Healthy Tips For Better Live » Carpets

Home Flooring: Are Natural Stone Carpets Good for Your Home?

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:43:45 +0000

Below are some of the reasons why natural stone carpets are the home flooring choice of more and more people today.

Home Flooring Made Easy To Clean

Due to their water tight structure, they are very low maintenance and easy to clean. We are all aware of the tedious vacuum cleaning and washing of carpets, polishing of wood floors and scrubbing stubborn staining off tiles. Unlike those, stone carpets can be quickly vacuumed and washed down with a moist cloth and typical spillages like coffee and wine will not leave lasting stains. There is no need of time-consuming polishing; they always look their best with no extra effort. Dust and dirt are vacuumed away effortlessly. Cleaning your stone carpet is therefore simple and effective. Natural stone carpet flooring is so practical that it can be used for any room of the home – in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, halls and conservatories, saving you oodles of cleaning time and effort.

Home Flooring Durability & Safety

Using the finest quality natural stones, natural stone carpets are highly durable. They don’t chip, scratch or mark easily which makes them children & pet friendly. Their non-slip covering makes them the ideal choice of flooring for families with children and older adults.

Are Natural Stone Carpets too cold for home flooring?

Contrary to the common opinion, natural stone flooring is not a cold surface at all. In fact it is much warmer flooring alternative to conventional tiles and wood. Porous by design, natural stone carpets retain heat and provide a comfortable warm feel to the home. Epoxy resin, the adhesive used, takes on the ambient temperature so that your stone floor doesn’t feel as cold as wood or tiles. Actually, stone carpets have the same heat retention as a timber floor. Under floor heating is therefore unnecessary.

Multiple Decorative Options for Your Home Flooring

Natural stone carpets are made of high quality solvent-free epoxy resins and various types of gravel and quartz. By mixing the types of gravel and/or quartz, and even laying these in a pleasing decorative pattern, a stone carpet can be created to match any taste and preferences and respond to the rest of your home look and feel. Seamless when laid, natural stone carpets fit neatly around the contours of your floor and can be laid over tiles and other coverings. Typically a selection of stones and colour variations are chosen to create an impressive finish, which blends in with your surrounding interiors. You have a vast choice of colour and stone combinations in order to achieve the perfect interior experience. Usually samples are provided before laying each floor to make sure the look is absolutely right!

Home Flooring Choice & Health Implications

There is always some mold and dust everywhere – in the air and on many surfaces. Mold grows where there is moisture and dust access pretty much everything surrounding our daily life.

Some people are sensitive to molds and/or dust. Sometimes molds or dust can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, or, in some cases, skin irritation. People who have developed allergies may have more severe reactions. These people should stay away from areas that are likely to retain mold and dust, such as compost piles, cut grass, wooded areas, books, carpets or any surface & surface that is likely to gather dust and mold in excessive amount.

Due to its composition, natural stone carpet is a very suitable solution for your home if you need to keep the dust and mold levels to a bare minimum. If there are children and adults with asthma and other debilitating dust allergies in your household you need to consider a dust/mold free agent as a home flooring solution.

Your Home Flooring Value & Price

Pricewise it may come as a surprise that a natural stone carpet usually comes cheaper comparing to many wood and tile finishes. Adding their long life span, durability and easy maintenance increase their value in money, care and time for redecorating.

A natural stone carpet has the advantages of a carpet – comfort and warmth: the advantages of wood – a natural look; and the advantages of tiles – it is easy to clean. A natural stone carpet is a perfect solution for people who find synthetic floor coverings too vulnerable and tiles too hard and cold.

Allergy Attack

admin — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 10:59:03 +0000

The last thing that you want to have happen when you are out enjoying company with friends is to have an allergy attack. If you are anything like me, taking allergy pills can make you drowsy and tired. Instead, when you are shopping around for allergy pills to take, try to look for ones that advertise non-drowsy formulas on the box. Also, it helps to be aware of the fact that in some situations, even though the box may indicate that the allergy pills are non-drowsy, it may still make you feel tired and/or lethargic.

Most people experience problems with their allergies during the beginning of the spring around the month of March or during the autumn around late September. The reason for this is due to the fact that these are two different times of year when there are different plants, trees and flowers that are beginning to bloom. For many people, allergies are worse during the spring time because this is when all of the pollen is being released into the air. If you live in states such as North Carolina, it may come as a shock to wake up one morning and see your vehicle caked in yellow from all of the pollen in the air. Can you imagine? You are actually breathing that into your lungs! It’s no wonder that people have a hard time breathing or find themselves sneezing uncontrollably. That being said, what can be done about it short of taking drugs all of the time?

For starters, if you struggle with allergies, the first step that you can take is to make sure that your living environment is as clean as you can muster. This means making sure that your carpets are vacuumed at least several times a week, that your bed linens are washed in hot water at least once a week and that you make sure to wash your hair in the evenings prior to going to bed. The reason for taking a shower and washing your hair at bedtime is because this rids your body of any allergens that may have been in the air. If you were outside all day or over at a friend’s house where they might have had a dog or cat or tons of dust, a lot of that actually gets trapped in your hair, which then gets transported to your bed onto your pillow as you toss and turn at night.

If you can help it, get rid of carpeting in your home and opt instead for hardwood floors as these do not attract dust and allergens as do carpets. If you have pets, make sure that you wear a mask and regularly brush them out several times a week (make sure you do this outside). If you do plan on going somewhere or running errands, pay attention to the time of day and do what you have to do in the early morning before traffic becomes heavy or in the later evening (when things have had a chance to settle down). On really high pollen days, opt to work out indoors at the gym versus at the park. Taking precautions such as these can greatly reduce your symptoms during the allergy season.

Green Interior Design

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:24:57 +0000

By Loknath Swain

A lot of discussion is on green design is different spehere . Many have been giving opinion on this new design area in many ways. Recently I read an article by Bernadette V Upton on “Green Interior Design” . According to this author, a building cannot be green on the outside without being green on the interior. But there is certain answer to who will bring green design. What does interior designers really about green design? It is a popular misconception that interior designers do not know about green design—or that an interior designer who knows about green does not know about good design.

But what is truth ? Who knows Green Design ? Is it very difficult or easy to be green designer ? Acccording to many “it was not easy being green”. In India, a Mumbai based architect and interior design firm iDream is promoting green design. According to their website iDream.in, “The depth of understanding of conceptualising a green project goes beyond the shell and core; iDream’s team has, through its involvement from a very early stage, has managed to not only make the shell and core green, but even apply green principles in the interiors of a facility also.”

According to designer community , ” Every element of a project has the potential to be part of a poisonous “toxic point”—from the off-gasses of carpets to the volatile organic compounds found in paint. It will be harmful.

In the above circumstances, green design needs more debate and more analysis. As it is gaining popularity and corporate support, everyone is claiming as green designer. But one has to be careful to examine properly the credentials.

About iDream:

iDream is a International Class Architectural & Interior Design Firm offering its services in India and across the Asia Pacific region through an alliance. Set up in the year 2003, iDream brings together a resource pool of senior industry professionals with over two decades of experience in handling major projects in formats like ‘Design Consultancy’, ‘Project Management Consultancy’ and ‘Design & Build’, across the globe. Positioned on international standards, the firm’s service deliverables are designed to suit international client requirements and at the same time, aligned to meet their expectations. With an enviable track record of successful projects, iDream today has some of the leading multinationals as its esteemed clients. One of the fastest growing and sharpest architectural firms in this part of the globe, iDream has in a short span of time, since inception, secured more than 100 projects, expanded operations across 4 cities and executed projects in most major cities in India.

For more details log on to:

http://www.idream.in

Green Parenting: Tips To An Eco Friendly Nursery Safe For Your Baby

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 05:09:23 +0000

Thinking about the environment means looking at what one spends money on when it comes to children. Diapers, clothing, bedding and also nursery furniture and all considerations of an eco-friendly upbringing. When one first starts looking at these things in detail, it can be surprising to find that there are a lot of potentially hazardous issues. This article is going to talk about nursery furniture and nursery materials and their potential hazard to the health of your baby and the environment and what to look for instead.

First of all when it comes to the nursery there are many things one wants to do with it; paint it, put in new flooring and clean it. Carpets, paint and cleaning products all can emit toxic fumes called volatile organic compounds of which some are carcinogenic and can irritate the lungs and thus one’s breathing. Children are much more susceptible to toxins then adults as their lungs are smaller and they also breathe much faster. Babies are even more susceptible especially as their lungs are much smaller and haven’t developed as far as a child’s or adult’s. Their immune and nervous system are only in the early stages of development. They also breathe faster. As a result they inhale more toxins than adults do and have much smaller bodies. This is also a caution for pregnant women, as inhalation of toxins can also affect the baby.

First of all one will want to paint the nursery and many people leave to the last minute. If you are going to paint the nursery it is best to do it as soon as you can and ventilate it well. If you are pregnant this is a job best left to someone else to be extra safe. When painting you need to give at least a month or so for the room to properly air before putting your baby in there. The longer you leave a room to dry and let the paint settle the better. It is also best to avoid conventional paint and look for eco friendly paints and ones low in VOCs. You could also try looking for milk or natural paints. There are also paints that are completely VOC free and thus do not emit any fumes. These are well worth looking for to be extra safe.

Besides paint there is also the floor to contend with. Carpet is far from ideal when it comes to toxins and being green. New carpet will emit VOCs and with its flame-resistant properties will also add more toxins into the mix. Carpets can also trap in dust, mold and pesticides and your baby will be crawling on it and be very close to it. Carpet is best avoided but there are some great alternative carpets such as cork or bamboo that you could use without the toxic issues. If you do not like the idea of a bamboo or cork carpet then wood flooring is the better option. You can also use natural rugs on the floor for particular areas to add some cosiness and make it softer for your moving baby.

Lastly there is the issue of furniture. Many people do not think that furniture could possibly admit toxins – I didn’t at one point. However if you are buying cheap MDF/chipboard style furniture, this type of furniture usually contains formaldehydes that can be hazardous to health. Avoid them at all costs and only go for furniture that is formaldehyde free or solid wood.

Pet Allergy Tips

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:41:16 +0000

The degree of allergies varies from person to person. It can especially be disheartening to see a young child with allergies to the extent that they cannot even have a pet. Could you imagine having a pet for years, and all of a sudden finding out you are no longer able to keep it? Is there a means to deal with pet allergies that may lessen or even eliminate altogether the suffering for adults and children?

What Are You Allergic To? **

By establishing whether your pet is really the origin of an allergy is certainly the best starting point. Regardless, that can be a difficult task if you already have a pet since the allergens are very difficult to eliminate entirely.

If an existing pet can be removed and the home thoroughly cleaned (carpets, walls, furniture etc.) you MAY be able to verify the allergy in several months. Obviously that is not the easiest solution.

Having the child stay with a friend or relative for a week or two (as long as there are no pets in the house) may show an improvement that might point to an allergy to the family pet.

A visit to your physician can authenticate an allergy with a simple exam. The tests vary, but some can be mildly uneasy and would likely not be considered if the symptoms were mild.

Some symptoms are compounded by exposure to several allergens. By identifying different sources and removing them you may find the reaction to pets is lessened and not a barrier to enjoying their company.

Establishing an Allergy Friendly Home **

There are several steps you can take to reduce the build up of allergens and bring relief to allergy sufferers.

The initial suggestion is to have hardwood or other smooth surface for your flooring. Carpets hold far more of the particles that cause allergies and hard flooring makes it easy to disinfect.

Leather furnishings is also ideal for homes with pet allergies. For the exact reason as hard flooring is more suitable than carpet, leather holds far less allergens than fabric.

Keep a chair for the allergy sufferer that pets are not allowed to sit on. Also be certain that animals do not sleep on the beds or enter the bedrooms of allergy sufferers. Think about keeping the sleeping area of the home as a pet-free zone.

Making Your Pet as Hypo-Allerggenic as Possible **

There are even things you can do with your pet to lessen the allergic effects of having them in your home.

Frequent grooming and bathing with a mild soap to prohibit over drying will reduce the dander that is one of the leading causes of pet allergies. It would be recommended that someone without allergies take on this task.

Washing hands after playing with a pet and avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands will also help. Since some individuals are also allergic to the saliva of pets it would be sensible to not allow your pet to lick you.

In the instance of more serious allergies or asthma it may be necessary that no pet share the home. For older children or adults it may be feasible to find a medication or treatment which makes the situation tolerable if they prefer to keep the pet in spite of the allergy.