Opening up Your Structure - Folding Sliding Systems

Doors- are much more than just entry and exit points. They provide a glimpse into the lifestyle of the people behind them. Be it an entrance to a home, office, shop or restaurant, it should be inviting and a reflection of the general air of the building. Entrance Interior Doors systems should blend themselves well with the architecture without loosing its prime focus on – Protection and Privacy. Depending on the variable needs of the above two, doors could be ornamental, encrusted or transparent/translucent.

These days many options for space-saving yet functional entrance systems, walls and windows are pouring in the market. These range from glass folding doors, sliding doors, folding sliding doors, folding windows and an exhaustive range of wall systems. As against conventional door openings, folding systems allow opening up to 95% of the total width.

Glass doors are not only aesthetic and elegant to look, they also increase light and space, flexibly trying to integrate beauty with purpose. Glass doors or walls or windows provide exciting solutions without harming the character of the building. A set of folding sliding doors can remarkably blend spaces together, remove barriers between the outside and literally bring the outside in conforming to the natural environment around it. Folding sliding doors are also referred to as sliding folding doors, bi-fold, accordion door, folding windows and concertina door.

Aluminum and timber (wood) folding systems or a combination of both are equally viable options as is glass.

Apart from enhancing beauty, folding systems also emphasize on energy efficiency, protection against natural calamities like hurricane, burglaries and acting as an acoustic barrier.

On the energy efficiency quotient, the aluminum and wood folding doors and walls systems top the list while in acoustics nothing is better than glass. A brief update on each of these features is as below:

Energy efficiency:

The main factors that are considered in energy efficiency of a folding system are:

1. The U- factor- The rate at which heat leaves a building. The lesser the better.

2. The R- factor- This gives a measure of insulation that a wall/ door/ window is providing. Contrary to U factor, the value for R-factor should be higher for better insulation.

3. SHGC- Solar heat gain co-efficient This indicates how well a product blocks heat from the sun. The lower the number the better. A low SHGC means the window transmits less solar heat.

4. VT- Visible transmittance refers to visible light being transmitted. The higher the VT, the more light is transmitted.

5. Air leakage- Heat loss and gain occur by infiltration of air Pvc Doors through the cracks in the window assembly. The lower the AL the better.

6. Condensation resistance- This measures the ability of a system to resist the formation of condensation on the interior surface of that product


Safety against Hurricane:

Superior glass folding systems like those of NanaWall Systems provide excellent protection against natural calamities like hurricane. Passing through intense tests like the Miami Dade County Test Protocols PA201, PA202, PA203, NanaWall folding systems are approved for use in hurricane sensitive localities.
Apart from hurricane, these system offer weather tightness and are much more capable of withstanding adverse weather.

Safety against Burglaries:

Glass systems include wire meshes within multi layers of glazed glass that offers security from hit from balls, axe or even bullets. Depending on the level of security required, one has an option to go for a suitable toughened glass. Laminated glass is the best option.

Acoustic barrier:

The acoustical performance of glass folding walls and doors is magnificent as it blocks out almost 75% of noise. Laminated glass with ingrained insulation is the best solution for those seeking acoustical separation from the outside world.

The Ancient Art Of Feng Shui Interior Design

A room can be transformed and energized in a positive way with the use of feng shui, so when we enter the room we are affected both visually and emotionally. The Chinese have been practicing the ancient art of feng shui interior design for centuries.

You should always try to interior design the rooms of your house with a focus on the individual mood you are trying to create in each one. It will help you with this task by using color, furniture placement, and perhaps a different carpet and drapes to achieve the desired effect.

How does it work?

Chi, is the hidden energy of a place, person, or object, this energy is very important in the practice of this art. This flow of Chi or energy is unique to every home and place, the practitioner will check this energy and help it to flow freely, if required.

This ancient art taps into the hidden energies of inanimate objects by using the five elements and ying and yang. By using these elements in a practitioner can bring about harmony and balance in the rooms of the house, this will lead to a relaxing and prosperous environment.

The elements in this Chinese art are wood, water, metal, earth and fire. When correctly used Chinese feng shui will bring about balance, harmony, and prosperity into the household.

When starting a new project in feng shui interior design it would be a good idea to make some notes about what colors to use in each room. You should then make a plan of what furniture to use and where you are going to place it. A feature like a water fountain may be required in some rooms.

Feng shui is now very popular in the US and the world at large, because of this there are many books available on the market that will help you understand this ancient Chinese art, and give you tips on how to use it in your office and home. You can also get information from websites on the Internet that will help you understand and show you how to apply it in your environment.

By studying feng shui interior design an individual may come to realize that everything is interconnected in the environment, and that we can affect the atmosphere and energy of a room in both a negative and positive way by where we place the furniture or the color we paint the walls, doors, and windows.

Should I Paint My Front Door Red? The Number One Feng Shui Question

Many people ask us this very question. Wood doors I am sure you have all met someone that has told you after they painted their door red their life changed!

Painting you front door will actually bring new energy into your home! But Red is not your only option and in some cases not even your best options. Red in Feng Shui is very powerful and brings with it prosperity, abundance and success but it may not be the right choice for you.

With the Flying Star method of Feng Shui - we can determine if you home has any "star combinations" that are unfavourable. If so then painting your door red might actually make them worse! As well there are certain directions each calendar year that are not good to place any red in so you should be extras cautious with these directions.

With Traditional compass directions, colour is associated with each specific direction or aspiration within the Bagua Chart. As well different element strength can determine whether its best to have a wood or metal door. Your choice of colour has a great deal to do with what you are looking to accomplish in your life. Your goals help to determine which direction to take with choice of colours. Your colour choice should also fit within the colour scheme of the rest of the exterior of your home for Feng Shui is about creating balance and living in harmony with your surroundings. Some of the most popular colour choices include:

Black & Dark Blue

Generally associated with North facing doors, black and blue are very good colours for those of use who are seeking new career success, direction or opportunity.

White, Silver, Copper or Gold

Generally associated with the West. & Northwest, White doors are China doors metal energy and great for creative pursuits Green & Blue Generally associated with East and South East facing door, these colours are associate with new growth, new beginnings, and strong vitality and health. The energy here is wood.

Brown & Yellow

Generally associated with the North East or the South West - this earth energy is grounding and quiet, so not the best choice for an active front door, unless the stars look favourably upon instilling additional earth energy here.

Red, Pink & Purple

Generally associated with the South , this fire energy is associated with fame, reputation and prosperity.

If you don't like your current front door colour it is probably because it is not suited to what you are looking to achieve. Without doing a full consultation, the next best thing is to try the colour you gravitate towards based on what you are trying to achieve and then see what happens! If things begin to change for the better than you chose well! If not, then just change it again to another colour!

Doorknobs - It Is A Good Thing They Were Invented

Have you ever thought what it would be like without doorknobs? Like, how would your door stay shut? Or, what about privacy? You wouldn't have any because you wouldn't be able to lock your door? So, you might take them for granted, but in actuality, they are pretty important little fixtures.

Really, without doorknobs, opening and shutting doors would be pretty difficult, and it's a good thing that they were invented by a man named O. Dorsey back in the late 1800's.

One thing about doorknobs that you might not know is that there are actually different types and serve different purposes. For example, if you're looking for one to be put on your front door, then you want to go with an entryway doorknob. The reason being is that this version of this fixture has a cylindrical locking device that can be locked and opened with a key. Now, if you need one for your bedroom, then one of the privacy variety would be the way to go because it can also be locked, but does not require a key. The two other types available include passageway ones that do not lock, which can be used on a closet or hallway door, and dummy ones that are just there for show.

Along with the different types, doorknobs also come in a wide variety of styles, which is great for you because then you can easily find just the right ones to match the present décor of your space. For instance, you can get ones that are very sleek and modern looking, others that have an antique vibe to them, and ones that are also plainer and are on the traditional side. There are even ones that are on the colonial side and others that combine styles.

The reason why there are so many styles when it comes to doorknobs is because they are made out of a wide variety of materials. Like, the ones that have a modern feel would probably be made out of metal and would feature like a brushed stainless steel finish. Or, the ones that are antique would also be made out of metal, but would feature like a distressed finish. They could even be made from crystal or glass too.

A great way to check out all the doorknobs that you could purchase for your space is by going online and doing some shopping. Breezing through all the different sites is a synch and normally when you come across something you like, it will be at the best prices possible. Your selections will even be shipped right to your door, which is pretty convenient because you don't even have to leave your home to do it.

When it comes down to it, doorknobs are fixtures that are pretty important because without them, a lot of other things, like locking doors, would be pretty hard to do. So, don't take them for granted anymore and if you are thinking about purchasing some new ones for your home, remember to do your shopping online.

Sporting the Kia Sportage

What is the Kia Sportage, you may ask? The Kia Sportage is a compact sport utility vehicle from the Korean automobile maker. And even though it is from another continent, this vehicle still holds the capacity to bring about functionality and purpose into its very existence as well as to the American way of life.

How has the Kia Sportage been crafted for the American auto market? If you take a closer look at the Kia Sportage, one could see that this vehicle has a very powerful engine that could even beat the engines of those vehicles manufactured by American auto makers. Aside from that, the Kia Sportage has a roomy interior that provides its driver and its passengers optimum comfort as well as special ergonomic help. It also boasts of a simply yet head turning design. That is why for people who drive with Kia Sportage vehicles, they get stares from the people on the streets. If you are thinking about safety, need not worry for this vehicle also comes very well equipped with safety features that includes six air bags. And yes, all these come with a very affordable price.

Made available in three trim levels that comprise of the LX I4, the LX V6, and the EX V6, the Kia Sportage offers a whole range of choices for people with various lifestyles, needs, and uses for a vehicle. The vehicle also comes with a range of exterior color choices that make up of Black Cherry, Champagne, Natural Olive, Royal Jade Green, Satin Silver, Smart Blue, Smokey Brown, Steel Silver, Volcanic Red, and Clear White.

The Kia Sportage holds a wide package of features. The list includes 16 inch alloy wheels, a tinted windshield with sunband, a privacy side glass, black outside door handles, dual power black mirrors, dual power heated body color mirrors, fog lamps, multi reflector head lamps, auto head lamps, roof rails, dark gray metallic bumpers, body colored bumpers, body colored body side cladding, black rear garnish, mudguards, a rear spoilers, a black shifter plate, key color interior door handles, chrome interior door handles, a black center fascia, a leather wrapped steering wheel, floor mats, and an air filtration system just to name a few.