Sealed Marble and Tile:

The sealer can last for years with the proper care. Be sure to check the warranty on each sealing application.

1. Using a marble cleaner will help the sealer hold out staining, but not etching. The marble cleaner should have a PH of 7, which is neutral.

2. When spills occur, wipe them up quickly. Do not allow them to sit for an extended period of time. *Most foods, fruits, vegetables, soft drinks and juices can eat through the sealer and cause staining.

3. Use a cleaner that contains a sealer. (Some cleaners now have 1-3% sealer in them.) A regular marble and granite stone cleaner will help keep your Albany countertop protected and keep its beauty for years.

4. CAUTION: Be careful of stone soaps. These are good for limestone floors, but not countertops. Too much soap can build up over time.

5. WARNING: Never buy a product that says “and good for marble too”!

*There are some sealers that are not affected by acids, but they are much more expensive to the Albany customer. There is no sealer on the market that is 100% stain proof, so even the best sealer can stain after an extended period of time.

Tile Floors:

1. The biggest problem with most flooring is the way it is cleaned. Most TV commercials show a flat mop, but these mops clean the top of the tile and then drop the dirt into the grout. Using too much soap can also make the floor harder to keep clean.

2. Sealed floors need a marble neutral cleaner. This is a mix of 2 to 5 ounces of product to 1 gallon of water. Warm water is better than cold when cleaning ground in dirt or grease.

3. Avoid store bought cleaning chemicals! Most of these cleaners are a base (alkaline) or an acid. Both will strip the sealer and cause the tile and grout to become harder to keep clean. Harsh cleaning chemicals can also discolor the grout. Most bathroom cleaners will also etch the polish of the marble and limestone finishes

Ongoing Care & Maintenance Tips:

1. Daily or regular dry dust mopping or vacuuming with a soft brush is critical for keeping dust, grit, sand and dirt from scratching polished or unpolished stone.

2. Make sure sufficient walk off mats are utilized in the entry and exit areas of the floors. This is the most effective way of protecting the polish of the stone surfaces, especially the softer ones.

Article Source:  http://blog.surfaces.com/index.php/category/installation/

Stainless steel

Stainless steel sinks are made from nickel bearing stainless steel. The mellow satin surface is compatible with any décor and color scheme. It is timeless and elegant, and like fine silver, its beautiful finish becomes lovelier with use and age. A quality stainless steel sink, with proper care and maintenance, will give you a lifetime of service.

Why Stainless Steel is “Stainless When the chromium in the stainless steel is exposed to oxygen an invisible layer of chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) is formed. This layer is impervious to water and air giving the stainless steel exceptional corrosion resistant properties.

6 Reasons Why We Like Stainless Steel Sinks

• Tough – Stainless steel is more durable than porcelain and cast iron, and more forgiving than composites. Stainless steel sinks won’t chip, nick or crack. Thin stainless sinks can get dented, but “cheap” sinks of any other materials tend to have less life (longevity) than a “cheap” stainless steel sink.
• Luster – Stainless steel will not rust, stain or fade, and the finish resists scratches. It keeps its luster longer while other materials will show their age.
• Absorbs Shock – Stainless steel sinks on impact will “give” to cushion glasses and dishes against breakage.
• Easier to Clean – Stainless steel retains its luster when cleaned with household cleanser and a soft towel. Healthcare facilities trust stainless steel sinks due in part to their sanitary surface.
• Greater Capacity – Stainless steel has strength and flexibility that allows for deeper sink bowls. It has more overall usable space than porcelain or cast iron.
• Compliments Any Décor – Stainless steel sinks have clean lines and a cool texture that reflect surrounding colors and patterns. Also, it compliments any décor long after trendy colors are out-of-style.

Chlorides Today, chlorides are found in most soap, detergents, bleaches and cleansers; chlorides can be aggressive to stainless steel. However, chlorides are very water-soluble. Therefore, thorough rinsing of your sink after each use to remove any chloride residue and a weekly scouring is all that is required to keep your sink looking bright and shiny.

Scratches Like many metallic surfaces, your stainless steel sink will scratch. These are merely usage scratches and over time will blend into the overall finish of your sink.

Water Quality The quality of your Plano water can affect your sink’s appearance. If your water has high iron content, a brown surface stain can form on the sink giving the appearance of rust. Additionally, in areas with a high concentration of minerals, or with over-softened water, a white film may develop on the sink. To combat these problems, we suggest that the sink be towel dried after use, and again, on a weekly basis, the sink should be cleaned.

Food Heavy salt concentration or foods containing high levels of salt should not be allowed to dry on the sink surface. Rinse your sink thoroughly after use.

Cutting Your sink is designed to serve as many things, but should not be used as a cutting board or chopping block. This type of use will lead to deep scratches in the sink finish and will dull your knives.

Routine Care

• Most dirt & stains: Use soapy water or ammonia-based cleaner.
• Watermarks: Wipe with damp cloth then towel dry.
• Disinfecting: Occasionally wipe surface with diluted household bleach (1 part water /1 part bleach).
• Maintenance: Occasionally clean by filling the sink one-quarter full with a 50/50 water/bleach solution. Let soak for 15 minutes, then wash sides and bottom as solution drains and thoroughly rinse.

Precautions

• Do… It is best to rinse sinks thoroughly after each use. Thorough rinsing can be done by running the water for a few minutes and rubbing the cleaned area with a sponge.
• Do… Avoid exposing sink to strong chemicals, such as paint removers, oven cleaners, etc. If contact occurs, quickly flush the surface with water.
• Do… Run cold water when pouring boiling water into sinks to try to minimize temperature shock. With stainless it isn’t as important to remember that compared to other materials though.
• Do… Towel dry after each use to prevent mineral deposits from building up on the surface of the sink (although with a good quality stainless sink you can buff it back to the original “new” finish even after many years of scale and mineral build-up.
• Do… Scour the sink once a week, being sure to rub in the direction of the satin finish lines (best not to purchase a “mirror” finish).
• Do… Remove nail polish with a non-acetone based nail polish remover and flush with water.

• Don’t… Allow food or beverage residue, metal canned products, or mild steel or cast iron cookware to remain on sink surface for long periods of time as this can result in permanent staining of the sink.
• Don’t… Cut directly on sink surfaces.
• Don’t… Set hot pans directly into sinks.
• Don’t… Scour the sink across the satin finish lines. Scouring across the satin finish lines can damage the original sink finish.
• Don’t… Allow liquid soap or other household cleansers to dry on the surface of the sink. Most brands contain chemical additives, which will affect the finish.
• Don’t… Use drain cleaning products that contain sulfuric or hydrochloric acid.
• Don’t… Leave standing solutions of chlorine bleach and water in the sink for extended periods of time. Chlorides, which are found in most soaps, detergents, bleaches, and cleansers, are very aggressive to stainless steel. If left on the sink too long they can cause surface pitting.
• Don’t… Use a steel wool pad to clean your sink. Steel wool pads have a tendency to break apart and small particles of steel can become embedded in the surface of the sink. The steel particles will rust and will give the appearance that the sink itself is rusting.
• Don’t… Use rubber mats or dishpans in the sink to protect the finish. Leaving rubber mats or dishpans in the sink can lead to surface rust or possible pitting. Instead use stainless steel bottom grids. If you do use mats or dishpans please remove them after each use.
• Don’t… Leave wet sponges, cloths, or cleaning pads on the sink. This can lead to surface rust.

If you’re ready to replace your current sink or are starting from scratch with a whole kitchen remodel, contact your Albany remodeling contractor to learn more about what type sink and fixtures best suit your family’s needs.

Article Source:http://www.plumbingproducts.com/stainless-steel-sink-care.html

Even though you can’t buy the Hang Fung gold toilet for your master bath, there are plenty of other fancy fixtures available to accent your Albany bathroom. But you’re going to have to shell out big bucks for them.

The Neorest 600 certainly falls into this category. The Neorest takes the cake as the most expensive commode available for purchase in the home. Produced by bathroom fixture manufacturer Toto, the Neorest 600 is a tankless, one-piece toilet. It may not be gold, but you could call it green: It’s a low-flow toilet, conserving water by sending only 1.6 gallons down the drain per flush. But you’ll be too busy sitting in awe of the Neorest to yearn for the water-frivolous days of the full-flow toilet. It’s also a bathroom dynamo, doing all of the work your old toilet used to make you do.

When the Neorest senses your approach, the toilet lifts its lid, inviting you to have a seat. Once you do your thing, a gentle blast of warm water cleans your bottom. This is followed by the toilet’s air-dry function. And after you get up, the toilet flushes the ionized, self-cleaning bowl and deodorizes the air [source: Toto]. With all of these features, maybe the $5,800 retail price for the Neorest 600 isn’t so much, relatively speaking [source: Forbes]. Plus, you can find them for sale as low as $3,159 [source: Buy Plumbing]. Of course, you can get a regular residential toilet in the U.S. and Canada for around $150, but these certainly don’t come with the bells and whistles the Neorest offers.

If you’re going to remodel your Albany bathroom, why not go all the way? Talk to your Albany remodeling contractor about some gold leaf inlay in the counter’s backsplash? And what about Italian marble tile for the bathroom’s floor?

Be sure to install the big fixtures first. There’s the Idrolux “L” shower, which retails for around $24,000. This freestanding shower includes UV panels, designed to give you a healthy, tanned glow while you bathe [source: Idrolux]. If you don’t like standing when you scrub down, you can opt to rest easy in 21 inches of warm water in Kohler’s Kallista Archeo bathtub. Before you sink into the tub, check the price tag: This freestanding copper bathtub goes for more than $66,000 [source: Forbes].

How about a nice sink, too? The Italbrass Mezz’aria dual basin sink might look nice reflecting the blue UV glow of your tanning shower — the wall-mounted floating sink is stainless steel. The nearly $7,500 price tag doesn’t include the complementary mirror to go above it, but you’ll want a mirror from another company anyway [source: Quality Bath]. Seura offers wall-mounted, over-the-sink mirrors as large as 45 inches wide that feature an LCD television embedded inside. You can get ready and watch the news at the same time. When turned off, the TV disappears, and the fixture looks like a normal mirror [source: Seura]. The mirrors and their frames can be customized per order, and they fetch around $5,000 for the 45-inch model [source: Home Annex].

Still, starting your day off in your Albany bathroom with all of these luxury features would probably put a pretty good spin on things. And who can put a price on that feeling?

Article Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/most-expensive-toilet-in-world1.htm

Church Homes

• A few people have taken on the challenge of converting old church sanctuaries into their places of residence. For example, ZECC Architects converted an old Dutch chapel into a single family residence. Christopher Wren’s Christ Church was severely damaged during WWII; the roof of the church was destroyed, but the 11-story tower was left untouched. The church is now in private hands, and architect Nicholas Boyarsky converted the roofless church into a flower garden. He transformed the 11-story tower into an apartment with a wood spiral staircase.

Cave Homes

• Since the beginning of time, caves have offered refuge to nomads and travelers, and even today some people choose to live in caves and still have the modern conveniences of technology. In 2010, according to an article in The New York Times, one family set up their entire home inside a cave; they use umbrellas and interior roofs to keep the kitchen sand-free. Besides the cave-like walls, their kitchen looks like any other, with counter space, sink, appliances and cabinetry.

Water Tower Homes

• A water tower home is a modern-day version of living in a tree house that attracts some home-owners, as they like the idea of “living with a view.” In addition, building your home in a water tower provides an opportunity to recycle old buildings. Jo Crepain of Antwerp wanted to preserve an old water tower near a park where he played as a child, so he bought the tower, and along with the help of another architect, he made his home in it. Other examples include a water tower in Essen, Germany, which was converted into a fully operational apartment and commercial property. This water tower houses two apartments, a telecommunications company and a real estate agency.

Bunker Homes

• Many World War II bunkers in various parts of the world are now residential housing; the owners of these fortified residences say that one of the biggest advantages of living in a bunker is the special temperatures maintained throughout the year. In the summer, it is cooler inside, and in the winter, it’s much warmer than outdoors. One architect decided to build his house on top of an old bunker, so he uses the actual bunker for storage and for protection from natural disasters.

Article Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8518248_extremely-weird-places-live.html

You might keep these basic tools in a hall closet, a kitchen drawer, or in a handy tool box or plastic box on a shelf in the entry or mudroom.

It doesn’t really matter where you keep them, as long as they’re easy to get at for quick home repairs. You’ll save lots of inconvenient trips out to the garage or down to the basement.

Your in-home basic tool kit should include these basic do-it-yourself items.

Tape Measure
You may not think you need one, but a 25-foot measuring tape will work for most jobs. Whether you measure for a tablecloth or window treatment or a whole room for new flooring, choose one large enough to easily measure your Albany home’s spaces. A second smaller tape of 6 to 12 feet can be put in a pocket or purse for shopping trips or for hanging pictures.

Screwdrivers
Two basic screwdrivers are a necessity. Choose both a good quality flat head screwdriver and a Phillips head screwdriver in a medium size. A set of tiny screwdrivers will come in handy when you need to tighten a pair of eyeglasses or fix audio or computer equipment.

Pliers
One pliers will not do. Get a small assortment in various sizes and shapes. You’ll use a needle-nose pliers most frequently, but have a heavy grooved pliers for removing nails or large staples. Wire cutting pliers are good for wiring and craft jobs.

Level
You get what you pay for here. It’s important to get an accurate level for accurate positioning. A good sturdy level will last a lifetime. (These are also called “torpedo levels” due to shapes of the tapered ends.) A level is a must for straightening up pictures, drilling holes in a level line, checking tabletop alignment, or mounting towel bars perfectly.

Hammer
Whether you’re hanging pictures or putting shelf supports up, a medium weight hammer will cover most Albany household jobs. Consider other sizes if you’ll be doing either delicate projects or construction.

Vice Grip
This tool resembles a pliers, but has a locking mechanism that grips and holds things tightly. Use it to grip a screw you want to remove or use two to twist sticky things apart. They provide a slip-free hold when you need it.

Assortment of Nails and Screws
You might find prepackaged sets of basic sizes at your Albany home center or get a small divided box and put together a custom assortment that will come in handy when you hang pictures or make minor repairs.

Wire Cutters
Save your scissors with this essential tool. A wire cutter makes it easy to snip wire for crafts, electrical repairs, and other household projects.

Pencils
You’ll probably need to mark a drill hole or record a measurement. Have pencils handy and write on post it notes or bits of blue painter’s tape if you don’t want to write on the wall.

Blue Painter’s Tape
Even professional painters use this tape to mask off areas they don’t want to paint. It’s available in several widths and looks like plain masking tape. But this special tape is blue and can be removed from most surfaces without damage. You can use it for other household jobs besides painting. Mark stud locations with a small square when hanging a picture or installing molding. Tape off the edges of a door frame when painting a wall, or tape down runners of heavy kraft paper to protect floors from dirt and scratches when moving.

Article Source:  http://interiordec.about.com/od/careandrepair/a/org_toolkits.htm

The good news is that the evolution of house paint has come a long way with low-odor and even odorless lines for some applications. The bad news is there are still so many reasons to use the smelly stuff, especially if you’re repainting an older home. Alkyd (oil-based) and shellac or alcohol primers are especially effective in sealing water damage and old oil painted surfaces to upgrade them to Latex top coats. But they’re also very smelly with potentially long-lasting vapors. Even the most common low-odor alkyd paints often used today to repaint wood work can have a lingering odor for days under the most ventilated conditions.

So how do you get rid of the smell?

I’ve just received an email from a mother asking me that very question. Her young child’s room was painted almost two weeks ago and she’s left the windows open and the fan on ever since. Still, the paint smell is strong enough that she’s concerned about letting the child sleep in the room. This interior painting project involved a lot of priming to cover the dark brown oil paint used by the previous homeowner. Since the color needed to be lightened up and the surfaces converted to a far more Eco-friendly Acrylic Latex, a common top brand Alkyd primer was used to give the whole room a fresh start. And although it had “Low Odor” printed on the can, it obviously was NOT odorless. To compound matters, all the woodwork had to be finished in a leading “Low Odor” brand of Alkyd semi-gloss which produced a smooth lustrous finish as well as a migraine inducing vapor.

So what can you do? Well, there a few ways you can overcome these situations beyond obvious ventilation to control, eliminate and even prevent paint odors from lingering.

“An ounce of prevention”…. Before there was such a thing as “low odor paint” we used to add a splash of vanilla extract to every gallon of oil paint to make it “low-odor”. It was cheap, easy to do and had no effect on the color. Now that low-odor alkyd paints are commonplace on the market, adding about a tablespoon of vanilla extract makes them virtually odorless.

Or, as in the case above, the painting is already done. It’s too late for vanilla and the smell won’t go away as quickly they’d like. What’s happening here is that the odors are being trapped in the walls while the paint cures and probably in all the fabrics and rugs in the room as well. They need something else to absorb them for good. So, here’s what I advised her to do. Cut up a few onions and place them in a couple of bowls of cold water. Put one of the bowls in the room and the other in the closet. As simple and crazy as it sounds, the onions absorb and actually eliminate the paint fumes and odors… sometimes as quickly as overnight!

I first learned this trick while creating a baby’s room about 17 years ago. I had spent about 5 weeks converting a badly crumbling and dusty old attic room into a nursery pending the baby’s birth. And as it turned out, the baby was born about two weeks early and was ready to come home just as I was finishing the project. The job required a lot of smelly primers and sealers to bury decades of neglect and water damage. As was customary in those days, I added vanilla extract to minimize the paints’ odor (and damage to my brain cells) but the smell wasn’t clearing up fast enough to bring the newborn in. The homeowner’s Nanny, who was moving into the bedroom next door (and who was also troubled by the smell) used a couple of bowls of cut onions in cold water over night and the smell was gone the next day. I couldn’t believe it!

I’ve recommended this technique ever since with great results. But it should be noted here that this example was in an empty room. In the case of a fully furnished Albany room, as in our case above, you should consider airing out clothing, drapery, rugs or anything else which might be trapping the odors and give them a shot or two of Febreeze to do the trick nowadays.

Now sometimes, there are extreme cases where odors are simply not an option. Some people are highly allergic to the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) contained in paints and the tints used to color them. Some can become quite ill with even short term inhalation of the fumes. In these cases, you have to resort to the whole gamut of tricks:

1. Before you paint, empty the room completely to make sure there is nothing that will trap the odors.
2. Open all the windows before you open the paint cans and keep them open throughout the entire painting process.
3. Add vanilla extract to your Alkyd, Alcohol or Shellac based paints. (Latex paints don’t usually need this step as they’re relatively low-odor to begin with).

4. Place several bowls of onions around the room (as above) while you paint to absorb the fumes as they escape.
5. When the painting is finished, seal and remove all paint cans, bag your drop sheets in plastic before taking them out through the rest of the house (or throw them out of the window if possible) to keep from spreading the fumes they’ve trapped indoors.
6. Refresh your supply of onions in water as the old ones will have had their fill of vapors by the time you’re finished the painting.
7. Keep the windows open and wait until the paint has fully dried and the odors have gone before you replace the furniture and other belongings.

Of course, these tips are offered in connection with interior painting but you should also try adding some vanilla to your paint when painting the exterior in Alkyd coatings as well. It saves the painter a lot of headaches… literally. But whether inside or out, these simple ideas combined with some good old fashioned common sense should produce a fresh new look in your Albany home, with clean, breathable air you can live with.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dee_L._Potter

Consider where the piece is now; if it no longer suits its current location, look around and see where it might fit with a new purpose. A hallway near the bathroom might have enough space for the unit as a linen closet, once it is painted. The large opening once used for the old style television can be fitted with shelves for folded linens, towels or even bulky blankets.

If you have a guest room in your Albany home and could use some extra storage space, your entire entertainment cabinet could serve as an extra closet or a great place to store all those photo albums you have in closets and drawers.

Some entertainment units can be broken down into separate pieces that you can find a good use for in separate rooms. Children always need space for their stuff; why not consider the unit in a bedroom. This is a great place to experiment with a pop of color.

The center area where the TV once stood could be fitted with a flat panel, hollow core door and a file cabinet or small cabinet to support the end and it becomes a great study area or a Albany home office with lots of storage space. This peninsula style desk could provide a place for two people to use the desk simultaneously.

Painted or stained, with doors removed or left in place, panels fitted with colorful fabric or interesting glass can breathe new life into an old piece. Add some pretty wallpaper or a great graphic design in the large open space for high impact design. The unit can store decorative pieces, or a collection of vases, candlesticks or artwork.

If you have a covered area outside at your Albany home, your old unit could serve as a garden center with a potting space–a great place to store all your necessary small garden tools, seed packets, extra pots and your notebook of garden ideas.

Think with purpose in mind as you consider what to do with this useful piece. Remember that with cabinet doors and shelves, there are lots of other uses for an entertainment center, and perhaps you can save it from the Albany landfill.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_A_Hammond

Seniors need home modifications in order to age in place. They promote keeping independence in senior citizens’ lives while keeping them safe. It is important to recognize that eighty-five percent of elderly people wish to stay in their homes and are doing so. Out of those eighty-five percent, only a small percentage is equipped with accommodations that will allow them maximum safety.  Your Albany remodeling contractor can help you plan a home remodel that will accommodate the needs of your elderly loved one.

Albany homes without aging in place modifications become harder to maintain and live in for seniors. It is proven that a home that is perfectly safe and allows for independent living at sixty-five does not necessarily accommodate the needs of a seventy year old. It has been proven that simple modifications done to the home can eliminate up to fifty percent of the accidents that occur to seniors aging in place.

The most common accident to occur within the home to seniors is a fall. There are many home modifications that can be done to prevent accidental falls. Many aging in place specialists will come into the home and do a free home analysis of problem areas. With this information, Albany homeowners can budget to make arrangements to accommodate their needs as they begin the aging process. If their goal is to age in their homes and they wish to live as independently as possible, starting out early in making simple changes will ease both the financial and emotional burdens of the process.

Below is an example of an inspection of the kitchen and bathroom space within a Albany home. With this general look it is easy to see how home modifications are necessary to safely age in place.

It is important to make cabinet knobs easy to pull open. As people age they often begin to lose the strength and ability to work door knobs that have to be turned or that are hard to pull open.

Stove controls must all be marked with bold lettering and easy to use. It is important that there are lights that are on the stove that signal when it is on and the stove top is hot. This is important to prevent the stove from being left on or a hand placed on the stove while it is still on.

Faucets should be levered instead of turn knobs. This will ease turning them on and off.

Grab bars should be put in place in spaces such as tub and toilet areas. It is also important to evaluate the area around the toilet and the toilet itself. Seniors begin to have a harder time lowering and raising themselves. This issue can be resolved with grab bars and high rise toilet aides.

Ovens are also another area of concern. They are often heavy and hard to open. This is something to look into. A convection oven can be purchased to help with this issue.

A place to sit while working in the kitchen becomes necessary. The aging process has a strange effect on joints and the ability to stand for long periods of time. Cutting celery and dicing carrots is made simpler with a seated work area. The risk of falling or slipping while using a knife decreases significantly.

The tub and shower is a large area of concern. A barrier free shower entrance is an incredibly nice feature to have installed. Bathroom remodels are a common renovation for Albany homeowners. A bit of forwarding thinking can save a lot of money later on.

Water temperatures should be regulated to prevent burning. This is something that is simple and does not require any renovations.

Items that are used on a regular basis such as shampoo and dish soap should be within reaching distance. Over reaching can lead to falls. It is important that everyday use items are well within reach.

Home modifications and some simple remodeling projects can improve the lives of those aging in place. Safety is of course the main concern – however, a skilled age in place contractor can blend safety and aesthetics while putting in place home modifications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Germain

Ceramic floor tiles are an ideal solution for non-slip floors with the added bonus of having fantastic design, color and style choice. Ceramic tiles are made from clay and the concept is an old one that has used for centuries as a floor tile solution.  Ceramic floor tiles that are the non-slip variety have textured surfaces, rough surfaces and unglazed surfaces. Ceramic floor tiles are very often sealed to protect them further from damage and they will last for years and years. There are many ways ceramic floor tiles can be installed in different design patterns to make your floor tile design unique, and they come in many designs to suit any Albany home, whether it be traditional, contemporary or a modern setting.

Porcelain tiles are also a very good non-slip floor tile solution; they are an incredibly hard, durable tile that is extremely strong and ideal for high traffic areas.  Non-slip porcelain floor tiles are often found in large commercial settings such as shopping centers where having a non-slip surface is paramount. Porcelain non-slip floor tiles are ideal for busy areas within the Albany home such as the kitchen, and they come in a wide range of styles and designs to give exclusive finishes.

Some natural stone floor tiles are also non-slip and are also available for kitchen and bathroom areas. Slate floor tiles give the Albany homeowner a real design feature and slate floor tiles are available in many styles and colors. Slate floor tiles will really bring a natural look into the Albany home and make a statement all their own.  Again slate floor tiles have been used for many years as a flooring solution and they are incredibly strong and durable and easy to clean and maintain.

Many Albany homeowners don’t want to change their floor tiles and are quite happy with the material, design and style of their floor tiles but they are not non-slip, which isn’t practical. Existing floor tiles can be treated with a chemical to ensure they are non-slip.  There are many floor tiles that can be treated to provide a non-slip surface and homeowners can apply this treatment independently or they can employ their Albany remodeling contractor to ensure the job is done professionally. Having the job done professionally will ensure the floor tiles are treated properly and will provide a good all round non-slip environment.

If you are replacing floor tiles or installing them as a new build, Albany homeowners should give some thought to non-slip finishes at the earliest opportunity. Discuss the various options with your Albany remodeling contractor, who will guide you in choosing the most appropriate non-slip tile to fit your needs.  The homeowner then has the opportunity to install non-slip tiles from the beginning.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/floor-tiles-and-non-slip-varieties-5335016.html

1. If they’re small enough and colorful, use leftover tile pieces in a mosaic that can form an eye-catching centerpiece for a tile backsplash to adorn your Albany kitchen,  a fireplace mantel, or become its own work of stationary art. No matter what size the leftover tile pieces, you can easily break them down to mosaic-friendly pieces by placing them over a concrete slab and under a dishcloth. Then take a hammer, and smash away, right in the center. This is also a good way to let out any lingering frustrations over your original tiling project.

2. If the tile pieces are larger and smooth, lay them as an outdoor walkway or use them as steppingstones. Slate, natural stone, and even marble will look great in your Albany garden, and can even embellish fence borders.

3. Using superglue, leftover square tile can be repurposed as unique flowerpots. Just remember to drill a hole in the bottom for drainage!

4. Leftover tile perfectly adds spunk to an existing or ruined wooden furniture top! Choose your design – a mosaic, or whatever shape your leftover tile forms – and draw it out on your coffee tabletop, kitchen island, end table, or potting bench. Sand down the surface to remove any existing finish. Break down the tile to small chunks, if they aren’t already small, and make sure the pieces that you lay are the same thickness. Caulk your pieces one by one into the wood, starting on the outside and working inwards, following the design you laid out. Add grout and let the surface dry. Use a tile scrubber to clean and add a glaze to prevent staining. Behold, your new art masterpiece!

5. If you have children, big square tile makes a great at-home arts and crafts project. Add paper, shapes, and embellishments with mod podge. Or paint the tiles directly with original artwork or handprints. You can arrange the artwork around your Albany home.

6. Donate the extra tile to your child’s art teachers or local Albany artists; both may appreciate tile scrap donations for their own work. Some Goodwill or Salvation Army stores accept large donations of leftover tile for other deal scavengers to repurpose in their homes.

7. Leftover tile can also make great drink coasters. Just put some chair-felt pads on the bottom, sand any hard edges, and you’re ready for guests and cold beverages.

8. If you have leftover peel-and-stick vinyl tiles, these can transform into flair almost anywhere in your Albany home. For example, in the bathroom, peel away as many as you like, place them at a “diamond” angle, and affix a hook to the tile. Now, you can hang towels, hair rubber bands, or other décor. In the kitchen, do the same for potholders, utensils, or handy keys.

Always err on the side of caution when purchasing tile: it’s much better to end up with extra then to run out early. Plus, tile breaks in shipping and you can cut incorrectly. If you end up with leftovers (which you will), just dip into your artistic side and spice up your Albany home with material right at your fingertips.

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