Post about "Furniture"

Teak Outdoor Furniture – 2 Things You Should Know Before You Buy Teak Furniture – May Save You Money

Have you ever purchased wooden furniture only to have it unusable within a year or two because of dirt, mildew or rotten wood? If so, you may want to take a closer look at teak outdoor furniture. Whether it’s for your home, garden, patio or deck, teak wood is the #1 choice for outdoor patio and garden furniture.Teak (Tectona grandis) is known for its beauty, strength and durability and is found to be grown mostly in India and Indonesia on large plantations. Teak trees can grow very tall to 150 feet and have rough, reddish green leaves. Teak wood also contains rubber and silica that resist water, mold and mildew allowing you to leave teak furniture outdoors all year round.  The trees sap has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that make teak known for its resistance to disease and termites. Natural oils found in both the heartwood and the semi heartwood, make it extremely resilient to moisture and will not rot for many years with virtually no care whatsoever.Because of the high cost associated with teak, you need to know and understand 2 very important key factors regarding teak wood before you invest your hard earned money on any piece of teak furniture.#1 The 3 Grades of Teak Wood#2 Moisture Content and Moisture Levels in Teak WoodThose 2 factors may not seem to be all that important but I can assure you they are. Once you understand why this is relevant you can then purchase teak furniture with confidence so that you, your family and friends can enjoy your investment for many years to come.Three Grades of TeakTrue Grade “A” teak is the mature heartwood, very dense, almost always completely free of knots, tightly grained and rich in natural oils. This grade of teak makes up only 20% to 25% of a mature log which is a very small percentage of the timber making it rare, hard to find and in high demand. You will find this Grade of teak to be the most expensive. When Grade A teak is new it has a rich golden honey brown color and as it ages it will turn to a handsome silvery gray patina color that many people love because of it’s natural state.Grade “B” teak is the semi-mature outer heartwood, the color is lighter and occasional streaks of black and some small knots are acceptable for this grade which is why it is much more affordable when using it to manufacture outdoor furniture.Grade “C” teak is referred to as sapwood and is the outer section of the tree. Sapwood is very soft, can be easily damaged and has large almost white color variations. Because of its lack of quality, virtually no protective oils, it is extremely cheap to purchase and in some cases it is simply tossed out and not used at all because of it’s low quality.Teak Furniture ~ Moisture Content LevelsAlthough Grade A teak is a good measure of quality, it is not always the case. You may have Grade A teak with high moisture levels which is just as bad as Grade C.Ultimately, the process to produce high quality teak is in the drying process. This is very important. The least amount of water in the wood, the better its quality. Keep in mind Teak wood should be dried to a maximum level of 12% however, the recommended level of 8% is of the highest quality. If the wood is not dried to these levels, the beautiful teak furniture you purchased, for what you thought would be a lifetime, will most likely warp, split and over time become rendered useless.The correct method of drying teak furniture is in kiln ovens at a set amount of time and temperature. Kiln ovens are not only an expensive piece of equipment but they are expensive to operate. The size of these ovens take up a lot of space and are time consuming to operate.The problems begin when the majority of factories in Indonesia do not have the proper equipment because either they cannot afford the ovens or they do not have the space for them. These factories owners will actually air dry the furniture instead of using kiln ovens before shipping to the United States or the UK. It almost goes without saying, teak furniture dried in this fashion is not quality teak, at all.The few factory owners who actually own kiln ovens are not using the recommended time allowed to properly dry the teak furniture due to the high cost involved in running the machines. Since it cost more money to dry teak from 16% to 8% than it is to dry it from 22% to 16% they will try to dry the teak quickly, cutting the time in half by removing the teak before reaching the maximum requirement or even at 22% or higher and proceed with making the garden, pool and patio furniture you may unknowingly buy.At this rate you no longer have the qualities that make up Grade A or Grade B teak wood and you are better off not purchasing this type of teak at all. Buyer Beware!Teak Furniture ~ Asking the Right QuestionsI hope this information helps you to better understand what to look for when shopping for outdoor patio furniture. Be sure to ask questions before making a purchase. Most retailers will advertise the type of Grade but not always the moisture content. It’s up to you to ask at what level is the moisture content.Don’t be fooled if a retailer tells you he doesn’t know what the moisture content levels are in his teak furniture. He knows exactly what levels of moisture he has in the furniture he supplies and should not hesitate to share that information with you.And don’t believe it if they tell you Grade does not matter or that no one sells real Grade A teak anyway. If they cannot give you a straight answer you may want to keep shopping until you find an ethical retailer.Teak Furniture ~ Proper Care and MaintenanceProper care for the finish of your teak furniture depends on your preference. If you like the silvery gray patina color, as many people do, then you don’t have to do anything. However, if you would like to keep the rich golden honey brown color it is recommended to treat your teak outdoor furniture with a little teak oil 1 or 2 times per year to maintain its natural luster.Contrary to the many claims that you do not need to do anything at all, teak outdoor furniture, especially dining furniture should not be left outdoors all year round in the harsh weather and not expect some consequences. When the teak dining set you plan to use on a regular basis accumulates dirt, stains, scratches, wear and tear it can make the best teak furniture set look worn just after a short period of time. Do yourself and your teak patio furniture a favor and cover it with a good breathable furniture cover in the winter. You’ll be glad you did!

Waste Removal Companies and How to Choose and Use Them

There are many waste removal companies in any large town or city. You can simply look one up and call them when you need to get rid of waste, but for good or great service it’s important to do some research first and to choose the best company for you.

Here are some home improvement tips to help you choose the right waste removal company:

Look at the company’s reputation. Look for companies with good reputations. This will help you feel confident that the company will take care of the waste removal process.

Ask about the price. Make sure the price is reasonable. You don’t want to overpay for the service.

Ask about the service. Make sure the company offers a good waste removal service. This will ensure that the process is done properly and that the waste is removed properly.

Ask about the schedule. Make sure the company has a schedule that fits your needs. You don’t want to have to wait until the last minute to have the waste removed.

Ask about the availability.

Make sure the company is responsible for the waste they collect and will only tip it at properly licensed waste disposal facilities.

There are a number of different types of local domestic and commercial waste removal companies that offer services these days. Some of the most common are described below:

Local Waste Disposal

Local waste disposal is the process of removing waste from an area. Waste disposal can be done by the local government, a private company, or a group of people. The three main methods of waste disposal are landfills, incinerators, and recycling.

Local waste disposal can be done in several ways. The local government might use landfills to dispose of solid waste. A private company might use incinerators to dispose of solid waste. A group of people might compost the solid waste and then use the compost to fertilize the land.

House Clearance Services

House clearance services are offered by companies that can help you declutter and tidy up your home in a snap. This can be a great way to make your living space feel more organized and stress-free.

Clean up your living space and declutter it, making it easier to live in and more organized and most people report that you will also feel happier.

Garden Clearance Services

Garden Clearance Services can help you clear a backlog of growth and discarded rubbish from any garden quickly. Most will always do their best to reuse, upcycle and down-cycle and recycle all the waste they collect.

In fact, most times now they will save money this way on the alternative of very high waste disposal costs for landfill and incineration.

If you have too much garden furniture, plants, or flowers, or if your garden is too small, you may need to hire a garden clearance service to help you declutter and organize your garden. This service can help you find items that you can donate to charity, sell online, or give to friends and family.

Pet Waste Removal

If you have a pet and find yourself struggling to cope with the amount of pet waste your pet produces, you may want to consider hiring a pet waste removal service. These companies are specially trained to take care of scooping up pet waste and disposing of it safely.

If you have a pet, you know that one of the things you have to take care of is getting rid of their waste.

Unfortunately, pet waste can be really messy and can stain furniture, floors, and other surfaces. That’s why it’s important to have a pet waste removal service that can take care of it for you.

They’ll come to your house and remove all the waste, leaving your house clean and tidy.

Man & Van Rubbish Clearance

Man and Van Rubbish Clearance is the perfect service for those who have a lot of rubbish to clear from a home or business location. A team of experts can help you get rid of all the rubbish in an area or property quickly and easily. They’ll take care of the entire process from start to finish, so you can focus on what’s important.

We cannot stress too highly that it is important to hire a company that has the necessary experience and is reliable.

Any waste management company should be licensed, bonded, and insured. It is also important to find out what type of waste they handle. If they are illegally handling waste, they may have to face financial penalties.

And you might also become implicated in the eyes of the police if your waste is found to have been illegally dumped.

Why Use a Local Waste Removal Company?

Using Waste Removal Companies can help businesses eliminate waste from their property and reduce their environmental footprint. Many professional waste management companies are dedicated to environmental protection. These companies collect, sort, and send waste to recycling facilities.

They use advanced equipment and technologies and strive to reduce the environmental impact of their services. Professional waste management companies can also help businesses reduce their costs by removing waste as cheaply as possible.

Fortunately, you may be in luck because waste removal companies are evolving to meet the increasing demand and getting much better at recycling according to the efficiency guide which is known as the waste hierarchy. The waste hierarchy has been devised to help people take the most sustainable option whenever waste is disposed of.

Clean Harbors is an example of a waste removal company that has expanded to more than 400 locations worldwide. It started with a trash truck and has grown into a multibillion-dollar corporation. They are also the largest organic compost facility operator in the United States.

Despite their huge size, this company has a long and turbulent history. Its owners fought for public health and the environment and have made this huge business out of a start-up using just one trash truck.

Waste-to-energy Facilities

Waste management businesses are more and more often announcing ventures to develop waste-to-energy facilities (WtE).

This technology can transform organic waste into transportation fuels. Including providing fuel for cars in the form of compressed biomethane (rCNG) in cylinders. It can also help power homes and businesses.

By turning trash into fuel, these companies can help save the planet and reduce our carbon footprint.

Trash Removal Rates and Services

If you choose a private waste removal company, you should ask about their rates and services. Some charge for monthly or yearly contracts. Some also charge per individual pickup. Make sure the prices you are quoted fit into your budget. Lastly, check if they offer any other services besides waste removal. It’s also important to find out whether the company offers any type of recycling.

The costs for garbage removal depend on the type of waste you have. Some items are recyclable while others require special equipment. Some of the more common items that are considered hazardous are batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, food waste, and yard waste. Depending on where you live, some types of waste may not be legally tipped on any particular landfill. Each landfill varies in the types of waste they can legally accept.

Your local government will enforce laws regarding hazardous waste, and there can be fines for illegal disposal.

The fees associated with waste removal may include dump fees, transfer station fees, pumping fees, and discharge fees. These fees are part of the cost of doing business for the company. These fees may be passed on to customers.

You should compare prices to ensure you get the most affordable service.