Faucets And Sinks For Your New Kitchen Design

Kitchen sinks get a lot of use. Fortunately, they are one of the most inexpensive features to replace in the kitchen. There is a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles available. The cost varies considerably according to the style and material used in the sink. The decision is important because your sink will last for a long time. You want to choose something you will love for a long time.

Single or Double Kitchen Sinks

Most sinks can be classified into single or double basin models. There are a few triple basin sinks, but they are less common. The sizes of these vary in both width and depth. Consider your kitchen and how you use your sink to help make the choice between a single or a double.

The size of your kitchen will help determine the best choice. Single models are often best for smaller kitchens. A small kitchen can seem overwhelmed by a large double sink. Double sinks have some benefits as well. They are nice for washing dishes and preparing large meals.

Materials Used in Sinks

Stainless Steel is the most popular choice in materials for sinks. It is light weight and easy to install. In addition, it is easy to maintain. The gauge of the steel determines the quality of the material. The lower the gauge, the better the quality. Another factor is the percentage of chromium and nickel in the steel. The more of each the better the quality.

Porcelain is very attractive. It is most often chosen for aesthetics. Porcelain looks great in country or traditional kitchen d?cor. There is a wide variety of color choices available in this material. There are more color options in porcelain than in any other materials.

Solid surface kitchen faucets and sinks are often used with custom counter tops. These are composite materials used in expensive kitchen remodelling projects. Solid surfaces are durable and resist both stains and scratches. They are easy to clean and relatively low maintenance.

Enamel is a less expensive alternative for the sink. There are many color and style choices in enamel. It is not as durable as solid surfaces or stainless steel. More care and maintenance is also needed. The enamel can chip and scratch easily. Abrasive cleaners should not be used on these sinks.
Consider the number of holes you need in the sink deck. Faucets and extras like spray nozzles and soap dispensers should be taken into consideration. Also consider the number of handles that will be used with the faucets.

You may want to consider the faucets you like when selecting a sink. They should look good with the material of the sink and be functional. Consider the size of the sink when choosing the faucets. You may want a longer spout if you have a double or triple basin. If you have multiple basins, make sure to choose a faucet that will swivel at least 180 degrees. This way the water will reach each bowl of the sink.

Peter J. Mason reveals many news to the http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com internetsite. The author is featuring kitchen sinks and various articles in the field

The New Bathroom Faucets

Bathroom faucets are not just for function anymore. Of course, function is the first concern when purchasing a faucet, but today there are so many styles and finishes to choose from it is a regular smorgasbord.

Bathroom faucet function
 

When selecting a bathroom faucet, don't choose the bottom of the line to save a few dollars. The valves are an important part of a faucet and choosing solid brass or brass base metal valves will save you aggravation and leaks.

Many of today's faucet also feature waterless valves. Those with ceramic disc or the cartridge models are much less prone to leaking and will last longer.

Bathroom faucet style
 

When you consider style for your bathroom faucet, you should also coordinate with your bathtub and shower fixtures in order to get a complete and coordinating look in your bathroom.

There are a multitude of styles from vintage looks to very sleek and contemporary looks in bathroom faucets. You will find bathroom faucets offered in single handle lever units, separate hot and cold handles if you prefer, and various types of spouts including the high rise or goose neck that was once only seen in the kitchen.

The high rise spout can make shampooing much easier, but if you choose this option make sure the basin is deep enough to avoid splashing.

Bathroom faucet finishes
 

There is a bathroom faucet finish to suit any taste. Traditionally polished chrome has been the most popular. While this gleaming finish can be attractive, it requires more upkeep because of water spotting.

Brushed finishes such as brushed chrome or brushed nickel offer less gleam, but nevertheless are very attractive, stylish and far easier to keep up especially in a busy household.

There are also many rubbed finishes that add to the styling and give more of a vintage look. Copper and even black faucets are now available.

Choosing the right bathroom faucet for an existing sink
 

If you are not starting fresh with a new sink as well as new faucets, then you need to match up your faucet with your sink.

If the faucets install directly to the sink, then you need to determine if the existing sink is set up for single hole, minispread, widespread or centerset faucets, so you can match up to the existing holes.

Centerset faucets are where the handles and spout are mounted to a single base. Minispread and widespread faucets are where each element of the faucet assembly is individually installed onto the sink. And the single-hole is self explanatory.

More information on bathroom faucets and selecting new vanities and sinks

How Much Difference Do Bathroom Faucets Make?

When choosing a faucet for your bathroom. Consider the rest of the bathroom.

We have all seen the TV commercial about the client choosing a bathroom faucet and asking the architect to design a house around it. Yeah right! There are some great faucet designs out there but they are to accentuate not overtake.

There are so many options out there that the decision process can be daunting. Just be patient and there are ways of ruling out quite a few. What kind of handles do I like? Narrowed! What kind of finish do I like? Narrowed! What style is the bathroom? Narrowed! Now, you should be down to just a few options to argue about.

My opinion is to get what you like, but not settle on the cheapest one. The old adage holds true here, "You get what you pay for!" But you do not have to spend a bunch of money to get a great faucet. Don't tell my wife, but I also look for one that is simple to fix. I plan to make the purchase once and repair it until I die.

Just a faucet that fits your rooms style and it will be the center piece of your room.

Denton Lesslie is the president of greathomeimprovements.com and a consultant for Department of Energy's Building America Division for the last 6 years. He is responsible for all the content and marketing for http://www.greathomeimprovements.com - Great Home Improvements Start Here! There are many articles about your fixtures

Do You Qualify for Factoring?

This article has been created to give you straight forward content hoping to provide information into some of the things that factors are looking for when qualifying a prospect before entering into a financial relationship with them.

Lets face it, your time is very valuable and you do not need to waste it filling out applications or talking on the phone when you may be able to identify issues in this article that would prohibit you from being able to enter into a factoring relationship.

Some of this information will be basic and you may already be familiar with it, however some may not. Just read through the article and I am sure you will find some helpful information.

Lets take a look at what factoring is:

Factoring is a form of financing where a business sells its creditworthy commercial accounts receivable to a financier known as a factor.

This is a good starting point; you need to be invoicing creditworthy businesses for your product or service. Your product must be delivered and your services rendered (no pre-bills). If they are not creditworthy and you are already having collection problems, a factoring company will not be interested in purchasing those receivables. You may need a collections service.

How much do you invoice each month:

If you are invoicing under $10,000 a month this will limit the number of factoring companies that will enter into a relationship with you. If you are speaking with a factor, let them know up front what your monthly volume is and find out if they are willing to work with companies of your size. This could save you from filling out an application and wasting your time with that particular factor.

How many customers do you invoice:

Factoring companies prefer to fund companies with more than one customer; this helps them lower their risk. If you have just one customer, the factoring will have a concentration issue, meaning if something happens to your customer they do not have any other receivables from other customers to recoup their money. Let the factoring company know this up front as well. Some factors will not work with you if you only have one customer. (If your one customer is large and stable this will help).

Do you have any financing currently in place:

If you have an existing loan or line of credit you need to find out up front if the bank has a UCC-1 against your receivables. The factoring company must have 1st position on your receivables to be able to enter into a financing relationship with your company.

I would suggest if you have a current loan or line of credit to double check and make sure of this.

I have had many businesses tell me that the bank did not have their receivables as collateral and then proceed through the application process and return the contract.

The factoring company would begin due diligence and the lien search would return a current UCC-1 on the receivables. Many times the customer does not realize the bank placed a blanket lien on their company covering all assets, including the accounts receivable.

If this is the case, you still may qualify for factoring. If your loan or line of credit is small enough, the factor may be able to pay off your loan or line of credit out of your 1st advance and the bank has no choice but to subordinate (release) the receivables. If not, they may have enough collateral that they will allow the factoring company to have 1st position on the receivables and allow you to get the needed capital for your company.

So if you have current financing, check on this issue. You may find out the bank will step up to the plate and allow you access to more funds when they realize you are about to leave.

This has happened many times.

Also be aware that our factoring companies can help negotiate a subordination, so discuss this with us if you need more clarification on this topic.

Your aging report:

Your aging report is very important to a factoring company; this is the pulse on your cash flow. An accurate detailed accounts receivable aging report should be aged from invoice date and not due date. Some companies accounting software is set up to age the receivables from due date, this will reflect an inaccurate report to the factoring company.

If you have an unhealthy aging report you will have a hard time qualifying for factoring. Plus the fees you pay to a factor increase as the days outstanding increase.

Make sure you have a cash flow issue and not a collections issue.

Remember, creditworthy customers are the key.

Outstanding taxes, liens, judgments, litigations, felony convictions or bankruptcy

If you have any of these issues, it does not mean you can't qualify for factoring, you just need to be forthcoming at the beginning and find out if the issues are too complex for the factoring company to work through. This may save you some time.

Are you incorporated:

Some factors will not work with Sole Proprietors, others will, we have some that do. Find out at the beginning of the conversation.

Financial Statements:

Some factors will require financial statements and others will not.

Providing financial is usually where you will find the most aggressive rates available.

If you do not want to deal with providing financial statements, ask up front if they are required. We have programs available that requires no financial statements.

Personal Credit:

Even though your customers are the primary focus, your personal credit is taken into consideration. If your personal credit has taken some severe hits recently, discuss this up front with the factor to find out how much it will be taken into consideration.

This covers some of the basic, I hope it helps!

Thanks for reading.

Mark Little is President of Diversified Funding Services, Inc. He can be reached at 888-603-0055. His company website can be found by Clicking Here and the Company blog Click Here.

How To Fix That Leaky Bathtub Faucet - Fast!

Fixing a leaky bathtub faucet - or any other leaky faucet for that matter - can be an expensive job - UNLESS you can do it yourself!

In this article we want to look at the most common reason for a leaky faucet and show you how to fix it quickly and cheaply.

Preparation

It almost goes without saying that you should turn the water off first! Where to find the handle that does that? Just look under your sink and see where the pipes run. Somewhere along their length you will see either a handle or a wheel you can use to shut the mains supply off. In nearly every case you will need to turn it clockwise to shut.

One other preparation is to block the sink drain - just to prevent a nasty accident with something loose (like a screw or a small nut) disappearing down the drain never to be seen again. Use the plug you normally use, or put some cloth into the aperture. No good being wise after the event!

And - even though it goes without saying - make sure you have bought a replacement washer (or two) from the local hardware store - you don't want to be looking for that when you have the faucet in pieces do you!

Action

Locate the screw that is holding the handle of the faucet in place (it may be hidden behind a small plate or cover and that cover needs to be prised off using a small screwdriver or similar). Then undo the screw.

The next job is to get the handles off. Use a screwdriver to do this - you might need to use a little bit of force to prise it but it will come.

Now you will see the old washer (don't worry if not, we will put one in place anyway). Take off the old washer and replace with the new. Notice that the hole in the washer should just be a touch bigger than the central post that the handle turns.

Now retighten the handle, but only hand tight i.e. only until it stops turning without extra force needing to be applied.

Next, turn on the water again and see what happens! If there's no leak you're home and dry (excuse the pun!). If it still leaks, try tightening the handle a little more.

If it still leaks after that- then the problem is elsewhere and you'll need to get a plumber after all. But al least it was worth a try!

(And by the way - if you notice a big build up of lime around the handle - clean that off with a special removal product from your hardware store - it will pay you in the long run).

Things needed

A screwdriver or two - maybe one flathead and one Phillips or cross-screw. Also two washers (maybe take the old one off ahead of your visit to the store to be sure of getting the right one, or just buy a pack of mixed washers - not an expensive buy).

David Woodford is a freelance writer and owns info4u-services which helps people with free advice to help solve everyday problems. To find out more about fixing your faucet and other DIY jobs around your home, visit http:/http://www.fixleakyfaucet.com it will REALLY help you.