The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to use stucco, often as a surface on which to paint exquisite wall murals. Today, stucco is ubiquitous as an exterior house finish from Italy to Africa to the American Southwest. Real stucco is made from water, lime, sand and other aggregates.
Stucco can be textured with a texturing tool or your trowel. In addition, various synthetic stucco finishes are available, but they are less durable.
A built-in KitchenAid microwave fits in cabinets either above the counter or below it. This configuration allows you to install the microwave oven above or to the side of the cooktop. If you choose a lower cabinet installation, the microwave can be under the cooktop or on either side. Wherever you choose, there must be a grounded 3-prong outlet nearby. If one isn't present, hire an electrician to install one before you proceed with the microwave installation.
Electronic clocks, such as analog and quartz clocks, replaced the mechanical clocks that were invented in A.D. 1300. The large mechanical clocks were used in public places. In the 15th century, inventors replaced the heavy weights and gears of the large clocks with a miniaturized version of a gear and spring mechanism. The change made it possible to manufacture smaller clocks for household use. The terms analog and quartz refer to different functions of the clock.
Cedar and redwood are two similar lumber species that are often used in outdoor projects because of their ability to withstand the weather and the environment. Redwood is not as commonly available as cedar and commands a higher price.
Weather Handling Cedar and redwood are popular for use in outdoor projects such as decking and furniture. The oils in these two types of wood make them naturally resistant to insect damage and decay from environmental factors.
The familiar green Coleman camping stove has been around since the early 1900s, and today's outdoorsmen still rely on this indispensable portable cooking device. While the stove is designed to cook with Coleman gas, it can be easily converted to burn propane instead. Converting a Coleman stove to propane doesn't require special tools -- you just need a simple conversion kit and a bottle or cylinder of propane.
Converting your Coleman stove to propane will give you longer cooking times.
Tile that does not completely cover a surface can look unfinished and cheap without trim to cap it off. Although some styles of tile and their associated trim come with corner wraps and pieces that are specifically designed to finish the interior and exterior edges of an installation, not all tiles have matching trim. And even when they do, you occasionally need to miter -- create a beveled joint -- the inside and outside corners to wrap the trim pieces and create a seamless transition.
Honey combs are a source of two natural products used by man: honey and beeswax. These items are found together in the comb. Beeswax is used as the glue to hold the frame of the hives together, while the honey provides the food. To use either product you must separate the two. With small-scale operations this is accomplished via methods similar to candy making.
Honeycombs like these produce honey and beeswax.
Alumawood patios have posts and covers made from a substance that features aluminum construction and wood grain patterns. Alumawood patios provide shade and protection from the elements, enhancing your outdoor space.
A ceiling fan decorates a patio while cooling the space. They can also serve as mounting sites for ceiling fans, which will make you patio even more comfortable on warm days. However, to install a fan on an Alumawood patio you'll need to order a special fan beam at the time of installation and hire an electrician to wire the patio cover before installing the fan yourself.
Chimney caps help keep birds, squirrels, leaves, water and twigs from coming into your chimney. Without them, your fireplace can develop a permanent smoky smell caused by rain, mixing with the creosote on your chimney walls. Like the chimney itself, chimney caps can be cleaned. How you clean a cap depends on what it is made of: stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper or clay. If your cap is so dirty it cannot be cleaned to your liking, you can replace the cap or paint it black (depending on the material).
The sewer pipe in your backyard may serve an important purpose, but that does not make it any more attractive. An ugly sewer pipe sticking up out of your backyard can ruin the look you have worked so hard to maintain; hiding that pipe from view should be part of your landscaping plans. You can use a number of techniques and landscape elements to disguise that unsightly sewer pipe.