Cabinet Hardware 101 by Scott Touchton

Cabinet Hardware 101 by Scott Touchton

Cabinet knobs and pulls are now being used by designers to add finer details to a homes overall decorating theme. Manufacturers of decorative hardware are making the designers job easier by offering more styles and design options. Emtek Products is one of these companies who manufacturers door, bath and cabinet hardware in various collection styles so that homeowners can have hardware with consistent styles and finishes throughout their home.

For example, homeowners with smaller children can choose cabinet knobs and pulls for their childrens bedrooms in bright primary colors, animal shapes or pictures of clothing items such as sock knobs for the sock drawer and shirt knobs for the shirt drawer.

Cabinet knobs are also produced from a variety of different materials venturing away from the more standard solid brass. Hardware customers can now choose products made from sandcast bronze, wrought steel, copper and chrome.

There are also many different combinations of types of hardware that you can use throughout your home. The more common selection is to use cabinet knobs on doors that swing outward and to use horizontally positioned pulls on slide out drawers. Pulls can be used throughout using pulls horizontally on slide out drawers and vertically on cabinet doors. Cup pulls and bin pulls are also being used more as they become more popular with designers.

When shopping for cabinet pulls, you should know the center-to-center measurement that you need.

Center to center (CTC) - Measurement from the center of one hole to the center of another. This measurement is used to measure both hardware and the surfaces to which hardware is applied.

If holes have not yet been drilled in your cabinets then you can start fresh and are not limited in your choices. If holes are already drilled in the cabinets for hardware, this can definitely limit your options of hardware. Common CTC sizes are 3, 3-1/2 and 4.

Some popular manufacturers of cabinet hardware are listed here: Alno, Ashley Norton, Baldwin, Colonial Bronze, Emtek, Fusion, Rocky Mountain, Top Knobs.

About the Author
Scott Touchton is an employee of www.SpecialtyHardwareOutlet.com which is a Birmingham, Alabama based decorative hardware outlet.

Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home by Ed Bishop

Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home by Ed Bishop

In addition to causing destruction, water damage also has an adverse affect to the indoor air quality of your home.

Damage from water can cause wood rot, insect infestation and mold .

The obvious causes of water damage are leaking roofs, windows, doors, foundation cracks and visible plumbing leaks.

These are fairly easy to detect, enabling a quick repair before maximum damage occurs.

The not-so-obvious culprits are moisture behind finished basement walls that are insulated with fiberglass; poor grading around foundation walls and air leaks that occur between the living space and attic.

Insulating finished basement walls with fiberglass is not a good idea.

Fiberglass will absorb water and not allow it to travel through the wall, preventing a drying effect.

Some people think installing a plastic barrier in the wall is the answer, but this approach only traps moisture.

A better way is to use rigid insulation (also known as blue board).

This insulation is semi-permeable and allows moisture to travel through the wall, allowing it to dry.

Water can also enter the basement if the grade of the land is pitched toward the house.

Grading the soil away from the house and adding rain gutters will guide rainwater away from the house.

Openings from the house to the attic and poor ceiling insulation in houses located in colder climates can lead to ice dams that cause water to back up into the house.

Air leakage from the house to the attic will carry moisture in the form of humidity into the attic that can form water on the underside of the roof leading to rotting and mold.

Typical leakage points between the house and attic are:

* leaky attic hatches
* holes drilled for plumbing pipes and electrical wires that penetrate the attic and are usually not sealed
* Recessed light fixtures that are not the airtight type
* Exhaust fans that vent directly into the attic

For those who live in warmer climates, water damage can occur within your walls because of poorly designed air conditioning systems.

Systems that are oversized (a larger capacity than necessary)will not remove enough humidity which leads to high moisture levels that condense on cooler surfaces.

Duct systems that are imbalanced can draw outside humidity through walls that can produce water in the walls.

Mitigating these problems requires a professional.

Repairing the attic problems listed above may seem simple enough, but trying to do it yourself doesnt guarantee you really fixed the problem and can sometimes lead to other problems.

Hiring an insulation expert who specializes in building science (also known as a building performance specialist) will ensure the job is done properly and safely.

These specilaists come equipped with tools such as blower doors, pressure guages, etc. to quantify the measures taken for the repairs.

The same goes for the air conditioning specialist, he should have duct diagnostic tools to test your ductwork to be sure it is properly designed and performing efficiently.

If you are unable to find someone in your area, go to www.energyconservatory.com.

They are manufacturers of the required testing instruments and they will have contractors in their database they can recommend.

In addition to taking care of the water damage, your home will be more comfortable, youll save money on your energy bills and improve your indoor air quality.

About the Author
Ed Bishop is founder and president of Enhanced Living Inc., a Troy, NY-based design-consulting and contracting company. contracting. Trained in the House Is A System approach to HVAC design. He was formerly a building analyst instructor, providing certification training for New York's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program

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