Wool rugs have been around for centuries. It is not surprising when you realise that wool is one of the most durable fibres in the world. It sheds water, holds dye extremely well and is flame-retardant. Wool also absorbs humidity which keeps rooms cooler in the summer but warmer in the winter.

Wool has been used to create some of the most beautiful floor covering rugs, throws and carpets made today. Some of the best wool rugs get handed down through the generations and can last for hundreds of years. Often wool rugs look better after a century of use compared to when they are first woven.

Wool has many qualities including: • Naturally stain resistant • Easy to clean • Resilient • Durable • Excellent colour retention • Flame resistant • Eco friendly – 100% natural fibre

Nothing feels better under your toes than a wool rug or carpet. It feels soft and warm and very cushion-like. Wool maintains its thickness because the wool yarn is so dense. If you compare wool with any man-made fibre, it will always come out on top. It feels like a better quality material and is softer to touch. Wool is the king of natural fibres when it comes to repelling stains, as it contains natural oils such as lanolin, cholesterin and keratin. These oils help to naturally repel stains to the fibres of a rug.

Obviously wool rugs are slightly more expensive than other materials but they are long lasting which makes them a very wise and inexpensive investment in the log term. Wool is considered to be a renewable resource and environmentally friendly because it is a 100 percent natural fibre, so as well as making your home look stylish and inviting you are also keeping the planet happy.

If you are planning on investing in a handmade wool rug be sure to check it has the RugMark seal. This seal ensures that it was not made with child labour and that it was made in a factory or on looms in humane conditions. A portion of the sale of any rug with the RugMark seal will go towards helping build schools and educate children.

Wool rugs add a touch of quality, style and distinction to any home interior. They come in endless colours, patterns and textures to suit any modern or traditional interior. Wool rugs can be used anywhere in the house. Kitchens, dining areas, living areas, and even outside areas are popular choices. If you want a rug for outside ensure it made for outdoor use.

Finding the right contemporary rug for your home is now relatively easy thanks to the internet. In the comfort of your own home you can browse through the many online rug shops, you will be amazed at the variety of colours and styles that are on offer.
Along with the purpose of enhancing the décor of a place, some of the Tapestry Wall Hangings also record the characters and historical events of the past. This is a conventional form of art that reflects beautiful craftsmanship along with an eye for detail.
Glass Table
Carpet Installation |Home Improvement Loan |Home Design Software |Home Business Security |Wireless Surveillance

Everyone wants to have a beautiful house to live in. People collect numerous things to make their houses looked beautiful. Indoor furniture is one of those items that people eager to collect. It is true that without beautiful and durable indoor furniture, it is not possible to imagine for a beautiful house. In other words, you can understand that indoor furniture plays an important role to keep your home apart from the rest. Such type of furniture like chairs, beds, tables, dining tables, vases and planters, magazine racks, wall clock, child’s high chair and many others are used in day to day life and without these pieces of indoor furniture, a house cannot be a complete house. Indoor furniture of different metals to wooden is available in the market, basically most of the furniture comes in cherry, pine and maple.

Indoor furniture is designed in accordance with the space and interior location of the house. Now people prefer to purchase plastic as well as other metal furniture instead of wooden because wooden furniture is more expensive compared to metal furniture. In fact, manufacturers nowadays emphasize on producing other metallic furniture instead of wooden one, since people are highly fashion conscious and prefer to change the style with the changing time. On the other hand, there are also many people who prefer wooden indoor furniture because it is durable, attractive and add beauty to the interior of the home. Whether it is a new study table and dining table or any other piece of furniture, you want to find indoor furniture that suits your budget and should be durable. If you want to give your home a new look, then you must need beautiful indoor furniture. By adding a new piece of furniture to any indoor space of your house, you can make a new look to enjoy with your family members.

Now with the advent of the internet, accessibility of every type of furniture has become easy and affordable. With a click of the mouse, details as well as varieties of indoor furniture will be on the desktop. It is a fact that the internet has made searching for anything easy and fast. Therefore getting the information about anything is extremely simple. There are numerous sites available over the internet from where you can avail products details easily. You just have to select one of the site according to your requirements. You can purchase indoor furniture online at affordable prices and plus the hassle-free shopping is like an icing on the cake for you.

With the rising energy costs there has been an increase in interest for energy saving appliances. Efficent "tankless" water heaters have become very popular for their capability to heat hot water on demand, with no storage tank required. Instead of holding water in a traditional water tank, they circulate the cold water through a series of electrically heated coils that warm the water as it moves pass this heat source. This newer process of warming water requires more expensive equipment than the conventional water heater, but this money is regained in the long term with energy efficiency savings. The energy savings is mainly gained from no longer needing to heat an entire tank of water.

Since the tankless water heaters do not store hot water but rather constantly heat water as it is demanded, they do not run out of hot water. There is one exception, to this "endless" supply of heated water. The flow rate is limited. In other words if you simultaneously use more water than the flow of the water heater (i.e. 3 people showering at one time) you will receive unheated water.

Since conventional water heater stores the water together in a large tank it is able to provide water at a set temperature. Tankless water heaters differ in this aspect since they are dependent upon the incoming water temperature and the flow rate. The incoming water temperature can vary greatly from summer to winter. The capacity of a tankless water heater is generally measured by how many temperature degrees it can increase water temperature by gallons per minute (gpm). Most tankless water heaters are powered by gas to better handle the heat output and response time required. These gas powered water heaters require proper venting, normally more venting than the older, conventional water heaters required. If you are replacing a conventional electric water heater tank, you may want to add a power vent in the side of the wall. This would be the less costly alternative if there is no existing roof vent. Some of the smaller and more portable single-fixture units are powered electrically.
Author Bio
Jack Russell

Gone are the days when beds came in different sizes and nothing more. Now, adjustable beds can provide a sleeping experience that is of the highest quality. These days, you can adjust, not only the angle of the bed, but its comfort as well. This means that you not only get a good night?s sleep, but you also help your body, back and bones enjoy a more comfortable sleep. In turn, that reduces stresses on your body and increases your health in the long run.
Purchasing adjustable beds is not a frivolous purchase. In fact, it is a purchase that can be considered essential by many individuals. There is a reason that these beds have been used in hospitals for a very long time. They have become incredibly popular in homecare as well over the past 30 years. The reason for this is that doctors and researchers have found that an adjustable bed provides relief from various conditions. They can also stand up to more rigorous and regular cleaning. They reduce contamination and can even be designed to match the look of a home so they do not stand out.
It is not just the elderly or disabled who need adjustable beds. Regular citizens are discovering that having an adjustable bed can greatly improve a person?s well-being when they wake up. They can adjust the slope so they can sit up and read in bed, and they can adjust the softness, allowing for the perfect sleeping experience.
When you are buying an adjustable bed, you should make sure you find one that is going to be at the right height, length and material for you. If you have a lot of trouble sleeping, then you should not think about the price of the electric bed, which is often lower than most expect. The reason for this is because you can get so many health benefits from an adjustable bed, that it is well-worth the price to you to buy it.
These days, you don?t have to have what looks like a hospital bed in your home either. With adjustable bed retailers, you can buy a bed that looks like a regular bed, but is anything but. You will be able to enjoy the comfort and health benefits of an adjustable electric bed that looks great with your bedroom dйcor. They can even be custom-made to fit any type of dйcor options you may have in mind.
Adjustable beds are very important if you do not get enough sleep at night. Lack of sleep can affect your cognitive processes, which can lower your productivity at the job, or even endanger you depending on what you do. For everyone who has back problems, sleep problems or just want to get a better night?s sleep, adjustable beds are the perfect solution. They are relatively cheap, effective and are well-known in the medical community for the benefits they provide to people who own them and use them on a regular basis.

How long does it take for an orchid factory to rebloom? The answer is: it depends. I'm not difficult to elude your subject, just being proper. The veracity of the issue of when an orchid will develop again depends ahead what kind of orchid it is. Most orchids will give blooms once a year but there are some which are competent of producing blooms numerous time a year if the rising conditions are just right, if not very right they should still glow once a year. Since your orchid in grow last Christmas, my estimate is that it should do so at that time again.

Since it is already October, if it were to flourish at Christmas time this year, it should be showing prove of a new flower stem upward. Nevertheless, depending on what kind of orchid you have, it can take from one month to six months for a new flower stem to be in gorged develop once it begins to grow.

On most orchids, once the plants have all died and fallen off, you may eliminate the stem by biting it off down near the ignoble of the flower stem. Before acerbic off the stem, take a look at the top or tip of the stem to see if it has begun to dry, if it does onset to dry that means the stem is final and may be impassive. If there are any bulbs on the orchid, you should instigate them unaided as they are a stock of wetness and nutrients for the orchid.

Most dendrobiums are not that hard to grow but receiving them to tinge reliably is the hard part. Moving them to Florida will make it easier. Why? The climate and sunshine it will hear all year phase slightly than the cold darkness in Indiana. Dendrobiums choose restful lively endure, the will mood and even die under cold evil conditions.

From your description of them, I take it that they are of the evergreen family of dendrobiums. If they were from the deciduous family you would have mentioned that some of the growths had aimless all their trees. The important difference between the two families is the evergreens do not like dry conditions while deciduous ones ought a pronounced dry epoch.

Why your evergreen dendrobiums have not rebloomed for you is in what you said "Since it is so cold and darkness here in Indiana." Whether in Indiana or Florida, place them in a position with dazzling indirect sunlight, temperatures between 60 to 85%F, dampness above 50%, light air advance around them. A good way to tell if it is getting enough light is to look at the trees, they will be a standard green flush when it is just right.

A word of caution if you take them to Florida, move them into any new light conditions slowly over numerous weeks, as too abrupt an exposure to brighter light may cause suntan of the trees. If potential, try exposing them to temperatures in the mid 50%F's for a month in the plunge, that may help trigger them into the flourish cycle.

If, by attempt, the grass plummet off, ditch the growths on the dendrobium as they are a storerooms means for moisture and nutrients. Only detach the growths that happen to be failing. As for those new growths, they may happen to rest rising due to the cold brown weather but should benefit back up once effects temperate up and they obtain more light.

You do not have to wait at a bruise to isolate the lettering of orchid that it is if it is one of the more normally presented orchids. The most usual is "phalaenopsis" that has large spherical to diamond trees at the origin of the factory and the flower spike grows from the head of the plants. Other joint types are "the dendrobium, the female slippers, and the Cattleyas." Each has a distinctive vegetative organize. If there was no tag with the hide, then I'm scared there is no way to know the name of the cross since so many different hybrids have analogous flower types and colors.

There are three principal types of containers for orchids. Phalaenopsis and female slipper orchids are commonly developed in a synthetic pot, the heavier or more top harsh plants such as dendrobiums or cattleyas are better maintained in earth pots. Baskets are cool for vandaceous orchids and want a very sultry environment because the mix dries out very suddenly. I would use a commercially ready orchid mix that you can buy in bags at patch centers and bunch marketers. I would steep this mix overnight before using it and drain it well before potting up your orchid yard in it.

Orchids that have strand leaves generally get that way from having developed in upbeat sunlight. That suggests to you that each, it was neglected or it likes bright light. It is not uncommon for orchids to outgrow their pots. Many feel this is the time divide and repot the yard, but that is personal preference. Many orchids do just slender execution way out of the pot.

Since I don't know what font of orchid you have, I can only hazard a speculate that they roots emerging from the pot drainage holes. Some orchids forward out bruise spikes from the vile of the conceal but those are potted in baskets not clay pots.

For now, if the factory looks well,I would renounce it as is awaiting you get a farther development such as acme, plant die back, new evolution starting,etc. Orchids put on new cyst once a year and typically, but not always, in the mechanism. Just keep an eye on it and it should be thin. Then you will be able to know what sort of orchid it is by the bloom. If not just go back to where you got the orchid and see if they know what typeface of orchid it is.

Do you realize why the hammock chairs are so popular with people seeking leisure and relaxation? It is because the chair cradles your entire body and you swing gently, in a relaxed way enjoying the mild breeze blowing. Even better, when you sit down in normal posture, the hammock chair gently wraps around you creating a sense of comfort and safety in your mind.

Flexibility is the essence

Chairs are chairs and meant for sitting, you may observe. However you may not be at ease will all types of chairs. Solid chairs can be used in only one way, for sitting. The keyword for hammock chairs or for that matter all types of hammocks is “flexibility”. You can use the chair in multiple ways that are never possible with your traditional chairs that are rigid to the core.

Best position with the hammock chairs is leaning back a little and keeping your feet up. You may also sit upright with your feet touching the ground below. In the later case your advantage would be better control on direction and movements of your body and the hammock chair.

A couple of additions to alter your experience

Normally your experience will be good with the hammock chairs. But if you wish to make it real memorable, you can draw your feet inside sitting cross legged. Sitting in that pasture, you may add a couple of pillows that would not only give you immense control but also a good deal of visual appeal.

Ordinarily the hammock chairs will have spreader bars above that helps maintaining the shape of the chair. For support there would be some type of metal chain or strong ropes. The chain or rope is tied to a support point that could be anything from the stem of a big tree to a steel beam in your house.

Natural supports often prove to be hazardous and therefore most people opt for fabricated stands for support. This is safer and easier option to follow. You will not have problem in obtaining such stands. Most of the dealers offer hammock chairs and hammock stands in a package. The package components fit into each other perfectly as well.

Why prefer hammock chairs?

It is not that people prefer hammock chairs only for ease and comfort or for show. True, the hammock chairs have the primary objective of providing you ease and comfort and they also make a good showpiece in your house. Yet there are other advantages for which many people prefer them.

For instance, the hammock chairs occupy less space in comparison to the traditional chair. They do not require four legged support but only a single point support. Moreover the hammock chairs like Hatteras hammock and Pawleys Island hammock are some of the portable hammock chairs.

Components and styles for hammock

You can have hammocks manufactured using multiple materials. However, cotton canvas and polyester are the two most widely used and popular materials. Of course cotton is more comfortable but the polyester scores over it in terms of durability.

Trade off in style is mostly between the traditional rope hammock that looks more elegant and the modern padded fabric that gives you real comfort, especially as camping hammock. Both style and the materials selected by you have an impact on the life span of the hammock.

We all like to buy brand new things. Unlike a lot of things, though, wood furniture sometimes is better when it's older. Whether you're looking to buy brand new or antique wood furniture, here are some tips to help make sure you get your money's worth.

Tips for Purchasing Wood Furniture

This can't be stressed enough. The furniture that you are looking at might look good from afar, but you'll want to take a close look if you are interested in purchasing it. If the item has drawers or doors, you'll want to make sure they open (and close) easily. Beyond that, look over the wood to see if there are any big scratches or nicks.

Even if the furniture doesn't look the greatest, if you've found it second hand for example, a close look will tell you if it will be easy to bring the wood furniture back to life with a little soap and elbow grease.

Sometimes great antique wood furniture can be found for a very low price because of the way it looks. When it comes to wood furniture, though, you never want to judge a book solely by its cover. Get close and see if that ugly green paint is hiding a great oak chest or wardrobe.

While you're up close, there are some other things you can do to check out the quality of the wood furniture. One is to pick up the item. Genuine all wood furniture will typically be a lot heavier than cheap plywood or plaster board counterparts. Picking up the item will give you a good idea if you're dealing with good wood furniture or a cheap knock-off.

Another thing to do is run your hand over the surface. Is it flat and smooth? Are there bubbles in the varnish? Can it be fixed by sanding it down and giving it a new coat of varnish? These are questions you can answer only by getting close and feeling the furniture.

You can also look underneath the furniture for any markings or indicators of who originally made the furniture. This comes into play especially if you're looking for antique wood furniture. Sometimes, even if the furniture is in poor condition, if it was made by a big name or company from the past, it may be worth its weight in gold.

Whatever your reason for wanting to buy wood furniture, these simple tips should help you make sure you're not ripped off. They might also help you find a treasure in a trash pile by knowing good craftsmanship when you see it. Remember not to judge a book by its cover (or furniture by its appearance) and take your time to find the perfect wood furniture for your needs.

Sprawling in a luxurious way can be one of the most amazing experiences that a person can have from his whole day of hectic job. To attain this pleasure, the Skl Lounge is the perfect modern lounges that you can buy. Brodie Neill is a young dynamic designer who has captured the attention of international design sense. The Skl has a bright red interior that serves fashionable design looks and lovable colors. This lounge is going to offer a great comfort zone and will add to the elegance of your house. The revealing features of Skl lounge will definitely attract customers.

A cluttered kitchen can be an eyesore and could create an uncomfortable place to eat or spend time. But there is no reason to worry. By de-cluttering your kitchen you can relax in a room of the house you may spend a lot of time in. You may even need to think about a kitchen renovation. Now let’s look at some ways to de-clutter your kitchen.

The first thing you need to do is to come to terms with the idea that your kitchen needs to be de-cluttered. Once you do this you can start by opening up all of the cabinets in your kitchen. By doing this you can now truly see how much it needs to be done. Your next step is to look at what you have and then decide what you really don’t need. Now we move on to the preparation stage. You should grab some large trash bags or a few big boxes for the stuff you are getting rid of. You should also have something to put the things you’re keeping in. After everything is taken out step back and look at what you have and decide whether you’re going to put it back as it was or are you going to renovate.

Kitchen renovation is always a big step but sometimes the right one. If this is a job you feel you are unqualified for you should really consider hiring a contractor to help. This will help you avoid any undue destruction. You can also hire a painter if you’re going all out. Nothing helps your house look better than a fresh coat of paint. Adding storage space or even more cabinets if possible can help you keep the clutter to a minimum. No matter which way you decide to go you can be sure it will add value and cleanliness to your home.

Home Security Lighting is often overlooked as one of the most important aspects of home and house security. The major benefit that home security lighting has is that it helps to prevent and not just protect against intruders and vandals. Not only is this there this but also the advantage of protecting the homeowner against anybody who may be lurking on the property when getting to the premises at night.

The home security lighting that is used on the property can vary and when implemented should consider the neighboring property and homeowners. It is imperative that the lighting used is not too bright and does not illuminate over to other peoples boundaries causing complaints. There are on the market today many different types of security lighting available, some of the products that are available include porch lighting, halogen floodlights, infra red detection lights and motion sensor lighting.

The Porch lighting is a popular form of security lighting and is the preferred choice for many households. The basics behind the lighting is it provides a permanent source of light at very low wattage, usually the lighting is controlled with a light detector so will automatically come on and off from dawn to dusk periods. This is an essential element of the product; you can still obtain manual light switches however the automatic ones offer the protection for your property when you are away from home on business or vacations.

Another form of home security lighting that is becoming more popular with home owners are the halogen floodlights. The basis behind these is they are tripped by motion detection, for example if an intruder was in your back garden then the lighting would be activated along the boundary of your property when any movement occurred. The light levels from this form of security lighting needs to be no more than 150 watts, if the light is any brighter then this can cause blind spots from the glare of the light. These lights also use PIR sensors, these stop the lighting being tripped by animals or birds during the night. It is very important that the lighting is configured correctly and is not illuminating any of your neighbors’ gardens or homes. Usually these products will have a range of around 8 – 10 meters from the light to activation and will be triggered either by infra red motion detection or body heat sensor detection.

Pricing of these products are in today’s market are very competitive and you should be able to obtain a suitable product for reasonable prices. The PIR style lights and traditional floodlights come in at very similar price levels so you can base your decision on what best suites your needs. The highlighted security lighting products in this article are the two main security lighting options available however you can also get other forms of lighting such as garden lights which store solar powered energy. These can be used to improve the look of your garden whilst providing additional security. Plus you can also get standard porch lighting systems or path way lighting that will serve a purpose of illuminating areas of your property to prevent unwelcome visitors. The home security lighting systems can be used in tandem with other forms of security to provide a complete home security system.

Long gone are the days when office furniture meant a simple computer desk and a filing cabinet. In this day and age, we have all sorts of technology to accommodate for. There are photocopiers, drafting tables, large networks of workstations, and much more to take into account.

Getting the best deal on this excess in office furniture can be tough. And the question arises as to whether not the extra money is worth it in the first place- so what is a business to do?

Discount Office Furniture Vs Brand Name Office Furniture

There is a certain place for budget cuts, and then certain places for excess spending. Office furniture is one of the categories that floats somewhere in the middle between the two.

Some claim that brand name furniture that specializes in new-age design and comfort is worth the money. The reasoning behind this claim is simple: happy and comfortable workers are more efficient than uninspired and unhappy workers.

One good example of this is Google, who is a company that specializes in employee satisfaction. Google remains to be one of the best places to work for- and if you've seen their office furniture, you can guess it wasn't the discount brand at the handy shop. Google claims that the extra style inspires creativity- and we can't disagree.

But discount furniture is what most businesses side with. After all, how much more money can one spend before trying to make employees more inspired? For most businesses, the return on investment just isn't anywhere near what they'd like. The result: you'll likely stick with discount office furniture long before splurging on new-age furniture.

Arguments for Work Safety and Tax Write-offs

One of the leading problems in workplace safety is carpal tunnel syndrome. This affliction is caused by poor posture in the workplace- something many brand name products fix. Some could argue that the company would be less responsible for injuries with these ergonomic brands of office furniture. In many respects, they are right- carpal tunnel is indeed a very real threat.

To help justify the cause, some argue that the tax write-offs that are available for office furniture makes the price of ergonomic designs much easier to stomach. This will put many office products in reach for businesses- but careful spending is still needed. There are limits to the tax write-offs, and even then, the tax breaks only come once a year.

One clever strategy many businesses engage in is last-minute shopping. That way they can get a return on their money much sooner, so waiting the year out isn't a problem (whereas the money could be better used in reinvesting into the business).

When Money Isn't an Option

If money wasn't an option, what should you splurge on? First and foremost, safety should be addressed. Chairs with supportive backs are a must. Keyboards and mice with ergonomic designs that counteract carpal tunnel are also worthy of a purchase.

Only after safety is addressed should one consider style and brand name options. It's nice to have a decorated office space to inspire and give a positive attitude. When money isn't an option, this will indeed benefit those who use the office. (Studies show interesting colours and styles do, in fact, inspire creativity and help overall efficiency on average.)

In the end, it's good to have an accountant nearby for tax advice, safety in mind, and a strong will to get the best office furniture for your company
by: Craig Miller

Have a look at this Patio Designs article to find different kinds of patio designs, what materials they are made of, get ideas, tips and more on this subject...

Take your time to browse the following pages as it will surely be a real benefit.

As we may already know old-fashioned landscaping ideas relying on concrete slabs are currently reasoned to be boring and traditional owing to the large diverseness of patio designs one can accomplish with a multitude of materials. Thus, the place of slabs has now been taken by special patio stones, pavers and other materials that enable one to create a very individualized and stylish look. Even for people who select concrete patio designs there are a number of variants in terms of creativeness since even concrete comes in all sorts of colors. When you choose a more original design with some advanced colours than it will certainly give all the life you'd like to your patio!

One of the best way to creating the right patio designs is to take the time and examine all the possible details, answering all the questions needed by careful planning. Thus, since a patio is very similar to a deck, one has to wonder to what role it will serve. The strength of the sunlight both in summertime and in winter, the exposure to air currents and the view are some other significant elements to be reasoned for the matter. There are several options you have to take into circumstance when it comes to the help you'll need for the arrangements.

Here is the options to consider: you can either turn to a team of professionals that is specialised in landscaping, and they will come up with several ideas of patio designs for you to pick out from, or you can try to do the creative part yourself. With the help of landscaping software, one can create all the patio designs you've been dreaming of. This kind of computer-assisted preparation prevents lots of obstacles that may not be suspected on a simple conventional basis. Don't leave to include light in the total patio designs, especially since the aesthetic features of these outdoor areas can be maximized very efficiently.

It is all depend on the types of patio designs, very complex or simple models can be created by the correct matching of upright and horizontal pavers for instance. This alternation is well thought out extremely appropriate when you are trying to make the walkway stand out, while achieving some form of special effects for the borders as well. Patios are more elegant than decks, but a recent inclination is that of combining decks and patios in more dare designs. Thus, particular areas will be better formed whereas the combination of textures will act in the direction of creating pleasing enhancement and a great atmosphere.

Bamboo furniture is undergoing a revolution of late. The rustic furniture of the sixties and seventies, made from unmilled bamboo shoots and poles, is still available if that's your thing. But there is a new face to this type of furniture as well. Milled, sanded and finished fine bamboo furniture that rivals any hardwood furniture in durability and beauty is taking the furniture industry by storm. Add to that the fact that bamboo is one of the world's most environmentally friendly resources to raise, harvest, and use, and it's clear why bamboo has become one of the hottest furniture building materials on the market.

A Piece of the Tropics
Of course, some people really like the tropical look and beach-bum feel of rustic bamboo style furniture. If you fall into that category, don't fret. There are literally hundreds of furniture producers making everything from couches to coffee tables to luxurious covered beds using this time-honored method of furniture building. Talk to a furniture supplier who deals in rustic designs about finding the right style of furniture for your needs.

Bamboo Basics
Rustic furniture aside, it's more likely that you've been drawn to bamboo furniture by the newer, more finished bamboo furniture hitting the market. If that's the case, here are a few basics about building fine furniture with bamboo so that you're well informed when you hit the show floor.

Since time began, man has made use of wood as an important raw material for many products, including houses, boats and furniture. To work wood, man needed tools, the earliest of which were made of flint, stone, wood, bronze and iron. The earliest extant tools are in museums and there are many which have survived from Ancient Egypt. In this country many tools have been unearthed which date back to the time when the Romans disseminated their new technology to conquered lands. The Romans were the first to manufacture planes from iron, although the material continued to be the basis of plane making throughout the medieval period, and was only gradually replaced by wood as the Middle Ages came to an end.

The most famous planes to survive from the Tudor period were brought up with the "Mary Rose" which sank in 1545. These planes were wooden, and are more continental than English in design. On show in the "Mary Rose" museum, they are in remarkable condition for their age, particularly considering their having been underwater for 450 years.

Until the late 17th and early 18th centuries nearly all woodworking tools were made by the user or the local blacksmith; the craftsman crafting the wooden parts and the blacksmith the blade. Around this time the first recognised plane and tool makers started to appear. The two earliest recorded British plane makers were Frances Purdew and Thomas Grandford, who both worked in London.

There were three generations of Thomas Granfords, and it is thought that the first worked from 1654 to 1685. Recent research has found that many planes once thought to have been made by Granford were actually Purdew's work. (Photo 1.) In fact, we only have one plane which can be identified for certain as having been made by Granford.

Image 2. Shown left is an early 18th C. moulding plane by Robert Wooding (1706-1728). Note the flat chamfers round the top and the early shape wedge. Little is known about Purdew, other than that he lived in London and was a contemporary of Granford. Several moulding planes are known by Purdew, four having been sold recently at auction. Other famous plane makers from that period include Robert Wooding, an apprentice of Granford who worked from 1706 to 1728. Moulding planes by Wooding do come up for sale today on a fairly regular basis and command large prices. John Davenport and Robert Hemmings are two manufacturers known to have been working in the early 1700s, although little is known about either of them.

Image 3. Shown left is a superb example of a very early plane (possibly even 17th C.) Again the wide flat chamfers & early long shaped wedge. The plane has been shortened at both ends, as chamfers are not as wide there.

Early named moulding planes are scarce, and there is an intriguing reason for this. The earlier versions were in general much longer than the later moulding planes-usually 10 to 12 inches compared with the standard 9 ½ inches of later planes. If an early 19th century craftsman bought some "modern" moulding planes to add to his collection of earlier models, he would discover that the earlier, longer planes stuck out further on the shelf. The answer to this problem was easy-he just shortened the older ones to match! Unfortunately for us today, it means that many early planes are without a maker's name; the front, where the maker's stamp would have been, has been removed. The moulder in picture 3 dates back to the early 18th century and has been shortened both at the front and back, but displays many period features , including the large wedge and flat chamfers. You can see the similarities with the Wooding moulder in photo 2.

Image 4. A rare beech bridal plough plane with ebony arms by A. Mathieson & Son, Glasgow & Edinburgh. One of the best quality plough planes Mathieson made; they only commercially made one better.

As better tool-steel became more readily available and the process of producing it cheaper and easier, tool manufacturers started to spring up in all the major cities, including London, Sheffield and Birmingham. As the population became more affluent and the demand for furniture ever greater, the demand for tools increased considerably. By the mid-19th century the tool making industry was huge, with literally thousands of manufacturers all over Britain. Some of the biggest and perhaps most well-known today were Alex Mathieson and Sons of Glasgow and Edinburgh, who by 1898 offered the largest range of tools in the world (Photos 4 and 5), William Marples of Sheffield, Robert Sorby of Sheffield and Mosely and Sons of London.

Image 5. A very rare 25 1/2" long dovetail steel jointing plane by Mathieson. It has a gunmetal cap and a very good nicely gained rosewood infill. Pretty heavy but a joy to use. Long wood filled jointing planes such as this are few and far between and command high prices.

It wasn't until the mid-19th century that steel started to be used as the basic material for plane making. Stewart Spiers is widely recognised to have been the first manufacturer of steel planes in Britain, starting his business in 1840. (Photos 6 and 7.) Spiers' original ideas were copied by Mathieson and improved upon by Thomas Norris. It was at this time that Britain produced some of the finest quality tools ever made.

Some of the planes made by Spiers and Norris have, in my opinion, have never been surpassed.

Image 6. Rare early "improved pattern" dovetail Stewart Spiers (Ayr) mitre plane. Note screwed sides and early long shape of lever cap. Nicely rosewood fill and with original snecked iron.

Image 7. One of the rarest Spiers planes ever made around 1930s to try to compete with Stanley planes.

Basically rubbish compared with most Spiers planes but its rarity would command four figures at auction today.

Image 8. Good early Norris of London 13 1/2" long dovetail steel plane. One of the best planes ever made.

Only the earliest Norris planes had rosewood infill like this—most found today have beech infills.

Image 9. Early Norris smoothing plane. Dovetailed coffin shape No A2.

A 1913 patent blade adjuster and rosewood infill.

By the early 20th century Stanley of America had started to take over the metal plane market all over the world. In Britain, however, it was the late 1930s before they displaced Spiers and Norris, and only then because of the low price of their planes. Although Britain produced the best quality planes, Stanley produced the biggest range, priding themselves that they could produce a plane for virtually every job. The range of planes offered by Stanley from around 1900 to 1950 was the biggest ever and is unlikely ever to be surpassed.

Image 10. One of the more rare Stanley planes. A No 9. Cabinet maker's block or mitre plane.

Early 1900s made by Stanley Rule & Level Co. USA.

Due to the shape of the back not many survive damage because of being dropped.

Image 11. A more unusual Stanley (USA) o 95 edge trimming plane. Initially used for truing up man-made boards before veneering.

Today, sadly, quality new tools are few and far between, with companies such as Stanley and Record producing a fraction of the range they once did, and those they do produce being of dubious quality. However, companies such as Lie Nielson are now reproducing some of the planes that Stanley once made, which are just as good. And there is one company in Britain worth mentioning who are making copies of early Norris planes of outstanding quality in gunmetal and steel. Karl Holtey's planes are the best modern planes money can buy. Some people believe that they are actually better than the originals and I wouldn't argue about that, though at prices ranging from £1000 to £2,500, they are not within many craftsmens' reach. (Photo 12.)

Image 12. New quality adjustable block plane by Karl Holtey with steel sole dovetailed to gunmetal sides and very nice rosewood infill and thick parallel blade. Just simply the best modern plane money can buy.

Many people today laugh at me when I say I use nearly all old tools in my work. "What do you use those old things for when you can buy new ones?". Why indeed! In common with many craftsmen I speak to, I didn't always use old tools. I remember when I started my first real job after leaving school, at a large antique restoring business in Hampshire. I arrived with two boxes of shiny new tools, many having been bought by various well-intentioned relatives. I unpacked these tools and saw some of the established, older restorers glancing over their shoulders and sniggering, and I wondered why. It didn't take me long to find out. I soon discarded my blue plastic-handled Stanley chisels in favour of much older models.

Many of the older planes are as useable today as they were when they were made, and in many cases are cheaper to purchase than new ones. Moulding planes are a good example; you can buy a good cabinet moulding plane cheaper than one router cutter and you don't have to remove all the burn marks afterwards! I remember having a very heated argument with a colleague a few years back about using moulding on a chest of drawers, which needed new feet and moulds. By the time he had found a suitable router cutter and set up the router ready to use, I had made all the moulding and had one section glued on. We never had that argument again! It is sometimes hard to find moulding planes of the right profile to cut moulds found on furniture, as most moulding planes were made for house architecture. But if you can find suitable planes, once they are set up and sharpened it is so much easier than using a router.

As for bench planes, if you are lucky enough to own or to have used a Spiers, Norris, or similar un-named example you'll know what a joy that is. No chatter even on the most awkward of grains, the extra weight which is so beneficial, and most importantly, the comfort of use. The thick parallel iron found on these planes in itself weighs more than a complete modern plane. I usually find anyone who takes the plunge and purchases one of these old wood filled planes, whether a named example or not, never looks back.

Unfortunately for us craftsmen, many of the best tools ever made are sitting on collectors' shelves gathering dust. It's sad really, but I suppose looking on the bright side they are being preserved for future generations. However, in my opinion these planes were made to be used, and should still be used and enjoyed by the craftsmen of today. If you don't use old tools, all I can say is - you don't know what you're missing!