One of the visions that comes to mind when thinking of a cool, mountain setting is a large log home with a stone fireplace.  The rustic look of polished logs begs for a river rock hearth as well as features like backsplashes, feature walls and whole fireplaces. Patios and pathways are also very striking with this type of look.

However, having an entire fireplace built from rock is very expensive. In addition, it takes a skilled artisan to place the round, river rock so that it looks natural but also is structurally sound. But what if you could find a product that is easy to place, cutting down on installation expenses in the process?

Solistone River Rock is a unique placement of stones on a mesh that comes in 12″ X 12″ squares. It not only makes the rustic settings look more authentic it fits all settings from natural to modern, and both indoors and outdoors. This unique way to achieve a stone look is perfect for floors, walkways, ceilings, walls, fireplaces, borders and other decorative uses.

Not only that, these river rock tiles work well with water features and any other water areas. this includes: bathrooms,  kitchens,  spas,  gardens, pools, fountains and kitchens. This stone tile is an all-natural product and not molded concrete look-a-likes. therefore you get the variation in color and textures just like you would get in nature: striations, flaws, shapes and textures.

So get the look and feel of natural stone without the cost and the mess. Solistone River Rock will spruce up your home and garden in the natural way.

The great thing about a flagstone pathway is that it is timeless. It will never go out of date and will match almost any architecture and stone will outlast brick, tile or any other patio stones. In addition, it is as easy to install as laying tile.

Because of its random shapes flagstone can produce some dramatic geometric designs with natural color effects. Some products, like MS International Santa Barbara Gold Meshed Flagstone, are pieces of slate glued to mesh matting for ease of installation. It can be adhered to an old sidewalk or patio, orembeeded in a freshly-poured surface.

Flagstones come in many colors and designs: flagstone, irregular flagstone, field stone, and cut stone. The patio flagstone is usually cut into slabs half-inch thick and in pieces up to two-feet, 9-inches. Each package of flagstones is sorted so that with each homeowner will get the best coloring for his or her patio.

MS International Santa Barbara Gold Meshed Flagstone comes in crates containing 78 pieces that will cover 214 square feet.  The crates weight upward of 1,100 pounds and the pieces are carefully wrapped for minimum breakage.

The installation of flagstone can be a do-it-yourself project if the proper preparations are observed. The project should be drawn to scale on graph paper to calculate the exact amount of flagstone needed. Always order 10% more than needed for the unexpected accidents. The extra pieces can always be used elsewhere.

There are few other renovations made on a home that can increase the living space so quickly, and cheaply, as building a deck. If the homeowner is moderately-skilled a deck the project can be a do-it-yourself job, otherwise he or she can hire a contractor to complete the deck. The key to deck building is in the planning.

Here are some tips to consider before building a deck:

1.  Function: How the deck is to be used relates directly to the style of deck. For example, if the deck is going to be in a wet area like around a pool a good suggestion is a composite wood/plastic decking like Yakima Prestige Series Composite Decking - Grooved Board.

2.  Shape and Size: Most lumber is sold in 8, 10, 12 and 16 foot lengths. Planning the deck around these sizes will save wood waste and that saves money.

3.  Positioning: Homeowners should take advantage of sunlight and view and avoid the side of the home facing traffic, garbage or a neighbor’s unsightly yard.

4.  Bylaws and Codes: In many areas decks over a certain height must have a building permit. In addition the homeowner should know the property boundaries and where any underground utilities are buried.

5.  Materials: Depending on the use many homeowners choose pressure-treated lumber. It can be stained to a redwood look, or almost any other design. If the deck is used around a pool cedar, redwood, vinyl and aluminum are expensive but will offer years of maintenance-free deck surface. And so will a composite decking like Yakima Prestige Series Composite Decking - Grooved Board.

Check out deck materials at:

Before vinyl siding was developed the exterior of a home was a very high-maintenance area. Whether it was wood clapboard or or stucco, sooner or later the surface had to be refinished because of weather conditions like rain, snow and intense sunlight.

The first non-wood siding was aluminum but even its coatings had to be refinished after five years. And the newer models, although better coated, are easy to dent and this is not the best exterior surface in an area that experiences hail.

Vision Pro D4 Wood Grain Vinyl Siding is an inexpensive, great-looking product that is easy to install and lasts a lifetime. It is made by a co-extrusion process by which two layers are squeezed together before being molded. The inner layer, or substrate, that makes up around 80% of the siding is made from a dense polyvinyl chloride (PVC) product to add strength and bulk to the siding while the thin, outer layer, the one that contains the coloring, also contains approximately 15% titanium oxide to withstand the ultra-violet rays of the sun. This layer also contains the wood-grain so that it maintains the traditional clapboard styling.

There are many manufacturers of vinyl siding who produce a wide range of product qualities and thicknesses. How thick the siding is affects the durability and this can vary from .35 mm for the inexpensive grades up to a heavier .52 mil for the highest grade.

For the best quality siding at the best price choose Vision Pro D4 Wood Grain Vinyl Siding

Welcome to the 2009 father’s day gift giving guide!  We’ve assembled a list of great products to buy dad that he’ll actually use - unlike that tie you gave him two years ago (you know the one I’m talking about).

If you’re looking to be “the favorite” this Father’s Day, don’t mess around with sentimental greeting cards, making a nice, light lunch or even offering to do some chores around the house.  Rather, drop some coin on this Makita 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-Piece Combo Kit, wrap it up and give it to dad.

Why?

Because your father deserves the best. And this Makita 3-piece kit is flat-out awesome.

The kit contains everything you need to assume favorite child status:

• 1/2-Inch Drill-Driver
• Impact Driver
• Flashlight
• 2 18v compact batteries
• Rapid charger
• Contractor bag

The Makita 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-Piece Combo Kit is designed with power in mind.  Your father will blow through most home improvement projects with horsepower to spare.  There’s a ton of power in the little Impact Driver, and that alone is enough to warrant purchasing this kit.  Throw in Drill/Driver, Flashlight, 2 batteries, charger and contractor bag and you’ve got one great bargain that’s sure to make your ‘ol man happy.

What sets this Makita set apart from the other combo kits you’ll see at your local chain megahardwarestores is the best-in-class cordless solution: the battery just kicks all sorts of butt.  For starters, you can use the tools after as little as 15 minutes on the charger, the batteries have 2.5x more cycles than a Ni-Cad battery and they charge much faster than other sets.

So if you’re gunning to be the favorite child this father’s day, you can leapfrog your siblings by purchasing this kit!

Welcome to the 2009 father’s day gift giving guide!  We’ve assembled a list of great products to buy dad that he’ll actually use - unlike that tie you gave him two years ago (you know the one I’m talking about).

We start with the Porter-Cable 2 1/2″ by 14″ Compact Belt Sander kit.  You may be asking yourself why you’d need to get your husband/father/grandfather/babydaddy a compact belt sander. That’s understandable.

Sure, the Porter-Cable Compact Belt Sander kit has a lightweight frame, but don’t let that fool ya - this belt sander has a lot under the hood.  In fact, I’m confident enough to say that it has more power than you’ll actually need, but it’s awfully nice knowing it’s there - just in case.

If you’re concerned about ergonomics, it has a very easy to handle rubber grip on the surface, allowing for precise control.  Dad will appreciate the cushioned grip, as it cuts down on a lot of the vibration that is always present with sanders.

Let’s go over some quick points:

• The Porter-Cable name is trusted. They make some really high-quality tools.
• The Porter-Cable Compact Belt Sander kit won the Handy Magazine Innovation Award in 2006 for all of it’s awesome features.
• The 120-volt, 5 amp motor is crazy powerful for a compact belt sander.
• The flush side and compact belt size (2 1/2″ x 14″) makes 90 degree angles a piece of cake.

Trust me - this is one item that Dad would love to open on June 21!

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

I have never been a fan of the bulky leather gardening gloves that most home improvement stores sell.  They grip well, when you can find something big enough to grab.  But you can forget about pulling tiny weeds or planting delicate seeds and seedlings.

Since I tend to be somewhat unorganized when gardening – jumping from weeding to raking to pruning, etc. – I need gloves that can run the gamut.  I decided to try the Bionic X-Wear Gardening/Work Gloves.  I believe they were originally designed for gardeners with arthritis, so they have silicone padding in the fingers and thumbs.  Even with the padding, you do not lose any dexterity or “feel.” The wrists fasten securely to keep dirt out (a big problem with traditional garden gloves, I found).

Casual gardeners who do not want to wait for the leather to stretch should order a size larger than you normally would, as these gloves run small.  Even with the snug fit, or perhaps because of it, my hands do not tire out as easily as they did with other gloves.  And I had no problem using an old, wood handled de-thatching rake, something that would have given me terrible blisters in plain leather gloves.

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

Our elderly neighbor feeds the birds.  And while I do not like them dive bombing our patio and dirtying up (read: pooping on) our furniture, I do like to see some prettier birds from time to time.

I had seen a couple hummingbird feeders during walks around the neighborhood, so I decided to try to attract some to my kitchen window.  I did not want a plastic, fruit shaped feeder, so I decided to get the BirdBrained Snow Cone feeders.

They are made from recycled glass, which is much more attractive than the typical clear plastic cylinder.  The feeders are made from recycled glass, so there is some variation in coloration, but the swirls add nice dimension to the feeder.  The suction cups are big enough to be sturdy but small enough to not interfere with the feeder or view out the window.

The feeding flowers come out easily to clean (and sugar water does attract some creatures less desirable than hummingbirds) and refill the reservoir.

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

I will admit it, I am a giant weather nerd.  I have to watch the weather reports every newscast, even if I just saw it an hour before.  And since spring weather is so volatile, I need something to let me know what the temperature is without being glued to the TV.  Basically, I need to know if I should blow dry my hair in the morning.

We set up the LaCrosse Wireless Temperature Station in our office.  The outdoor sensor is on our covered (away from rain and sun) patio, about 10 feet from the base.  As long as the instructions are followed carefully, there should not be a problem setting the device up.  I can pop in to check the outdoor temperature before I get in the shower.  It is also great for deciding if I need to rush my morning routine because I will need to scrape the frost off my car.  It may not be bang-on accurate, but as long as you are not operating an official weather station, you can get a good idea of outdoor temperature.  If you plan on using the outdoor sensor year round and live in a cold climate, try using lithium ion batteries – they work better in the cold.

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

No matter how much mulch and how many yards of garden fabric, we still get weeds in our planting beds.  And, as everyone knows, weeding is not fun.  I have been pretty laisser faire about it in the past (sometimes weeds have nice flowers!) but not this year.  So far this spring I have spent more time pulling up than planting.

I do not have to tell anyone that it can be murder on your back and knees to spend that much time hunched over a planting bed.  After one weekend, I bought the Folding Garden Kneeler to save my joints.  It can be used as either a kneeler or as a seat.  I use the kneeler when I need to get more towards the back of the area I’m working on.  I also use it in the kneeler position when I want to stay dry and clean but still sit close to the ground.  The handles really do make it easier to get up – no matter how young you are, sitting in one spot for too long makes standing an adventure.  The seat height is great for lighter work and planting.  Even a foot difference makes it easier to see how plants will lay out and look together.  When I am done for the day, I just fold it up and stash it in the garage.