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Here is a two-part article to help with your home improvement projects.

Home Improvements with Ceiling Lights

Ceiling lights come in many different varieties. Some of the most popular are track lights. These have a track, as you may have guessed, and that track can be put anywhere on the ceiling. There are lights that go on this track that can be moved and focused on different parts of the room. This type of ceiling lights allows a homeowner to have light where it is needed the most, and the flexibility to change them around when needed. They can even be used to highlight great art in a room, or to build a focal point.

In fact, lighting a room can be hard if you don't know what you are doing. There are many different types of lighting ideas out there, and some people simply go with a single light in the center of the ceiling because they don't want to bother, or they aren't aware of other options. Lamps can give a different look, but there are many different types of ceiling lights that many fall in love with once they have them installed in their home. This is because they can do great things with a room that was once just blah.

There are other types of great ceiling lights as well. These are often recessed right into the ceiling and can also be focused on any point in the room. These often are not movable like track lighting, but can be just as wonderful if you have enough in the room. They tend to be a bit less in intensity, but that is a great look in many rooms. If you have a lot of glass and metal in your d'cor, these lights will highlight those things in a very attractive way. These, like track lights, can also be used to highlight other things in the room that you may want guests to notice when they walk into your home or a certain room.

No matter what type of ceiling lights you may want to try, you should always shop around for the best price. You can always get great deals in home improvement stores, but don't forget to look around online to see what you can find. Deal with sites that have a good reputation, and make sure they use secure methods of shipping for your ceiling lights don't arrive broken and unusable. Most are good at this though, as it is what they do every day. You may save money on shipping if you buy a few things and have them shipped together.

Ceramic Tile Home Improvement Tips

There are many different materials that can be used in building both homes and businesses. You can see that if you take a walk though any home improvement or building supply store. You can also find this huge variety if you look around on the Internet. For example, one thing that many like to have as an added touch to many homes and commercial buildings is ceramic tile. It certainly has many great uses, and it more versatile than you may think.

One great thing about ceramic tile is the number of different colors and designs you can get. Most will choose a certain hue, and then have a few with a pattern to place within a floor or a wall as accent points. You can find almost any color and any size, and some even have different textures. If you can't find the ceramic tile that you need in one place, you are bound to find it somewhere else. Though it is most popular for foyers, kitchen, and bath, you can use it in almost any room of the home in some way or another.

Not everyone will want to install ceramic tile on their own, but it is something that most can do with a little practice. You have to have the right type of grout, which can be dyed to match the tile if you wish, and then you have to know how to prepare the surface. If you don't do it right, the ceramic tile will fall off or become unstable soon enough. However, finding instructions is rather easy, and it is something anyone can learn. Your local home improvement store may even offer free classes that will teach you how to do it.

There are some dangers with ceramic tile however. If you are going to use it in a commercial building, you should be aware that it can be very slippery when it is wet. That means you should not use it where flooring might be wet and people could fall, unless you get a kind that has a lot of texture to it to prevent falls, or if you know you will be putting down rugs to keep footing secure. This can also happen in homes, so make sure you have rugs in the appropriate places so that no one slips on your beautiful new ceramic tile floor. If anything, avoid smooth tiles in any entry way, as that is where most falls can happen.