Weiss Report Blog

One of the unforeseen consequences of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been the greatest increase in the price of polyurethane foam, including memory foam, ever experienced in the US.

The type of price increases we are talking about - so far, as of November 1, 2005, fabricators are seeing price increases of 77% in the cost of memory foam. And retailers are seeing price increases of 50% or more with further price increases to be seen.

The reason for these breathtaking price increases is the shortage or a key chemical called TDI. The processing plants that make TDI were devastated by the Hurricanes, and this has led to unprecedented shortages of this chemical. This has meant the key foam producing plants in the US are making just a fraction of the foam they had been making - and in some cases providing even huge mattress manufacturers like Sealy and Serta just half the foam they had been supplying.

This foam shortage along with the huge price increases has had a powerful effect on the memory foam business. Unlike regular bedding manufacturers that may only use a small bit of foam in making a mattress, memory foam mattress and memory foam mattress topper manufacturers whole product is foam - so their raw costs for their mattresses has skyrocketed.

What does this mean for consumers. First, expect to pay a lot more for a US made memory foam bed or memory foam mattress topper pad. Uniformly retailers have been hit with 50% price increases on these products, and they will be passing this on to you.

One option that many retailers are looking at is to look abroad - at memory foam mattresses and toppers that are made in China or other foreign countries not subject to these types of shortages and price increases. I would caution about buying the Chinese products for one main reason - all Chinese memory foams are severely compressed when shipping over to the US, and this can damage the foam and really diminish the benefits of the memory foam. So I really don’t advise buying these products unless you have a great warranty and also know that the mattress or mattress topper pad was only compressed for a short time (month or two).

Surprisingly, the biggest memory foam mattress manufacturer, Tempur-Pedic, hasn’t raised prices and has said they don’t intend to. They say that they have been shielded from the price increases since they source much of their raw materials from overseas sources. Whether this will continue to be true once they start their new, mammoth plant in New Mexico in the Spring of 2006 remains to be seen - its hard to understand getting the estimated 70 tanker trucks a day of raw material they need for this plant from overseas sources. So if you are interested in a Tempur-Pedic, you may want to shop now before any price increases that may be a result of bringing this new plant online in 2006. You may also want to check out the Tempur-Pedic buying guide on our site before buying - it has a lot of information on both the Tempur-Pedic mattresses as well as how to try to get the best deal.

Harry Robinson http://www.memoryfoambedbuyersguide.com

Area rugs can make such a beautiful contribution to any room and they are often the first thing that catches the eye as as you walk into the room. In view of that, doesn’t it make sense to select and choose the right area rug for each room of your home?

Of course, area rugs come in almost every size, shape and color combination imaginable, but a lot will depend on what the intended use is for the rug and the budget that you have to work with. In times past, only hand made rugs were considered to be of high quality and able to stand up to constant use and heavy wear, but thankfully advances have been in rug manufacturing and today’s machine made area rugs can offer a lot for the money as well.

In fact, for most people machine made rugs can be the best solution all around as they offer solid and durable construction and an incredibly wide choice of styles and patterns at very affordable prices that can range from fifty dollars up to a couple thousand dollars. If the rug will be used in a room that is not dedcorated with fine furniture and accessories, why spend the money for the most expensive rug to put on the floor? On the other hand, if your room is filled with very high quality furnishings, why would you want to to put down an area rug that does not fit with it’s surroundings?

Hand made area rugs are still considered the best available area rug product and they possess a look and feel that is superior to most machine made rugs. You will find that most handmade rugs use high quality wool for construction simply because wool seems to last much longer and stand up to heavier amounts of traffic than most other fibers. So pay attention to the material used to make the rug.

The weaving process of a hand made rug can be important too as the more densely the knots are placed together the higher quality of the rug. This is referred to as knots per square inch and hand made carpets can boaast a weave density of anywhere from 300 - 750 knots per square inch.

Of course, such high quality hand made area rugs can be very expensive, but if used in the correct surroundings and treated as a piece of fine furniture that is cared for properly, they will last for many years and look incredibly beautiful while doing so.

So when you choose an area rug, first determine where it will go and try to match the decor of that room as much as possible, then choose the level of quality that will match your budget, and you will be able to make a wise choice.

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Jim Johnson writes on many consumer related topics. You can find out more about area rug discounts by visiting our area rugs website.

The following descriptions apply specifically to pellet stoves, but they can be used as a general guide for all types of heating stoves as most of them work on the same principles.

A typical stove will always have two fans that are used for combusting the fuel in one case and blowing that fuel through the heating ducts in the second case. Stoves will also have a firebox and a switchboard that you can use to control any part of the heating process that you would like. An auger system for movement of fuel is also essential and finally a hopper is the last device you will always see on a heating stove for storage of refill fuel.

In addition to these necessary components, many stoves will also come with different safety features such as extra thermometers with alarms and vacuum tubes that you can then use to suck material into a different chamber in order to prevent an explosion in the unlikely event that one may occur. Remote components such as an actual remote control are also a possibility on the higher end units.

While a typical heating stove will have all of the items described in the paragraph about necessary items, if you want to add the optional items discussed in the above paragraph, you will have to pay successively higher amounts of money for the final unit.

When first decorating with tapestries it can seem a little
different. You are needed to determine if you walls are big or
what sort of theme or colors should you use. Most tapestries
come from the area of France and Belgium. If fact you can get
custom ones made if you really want to. Tapestries have depicted
the themes or subjects of their time and place. For the first
600 years or so, the weaving ateliers were entirely patronized
by the wealthy nobility. They chose medieval themes ranging from
nature and peasant life to war victories, consorts with the
gods, hunting and fishing and various classical and religious
subjects.

There are some factors you might want to take in
to consideration when thinking about buying a wall hanging. A
large wall décor item can dominate what is being seen. The
impact is will we different depending on the size of your room.
For example if you view a wall item from five feet away it will
look different then from twenty feet away. As a general
principle, tapestries tend to realize their fullest potential
when displayed in larger sizes. So this is something that you
definitely want to take into consideration when looking.

Now
the important thing do you want an original one or a
reproduction. Many, even most, old tapestries are in fragile,
weak, condition. Some antiques are pieces cut from a larger
original. Some have been substantially restored, sometimes
unprofessionally. It can be difficult to find them in top
condition. On the other hand , wall décor items that have been
reproduced attempt to capture the natural beauty. The other
options available in the market place include hand-woven,
machine-woven or silk screened masterpieces. You can definitely
find one that will catch your eye and add beauty to your
existing home.

Slipcovers are an excellent alternative to adding life back to old furniture. If you are looking for an effective and easy makeover then this is just a perfect solution. You can change the look of your couch with a simple sofa slipcovers upgrade. These covers come in various patterns, styles and textures and are excellent choices for loveseats, chairs and recliners.

You can definitely look beyond the living room with amazing sofa slipcovers. Some great benefits associated with slipcovers is having the ability to protect your furniture from unplanned spills or accidents. With rich fabrics and colorful designs you will be pleased with the options that are out there. Ready-made fitted sofa covers allow you to protect your existing furniture without dealing with the expense of having to reupholster your furniture.

Sofa coverings prevent damage to the furniture itself, with another layer of protection against both spills and the wear and tear of daily use. Furniture coverings are available in all colors and textures to match any style of furniture or décor in any room of the house. Try a ribbed skirt or a patterned cloth to add some zest to your old ottoman, or just get a plain old slipcover to give your footrest a little extra protection.

There are very many material types to choose from when considering furniture slipcovers. These would include denim, suede, linen and more. The nice part about furniture covers is that they are very easy to maintain and often are machine-made washable which is extremely handy. Think of the long term cost savings by protecting or improving your existing living room. Different sizes allow you got to the look and even theme that you want. Whether you want to redo or just protect, sectional coverings are the perfect solution for your old couch.

So you’ve skis and will go traveling. Are you seeking an exciting area that the crowds aren’t traveling to? Do you want to be capable to talk not just of the cracking runs but also the adventure you had traveling to the ski resort? Here are 2 adventure, novel, new, different, exciting} areas for going snowboarding.

Espace Killy constitutes one of those mountains, even better than Chamonix Mont Blanc. It is one of the tallest skiing firlds in the French Alps, and owing to the height you can snowboard on it year round. The superior elevations remain snowcapped all year round and provide all year skiing fun. The resorts pistes are some of the nicest in the world and it is no surprise that the ski resort is a snowboarding escapade.

Super Besse is the highest exciting skiing area. Found in the most southern lived in location in the world wintertimes are crips and snows are big. The result are snow covered mountain tops that extend all the way to the sea. What nicer ski resort to delight in skiing. With several superior snowboarding mountains, you’re rarely faraway from the snow. As you cast an eye S while snowboarding one is seeing the whole way to the ocean. It truly is the no. 1 snowboarding trip.

In many states, homeowners and businesses can now sell solar panel energy to utilities. Doing so requires an interconnection agreement with your local utility.

Lowering Your Utility Bill

In a majority of states, homeowners using solar can take advantage of a concept known as net metering. Net metering essentially refers to the act of selling excess power produced by your solar panels to the local utility. While you are at work during the day, the energy produced by panels is fed directly back to the utility [your meter runs backwards] and then you use utility energy as you need it in the evening. The utility company “pays” you at the same rate per watt as what it charges you, thus creating a “net metering” situation. Practically speaking, it is a tremendous way to slash or eliminate your electrical bill.

If you intend to sell electricity to the utility company, you can’t just do it. Instead, you must get and sign an interconnection agreement with it. While the name can change from utility to utility, this agreement basically lays out the ground rules on how the process will work. Let’s take a closer look.

Federal and state laws require utility companies to supply you with standard interconnection agreements. The agreement specifies the terms and conditions under which your system will be connected to the utility grid. These can include your obligation to get any required permits, maintain homeowner’s insurance and meet certain connection specifications.

Sometimes set apart as a separate document, the agreement will also include the specifics related to the sale and purchase of power by each of you. Instead of installing multiple meters to asses the transfer of power, most utilities will simply let the existing utility meter run forward when you are drawing energy from the grid and backward when you are supplying energy to it.

If you supply more energy than you use in a month, must the utility company send you a check? Unfortunately, net metering laws do not require the utilities to do so. Instead, the company will credit the monetary equivalent of the excess generation to the next month’s electrical bill until you eventually use it during a cloudy or rainy month.

Interconnect agreements are fairly standardized agreements that shouldn’t cause you much concern. Just make sure you get one before hooking up to the local utility.

Mobile homes are no longer what they once were. These days, mobile homes are generally referred to as manufactured homes, because they are manufactured in factories, and they are very different from the trailers, modular homes and mobile homes of yesteryear. Once associated with budget housing for the less affluent, today mobile homes are practical solutions to the biggest event in your life: purchasing your very own home. Mobile homes are practical, energy efficient, built to industry standards, and most importantly, mobile homes are economical and fast solutions.

Mobile homes: practical, economical and fast

While most other homes take months and years to build, a mobile home is ready right away. Life is too short to wait around for your home to be built. A mobile or manufactured home is ready for you to move in anytime you are ready.

Mobile homes today can be as basic or upscale as you can afford

Mobile homes can be as simple or elaborate as you choose. Houses are built with every luxurious feature you may want to include, such as fireplaces, luxury bathtubs, even skylights. They can be as large or small as you like and interiors can be completely custom designed.

Mobile homes are becoming a popular homeowner’s choice

Mobile homes have recently become very popular because of the extra easy financing terms, like those for buying a traditional home, only that mobile homes are considerably cheaper than traditional homes. The number of Americans that own mobile homes today has risen to about 9 million, which is around double the number of mobile homes that existed twenty years ago. Along with this increase, mobile homes have become much more upscale than they once were.

Interior design is the process of shaping the
experience of interior space, through the manipulation of the
available volume as well as surface treatment. Interior Design
is dependent on environmental psychology, architecture, product
design and furniture design in addition to traditional
decoration.

The role of the interior decorator evolved in the 18th
century from the Parisian marchand-mercier(a “merchant of
goods”) and the upholder in London.

With the existing architecture of any building, one can
decorate it or arrange the various elements in such a way that
it looks good and at the same time easy to use. There is a
distinct difference between interior decorating and interior
designing. Interior decorating is generally focused on finishes,
such as wallpapers, paint, window coverings and furnishings.

While interior design involves manipulating the integrity, have
the available interior space, as well as creation of a lifestyle
experience through the study of human behavior. Designing
depends on the type and size of the room. The basic rooms
include living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, deck, and home
office. But these can be further classified into

Drawing room

Teen’s room

Interior designing is not only meant for houses but also
extensively for corporate offices as it’s very important to
create good atmosphere for pleasurable work experience. The goal
of interior decoration is to provide a certain “feel” for the
room, it encompasses applying wall paper, paintings walls and
other surfaces, choosing furniture and fittings, such as light
fixtures, and providing other decorations for the area such as
paintings and sculptures.

Home design concentrates on architecture, and might also be
involved in cabinet making, room layout, window placement,
appliance selection, tile and floor selection and so on. Home
design tends to be more integrated with the architecture, and in
addition to the above areas, might also be involved in cabinet
making, room layout, window placement, appliance selection, tile
and floor selection, and so on.

The Living Room:

It’s the place where we spend most of the time and since its
here we welcome our guests; it is the most important room of the
house and its usually the first room of the house. Its very
important to make this room look good as this room gives not
only the impression about the house but also the people. The
room should contain extensive wall hangings and lights which is
easily available in smdblue.com Fountains and beautiful flower
vases also add to the beauty of the room. When you are away to
make a cup of coffee, you can make your guests engaged by having
some of your family photographs and other special occasion
photos in beautiful and unique photo frames. To make the photos
look more interesting, hanging frames from smdblue.com can also
be used.

Bedroom:

Based on for whom the room is meant one can decorate it
accordingly. If it’s for adults then you can embellish it with a
huge master bed with a bed canopy, ethnic floral cushions and
bolster pillows. If it’s meant for kids then decorate it with
flower pillows and princess pillows from smdblue.com

Kitchen:

Since its here, where all the delicious delicacies are made.
It’s not only sufficient to have all the necessary equipments
but they should be attractive enough. To achieve this one can
use eye-catching coasters, cookie jars, serving trays, salt and
pepper shakers, plate racks, wine racks and fruit wall plague.

Bathroom:

Most of the people are not concerned with the decoration
involved in the bathroom. It’s very essential to decorate it
with suitable things. Towel holders, wood caddies, wall cabinet,
bathroom set, keepsakes box are a few items which can be used to
make your bathroom look stylish and at the same time neat.

Office:

Most offices opt for a formal look. Apart from regular elements
on the table of the employee or the boss, certain elements like
cherub bookends, shelf sconces, cactus tables can create a
center of attention and give a very delightful feel to the place
of work. Essential parts of all design styles are concept,
colour, proportion, balance, and function of design. Although
all styles differentiate their usage of each of these, they are
all an integral part of the overall look and feel of a room or
space. Designers incorporate the seven elements of design to
create and enhance style: form, mass, shape, line, color,
texture and pattern Apart from all the design style smdblue.com
has a collection of exclusive and stunning products that will
adorn your interiors and give them a startling look.

With the ability to purchase a pre-designed fountain for the interior that mimic commercial copper, tempered and glass wall fountains, you can benefit from the tranquility of water flow in a work of art!

Interior decorators may choose to have a specially designed, custom-built wall fountain: something unique. And a company called Bluworld Innovations can create one. However, with many do-it-yourself homeowners and business owners, a more affordable option is to take a look at what pre-designed interior (exterior, too) fountains are available.

If you’re interested in a fountain piece that hangs like a painting or tapestry, wall fountains are worth checking out. Made with a variety of materials such as slate, copper, glass, pebbles and river rock, wall fountains blend naturally, enhancing the Feng Shui as well the décor in a room. see: http://www.best-in-garden-fountains.com/indoor-wall-fountains.htm

For contemporary spaces, where fussy works of art or decorative objects are excluded and more simple and linear choices favored, these types of hanging fountains are perfect. Prices range from around $200 for a small vertical fountain to around $3,000 for large double and triple panels.

For a slightly different look, consider hanging an art wall fountain (literally). Produced by Harvey Gallery, waterfalls overlay actual oil paintings. With works that look like Picasso, Renoir and Monet, fountain pieces entitled: Koi, Vineyard, and San Francisco Nights, encompass bold and exciting painting design, as well as color. The flow of water combined with some of the fountains optional lighting (tiny holes of light within to create the feel of stars and such) creates something special.

And finally, waterwall fountains and windows, made with tempered glass. These waterfall fountains offer a distinct and elegant feel, combining an artistic contemporarily shaped water feature with natural deep-etched art images on glass.