Disposing Debris The Right Way 101

Learn how to get cash for your trash! along with other money saving ways to reduce renovation waste.


Whether you're updating a room or gutting the entire house, chances are you have piles of junk taking up valuable Real Estate. No problem finding a ton of takers for the claw foot tub, but what about the stuff you can't unload on Craigslist or Ebay? You've got garbage, but you're not alone. Lets take a look at some ways you can do the right "Green" thing with what would be considered trash.

Carperting:

In the words of National Association of Home Builders, " The bulkiness of carpet and padding waste can make disposal VERY costly. Today's Manufactuers are making an effort to help give you a push in the recyclying way instead.

• If your carpet is in good shape without stains or big worn patches, donate it.

• If you have damaged carpet or worn carpet or area rugs, click on a map at the Central America Recovery Effort website (carpetrecovery.org/waste.php) where you can find a place to drop it off for recycling.

• IF YOU MUST DUMP IT... ask the sanitation department when & how to put the rugs out on the curb.

White Goods

These Big, bulky items--- your dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer, Fridge, & Freezer--can push a job-site container to overflowing without even trying.

• If you have a Vintage stove or refigirator, sell it to a dealer or restorer such as AntiqueAppliances.com

• If your appliances still work and are somewhat on the new side, ask a second hand store if they will pick them up such places like the Salvation Army or Goodwill will give you a tax reciept in which you can use as a write off at the years end.

• If you have no other takers and can use a few bucks, consider selling your old appliances for scrap. Dealers normally pay aout 10 cents per pound which can equal $30-$80 per appliance. However, Please note they WILL NOT accept appliances which contain coolaint.

Lumber & Scrapwood
It may grow on trees--- but all the more reason to recycle if you can.

• If you have unused tongue and groove flooring, take it to a dealer or resale store. These places may also want large pieces of undamaged lumber and wooden doors. Even our company EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations will take old undamaged doors, locks,handles, as well as molding and furniture which we refinish and resell and donate the proceeds to local charities. You can contact us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

• If you have lumber scraps or left over pieces of raw lumber, contact a wood waste dealer for recycling purposeing. You may have to pay a small fee, but it would be far less than what it would cost at a disposal agency.

• Also place an ad on Craigslist for free scrapwood now that winter is here many people could probaly welcome it if they still have wood burning stoves and heaters.

This is all we have today but we will be posting more GREEN recycling tips throughout the next few weeks so keep checking back because YOU do make a difference!

Please contact us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com with any questions or ideas on how and what else we can recycle.

New York City Home Improvement DIY Forum

The Staff at EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC is proud to announce another addition to our growing website, which is an DIY Forum that is completely open to any Home Improvement related topics from Ikea Assembly Tips, Kitchen Cabinet Installation Instructions, Plumbing, as well Home Improvement stories or mishaps.


We are a New York City based company and we encourage NYC DIY to come and share your product rating, local stores having sales, the best flea markets in the City, and whatever comes to mind as long as it is Home Improvement related topics.


Our website recieves an average of 3000 unique visitors monthly and we are leasing Banner ads at a discounted rate of only $20.00 per month with a (6) month contract.

Visit us today and be the first to post CLICK HERE

New York City Company Provides Kitchen Renovations at Affordable Rates!!

EZ FURNITURE ASSEMBLY

&

INTERIOR INNOVATIONS, LLC

WWW.EZFURNITUREASSEMBLY.COM























We were Awarded the SUPER SERVICE AWARD by Angie's List for Outstanding Service in which only 5% off companies Nationwide are even considered.

We are expert installers of IKEA kitchen cabinets. As a licensed remodeling company, we have high professional standards and work to provide top-notch customer service on every project we do. Why settle for less?



We can provide demolition of the old kitchen, electrical, lighting, plumbing, appliance installation, wall work, countertop installation, flooring installation, and general repair.



We also offer a low-cost "assisted installation" service for homeowners who want to spend the least on a professional installation result.



Please view our Previous Projects at our website www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

OR

Email us: contactus@ezfurnitureassembly.com

All About IKEA from Shopping to Return Policies

How to shop

We want your next trip to IKEA to be as pleasant as possible. So, here are some tips on how to shop the easy way at our IKEA stores! IKEA stores have free parking and provide easy access for the disabled. Everything you need to shop is available at the entrance: pencils, paper, tape measures, store guides, catalogs, shopping carts, shopping bags and strollers.




Bring the kids!

The IKEA store is family-friendly. your kids can test all the toys in the children's department or have fun in the free supervised playroom while you shop. (Ask at the store about specific requirements.)


Everything you need!

Besides copies of the latest catalog for you to borrow, the store provides tape measures, and pencils and notepads for you to write down price tag details, like where to pick up your item. And grab a big yellow bag for those smaller items you like.




Relax, there's no hurry

The store has lots of fully furnished showrooms. You can sit on the chairs, lie on the beds and try out everything. IKEA sales people won't bother you. Need help? Just ask.


Price tag information

You'll find lots of details on the price tag - colors, materials, sizes, etc. You'll find the shelf number if you can collect the item from the Self-Serve area or a message to contact staff if you need to collect it at Furniture Pick-up.




Contact staff here

You'll find IKEA staff at information desks with this symbol. They will arrange for you to collect your item at Furniture Pick-up if you need to.


Time for a bite to eat

Our restaurant isn't just for delicious full meals - stop in for a quick sandwich, piece of cake or cup of coffee. Look for the special kids' menu, too!




Pick up your purchases

Check the notes you made of the shelf numbers to find your items in the Self-Serve area. There are plenty of carts and bags to help you get it all to the checkouts. Selected items need to be picked up in Furniture Pick-up after your purchase is complete.


How to pay

Our cashiers accept cash, credit cards, debit cards, and IKEA gift cards.




Take it home today

Since most IKEA furniture is flat-packed, you can take it home today in your car and enjoy it tonight. If you'd prefer, IKEA can arrange home delivery at a reasonable rate - contact your local IKEA store for details.


If you change your mind

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the unused item in its original packaging within 90 days unless noted below. A receipt is required for all returns and exchanges.

Mattresses: "Love it or Exchange it". You may return your mattress once within 90 days if you don't love it. Return your mattress with your receipt to the store and select your new mattress. We are unable to exchange your mattress if your merchandise is found to be dirty, stained, damaged, or abused.

Sorry, we cannot accept returns on used bedding (linens, quilts, pillows, and mattress pads), cut fabric, products from the As-Is department, and custom countertops.

Click here for further return policy details.

SWEEPSTAKES TO WIN HUMMER OR MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE!!!

We were contacted by a company, actually a survey company that obtains information for thousands of retailers and in return for a minute of your time you get a chance to win a BRAND NEW MUSTANG or HUMMER, plus lots of other prizes. THIS IS NOT A SCAM!!!!! We had our Attorney review the sweepstakes and company and it has in fact given away several hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes. I wasn't going to bother with it, but then I figured I would list it and allow our readers decide if they want to try to win or not.

GOOD LUCK!!!

PLEASE POST YOUR EXPERIENCE & ANY WINNINGS!

How to Feng Shui a New York City Apartment, Loft or Condo

Feng Shui Manhattan Apartment

We look at the front hall and bedroom of a Manhattan apartment that was designed with the ancient Asian art of Feng Shui.

Using the principles of Feng Shui, a designer pays close attention to the flow of energy, or Ch’i, through the rooms of a home or office. Ch'i meaning "flow". A thorough Feng Shui design takes into account everything from the placement of the mirrors to the color of the walls, all with the goal of creating energetic harmony and balance.

This apartment, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is owned by Kathleen and John Ullmann, and was designed with the help of R.D. Chin, a leading Feng Shui master based in New York City.



This room offers a good example of how versatile Feng Shui is; you don’t have to have an Asian-looking interior in order for the principles of Feng Shui to go some distance towards creating a home that functions well and makes the inhabitants simply feel good in their environment.

Here is a great, better yet the top website for finding ALL your Oriental & Feng Shui products




Looking at the living room, we see that not only does the room work in terms of Feng Shui, but it also adheres nicely to the Sheffield Guidelines of Interior Design: function, mood, and harmony. The function here is just what one usually looks for in a living room: to provide a public area of the home for entertaining guests, while also allowing for private activities such as reading.

In this living room, the furniture is grouped to allow for comfortable conversation among family members or guests. Two people could snuggle in to the corners of the sofa for an intimate conversation, or guests could spread out among the sofa and chairs to form a few different conversational groups, and everyone would have access to that wide coffee table for drinks and snacks. The oversized corner chair makes an ideal reading nook, with a side table with a lamp that provides good reading light.

One of the functions of this particular living room is to hold the collection of Russian gardener figurines. Before the home was re-decorated, Ullmann says, the figures, mostly white, didn’t show up against the white wall behind them. In fact, one reason Kathleen Ullmann wanted to use Feng Shui in re-doing her home was that the collections in the living room made the room like a museum. “It was dead energetically,” she said.

Now, the collection is lit by the recessed lights, and the bright yellow wall sets off the figurines, making them seem to come to life.

"It has helped my husband to remember the thrill when he started to receive these figurines from his father; he takes pride in the collection being something from his family home in England, and then in being successful enough to buy them on his own,” she said.

The redesign has shown the Ullmanns that the collection is “no longer just about acquisition,” but now can serve as a reminder of their accomplishments and positive life memories. In Feng Shui, each section of a home represents a different aspect of life, and this particular wall represents creativity, so the placement of the collection there encourages the creativity to flow into the home and therefore into the lives of the inhabitants.

“My husband, who is timid and conservative, is proud of the room, and I find he’s more likely to bring guests up and entertain in the living room. The Ch’i, the life, has come back in,” she said.

John Ullmann likes the home’s new look too. “He’s so proud he invites people over to see it,” Kathleen Ullmann said, something he didn’t do so much of before.

The color of the walls in this room was no accident. Ullmann says she elected to use the yellow because she “wanted any wall the sunshine kissed to be yellow,” and she wanted the color of the sky on walls that looked out of the apartment. “I wanted to feel the sense that I wasn’t blocked by walls, but it was an immersion in the sea and sky,” she said.

Because Feng Shui focuses on the movement of energy throughout the rooms, it’s important to consider all the entrances to a given room. This is the reason we’re showing you two slightly different views of this living room. In the first photograph, you’ll note that you can see a doorway to the left, which leads into the bedroom. This portal is open, allowing the energy to move through the living room and then into the bedroom, which is set far back from the entrance to the home, giving a more intimate and private feeling to it.

With the third Guideline, harmony, we evaluate whether everything comes together in the room, and here it does. Achieving harmony in a room’s décor is one of the main goals of Feng Shui, and here we see that the whole room works together. Harmony doesn’t mean that every piece of furniture must match every other piece in terms of period or style or fabric; it just means all the disparate pieces must work together.

In looking at this living room, we can see that the principles of good design and Feng Shui are not far apart from one another: achieving balance and harmony and making sure a room functions well are the goals of any designer’s project. For Kathleen Ullmann, Feng Shui has made what was once “dead space” come to life: “It is absolutely different. Every time I come in, I get happy because I feel that the sun is dancing and kissing my walls and saying Kathleen, look what I did with this wall over here,” she says. “It’s an interaction with the room.”

Can I use regular paint to refinish my Kitchen Cabinets????

If the cabinets are made of real wood, frequently found in older homes, they can be painted with normal paint. They need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any grease that has accumulated from cooking. Kitchen surfaces collect a thin film of grease and dirt over time. If the cabinets have a gloss or semi-gloss finish, the old surface should be lightly sanded before repainting to help the paint adhere better. Use a gloss or semi-gloss latex paint for kitchens and bathrooms. These paints are intended for use in areas with higher than normal humidity levels and are more resistant to wear.

It is a very good idea to remove the shelves, doors, mounting hardware, and the door handles before you begin to work on the cabinets. The cabinets are much easier to work on if you don�t have to mask the hardware and paint around it. This takes some time at the start and finish, but the cleaning, sanding, and painting go much faster and more easily. The final job will look better, by eliminating those brush marks around the door handles and hinges

The cabinets in many modern kitchens have a simulated wood finish or a non-painted coloured finish. These are fabricated of a synthetic material, such as melamine. The finish can be painted over with a normal gloss or semi-gloss latex paint for kitchens and bathrooms. It should be prepared as described for wood cabinets, with particular attention to sanding. The existing surface should be sanded until it is evenly dull everywhere. If the paint does not fully adhere to the old finish, it can chip, flake, or peel off quite easily. If the new finish becomes damaged in this fashion, you will need to sand the area around the defect to feather the edges of the paint around the defect. This will help prevent a visible ridge when the surface is repainted. A poor finish will look terrible once it begins to chip.

It is a very good idea to apply a coat of melamine primer, or other primer intended for use on synthetic surfaces, before you apply the final finish. These primers are designed to adhere to the existing finish more effectively than regular paints and they provide a good surface for the new paint to adhere to. If the cabinets had a dark finish, two coats of primer may be required. The use of a suitable primer is highly recommended.

We use this company on a regular basis for all types of home decorationg and staging because they offer high quality, brand name hosehold products at clearance prices. View them HomeCenter.com Storewide Sale!

Save 5% on orders over $500. Shop Kohler, Grohe, Blanco and more. Hurry, offer ends January 14th!