Teak Patio Furniture Is The Perfect Choice For Your Terrace
May 30, 2006
You have spent hours of time and quite a lot of money on getting your back yard just right. The trees are lush and green, the flowers are blooming and everything looks beautiful. The only thing missing is somewhere to sit down and enjoy your beautiful yard.
There is nothing like the look of natural wood in your yard or on your patio. Many prefer the look of natural wood to aluminum or plastic, and there is nothing more beautiful than the natural look of teak patio furniture. Teak furniture will blend in to a natural surrounding beautifully and will look elegant and relaxing as well as being comfortable.
What About The Weather?
Many people believe that wood furniture cannot hold up to the demands of outdoor weather. Some people believe that outdoor wooden furniture can only be utilized in environments where there is little rain or snow. This could not be further than the truth. Wooden furniture is perfect for an outdoor environment, it just requires a little bit of care and maintenance in order to stay looking beautiful.
Teak patio furniture is the perfect choice for outdoor furniture. Because one set should last you a lifetime with the proper care and attention. Teak is known for being an extremely weather resistant type of wood. It can stand up to all types of weather conditions including intensely rainy environments, snow and sleet, and extremely sunny and hot conditions.
The Different Looks Of Teak
Although teak is a weather resistant form of wood, it still requires a little bit of care and maintenance to prolong the life of the furniture and keep it looking beautiful. You have a few options when it comes to teak furniture. If you prefer a natural look for your teak patio furniture, than you can leave the wood untreated and the wood will fade to a lovely silver, gray color. The gray color blends in perfectly to a natural looking terrace or patio.
If you prefer a warm brown look to your patio furniture, than that is easily achieved by using a teak oil on the furniture. Teak oil is a very easy product to use. You simply need to use a cloth to rub the oil into the wood grain. The oil absorbs into the wood and allows it to keep the natural brown color. In order to maintain this color, you should give the furniture a new coat of oil about once a year.
Taking Care Of Teak
Teak is an extremely easy type of furniture to care for. If you want to keep your patio furniture maintenance to the bare minimum than you should invest in some quality patio furniture covers. If you cover, your furniture set when you are not using it, than the set will stay protected from the sun, the rain, the snow and whatever other weather comes your way.
Teak requires very little maintenance, and if you give your furnishings a regular wipe down with a clean, dry rag that will go a long way in keeping your furniture clean and protected. If you have chosen to use a teak oil, than you should give your furniture a rub down with the teak oil about once a year, or as needed.
In the wintertime, if you are not going to be using your deck or your patio furniture than it is a good idea to put it away, in a shed or a garage. Even though teak is very weather resistant, any extra steps that you can take to protect your set from the elements will be beneficial.
Furnishings For A Lifetime
Teak patio furniture is beautiful and durable furniture that will last a lifetime. However, it is also expensive. A full teak patio set will cost around $3000. You can find teak pieces in any style that you need. If you are looking for loungers, you can find amazing pieces where the back adjusts as well as the footrest. Some loungers are able to fold up and be stored easily.
There are many different tabletop styles available to suit any style that you may like. Whether you are looking for a small, two-person table where you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the morning or a large table where eight or ten of your closest friends can enjoy a nice meal on a summer evening, there is a tabletop that will be perfect for your needs.
The Perfect Choice
Teak patio furniture is the perfect choice for a backyard deck or terrace because it is not only beautiful and natural looking it is also extremely durable. Although teak furniture is more expensive than other types of patio furnishings that are available, it will last much longer and provide you with a beautiful and comfortable place to sit and enjoy the yard that you have put so much work in, for years to come.
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About the Author
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.patio-furniture-now.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including outdoor furniture, teak patio furniture, outdoor lighting and more.
Inspiration From Jack Dempsey
May 30, 2006
I really like Jack Dempsey’s great one liner: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”
It summarises, as powerfully and as swiftly as one of his explosive left hooks, the spirit of anyone who refuses to accept limitations and defeat whether they are a boxer or not.
I just quoted the line on the phone to my brother who is temporarily floored by the problem of switching off his new scanner! Dempsey might well have ’solved’ the problem by smashing the scanner with a powerful punch.
At times, Dempsey fought from ‘pure rage’ although he also had great skill. He did not waste time in a fight but just attacked with intent.
Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado in 1895, the 9th of 11 children. The small hut in which his family lived is preserved there to this day. A guide book describes the extensive inspiration people gain from his life: “The people in Manassa still celebrate his greatness, which stimulates them to succeed on their own in many professions, especially the medical.”
He left home at the age of 16 and learned to survive in the mining towns of the West. He had many successful fights and started boxing professionally in 1914. He knocked out the giant Jess Willard in 1919 to win the Heavyweight boxing title. Dempsey was a skilled but ferocious fighter. He didn’t believe in sounding out his opponent. Willard was knocked down 7 times in the first round.
Dempsey also had a great champion’s one liner for dealing with big men: “Tall men come down to my height when I hit ‘em in the body.” Dempsey was five inches shorter and 58 pounds lighter than the 6-foot-6, 245-pound champion, Jess Willard. But on July 4, 1919, under the scorching sun in Toledo, Ohio, Dempsey broke Willard’s jaw with one of his first punches, an explosive left hook.
He knocked Willard down seven times in the first round and walloped him for two more rounds. When Willard didn’t come out for the fourth round, he had four teeth missing, his eyes were closed, his nose was smashed and two ribs were cracked.For good measure,he still had the broken jaw from round one.
Dempsey did not believe in half measures. Pulitzer Prize winner Red Smith described Dempsey in the ring vividly: “In the ring, he was a tiger without mercy who shuffled forward in a bobbing crouch, humming a barely audible tune and punching to the rhythm of the song. He was 187 pounds of unbridled violence. This isn’t big by heavyweight standards, yet in the judgment of some, this black-browed product of Western mining camps and hobo jungles was the best of all pugilists.”
Dempsey defended his title twice in 1920 and then, in 1921, knocked out Georges Carpentier, the French light-heavyweight champion, in the fourth round. In 1923 he had a mighty brawl with challenger, Luis Firpo, a 216-pounder from Argentina who was called “the Wild Bull of the Pampas.”
Firpo’s first punch was a powerful right to the jaw that put the champ down. Dempsey jumped off the canvas before a count could be started and went on to knock down Firpo seven times.
Before the first round ended, an angry Firpo threw a right that sent Dempsey through the ropes and onto a sportswriter’s typewriter. The writer and another man helped the champ return to the ring before the count of 10. I’m not sure what happened to the typewriter. This is the stuff that films like ‘Rocky’ are made of!
Perhaps Dempsey was thinking of this incident when he wrote: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” In Round 2, Dempsey scored two more knockdowns The second knockdown ended the bout after 3 minutes and 57 seconds of non-stop action. No wonder his fights were popular!
Dempsey took the next three years off and fought only a few exhibitions. When he returned on Sept. 23, 1926, the quicker Tunney, the marine, carved up the champ’s face. Dempsey kept his sense of humour. Returning home to his wife Estelle after the defeat, he confessed: “Honey, I forgot to duck!”
Before the Tunney rematch, Dempsey fought Jack Sharkey. When Sharkey complained to the referee in the seventh round that Dempsey was hitting low, Dempsey unloaded a left hook on Sharkey’s exposed chin. The fight was over. When asked why he threw the punch when Sharkey wasn’t looking, Dempsey said, “What was I supposed to do — write him a letter?”
Dempsey’s return match with Tunney drew a gate of $2,658,660 (about $22 million in today’s dollars) at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sept. 22, 1927 Tunney controlled the first six rounds, but in the seventh a typical blitz from Dempsey floored Tunney.
The timekeeper began his count. The referee, Dave Barry, pointed Dempsey to a neutral corner but Dempsey ignored him and went to his own corner, a few feet behind Tunney. Barry pointed again to the neutral corner and at the count of three, Dempsey started there, arriving about two seconds later. The timekeeper was at five when Barry turned to Tunney. But instead of picking up that count in unison with the timekeeper, Barry called out, “One.”
So began the Long Count. At Barry’s count of four, Tunney looked up at the referee. When the count reached nine, Tunney, pulled himself to his feet. He had been down about 14 seconds. Perhaps Dempsey was thinking of this incident more than the one when he was knocked out of the ring when he wrote: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”
Tunney ran from Dempsey for the rest of the round. In the eighth, he floored Dempsey, and then went on to dominate the last two rounds to win easily. After the fight, Dempsey lifted Tunney’s arm in salute and said, “You were best. You fought a smart fight, kid.” That was Dempsey’s last bout. He retired with a 64-6-9 record, according to The Ring magazine.
Later, he was knocked down with another kind of blow. He lost about $3 million in the stock market crash. But like a true champion he got off the floor again to become one of the most popular restaurant owners in New York. On May 31, 1983, he died of natural causes at the age of 87.
Dempsey was a great champion. He would bounce back after knock out blows both in boxing and in life. He kept his sense of humour and was gracious in defeat. He is an inspiration not only to the people of Manassa and the USA but to the people of the world.
About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.
The title of the first book is “36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures…Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles”
The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php
The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.
You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.
Why Wont My Teens Clean Their Room?
May 30, 2006
Have you ever had this struggle with your teens? Did you get to the results that you were looking for? Did moving toward those results create an unexpected rift between you and your teen? Parents complain to me that when their teens won’t do their chores and, as a result, they punish their teens, there is conflict and a damaged relationship. Parents say that they don’t want their relationship with their teens to suffer. They say that they understand that discipline and order is needed in their teens’ lives, but are at a loss at how to encourage it in a way that allows their relationship with their teens to keep thriving. So what is there to do?
I was asking that to myself last week when a friend and I had the opportunity to spend a wonderful week in the woods with nine 14 year-old girls at a meditation camp. Shortly after the girls walked into the very rustic and dusty cabin, we played a couple of fun icebreaker games. It was a great way for us to get to know the girls, for the girls to get to know each other, and for them to get to know us. After the games, and before our first meditation, we passed a "clean cabin" chore list. They all promptly chose two daily chores each by writing their name on the chore schedule of the week.
My co-cabin leader said that she felt that that would be enough to persuade the girls to do their chores, and that she wanted to focus on joy and spirituality for the week. That sounded pleasant to me so I left it at that.
As the first day went by, surprise, surprise? clothes and many other items were starting to pile up on the floor, the bunks, and on our large work table. I noticed that by the end of the day none of the girls had done any of their chores. My co-leader also noticed the piles and said that we needed to be patient with the girls, and that they would do their chores soon.
By lunch on the second day, possibly because the awful camp food had gotten to me, I decided that I needed to act on what I knew. Although the girls had smiled and written their names on the chore schedule, I knew they had no intention of doing any of them.
Before I blinked, I caught myself thinking the usual negative things- these girls are? (I am sure you can fill in the blank here!) I quickly stopped myself. I knew that kind of thinking was not helpful and was not going to get me to the results that I wanted- the girls doing their chores every day, while having fun and continuing to have a good relationship with me.
In all the years that I have worked with parents, kids, teens, teachers, school administrators, psychiatrists, etc., I have seen many adults pressure, manipulate, and punish teens to get them to do their chores, in vain. The chores are still not fully done on a regular basis and the relationship gets severed. Then what is there to do? In my work with hundreds of teens and kids I discovered a simple and powerful way to resolve this type of situations.
I have seen that teens and kids are not really committed and able to do a chore unless there is in place an agreement they co-created with the parent or adult and think that it is fair. That means that they: 1) fully agree to do that particular chore; 2) clearly understand what they need to do for the chore to be completed; 3) have the support they may need to get it done. Of course, this all depends on their age and maturity. I have seen this work with kids as young as three years old!
Now back to the woods, I could tell that the girls wrote their names on the chore schedule but they were not fully in agreement in doing those chores. There were was no real commitment. On the second day of camp, when my co-leader and I had a conversation with the girls, many of them revealed to us that, unless they agree verbally to something, it is not a real agreement to them. Strike one- in this particular case, we did not know they needed a verbal agreement.
Later that day, when we asked the girl that had the chore of cleaning the bathrooms, when was she planning to clean them, she was in tears because she had already cleaned them but we thought they were still dirty. Strike two-we had not explained to them what cleaning the bathrooms meant to us. When we explained what we meant she cleaned them in a jiffy. One of girls accepted the chore of sweeping the floor, she had never done it before in her life, and did not do it because she rather not do it that do it wrong. Strike three- when they signed to do the chore, we did not ask what that type of support they needed to do their chores. In the midst of so many strikes, we managed to hit a home run by speaking to the girls and getting a fair agreement between us.
Do you know what kind of agreement for cleaning their room works best with your teens? Do they need to agree verbally? Is a simple signed agreement more effective? Do they feel that the agreement is fair? Are they absolutely clear of what cleaning their room means? Maybe a clean room to them means a dirty one to you. Make sure that it is clear to them what you mean by clean. Also, often teens need some type of support to clean their room. For example, setting an alarm clock to remind them, or having a checklist of what are the different things that they need to do in order for their room to be to clean. Do you know what kind of support your teens need?
The girls at the camp said that they liked the agreement because it was not forced on them but instead was also created with their ideas. They told us that since it was their agreement they wanted to do their chores. During the last days of camp every girl in the cabin joyfully announced to the rest of us that this had been the best and most fun year at camp (they started coming to camp since they were ten years-old) and that they had the greatest leaders because they truly care about them, understood them and treated them well. Needless to say, the results I was looking for were met.
I propose that you make an effort to find-out what type agreements work with your teens and create agreements that are clear and supportive to both you and your teens.
Think back to when you were a kid. If you parents had taken the time to make agreements with you that you understood, could do, and felt were fair to you, how would that have influenced your life? It is within your power to give that to your teens today!
If you want more support and details on how to make a fair and successful agreement with your teens call me at 310/247-0523 or email me at orly@ourextraordinarykids.com
I encourage you to make the kind of agreements with your teens and see what happens. I would love to hear your success stories and comments. Please email me at orly@ourextraordinarykids.com or visit my website www.ourextraordinarykids.com
Why are some kids and teens self-confident and self-reliant and others are not? Orly Szerman is a published author, teacher and confidence coach. If you want to further develop your parent success and raise self-confident and self-reliant kids and teens, visit her website, http://www.ourextraordinarykids.com
Orly Szerman M.S., has been working with parents, kids, teens, families and couples for almost ten years as a therapist, certified parent coach, teacher and family advocate. She is the founder and president of Our Extraordinary Kids and a faculty member of Parent as Coach Academy. Orly created and designed innovative parent programs for STAR Education, which was selected as a model program by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. She specializes in helping parents raise self-confident and self-reliant kids and teens. If you want to further develop your parent success and raise self-confident and self-reliant kids & teens visit her website http://www.ourextraordinarykids.com or email her at orly@ourextraordinarykids.com
Tips For Handing Your Radiant Heat Tubing
May 30, 2006
Tips For Handing Your Radiant Heat Tubing
by: Larry B Lang
A radiant heat system is a series of radiant heat tubes that are laid within a floor, which carry hot water into specific rooms or “zones”.
During the preparation and installation of a radiant heat system you should take precautionary measures to protect the radiant heat tubing.
Radiant heat tubing is also known as PEX and is an excellent material for hot water applications. It’s a cross-linked Polyethylene which means that is has been processed to create a more durable molecule that resists creep deformation and chemical attach under extreme temperatures.
Damaged tubing in a radiant heat system will come back to haunt you and could cause unnecessary delays and costly repairs.
Here are some important tips that you should follow in order to protect your radiant heat tubing. It covers storage, unrolling and installation of your radiant heat tubing.
PEX tubing is not for outdoor applications and must be stored in a covered environment not exposed to direct sunlight. It’s best to leave your radiant heat tubing away from your windows; this also means never leaving it outside, without properly covering or protecting it from the sunlight. Sixty days is the maximum UV exposure time for PEX. And if a supplier has stored their radiant heat tubing outside - don’t buy it.
You should also protect your radiant heat tubing from debris. By keeping the ends taped up, you will stop dust, pet hair or other things from entering the radiant heat tubing. Keeping your radiant heat tubing debris free is always best.
When removing your radiant heat tubing from its coil, it’s best to roll it off the roll. When unrolling your radiant heat tubing, if you notice a piece of tape, leave it alone. Often manufactures will mark areas that have kinks or holes. You will need to splice that particular section so make note of the marking.
As far as installation goes, if you are doing a staple-up installation you shouldn’t allow your radiant heat tubing to sag. To protect the radiant heat tubing it’s always best to support it every 16 inches and if your tubing runs close to any lights, especially recessed lighting you should insulate that portion of tubing to protect it from damage. Ultraviolet light will cause accelerated aging of your radiant heat tubes.
Do not install radiant heat tubing to close to your toilets. The heat could melt the wax ring. Also avoid running radiant heat under your refrigerator, stove, freezer, and kitchen cabinets. If you do put tubing in these areas insulate the tubing with a foam pipe insulation, and put a piece of radiant barrier between the sub-floor and the tubing under the appliance or cabinets.
Lastly, when installing your radiant heat tubing, never let it rub on any electrical wires. This may damage the radiant heat tubing and create future problems. If your electrician is working around your radiant heat system, make sure your electrician understands the importance of not damaging the radiant heat tubing when he/she pulls wires.
By taking a little extra care with your radiant heat tubing you will help ensure a trouble free radiant heat system.
