The Most Common Home Injuries

The home is often regarded as a bastion of safety and tranquility, but according to nationwide studies, nothing could be further from the truth. Poisonings, falls, and medication overdoses are at the top of the list of debilitating accidents and even death. More surprisingly, it is not just children that succumb to injury and death, but many young and older adults fall prey to the same incidents.

marble tiles have the ability to improve the aesthetic value of whatever room it is placed in, from your kitchen to your bathroom. It can come in a variety of colors, shapes and vein designs, giving you a myriad of choices that will help make it fit into your home�s overall design. It creates a visual impact that can enhance a room�s overall design and beauty, but still maintains its functionality and effectiveness for whatever purpose it is used for. marble tiles can be very durable, and with its hypoallergenic characteristics which help prevent bacteria and germs from surviving on its surface, it is also a great material to use with safety and cleanliness in mind.A serious injury from a slip and fall can happen to anyone at any age, and it is the number one cause of injury in the home. Simple safety precautions such as using area carpets and bath mats with a sticky protective coating on the back can make the difference from standing upright or landing face first on the tile. Also be sure that your floors are dry before allowing the traffic back into the kitchen and provide a heavy duty mat at the main entrances. Persons will disabilities may also wish to install a handrail inside the bathtub or shower for added stability on a wet surface. As innocuous as water on the floor seems to be, we need to realize that it not only causes most of the falls in the home, but is also responsible for many restaurant injuries to staff and customers.5. Accessories - Remember to keep clutter and display to a minimum. - Accessorize with towels in a bright color for punch or stainless steel and woods. Keep everything to a minimum and clutter free. - Select chrome, nickel or silver toned drawer/door pulls, towel bars, towel hooks and paper holders for sparkle. - Frame vanity mirrors in woods or silver tones - in similar finishes to the other accessories adorning your modern bath.4. Luxurious Shower - Create a steam shower with multiple rain heads, and body sprays. If your budget allows, add chromatherapy and aromatherapy to your master bath wish list as well. These fittings represent the epitome of modern luxury design. Don't forget a built in bench and access panel to hide the steam system. - Design a full seamless glass enclosure from floor to ceiling and finish the interior with complimentary mosaics or stone tile to set it apart from the rest of the space. This glass enclosure creates a more visually open space within the overall space.3. Surfaces and Materials - Utilize solid surfaces for countertops, whether quartz, limestone, granite, concrete or glass to give it a clean contemporary look. Keep the edges simple and square for easy maintenance and sophisticated style. - Always introduce an interesting backsplash material in contrast to the counter top color and material. Whatever the surface I like to apply it on all walls from floor to ceiling. It creates instant architecture and adds great detail and drama to the space. - Glass tile, mosaic, stone or ceramic details are just a few of the highly decorative backsplash products out on the market today that create a sense of modern style. - Keep geometry in mind when selecting the material for your contemporary backsplash. Consider tile shapes that are rectangular, oversized, or small mosaics to create detail in the pattern of the application. If the tile is oversized and rectilinear install it in a brick pattern. If it's shape is longer and thinner then s!The swimming pool should be the most guarded area of the home when young children are present. Accidental drowning takes only minutes when a pool and toddler collide, so be sure to keep a gate around the pool perimeter or keep the patio access door locked.One country where you can get quality marble tiles for an affordable price is from China, which is where some of the marble blocks that we use for our marble products came from. Some of the factories in China actually have their own quarries and state of the art equipment that are necessary for extracting the natural stone from the ground, which is why a lot of the finished imported marble products that we have today have actually been manufactured in this country. Since these factories are able to develop new and improved ways and techniques of effectively and efficiently manufacturing marble products, they have contributed to the lowering of the prices of the finished marble products while still maintaining its quality.tacking the tile creates a very interesting modern vibe. Stay away from the common square tile in any size.You can also get quality marble products from other countries, such as Mexico, the former Soviet Union, even in Spain, since these countries also have an abundance of the marble deposits. Originally, quality marble tiles originated from Italy only, but that was before when it was the only country which had a massive marble deposit that they were able to quarry in order to produce quality marble blocks which in turn was manufactured into marble products that we have today.Whether you live in an earthquake zone or not, its always a good idea to secure heavy objects that have a capability to tip. This includes televisions sets, bookcases and full-length mirrors. Braces may be found at Home Depot and similar outlets that cater to home repair, often costing less than what you would spend on a Big Mac. These easy to install straps can mean life or death in a dire situation with youngsters climbing on furniture and also safeguard a slip and fall incident should you grab the nearest object in your path.

A serious injury from a slip and fall can happen to anyone at any age, and it is the number one cause of injury in the home. Simple safety precautions such as using area carpets and bath mats with a sticky protective coating on the back can make the difference from standing upright or landing face first on the tile. Also be sure that your floors are dry before allowing the traffic back into the kitchen and provide a heavy duty mat at the main entrances. Persons will disabilities may also wish to install a handrail inside the bathtub or shower for added stability on a wet surface. As innocuous as water on the floor seems to be, we need to realize that it not only causes most of the falls in the home, but is also responsible for many restaurant injuries to staff and customers.

Author: Joe Cline

Countries Where Quality Marble Tiles Are Affordable

marble tiles are not the cheapest construction materials in the world, and rightfully so, since these materials have certain unique advantages and effects that cannot be duplicated by any other natural stone, or other construction material, for that matter.

1. Cabinetry - When it comes time to selecting the design of your cabinetry lean toward clean, crisp and streamlined furniture. - To create a lighter and sleek bathroom environment consider cantilevered cabinetry secured to the wall creating a minimal look to the vanity piece. Create some drama with strip lighting added to the bottom side of the cabinet - which will cast a warm glow to the floor below. - Provide additional built in wall-to-wall storage elsewhere in the bathroom to compensate for the reduced storage in the vanity area. - Deep dark rich woods evoke a sense of warmth to the clean lines of contemporary design.Making your home a safer place does not take much money, just a little ingenuity and awareness for potentially life threatening situations. It's very easy to assume that nothing will happen just because you have always done things a certain way. However, risk to life and limb is a numbers game and anything that we can do to beat the odds should be implemented.3. Toxins.Be sure to read the instructions carefully and never assume that one drug is compatible with another unless discussed with your doctor. Side effects from deadly combos may include cardiac arrest, stroke and worse. In addition, your medications should never be left in a place where young children can get a hold of the bottle. This would include the bathroom medicine cabinet and low-lying shelves in the kitchen. Try a safe storage in a bedroom drawer or some creative place that younger family members cannot access.

Unless you live near a quarry, all of the marble blocks that we use need to be imported from these countries, but since there is a big improvement in the number of countries that are able to supply other countries with marble blocks, there is now an abundance in marble tile designs and variety based on color, size, shape and design patterns, giving you a chance to find the ones that will best fit into your home.

Author: Vanessa Doctor

5 Modern Bathroom Design Ideas

Would you say your overall design style sleek and chic? Do you enjoy the true architecture of a space with its linear simplicity rather that an overly adorned and accessorized space? If you'd like to translate your modern vision into your Master Bath here are a few design ideas to help get you started.

2. Bracing Heavy Objects.Unless you live near a quarry, all of the marble blocks that we use need to be imported from these countries, but since there is a big improvement in the number of countries that are able to supply other countries with marble blocks, there is now an abundance in marble tile designs and variety based on color, size, shape and design patterns, giving you a chance to find the ones that will best fit into your home.1. Medications.Draw the bath and enjoy the modern luxuries of your new space.The natural stone marble can come from a number of countries, most of which has a massive marble deposit which they quarry and sell in large blocks, exporting them to other countries which in turn supplies the finishing operations on the marble blocks, turning them into the marble products that we have today, such as tiles, slabs and other forms of marble products. Since these marble blocks actually originated from other countries, the marble tile products that we are purchasing can actually cost us a whole lot less if only we are able to purchase them from the countries wherein said marble tiles have originated from, although some factories in these countries may agree to sell the quality marble tiles to you for an affordable price if you buy them in bulk. Nonetheless, certain countries have the luxury of selling these marble products for a whole lot less since they have the raw material in abundance.5. Water On The Floor..

Draw the bath and enjoy the modern luxuries of your new space.

Author: Lori Gilder

Should You Actually Do Home Improvement Tasks Yourself?

So you've been eyeing that project in your home for quite some time. Maybe building a brick barbecue in the backyard, or re-doing the tile in the bathroom. Maybe you're even considering building a set of shelves for the garage. However, you've probably got one question that has been floating around in the back of your mind for a while, one that has to be answered before you can begin. Should you do it yourself, or hire somebody?

Finally, remember, the end result of your new house will be worth the aggravation of the process. Plus, think of all the good stories you can tell!In what is admittedly (and somewhat sheepishly) the only practical survival tip on this list, get a Fly Buys credit card. Charge everything on it - lights, plumbing fixtures, windows, doors, lumber, carpet. The windows alone can get you close to one free trip. Whether you decide to share your miles with anyone else in the family or to escape on your own to a world of quiet solitude and, preferably, an open bar, is entirely up to you.These workouts are great for toning the wrist and fingers. Usually done in hectic spurts as you race out the door in the morning while the contractors are breathing down your neck and your kids are beating each other with the lunch boxes you just prepared, the stress and frantic activity are sure to raise your heartbeat for a good hour. Grumbling under your breath that the plumber, electrician, or you name it, isn't really worth this much money adds greater intensity and calorie burn to this little publicized exercise regime.Yes, even the most die-hard shopper will come to dread setting foot in any store. This affliction starts innocently enough as you go to look for light fixtures. How hard can it be? Hard! Either the light you want is being shipped from Europe and won't arrive until your youngest child buys his own home, or you just can't find the one you want. You'll shop every lighting and electrical store you know. You'll search Home Depot. You'll haunt hardware stores. And then there's plumbing fixtures. Sink centers, tap handles, finishes, special orders. What's all that about? And the cost. You'd think you were outfitting the palace for a former third world dictator. Of course, there's carpet, tile, hardwood, stairs, and windows. Enough already. And you thought it was a pain picking mints and sweet table treats for your wedding!

Despite how good it feels to do it yourself, there's no shame in hiring somebody. It may cost a few extra dollars, but it will certainly save time, and it will save you plenty of grief. However, if you're confident you can do it yourself based on your past experiences, then go ahead and get to work.

Author: George Hutton

Decorating Home With Slate, A Unique Experience

Slate tile has emerged as one of the most famous natural stone that is easily accessible in the market. Their extensive usage in both residential and commercial structures for decoration purpose has increased the areas of its applications. As a result it is use for roofing, flooring, counter top and many other applications. It adds lots appeal to the room with its wide variety of colours.

You'll discover a creative side that you never knew existed. Like how to wash dishes in the bath. And how to make a full course meal for a family of four using nothing more than a toaster and hot plate. Or how to fit an entire family in a house smaller than your first flat. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. That's probably true, but I also think that the only thing that separates modern and pioneer life is just one kitchen or bath remodeling project.The saying goes that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps that wise pundit had to share a closet sized bathroom with three kids and a spouse. In reality, there's no greater way to create intimacy in a family than by all trying to get ready for the morning in the same tiny space. You'll learn new exciting things about your children - like toilet paper is purely optional for little boys. You'll discover that there is no bond quite like the one created when the entire family brushes their teeth together over the same sink. You'll realize why the older generation of your relatives only washed their hair once a week instead of facing communal bathroom time. But most importantly, you'll no longer need to yell at your kids to hurry up for school - they're standing right next to you.7. Throw out all of your junk that you have gathered over the years. You know what I mean, all the space grabbers like the old wardrobes, execise eqipment gathering dust in your garage, clothes that haven't been worn for over two years. You'll be surprised at the reclaimed space that suddenly is available.

When it comes to decoration Slate remain no behind. With variety of colours and designs it is capturing huge number of customers. Along with durability and its immortal beauty you get an opportunity to select your choice according to the requirement as well your need. For those who are looking for colourful and vibrant interior this natural stone will be an ideal choice. It offers timeless, stylish, and a fantastic look to your home with the assurance of longevity. As a whole, it is an excellent choice for anybody who would like to add a touch of glamour and charm to their home interior as well as exterior.

Author: Sam Dicousta

10 Building or Home Renovation Survival Tips

Building or the renovation of an existing home can be an extremely stressful experience.

Who doesn't want to lose at least 2 kilos? This is one way to do it. Between running to stores all day and evening long, meeting with contractors, inspecting the work, searching the Sydney metro area for the perfect light fixture, who has time to eat? Provided you don't sabotage this new, unorthodox diet plan, with McDonalds drive through, you're good for losing two kilos. If you are a masochistic type who does some of the work yourself - whether it be painting, laying tile, landscaping the yard - you can count on another five to ten kilogrammes of weight loss. Just think, you may be miserable, frustrated, exhausted, nd down right cynical about the good of the humankind, but your jeans will fit nicely!Despite how good it feels to do it yourself, there's no shame in hiring somebody. It may cost a few extra dollars, but it will certainly save time, and it will save you plenty of grief. However, if you're confident you can do it yourself based on your past experiences, then go ahead and get to work.Of course, it would be ideal for you do it yourself. Take one, perhaps two trips to the home center to buy all your supplies. Spend one, maybe two weekends hammering and sawing away, and then be done with it. Then all your buddies would congratulate you, and you'd feel like that handyman on TV with that show that everybody loves. Of course, there's also the possibility your project could turn into a horrible mess, and you'd have to admit failure to your friends and family.10. Hire some good looking female contractors and feel like you're 18 years old again. Who says Hooters are restricted to bars?6. Yell at someone other than your kids - and not feel guilty.2. Write cheques as aerobic exercise.4. Impress your friends with obscure facts.8. Grow closer to your family through forced bathroom sharing.3. Save money through shopping burnout.To best prepare yourself to make the ultimate decision, to do it yourself or hire somebody you've never met before, you've got to ask yourself some good, honest questions. You could potentially save yourself a ton of money and frustration. On the other hand, however, you could be giving yourself a much needed boost in confidence to get started on that project.Only someone that has built or remodeled their home can explain the fluid dynamics of a proper toilet water swirl. Or cite the Australian Building Code that calls for no more than 150mm between electrical outlets. Or brag that triple glazed windows are really the wave of the future for light emitting device technology. See what I mean?There are many practical advantages of having Slate at home. Thermal resistant feature is one of many such advantages. Another feature is its rough surface which is absolutely slip-resistant that can retain its grip even when wet or greased. It can also prove its longevity if installed carefully in an appropriate way. It is also very useful to keep rooms warm or cool by the process of radiant heating and cooling.After your 1000th trip to Bunnings (or Mitre 10 or whatever), in addition to all the other trips you've made for items that shouldn't count as shopping (toilet seats, for example), you've had it. Your friends won't be able to bribe you to check out the latest sale at Grace Bros. You'll think it will be better when you can pick out "fun" things like paint, wall paper, curtains, fabric, furniture - but don't bet on it. At this point, the pressure to make your home look like something other than an empty rat maze will counteract any joy in shopping. Spending this much money has never been such a miserable experience. As a result, when your home becomes half-way presentable, you'll refuse to shop again - even for groceries - for at least six months. The money you save during this shopping hiatus will be sufficient for you to resume this previously pleasurable past time once more without guilt.When it comes to decoration Slate remain no behind. With variety of colours and designs it is capturing huge number of customers. Along with durability and its immortal beauty you get an opportunity to select your choice according to the requirement as well your need. For those who are looking for colourful and vibrant interior this natural stone will be an ideal choice. It offers timeless, stylish, and a fantastic look to your home with the assurance of longevity. As a whole, it is an excellent choice for anybody who would like to add a touch of glamour and charm to their home interior as well as exterior.1. Think of the project as a new diet.So here are 10 quick tips to make the whole process easierHonestly, as a modern man trying to juggle the running of our homes, possibly a job, and the future Olympic soccer aspirations of our children, you have the primal need to yell. At someone. Anyone. Often our spouse and children suffer from this need of ours to release pent up negative energy generated from nothing more than some miniature human leaving smelly gym shoes on the kitchen table. (Ok, that probably deserves a bit of yelling - we eat at this table!) But when you remodel your house, you have a whole cast of characters - and believe me, they're characters - that often deserve a good scream from time to time. Like when they tell you that they tore out the fireplace because they didn't think it looked right. Or when they show you a mistake made three weeks ago that now requires half the house to be torn down in order to fix. Yelling isn't immature or a result of too many steroids, it's therapy.If you are still on the fence about hiring some other people to do the job, then you can do a couple things to help make up your mind. One is to get a couple of estimates. If the price is significantly cheaper than you'd imagined, then you may just go ahead and outsource the job. You could also ask some friends who have done similar jobs. If they say it was OK, and it wasn't as hard as they thought, then you may be OK. If, on the other hand, they say they wished they'd hired professionals instead, then maybe you should to.You've got to ask yourself the tough, but obvious question. Do you really know what you're doing? Have you done anything like this before? If you are planning on figuring it out along the way, you'll likely run into some difficulties that may bring your project to a screeching halt. If, on the other hand, you've done some smaller jobs around the house with no problem, and you've overcome similar difficulties in the past, then you're probably ready to go ahead and start swinging your hammer.5. Pride yourself on your new creative skills.

Finally, remember, the end result of your new house will be worth the aggravation of the process. Plus, think of all the good stories you can tell!

Author: Joe Ovidi

Onyx Tiles � Get Opulent Home Interior

A house is merely a structure of stone till it is filled with something with glamorous and aesthetic appeal. When we consider such thing the first element that comes to the mind is Onyx floor and wall tiles. Their look and quality is more speculated under lighted room as they own super reflective nature. This natural tile is known for its flamboyance and opulence. When we talk about Onyx tiles we talk about extremely rare authentic tiles which manifest the radiance of the precious stone. Certainly, all their beauty does not come cheap. Their royal feel and their exuberant glaze cost more than what usual tiles cost.

When you carefully plan that next renovation project or new home be sure the lighting is well planned out as well.Granite is an igneous rock that is manufactured inside the earth crust under high pressure and temperature. Initially, the rock lies deep inside the earth surface but eventually it gets transported to locations above the ground surface due to plate tectonics. Hence, the material is available in bulk near the ground surface.So, purchase them from a local dealer that sells building materials or an online dealer in order to revamp the look of your kitchens and bathrooms.

The one very good reason of Onyx tiles that magnetizes people is their range of unique patterns. Unlike other tiles they give a three dimensional layout if installed properly. Further, more its beauty is enhanced when a back light is placed that helps Onyx shine in a great way. This is how they have become paramount in the world of tiles not only for home but for like bar and restaurants too.

Author: Lehman Joseph