January 31, 2010 archive
Houston Outdoor Fireplace, Custom Fireplaces
Outdoor fireplaces are hot. A 2005 survey taken by the Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association revealed that Americans spent nearly $150 billion on home remodeling of which one-third of that amount went towards adding outdoor living areas to their landscape design. Further, 67 percent of those surveyed who intended to build outdoor living areas also planned to install outdoor fireplaces or fire pits. The American Society of Landscape Architects confirms this trend: Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces top its list of biggest trends in landscape design for 2007.
Outdoor Fireplaces: Design Considerations
If you’re dreaming of what an outdoor fireplace or fire pit would look like in your back yard, consider the following design issues:
Break up your landscape design into “rooms” or “zones.” Just as in a house, the “living room” is the central gathering spot and therefore perfect for outdoor fireplaces. In fact, the outdoor fire element serves as an “anchor” for an outdoor living room.
Consider the views from the house. Where are your focal points? Are there privacy issues?
At the same time, consider the view from the yard-do you want to take advantage of a view to a bayou, water way or greenbelt?
Keep in mind that large structures, like outdoor fireplaces, alter the flow of traffic, so design accordingly.
Work within your overall landscape design. For instance, if you’ve chosen a Mediterranean landscape design or modern landscape design, two very distinctive residential garden styles, you will want the outdoor fire element to be of the same design and of like material.
Determine the direction of the prevailing wind when deciding where to set this large permanent structure. If needed, you might be able to use the height of a tall fireplace to help screen the winds.
Integrate with other hardscapes. Outdoor fireplaces play off nicely against luxury swimming pools; each increases the dramatic effect of the other. Also landscape lighting can ratchet up the “wow” factor of your outdoor fire element.
Jeff Halper, landscape design specialist at Exterior Worlds, says, “Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are all about ambiance. For example, right now we’re working on a dining area that is situated in front of an outdoor fireplace. We’re in the process of training a tree limb to grow over the dining table. When it gets big enough, we’re going to wire a chandelier to hang from it.”
Outdoor Fireplaces: Don’t Zone Out
While they vary from city to city, most zoning regulations restrict how closely you can construct an outdoor fireplace to all existing buildings. Most regulate side and rear property line setbacks as well. You will also want to check to see if there are rules regarding slope setbacks and height restrictions. A landscape architect or landscape designer will help you navigate through the zoning issues and will design an outdoor fireplace or fire pit especially fitted for your residential property.
Outdoor Fireplaces: Safety First
Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces enhance any landscape design-but only if they are used properly and safely. Safety tips include:
Always have fire extinguishers on hand.
Keep all outdoor furniture safely away from any fire source.
Fire screens are important accessories for outdoor fireplaces. They keep logs from rolling out of the fire and limit air-borne soot and cinders from flying about.
If using a fire pit, follow the manufacturer’s directions and obey all city regulations.
For wood-burning fireplaces, it is a good idea to schedule regular professional chimney cleaning. One rule of thumb is to base the maintenance on the amount of wood you burn. Assuming you have no problem with birds’ nest and other debris, you should get your chimney cleaned after burning two cords of wood-however long that takes.
The #1 safety rule? Use your common sense.
Outdoor Fireplaces: A Lovely Garden Element
”Outdoor fireplaces, wherever they are-as a stand-alone, part of a outdoor kitchen or in a gazebo-are beautiful architectural elements,” says Halper. “And they quickly become the central place where everyone gathers. Everyone wants to have one, especially in winter in this part of the country. They are a luxury that is perfect for the Houston climate.”
Unique Mauritius Holidays Package
As a traveller you always expect the best of your holidays and memorable trips. With Panache Holidays you can enjoy unparalleled holidays benefits and many thrills when you book your holidays in Mauritius with us. Mauritius is considered to be one of the best destinations when it comes to relax, enjoy, shop and feel the sun. Panache Holidays provides you with informative services regarding pricing and hotel information, things to do in Mauritius and even plan your honeymoon or organise a wedding in Mauritius.
Panache Holidays believes that through their innovative services and customer service skills, their customers will surely benefit. Our prices are the best in the market and our services and staffs supersedes your expectations.
As one the largest consolidators of hotels in Mauritius, Panache Holidays is an independent company focussing only on travel and tour operations, not only we assist our clients in choosing the best hotel as per their budget but we also provide affordable car rentals across Mauritius.
Our packages are absolutely tailor made, which means that none of the packages are sold or provided on fixed departure basis. The packages for Mauritius range from sole hotel bookings or hotel bookings with Airport transfers or hotel, transfers and sightseeing which are done in a private car with our bilingual Travel Guide.
Panache Holidays caters to travellers from all walks of life, we have on offer luxurious holidays, family getaways and budget deals. Our staffs speaks minimum two languages which is English and French and in some cases when our clients originate from a specific country we try our best to provide a Guide which speaks the client’s native language such as Italian, German, Russian or Spanish.
With Panache Holidays you can be sure that your holidays will be planned well and in a professional manner and you will certainly benefit with the experience we hold in Mauritian Tourism.
Panache Holidays was launched by Mr. Rajat Bhatia, a hospitality graduate from Cesar Ritz colleges, Switzerland who has worked with some of the best brands in the world and is now successfully managing Panache Holidays. At the age of 30, Mr. Rajat Bhatia, has created a sound platform for himself in the Mauritian Travel market and with his knowledge and expertise is ready to bring in a new wave in Mauritian Tourism Industry.
For any queries related to Mauritius and its offerings please visit http://www.panacheholidays.com and fill up the online query form and we will be revert back accordingly. On a final note, we guarantee that you will be glad to choose us as your travel partner.
Remember, Mauritius is all we do, we know Mauritius better.
Holiday Apartment In Javea, Costa Blanca
Your family holiday is probably the biggest thing in your year bar christmas holidays. So when booking a Javea holiday apartment you must get it right.
Dont be lazy in this approach. If you are just going to search the internet and find a local estate agent or an agent renting Javea holiday apartments then you may be asking for trouble. I suppose this may not be as widespread as it sounds when you search the forums and find that people have been ripped off. However you do find that when somebody has a bad experiance they want to shout it from the roof tops, but when they have had a lovely holiday they just go home all content and say, what a lovely holiday apartment we rented.
Them that have had a bad experience just start banging away on there keyboard hoping that half the world will stand up and listen. But all this could be avoided if they did a little bit of home work first. This website here Holiday Apartment is by the owner of the holiday apartment. He has done this site for information only.
On this site you will find information about Javea, The Port, The Old Town, The Pool and local beaches and what to expect from Javea. Its not a site when you can buy, book your holiday etc. He has taken the time to show you just what to expect from his apartment if you were to book. And the best way to do this is to put pictures up. Which is just what he has done. There are lots of lovely pictures. Look here to see the pictures Photos of Holiday Apartment He really has spent the time.
So the best way of finding your perfect holiday is to go on holiday lettings web site where you can search by country, region and city or town. Here you find the owners details then you contact them direct. That way you can have a chat and sort things out before you go.
I always like to get the keys before i go. That way i dont have to meet anybody when i get there so i’m not stressing about agents turning up or me being late.
Luxury Vietnam Holidays – Real Concept Of Luxury Travel
Luxury collection of Vietnam holidays is created to give a true concept of luxury travel in Vietnam. Luxury travel to Vietnam often means staying in luxury hotels and resorts, having meals at finest restaurants which are widely offered by thousands of operator here. However, with Luxury Holiday Indochina, the concept of luxury travel is much more than this simply
So, what make luxury collections offered by Holiday Indochina different?
1. First of all, all packages brand-named with “LUXURY HOLIDAY INDOCHINA” (LUX-HI) will be transfered by luxurious world-brand vehicles (Mercedes, Camry, Lexus or BMW) which offer max flexibility, privacy & comfort in every kilometer touring. Taking the advantage of mother company – the second largest tourist transporter in Hanoi, Holiday Indochina is proud to be the first Online tour operator offered luxurious world-brand vehicles (Mercedes, Camry, Lexus or BMW) for touring transfer in Vietnam.
2. All packages brand-named with “LUXURY HOLIDAY INDOCHINA” (LUX-HI) will be accommodated at best world-brand hotels/resorts at all destinations
3. Next, for all long distance required traveling by air, all passengers touring in LUX-HI packages will be flied with business-class air tickets regardless of within Vietnam or through out Indochina countries.
4. All programs will be escorted and guided by experienced and professional tour guides
5. The next point classifies us from others is the itinerary – which is looked after carefully in every detail to perfectly respond to all special and individual needs. Once you travel under LUX-HI packages, all city tours will be kept on going until you find enough due to your desire and comfort
6. All LUX – HI tours will be supplied unlimited water and wet tissue from the time you landing on Vietnam till the time saying good bye to our country plus with 01 drink (non-alcohol) at all meals at finest restaurants
7. With LUX-HI package, we operate small group tours with 10 persons max per group only, which ensure we can put our carefulness into most tiny individual needs. All group sizes from 5 persons up, the porter service is automatically applied
8. All clients travel on tour under brand name LUX-HI will be insurance up to 30.000USD/case in case of accidental events which are paid under Insurance company policy
Keeping all above thoughts in mind, Holiday Indochina deeply believe to bring to our valuable clients the most comfortable trips to Vietnam. We are confident enough to set a wider and deeper concept of real luxury travel to Vietnam
Luxury Holiday Indochina’s Team
Direct Holidays
During the high months of the holiday season, we might be wheeling with different holiday plans that do not come through. With busy work schedules or your children’s activity in school, your family might be hitting the holiday season without your knowing that it is near. In this case, creating travel plans in the last minute could become a painful experience. Thankfully, direct holidays provide a viable alternative to your conventional holiday planning.
Direct holiday is a travelling concept where tourists can connect directly to the tour location for piecemeal to full itinerary travel. Direct holidays are the usual cost saver for the casual or spontaneous traveller. When one gets to a destination, it is expected that everything will be taken care in a snap. Prices are laid out directly to the tourist, tourist chooses between great discount deals, and then they are ready for an affordable travel package the next day. The beauty of direct holidays is that it cuts out the middleman between the tour location and the tourist. Therefore, the travel cost is essentially discounted, and the discount is given to the consumer. Travellers can get travel discounts from direct holidays to hot tourist spots such as New York, Tenerife, and Thailand. Whether you go to the Far East, Pacific Islands, Europe, East Asia, or anywhere in the globe, there are corresponding direct holiday packages to make your trip a lot more convenient.
There are various kinds of direct holiday packages that one can avail depending on the season and the urgency of the holiday plan. If asked to organise a business holiday or a conference scheduled for a couple of weeks, there are last minute direct holidays offered by different booking personnel. Last minute deals are naturally more expensive than planned holidays. However, if you are resourceful enough to find affordable last minute direct holidays online, then you can have your trip down pat. Last minute holiday deals can be provided at a bargain price, but it will take a lot of negotiations with travel agents, which eat up a traveller’s time. Affordable direct holidays, especially for business functions, can offer planned packages to reduce the hassle of the party organizer. New York is always a hot ticket, but there are direct holiday services that can give you affordable deals on short notice. With the trip reserved and ready, you can go to New York or any other city or country like Thailand and Tenerife with great ease. For last minute travel convenience, shorter direct holiday trips can mean that there is no effort needed for the travel planner. The perfect direct holiday package should include items such as your airport parking, hotels, lounges, transport plans, local entertainment options, and even travel cash to be served for you.
Beach trips are also direct holiday activities. While there are many beautiful beaches in the world, sometimes a tourist will end up stuck between all the touring, security, and travel arrangements, leaving him with no energy to enjoy the beach resort. You can find competitive beach holiday deals in Tenerife. If you have money to splurge on, a direct holiday to Jamaica, Mexico, or Thailand is not out of the question. An online search for the best beach direct holidays will lead you to different destinations. Remember that one advantage of direct holidays is that they have everything sorted out. Therefore, you can just pick and choose between family packages, child friendly destinations, budget travel packages, and even destinations that are highly rated online.
Low-cost tourism is the mantra of direct holidays. Once you have grasped the importance of direct holidays as a money saver for your future trips, you might end up booking flights more frequently. As a tourist, it is important to respect certain ethos that pertains to the host country and the general culture of an environmental traveller. Wherever you may go, be friendly to the environment, to the people, and its culture. It is one thing to appreciate these destinations and another thing to be an active player in preserving these wonderful places.
For short direct holidays that are accessible within the perimeter of your city, there are packages that offer city breaks at very reasonable cost. If you live in London, and had a killer project that gave you pressure for three straight weeks, you can take a city break, which is a usual check in to a local hotel and an itinerary that will take you to the best places of the city. Quality budget travel can definitely happen in your own city.
Direct holidays give you the power of choice. You can browse through different last minute offers and flights for yourself, your family, or your friends. Find budget holiday deals that will fit your preferences and do not take the first good offer. Becoming a smart holiday traveller starts with finding the best direct holiday deals that will make your trip better than the last.