You’ve worked tirelessly on the exterior of your home and poured weekends—along with a fair amount of sweat—into getting your landscape to look just right. It sure looks good during the day—but shouldn’t you also show it off at night?

There’s no better season than summer to plan and install landscape lighting in your yard.

Some basic outdoor landscape lighting benefits include:

• Increased home value
• Added outdoor security
• Easily and safely installed
• Flexibility factor

Landscape lighting designs can be a great idea for your unique yard. A number of popular, professional-looking techniques can create dramatic and attractive designs. For example, your home’s façade is an ideal outdoor lighting subject, but a spotlight could simultaneously back-light trees and plants for a silhouetted effect or front-light them to showcase the plants. Kichler’s landscape lights are built to with stand the elements and add a subtle accent to your outdoor scene.

Other popular outdoor lighting ideas include:

• Pond lights for up-lighting through trees or out of a water garden
• Rail mount lights for a deck, porch and patios
• Path light kits for problematic areas and protection against potential liability
• Flood lights are mounted in the ground or on a wall surface or tree

Your outdoor landscape is your pride and joy. Give it the look it deserves with the proper landscape lighting. Be careful, though, not to over-light, since too much light might prove unattractive. Just be creative and truly light what you want.

We also encourage you to read our in-depth article on landscape lighting basics. If you’re truly inspired, you could also add a water garden and water feature.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

Build.com ties Nashville flood relief efforts to social media and donates $1 to Hands On Nashville for every new Facebook fan in the month of June

Chico, CA (PRWEB) July 13, 2010— Build.com, Inc., No. 97 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, announced it will donate $5,000 to the flood relief efforts in Nashville, Tenn., and the surrounding areas through Hands On Nashville. Build.com, a one-stop shop for a wide range of home improvement categories, met its goal of 5,000 new fans on its Facebook fan page for the month of June, and will donate $1 for each of those fans to the Nashville-based non-profit organization.

“The response we received from our efforts was not only successful, but it also inspired many other businesses and organizations to do the same,” said Brandon Proctor, Build.com’s Vice President of Marketing. “Our hearts go out to the people of Nashville, and we hope to be able to continue to assist in such causes in the future.”

Triggered by a lack of media coverage of the Nashville flood, Build.com felt compelled to help the victims in some way. Through an expanded commitment to social media—Facebook, Twitter and YouTube—Build.com was able to achieve what it set out to do. It also tapped into the power of social media, and realized this is only the beginning.

“Social media is both the voice of Build.com and gives our customers and non-customers a voice, as well,” Proctor said. “Social media will continue to give us the opportunity to convey our company’s commitment to creating the best buying experience in home improvement. Lastly, it will help us to inform people that they have another choice when shopping for their home improvement needs, and that we care about that.”

About Build.com

Headquartered in Chico, Calif., Build.com has established itself as a groundbreaking and prominent presence in the online home improvement retail space. Build.com creates a unique web experience in the way that it encourages customers to visit a diverse range of “niche” stores within its network. Build.com is among the online category leaders in plumbing, lighting, door hardware, and ventilation. Build.com currently employs more than 250 people and continues to grow and pioneer in the home improvement industry. For more information on Build.com, please visit the company’s web site at www.build.com or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BuildDotCom.

Contact: Sean Murphy, Public Relations, Build.com, (800) 375-3403, x476.

Just prior to its 10^th anniversary, Northern California online home improvement retailer jumps 30 spots to break into the top 100

Chico, CA (PRWEB) June 15, 2010—Build.com, Inc. has earned the No. 97 spot in Internet Retailer Magazine’s latest Top 500 rankings. Regarded as one of the top three online home improvement sites, Build.com has combined a strong online presence with aggressive pricing, top-notch customer service and a renewed commitment to social media. Following a record-breaking 2008, Build.com responded with online sales of more than $166 million in 2009, a 63 percent jump from the previous year.

“Over the next year, we’re looking for double-digit growth and the expansion of awareness around the value proposition of Build.com to more and more customers,” said Christian Friedland, founder and President of Build.com.

Friedland started the company in 2000 as FaucetDirect.com, which added a vast network of stores in the ensuing years. The company later became known as ImprovementDirect.com, and recently not only weathered a sputtering economy, but also thrived during a major slowdown in new home building across the country.

“The economy has been difficult overall, and even more difficult for home improvement, due to the housing crisis,” Friedland said. “This ranking shows that we are a very fast-acting, resilient company. This resilience will allow us to take share as the economy improves.”

Build.com still operates a number of network stores, such as FaucetDirect.com, LightingDirect.com and HandleSets.com, as well as niche stores like VentingDirect.com and VentingPipe.com.

About Build.com

Headquartered in Chico, Calif., Build.com has established itself as a groundbreaking and prominent presence in the online home improvement retail space. Build.com creates a unique web experience in the way that it encourages customers to visit a diverse range of “niche” stores within its network. Build.com is among the online category leaders in plumbing, lighting, door hardware, and ventilation. Build.com currently employs more than 200 people and continues to grow and pioneer in the home improvement industry. For more information on Build.com, please visit the company’s web site at www.build.com or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BuildDotCom.

Contact: Sean Murphy, Public Relations, Build.com, (800) 375-3403, x476.online retailer

Northern California online home improvement pioneer will tie donations to Facebook followers throughout the month of June

Build.com, Inc., No. 97 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, announced today that it has pledged to make a donation to the flood relief efforts in Nashville, Tenn., and the surrounding areas. The one-stop shop for a broad number of home improvement categories will contribute $1 for every follower it receives on its Facebook fan page until June 30, up to $5,000.

“This is something we feel compelled to address,” said Brandon Proctor, Build.com’s Vice President of Marketing. “We’re doing well as a company, but I think it’s important that we’re able to give back to our community and our nation when people are in need. Our success is due to the people of this country, and we want to help them too.”

Build.com has been growing its online presence through a number of social marketing channels, and is proud to call this its first fundraising effort through such channels. With the reach of its social media channels—such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube—Build.com is hoping to set a positive example for other American companies.

“The end result, I would hope that this inspires more people and organizations to contribute and to feel the need to help the people of Nashville,” Proctor said.

About Build.com

Headquartered in Chico, Calif., Build.com has established itself as a groundbreaking and prominent presence in the online home improvement retail space. Build.com creates a unique web experience in the way that it encourages customers to visit a diverse range of “niche” stores within its network. Build.com is among the online category leaders in plumbing, lighting, door hardware, and ventilation. Build.com currently employs more than 200 people and continues to grow and pioneer in the home improvement industry. For more information on Build.com, please visit the company’s web site at www.build.com or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BuildDotCom.

Contact: Sean Murphy, Public Relations, Build.com, (800) 375-3403, x476.

With Father’s Day quickly approaching, you might be thinking what to get that special man in your life. And with seemingly no end to the projects around the house, there are a number of ways you can make him happy for his special day–while making you happy he got the job done.

If there’s a painting project on the horizon, you might want to consider a pneumatic spray gun. Every spray gun setup has three essential components: a gun, which sprays the finish; a cup or pot, which holds the finish; and a power system, which moves the finish through the gun and atomizes it at the air cap. Although there are many types of guns, the operation is basically the same. They contain inlets for air and fluid, a fluid needle, tip, and an air cap.

The airline from the compressor enters the gun handle. Fluid enters the gun near the front, either a cup mounted directly to the gun or from a remote pressure pot. A screw on the back of the gun adjusts the amount of fluid passing through the tip. Another screw adjusts the air passing through the air cap, controlling the fan pattern.

A spray gun must have a container for holding the spray material. These containers range in size from an 8-oz. cup to a 10-gallon pressure pot, and can be located below, above, or away from the gun. The location of the container will determine how the material is fed into the gun.

A General Purpose Spray Gun from Campbell Hausfeld™

Pneumatic spray guns utilize an air compressor to move and atomize the material. Depending on the spray gun, this compressor should deliver between 3 and 12 SCFM at 40 PSI (most 5 to 6 HP units are adequate). Most spray guns operate between 30 and 80 PSI. It’s important to be aware of the maximum air pressure, and failure to regulate the air pressure under the maximum rating can damage the gun.

What are the different types of guns?

General purpose spray guns are adaptable to a wide range of applications. Most can be converted from siphon-feed to pressure-feed to allow a wide range of material from stains to latex to be sprayed. They can also be converted from non-bleeder to bleeder style. Non-bleed guns—the best and most common practice—shut off the airflow when the trigger is released. Bleeder guns allow air to continually pass through the gun regardless of whether the trigger is pulled or not. This set-up is typically used on tankless air compressors that run continuously.

If painting a larger job, most of these guns can also be used with a paint tank or remote canister. In order to work properly, the gun must be set in siphon-feed mode to prevent pressure from entering the fluid hose from the wrong direction.

Because these guns are designed to work in a variety of set-ups, they spray well in each function, but not excellent. If a high-quality furniture or automotive finish is desired, it’s best to stick with a gun specifically designed for siphon, gravity or pressure-feed.

In a pressure-feed system, air is used to pressurize the material container, forcing fluid to the tip of the gun, where it’s atomized by air passing through the air cap. Pressure-feed guns can be set up with an attached 1 qt. canister or by using a remote canister. Remote canisters can range from 2 quarts to over 10 gallons. With a remote canister, or pressure pot, the container is pressurized and material flows through a hose to the fluid inlet on the gun. A separate hose provides the necessary air for atomization.

Pressure-feed guns offer several advantages over other designs:

• Material pressure can be regulated to move fluid to the gun. This allows materials to be sprayed that would otherwise be too thick or heavy to be siphoned from a container.
• Air pressure at the tip can be adjusted independently of fluid pressure. As a result, material can be applied at a more rapid rate, saving time.
• With a remote canister, guns are much lighter and easier to maneuver in tight spaces.
• The gun can be sprayed in any position including upside down.
• A much larger material container can be used, reducing the need to interrupt production.

The main disadvantage of a pressure-feed system is the increase in clean-up time of the pot and fluid hose. A secondary disadvantage is the high equipment cost.

A Siphon Feed Gun from Cambell Hausfeld™

On siphon-feed guns the material container is located below the gun. Compressed air enters the inlet and moves through the gun to create a vacuum at the air cap. The lid has a vent hole to allow air to enter the cup. The difference in pressure between the air leaving the gun at the tip and the air entering the vent hole creates a siphon that draws material up the fluid tube. The material is then drawn through the fluid tip, where it mixes with air coming from the cap and is atomized.

Because some of the air entering the gun is needed to draw material to the fluid tip, and the siphon effect is not very powerful, these guns are not as efficient with heavier materials as other designs. Siphon-feed guns should be used with low- to medium-viscosity materials. This includes dyes, stains, lacquers, acrylics and enamels. Siphon-feed guns generally won’t work with heavy material like latex. Another disadvantage is that the gun must be held fairly upright and is less than ideal in tight quarters due to the cup.

A Gravity Fed Gun from Porter Cable™

Gravity-Feed Spray Guns operate similar to a siphon-feed gun except the material container is located above the gun. This allows gravity to assist the fluid when entering the gun, creating a positive fluid pressure. With a positive fluid pressure, air entering the gun can be better utilized for atomization rather than for siphoning paint from a container. This is particularly important when using reduced gun pressures such as those in HVLP equipment. Furthermore, the positive fluid pressure allows slightly heavier materials to be sprayed through gravity-feed guns.

Besides better performance, gravity-feed offers huge material cost savings over siphon-feed and pressure-feed guns. Gravity-feed guns allow almost all of the paint material to be used. Siphon and pressure-feed designs will always leave several ounces of paint at the bottom of their containers.

Finally, when paint runs out in gravity-feed guns, there is no “sputtering” which often leads to refinish issues. For these reasons, gravity-feed guns have become the products of choice in the automotive refinishing industry.

So, whether your hubby, brother, or father is a fixer, a tinkerer, or an all-around handyman, there’s no doubting he’ll appreciate a new spray gun (and so will your home).

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

When you stumble out of bed in the morning and stagger to the bathroom to take care of business, the last thing you want is to have lighting that doesn’t work properly or casts you in an unflattering light.

Stella™ Bathroom Sconces by Kichler

Fear not, Morning Person: LightingDirect.com, with some help from our friends at Kichler Lighting, can provide a few tips to maximize bathroom lighting while getting more bang for your buck.

Most of us want to see a clear reflection in our bathroom or powder room mirrors so we can apply makeup properly, shave without cutting ourselves, or simply brush our teeth correctly. To avoid shadows and to fully surround your face with flattering light, install a vanity fixture at least 24 inches wide over the mirror, plus two wall sconces (one on each side of the mirror) at least 28 inches apart and 60 inches above the floor.

Kichler BeautyWrap™

Kichler Beauty Wraps can do this by using only one electrical outlet. They allow matching mini pendants to surround the mirror while also providing light from above. If you have a double sink vanity, use a light that is almost as wide as the mirror. The light should be mounted 78 inches from the floor, centered over the mirror.

Beauty wraps from other manufacturers can be found here.

What if you bathroom is larger? The best way to maximize your lighting is to add another source of light. Besides the vanity/mirror lighting, you might need a flushmount or semi flush fixture with possible recessed lighting in shower areas. A Kichler Chandelette (essentially a mini chandelier) could provide more light while adding a touch of décor to the room.

Typically, the best fit for a bathroom chandelier will be a single tier fixture. Some popular search options for bathroom lighting on LightingDirect.com include fixtures with up to 3 lights and from 4 to 7 lights.

Kichler™ Stella™ Collection

Bathroom lighting isn’t important until you notice it. But when you are ready to think about it, you’ll find options that bring an elegance and functionality, both of which add to the overall décor of your bathroom.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

Sometimes you just need to feel the power in your own hands. Power washing, also called pressure washing, is the application of high-pressure water spray. This is typically done to clean up concrete (I’ve spent some time to brighten up my driveway, walkway, and patio), renew the appearance of wooden decks (I wish I had one of these), and to spruce up siding (like aluminum and vinyl).

ToolsDirect.com has all the equipment you need to complete that pressure washing job. From electric pressure washers and gas pressure washers to vacuums and pressure washing accessories, we’ve simplified the process of shopping and purchasing.

And for everything you need to know about pressure washing, ToolsDirect.com has the entire plan laid out for you here.

Maybe you don’t need it. Maybe you’d rather not admit you need it. But when you see how clean your concrete, wooden deck, or siding will be after the washing, you’ll welcome the power.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

As homeowners, safety is always the No. 1 priority. And HandleSets.com features the finest and most secure safes in the home security market.

From trusted manufacturers like GE Security, Lockey, Lockstate, and Master Lock, these safes are built to last. Choose from mini safes (for keys), wall safes, closet safes, jewelry safes, and cash boxes for residential and commercial applications.

At the high end of the safes at HandleSets.com is LockState’s digital fireproof safe, a fixture that protects documents in a fire with temperatures up to 1850 degrees F for one hour.

You might not need something like that, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Get it, better to be SAFE than sorry?

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

Can a bathroom faucet change your life forever? Maybe not, but Moen’s double-handle lavatory faucet from its Eva collection at FaucetDirect.com will certainly provide a decorative upgrade.

And during our current sale, you’ll save some extra money on this fixture, as well—39% to be exact.

And if that changes your life forever, well, that’s a bonus.

This gorgeous faucet features metal construction. Modern themed and sleek, it also offers clean lines and ADA-approved lever handles. The widespread center fits 8-inch faucet centers, is offered in three finish options, and it’s a breeze to install.

Not convinced yet? Be sure to consider our customer reviews.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!