Rattan Furniture Is Environmentally Friendly

For centuries, rattan has proven to be one of the most durable and environmentally friendly plants used for making furniture and one of the most desired.

Traced back in existence as far as 2500 B.C., this hardy and prolific wood can easily be used to create beautiful furniture pieces without depleting its availability. And because of its durability, it has long been the preferred choice for creating outdoor furniture that can add a tropical feel to any garden or patio.

Rattan is the general name used for roughly 600 different species that are a part of the palm family. The particular species of rattan use for making furniture comes mainly from the dense jungles of Southeast Asia. It starts to grow upward, but then bends to the ground and grows through the forest like a vine to lengths of five hundred feet or more. After about three years of growth, the vines can be cut into sections which are then dried for the making of furniture. Generally, the outer bark is stripped away from the core and used for weaving materials. The central core is usually steamed and shaped to provide the main support structures. Rattan is also considered to be one of the strongest materials available for furniture because it grows vertically as opposed to forming concentric rings like most hardwood trees.

Many times, the words rattan and wicker are used interchangeably to describe the same thing. However, there is a distinct difference between the two words. Rattan refers to a specific material, while wicker is the term for a weaving process. A rattan piece of furniture will definitely be made from all rattan, but a wicker chair may include a combination of rattan plus other materials like bamboo, reeds or willow in the weaving pattern.

There are two reasons that rattan is one of the most environmentally friendly materials that can be used for making furniture:

The prolific rate at which it grows. As opposed to most other woods, rattan can grow in very dense populations and reach harvesting age within only a few years. When it is harvested, these is much less destruction to the overall forest because it does not require the roads and heavy equipment that are necessary for removing larger trees.

The harvesting of rattan. This provides much needed income for local populations. In order to not destroy this income source, local people are motivated to protect their natural resources from other, more destructive methods of harvesting wood like clear-cutting large sections of a forest all at once.

Knowing the Pros and Cons for Using a Memory Foam Mattress Topper

A memory foam mattress topper is also often referred as the following:
• Mattress protector
• Mattress pad
• Under pad

This is a layer of foam that is placed on top of the actual bedding to give more protection and comfort to both bedding and the user. You will get them in the price of not more than 50 dollars from stores and maybe less if you get them from online stores who offer products way cheaper than malls because they don't need to place high mark ups due to their less overhead expense.

The use of a memory foam mattress topper has its own advantages and disadvantages just like the other types of beddings such as a memory foam mattress. Even if the product is said to give a lot of different benefits to the user, the product still cannot please everyone. To know the different advantages and disadvantages, please refer to the list below:

Advantages
• You will not feel any pressure in your body because the weight is evenly distributed.
• Reduces strain
• The product provides smooth surface while sleeping
• Give comfort
• No more back pains
• No more neck pains

Disadvantages
• The product gives uncomfortably warm surface while sleeping
• Not durable. These products can only last for 5 years of moderate use
• Expensive

The memory foam mattress topper has 3 different points to look at, and to enumerate them all, see the information below:

Thickness - They usually come in 1 to 5 inches thickness. The thinner it is, the shorter the lifespan is. You will know if it is ready to say goodbye when the top most layer of it starts to break down in small pieces.

Overlay - this product is used to make the top surface smooth and equally balanced. However, if the foam underneath it is not in the proper state anymore, the product will just follow the contours of it and will of course defeat the purpose.

Overweight - the product is not able to withstand too much weight over time.

You can purchase a memory foam mattress topper from stores that offers the actual bedding. You can either purchase it together (which is recommended) or you can purchase the products separately. The product comes in different forms and style like what I said earlier. You just have to see which one works best for you in order to make sure that you will be fully satisfied with it.

King Size Memory Foam Mattress - An Amazing Product

Foam mattresses are great and economical alternatives to regular and sometimes very expensive mattresses. They are very capable of providing you with your much needed comfort at a much lesser price. And for those who want to have objects that are capable of unique functions, a memory foam mattress is always available. These mattresses use different chemicals and, you will easily notice that if you sleep on it, you will find it will form a crater that resembles your form. Need more sleeping space? Then a king size memory foam mattress is the thing for you.

The origin of the amazing king size memory foam mattress dates back during the second half of the 1960's. In 1966, the memory foam was developed under contract with NASA's Ames Research Center in order to better improve the security as well as safety of aircraft cushion.

The two major contributors of the invention of the memory foam mattress are Chiharu Kubokawa as well as Charles A. Yost, both scientists in the Ames Research Center. They utilized the use of different unique foams and chemicals that give it its amazing capability.

Finally, the mattress is finally released in the markets for people who want to try this amazing mattress. This led to the formation and release of the king size memory foam mattress that many people, immediately cam to love upon sleeping on it. They are easily amazed at its amazing and fun feature and more people decided to try it.

However, the king size mattress also has some hazards with it. Since it is formed with different chemicals, some may release a very bad odor that can easily be distinguished as a chemical odor similar to the smell of paint. This may cause a little irritation on breathing. It can also combust that may lead to dangerous fires. The hazard of suffocation for babies and toddlers are high with this mattress. Luckily, there is an upside which is you don't have to worry on dust nor asthma attacks since they will be less severe and less frequent with this mattress. Truly this amazing king sized memory foam mattress is a very amazing invention and product. With its advantages and benefits as well as its amazing feature, there is some safety tips: It is always best to keep caution whenever using this mattress since it does come with some dangerous hazards. Always take caution when buying a mattress to make sure there isn't any harmful off-gassing.

Log Furniture for Your Home

You can buy log furniture and use it at your home. Not only is log furniture durable, it's easy to maintain as well. Such type of furniture has been very popular in the UK and of late, other countries across the world have developed a liking for it.

Here are some of the areas of your house where you can use log furniture.

Outdoors

Rustic looking log furniture helps in creating a fully functional and visually warm outdoor living area. Log dining sets, picnic tables and carefully selected rustic love-seats and lounge chairs can bring your friends and family together. While a rustic log swing can make you enjoy the entire outdoor living area, other furniture can enhance your existing landscape. While purchasing log furniture for outdoors, you can choose matching tables and chairs or blend together individual items for creating a unique feel and look that's absolutely your own.

Bedroom

There's an exhaustive range of furniture made from quality log if you want to spruce up your bedroom. Whether you require any specific items like stately end tables, mirrors or a bed, you can get all your bedroom furniture made out of log. While working on your bedroom design, you can purchase individual items that could forge function, beauty and balance. Bedroom log furniture can be crafted from seasoned red cedar, hickory, juniper, aspen, reclaimed barn wood, dead standing pine and several other varieties of fine and seasoned wood. These woods are carefully selected and mostly handpicked and used for creating a warm, inviting and a rustic look, besides offering ultimate strength and durability.

Living room

Buying log furniture for your living room is a wonderful way to accentuate the interiors of your home. There's a wide array of log living room furniture including sofas, bookcases, standalone pieces etc. that are crafted from superior quality wood. These woods comprise a natural appeal and bring great flexibility and strength to individual designs. Again, you can go for individual pieces and blend them together as per your taste and preferences. In fact, every piece of log furniture complements each other so well that you may no need to buy all the items at one go. The look of the log living room furniture is retained for years and requires minimal care.

Kitchen and dining

The kitchen, quite often, is the centre of your home. Dining room furniture made from quality log is usually crafted from solid wood like aspen, hickory, northern white cedar, knotty pine and reclaimed barn. Such types of wood give visual appeal and structural integrity to your kitchen furniture. You can choose from stools, bars, cabinets, tables and chairs that are specially designed to lend a country-style feeling to your kitchen and dining area. Whether you're looking for a complete collection or single pieces of kitchen log furniture, you can get them all.

Where log furniture scores over other types of furniture is durability. Such furniture has been known to last for centuries, unleashing the value of money for the customer.

Memory Foam Density Myths Can Cost You Money

Foam density is among the most significant factors whenever you a foam mattress. You might be paying much more than you need to and receiving less than you think you are.

The measurement of Visco elastic foam density is in pounds per cubic foot (Imagine a 12" x 12" x 12" pair of dice).

The Top Memory Foam Density Myths:

1. Shelling out more for higher density foam is always a great idea.

This one is true up to a point. Visco foam densities can range from 2.5 lbs to 8 lbs. Most folks are comfy between 4 and 6lb densities. There is no real need to pay more for 6 to 8lb memory foam. The slight increase in mattress lifespan is not worth the extra cost. In addition, you will sleep cooler also because denser foam traps more body heat.

2. Memory foam density has no effect what-so-ever on the longevity of a mattress' useful life span.

Absolutely Wrong. A 2.5lb density mattress will feel the same as a 5lb one. Changes are you might not notice any difference immediately. However, the 2.5lb mattress will tend to lose its 'spring-back' quicker. This is because there is not enough "stuff" to support the microcells over a long period of time. Foam mattresses that are not 3lbs dense, can develop depressions as soon as a couple months from your purchase date.

3. Denser foam means more firmness.

Greater density is more relative to longevity and durability than how firm the mattress is.. High density foam can range form be very stiff to very soft. The firmness is dependent upon the manufacturing process used.

4. Visco elastic density is the one and only consideration when selecting a memory foam mattress.

Dead Wrong. Experts agree that Indentation Force Deflection (IFD or Indentation Load Deflection - ILD) is an important consideration when you're picking out your bed.. The IFD or ILD rating is a measure of 'firmness'. It is measured in lbs/% of compression. The range is from 10 (soft) to 16 (hard). The majority of folks will be comfy in the 12-14 range. It is Unfortunate that IFD ratings are sometimes not shown on packaging or websites. Before you purchase, be sure to ask about this..

5. Higher density foams are equal.

Wrong. There are documented cases in which the foam density has been 'boosted' by adding heavier materials like sand. In the best case, these additions make the foam denser. However, they cut and weaken the microcell walls that make up the visco elastic foam. At their worst this stuff can be toxic. Buying mattresses made in countries with strict consumer protection laws should help protect you from these bad practices. Be sure to make your purchase from a manufacturer who has a good reputation. In addition make sure they have a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee at a minimum.