Tile Thinset a Thing of The Past with Tiling Backsplashes & other Areas!!

A company called BONDERA came out with "Tilematset" an alternative to thinset and other adhesives with the traditional mixing and troweling it on then setting the tile on the walls. This new material is like "FLYPAPER". You just peel off protective backing and adhere it to the wall, then peel off the front so you can start to place the tiles to the mat. No other adhesives are needed. You can grout the job the very same day. "Tilematset" is super sticky, but you can still adjust the tiles after you set them in place. It's not expensive either because you can by a 12" by 10' roll for about $39.99 at Lowes. Visit "Tilemaster" at www.bonderatilematset.com

At PDQ (Pretty Damn Quick) Assembly and Design, LLC we intend to use this product unless the customer objects.



BY:
C. Purnell

TREE HUGGER FLAT PACK FURNITURE PICKS!

Flat-pack furniture, much like downloadable designs, owes much of its TreeHugger appeal from having the ability to create something three-dimensional from a flat (or nearly flat) material; this makes it easy to ship, easy to assemble and generally space efficient. Here are some of our favorite flat-packable pieces of furniture.

	1) Unto This Last is a London-based company that makes flat-sing furniture to order, using the latest 3d modelling software and a big CNC machine at the back of the shop. Instead of shipping and storing furniture, they have a load of sustainably harvested Latvian and Finnish plywood. When an order is placed it is manufactured to order, negating the need for a big warehouse, extra transportation or excessive packaging.
	2) DES Furniture takes a single sheet of FSC certified Europly, mixes "conceptual sensitivity with technical expertise", plays a CNC machine like a violin and creates furniture like this book-case without any waste at all. It needs no fasteners or glue and could be shipped in a (really big) envelope.
	3) raw studio makes these groovy garden chairs made from one sheet of sustainable plywood. They're made in Kent, by a local UK manufacturer, and the creator is an engineer-turned-art-student, who has also built a "coffee" table made out of (you guessed it) recycled coffee grounds. The remaining two picks are after the jump...

	4) Keijidesign has created a "heavy metal" flat-pack chair that's created from a single sheet of perforated (and bent) steel. Say the designers, "At first, we were surprised at how easily a sheet of steel could be bent along a perforated line…just like Origami, the traditional Japanese paper craft."
	5) The students at the Ryerson School of Interior Design started with a 4' x 4' sheet of plywood, and created some really well thought-out, well-designed tables; they're all sort of a backwards flat-pack -- just take them apart, and you're left with a square of plywood less than four feet square...all they need now is a manufacturer.

TWO LOOKS AT A HANDICAPPED BATHROOM by PDQ

When a handicapped accessible home is needed, whether it's caused by aging, chronic illness, or unexpected accident, there are dozens of easy to make improvements that help the quality of life for a loved one.

Changes you could make in the handicapped accessible home bathroom

The bathroom signifies personal independence more than any other room in the home. Because of this problem designers and manufacturers are constantly working on innovative products to preserve safety and independence for the disabled and elderly. Since moisture is a factor in the bathroom promoting safety from falls on slippery surfaces is of first priority for all members of the family not just the handicapped.

Installing grab bars near tubs and showers is a quick and easy first step. Apply non-slip adhesive strips or decals to the bottom of tubs and showers. If the existing floor is tile or ceramic with a slick slippery surface you can brush a slip-resistant glaze on it for safety.

Purchase ready-to-use shower and tub seats to make bathing safer and easier for the elderly and the disabled. You can also replace your shower head with an adjustable shower head mounted on a vertical slide bar. Often these come with a hand held option. These changes in the shower will make it more handicap accessible for seated bathers.

Keep the area under the sink open so wheelchair users can move up to the counter and have the sink accessible to them. When mounting mirrors over the sink, tilt them at an angle so seated users can see themselves easily.

Install a vent fan with a heating lamp to reduce moisture and help reduce slippery areas. Oftentimes the elderly are bothered by cold. Installing this heating lamp will warm the bathroom and provide a more comfortable environment for them.

Two Looks for the Handicapped Accessible Home Bathroom

The handicapped accessible home bathroom can vary greatly depending on the severity of the disability. Here are two examples of a handicapped bathroom. The one on the left is decorative but still very use-able for a handicapped person.

The one on the right is more functional and utilitarian, but often this degree of accessibility is needed to be of use to a person with disabilities. The ease of cleaning is also often a condition that also needs to be considered.

I Have also located several sites where the above mentioned may be entitled to GRANTS! Please post a line or two of intrest and I will get those out to you.

Christopher Purnell

IKEA Swaps Furniture? How many nice pieces did you see in the trash this week????

I really think that this is a great idea! I often think to myself as I walk the streets of Gotham..." WOW, look at that beautiful Pax unit someone is throwing away". I swear I can't count how many pieces of reuseable furniture I see people throw away. Why? Within our company if we are hired to do a kitchen remodel and we take cabinets down and out and they are in good shape we try to find a home for them in a house that normally couldn't afford those type of cabinets. I wish I knew someone who had an old building where people could bring such things and we could donate them to the less fortunate or sell some and use that money to help out certain people or groups. Craigslist is cool with their free postings, but not many people who need this stuff have computers or have even heard of craigslist. Even clothes, I could cry when I see a bag of clothes in the trash when I see so many people all over the city nevermind the world who could use them. I am a thrift shop shopper to the hilt! If I see a bag of clothes that are nice and my size you best believe that bag will be going over my shoulder walking down fifth aveanue with my laptop on one side and my big garbage bag of new found treasure on the other. LOL Anyway, it would be great if someone read this article who had some space in a warehouse where we could put this furniture and someone with a box truck who would be willing to pick it up. I am certain the pieces we do sell would cover the fuel prices and maybe even throw the warehouse owner a few bucks. I really just think it's so sad to see all these reuseable and sometimes new articles go to the landfill. Please think twice before you throw all that stuff away. Any jeans or suits I'm a XL, 40" chest, 36" waist and 30" length.:) I wish everyone a wonderful day and please visit our website www.pdqassemblyanddesign.com if you get a minute.



IKEA ARTICLE ( A MUST READ)

Over the past few years, swapping clothing, books, music and movies has taken off around the world, with groups meeting for swaps offline and online. Now, flat-pack behemoth IKEA is organizing a furniture swap at its Amsterdam store: a husselmarkt. The swap, which will take place on February 9th, will let up to 250 people bring in furniture—which doesn't have to be made by IKEA—and swap it for items brought in by others. IKEA will also add 12.000 euros worth of furniture to the mix.

The event is part of a marketing campaign that encourages customers to think like designers, which includes experimenting by rearranging furniture they already have (roughly translated, husselen means to shuffle, or move around). To help people redesign their living spaces, IKEA offers a tool on husselen.nl that lets users draw a room as it's currently arranged, and then move around pieces on-screen. Any furniture that no longer fits their rearranged room can be brought to the husselmarkt.

It might seem contradictory from a business point of view: if people swap, they'll buy less. But IKEA knows that once a consumer rearranges a room, or gets a new couch (even if it isn't strictly new), they're likely to want a new rug, lamp or table to complete the makeover. What's next? How about H&M organizing a clothing swap? (Related: Swapping marketplace.)

Website: www.husselen.nl

Written by: Robert Gavin