We recently got a goldendoodle puppy that was 10 weeks old.  He is and will be a joy in our life for many years to come we hope.  But one of the trying times with a puppy is  from about that 10 week old time until nearly a year when they try to eat everything in site including your furniture.

 When we thought we might be getting  a dog and talked to our friends about it, most all of them told us about “The Dog Whisperer” on TV, so we started watching.  Like most people we learned that it is us that needs most of the training not our dogs.  And a lot of Ceaser Milans wisdom we have try to employ, so far very successfully.

First and foremost is to excersize your pet.  A tired puppy is a sleepy puppy and a sleepy puppy is a puppy that’s not eating my furniture.   Second is training.  Don’t let your pet up on any furniture if you don’t want him on even just one piece of furniture.  They understand much better that they can’t get on any furniture rather than  not being able to get on a specific piece of furniture.

And lastly you can show them praise and love.  When they are behaving well around your furniture show them that is action that get’s them love.

You have to give them every opportunity to succeed by sending them as clear as message you can.  For example don’t go in your backyard that has 15 tennis balls in it and decide to teach your dog to fetch.   He won’t know which one to retrive.  Teach him to fetch with only one ball to fetch.

In this same light if you come into our house unanounced you will find about 15 chew toys scattered about our floor.  This isn’t to confuse him, it is to give him many options of things to chew on that aren’t furniture, drapes, carpet, etc.  He knows his toys and he knows he can chew on his toys.

While we don’t promote one product over another however I have to make an exception in this case “Granny’s Bitter Apple” is a spray avaliable at most pet store that will help train your dog not to eat whatever it is you want to protect.  We’ve used it on plants, furniture, throws, extention cords and everything else we want our pet to not eat.  It works rather well and won’t hurt your dog.  You will have to reapply the spray routinely until the urge to eat that protected object passes.

I’m sure we will have some future articles about repairing furniture chewed on by a pet but so far we are feeling very lucky.

At one time caning of chairs and furniture was an art form to get the cane pattern precise and taught but no more.  Caning replacements are mass produced in sheets available in some hardware stores and most craft stores. 

After measuring the size of the existing cane add two inches (minimum) in both directions to account for mounting methods.  Typically cane is held in place by a backer rod or fits inside a strecher loom.

If the securing technique is a backer rod simply place the cane sheet over the opening and space equally over all sides.  The flexible backer rod fits in a slot in the furniture piece so locate the slot and begin a the most visible spot of the cane and drive the backer rod into the slot being careful not to fold or crease the cane.  At this time I cut several small pieces of the backer rod and drive them into the slot equally around the cane opening, securing the cane into position as I go back the the main backing rod and continue to drive the rod into the slot working your way around the piece.

 As you come to the small pieces of backer rod remove them and continue with the main backer rod.  When the piece has been completely installed cut the backer rod so the entire rod will fit into the slot.  Typically the slot and backer rod is covered with a piece of wood configured to fit the perimeter to the cane.  Re-installing the finish piece will complete the project.

Similarily strecher looms are used in some cane applications.  These looms are very similar to the looms used for embroidery  or making rugs.   The cane is laid over the smaller loom and the outer loom is pressed over the cane and tightened to secure the cane between the two looms.  Here again a finished piece of wood typically covers the loom to give a clean finished appearence.

You may finish the cane with stain or leave in a natural color.

This is a fairly easy project once you have located the source of the cane material.  Let us know how your project goes.

Here is an inexpensive way to cover up the visible effects of everyday wear and tear on your furniture.  Furniture stores have used these techniques for years. If you have wood or wood-looking furniture pieces and have nicks and dings, try to determine what color you think the wood is, i.e. oak, walnut, pecan, etc. Most of the large home improvement stores carry stain pens for touch-up.  These touch-up pens come in the same color as the wood stains.  If you have a piece of furniture that looks like oak to you, you will be able to find a pen shown as oak.These pens have the same stain you could buy in cans, however these have a felt tip applicator which cuts down on the mess and is convenient to use any time.  The ones that I have used suggest shaking them to mix the stain in the pen and then apply to the nick.  You will be surprised how much better your pice of furniture will look with such a little effort. What if your furniture is painted instead of stained?  Here’s another idea with several applications.  Lowes is the only place I’ve seen so far with a display of “Glidden” tester bottles.  These are 2 fl. oz. bottles of paint in many different colors with small applicator brushes inside. I guess paint is getting so expensive “Glidden” decided to give the public a way to sample a color cheaply and in the process has given us a way to buy paint to touch-up our painted furniture.  So try to determine the color you want to match or take a sample with you and find the color closest to your’s in the tester bottles.  There are a lot of different colors so you should be able to get close.  Use the brush in the bottle to touch-up the dings in your painted furniture.  Again you will be impressed how much better your furniture will look sans nicks and dings.The tester bottles also work great on wood-work as well.  We keep a bottle of white around specifically for the purpose of touching-up dings in our baseboards, doors and millwork.  If your wood work is stained the touch up pens work great for this purpose as well.

One of the easiest projects you can do is to recover your diningroom chairs.  I’ve done this project several times over the years and it is amazingly simple.  Of course you have to start with a chair that has a fabric, vinyl or leather seat to begin with.  Tools you will need are; screw drivers, pliers, and maybe a hot glue gun.

If you turn the chair upside down and look at the corners of the seat from beneath likely you will see the screws holding the seat to the frame.  Remove these screws and the seat should come off easily.   As you look at the bottom of the seat you are probably thinking this doesn’t look too professional how they attached the covering to my chair seat.  At least that’s what I’ve thought when I looked at the roughly cut fabric and the staples holding on the fabric.

 Usually I leave the existing fabric in place and cover the old with new.  However if you have had some damage to the covering or the cushioning below that would show through the new covering then remove those pieces. 

If you needed to remove the foam cushion it is easy to find a replacement at stores like “Michaels” or “Hobby Lobby”.  Replace with a cushion that has similar density and cut to the same dimension as the one removed.  Shopping at some of the larger fabric stores you will find fabric suitable for you chairs and it doesn’t take a lot of fabric to do this project.  Use the existing covering to help esimate how much material you will need.

OK we are ready to start.  Place the fabric face down on your working surface.  If you are replacing the cushion place it in the middle of the fabric and place the seat face down in the middle of the cushion.  If you didn’t replace the cushion just place the seat face down in the middle of the fabric.

Begin in the middle of one side and pull the fabric to the back of the seat with a little tension and staple the fabric in place on the back of the seat.  Now go to the opposite side and pull the fabric to the back and pull the fabric tight enough so it has some tension on the front of the chair but not too much.  Don’t wrinkle the existing fabric.  I’m probably making this sound harder than it is. 

After putting a couple staples in both sides repeat the process top and bottom and continue working from the middle of all side towards the corners.  When you get to within say 3 inches of the corners try folding the corners just like you do when you are wrapping a present and establish how you will finish your corner. 

Once you have stapled the fabric to the seat flip it over and have a look.  Chances are it looks great but if you have some changes you need to make remove the staples in that area and try again.  If you have a lot of excess fabric trim the excess with scissors or an exacto knife.

 When you are happy with the results merely reattach the seat to the chair frame with the screws you removed. 

I’m always shocked how easy it was and what a dramatic difference if makes.

If you want you chair to look a little more finished or up scale, the same fabric stores you found the fabric in will have piping trim which can be either stapled or hot glued to the seat before reattaching the seat to the chair.

This easy project saves both energy and natural resources in the manufacture of a new chair as well as reduces waste to our landfills.

I saw an article on the news ther other day, alarming all consumers to beware of compact fluorescent lamps or CFL’s since they have mercury inside them.  I couldn’t believe what a dis-service this station was doing to their listeners by promoting such fodder.

 So let’s set the facts straight.  Is there mercury in these CFL’s, yes there is.  It’s one of the components that helps provide the efficiency improvements over incandescent lamps.  How much mercury is there in a CFL?  An average of 4 milligrams is present in each CLF which is roughly the amount it would take to cover the tip of a ball point pen.

 Old thermometers contained nearly 500 milligrams of mercury.  Therefore the amount of mercury in an old thermometer would provide the mercury needed for approximately 125 CFL’s.

Don’t get me wrong, exposure to any mercury is not good and careful handling is recommended.  But here’s the kicker.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the US is responsible for releasing nearly 104 metric tons of mercury annually through the emissions of our fossil fuel (coal) power plants.  The math is straight forward.  A 13 watt CFL produces the same amount of light as a 60 watt incandescent bulb and both are used for 8000 hours consuming a total of 104 kWh for the CFL and 480 kWh for the incandescent.

The average mercury emissions for producing electricity in a fossil fuel plant is 0.012 mg/kWh.  There the mercury used in producing electricity for the CFL is 1.2mg and the mercury used to produce electricity for the incandescent lamp is 5.8mg if mercury or 4.6mg of mercury more than that used for the CFL.

 To be perfectly fair when CFL’s are landfilled the measured mercury from one CFL is 0.4mg and the mercury of the power plant goes directly to the atmosphere.  So adding the 0.4 to the 1.2mg of mercury totals 1.6mg of mercury contributed to the atmosphere over the life of the bulb versus 5.8mg for the incandescent bulb.  A savings of 4.2mg for the CFL.

 So on a slow news-day you have to be careful what doom and gloom is being presented and which half truth you are being told.

You should be careful with CLF’s and recycle them.  Just as you should with your batteries and those 4 foot fluorescent bulbs in your garage shop.  But there is more news, many manufactures have worked to lower the mercury in their CFL’s and in this last year the mercury has come down from 4mg to 1.4 to 2.5mg per light bulb.

Re-run the math, it is even more imperative that we switch to CFL’s not only to save energy but also to reduce mercury emissions to our atmosphere.

Absolutely! Saving natural resources, saving energy, saving our planet.

The main focus of being earth friendly are; re-use, recycle, and conserve.  Purchasing a piece of previously owned furniture is re-use.  So big deal you saved a few bucks and that’s why you came here to look in the first place.

 At the risk of inspiring you beyound just saving you some money let me tell you the numerous things you just did for the Earth.

The furniture you purchased did not go into a landfill some where.   Think of the impact if others think of re-use and re-finish to fit their needs rather than to discard that piece of furniture.

Now comes the exciting part.  Even in the simplest of furniture, let’s say a wood chair with a cushion on it, energy and resources are consumed at nearly every level of production.  Let’s think about what goes into making that chair.

The logger likely commutes to the mountain in a vehicle that consumes gasoline, he uses a chain saw that uses gasoline and chain oil, the device that lifts the wood to the collection point uses deisel fuel and then the wood is transported to a saw mill by a truck using deisel fuel.

So far we have a log ready to be made into something.  Usually steam is used to strip the trees and to power the saws.  Many mills use their own waste products to burn to power their saws which conserves energy cost to them.  So that’s a good thing, right? It can be if the pollutants from the combustion of the waste product is monitored and regulated.  And any waste water is cleaned up before it is dumped into a lake or a waste water system.

Now the wood needs to be transported (deisel fuel) to either a distribution point like a lumber yard or to the end user.  Saws and lathes in many furniture companies use electricity to cut and shape the wood into the chairs components.  Paints and stains are used that typically contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) whose manufacture and use pollutes our waterways and contaminates our landfills.  The painting process usually uses compressed air made with the use of electricity.

The cushion would likely made from man made products like foam and a synthetic fabric.  Foam and synthetic fabrics use some form of heat and electricity to manufacture although their main threat to the planet comes from their inability to breakdown over time in a landfil.  Even if the cushion were made from natural fabrics like cotton and goose down, water and bleaches from the manufacutring end up in our waste water system.

Having already began the detail breakdown of energy and natural resources consumed in the manufacture of this chair let me simply say the chair will be assembled with screws, metal brackets and the like which were mined, processed, transported, formed and transported again to the furniture manufacturer.  Of course the chair will be packaged in some manor and shipped to distribution.

Throughout the entire process of development paperwork follows: the log, cut wood, inventoried product, the cotton, goose down, screws, trucking manifest and sadly I could go on and on.

So did you do a good thing? Did you make an effort to save the planet? Yes you did and if you could see my standing ovation you would have one now.

As a new or expanding business used office cubicles and workstations should be at the top of your buying list.  There are several reasons that are apparent and a few that aren’t so obvious.

The obvious reason you would look for used office cubicles to begin with is they will cost less than new cubicles.  That is of course true, but you may not know that many used cubicles offer either pre-wired or raceways to run electrical, phone, and computer network.  This wiring or raceway can save you a lot of installation cost.  The other main advantage to this approach is that when you move you don’t need to build new walls and partitions since you can take your cubicles with you.

 Many cubicles have their own task lighting which also helps conserve energy by putting the light where you need it, on your work.  Buildings designed for cubicle spaces generally have less general lighting to help fully utilize task lighting.  In offices where task lighting has been retrofitted often general lighting is delamped 50% to save energy and of course your cost.

 Likely you may not be aware that purchasing new and used cubicles and workstations has some tax advantages for you.  Typically when you buy walls and partitions constructed in your space the cost of the walls depreciate with the building (could be as high as 30 years).  However cubicles and workstations that you can remove and take with you will typically depreciate at an accelerated schedule typically with the same schedule as office furniture.

Since there are many types of corporations, partnerships and other business structures each with its own tax laws it is important to consult with your tax professional regarding what tax advantages you may be able to take advantage of.

What exactly is renewable energy?  There is a lot of talk about it lately, but in order to make informed choices, people need to understand what renewable energy is and how it works.  Basically, this process draws power from sources that can easily be renewed over time.  Some examples of these renewable resources are the sun (solar power), wind, rain, and tides.  Renewable energy is preferable to other sources of energy, like oil, because its sources cannot run out.  With the current high price of oil and its dangerous effects on our atmosphere, there has been a growing interest in utilizing sources of renewable energy.

Wind power has been used since ancient times, and is probably a source of renewable energy with which you are familiar.  Many farms use windmills to power water pumps and irrigate their land.  Although windmills have increased in popularity, there are a few setbacks to this method of renewable energy.  For one thing, windmills take up a large amount of space and some people consider them unsightly.  Another issue with windmills is the fact that commercial wind farms can only be effective in high areas that receive a constant, steady wind.  One very positive aspect of wind power is that it does not produce gases that are harmful to the environment.

Solar power is power from the sun can that be captured through panels and converted into electricity.  Some homes now have special panels on top of their roofs so there aren’t big pieces of solar power apparatus littering their yards.

Water power is a very diverse form of renewable energy.  There are many ways that energy can be harnessed from water, involving the power of dams, waves, and even tides.  Other types of water power, such as damless hydro-electric power, are being explored and developed.

Biofuel is another type of renewable energy that relies on plant products to create fuel.  Many individuals have been able to convert their diesel engines to run on fuel that has come from plants.

Understanding renewable energy is a positive start to creating a cleaner, greener world, but how can the average person get involved with renewable energy?  Homeowners who are willing to make an initial financial investment can employ the use of solar panels for electricity, and a solar water heater.  Another of the easiest ways to support renewable energy is to make sure the electricity in your house comes from renewable sources.  Most electric companies have “green” plans.  They may cost a little extra, but this is an easy way to support the growth of renewable energy.

If you don’t own a house or pay for your own electricity, you can still inform others about “green” electric plans and encourage them to participate.  Many colleges have begun to use clean energy for dormitories, and college students may want to confirm that this is the case at their school.  Simply spreading the word can be a great way to support the use of renewable energy!

Study after study tells us that plastic grocery bags are better for the environment.  They take less energy to produce, transport, and recycle than paper grocery sacks.  The problem is that the vast majority of them do not get recycled, as many areas do not accept plastic grocery bags for recycling.  Additionally, the market for recycled plastic is thus far underdeveloped.  This “urban tumbleweed” clogs the gutters, kills wildlife, makes the world less beautiful, and seems to reproduce under the kitchen sink.  According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. runs through 100 billion plastic shopping bags every year.  Though recycling should be the destination of most plastic bags, reusing the bags before you recycle them, and avoiding using plastic bags at all when possible, are the best ways to truly reduce the number of plastic grocery bags out there.  Here are 30 ways to do just that.

For Pet Lovers:

1.  Instead of buying special bags to clean up behind your dog, use used plastic grocery bags.
2.  Use them to scoop the cat’s litter box.
3.  Donate bags to your local animal shelter.
4.  Donate bags to your local dog park – there is usually a dispenser there for those who forgot to bring their own.

For the Crafty:

5.  Cut the bags into loops and knot them together into plastic “yarn.”  This can be used to make braided rugs, weave baskets, and crochet bigger, stronger bags that will last.  Some people even use plastic yarn to crochet sun hats.  Knitting works too.  It’s washable, but air dry only.
6.  Stuff Halloween dummies with plastic bags instead of straw, using straw just around the cuffs.
7.  Protect your surfaces with plastic bags when doing messy crafts.
8.  Fuse bags into plastic fabric to sew with.  Instructions for this are popping up all over the internet.

Around the House:

9.  Line paint trays with plastic bags before pouring the paint in, and cleanup becomes a breeze.
10.  Make a draft blocker:  Sew a tube of recycled fabric and stuff it with the plastic bags, then sew up the ends.  Placed at the bottoms of drafty doors it will cut down on the heating bills, saving even more energy.
11.  Use plastic bags as packing material instead of Styrofoam packing peanuts.  It reuses bags and prevents the production of more Styrofoam.
12.  Rather than using rope or plastic zip ties, loop together as many bags as needed to make plastic rope.

In the Kitchen:

13.  Wrap homemade bread in a clean plastic grocery bag.  It will stay fresher but still be able to breathe.
14.  Use them to pack lunches.
15.  Use a plastic bag as a cutting board when cutting up particularly messy items, like meat, or to collect vegetable shavings.
16.  Use a clean bag as a non-stick surface for rolling out dough.

Out of the House:

17.  Keep a small stash of bags in the truck of the car – they are great for all kinds of emergencies.
18.  Use plastic grocery bags as camping trip garbage bags.
19.  Pick up bags you see at the park or in the street and use them to collect any garbage and recyclable litter.
20.  Keep a few in the diaper bag – these can be very handy when confronted with a very messy diaper, or when the mess has spread to baby’s clothes, to protect the rest of the bag’s contents.
21.  Donate them to your child’s daycare center.
22.  When traveling, wrap a plastic bag around your toiletry bag to prevent any spills from spreading.
23.  Tie a couple over your feet and keep your shoes clean when you have to walk through a muddy area.
24.  Donate them to the local library – many use them for sending home big stacks of books with patrons who did not bring their own bag.
25. Donate them to your local thrift store.

Reduce the Number of Plastic Bags You Get:

26.  Bring the plastic bags you already have to the store to reuse them.
27.  Bring your own cloth or crocheted plastic bags to the store.
28.  Go through the self-checkout so you can add more items to each bag than checkers normally do.
29.  When buying just one or two items, just throw them in your purse or briefcase, or carry them to the car bag-less.

And Lastly:

30.  Support companies that use recycled plastic, from handmade African crafts to designer chairs to composite decking.

Not many people would think that it was possible to make their bedroom more eco-friendly. From the bedding you use to the furniture you choose, it is possible to perform an eco-make-over on your bedroom. Making your bedroom more eco-friendly does require some more major changes, but made one step at a time they are not to hard to do.

Snug as a bug in a rug…...
An easy place to start when converting your bedroom to be more eco-friendly would be your linens. In light of the fact that standard fabric processing is an extreme environmental burden, choosing organic fabrics is the way to go. Although there are many choices in organic fabric, many love organic cotton. Many stores now sell organic cotton bedding, including Wal-Mart. Using pillows made from natural fibers like buckwheat or hulls is another change you can make in your bedroom as well. You can also buy pillows made from recycled polyester fill which is another environmentally friendly alternative you can choose from. If you use a mattress topper on your bed you want to look for something untreated and made of natural or recycled materials. Another large change you can make would be the purchase of a natural fill untreated mattress. Organic mattresses are filled with either cotton, wool, or natural latex making them better for the environment and your health.

Shabby Chic
If you haven’t yet purchased bedroom furniture, this is an excellent time to be more eco-friendly. Obviously, choosing to purchase vintage or used is best for the environment. If you shop around you can really save some nice pieces of furniture from going to a landfill. Plus you can repaint them and make them your own. If your fixed on buying new furniture, stick with natural woods free from glues. Avoid particleboard and plywood at all cost. Also look for woods that are naturally treated or finished.

The Finishing Touch
When decorating your bedroom there are few small things you can do to make it more eco-friendly. When selecting a paint for your walls look for paints that label low to no VOC chemicals. If you have a flooring choice stay away from wall to wall carpeting. Try using area rugs instead. Area rugs can easily be found in natural fibers and can be kept in place with a natural rubber pad rather than adhesive. natural fiber area rugs are also great because many of them can be laundered in your washer to keep them clean. Finally, use energy efficient bulbs in your lamps and turn off all appliances when your not in the room or when your sleeping.