I was watching Better TV and saw this garden shed turned into a playhouse.

Would you allow your child to play and even have sleepovers in a place like this?

I was watching Better TV and saw a video on how this woman fixed up her shed for her 9 year old duaghter to use as a playhouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR9hflpI_RA&feature=email

Would it be safe to sleep inside one of these with the door closed?

Some Helpful Tips For Your Silk Fabric

Your favorite silk fabric has a lustrous look now but it does not mean that the sweet soft look will be retained for a lifetime. Proper care and maintenance are required to keep your silk fabric always new as the beginning. Silk fabric is so much preferred because it is strong, durable, soft and rich. It was at first discovered and used in china and from there it spreads all over the world. Most people love the feel of silk, whether it is sheets, shirts or even silk scarves. The sound of the words 100% silk even has a luxurious feel about it. One seemingly big problem of maintaining silk is cleaning it home. Most of the people think that dry cleaning of silk fabric is the best way to do the washing. No the necessity of dry cleaning or using of harsh materials like bleach are big no no for exquisite textured such as 100% pure silk fabric. it is very much possible and handy to wash your silk garment at home but the important thing is to know the way to wash it. Proper care and handling of silk fabric will ensure that your silk dress will be last for a better long time.

As it is known to us that silk worms weave the cocoons in some particular tress like mulberry and arjun and other some so it is made of those protein threads. So rich in protein silk fabric and products made of silk fabric should not be washed by bleaching as it would harm the natural luster. Bleach will take the color out of the fabric; people should refrain from using any harsh detergents on silk fabric. Harsh detergents can actually eat away at the fabric causing the fibers to thin, thus creating rips and holes. If 100% silk garments become stained, then the best way to take care of the problem is to simply soak the garment in cool water. Just remember to do this before the stains set in.

The best way to clean it, such as silk scarves, a silk dress or a pure silk blouse, is to hand wash using a mild detergent. Machine washing can be too rough of a process. Hand washing allows the garments to be cleaned without the hard tumbling of a washing machine. However, if they do go in the washing machine, then place them in a lingerie bag. The lingerie bag is used to protect delicate garments and will maintain durability. There are items on the market that are made spec
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ifically for silk fabric garments. However, a mild non-alkaline soap will also work well when cleaning 100% silk fabrics. As well, its garments should never be placed in a dryer. Always hang dry.

You will make your silk fabric long last if you wash it carefully and follow the steps listed above. This is very simple and easy to follow. Damaging may erase the natural shine and glow of your silk fabric and therefore avoid using any type of harsh detergent and use mild detergent or washing shampoo exclusively made for silk dresses.

By: Michele Carelse Stephen

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are searching for a Fabric Wholesaler, you can contact Redtex. Inc. Fabric Los Angeles. They provide the finest quality Organza fabric throughout United States.

  

How To Build A Storage Shed Foundation

Before starting your shed foundation, check your local building code to make sure you will have no regulation issues. Check with
your local zoning to make sure if there are any distance requirements from the
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Backyard Shed Plans – How To Build A Storage Shed Foundation

Barn sheds are quick and easy to build. Experts have proven this over the years by simply providing a step by step guide in their barn shed plans. A lot of individuals who are more self sufficient and would prefer to do tasks themselves, these simple shed
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Garden Shed Plans – Barn Shed Plans – A Simple Solution

Is it better to buy a storage shed or build one?

I'm thinking of getting a storage shed for the back yard but not sure if I should purchase one complete or try to build one. any suggestions would be appreciated

Can i internally insulate a single skin built garden shed – it is block/brick and doesnt have a cavity..?

i want to turn the garden shed into a craft workshop for my partner – it is block/brick built with no cavity, i have buttoned the inside and have used
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Garden Shed Plans – Can i internally insulate a single skin built garden shed – it is block/brick and doesnt have a cavity..? – Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers

Hey Readers! I’ve been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below…

The Best Garden Shed Construction Plans | LetterBuzz – Everything YOU

Home ownership means
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Garden Shed Plans – Latest Garden Shed Plans news – The Best Garden Shed Construction Plans | LetterBuzz – Everything YOU

The UK’s Records Management Society defines records management as, “the process by which a company manages all the elements of records whether externally or internally generated and in any format or media type, from their inception/receipt, all the way through to their disposal”. In this digital age many organisations have set up comprehensive systems to ensure that electronic records are safely stored and backed up, with a plan in place should an unexpected crisis occur. This makes a great deal of sense since some estimates suggest that over 90% of businesses that have had a major data processing disaster will go out of business within 5 years. These days most employees rely on electronic systems to do their job and lost or damaged files can spell disaster. However while IT systems are often carefully considered and any perceived emergencies planned for, paper records can frequently be neglected. It’s difficult to pinpoint why this is except to say that perhaps manual records are considered unimportant when compared to expensive IT systems. Perhaps it is also the case that the sheer physicality of a paper record makes people (wrongly) believe it is not as important to safeguard as a computer file that could more easily be destroyed or corrupted. But to take this viewpoint is ill advised and short sighted.

Many organisations are under a legal obligation to keep certain records for a specified period of time. For example, financial institutions are now required to keep mortgage loan files for up to ten years after the loan has been repaid. Some medical records must be stored throughout the life of the patient and government institutions are now required to keep certain records for up to 50 years. Companies pay a high price for inadequate record keeping. In January 2003 The Bank of Scotland was fined £1.25m for breaching anti-money laundering rules on the identification of customers because it had failed to retain a copy of customer ID or a record of where it was kept. Often there is a legal requirement to keep the original paper document even when it exists electronically and in any action, the legal weight of records will be greater if the original version is produced. The Business Archives Council, which promotes the preservation of business records of historical importance, gives some other reasons why it can be prudent to save original documents. Among their points are:

* Transparent corporate governance

Good record-keeping is an integral part of transparent corporate governance. The implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US has brought heightened scrutiny of an organisation’s internal controls and practices. Trustworthy and accurate records serve as a bedrock for a company’s reporting systems and ensure that they comply with best practice

* A key part of Corporate Social Responsibility

Caring for your heritage can be a key part of a Corporate Social Responsibility policy. Businesses have impacted on the lives of their staff, customers, shareholders and on the communities in which they operate. Business archives record how lives have been affected and changed. Some companies have publicly acknowledged that their own histories are an important piece in the jigsaw of the past and that they have a duty of care to their own archives. Making business archives accessible to the public is a real contribution to the community.

* Brand Building

The past can be used to support present performance. Archives add detail and depth to the public image of a company, differentiating it from the competition. Celebrating significant anniversaries or birthdays brings the long-standing nature and the achievements of the company to the fore. Historic information and images can also be used to support particular brands emphasising their position in the market place.

* A market for nostalgia

Exploiting your heritage can bring in revenue. Companies with well known advertising and packaging logos and images can licence their reproductions in all kinds of ways: the Guinness Toucan, Colman’s mustard and Pears soap are just a few examples of well known images that bring in money for their owners.

* Education

Archives can be used within a business to inform and educate new recruits about a company’s history and successes and pass on company values and principles. Archives can also be used as an educational resource by learners of all ages – some companies have produced very popular and highly regarded educational resources aimed at schoolchildren.

Clearly some of these points would not be put under the heading of ‘Business Critical’ but they do give further background as to why paper records can be so important.

The first rule of thumb for any organisation should be to asses their records according to the following criteria: business value, legal value, administrative value, historical value. The records can then be classed as vital, important, useful or non-essential. For those records deemed vital, the next step is to ensure that the storage of those records is an integral part of your business continuity plan and this means considering how and where they are stored. In exactly the same way as you would safeguard your IT systems and electronic records, consideration should be given to the possible disaster scenarios and how you can guard against loss or damage of those records.

For many companies the first obvious factor to think about is physical location. A Morgan Stanley Brokers note in June 2003 estimated that 70% of businesses are storing records on their own premises. Clearly this has huge implications should that office be subject to any kind of negative event. The horrific and devastating events of 9/11 showed all too clearly the potential risks of storing vital business records on site with many thousands of important documents destroyed. But if not on site then where is the best place? Some companies discount off site storage for those records that are deemed ‘active’ since they can be concerned that, should they need them, it will be a difficult process to retrieve them but any professional records management company should be able to deliver a document back to you within 24 hours and/or a scanned electronic version within a few hours. If that is not acceptable then consideration should be given to copying the record and placing the original off site. The same factors apply to long term or ‘inactive’ storage. When deciding on an off site storage provider another important point to consider includes the environmental conditions of the site. Paper needs to be stored in cool consistent temperatures with a tight humidity band. It is worth reading through BS5454 since this sets the environmental standard for the storage of archival documents. Other points to assess include the risk of flood, fire or terrorist attack and, should any of these occur, how does the records management company in question plan ahead to handle it.

The National Archives previously known as the Public Records Office, has some of the country’s most important records. Acting as the UK government’s official archive, The National Archives looks after many thousands of documents containing 900 years of history from the Domesday Book to the present. The National Archives keep the majority of their material at their headquarters in Kew but they also keep a portion of their archive off site at DeepStore. They suggest that, in order to minimise damage to paper records, organisations should consider the following when planning for disaster.

* The best way to deal with potential disasters is to stop them happening. A first step is to identify and assess sources of potential risk in terms of the probability of an incident occurring, and likely impact if it does, including the costs of recovery.

* The process should include a detailed inspection of the premises and operational activities on site, and consultation with staff in each work area, particularly those such as caretakers or cleaners who have day to day responsibility for the building. It may also be necessary to consult specialist external sources of advice from individuals such as fire prevention offices, security advisers, insurance providers and a qualified conservator.

* Risk assessments should be reviewed at least annually to take account of changed circumstances and a systematic logging of any previous incidents will help to refine those assessments.

* In addition, it is important to be aware of temporary increases in risk, e.g. due to the presence of contractors on-site, extreme weather conditions, unusual activity in adjacent premises. Common sources of risk to paper records (of varying degrees of seriousness) include extreme weather, leaking roofs, plumbing problems, smoking, poor storage of inflammable materials, malfunctioning electrical wiring, lighting, arson or vandalism (up to half of UK fire are started deliberately), gas leaks, industrial accidents in nearby premises and terrorism.

Anna Buelow, Head of Preservation, at The National Archives gives some advice as to how a company should tackle a problem if, despite planning to avoid it, the worst occurs and paper records are damaged by water. She explains, “The prime concern in a disaster situation is to take what measures are necessary to salvage or limit the damage to as many of the records as possible. Ideally, the recovery process should start with a preliminary assessment of those documents in the affected area, designated as being the most valuable or important, identified by the first senior member of staff to come on site.

“For slightly damaged material it may be possible to air dry the items. This should be done in a large, well ventilated area and supervised by an experienced professional if possible. Anything that is saturated should be removed from boxes, packed in polythene bags and labeled. They should then be frozen and dealt with by a specialist agency.”

And what about fire damage? Specialist company Harwell Restoration Services offer the following advice, “Depending on the design of a given building during a fire the smoke residues can travel great distances from the source of the actual fire, potentially creating widespread damage, even if the fire itself only affected one room. Within an office or library, this smoke can present an immense problem, as without restoration, the damaged paper will not safe or practical to use. Fire damage is restorable in the vast majority of cases. Tightly packed paper will not necessarily burn and damage, chiefly caused by smoke residue, is usually restricted to the outer edges, leaving the information inside the book block, archive box or file in tact.”

So when considering off site records management companies it is important to make sure that they have first rate storage facilities. Look carefully at all their systems and ask lots of questions. It’s also worth thinking about where they are sited since even if their building or unit seems safe, a fire or flood in a neighbouring unit could cause real problems.

Despite the emergence of the so-called ‘electronic age, it is clear that there will be a need to store paper records for many years to come. In the light of this is it vital that they are treated as a key part of the business and every company’s business continuity plan should take this into account.

Katie Moffat, Communications Manager, DeepStore

http://www.deepstore.co.uk

About The Author

Katie Moffat is the Communications Manager for DeepStore, a unique records management facility located in Cheshire, UK. It is the only secure facility of its kind in the UK. The naturally stable atmospheric conditions provide the perfect environment for storing documents and sensitive or fragile materials. There is no UV light, no risk of flooding or lightning strikes, no moisture and no pests. The temperature remains at a constant 14ºC all year round together with a humidity band of 60-70%. This is a natural atmospheric state and cannot be affected by power cuts or air conditioning breakdowns. DeepStore offers both long-term and ‘active’ storage, for which they provide a 24-hour retrieval and delivery service across the UK. They work with many organisations including the The National Archives, The Bodleian Library, police forces, hospitals local authorities and numerous large and small private businesses. http://www.deepstore.com/.

Today we are going to discuss what it takes to build a DIY garden shed. If you have never heard of one before, these sheds are often used to store garden and landscaping equipment as well as tools. Of course, you could stow just about anything in a standard shed from old clothes to baby toys. Modern sheds are also quite attractive and look like miniature houses or barns.

The Alternative Option – Prefabricated Sheds

For homeowners that do not have the time, skill or patience to build a DIY garden shed, there is an alternative. They are called prefabricated sheds and they can be purchased at just about any home and garden center. The average model is 10 feet by 10 feet and costs between fifteen hundred and two-thousand dollars.

Prefabricated sheds are often aesthetically appealing, but they are seldom available in many different styles. In the end, you may have to take what you can get. Also, the standard prefab model does not come in a wide variety of sizes, so if you are looking for a bigger model you should expect to pay quite a bit more.

Another thing that should concern shoppers who are searching for a prefab shed is materials they use. To save money, many companies opt for untreated wood, which can be damaged by bad weather in short order.

The DIY Option – Building Your Own Garden Shed

Now, we will move on to the DIY garden shed. The great thing about these sheds is that you can customize them and make them any size or with any materials you choose. The reason for this is simple: plans for nearly any type of shed are available on the internet. These plans can often be downloaded for free or for a nominal fee.

Let us take a moment to focus on the kinds of materials homeowners should use in their sheds. As we mentioned, it is important to purchase treated lumber, especially for the floor of the shed. This is due to the fact that ground water can damage the floor if it is untreated. Over time, the water can cause warping, rotting and eventually the floor will begin to sag and later crack.

Other great low maintenance materials include: steel doors, aluminum or vinyl windows, or faux-slate shingles for the roof. All of these options will add years to the life of your shed and may not end up costing you a penny more. For example, vinyl windows are cheaper than glass ones and it is unlikely that they will ever need to be replaced. And while a steel door may cost a few dollars more, it will never require any maintenance.

Lastly, there is plastic or PVC lumber. These boards are lightweight and extremely easy to work with. They are recommended for parts of the shed that are the most exposed to the elements. For example, they can be used on the windowsill or on the trim around the doors. The boards will never rot, split, warp, or decay.

So, sounds easy, or does it? Yea, you have to know what grade of lumber to use, what tools to use and when to use them…. Tell you what, spare a moment of your time and visit http://www.manandshed.com and you will be guided step by step through the entire process of building your own DIY Garden Shed, following your own set of downloadable outdoor shed plans.

Steve Adams is a woodworking enthusiast and enjoys sharing resources that he has found useful. In doing so he has created relationships with certain experts and in recommending their products may receive compensation for doing so.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_M._Adams

To have a perfect Gambrel storage shed you will need the right necessary material list. Having the right material list is the most important of all. Plus not only you can have the right material list but you can save hundreds of dollar from purchasing the unnecessary materials.

It is nice to have your own set of Gambrel shed located in your backyard. It provide you with the most space if you compare it with other types of shed. Gambrel roof has two angles at the top which give you for more better usage of space.

There are many types of Gambrel shed design and sizes that suits your needs. Most of the materials you can easily find from the hardware store. When you already have chosen the right type and size of your Gambrel shed, materials list that you will need to have the necessary tools to implement the work. That will also will be included in the set of Gambrel storage shed plans. You need to make sure to have an adequate research before you get your set of plan as this will make the ease of your work.

When you’ve already found the necessary materials, it is also important to know how to set the shed foundation. It comes with two set that is temporary foundation and a permanent foundation. For a temporary foundation, it is built on skids and for the permanent foundation it is built from concrete. This is the basic things you will need to know before you start building your own Gambrel storage shed. It is important to have the right necessary materials list as this helps you to implement a good set of Gambrel shed.

Now, pay attention to this:

Before you decided to go through all the above steps, you will have to keep in mind that planning is the crucial steps in this process. Having a good set of a Gambrel Storage Shed-Plans With Material List will guide you to build a bed platform

Avoid from any confusion and start saving now. It won’t cost your arms and legs for you to own one. Simply go to http://www.squidoo.com/gambrel-roof-pole-barn-plans to find the plans you need and enjoy building your shed!

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Maurice

Small Garage Plans Can Protect Your Car

Do you leave your car out next to the curb, exposed to all weather conditions? Have you wished for a garage, but have been putting off building it thinking of the high costs involved as well as lack of space? If yes, then building a small garage with the help of good plans is the ideal solution.

A small garage would not only be able to house your car, but can also double up as a shed where you can engage in repair work and other activity. You can also store your lawn mower, garden implements, tools and other equipment, and protect them from the elements. The best part of building one with the help of plans is that you save quite a bit when compared to having it built by professionals. Even if you don’t have much experience in do-it-yourself projects, good plans would be able to provide you with step-by-step instructions to guide you in the work.

There are a few points to pay attention to before building a small garage. One of the primary tasks to be done is to get a building permit. There have been many instances where folks have built one and then came to know that a permit was required, and had to tear down their structure. Such hassles can be avoided by finding out if a permit is required, and then getting it from the proper authorities, after paying the fee. Another important consideration is that the structure has to be built on solid ground. A spot on your property where water does not collect have to be selected, or else it may sink over time. A concrete base is the best. Otherwise, a base composed of small rocks may be built. Good plans would be able to guide you on this aspect. Lastly, you absolutely should refer to good small garage plans while going about the task. Even if you consider yourself to be good at do-it-yourself tasks, there is every chance that you may get lost in the intricacies of the work, and end up with an unsatisfactory result and a big hole in the pocket. Good plans would be able to provide you with advice on what materials to buy, how much of them to buy and arrive at an estimate of the cost involved.

There are a lot of things going for building a small garage with the help of plans. You would be saving on construction costs and contractors’ fees for one. As you are building the structure yourself, and buying the materials required yourself, you can select the kind of materials required and s
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ave on the fees to be given to professionals. You also do not risk the all too common extra charges involved if you were to engage a contractor. By strictly following the instructions and advice given in plans, you can avoid repetitive maintenance costs caused due to faulty manufacture. Of course, you are also protecting your vehicles and equipments from the vagaries of weather, besides preventing theft. By having a small garage, you don’t have to spend extra amounts on storage fees which you would have had to pay if you were to rent the space. Its addition would also add to the overall value of your house.

You can have a lot of fun building the small garage with the help of plans, especially if you involve your family and friends. The work can be done in a couple of months, if you work on weekends. Not only would you be the proud owner of a small garage once it is finished, you would also have saved yourself quite a bit of money.

By: Kevin M. Brown

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are looking to build your own small garage, and are on the lookout for good plans, visit
allin1woodworkingplans.com/
which has plans for a total of 14,000 woodworking projects.