp has nylon tarp threading on the inside. There is a rope reinforcement constructed around the poly tarp material. Poly tarps are resistant to UV rays. Furthermore, they can withstand strong gusts of wind and are resistant to mildew and rot. These properties make poly tarps perfect for commercial as well as industrial use. However, these tarps are not flame retardant. Hence, they should not be used in areas where there are open flames or other sources of heat.
• Mesh tarps
  These tarps are made from nylon tarp threading. This gives the tarp a screen-like appearance. Nylon mesh tarps are useful for keeping off water and for protection against wind. These tarps are commonly used to build shade screen tents; especially if the sides are built with mesh tarps, it will weaken the wind that hit the tent. Hard winds usually enter through one side of the mesh tarp and slowly go through the other side as the mesh material absorbs the strength of the wind. Whether building a tent or canopy, mesh tarp sidewalls are a great way to secure these structures against strong gusts of wind. Another common use of mesh tarp is on golf courses and tennis courts. Green mesh tarps are usually used here.