Fireplaces

DIY Fence Basics

A fence may serve a variety of uses, including demarcating landscape sightlines, providing physical or visual obstacles and establishing boundaries. There is a manner of fence for every function and although fashions vary, they typically have the exact same standard components and the building process follows the exact same basic actions. That process can be challenging, however, by site-specific considerations which have sloped or rocky terrain and jarring landscape features, like trees and shrubs.

Elements of a Fence

Whether made of wood, vinyl or metal, all purifiers have articles and though it is possible to build a fence without rails, most have those too. The poles that define the corners of the fence are known as anchor articles, while those in between them will be known as line articles. Some long boundary fences contain little more than poles and rails, however, the rails may also hold a covering of wood or plastic forks, wire mesh or some other material. Each fence needs an opening somewhere along its length so you are able to pass from 1 side to another and the opening might be protected by a gate.

Placing Posts

Fence structure normally begins with erecting the backbone articles which define its perimeter, followed by placing the line articles. Builders generally bury articles made of pressure-treated timber in holes full of gravel or concrete, but some maintain that bolting them to article holders set in concrete stops wooden poles from rotting and results in a longer-lasting fence. The typical spacing between poles is about 8 feet, but it may be smaller when extra strength is required in a windy location or when the fence should adhere to a steep slope. Gate articles need additional encouragement, particularly if the gate is wide and heavy.

Rails and Fence Coverings

Most fences have bottom and top rails which extend between each pair of articles. Screws or nails are generally sufficient for holding wooden rails to wooden poles, and metallic rails typically attach with special brackets. You can make certain each rail is horizontal by checking it with a level. Wooden slat styles incorporate adjacent boards twisted to one side of the rails or alternating on either side, horizontal slats, widely-spaced pickets and planks attached straight to the poles without the requirement for rails. When erecting a steel fence, then you are going to require a come-along to stretch the mesh and a screwdriver to tighten the brackets to carry it.

Finishing Touches

Any wooden fence will last longer if you coat it with a protective finish and one with a high pigment content blocks sunlight better than a crystal clear finish. Stains are easier to use to rough-sawn fence timber than paint, therefore that the very best fence complete is frequently a solid latex or oil-based stain. Fence builders often end a job by constructing the gate. It needs to be around one-half-inch narrower than the gate opening so it will open and shut smoothly. Gate hinges are easy to mount; they typically screw into the front of the gate.

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Decorating Guides

Matching Corian to Oak Cabinets

Offered in a variety of shades and patterns — 110 in the time of publication — which will complement and improve oak cabinetry, Corian can be utilized for your counters, sink and sink alike, creating a seamless appearance. The insulation is resistant to most stains and can be mended in your house if the need ever arise. Layout and contour are limited only by your creativity as Corian can be easily molded and formed to any shape. *For consistency, all cabinetry discussed is solid red oak with a natural finish to highlight the grain *.

Light and Beachy

If your thoughts are tending toward a mild neutral that is going to keep the kitchen feeling warm, try either **Clam Shell or Burled Beach**. Clam Shell is the lighter, more neutral of both with only a subtle pattern and small color variation; whereas, Burled Beach introduces both yellow-brown and gray-brown tones and veining to its layout. Both have adequate gray they’ll highlight stainless steel appliances without allowing them to dominate the space. Consider a light maple floor to enable the cabinetry and counters to shine.

Dark and Earthy

**Deep Caviar** is a warm, dark chocolate brown with no notable pattern which will pull the darker oak grain and diminish the influence of the oak’s natural yellow undertone. Add in an earthy element by installing a backsplash in **Basil**, which features [“dramatic waves of green and nutmeg fennel peppered with gold metallic sparkles”](http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/construction-materials/surface-design-materials/brands/corian-solid-surfaces/products/corian-all-colors/sub-products/basil.html). The material’s natural movement sends the eye around the room while picking up on stainless steel and nickel accents. Paint the walls a muddy green and the lines of either olive or sage.

Icy Cool

Hazelnut is a cool white with motions of gray and brownish coriander. But depending on the lighting and other materials utilized, **Hazelnut** occasionally appears to also consist of green tones. The grays and browns improve the darker tones of this cabinetry while the white and dark gray hues create maximum flexibility for either white, black or stainless steel appliances. For the ground, install big dark gray-brown tiles compared to glossy white glass subway tile and accent glass mosaic band with chrome or charcoal accents. Layer in white ceramics and glass via lighting and accessories.

A Different Dimension

From afar, **Elderberry** looks like the ocean, featuring multiple shades of dark blue. Upon closer inspection, you can also see white highlights and speckles of black and gold. It’s both dark and dramatic. To lighten it up but keep the flow moving between counter and backsplash, consider **Venaro White**, a white-on-white pattern having a gentle marbleized appearance. Conversely, choose a gray and white flat strip mosaic. Both backsplash options will maintain the feeling of movement, and the kitchen will feel cool but refined.

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DIY Storage Shelves for a Room Divider

Well-positioned shelving can double as a space divider, enhancing design flaws and increasing storage requirements. Explore DIY notions using poles, windows, ladders or novels as the starting point for half-wall or full-height layouts. Safety is optimal; build a tall divider only if you’re able to properly secure it to joists or even a neighboring wall to keep it from toppling.

Boxed in

Wood crates, particularly vintage crates, such as old apple poles, come with glowing charisma and hardy storage possibilities. Stack same-size boxes on their sides, lengthwise, offsetting them brick-style for equilibrium and a stepped or zigzag effect. Face another one backward for two-sided use. For security, only stack them to half-wall height. A half-wall divider is ideal for entryway separation, shoe storage and light flow in an open-concept dwelling. If you intend to generate a tall divider, fasten the crates with wood screws, and affix the unit to your wall fireplace using brackets. For a modern effect, build the divider from white or bright-colored plastic crates.

Rung Out

When an older stepladder can no longer be trusted because of its intended use, upcycle it like a room-divider shelf. Lay weathered planks across each teeming and its opposite back rail as glowing shelving; seal the entire unit for bug-free storage. Keep any heavy items on the bottom; an attached pail shelf at the top is a bonus and handy for lightweight storage. Line up two or three ladders to fill in a wide span. Bushy hanging plants fill V-shaped voids in between, if you position the ladders feet, as opposed to side by side. An alternative is to make a vertical row of three or three standard or single ladders a foot or so apart as multilevel pot-hanger-style shelving, again securing the top ladder to joists using chains.

Stacked Up

Bookshelves are common room pillars, but shelves made of books — perhaps not so much. It’s simple: Utilize wide, matching height — 1-foot or-so — hardcover or magazine stacks to hold the end of each shelving panel. The panels must carefully match the books’ width, and the unit must not stand overly high –, half-wall height or so — to get security. This job provides a way to set a vintage, dust-collecting novel or magazine collection to use, while showcasing it at an unusually creative manner. Form the notion of more stature on a short divider by organizing tall, lightweight silk plants or vases of divisions or dried ornamental grasses on the top shelf.

Ceiling, Down

Turn a few antique wood-framed windows to your light-filtering space divider. Etched glass or frosted movie offer solitude. String the windows with floor joists to ceiling joists, using eyehooks and chain; find solid joists using a fireplace. Cut a narrow plywood shelf to position lengthwise between the chains, perpendicularly below each window, securing it using wood glue and screws. Paint the window-ledge-like shelves to complement the window frames, and use them to get lightweight storage. A hanging window divider is a focus on its own, but one created from framed stained-glass amplifies the artful effect.

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How to Glaze Using a Gel Stain

When you cemented a stained finish, it offers a way to deepen the colour, alter it or include antiquing consequences. You can use glazing chemical and include your seeds or you can do what many woodworkers use and do use gel stain instead. As a penetrating pigment stain like liquid stain, gel stain’s thick consistency makes it an excellent double for a glazing compound. The secret to beautiful glazing is appropriate preparation of the wood.

Gel Stain Enhancements

Gel stains don’t penetrate unfinished wood as deeply as liquid stains, which makes them more suitable for staining wood with knots and other grain irregularities. When you apply a gel stain to unfinished hardwood, you wipe it on with a cloth or sponge, make it time to sink, wipe the gel off with another cloth, leaving only a layer of coloured wood. The process is the same once you use gel stain as a glaze, however, the distinction is that the wood already includes a finish, and it may already be stained.

Glaze Planning

Before you apply a gel stain, it’s important to seal the wood with a finish; staining the wood seals it into your level, but it also ought to have a picture finish. A coat of lacquer sanding sealer or shellac is perfect, but you might also glaze over a coat of water-based acrylic or polyurethane. To prepare the wood for glazing, apply the stain, then allow it to dry for one to two hours, then apply one coat of finish. Sand the end with 220-grit sandpaper once it dries. This provides the smooth substrate that you require for glazing.

The Stain Color

If you want your glaze to provide color overtones and shading, you must use one that’s either the same colour as the wood stain or one that’s darker. You can also alter the hue of the base color by utilizing an appropriate gel stain. As an instance, utilizing a Cabinet gel stain to glaze over a pine cabinet stained with a golden oak stain gives the cabinet a reddish tinge, and that will make it even more at home in a room with a sunset motif featuring terra-cotta colours and indirect light. Another strategy is to add frosting by glazing with a white or light gray gel stain.

Stain Application and Protection

Because the wood already includes a finish, you don’t have to take care when applying a gel-stain glaze. Wipe the gel over the surface you’re glazing at a circular movement, and if you’re aiming for shading effects, perform it into corners and crevices around trim along with other capabilities. The sum you wipe off with another cloth controls the shading as well as the tone of this finial finish. Always wipe with the wood grain and avoid leaving streaks. Give the stain eight hours or more to dry before protecting it with a coat of the finish of your choice.

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What Color Walls Move With Teal & Brown?

The wall color in a space with teal and brown pendant can turn this land-and-sea duo to a scheme that is vividly pronounced or gently reserved — it is up to you. Choose the walls’ color by matching your style preferences to the room’s function, whether it is a space for sleeping, socializing, sauteing or imprisoned.

A Bright Kitchen

A kitchen in snappy colors kick-starts your culinary adventures and revs your own appetite. Use a high-contrast wall color as the catalyst for this kind of daring design. On the color wheel, across from cool blue-green sit warm pink, red and coral hues. Select from these warm shades to fit your preference, but keep your choice in accord with this teal’s balance degree — vivid pink with bright teal, like. For balance, the wall color should not overshadow or look washed-out by blue-green dishware, tea towels and canisters. Espresso, walnut or mid-brown pine cabinets or furniture help to stabilize or anchor the room’s sass.

Coolness in the Bedroom

It’s no secret that cool colors relax the senses, making them suitable in the bedroom. Cocoon the room with light blue or light green walls for a small contrast behind pale teal components, using textured fabric or paint wallpaper. Varied textures keep a cool-colored space from appearing flat or stark. A pale-brown rug warms your toes and enhances walls, teal-on-white bedding, a white bedside table topped with a classic teal-tinged mason jar of baby’s breath sprigs, along with other white and soft-teal accents throughout. Lush, lined, velour drapes in light brown tie into the ground and prevent daylight on day-off mornings.

The Social Setting

Should you believe brownish a dated shade, then introduce it to grey. Silvery-gray walls behind overstuffed brown furniture is an uncommon but tempering mixture. A greige (gray-beige) rug with a brown and gray pattern makes sense of this color pairing. Contemporary teal cushions, watery-colored stained-glass art and teal-colored hydrangeas jump out from their neutral-colored environment. Bright yellow curtains and a couple of sunny-yellow touches spike the space with much more modernity.

Welcome With Color

The entryway gives guests their first glimpse of your house, therefore make a welcoming impression by keeping it tidy and airily coloured. Pure white walls, though bright, can be too stark, but tinged with buttery yellow, they offset a brownish coat rack, wood flooring, teal-tinged sheers and an antique or distressed teal-painted dresser and attached mirror — yes, you can use dressers in rooms aside from bedrooms. It’s not about your visitors, however; a good-looking entrance welcomes you, too, every time you return home.

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