Good Millwork (RSS 2.0 Feed)

The Benefits of Sustainable Lumber Harvesting

The benefits of sustainable lumber harvesting

Petroleum products are both running out and are terribly polluting.  One need only look at the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to see how damaging oil drilling can be.  Wood, on the other hand, is a renewable resource that acts as a CO2 sink while growing and as a CO2 reservoir while being used in housing.

This last point becomes important when you realize that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased drastically since the Industrial Age started.  Between 1850 and 1998, some 270 billion tons of carbon were released into the atmosphere in the form of CO2, mainly through the combustion of fossil fuels, resulting in a 30% increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. That concentration is currently increasing by a net accumulation of 3.3 billion tons of carbon a year. In recognition of this, the UN General Convention On Climate Change, drawn up in Rio in 1992, agreed as its principal objective that the concentration of greenhouse gases should be stabilized at a level that does not represent a hazard to the environment.  Whether you believe in global climate change or not, wood is attractive due to the environmental benefits it has over petroleum products.

Replacing carbon-hungry alternatives

Across the product life cycle, wood products achieve net  negative CO2 emissions ? lower than any other building material, requiring very little non-renewable energy for their manufacture. For this reason the life cycle, or ?LCA? profile for wood products is highly advantageous. Even the energy inputs associated with harvesting, transporting, converting and recycling wood are minimal compared with other building materials, as over 75% of the energy used for manufacturing wood products is used to produce items made from wood residues and recovered wood.

In addition to low energy consumption and carbon sequestration, wood processing has clear environmental benefits over the acidification caused by coal extraction, ozone formation, toxicity potential and, above all, global warming potential. Finally, wood?s thermal efficiency means that timber-frame houses require less energy to heat.  This provides a sustained savings for the consumer in lower power bills.

Encouraging the planting of trees through sustainable forestry

In sustainable forestry, new trees are planted and grown for every tree harvested.  Since the faster growing young trees absorb more CO2, this sustainable forestry can play an important part in reducing the effects of global warming.  The more the forest grows and the more we use wood products, the better it is for the climate.

Forests lock up immense quantities of carbon: 350 billion tons above ground and 800 billion below, in the roots and humus layers ? all in all, 1,150 billion tons of carbon ? far more than the 760 billion tons of CO2 in the atmosphere. Europe’s forests alone account for some 20 billion tons of fixed carbon, half of which is in growing stock. As the forests are harvested and manufactured into products, so the timber and paper products continue to store carbon and this figure can also be included in the total ‘carbon sink’.

At Good Millwork we pride ourselves on sourcing sustainable timber wherever possible, bringing you peace of mind that your buildings will be constructed with ethically-sourced, environmentally-neutral wood products.

Decorating Tips for the Everyday American

Even as the world changes and shifts, as the culture of the country evolves and reshapes, the pride Americans feel for where we can from and our heritage remains a strong part of who we are and what we believe in. While our identity as we move into this global era may shift into something new and unique, we still need to remain connected to who came before us and what they represented. Decorating your home with traditional patriotic flair can help you keep that connect vibrant and living as you move through your day and your life, subtly reminding you of what is truly important and what makes this country so special.

American Decorating Tips

There are lots of ways you can decorate your home in a way that shows pride in your American heritage. The traditional American color scheme of red, white, and blue is a great place to start; if you have a crafts room, finished basement, or want to be bold in your family room, consider reworking the color scheme to match that of the flag. Soft blue walls with white couches and red accent pillows are a great way to incorporate this timeless color scheme into your life and create a room that really pops with pride and energy.

Showcasing a collection of American ?kitsch? is also a great way to remind yourself daily of your country?s heritage. Having a wall dedicated to Norman Rockwell prints or a display of historic flags is a great way to handle that wall you can?t figure out what to do with. If you?re a Civil war buff, try collecting replicas of various military flags from the different regiments and displaying them in shadow cases above your fireplace.

American Soldiers Print

You could also create a display of American soldiers through the generations, starting with painted prints of Revolutionary War Minute Men and soldiers from the War of 1812, followed next in a line with photographs of Civil War soldiers, World War I soldiers, World War II soldiers, Korea soldiers, Vietnam soldiers, Gulf War soldiers, and then finally modern day soldiers. You can use your own family portraits if you have had any serving men in your family, or find powerful images online. Images of individual soldiers are very powerful, but using group shots of American soldiers through the ages can also be magnificently powerful.

Add a little culture to your home by turning that recreational room into a ?state room? by putting up all the state flags around the ceiling and walls. This serves the purpose of being both a great conversational piece as well as a great way to educate your children on their country and its past.

When it comes to decorating your home to share your pride in your country, there are lots of ways you can do it, some more subtle than others. Remember that decorating with American flare, like any other type of decorating, needs to reflect something meaningful to you. There are no rules when it comes to designing your space, so instead of focusing on what you think will look good to other people, be sure to focus on what makes you feel inspired, calm, happy, and proud. Happy decorating!

About the Author: Vern and his wife enjoy decorating their home to match the patriotic sentiment that runs strong within their family. They are particularly fond of their library where they have decorated the walls with flags from all of the states they have lived in.

Door and Window Trim Enhances Your Property

How Door and Window Trims Enhance Your Property

Home is where the heart is, it?s commonly said, and nothing brings us more pleasure than when we can return from a day at work to a beautiful house. Small touches such as paintwork and architectural embellishments can make a real difference to the aspect of your home, distinguishing it from other builds of the same style, and making stand out from the crowd.

One of the most effective features you can add to your property to enhance its character comes in the form of architectural trims. These bespoke moldings can be constructed either on the interior or exterior of your property, to add a finishing touch to your timberwork and bring a wealth of character to your rooms. While yours may not be as elaborate as those pictured above, any moldings can make all the difference.

The style of modern accents and trim evolved from many artistic and architectural styles through the ages. Although most moldings are either classic (clean) or baroque (ornate) style, modern effects can be achieved by combining various trim and molding styles. Depending on the period in which your property was developed, you may wish to match your choice of trim to the specific decade which suits your home or building, in keeping with the overall design of the structure.

The Benefits of Using Interior and Exterior Architectural Trim

Exterior architectural trim can help hide rough edges and joints, by providing a seamless line from window to wall. Similarly, interior trims serve to provide a focal point (depending upon how ornate you choose to go) for your room, or simply work to enhance the overall seamless view of the space by finishing off the general decor.

Selecting the right trim for your building will help to add period detail, which reflects the age of your property in style. It can also serve to modernize a space to bring it up to date, by using contemporary designs.

How to Select the Right Trim for Your Needs

From vintage mahogany mouldings to a custom maple trim designed just for you, Good Millwork can support you in making the right selection of trim for your needs. There are a host of things to consider before you alight on the right choice for you and your property, including whether you want to select specific moldings for historic restoration in keeping with your overall theme, or you are looking to choose a particular style from a range of contemporary designs.

If you are working from an architect?s drawing, we will advise you how best to match the design you have in mind, and show you our catalogue of available options. In making your choice, you need to decide upon the right design and wood choice which sets off your home or building to its best advantage, by using the correct solution to complement your new home or historic real estate.

Not sure which to choose? Go for a custom build!

Custom trimming takes the hassle away from you having to choose the right architectural trim for your needs. We offer a simple customized option for your trim which will select the best possible wood to complement your overall design, and apply it to architectural wood molding like custom window trim, custom wood window cornices and interior wood doors.

How to Use Our Molding Search Tool
To begin a molding search, use the drop down menu (currently “Crown”) to select the type of molding. To see all available moldings in all sizes simply click “Start Search”. You can narrow the selection by entering dimensions in the fields.

Specialty Woods: Selecting the Best Wood Species for Your Building Project or Remodel

How to Select and Source the Best Wood for Your Project

In the construction industry, there is great demand for specific wood types which lend character and interest to your home or building project. Some woods are quite commonplace and are used as a matter of course, but for more high-end projects, many people choose to source more unique woods with specific characteristics relating to color, longevity, markings and strength.

Oak is the most common hardwood used for home molding, especially if it is to be stained. It’s widely available at most home improvement stores and its cost is usually very reasonable. Oak goes well when used with hardwood flooring due to the fact it is easily stainable to match with flooring seamlessly. Oak is also a beautiful wood because of its natural wood finish and rich grain.

Pine is the most inexpensive real wood molding and is popular with do-it-yourself homeowners. Because pine does not have consistent wood density, the varying hard- and softwood areas make it difficult to stain smoothly. It is much easier to cut and install over other hardwoods and accepts paint well while still allowing wood grain to be seen through it.

MDF is short for medium density fiberboard and is very popular in construction especially when painted. It is the least expensive option for molding available on the market and so ideal for contractors as a cost-effective way to complete home molding. It is a completely smooth surface and has no wood grain. It doesn’t stain well at all due to its nonporous nature, but it covers very easily with paint and is especially good with high-gloss coatings.

High-end Specialty Woods

Besides the common wood, crown molding is sometimes made from red oak, mahogany, white oak and poplar. For baseboard, crown and other types of molding, fir, cherry, cypress, bamboo and ash are popular. It is considerably more expensive to use these specialty woods of they are sourced new, but for homeowners who want finer wood molding, these are the best choices. Deadhead cypress, antique oak and TimberSIL are all outstanding options for discerning building contractors who are looking to add a touch of luxury to their project, and can be particularly effective when looking to complete historical renovations in keeping with existing features.

Reclaiming Specialty Woods from ?Green? Sources

A positive option for sourcing the more unique woods such as Deadhead cypress can be to salvage it from existing sites which are no longer required, or search areas such as riverbeds where wood has been discarded or is not being used. Salvaged wood is tempered and weathered, which makes it more hardy and able to withstand harsher weather conditions. In addition, this is a highly ethical way of locating woods which could otherwise be wasted in favor of less ?green? procurement methods.

Good Millwork can create the following products from specialty wood which has been reclaimed from river beds, salvage and other means:

1. Moldings [inclusive of all patterns]
2. Flooring
3. Siding
4. Paneling
5. Doors including Mahogany Doors
6. Door Trim Moldings
7. Louvered doors
8. Cabinet doors
9. Gates
10. Exterior Shutters
11. Stair parts
12. Corbels and architectural brackets
13. Benches and miscellaneous outdoor fixtures.

How to Use Our Molding Search Tool
To begin a molding search, use the drop down menu (currently “Crown”) to select the type of molding. To see all available moldings in all sizes simply click “Start Search”. You can narrow the selection by entering dimensions in the fields.

Need to Improve Your Home?s Curb Appeal? Try These 10 Ideas!

Whether you?re actively seeking to sell your home or you just want to make it look better, you can improve your home?s curb appeal without breaking your bank account.

Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal

1. Clean up the front of your house.

One of the easiest things you can, one that won?t cost you a dime, is to simply clean up the front of your house. Rake the lawn, prune your trees and bushes, and clean up any plant detritus that?s on your sidewalk or in the beds at the front of the house.

If you have lawn furniture, toys, or tools in the front yard, put them away. Clean your windows, clear away cobwebs, and sweep your driveway. All that will cost you is a little sweat and elbow grease. If you have neglected your house for a few weeks, you?ll be surprised at how much it improves the appearance.

2. Paint the trim.

This one isn?t free, but it won?t cost much. If there?s peeling paint, sand or strip it and then paint over it. Paint the shutters a bold color that contrasts with the main color of your house. Then paint the trim, the door jambs, and any pillars. Even if you don?t have a lot of money for home repairs, splashing on bold colors will really make your home stand out.

3. Make the exterior of your home visually interesting.

You can add a wishing well or miniature windmill to the front yard, or a couple of lawn flamingos for a fun, flamboyant touch. Put up accent lighting along the eaves of your house even if it?s not Christmas. Strings of white lights will draw people?s eyes immediately, and will make it easier for your friends to find at night. Low fences and arbors will also create visual appeal.

4. Add accent lighting.

When it comes to lighting, it needn?t be expensive to add accent lighting, and you don?t have to dig up your lawn to put in wiring. How? Put in solar-powered accent lights. You can find them cheaply at stores that specialize in selling overstocks and discontinued merchandise, and you can sometimes pick up used ones at yard sales or sales at hardware and outdoor stores. They come in a variety of styles, even ones that look like rocks.

5. Wash your siding.

If you have siding, wash it off at least once a year with a pressure sprayer. Most siding is rugged and long lasting, but it can look dingy if it isn?t hosed off once in a while. It will also help keep the outside of your windows look cleaner as well.

6. Maintain the lawn.

Water it enough so that it stays green and mow it when it gets too tall. Spray or pull the weeds. Aerate the lawn once a year, too. That?s a simple way to keep it healthy that doesn?t put toxic chemicals into your town?s waste water stream. Be sure to edge your lawn as well with an edger or weed whacker. Keep it nicely trimmed and neat along the front edge of your lawn, along walkways, and next to the driveway.

7. Plant a garden.

Plant colorful flowering plants and shrubs in beds along the front of the house, or in artfully chosen locations on your lawn. Contrasting colors creating vibrant visual interest. If you select your plants carefully so that they flower at different times of the year, you can have a colorful, eye-catching lawn almost all year round.

8. Use the garage.

If you have a garage, keep your cars inside it. Keep the garage door closed unless you?re doing yard work or something that requires you to have it open. Make sure you paint the garage door when you paint the rest of the house so it will always look nice.

If you have a carport instead of a garage, just use it to park your cars. Don?t use it as a storage space for lawnmowers, camping equipment or tools. Keeping it out of sight will help the front of your home look better and will discourage thieves from helping themselves.

9. Pay attention to small details.

Carefully select what kind of mailbox you have on your home, what the numbers on the house look like, and what your porch light looks like. Be sure that your front door is either freshly painted or newly varnished, with bright, shiny hardware fixtures. Having a mishmash of styles just looks sloppy, no matter how clean everything is. But when you can create a unified look, your home will look beautiful, classy, and inviting.

10. Strategically place large potted plants.

One of the nicest things you can do to make your home look beautiful is to put planters or large potted plants beside the door. This really makes your home look pulled together and will add immeasurably to its curb appeal.

Any other suggestions to add for our readers? Feel free to add your comments below!

About the Author: Shelly Towns manages online marketing strategy and writes for Angie?s List. Whether you want to find a find a doctor or a local service provider such as Philadelphia movers, Angie?s List provides you with the resources to find the best.

Insurance Plans Every Homeowner Should Consider

Buying a home is probably the biggest investment most people make, and even though they are required to have homeowner?s insurance to protect that investment, most people simply don?t understand how homeowner?s insurance works and what it should cover.

Protect Your Home with Homeowner’s Insurance

The main thing to be aware of with homeowner?s insurance is that it is designed to protect your investment. Once you understand that, you can figure out just exactly how much (and what kinds) of home insurance that you need.

What is in Your Homeowner’s Policy

The first thing you need to be aware of is that your homeowner?s policy covers two main areas, property protection and protection from liability. Property insurance covers not just your home itself, but also the land it?s on, including detached structures such as a garage, a backyard gazebo, or storage shed.

This kind of coverage also includes your possessions such as personal items, clothing, furniture or appliances such as your washer and dryer or a dishwasher. If you have things in your home that are especially valuable like rare artwork, jewelry, or a coin collection, those items may require additional coverage.

The amount of property coverage you have can vary from company to company, so talk to your broker if you think you need any supplementary coverage. Your policy should provide enough coverage to rebuild your home (including any outbuildings) in the event of a disaster of some kind.

Liability Coverage

Liability coverage is the other major part of your homeowner?s policy and may cover things like accidental or deliberate damage or harm that you or a member of your household may inflict on another person or a business.

If your dog bites someone, for example, the expenses stemming from that can fall under your homeowner?s policy, or if that big tree in your backyard drops a heavy limb during a storm that takes out your neighbor?s garden shed, that?s another thing.

The property protections in your policy should cover things like damage that?s caused by lightning, a fire, smoke from a fire (this can damage your possessions more than you think), an accidental explosion, riots or civil unrest, theft, vandalism, an impact from a plane crash or a car crashing into your home (which happens more often than you might think), falling objects like tree limbs or hail, freezing pipes, or wind damage.

Most policies will not cover flooding, so check with your agent to see if you have any kind of flood coverage. If you don?t and you live in an area that?s prone to flooding, you may have to purchase an additional flood coverage policy.

Additional Living Expenses

You should also check to see if your policy provides for additional living expenses in the event that your home is rendered unlivable by flooding, a fire, tornado damage, or whatever. It can take a while to get your check from the insurance company, so you?ll want to have the expense of renting an apartment or staying at a hotel to be covered.

This kind of coverage doesn?t occur to most people, so you should check to see if your policy has it. If it doesn?t, find out how much it costs to add it to your homeowner?s policy. It may cause you some higher insurance costs, but in the end, it can save you a bundle.

The bottom line is have enough coverage in your homeowner?s policy to ensure that you and your family can pick up and go on from whatever befalls you.

About the Author: Vern enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics. He is currently studying to take the New York mortgage license test.

Thank You and Good Luck Contest Participants

We want to take a moment to thank the many fine bloggers who are participating in the FamousBloggers CommentLuv Cash Blogging Contest. The entries have been exceptional. We don’t envy the judges their task of determining whose posts are best.

We especially want to thank the contestants who took the time to write bonus posts about our business. We sincerely appreciate their time and efforts on our behalf and wish them and all of the other participants the best of luck in the judging.

Kristi Hines wrote 5 Reasons to Love Good Millwork for her regular series on Finding DoFollow Blogs at DoFollow.info and mentioned and linked to our blog in her post on How to Promote Bukisa Articles with CommentLuv.

Kristi also included us in her post 17 CommentLuv Blogs to Visit about the seventeen contest sponsors who use CommentLuv in their own blogs. If you’re not familiar with CommentLuv we highly recommend you read about How CommentLuv Works and How CommentLuv Grows Businesses and Blogs.

If you can ever use custom millwork, architectural moldings, specialty woods, exterior shutters, wood siding or any other custom wood product we hope you’ll think of us.  Contact us or Call (888) 209-9307 ~ We are happy to assist.

Stephanie Suesan Smith wrote Reclaimed Lumber is Green containing an excellent explanation of why building with reclaimed lumber is better for the environment and why that lumber is stronger and better than new growth wood. Stephanie is a Master Gardener who offers gardening tips on her blog.

Kristi writes for many of the very best SEO, Social Networking and Blogging Communities sites and we learn Blogging Tips and Social Networking Business Strategies from her.

Good luck everyone. We wish you could all win the top prize. Anyone wishing to support Stephanie or Kristi in their quest for comments or Tweets can see their entries and find them on Twitter at these links:

• Kristi: Strengthen Your Article Marketing With CommentLuv Links
• Stephanie: How to Obtain More Comments on Your Blog
• Stephanie: Are You Commenting Wrong?

Part of the contest judging is a count of how many quality comments and Tweets a contestant receives. You can help.

10 Ways to Go Green

Kermit always said it wasn?t easy being green, but thankfully this isn?t the case. There are things you can do in your everyday like that are simple, easy and cost efficient. Follow these 10 easy steps to help the environment.

1. Stop buying water

Bottled Water

If you don?t have the luxury of having well water, buying a water filtration system can turn your tap water into pure Heaven. It may seem expensive at first, but think off all the money you?ll be saving by not buying bottled water. Some reusable water bottles only cost a few bucks and are so much better for the environment.

2. Containers not plastic baggies

Plastic Bags

If you brown bag it at work, try putting your sandwich in a reusable plastic container instead of a plastic baggie. Not only will these lighten the load when it comes to plastic in dumps, but your sandwich won?t end up squished in your lunch bag.

3. Buy food with less packaging

Food Packaging

Sometimes it seems that everything we eat is either triple wrapped or packaged in individual servings for convenience, which can create so much more garbage than is needed. Trying being conscious of food packaging. For example, buying a large yogurt and a reusable container is better than buying individual yogurts.

4. Environmentally friendly cleaning products

Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

There used to be a time when environmentally friendly cleaning products cost an arm and a leg. Luckily, there are products on the market that are not only better for you, your house and the environment, but they won?t break the bank.

5. Lights off

Lights Off

If you aren?t in a room, do you need the light on? Not really. Get into the habit of turning off lights that aren?t being used. Ditto for electronics. And while we?re talking lights, make sure that when you do have lights on, they are energy saving bulbs. These light bulbs will not only save energy, but also money.

6. Opt out of plastic

Reusable Bags

There are so many cool and funky reusable shopping bags on the market there really isn?t the need to still be using plastic. If you find you?re always forgetting your reusable bags at home, opt for a style that folds into itself and can be stored in a purse or pocket.

7. Electric bike conversion

Electric Bike Conversion

If work is close enough that you really don?t need to drive there but the distance is too far to walk, why not bike? Don?t want to get all sweaty and hot before work? No problem. Purchase an electric bike conversion kit and turn your regular bike into an electric bike. Easy on the environment, you can get to work on time without all the huffing and puffing with a regular bike.

8. Walk on weekends and evenings

Walking

If you need to go to a store, local park or café that?s within walking distance, walk it! Don?t want to be all out of breath when you get there? Since you?ve already souped-up your bike with an electric bike conversion kit, you?ll be all set.

9. Open a window

Open Window

Depending on the time of year and where you live, there could be a great strain on your utilities during certain times of the day. This can cause brown-outs and in some cases black-outs. If it?s breezy, turn off the AC and open a window or two. And try hand washing your dishes rather than running the dishwater. Little changes can make a big difference.

10. Recycle

Recycle

If recycling isn?t mandatory where you live it doesn?t mean you can?t do it. Food containers, pop bottle, plastic bags and cans don?t need to end up at the dump. They all can and should be recycled.

This guest post is by Vern Marker who writes about the importance of being environmentally friendly, with special emphasis on new technologies such as electric bike conversion kits.