When people think of home improvement, they think of a new bathroom, a designer kitchen or a lick of new paint. However, the first thing you usually see when you enter a home is the staircase. Don’t underestimate the impact a well designed timber staircase can have on your interior.
The layout and shape of staircases are heavily restricted by building regulations. However, the balustrade on a staircase (such as the spindles, newels, handrail and baserail) are where you can really show some design flair. Newels are the posts which offer structural support at various points throughout the staircase. Newels are used at every junction and turn of the rail system and newel are often a solid rectangular or circular posts. Different staircase layouts require different newel types. At the base of the stairs there is a starting newel and landing newels at the top of the staircase. There are other types of newels as well, such as pin-top newels, box newels and turned newels.
Newel stairs is the name given to staircases including newel posts and there are two types of newel staircases: “open” newel and “close” newel. The term newel comes from the word “nave” which refers to the centre from which wheel spokes radiate – on staircases steps radiate from the newel.
Choosing a newel post design is crucial and your choices are almost limitless. All Timber Staircases are a popular choice and there are a variety of timber stairparts from traditional turned designs through to contemporary stairparts. A lot of spindle and stairpart designs have a specific newel post design which complements the entire balustrade parts, such as spindles and handrail. This ensures that your entire staircase follows a complimentary style to maximum effect.
You can buy all stair parts, including newel posts, in a wide range of timbers such as oak, sapele and pine. You can do a lot with pine including staining, polishing and painting. Oak newel posts achieve a solid, opulent staircase. Sapele looks like mahogany but it more environmentally suitable. Sapele newel posts can be polished to stunning effect to bring out the underlying dark red colour. Pine and other softwoods are cheaper than hardwood timbers (such as oak and sapele) so to beat costs you could design a softwood staircase and look at alternative finishes. Don’t feel restricted on materials for newel posts. Painted stairparts can be finished off with polished timber newel posts. Try a variety of different materials on your stair spindles, handrail, baserail, newels and newel caps.
Think of newel posts as an opportunity to add style to your entire staircase. Newels may be structural components but a well crafted newel can make your staircase a masterpiece.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Healthy Weight for Women
Many women worry about their weight unnecessarily and often misunderstand just what a healthy weight might be. While being overweight is a health risk for females as well as men the risks are different and perhaps surprisingly there are many women who feel they are overweight when in fact they are not.
Females tend to feel more body image pressure and are often influenced by unrealistic images from the fashion world and celebrity magazines. If however we look at the body mass index method of looking at the weight for height relationship we see healthy BMI's range from 19 to 24.9. Any less and it indicates you are underweight while more than 25 indicates being overweight. BMI's of more than 30 indicate obesity, best to talk to your doctor if you find yourself in this range.
Remember the BMI method has its limitations so is only to be treated as an indication, it is not a hard and fast rule. To calculate your BMI you'll need your height and weight and the calculation is a little easier if you know these in the metric scale:
BMI = Weight in Kilos / (Height in meters x Height in meters) or
BMI = 703 x { Weight in Pounds / (Height in inches x Height in inches) }
So a woman weighing 64 kilos (or 141 pounds) at a height of 1.7m (or 67 inches) would have a BMI of 22 which puts here in the healthy range. It should be noted that BMI does not allow for body types or genetic backgrounds so is really just a general indicator of good weight for height. However being outside the healthy range does indicate you should be looking to make some improvements unless your doctor says otherwise.
The Strip The Fat guide is a life saving guide that can be used by anyone. It's a common sense approach to weight loss that works because it puts you in control of how much to loose and how quick to loose it. It shows you how eating fat can be good for you, how to lose weigh while dining out, how to teach your body to burn more calories even why you should not eat salad. Get the Strip The Fat guide here and start losing the weight you want when you want.
Females tend to feel more body image pressure and are often influenced by unrealistic images from the fashion world and celebrity magazines. If however we look at the body mass index method of looking at the weight for height relationship we see healthy BMI's range from 19 to 24.9. Any less and it indicates you are underweight while more than 25 indicates being overweight. BMI's of more than 30 indicate obesity, best to talk to your doctor if you find yourself in this range.
Remember the BMI method has its limitations so is only to be treated as an indication, it is not a hard and fast rule. To calculate your BMI you'll need your height and weight and the calculation is a little easier if you know these in the metric scale:
BMI = Weight in Kilos / (Height in meters x Height in meters) or
BMI = 703 x { Weight in Pounds / (Height in inches x Height in inches) }
So a woman weighing 64 kilos (or 141 pounds) at a height of 1.7m (or 67 inches) would have a BMI of 22 which puts here in the healthy range. It should be noted that BMI does not allow for body types or genetic backgrounds so is really just a general indicator of good weight for height. However being outside the healthy range does indicate you should be looking to make some improvements unless your doctor says otherwise.
The Strip The Fat guide is a life saving guide that can be used by anyone. It's a common sense approach to weight loss that works because it puts you in control of how much to loose and how quick to loose it. It shows you how eating fat can be good for you, how to lose weigh while dining out, how to teach your body to burn more calories even why you should not eat salad. Get the Strip The Fat guide here and start losing the weight you want when you want.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Effective Infertility Treatment
The sensitive issue of infertility treatment is best approached by the couple. Treatment cannot be left alone to either one, both should work together to achieve the objective of bearing a child.
The basic requirement however is to determine who among the spouses are infertile. It may be hard for the subject spouse to accept the fact, but it is a necessary step towards treatment. The important thing is for both of them to support each other and exercise tender loving care to the each other.
There are several treatments available today. Each of these treatments should be evaluated to consider all the risks and the side effects, the benefits, and the cost. Weighing all these factors and considering all possibilities allow the spouses to come to the best option to take.
For a start, the following basic information should be considered: the age of the couple, the health condition of the spouses, considering also their history of past illnesses and other information that will help arrive at a decision.
1. Surgery
Surgical operation to correct problems in the reproductive organs of the woman is one of the most effective treatments. This treatment can also be combined together with other methods of treatment.
2. Medicine
Drugs and special medicines that will induce production of sperm and make it stronger to reach the egg is another option. This method also is best combined with other methods of treatment.
3. Artificial insemination
This method requires the intervention of medical technology. Also called as intrauterine insemination, this is widely used not only among humans but also in livestock development in agriculture.
This method is being done through the following steps:
• The woman is treated with medication to ensure the production of healthy egg cell.
• Semen is taken from the man through masturbation.
• The semen is then processed to concentrate the sperm cells.
• The vagina and the cervical are is cleaned.
• The semen is then injected in the uterus for the sperm to join with the egg cell.
The artificial insemination is best during ovulation period, when the egg cell is at its best to accept the sperm cell. Moreover, this treatment is being done only for those who are under 40 years old. This will not work also if the man has fertility problems. If the sperm count is few and not very active, it may not be able to join the egg cell despite the use of artificial insemination.
Whatever the method, it is important that the spouses will have a relaxed environment without worries. Stressful environment will always hinder the capacity of the couple to bear a child.
Infertility in itself is a stressful situation and added with worries in work or business; the burden may be too heavy for the spouse to carry. As much as possible, natural method is the best. Infertility treatment should only be resorted to in extreme cases, or when the age is gradually catching up.
The basic requirement however is to determine who among the spouses are infertile. It may be hard for the subject spouse to accept the fact, but it is a necessary step towards treatment. The important thing is for both of them to support each other and exercise tender loving care to the each other.
There are several treatments available today. Each of these treatments should be evaluated to consider all the risks and the side effects, the benefits, and the cost. Weighing all these factors and considering all possibilities allow the spouses to come to the best option to take.
For a start, the following basic information should be considered: the age of the couple, the health condition of the spouses, considering also their history of past illnesses and other information that will help arrive at a decision.
1. Surgery
Surgical operation to correct problems in the reproductive organs of the woman is one of the most effective treatments. This treatment can also be combined together with other methods of treatment.
2. Medicine
Drugs and special medicines that will induce production of sperm and make it stronger to reach the egg is another option. This method also is best combined with other methods of treatment.
3. Artificial insemination
This method requires the intervention of medical technology. Also called as intrauterine insemination, this is widely used not only among humans but also in livestock development in agriculture.
This method is being done through the following steps:
• The woman is treated with medication to ensure the production of healthy egg cell.
• Semen is taken from the man through masturbation.
• The semen is then processed to concentrate the sperm cells.
• The vagina and the cervical are is cleaned.
• The semen is then injected in the uterus for the sperm to join with the egg cell.
The artificial insemination is best during ovulation period, when the egg cell is at its best to accept the sperm cell. Moreover, this treatment is being done only for those who are under 40 years old. This will not work also if the man has fertility problems. If the sperm count is few and not very active, it may not be able to join the egg cell despite the use of artificial insemination.
Whatever the method, it is important that the spouses will have a relaxed environment without worries. Stressful environment will always hinder the capacity of the couple to bear a child.
Infertility in itself is a stressful situation and added with worries in work or business; the burden may be too heavy for the spouse to carry. As much as possible, natural method is the best. Infertility treatment should only be resorted to in extreme cases, or when the age is gradually catching up.