Aluminum, Iron & Steel - Oh, my! Metal Outdoor Furniture ExplainedMention metal patio furniture and you probably think of the light,fly-away aluminium loungers of your youth or that half-ton cast irontable and chair set on your neighbour's lawn.But metal outdoor furniture has come a long way. Here's a quickprimer on the available types and their care.Construction MethodsMetal is fashioned into furniture in one of three main ways:extrusion, casting, and welding.Extrusion forces melted metal through long pipes and forms longnarrow tubes of metal, sometimes solid, but often hollow.Casting metal involves a form, or cast, shaped like the finishedproduct. The molten metal is poured into the form and then the formis removed when the metal has solidified. Cast pieces are almostalways solid.Forging, a process in which metal is heated and hammered into shapeproduces the type of furniture known as "wrought" metal. It usespipes and various solid pieces of the metal and joins them togetherby welding or bolting.Common MaterialsThe most common metal outdoor furniture is made from iron oraluminium, although the use of steel, especially stainless steel, isgrowing.Iron is a chemical element that is naturally malleable and rustseasily. Vintage pieces, usually in black or dark green, can be foundat premium prices and must be carefully maintained to prevent furtherrusting. Modern reproduction pieces will usually have a rust-resistant finish or coating that protects against chipping,scratching and corrosion. There are a variety of finishes availablesuch as primer and paint, powder coatings and galvanizing. They areavailable in a range of colors and styles.Since iron is heavy and solid, it is well-suited for windy spotswhere light furniture might be blown away. Don't expect it to behighly portable, though. Well-cared for, iron furnishings can lastfor 100 years.Much of the iron furniture available today is wrought iron, ratherthan cast iron. When you're buying wrought iron, look for pieces madewith solid metal rather than hollow tubing, and that are welded,rather than bolted, together. Generally, the better furniture isNorth American made.Iron furniture requires more maintenance than other types of metalfurniture. Clean it regularly with warm soapy water and then dry itthoroughly. Wax the smooth surfaces and apply mineral or baby oil totextured surfaces. Oil springs and moving parts once per year.Immediately touch up any scratches or rust by lightly sanding thespot with a fine steel wool. Then apply several thin coats of metalpaint, letting each coat dry well before applying the next. If you'reusing a spray paint, apply with short light stokes.Aluminum is a silvery, lightweight and easily worked metallic elementthat never rusts. Much of the early aluminum furniture from the 1960swas made from hollow-core extrusion tubing. Such furniture wasextremely lightweight but not exceedingly wind-stable. Such piecesare still available today and are best used around a pool area. Castaluminum is better used in outdoor dining or sitting areas.Whether you're looking for extruded, cast or wrought aluminum items,there are a few items that indicate a quality piece. As with wroughtiron, joints should be welded (preferably full-circumference welds)rather than bolted. If bolts are used, for example to connectwebbing, they should be made of aluminum or stainless steel.Otherwise they will begin to rust even though the main frame doesnot.Best quality aluminum pieces have a powder-coated finish, whichdetermines the final color of the piece and the durability of themetal. Powder coating is a process in which colorful polyesterpowders are applied and then baked onto the frame.If you're buying aluminum furniture with vinyl webbing or straps,look for vinyl that has been processed with mildew inhibitors andultraviolet stabilizers. Any wooden pieces mounted on aluminum framesshould be treated with a finish to guarantee durability.Suntan oils, human perspiration, car exhaust and salt spray can alleat away at the powder coating on aluminum furniture. To ensure longlife, clean your aluminum furniture twice a month with a solution ofmild dish detergent and warm water. Rinse well. You can then applypaste car wax to any smooth finish frames.Steel, a hard tough metal, is an alloy of iron and various smallpercentages of metallic elements. The alloys produce hardness andresistance to rusting. Galvanized steel has been plated with zinc;stainless steel has been alloyed with chromium and is virtuallyimmune to rust and corrosion.Before the production of aluminum furniture in the mid 20th century,steel furniture was common, dating from popular French-made itemsmanufactured in the later half of the 1800s. American companies usedsolid steel until the Second World War when the heavy military demandfor steel dictated the use of lightweight tubular (hollow) steel inoutdoor furniture. Vintage steel sets can still be found at fleamarkets.If you're looking at modern steel furniture, be sure the product iseither stainless or powder-coated and that any hardware used is alsorust-resistant.Metal outdoor furniture in its many shapes and designs can be awonderful addition to your outdoor living space. Choose wisely andenjoy!Debbie Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and operates Paradise Porch,and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces thatnurture and enrich them. Her latest how-to guide "AttractingButterflies to Your Home and Garden" is now available on her website. Visit her at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free reporton "Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space". Mail todebbie@...
Shower Curtains: the Perfect Facelift for Your Bathroom
Looking for a quick makeover for your home? Start with your bathroom! Installing a new shower curtain can be the coolest way to cheer up your bathroom without investing a lot of money in the process. There are many styles of shower curtains to choose from, and you may be surprised at how dramatically a simple shower curtain can change the dynamics of a room. You can choose shower curtains that will stand out from the rest of your bathroom's colors, or you can choose one that provides a subtler match. It's all up to you: the possibilities are virtually endless!
If you are tired of cleaning up your shower enclosure -- and anyone that has been forced to combat soap scum before is likely darn tired of it -- will find shower curtains to be an effective solution to this issue. Shower enclosures, as well as shower curtains, accumulate humidity and, after a while, they become ugly. The difference is that changing shower curtains costs almost nothing compared to changing a glass or acrylic shower enclosure.
Sometimes people dismiss shower curtains as being cheap and generic, but when you consider the wide variety of styles and price tiers you'll find that curtains are hardly limited to cheap white vinyl curtains. If you have children, you can choose a nice shower curtain with dolphins, little fish or funny ducks printed on it, or you can go with more "formal" designs, like geometric patterns or lines. You can even choose a loud color to make your bathroom festive!
Bathroom shower curtains are made of different types of washable fabrics, including polyester, plastic and even cotton. Most of them have a weight attached at its bottom to avoid the "shower curtain effect" (which is the effect of the curtain unpleasantly wrinkling and/or sticking to your leg when you take a shower). Most shower curtains are also waterproofed, and it is also possible to attach an impermeable liner to your shower curtain if you're using a fabric curtain.
Another advantage of the use of shower curtains in your bathroom is that they don't need you to drill any holes on your walls: just get a spring loaded rod, adjust its size to fit between two walls and suspend your curtain from it by using hooks or rings. This ease of installation also saves you money by allowing you to do it by yourself rather than paying someone to install it.
Dots, stripes, waves, animals and many other designs are available, ensuring you will find shower curtains that fit virtually every need, even if your design preferences can be considered unique or offbeat. Nautical themed curtains as well as the old standby known as the rubber ducky are very popular, but nowadays you can find every design you like; I have even seen shower curtains featuring Mexican hats! And, if you are really specific, you could look into having a curtain custom designed specifically for you. Wait no more, and provide an exciting new look to your bathroom with new shower curtains!
Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author:
Visit Shower Curtains Showcase to receive a variety of free bathroom design ideas as well as view a wide assortment of the shower curtain possibilities ranging from kids shower curtains to designer shower curtains.
ON GUARD Against School Violence - Issue 4
Editor: The following article is offered for free use in your ezine,print publication or on your web site, provided the author informationat the end is included. Notification of use will be appreciated but itnot required.ON GUARD Against School Violence #4By Laura Quarantiello® 2004 Tiare Publications328 WordsUnderstanding Youth Violence û Part 1They were so young. Michael Carneal was fourteen when he killed threeand wounded five in Paducah, Kentucky. Luke Woodham was sixteen whenhe killed nine at a Pearl, Mississippi high school. And in MountMorris Township, Michigan, both the shooter and the victim were onlysix years old.Why? What causes young people to threaten, injure, and even killothers? Everyone wants to know: are they born like that? Is itlearned? It is because they were abused as children? Have they seentoo many violent television shows and movies? Barry Loukaitis wasdescribed as "a pleasure to have in class" by the teacher he wouldlater kill. Thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazill was an honor studentat Lake Worth Middle School in Florida when he shot teacher BarryGrunow in the face. Why? What possible motive could they have had?What causes the different forms of violent behavior - pushing,shoving, slapping, and punching - that occur every day in schoolsacross the country? And what causes some kids to do the unthinkableand kill teachers and classmates?There are as many theories for youth violence as there are experts totalk about them. Each fresh news report brings on a parade ofspeculation to answer the universal question of why. Unfortunately,that's all it is: speculation. No one, not even those who study thesubject of violence for a living, can give a concrete, one hundredpercent accurate explanation for why violence happens. Research hasbeen conducted for years and continues to be conducted in the hopes offinding an answer. And while it's true that we are closer to finallyunderstanding the causes of violence, there is still room for muchdebate. Amid all the ideas and conjecture, two broad schools ofthought have emerged: biology versus sociology. It's a version of theold "nature versus nurture" argument that has long dominated popularthinking about aggression, violence, and human behavior. Are violentindividuals born or made?(End)Laura Quarantiello hates criminals and the crimes they commit. Heressential book "On Guard" has the answers you need to avoiding crimeand keeping your family and property safe from the creeps and craziesout there. Please visit: http://www.tiare.com/onguard.htm
