Published
April 18th, 2008
in
Carpets, Cushions, Lampshades, Lighting, Showers |
3 Comments »
After the shock of the oil crisis, there was a surge of activity from governments and industry in the fields of conservation and the use of alternative energy sources. But the recent oil glut and the fall in oil prices have lulled many back into the old belief that cheap energy is here to stay.
At present, three-quarters of world energy consumption comes from nonrenewable “hard- energy” sources - a third of this amount is oil, a quarter coal, and the rest from natural gas. The other quarter of world usage is supplied by amixture of nuclear power, hydropower, and biomass. In developing countries, however, there is heavy dependence on biomass, and the burning of fuelwood and animal dung is resulting in serious environmental destruction. (more…)
Published
April 15th, 2008
in
Cotton, Cupboard, Knitting, Linen, Pillows, Windows, Wood |
3 Comments »
The use of scented plants and herbs in the home is very ancient and the first recorded use was by the Egyptians, who also used them in their tombs.
Spices brought from the East were used widely by the Greeks and Romans, and every culture since has recognized the pleasures and benefits of these natural fragrances. In the medieval world, herb gardens became fashionable and cultivated herbs were used in cooking and medicine, as well as in the home — rushes and herbs were often strewn on floors and pomanders and pot-pourris placed in rooms to make them smell sweet and fresh. It is only comparatively recently that artificial scents have displaced these old and natural products.
Adding fragrances
Published
April 11th, 2008
in
Covers, Indoor, Mats, Oak, Windows, Wood |
5 Comments »
Raw materials
Paint is a compound material consisting basically of a solid pigment, ground and suspended in a liquid medium such as water or oil. Pigments give opacity, colour, and consistency to paints. They are mainly of mineral origin, such as those quarried from the earth - the red, brownish, and yellow ochres, the brown umbers, and the red oxides. Brighter colours come from metal ores.
Paris green was prepared from acetate of copper and arsenic trioxide; it is highly poisonous and has long since been discontinued. White pigments come from zinc oxide, titanium oxide (the most opaque), and from antimony oxide, now that white lead has been banned.
Pure plant pigments, similar to those used in natural dyeing, were also used and are now being reintroduced. They are ideal for translucent colour washes or glazes on a white wall base. Some natural pigments tend to fade gradually in sunlight, endowing surfaces with a delicate coloured patina. (more…)
Published
April 11th, 2008
in
Acrylics, Iron, Painting, Windows, Wood |
4 Comments »
More than 15,000 years ago Stone-Age artists decorated their cave walls with exuberant paintings of animals, birds, and fish. Outstanding examples of artistic skills have been found at more than a hundred sites in the Dordogne area of France and in northern Spain. The most impressive paintings, however, are those at Lascaux near Montignac, France, which were discovered in 1940. Our early ancestors made paints from ochre, a clay-like natural earth containing ferric oxide, silica, and alumina, which produces yellow, brown, and red pigments, or from hematite, obtained by grinding iron-rich rocks to yield a bright red to near black powder (black pigments came from charcoal). There is evidence that prehistoric people sprinkled their dead with powdered red ochre, and the early Australian Aborigines are thought to have used hematite in their burial ceremonies. For painting, the pigments were mixed with animal fat to bind them and make them waterproof. (more…)
Published
March 26th, 2008
in
Furniture, Polish, Wood |
6 Comments »
Wooden pelmits are more obvious and more care should betaken with them. The surface is never touched but it is too high to treat with furniture polish.
Treatment with a penetrating polywax sealer is recommended.
Treat periodically with WOODOC Penetrating Furniture Wax.
Inner doors: Most inner doors are painted but doors of reception rooms are sometimes made of untreated wood. These door surfaces are not handled much but the surfaces around the door knob are touched often. The finish tends to wear and become dirty as hands are sweaty and sometimes greasy. In addition the lock edges of the door are often bumped into when furniture, stepladders, etc. are carried past the door. The door has actually two surfaces with different needs. (more…)
Published
March 17th, 2008
in
Cleaning, Covers, Furniture, Windows, Wood |
3 Comments »
Home maintainers of furniture really come to their right in the finishing of wood construction material on the outside of the house. Acquire some knowledge, do some planning and a lovely surface with good protective qualities is within your reach, with unskilled labour as your only assistance. Here you can save on labour and spend more on material.
Do not accept the advice of the assistant behind the paint shop counter without further ado. Do some reading and decide for yourself after considering the cost and available labour. If you plan to use a paint contractor, first establish what the standard of his work is.
Wood gets damaged by sunlight and heat, but most of all by water absorption from water vapour in the air, rain and especially dew. The starting point is to avoid water vapour as far as possible and bear the other two culprits in mind. This means that the entire surface of the wood must be sealed. (more…)
Published
March 15th, 2008
in
Cleaning, Furniture, Leather, Lighting, Polish, Wood |
3 Comments »
Furniture polish after oil treatment on dark wood and yellowwood
Furniture polish can be applied direct on a previous oil finish or on a fresh surface prepared with sandpaper or steelwool. If the leaf surface has not been renovated the polish can be applied with grade 000 steelwool. The steelwool is dipped into the polish and sanded strictly along the grain. For dark woods the polish slurry is worked into the grain with the palm of your hand after it has become half dry. This is not required for yellowwood. Wipe off the excess slurry with cheesecloth and shine with a soft cloth. Follow up with another application of polish, leave to dry and shine until you have the gloss of your preference. Polish as often as needed. With a good polish the periods in between applications grow longer. A surface that is not much in use will not need polish more than once a month. (more…)
Published
March 15th, 2008
in
Cleaning, Furniture, Polish, Towel, Wood |
3 Comments »
- Application of polyurethane (other artificial finishes are not recommended for home use)
- Decide whether you would like a matt or gloss finish and buy the right kind.
- Apply on a dustfree surface.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly, especially the matt one.
- Wait until the bubbles on top disappear.
- Apply with a new first grade brush along the grain. (Do not go back on spots that are half dry.) After each immersion the brush must be pulled against the edge of the tin to get rid of bubbles.
- Allow to dry in the same dustfree atmosphere.
- A single coat for 24 hours.
- For more coats two hours per coat is sufficient on a hot day, but refer to instructions on the tin.
- There will be small protruding particles where dust has fallen or where a bubble has lodged. Wipe lightly over the entire surface with steelwool or grade 600 sandpaper. Apply furniture wax or apply the next coat, according to your choice.
- Where the gloss is not acceptable, it can be dimmed with steelwool. (more…)
Published
February 2nd, 2008
in
Blinds, Cupboard, Curtains, Furniture, Indoor, Oak, Polish, Wood |
5 Comments »
Teak and its substitutes, Afrormosia andIroko, are most often oiled. Rosewood, mahogany and oak can be oiled, but not ash or sycamore except where air and surroundings are ultra-clean.
Teeth oil : Is the up-to-date version with additives to speed drying and resist marking, but you can use a mixture of 25% linseed oil and 75% turpentine, which is cheaper though slightly harder to apply. Use on indoor or outdoor woodwork.
To apply, use a fluff-free oil-impregnated cloth and rub very sparingly well into the wood. Remove excess oil by buffing up with a second fluff-free cloth. Repeat the whole process even more sparingly next day. This treatment can be repeated when the wood begins to look dull. Do not over-oil or a sticky deposit will form (i.e., not more than twice a year). Oil can he cleaned off by rubbing the surface with fine wire wool dipped in a little white spirit. When dry, oil again sparingly. (more…)
