4 Good Reasons To Get A Refinance Home Loan

4 Good Reasons To Get A Refinance Home Loan 
Refinance Your Home Now and Lower Your Interest Rate

What is a refinance home loan? 
A refinance home loan or a home loan refinance is a new loan obtained through your lender or a new lender to pay off existing loan. However, you may opt to apply for a lower interest rate and or cash out on your homes equity.

When should I refinance my home? It is a known fact that interest rates are lower than they have been in years. This is due to our fast paced and ever changing economy and market. Now would be the perfect opportunity to refinance your home to obtain a lower interest rate. Even a .25 difference can save you thousands of dollars a year in mortgage payments. 

Why should I refinance my home?
There are several reasons home owners decides to refinance. The four most common reasons include:
To obtain a lower interest rate
Home owner generally are aware of interest rate down fall. They take advantage of this opportunity by applying to a refinance loan to lower their existing interest rates and save money on mortgage expenses. The money that a borrower saves on mortgage expenses can be invested in other financial investments.
To receive a refinance cash out
Some home owners who have enough equity accumulated in their homes refinance to cash out their equity and get a lower interest rate
To make home improvements
Sooner than later you will find that maintaining your home is hard work (not to mention quite expensive). In most cases, home owners will pursue a refinance, rather than a personal loan, in order to save on interest rates. A personal loan may have higher interest rates and are normally, not as large as a home improvement loan. 
To change loan programs
A majority of home owner refinance because they are not satisfied with their current loan program. They may be under a 5 year arm, but somewhere down the line they decided they would prefer a 30 year fixed loan. Whatever the reason may be, a refinance home loan will solve the problem.

What are the benefits of refinancing my home?
There are several benefits included with refinancing your home, including:
Your credit may be in better standings then before you purchased your home, now you can refinance and obtain a more suitable loan, with lower interest rates and terms.
Or, you can obtain a home equity line of credit and have cash available when you need it.
With refinance cash out, your lender can consolidate your bills and pay off all of your debt. You will not have to deal with the hassle by yourself.

What are the different refinance loan options?
As with a traditional loan, refinance home loans offer some of the same loan programs, such as:
10/15/30 year fixed
Zero Down
Interest Only
And so on

Where can I refinance my loan?
You can apply for a refinance home loan through your current lender. Or you may search for a new lender more suitable to your financial needs. This search can be done by internet search, flipping through the yellow pages, or consulting with your real estate agent.
-By Khali S

Find more tips at www.tipswise.com

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Standby Home Generators

Standby Home Generators 
By Matt Oliver 
Power outages are inconvenient and can cause many problems for homeowners. Violent storms and other types of bad weather can cause these power outages, making them very common. To avoid this problem people are installing standby home generators. With a standby home generator enough power can be restored to your home to live a relatively normal life during this crucial time.

Standby home generators are permanent. They are installed outside the home and activate just like a central air conditioning system, but instead of turning on when it’s warm inside, they turn on when sensing the loss of electricity. This type of generator is much more commanding than one that is portable, supplying power to a much larger amount of circuits.

When a blackout occurs, the standby home generator automatically activates itself and starts delivering electricity to circuits that have been selected by the homeowner. The machine is able to perceive when power has been lost, through the emergency load center and transfer switch. When this is sensed the generator starts, and begins supplying service to the home. This powering system has an engine and runs off of LP or natural gas. The generator is attached to the gas line and through this produces electricity.

Depending on what is chosen to be powered, a standby generator can sustain up to twelve circuits. It can give energy to light the living room or kitchen, to power the furnace, or even to keep heating and cooling systems running.

The generator will run once per week, for only a few minutes, to ensure that the system is working correctly. Having the generator run, even when there is not a power outage, also accommodates the need to keep the engine lubricated.

Standby home generators are tailored to the needs of homeowners that require the benefits of home comfort systems. Having one of these systems can really serve as quite the convenience when dealing with the difficulty of a power outage.

Kathleen Whitlow is a marketing agent and copywriter of Arundel Cooling and Heating Company. The heating and air conditioning contractor provides comfort services throughout Maryland and the surrounding areas. For more information on their Generators in Maryland please visit their website.

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7 Steps To A Smooth Home Buying Process

7 Steps To A Smooth Home Buying Process 
By Joy Fleming 
There are 7 essential steps involved in the home ownership process. 

1. Find a good Realtor/Buyer's Agent - Most 1st time home buyers don't realize that they can hire a Realtor for FREE. So, you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain from hiring a Realtor. As a Buyer's Agent, the Realtor will look out for your best interests throughout the entire process. You no longer have to be scared. The Realtor will be you with every step of the way to help you find your dream home, negotiate your contract, explain financing options, schedule your inspections, go over your closing documents, etc.

2. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Loan - Your time is very valuable, and Realtors don't want to waste your time showing you properties that you can't qualify for. That would cause alot of frustration. So, that's why getting pre-approved is essential to a smooth home purchase. Most 1st time home buyers don't realize that they can buy a home with NO MONEY DOWN. There are also down payment assistance programs available where the down payment assistance money does not have to be paid back. Please note that every mortgage company/bank offers different loan programs. There are many different loan programs out there, and the programs do frequently change. 

3. Assess Your Wants vs. Needs - Buyers should write down the items that they definitely need in a home vs. the items that they would like to have. Be realistic. Many buyers have unrealistic goals. Every real estate market is different. Your Realtor will be able to tell you what type of home you can expect to get in your price range.

4. Shop for a Home - Based on my previous experience, buyers should try to narrow down their home choices to their top 3-6 homes. If buyers look at too many homes, they begin to get confused, overwhelmed, and frustrated. They can't remember what one home looked like vs. what another home looked like. I've had many, many clients who fell in love with the 1st home they visited. However, they still wanted to look at more homes because they wanted to see what else was out there. But in every instance, the buyer went back and bought the 1st home they saw. The moral of this story is that most buyers know within the 1st few minutes of seeing a home if it's the right one for them. If you fall in love with a home, you don't need to keep looking because you will go back and buy the one you love. 

Once you've found the home that you would like to purchase, your Realtor will handle the following 2 items.
5. Negotiate the Contract
6. Schedule your Home Inspection, Appraisal, Survey

7. The final step is to close on the home. You will have alot of paperwork to sign at the closing. Your Realtor will also be there. Depending upon which state you live in, the closing may be held at an attorney's office, and the attorney will go over all the documents with you. You will receive your keys at the closing. 

Then, all that's left is to move & celebrate.

I am a licensed NC & SC Real Estate Broker/Realtor. I specialize in representing home buyers. Please visit my website: www.NJoyHomeBuying.com

Home Improvement Projects That Add Value To Your Home

Home Improvement Projects That Add Value To Your Home 
By amos graham 
There are several home improvement projects that you might be itching to do but unless you plan to live in your current home forever or if money is not an issue, choose those home improvement projects that add value to your home rather than decrease from it.

How can home improvement projects decrease value from your home? This can happen if you choose to personalize your home so much that no one else wants to buy it or if you install such archaic elements in your home that it takes you back in time instead of in the future. So, if you have home improvement plans in mind, chalk out a realistic budget and go for those areas which will pay back the time and money of the project plus give you some profit too.

Flooring

Fashions change and now people are turning back to solid hard woods and laminate flooring like Pergo as oppose to carpeting. While carpet may have been very popular a decade ago, now apart from bedrooms, it is no longer in vogue. If you do have some money for home improvement, get wooden floors for your home. That will increase the value of your home, make it appealing to prospective buyers who may have allergies and it will save you money in the long run as carpets always get dirty no matter how much you care for them.

Kitchen

Research shows that kitchens make and break deals to buy homes. Even if all American families do not cook as much as they used to, the kitchen still is the focal point for all members to convene to for homework, bill paying, snacking and of course meal preparation and consumption. If you can invest in stainless steel appliances, do so. This home improvement idea will surely pay you back as stainless steel refrigerators and other appliances are the rage right now. If you can save space with over the counter built in microwaves add other such ideas, go for it. No one has ever said they do not like extra kitchen counter space.

Replace countertops with granite as it fives a very posh, regal look and hides many scratches and other spillover effects of regular kitchens. Do not go for a very new granite color; stick to the neutral tones as found in your kitchen cabinets and flooring. Add a tile backsplash for easy cleaning and some pull-out drawers in lower cabinets and you have a kitchen to die for.

Amos writes articles and press releases for OzfreeOnline - this piece she made served as an article exclusive for realestate.ozfreeonline.com - which offers a comprehensive list of office & commercial real estates, apartment and house for rent, online real estate, house for sale, real estate property listing, real property search and an apartment finder to thousands of properties in Australia. 

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to home that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our home improvement website.

Fire Resistant Landscaping Could Save Your Home

Fire Resistant Landscaping Could Save Your Home 
By M Wakefield 
Wildfires will most likely be in the news again this year. As the world's population continues to grow, more people are building homes in rural forested or grassland areas also called the "wildlife urban interface". With the influx of new homeowners in and around such land, the chances of wildfires damaging or destroying homes increase.

Just as appropriate landscaping can help gardeners with water shortages, so may careful landscaping help reduce the risk of significant property damage in the most fire-prone areas. Home owners can benefit from landscaping that create a semi-fireproof zone around the home.

The first step is creating a defensible space that in essence "breaks the chain" of burnable fuel between homes and natural vegetation; slowing or eliminating the fire spread, and allowing firefighters a place to work. Developing defensible space around a dwelling requires that these objectives be met: 1. Create a non-flammable barrier zone adjacent to the house; 2. Establish less flammable vegetation beyond the nonflammable zone; and 3. Increase moisture within the protection zones.

Here are some more suggestions on how to make home landscaping more resistant to wildfires.

Always keep a watchful eye towards reducing the fuel volumes available to fire. Be aware of growth habits of the plants within your landscape and of the changes that occur throughout the seasons.
Remove annuals and prune perennials after they have gone to seed or when the stems become overly dry.
Rake up leaves and other litter as it builds up through the season. 
Mow or trim grasses to a low height within your defensible space. 
Remove plant parts damaged by snow, wind, frost , or other agents. 
Prune all plants, trees, and shrubs in a timely manner; this is critical. Pruning not only reduces fuel volumes but also maintains healthier plants by producing more vigorous growth. 
Maintain your landscaping. This is a critical part of your home's defense system.

Consider too, that regular landscape maintenance provides fire safety. Over time, plants grow and spread; mulches dry out; leaves and pine needles accumulate. All contribute to the fuels from which a fire grows. Proper maintenance improves the appearance and helps protect your home from wildfire.

Using fire resistant plants in your landscaping is part of the overall fire defense plan. 
What are fire-resistant plants? 
Fire resistant plants are plants that don't readily ignite from a flame or other ignition sources. Although fire-resistant plants can be damaged or even killed by fire, their foliage and stems don't contribute significantly to the fuel and, therefore, the fire's intensity. 
Plants that are fire-resistant have the following characteristics: 
Leaves are moist and supple. 
Plants that have little dead wood and tend not to accumulate dry, dead material within the plant. 
Sap is water-like and does not have a strong odor. 
Most deciduous trees and shrubs are fire-resistant. 
However, it's important to remember that even fire resistant plants can burn, particularly if they are not maintained in a healthy condition.

It is impossible to control the factors that start the wildfires that occur in numerous parts of the world; homeowners can alter their landscaping and thereby increase the odds of their homes and property surviving a fire, while still enjoying the nature's beauty.

For delicious landscaping www.better-landscaping.com/

The Unique Appeal Of French Creole Homes

The Unique Appeal Of French Creole Homes 
By Kevin 
French Creole architecture is one of the most prominent building styles of the Old South. This stately form is recognizable on homes of all sizes, and immediately evokes the South's vibrant past. Although it is called "French" Creole, the style draws from a mix of other cultures, including Spanish, African, and Native American.
French Creole architecture is one of the most prominent building styles of the Old South. This stately form is recognizable on homes of all sizes, and immediately evokes the South's vibrant past. Although it is called "French" Creole, the style draws from a mix of other cultures, including Spanish, African, and Native American.

The French Creole style is most easily distinguished by generous front porch galleries which usually span the length of the house, fronted by light wooden colonettes. What usually makes a French Creole porch stand out is the fact that the building's roof extends all the way across the porch, instead of stopping at the edge of the house and then changing its angle slightly to cover the porch. Most French Creole homes are also built up to avoid seasonal river floodwaters and hurricanes - the main rooms in these homes are placed well above grade, while ground level rooms are used for a variety of non-essential 

purposes - for this reason, French Creole homes are also known as "tidewater" homes. A broad staircase connects upper floor galleries with the ground level, and acts an extension of the main entrance. French Creole homes are also characterized by heavy timber construction, occasionally with an infill of mud or brick. A unique building material, known as bousillage, was also pioneered in the construction of French Creole homes - it was comprised of moss, animal hair, and mud. Many homes in this style were also distinguished by multiple French doors, and extremely steep angle braces.

There are also a variety of commercial and urban interpretations of the French Creole style. French Creole cottages in downtown New Orleans stand flush with the property and generally have no gallery. Townhouses of this style included a low mezzanine-type storage area known as the entresol between the first and second floor, and a wide carriage passage connecting the street to the building's main courtyard. Many buildings of this type can still be seen in New Orlean's French Quarter.

French Creole homes originated in New Orleans in the early 1700s, and quickly spread across the south as builders looked for a practical yet attractive style for this region's humid subtropical climate. "Creole" refers to a people of mixed French and West Indies or Latin American heritage who live in the Gulf of Mexico region. 

Original French Creole homes provide some of the most attractive examples of residential architecture in the South, from small cottages to large plantation estates. 

How To Select And Install A Home Well Water Chlorinator

How To Select And Install A Home Well Water Chlorinator 
By Gerry 
Many residential water wells require a chlorine bleach injector or chlorinator either to kill bacteria or to eliminate odors or treat iron bacteria. This article describes the simple steps one should take before selecting and installing a home chlorinator.
Common household bleach can used in an automatic chlorinator system to kill coliform bacteria and provide disinfected water. In some wells iron or sulfur bacteria can create 'rotten egg' odors and cause staining of fixtures and appliances. Chlorinators can also be used to address these problems.

The first step in selecting a chlorinator is to find out your basic water chemistry and have your well water tested. A general mineral analysis will provide a list of the common minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, dissolved solids) alkalinity and pH. The pH is important because the higher the pH the more chlorine is required. 

How Much Chlorine Should I Plan to Add?

Chlorine is injected in parts per million ('ppm') which is the same as saying milligrams per liter ('mg/L'). For bacteria you want 1 to 2 ppm of chlorine and approximately 10 minutes of contact time. If the water is colder than 50F you may need longer contact time.

For each part per million of iron or manganese you want to inject 1 ppm of chlorine. For each 1.0 ppm of hydrogen sulfide gas (which causes the rotten egg smell in water) you want to inject 2 to 3 ppm of chlorine. 

So say you have bacteria and 2.0 ppm of iron. For our example here, we will assume you want to inject 3 ppm of chlorine.

How Do I Know What Size Chlorinator Pump to Install?

The next step in selecting your metering pump is to know how many gallons per minute your well water is flowing at the point where you will be injecting the chlorine. Usually the best place to inject the chlorine is before the pressure tank. Unless you have a variable-speed pump, your water at this point is flowing in approximately the same flow rate every time the well pump turns on. After you use up your reserve in your pressure tank, the pressure switch turns on the well pump and the water begins to flow from the well.

You can easily calculate the flow rate at this point by following these steps:

1. Open any hose bib or faucet until pump turns on.
2. Close hose bib or faucet and let pump fill up pressure tank until it turns off.
3. Using a 1 or 5 gal. bucket, open faucet, collect and measure all water discharged until pump turns on. Let us say this amount is 20 gallons.
4. When pump turns on, immediately close faucet and start timing pump cycle.
5. When pump turns off, record pump cycle time to refill pressure tank in seconds. Let us say this figure is two minutes or 120 seconds.
6. Divide the number of gallons collected in Step 3 by the number of seconds in Step 5. 20 divided by 120 is 0.166
7. Multiply the answer from Step 6 by 60, which comes out to 10.
8. The answer in Step 7 is the average pumping capacity of the pump in gallons per minute (GPM). 

Now that you know the amount of chlorine you want to install (3 ppm) and the flow rate of the water stream you are injecting the chlorine into (10 gallons per minute) you are finally ready to calculate the size of the metering pump!

How Strong Should the Chlorine Bleach Solution Be?

Use unscented 5% chlorine laundry bleach and dilute it by adding 9 gallons of water to 1 gallon of bleach. This will give you a solution strength of 5000 parts per million of chlorine.

Metering Pump Sizing

Metering pumps are often rated in the amount of chlorine solution they can pump by gallons per day. They have adjusting knobs so you can pump the full output or turn the pump down to deliver up 90% less than the output.

The formula simple: multiply the flow water (GPM) times the Applied Dosage in Parts Per Million and them multiply this by 1440 (the number of minutes in on 24 hour period). Finally divide this number by the solution strength being used. 

10 GPM x 3.0 PPM x 1440 divided by 5000 = 8.6 Gallons Per Day

At this rate you can select a metering pump that can pump 10 gallons per day and adjust the output of the pump to 86% to achieve the desired 8.6 gallons per day. Finally you can test the chlorine residual at the kitchen sink. Your goal should be to have a residual of 0.2 to 0.8 ppm of chlorine. If you find the residual is too high, you can adjust the metering pump down to deliver less or dilute the chlorine solution with more water. If you find the residual is too low, you can make the solution strength stronger by using less water to dilute the solution, or you can turn up the output of the metering pump.

 We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to home that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our garden home retailer website.

The Fsbo Guide To Selling Your Home In 2008

The Fsbo Guide To Selling Your Home In 2008 
By Kris
If you are planning to sell your house as a FSBO, it is essential to keep safety in mind when you think about the prospect potential buyers for your house. In the last few years, there has been a problematic climb in assault cases on realtors in the real estate industry. Due to this reason, people need to be careful when selling their house on their own. If you want to protect yourself and your family from becoming a victim to this problem, you can take into consideration the following protective measures:

Screening the callers:

If a buyer calls you and expresses his or her intention of seeing your house, make sure that you seek all the required details before granting an appointment. Ask the name, telephone number, existing address, job and other necessary details like-do they have children? Why do they want to buy a house in your area? Whether they have a family in that area or not?

Information is essential:

Never let any unannounced visitor enter your house unless you have granted an appointment. In case they arrive when there is no one else in your house, ask them to come later because it is safe to show your property when there are few people at home. There is no strong reason why a buyer cannot act professional and ask for an appointment before visiting you. 

In case you don't have any other family member staying with you and you have to show the house all alone then make sure to carry a cell phone with you. If you feel that the potential buyers can pose as a danger to you, call 911 for help immediately. If there is a need to get away from the buyer, run out of the house to your neighbor's house or the car. There are many criminals who don't want to harm the owners when stealing money or any valuables but when forced they can. So, be ready to take all necessary safety measures. 

Your children must also be told not to let any stranger inside the house when you are not at home. According to statistics, most of the assaults are committed on young children of 15-25 years. 

Virtual tours should also be avoided:

In case virtual tour is an option to sell your house, no expensive or valuable items must be kept in the rooms. This can be a good opportunity for criminals to target your house for theft. 

It helps to inform neighbors about your decision to sell the house. You must keep asking them if they came across someone around your house when you were not at home. Criminals usually use walk though or open houses for theft by posing as potential buyers, so that the property can be scoped out. 

Curb appeal will not only keep you safe from any kind of danger, but it will also add value when you sell a house. Put high watt light bulbs and low trimmed bushes for prevention from theft. There is no need to hesitate and if you are determined to sell your house on your own, you must create a plan for safety before taking a step further.

Information On Acid Neutralizers For Home Well Water Treatment Systems

Information On Acid Neutralizers For Home Well Water Treatment Systems 
By Gerry
On private water systems, one of the most common causes of corrosion is acidic water. Water that has a pH value of less than 7.0 is considered to be acidic. The ideal pH for most domestic supplies is between 7.0 and 8.0 on the pH scale.

Signs of acid water are corrosion of fixtures, pinhole leaks in plumbing, and blue staining (from copper pipes) or rust staining (from iron pipes). Often these waters are great for drinking or household use, but are low in buffering calcium minerals, and contain dissolved carbon-dioxide gas, which can cause a low pH and acid condition. Without treatment, these waters can be contaminated with copper, lead and other metals from piping, fixtures and appliances, turning good water into contaminated drinking water.

Treatment is accomplished by neutralizing the water with the use of an automatic neutralizer filter. These are water filter tanks filled with a media blend of calcium and magnesium carbonates made from naturally occurring minerals. This media, one brand of which is called Calcite, slowly dissolves into the water, raising the pH and making it less corrosive. 

More mineral can quickly and easily be added as needed to the filter tank. This is typically done once per year for most residential applications. No special tools are required. This type of neutralizer also acts as a filter removing sediment and small amounts of iron.

Calcite Media

Calcite is a crushed and screened white marble media which can inexpensively be used to neutralize acidic or low pH waters to a neutral, less corrosive effluent.

Calcite is a naturally occurring calcium carbonate media. One of the advantages of Calcite is that it will only dissolve until the water reaches a neutral pH. It does not over-correct under normal conditions. 

Upon contact with Calcite, acidic waters slowly dissolve the calcium carbonate to raise the pH which reduces the potential leaching of copper, lead and other metals found in typical plumbing systems. Periodic backwashing will prevent packing, reclassify the bed and maintain high service rates. 

As the calcium carbonate media neutralizes the water, it will increase hardness and a softener in some rare cases becomes necessary after the neutralizing filter. However this is unusual and only occurs on water that is very low in hardness and alkalinity. Most homeowners rarely find they need a softener. 

Calcite can be effectively combined with Clack Corosex to combine the high flow neutralization properties of Corosex, along with the slower reacting low flow properties of Calcite, increasing the ability to correct low pH.

How to Install Calcite Neutralizer Filters

Calcite neutralizer filters are easy to install. They need to be located in the piping after the pressure tank on a well water system, but before the copper household piping. If the pressure tank is piped with copper, it is best to remove any copper piping before the neutralizer and replace with PVC, PEX, or stainless steel piping, in order to avoid the corrosive effects of the acidic water.

Neutralizer filter tanks for home water systems typically measure 10 or 12 inches in diameter and 48 to 54 inches in height. The tanks have a center tube about 1 inch in diameter, called the distributor tube, which have a screen at the bottom of the tube. When the neutralizer tanks are assembled, the distributor tube is first placed in the tank and some tape or a cap put on the top of the tube to prevent media or gravel from entering the tube when the filter is built. Approximately 10 to 20 pounds of aquarium gravel 1/4 inch in diameter is first poured into the tank to cover the bottom distributor screen. The calcite media, which looks like white sand, is then poured in until the depth of the media reaches about two-thirds of the tank.

The top one third of the tank is left as free space. This free space allows the media to expand when the neutralizer is backwashed. 

Neutralizer filters need to be connected to a drain to allow the filters to backwash. The backwashing is done automatically based on a simple timer typically once every one to two weeks. This flushes out any sediment or iron that the neutralizer filter has trapped and keeps the calcite clean and properly settled so it can filter and raise the pH in an optimum manner.

Up-Flow Neutralizers 

An effective neutralizer filter uses an automatic backwash control valve, which allows the owner to have the neutralizer tank be automatically cleaned every one to two weeks. 

In some cases, no backwash control valve is used and instead of the water first flowing down through the media and up the distributor tube, the piping is installed so the water flows down the distributor tube and up through the media. This is called an "up-flow neutralizer" and they are not backwashed. 

There are some disadvantages to up-flow neutraliers despite the lower costs. In some cases calcite media can wash out of the neutralizer and enter the home water piping system causing damage. If the water flow is not sufficient the media can become solidified in places, causing the water to bypass the media.

Concrete Countertops: Hot Designs For Your Home

Concrete Countertops: Hot Designs For Your Home 
By Ryan 
Truly a designer's dream, concete countertops are rapidly gaining popularity with custom colors, unlimited shapes and unique style possibilities unmatched by any other surface, but a few trade-offs too. Are concrete countertops right for you? 

If you're unfamiliar with concrete countertops, you are probably feeling a little amused with the whole idea of having a sidewalk where your kitchen counter top or bathroom vanity should be.

I can assure you that this comical vision is far from the stylish, warm and natural look of this surface. 

Concrete countertops can be customized with unique colors, unusual shapes and specialty finishes not available with other surfaces. 

Truly a designing dream, concrete countertops are rapidly gaining popularity with restaurants, hotels and homeowners.

Colors

Virtually any color can be achieved with cement counter tops. Every fabricator of mixes their own recipe of sand, water and stone and custom color pigmentation can be added to the mix or stains can be applied in the later stages. Either way you get a unique color variation to your finished countertop.

The particular coloring process results in colors that are warm and rich with earthy tones. Considering that the colors found in nature provide us with an amazing spectrum from sandstone creams to deep reds and every shade in between, your choice is almost endless. 

The most popular colors are creams, grays and browns that are a natural complement to popular decorating and design materials like wood, stone, stainless steel and brick.

Design Possibilities

As coloring pigments, stains, various aggregates, and epoxy coatings are added to the concrete mixture, your countertop may be created to resemble the look, texture, and feel of quarried stone such as marble, granite, and limestone.

Interesting objects such as shells, coins and glass tiles may be set into your kitchen counter top to enhance your decorating theme or give added depth to the counter top surface. This is particularly beneficial to restaurants and hotels when creating decor themes, but offers equally enticing design possibilities for your home as well.

Like stone or other natural surfaces, concrete is not a static material and it will acquire character over time. 

Unlimited Shapes and Forms

If you desire a non-traditional shape, then concrete countertops definitely are the most versatile surface on the market. Your countertop can be as unique as your imagination. Molds can be individually shaped to perfectly suite any space, or unusual location.

Curves, L-shapes and V-shapes are all available options when designing with concrete.

Trivets for hot pots and pans can be made and built-in sinks are popular for both 

kitchen and bath.

Many edge styles are available and you're sure to find one you like, but each fabricator is a bit different so your choices depend on your contractor. 

Fabrication and Installation

As with coloring, each manufacturer has their own method. They may be pre-cast the countertop in a shop controlled environment or create it on location.

Concrete countertops are made with a combination of cement, lightweight aggregates and additives such as silica, fume, pozzolan and acrylic fiber. Structural steel or wire mesh and/or fiberglass is used for reinforcement.

Sometimes the concrete may be ground or polished to achieve a finer, smoother finish.

The final step when installing your countertop is sealing the concrete. The type of sealer used varies so consult with your installer. 

Price

Concrete countertops range in price from $66-$125 per square foot for materials, plus installation of between $40-$50 per hour. Installation is difficult and requires a high level of skill and experience to do properly. Hence, the steep price. 

This might be far more than laminated surfaces, but concrete countertops offer more style and durability than laminate.

Actually, the price of an installed concrete countertop may rival that of some expensive granite or marble countertops with beauty to match.

Cleaning and Care

It is not recommended to use your concrete countertop as a cutting board or place hot pots and pans straight onto the surface. Concrete may be hard and durable, but your countertop must still be treated with proper care.

Cleaning your concrete is no different than cleaning your granite countertop. Hot water and a sponge will clean suitably. When more aggressive cleaning is required, neutrally balanced ph soaps are recommended. Abrasive cleaners should be avoided.

Your concrete countertop should be waxed every three months for continued care and protection of the sealer.

Are Concrete Countertops Right For You?

Let's see: 

Pro's:

**Concrete countertops offer custom colors. The colors of wood, granite, marble and other durable alternatives are restricted to the material itself.

**Unique personalization is possible by embedding objects into your countertop to add depth or create a particular theme.

**Any shape or form can be fashioned with built-in sinks and drain boards.

**Concrete countertops can be installed without seams in many instances.

Con's:

**Concrete countertops are more porous than granite requiring sealing initially and waxing on a regular basis

**They are not heat or scratch proof

**Concrete is more susceptible to cracks

**Expensive--often more than granite or marble

Concrete countertops certainly offer interesting and stylish design possiblities not found with other surfaces and a few trade-offs as usual. 

However, with professional installation and proper care, you can be confident your concrete countertops will provide you with years of fashionable and functional satisfaction. 

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Modern Prefabricated Homes And Their Benefits

Modern Prefabricated Homes And Their Benefits 
By Kristen Banker 
While a traditional home is built by workmen on a site, a prefabricated house is built in a factory. In other words, sections of a prefab home are built in large pieces in a factory, transported to the owner’s land and then simply assembled and placed onto a pre-existing foundation. 

Modern prefab homes are also popularly known as modular homes as you can put together any number of rooms to create the kind of home you wish. 

Prefab homes are increasingly witnessing high demand due to a variety of reasons: 

Speedy construction

The construction of a prefab home is much faster than a custom built home. Within two months of order time your home is ready. 

Since each room is built in a factory, all you have to do is to place your order with the prefab house builders and your house is built, transported to your site and then put together. On the other hand a traditional home can take few months or even a year. 

Life nowadays has become very fast and people are perennially short of time. Prefab modern homes are an ideal option as they are faster to build and hassle-free. 

Better Insulation

The insulation of prefabricated walls is superior to traditional houses as they are built in a factory. Although site-built walls are thicker than prefab walls, they still tend to sag over a period of time. 

Protection from Bugs

Since modules of prefab houses are built in the factory, they are better protected from bugs. In contrast, traditional homes take a lot of time to build so the timber and other parts are more exposed to damage. 

Money Saver

Once your prefab home is built, you can save a lot of money on electricity due to superior insulation. Precious money is also saved on lumber. It generally reduces construction and design costs to a great extent as compared to a traditional home. 

Design the Way You Like

With a prefabricated home you get the benefit of designing your own home according to your whims and fancy. You can choose the number of rooms you want, their size, designs, etc. 

Environment- Friendly

Prefabricated homes are less damaging to the environment as they are made from recycled, renewable materials, use less energy and don’t pollute. As people are becoming more conscious about environment, the demand for eco-friendly green prefab homes is growing. 

In fact, there are green home building websites now that offer aesthetically designed environment-friendly prefab houses, modern outdoor and indoor furniture, home accessories, etc. 

Better Equipped to Handle Natural Disasters

Prefab homes are stronger than traditional homes. Particularly, for an area which has experienced hurricanes or tornadoes, a prefab is an ideal choice as they can withstand violent storms and other natural disasters better than traditional homes. 

Lower prices, faster and easier to build, and a range of designs to choose from are the chief benefits of prefabricated homes. The popularity of prefabricated homes is thus sky rocketing. 

Prefab homes today are built from such advanced technology that you can’t even tell the difference between a prefabricated house and a traditional house. People from all walks of life are now choosing prefabricated homes instead of traditional homes.