Thursday, 9 February 2012

Seeking out the Perfect Brass Front Door Hardware


When we are thinking of buying or selling a house we all want to feel that we have gotten the best deal we can. When we are selling, we want to get as a high a price as we can for our property and when we are buying, we want to get the property for as low a price as we can. In order to do this we all need to work hard at whichever side of the fence you are on and in the end it all comes down to the property and what it looks like. One of the first things we will notice about a house which we go to view is the overall look of the front of the house and one of the basics things which will change the whole appearance of the hose is the front door. It need to be attractive and in a good condition and a good thing to have is solid brass front door hardware.

An attractive front door makes a statement and shows that the house is cared for and makes a good first impression. Brass front door furniture come in various styles and after deciding that you wish to have brass front door hardware as opposed to nickel or chrome, you will need to decide on the style of handle and lock, whether thumb, lever, grip or latch. Brass is a good choice because of its strength and durability as well as being resistant to corrosion and being easy to work with. It comes in different finishes and you can decide to go for a contemporary look or opt for an antique period finish such as Victorian or Georgian scroll work. Brass is also widely used for carpets rods and drapery hardware.

As well as having a nice handle on the door, other brass front door furniture can include a stylish letter box and house numbers or name plate as well as hinges and decorative draught excluders. When these things are new they have a lovely finish to them but you will find that as time goes by, the polish will wear off and leave the brass front door hardware looking lifeless and dull. This is when you can either use the polishing department of a company who deals with brass front door furniture or you can try and do the job yourself.

There are many products on the market which you can purchase to restore the polish to your brass front door hardware and it is advisable to look around and buy a good one since the results will last for much longer and give you a better finish. After all since you have spent the money in sprucing up your front door you do not wish the shine to wear off before you even have the first people come to view your house. A first impression is very important as research shows that many people will decide within a few minutes if the house is right.

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Searching for UPVC Doors, Hardware Stores and Sales


We recently decided to take on some home improvement jobs around the house and in order to try and save some money we thought that we would attempt a lot of the work ourselves as opposed to calling in expensive professionals. We started off fine by searching for UPVC door hardware online and then actually going around and looking at UPVC doors, hardware stores and trying to find any sales being advertised. We managed to get what we wanted but when it came to the actual renovations I had had enough and decided that I would rather work extra hours at the office and pay someone to do the home improvements instead.
There is so much more involved than just visiting the stores and making selections from showrooms. The fun part is collecting the shade cards and looking at all the funny names give to various shades of the same colour. Once the novelty has worn off it is time to do the actual hard work and this is where I threw in the towel. Against the wishes of my husband I called a couple of professional people and explained the things that needed doing to make the house look better.
It was such a relief not to have to worry about which grain of wood, which UPVC door hardware and which window fasteners were the best. I left it all in the capable hands of people to whom these decisions are second nature and who actually enjoy dealing with carpenters, joiners and builders. I left for work each morning with a light heart and did not feel guilty when I came home and saw that my husband was stressed out because he kept on interfering with the work and since he didn’t really know a lot about the trade, he was not being taken seriously.
The guilt did not kick in because as I saw it, it was his own choice and I had tried to explain that he would be better off following my example and going to work. Instead he wanted to be involved and stay with the contractors as they made all the small decisions and purchases. I made sure that I was involved in the important things like which style of curtain fittings and where to place the new wardrobes which we have had built.
The choice of UPVC doors hardware and windows , I left to my husband as I felt that he would probably make a better choice since I neither knew much about these things and neither did I care. As for the things like carpets and curtains, well this was certainly my domain and I even took a day off work so that we could go around the various stores and shopping centres to try and see what was available. The final selections were a joint decision but I admit that the majority of input in this department was mine regarding styles, colours, textures and other considerations, not forgetting the prices.

Thursday, 22 December 2011

Doll Up Your Home Doors with Chrome Knobs

Chrome door knobs are very popular choice not only for front doors but also for kitchen and bathroom doors due to their easy matching with existing furniture, appliances, and other hardware. Chrome has been in use for quoting metal knobs and handles throughout the world since the development of electroplating. Its popularity as a quoting material is attributed to its being resistant to corrosion. Besides, it is hard and creates polished and glossy looks when quoted on knobs and handles made of base metals like brass, zinc, and steel.

A chrome knob also finds its place on a kitchen cabinet drawer. By virtue of its being durable as well as stylish, a chrome knob adds to the beauty and style in your kitchen. The knobs are available in a variety of designs and styles to allow you a greater choice for decorating your homes matching the existing themes. You can give a modern and contemporary look to your old kitchen by just replacing the existing cabinet knobs with stylish chrome knobs.

Both chrome door knobs and drawer knobs are available in scratch proof polished finish that looks highly glossy even in low lighting conditions enhancing your theme. They do not suffer from natural wear and tear easily and can last for many years once installed. They are available in variety of designs ranging from plain to extremely flamboyant. You can choose from a wide variety of designs and styles of chrome knobs to match your existing themes in your home.

Chrome knobs and handles are designed to provide perfect handling according to the structure of hands providing comfort in opening and closing the doors and cabinets. The come in different shapes and sizes, for example, the most common circular shape, as well as stylish oval, square, or oblong shapes that look very attractive. They are also available in different colours such as golden and a few others besides usual sliver colour. The best thing about these knobs is that they fit easily in every space whether modern or classic. They don’t look out of place even amongst stainless steel, silver, and other modern furniture as they integrate in every theme making it more appealing.

Although metallic, the chrome hardware is not very expensive. It may cost you more if you choose extremely ornate designs but simple plain designs that are comparatively cheaper also look elegant. The knobs made of solid brass quoted with chrome are matchless in strength and may last for years. So, if you compare their price in terms of their life, you will find them cheaper.

Online shops are the great place to look for chrome door knobs of your choice as the brick and mortar stores offer only a limited designs and shapes. There are many suppliers and manufacturers websites accessible through Internet offering a wide range of designs and styles.

We would, therefore, suggest you to have a look at a few online store if you are planning to construct a new home or to renovate your home.

Chrome Door Furniture Helps You Leave a Great Impression on Guests Entering Your Home!

Chrome is a hard metal with steel-gray, shiny, and glossy look. It is highly resistant to corrosion, and hence finds its application in door furniture and hardware that is exposed to excessive and frequent use. Since chrome is an expensive element, the chrome door hardware is often made of some other base metal such as brass, zinc, or steel, and then layered with chrome through electroplating. The process is known as chrome plating.

The chrome plating provides more corrosion resistance, ease of cleaning, decoration, and additional surface hardness to door hardware making it more attractive and durable. The most commonly available chrome door furniture or hardware is the door handles and knobs. They are manufactured in variety of shapes and sizes according to their application, i.e. the type of door on which they will be installed.

 

How does chrome door furniture impress your guests?


Since the door handles on your front entry doors are the first things that your guests touch when they come to visit you, their quality is very important to leave a good impression on your guests’ hands. They should not only look beautiful but also be functioning well. Chrome door handles, by virtue of their durability and classy look, are great choice for installation on entry doors as they last longer and need minimal maintenance.

Chrome door handles are available in variety of sizes that perfectly fit on any type of doors including office doors, kitchen and bathroom doors, and main entry doors. Because they are durable, they find their place on high traffic doors such as that of bathrooms too. Since your bathrooms may also be used by your guests, they also leave an impression on them. Chrome handles keep working well for years and don’t let you bother much for their maintenance. So, you are relieved from burden of maintenance for a longer period time as compared to any other types of door handles.

If you decide to use chrome door furniture in your new home, do not try to install them by yourself as you may end up in damaging the doors, handles, or in injuring yourself. To maintain shiny finish and stylish look of door handles, do hire a professional. By this, you will definitely have to spend some money but this will be definitely much less than you can lose as a result of damaging the doors or handles, or by injuring yourself.

 

The best way to buy chrome door furniture


You can buy chrome door furniture using online stores that are very common now days. Almost all major suppliers have their websites on the Internet. You don’t have to physically move from one store to other facing pushy salespersons who try to sale their stuff to you without letting you ascertain their quality.

At online stores you can review a variety of chrome door handles, knobs, and other accessories with their pictures and specifications while sitting in your drawing room. You can also browse photos of doors installed with those handles to get the impression of how your doors will look after installing them. The websites also list the price of each item, so you have a greater choice in selecting the most appropriate items that match your likings and budget.

Ceramic Door Knobs Are Getting Popular in Home Furniture

Although often ignored, door furniture has a great role in beautifying homes. Doors not only make us feel safe and comfortable but also add to the beauty of our houses. They can be furnished with variety of handles and knobs, which not only ease opening and closing but also beautify them by virtue of their shapes, styles, and colours. Ceramic door knobs are getting popular now days due to their versatility, economy, and ease of installation.

There are many reasons why ceramic knobs are being preferred for door furniture. They are inexpensive and available in a number of colours and shapes that can be used on doors of any colour and shape. Their varsatility allows them to be used anywhere, whether it is an entry door or a bathroom door. The knobs used on entry doors have locks and latches fitted with them while those used on bathroom doors have privacy sets to lock them from inside. They are highly affordable as compared to metal door knobs.

Ceramic door knobs are available in different shapes and sizes, mostly around 2.5 inches in diameter. They are available in different finishes too. The most common finishes available are normal brass, antique brass, chrome, satin nickel, and oil rubbed bronze. They can suit your requirement for any type of doors due to variety of the colours and shapes they are available in. They are available in standard colours like white, brown, and black, besides ivory and almond colours. All these colours are available in Victorian, Prairie, and Meadows styles.

Another feature of ceramic door knobs is that you can have them ordered to match the style of your door if they are not available prefabricated. You can get custom designed knobs from a large number of manufacturers. For example, you can order the knobs designed shaped like Mickey Mouse or any other cartoon character to use it on children’s drawers. Ceramic knobs are easy to install. Athough inexpensive, antique style knobs are a bit costilier. However you won’t find them very expensive if you compare the price with the value they provide by adding elegance to your doors.

By virtue of their varsatility, ceramic knobs can be used on cabinets, show cases, bathroom and bedroom doors, and on the doors leading to the gardens or patios. They are so varsatile that they can fit in any design scheme, from simple standard colours to detailed Victorean pattern.

Ceramic knobs have been popular in United Kingdom and other parts of Europe for many years; they are also getting popular in United States. Available in wide range of colours, styles, shapes, and different prices, ceramic door knobs can best fit your home doors. However, it is important that you make a good choice based on your budget. Before buying, you need to consider price, ease of installation, durability, and their fitness to the colours and designes of the doors in your home. Although ceramic knobs last longer than metal knobs, they are easily broken if dropped or hit with something hard. So, if you have children in your home donot choose more delicate designs.

Monday, 21 November 2011

Brushed Steel Door Furniture – How to Choose the Best for Your Home


Door furniture makes even a plain looking door or cabinet stunning, and it brings smile on the faces and joy in the hearts of onlookers. And if the door furniture is brushed steel door furniture then the thrill and excitement of having it gets enhanced provided you get the best one.
But the question remains how to choose the best brushed door furniture for your home? What all to look for in a door furniture to ascertain that you get the absolute best one available in the market, in the budget you have. Read this guide through, it will help you with your purchase.

Brushed steel door furniture buying guide

When buying brushed steel door furniture for your home you should look at the following items.

Purpose and nature of the door furniture

Before buying brushed steel door furniture for your home you need to ask what will be the purpose of the door furniture? Are you going to buy an elegant-looking handles which will be used multiple times of a day, or are you going to buy stoppers, or is it the brushed stainless steel knockers that you would like to buy for your home?
Your understanding of what you need and in what quantity will help you decide on what you will buy once in the market.

Quality and durability

When buying brushed steel door furniture you must ensure the quality of the door furniture. You should decide if you want a stainless steel brushed door furniture, or a normal steel door furniture will do the trick? What would be the average live expectancy of the door furniture? For example if you are in the market to shop for handles then make sure you get the one which should work for many, many years because door handles will be used multiple times in a day.

Beauty and finish of door furniture

How good does a door handle looks in isolation and how will it look on your door are two different things. The door furniture that looks beautiful in the shop may not look even half as good as that when installed in your home, simply because the backdrop against which it I displayed in the showroom is different from the situation in which it will be used in your home.
When buying brushed steel door furniture for your home you should pay attention to the aesthetic coherence between the door furniture and doors and cabinets in your home.

Security

If you are buying a door handle with a lock for your home then you must ask if the door handle is safe enough to keep the bad guys out of your house? The same consideration should be given when you are buying one for your cabinet.

Cost

No matter how attractive a piece of brushed steel doorfurniture is and how safe it is, you cannot buy it unless it suits your budget, so during the research process it is important that you keep cost in your mind as well when buying brushed door furniture for your home.

Next time when you are in the market to buy brushed steeldoor furniture then you must keep these things in mind.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Brass Door Handles – How to Keep Them Shining Like New

A brass door handle looks beautiful when it is new and shiny. It adds up to the beauty of the home, but when brass door handles start gathering dirt and stain, the attractiveness of the handle is lost and what remains is something we do not wish to fix our eyes on. This defeat the purpose of having elegant brass handles in your home.

If the brass handles in your home have started looking dirty and stained, there is a piece of good news for you, the past glory of brass door handles can be restored and they can be made to shine like new brass handles. There is no need to replace your existing door handle, unless you want to upgrade the style.

 

Making your old brass door handles shine like new


Before beginning the cleaning up process, you should determine the nature of stain on the brass fittings, and choose the cleaning process suitable for the purpose. If you have to remove tarnish from the brass door handles to make it attractive, you would need the following materials:
  1. 2 pieces of cloth
  2. White vinegar
  3. Lemon Juice
  4. Salt

Take a piece of cloth and soak it in white vinegar or lemon juice. Add some salt to it as well. Use this cloth to wipe the door handle which needs cleaning. After that you should rinse the cloth in plain water to remove traces of white vinegar/ lemon juice from the cloth. Wring it and use this cloth to remove traces of white vinegar/ lemon juice from the door handle.

Take another piece of soft cloth (dry one) and clean the brass handle. Use this cloth to burnish the brass door handle until it shines.

If there is no tarnish and you just need to do regular cleaning, or remove the dirt or stubborn stain from the brass door handles, you can use the following:
  1. Warm water
  2. Dish soap
  3. Two pieces of cloths
  4. A brush

To clean stubborn stain or deposited dust off the brass door handles, you need a bucket of warm water. Mix a small amount of dish soap in the warm water and dip a cloth in it. Wring the cloth out and wipe the brass handle with the soapy cloth.

Now take a brush, dip it into the soapy water and scrub the door handle to remove stubborn dirt and stains. Now wipe the handle with soapy cloth. Then use fresh water to rinse the cloth. Wring the cloth and wipe out any soap remaining on the brass door handle. Afterward, use a dry soft cloth to dry the handle.

These are the two effective ways to clean the brass door handles. As said, before using any of the ways, you must find out the nature of dirt deposit or stain because excessive cleaning may discolor your fixture, particularly when it is “brass quoted”. Cleaning of brass door handles will restore the lost glory of your door fixtures, and it may save you some money. So before you go for a new set, you should consider cleaning the existing one, unless you want to change the design.