Furniture Designers in the 19th Century
January 27, 2012 | 
Author The design and development of furniture over the centuries had been steady and predictable. It was largely influenced by the availability of materials, and the changing fashions of the eras. Armoires were designed for suits of armour, but later became wardrobes for clothing. Chairs lost their arms to accommodate wide skirts, and became upholstered and comfortable to fit in with the drawing rooms of fashionable ladies.
To quote William Cowper: Necessity invented stools, convenience next suggested elbow-chairs, and luxury the accomplish’d Sofa last.
The 18th century had been dominated by fine cabinetmakers such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton, and their craftsmanship and designs are still loved and admired today. However, more change was on the horizon in the later part of the 19th century, with the Arts and Crafts movement, as it became known, which integrated craft traditions with mass production techniques aimed at the growing mass markets.
Thomas Hope (1769-1831)
Hope was born in Amsterdam, Holland, and was descended from a Scottish family of successful London merchants. At the age of 18 he began a tour of Europe, Asia and Africa which greatly affected his later artistic designs. His furniture was in the style of ‘English Empire’ which was defined by extravagant and heavy designs, and he became an exponent of the Regency style of decorative arts. Like his predecessors before him, he published a book of designs in 1807 called ‘Household Furniture and Interior Decoration’.
William Morris (1834-1896)
Morris is a well-known name today for his legacy of poetry writing and textiles. He introduced heavy floral patterns to the drawing rooms of the day, in glass, wallpaper, textiles, and also in furniture. He was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement of that time, and his decorative arts firm produced “The Green Drawing Room” which is on display today in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Gustav Stickley (1858-1942)
Stickley began his working life as a furniture maker and architect. He was an active member of the American Craftsman Movement, similar to the British Arts and Crafts movement. His house designs were innovative, with open floor plans, fitted bookcases and benches and large windows for natural light. He created his own style of furniture in the ‘Mission Oak Style’ which was made of American oak. He made simple, useful furniture. Sadly the popularity of his designs was short-lived and he declared himself bankrupt. Perversely, his styles are now in vogue, with his simple mission-style furniture reaching high prices at auction today.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928)
Charles Rennie Mackintosh is another household name in design today. He was primarily an architect and designer and a great exponent of Art Nouveau, but his progressive ideas spilled out into his furniture designs. Together with his wife, Mackintosh had a great influence on the changing styles from the Arts and Crafts movement to the radical mass-produced Art Nouveau styles of the late 1800′s and early 1900′s.
Roll Up Doors For Storage Sheds
One you have decided on the type of storage shed you want to build, think about the type of door you want to install. Roll up doors for storage sheds are excellent systems that benefit you in a number of ways.
The positioning of the storage shed in your yard is a consideration to the type of doors that can be installed. If space is limited, certain types of swing out doors will not be the most useful choice. Swing out doors will not be able to have a full radius of travel if space is limited. This will also limit your ability to totally utilize all the storage space in the shed. Without full access to the space, you may not be able to store larger items such as riding lawn mowers and attachments such as thatchers.
Sliding doors on storage sheds are another option. These doors are installed with rollers and a metal guide to keep the door in place. The sliding doors can either one or both directions. Sliding doors on a shed can also be two panels or one panel. A disadvantage to this type of system is that it does not fully seal the shed. There is usually enough of a gap to let in unwanted wildlife like mice and squirrels. Birds may also want to enter in the space between the door and the rollers.
Roll up doors for storage sheds are the best choice is you have limited clearance and also if you wish to completely enclose the contents of the structure. A properly installed system completes the seal and need minimum clearance on the outside of the shed. You are then only limited to what the shed will actually hold and not the clearance area in front of the shed. Wildlife will also not be able to enter.
Many build your own systems for doors on portable sheds are available. To limit frustration, make sure to read the instructions first.
How to Build a Chicken Coop – 6 Crucial Elements on Building a Chicken House
When building a chicken coop, it is suggested that you follow the guidelines below for a successful endeavor.
Element #1. – Appearance and Design:
Sketch out your design on a sheet of paper before you do anything else. Think of the colors you will paint the roof and chicken coop walls. Always keep in mind that if your chicken coop is clearly visible to your neighbors, (unless you live in a farm it will most likely be visible to your entire neighborhood,) it shouldn’t ever serve as a distraction or defacement of its utmost surroundings. So make sure to design an aesthetically looking chicken coop so that your neighbors do not complain of its detracting appearance. Once finished, always remember to remove and dispose of any types of garbage or weeds from around your chicken coop. Try to maintain an appealing landscape around it to enhance its overall appearance.
Element #2. – Using Sound Judgment:
When designing your chicken coop structure, you must use sound judgment in almost every aspect of the way.
For instance, you want to use building materials in which the cleaning and disinfecting procedures will be quick and easy. The doors you install should open inwards, not outwards. You don’t want your chickens roosting on your windows, so it is best to install sliding windows.
A question many people ask is how to build a chicken coop who’s floors are easy to hose and spray down without much puddling? Well the secret to that is to slightly slope the flooring toward the door. This way, when you spray out the chicken coop, the water will flow out, hence solving your puddling problem.
Element # 3. – Protection from Hazardous Elements:
So you want to learn how to build a chicken coop with maximum protection?
Then listen up.
As you may know, a well built chicken coop will protect your chickens from hazardous elements such as bad weather (heavy rain, wind, hale, snow, cold climates, etc,) but they will also protect them from hungry predators, theft and injury.
So how do we accomplish that?
Easy. You want to build a draft free chicken house with windows and doors that can be opened and closed as needed. Make sure the windows and doors both have proper screening systems installed in them such as a heavy gage mesh wire. Building the chicken coop on a high yet well drained area with ensure the least amount of dampness of the coop. Be sure to build your chicken coop in an area that faces the sun which will help warm and dry the soil and coop itself after it rains.
To protect your chickens from predators, the best thing to do is to bury your outside runs with chicken wire all around the coop about 1 foot deep. This will prevent some very hungry predators such as raccoons, cats and even dogs from digging underneath it.
Strategy # 4. – Coop Ventilation:
You may be wondering how to build a chicken coop that will not only keep your chickens locked up and protected from bad weather and predators yet receive the proper ventilation it requires. If so, then you already understand the importance of draft free air movement from within the coop. Chickens, much like humans, need fresh air and oxygen. The same goes for the removal of unwanted excessive moisture and carbon dioxide. A chicken coop with ample air movement and proper ventilation will help remove the ammonia build up and dampness that may grow inside its walls.
Speaking of walls, the chicken coop walls should have proper insulation installed which will help keep the chickens dry. As long as chickens are dry, they can handle cold climates very well, but humidity plus cold weather will cause health issues for your poultry. Therefore, insulated walls are a must!
Strategy # 5. – Light Source:
If you want a good source of light and warmth for your chickens during the cold months of the year and a solid source of ventilation during the hot months, then be sure to install the chicken coop windows facing the southside where they will receive direct sunlight throughout the day.
On another note, if your goal is to raise chickens that will produce great eggs all year round, then you should look into an electrical source of light. You should be able to easily install an electrical light at the height of the chicken coop’s ceiling which will help keep your chickens warm and help them lay better chicken eggs throughout the year. One ceiling light should be enough for a small scale chicken coop, for larger chicken coops though, try to install one electrical ceiling light per every 30 – 40 feet.
Strategy # 6. – Conveniently placed Wateres and Chicken Feeders:
Chicken feeders and waterers should be placed where your flock will have easy access to them. However, you have to becareful where you place them because chickens like to make a mess of everything they eat due to their chicken scratching instincts. I’m sure you don’t want to see your chicken feed mix all over the coop floors so, to avoid this, place the chicken feeders at the height of the chicken’s back. This way they will have to stretch their necks up to eat but won’t reach the feeders with their feet. Same goes for the waterers. Just make sure to keep the waterers full of fresh clean water throughout the day.
There you have it folks. 6 quick and easy strategies that will show you how to build a chicken coop fast and efficiently. Whether you’re building a large scale chicken coop or a small one, these tips should get you moving in the right direction.
Folks, did you know that the average american spends about $300 to build a chicken coop? Some even invest over 2 months of work trying to assemble the darn structure and in the end aren’t even fully contempt with their product. Not very enticing is it? A great chicken coop plan can cut your time and efforts in half while saving you a vast amount money on building materials. To learn how to build a chicken coop with maximum benefits for your flock without investing a magnitude of your time and money , click here:
how to build a chicken coop.
Hook Up A Receiver For Your Home Theater
What is a Receiver?
A receiver is that big, heavy thing that you plug your speakers and other components into (like a DVD player, TV, CD player, Xbox, PlayStation, iPod, and etc.). Its the “brain” of the show, really. The idea of connecting all your components to a receiver is the concept of audio/video switching, allowing you to switch to different video sources (like TV, DVD, camcorder) on your TV
and thus changing the audio source accordingly – all without touching anything but the receiver.
Of course, the main purpose behind audio/video switching with a receiver is to drive audio to external speakers, like surround sound or stereo speakers.
Most receivers have a plethora of inputs; up to 8 speakers and a subwoofer (more commonly, 5.1, or five speakers and a subwoofer), several video inputs, and even HDMI inputs. You could plug your Xbox, Plasma, and DVD player into the receiver and use one remote to switch between all the different video sources (games, TV, DVD video) and have your speakers pump out surround-sound. Let’s start with inputs and outputs. If you don’t understand something, read through the entire How-To as most of it will be explained in detail.
Keep in mind that a receiver is the hub of your entire home theatre, so this How-To will actually guide you through the basics of connecting your complete home theater.
So what the heck is all this ‘stuff’ on the back of your receiver?
I’m going to go over just about anything that you would find on the back of your receiver. The one I’m basing this guide off of is a Harman Kardon AVR-247 I’m going to start from the top left of the unit and work my way to the right, then I’ll start at the left of the next row and so on.
The first three inputs are for antennas. An FM antenna cable would slide on to the first jack while two speaker wires would plug into the remaining slots for AM. Of course, you don’t have to plug your antennas in, but if you’d like AM/FM reception through your speakers, you’ll want to go ahead and do that. These are standard connections, so if you lose one of your antennas, just go buy another for a few bucks.
You’ve probably heard of composite video. Its a very basic video connection used by most any component (TV, DVD, VCR especially). Its common and its cheap. As such, its very low quality.
Composite uses an RCA cable for video (yellow) and two more RCA cables for audio (red and white, stereo). The problem is that a composite video cable combines luminance and chrominance in the same cable, reducing the quality of the picture. You lose a lot of sharpness, and the color begins to degrade from the original source. Its useful when you need the extra input or the device you’re connecting only has composite video. Otherwise, use something else, like component video. Sounds similar; very different.
S-Video is next in line after composite. It uses a different type of connector (five pins in a circle) and gives you marginally better video quality. It is also a video-only cable, so you’ll need to plug in audio separately. In this case, you’ll probably use a pair of red and white RCA cables for your audio inputs.
Next up: a ton of composite audio inputs. These inputs use left channel and right channel RCA cables, typically red and white. They look just like the yellow composite video cable, and you could even use them for video and the yellow for audio, but let’s keep the color scheme how it is 
Composite audio is the bottom-of-the-barrel in audio. Its perfectly fine for most use, but if you’re looking for high quality surround sound, you don’t want composite. Game systems, like the Wii or Xbox, and very basic DVD players are a perfect match for composite audio.
The same goes to VCRs, CD players, and anything that only has a composite audio output. Plus, if you don’t have surround sound, or your receiver is only two channels (2.1, stereo sound), you won’t be able to use anything but composite audio. Note that there is a composite audio input under each composite video input so that it is easy to match them up. Plug them in the wrong inputs and you won’t get sound when you’re on that particular video input.
Here we have one of the least-used features of a modern receiver: 6 (or 
channel direct input. This is only used for two purposes: SACD or DVD Audio. SACD is an acronym for Super Audio CD. It is a proprietary audio format developed by Sony for special CDs that are recorded in 5.1 surround sound. That means you need a CD or DVD/CD player that supports SACDs, a receiver with SACD support (as in the picture), and of course Super Audio CD’s. DVD Audio is the same idea, different brand, different media (its a DVD, not a CD!).
DVD Audio discs are special DVDs that are recorded in 5.1 surround sound and can only be played by devices with support for them. These CDs go all the way up to 7.1 surround sound, meaning you would need to have two front, two rear, two side speakers and a subwoofer to enjoy full 7.1 surround sound. Most receivers support up to 7.1 now but you won’t find DVDs with that kind of capability for movies. 5.1 surround is still the defacto standard, so don’t run out and buy more speakers any time soon.
You could skip this next little item because it is unique to this brand of receiver (Harman Kardon). The Bridge” is a proprietary connection they developed for you to connect
an iPod. You need to buy a separate component that includes a docking station and special cables to connect the iPod. It fully integrates with the receiver, displaying
menus and songs on the front LCD screen of the receiver. This allows you to easily pump your tunes through your speakers, whether it be stereo sound or full surround sound.
Of course, the music on your iPod is stereo sound, so the best you can get is simulated surround sound or stereo surround; the same music playing in the front two channels
is put through the rear and center channels. Some receivers do this more intelligently than others, but more on that later.
Here we have our high-end sound inputs/outputs. Basically the same performance wise, you have fiber optic connections (with the square shape) and digital coaxial (just like an RCA cable).
Both of these are 100% digital, whereas composite is analog. The only way you can get true surround sound from any source is by using one of these connections (or the SACD/DVD Audio option)
Almost all DVD players these days have either optical or digital coaxial outputs (sometimes, both). Many high definition cable and satellite boxes also come with these
connections so you can enjoy 5.1 surround sound on high definition channels. Choosing between the two, there’s really no different in audio quality, so feel free to use
what you’d like (or what you’re forced to).
I don’t think I need an image for the next plug. Its a pair of power inputs. One is for powering the receiver, the other for whatever you’d like. This way, when you turn
on the receiver, you give power to the other device (be it a DVD player, CD player, cable box, whatever). I don’t necessarily recommend this unless it specifically suits
your needs. It is useful if you’re running low on outlets, of course.
Something else you’ll never use: D-bus RC-5 input/output. This is used for infrared remote controls to take over your home theater system. Honestly, its not something any of us will ever use. Some of the real high-end junkies might be using something for it, but I’ve never even come across a device that uses this technology. Stick to the remote that came with your unit, or buy a quality universal remote control. There’s no need for this option. An alternate use for this may be a bit more common: if your receiver’s front panel is blocked (like inside a cabinet), you could get an infrared transmitter to latch on to the front of it. This transmitter would hook up to another device somewhere in your room that will accept signals from your remote control. The receiving device then transmits the remote’s commands to your receiver (via the transmitter you’ve attached to the front over the regular infrared transmitter).
Pre-outs , located right under the Remote in/out. Pre-outs are used when you’d like to add an amplifier to your system to boost the power (and hence volume/audio quality). Average
users will not use this for anything but the subwoofer preout. You’ll want to run a subwoofer cable from your subwoofer to the subwoofer pre-out to provide it with
the right frequencies. This is the proper way to connect your subwoofer to your surround sound system. The other inputs won’t be used unless you plan on adding
an amplifier. This is highly unnecessary for home use. You might add an amp if you’re trying to fill a room the size of a small house with enough sound, but you’re not, right?
Here we finally get to the meat of the system: the speaker inputs! Harman Kardon receivers use bind posts for connecting speakers, as seen in the picture. They
work by being loosened up as your turn them counter-clockwise, then you sneak the speaker wire in underneath the caps and tighten them back up by turning clockwise. This’ll
give your speaker wire a nice tug fit that probably won’t loosen up on itself over time. Other brands may use other types of connectors, but bind posts are very common.
You might have been able to tell this is a 7.1 channel receiver because of the speaker inputs.
You’ve got room for 2 front left and right speakers, 2 rear left and right speakers,
a center channel, and two left and right “surround” channels which are placed somewhere in between your front and rear speakers (“side surround”, or 7.1). If you have enough
speakers, you can go ahead and plug in those extra 2 side ones, but they won’t play any sound at all on a 5.1 DVD. You would need a DVD that supports 7.1
surround sound, and at this time, there just isn’t a market for it. CDs will gladly blast stereo surround through all 7 speakers, though, so for some larger rooms, that’s an
advantage.
Our final set of connectors for this receiver: component video . The best video you can get next to composite or s-video. You’ll notice its a set of three cables (all for video),
usually Red, Green and Blue. Don’t think that’s what the cable does, though – it separates the video signal by luminance and two separate color channels. In the past, component
did it in fact represent R, G, B (splitting the primary colors in transmit and recombining them at the destination device), but that is not used in current component video
connections. Component video can carry high definition signals, all the way up to 1080p, so it is the most cost effective and readily available high definition input.
Not seen on this receiver are DVI and HDMI, the two all-digital video connections.
HDMI is the newest, fastest, sharpest video and audio connection available today. Its the only cable that can carry audio and video in one – not to mention, in high definition.
HDMI must be supported by the source and the display you’re connecting it to to use all of its features. Not all DVD players, cable boxes, or receivers support both
audio and video in HDMI. Its becoming more and more of a standard now to support both. The advantage is clear: less cable clutter, higher quality audio and video. You can get up
to 1080p high definition video and 7.1 surround sound through an HDMI cable. Newer cable and satellite boxes, DVD players, high definition DVD players, and more expensive receivers
support the full capability of HDMI. Its the best you can get as all-digital goes.
The last connection for this article is DVI. DVI is also all digital like HDMI, but it cannot process audio signals. HDMI may provide a technically superior image,
but I don’t think anyone could tell the difference. DVI supports high definition video all the way up to 1080p, just like HDMI. Its being used less frequently now,
but if you’ve bought a new computer or video card for your PC recently, it probably has a DVI (or two) port on it. Most computer monitors use DVI now and video cards
have followed suit. HDMI is edging its way into the PC market, but its dominance is seen in the home theater arena.
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with common connections, let’s plug it all together.
This part of the receiver How-To is going to guide you through hooking a 5.1 surround sound system(5 speakers and a subwoofer) with a high-definition TV, a high-definition cable or satellite box, a DVD player, and a 5.1 receiver.
Your TV & Components
Where you put your TV is dependent on how large it is, how large your room is, and where you will be sitting. If its 50 inches, don’t sit more than 10-15 feet away; but no less, either.
A 60″ set is perfect for 12-20 feet. If you have a 32 inch set, try to sit no farther than 8-12 feet away. Your receiver, DVD player, cable box, and other components should obviously be close together, but don’t place them physically on top of each other. They all get hot, especially your receiver. If you have no other choice, slide a thin piece of plywood between the components to help dispense the heat.
Lay Out of Speakers
The first step is to lay out your setup. Different rooms call for different locations for your speakers and subwoofer. If your room is a typical rectangle, go ahead and place your two front left and right speakers somewhere flush with the television on that side of the room. Your left speaker goes toward the left corner, right speaker toward the right corner. Don’t bother with speaker wire yet (unless your speakers come with speaker wire attached already; in that case, just let them dangle for now). Note that which speaker is left or right is solely dependent on how you connect them to your receiver. Your speakers aren’t actually designated “left” or “right”.
Depending on how you acquired your speakers, your front speakers could be larger than your rear speakers. That’s how you know they’re for the front. Otherwise, all your speakers are the same shape and size, and you can use each for any purpose.
One exception: the center channel. Usually, a center channel is much shorter and wider than your other speakers. It should only be used for the center channel. Sometimes, all 5 of your speakers could be the same, usually on a very inexpensive setup. You can use any of these speakers for any purpose.
Your center channel should always go either directly on top or under your television set. However you have to do this, get it done! It’s not called the center channel for nothing, you know. Any movie will pump out almost 90% of the voices you hear and a majority of the rest of the sounds through the center channel. It is a vitally important component to your surround sound setup.
Your subwoofer should always be on the floor. If it is impossible to place it on the floor, get it as close to the floor as possible. Placing it behind objections or in closets will diminish its effects. In a perfect setup, the subwoofer would be on the floor close to the TV (perhaps off to the left or right) in your line of sight. Nothing should block the side of the subwoofer that air will come out of (usually covered by a grill protecting the subwoofer speaker itself).
When it comes to finding a good spot for your speakers, you might want to mount them. You can usually buy compatible speaker mounts online or in stores. You can also
use existing shelving, buy some shelving, or place them on tables or other objects. No matter how you do it, try to keep the speakers as close to ear level as possible. A speaker mounted at the ceiling of your room isn’t going to give you the optimal aural experience.
The last thing to keep in mind about layout is speaker wire. You’ll probably need at least 100ft of speaker wire, but you’ll often find yourself using much more if you
try running wire through your ceiling, under carpeting, up through the basement, or around objects to conceal it. Take measurements and buy at least 10% more wire than
you think you need. You’ll probably use it!
Cabling
You need to know the different kind of speaker wire available to you before setting up your home theatre. If you bought an HTIB (home theater in a box), it probably came with 100ft of horribly cheap speaker wire. You don’t want that! Do yourself a favor: buy some high-quality, 14-guage speaker wire. Anything higher than 14-guage is just to thin and will be susceptible to interence, quality loss, and poor quality over longer distances. Fourteen guage is a good thickness and suitable for most home theatres. Make sure its also not too thick – some speaker wire simply will not fit in to the speaker wire jacks on some receivers.
Some receivers use proprietary speaker inputs. Sony is one example. Many Sony receivers have special connectors for speaker wire and will not accept a standard speaker wire. You’ll need to use either the Sony-provided speaker wire, take the ends off of Sony speaker wire and put it on your own, or buy some of these special connectors from Sony directly to place on your speaker wire. My recommendation? Avoid any receivers with non-standard speaker wire posts/jacks/connectors. Look for bind posts or other jacks that allow you to slide in and clamp down on a typical speaker wire.
Once you’ve got your speaker wire sorted out, you’ll have to do some cutting and stripping if you opted to purchase your own. This is way easier than it sounds, so don’t worry!
Measure out each length one at a time, cutting the speaker wire with either really great scissors or a sharp blade. Now you need to strip the ends of the wire. Use either a stripping tool or plain old scissors. You can place the scissors on the cable and gently apply some pressure as you twist the scissors around the cable, carefully slicing into the plastic coating. Eventually, it’ll get weak enough that you can just slide it off by tugging on it with your fingers. You need at least 1/4″ of exposed wire.
Now you can connect your speakers. Note on your speaker wire the difference between the two ends. You’ll need to use one as your positive and one as your negative. Sometimes the coating is a different color between the two or there is text on one and not on the other. Keep track of this – whichever side you use for positive on your speaker, use it for positive on your receiver. Crossing the two can cause damage, either immediately or sometime in the future. It might work this way but you don’t want it to!
Connecting the speakers is easy enough. Front left to front left on your receiver, center speaker to center on your receiver, etc… Your rear speakers may be referred to as “Surround” or “Rear Surround” instead of just “Rear”, but keep in mind, if you have a 7.1 or 8.1 channel receiver, “Surround” may indicate side surround speakers, not rear speakers.
Subwoofers
Your subwoofer is going to be a little more complicated. There are a few different ways to do it and many variations of inputs/ouputs on the back side of subwoofers. I’m going to go with the most standard and efficient method first.
You will need a subwoofer cable for connecting your sub. If you don’t have one or don’t want to buy one, you can substitute it for a standard red or white RCA cable (or a pair, since they are usually connected; just let the other cable dangle). It will work, but its really not the best way to do it. You’ll also need whats called a Y adapter. On the back of your sub, there should be a left/right input (red and white). You plug the Y adapter in to these connections and then your subwoofer cable (or RCA cable) in the other end of the Y (note: if you don’t have a Y adapter, just choose the left or right input to plug into).
Now, take the other end of your cable and plug it into your receiver’s
subwoofer preout. Hopefully you have a powered sub, meaning it gets plugged into an AC power outlet. All you need to do now is plug that in and your subwoofer is good to.
If you don’t have RCA jacks on your subwoofer, or it only has speaker wire jacks (and its most likely not powered), you’ll need to connect it the old fashioned way. Your front left and right speakers will plug into your subwoofer’s ouput jacks instead of your receiver. You’ll then run speaker wire from the left and right inputs on the subwoofer to your left and right speaker outputs on your receiver. This way, the subwoofer is powered by the receiver and will not work as well as a powered sub. You also take some power away from your front speakers with this method. A good idea is to buy a new, powered subwoofer with line in RCA jacks.
Connecting the Dots
You’ve got the hard stuff out of the way. Now finish it up by connecting your TV, DVD, and cable/satellite box. Always try using the best options first. If your DVD
has HDMI and so does your receiver, use it. If your DVD only has composite, s-video, and component, use component video cable. When it comes to audio, you absolutely need
to use digital coaxial (jacks are usually orange) or fiber optic (usually the jack is recessed into the unit and has a door on it; when the door is open, a red light is visible). If you do not use either of these two, you won’t get true surround sound! When all else fails, resort to composite (red and white) audio connectors.
Note: Look closely at the connections on your receiver. Everything is labeled, like the first set of red, green, and blue component video inputs might be labeled “Comp 1″. If you’re using composite audio cablesfor your sound, you’ll need to plug them into the jacks that coordinate with “Comp 1″. This might not be clear by looking at the receiver, so refer to your receiver’s manual to figure out which video inputs use which audio inputs. Most often, you’ll be able to configure them from the receiver’s internal menu using the remote control.
On some receivers, all the component video inputs, for example, are linked to a single composite audio input (usually “DVD”), so if you connect more than one of the component inputs, you will be competing for sound when more than one device is active. This is why you’d want to configure the component inputs to use different audio inputs.
Your manual is the only way to figure out how to go about it. Composite video will usually match up to composite audio inputs with naming conventions like Video 1 -> Video 1, Video 2 -> Video 2, etc., but cables like component and DVI may not. You should also configure digital audio inputs to match up with the video inputs you’re planning on using. For example, if you’re using a digital coaxial input (possibly “Digital 1″), and you use component video, you’ll want to match “Digital 1″ with “Comp 1″. Again, refer to your users manual for how to do this.
Tips to Get Started With Building a Wooden Awning
In case you are thinking on building a wooden awning then it is important to understand the fact that there are loads of books and plans from which you can choose, just a minor visit to the local home improvement or a home remodeling shop or a minor search in the internet can give you the information on how to build the sun awning. There are a number of kits available with which you can build a number of awnings by yourself. With this you can save loads of money and create something really beautiful for the exterior of your home. These do it yourself kits are available in a number of different styles and you can also have access to some of the custom designs which you are in the process of building an awnings.
It is important to remember the fact that these wooden awning kits are very economical alternative for building a wooden awning. In the do-it-yourself awnings it is important to note the fact that these wooden kits contain everything that you need for the process of completing the awning for start to finish. Further there are complete instructions present in the kit for the wood as well as the hardware; these instructions serve as the most appropriate guide for the process of building the awning. The thing that is expected from your side is just the tools that are required in the process of building the awnings and even the time that is to be invested for the purpose of building the awning. Further another added advantage in the wooden awnings is that it is a permanent fixture and you do not have to bother about the awning in the future as you would have to worry in the retractable fabric or the aluminum window awnings.
While you are building the wooden awnings it is important to realize the fact that you can either have the option of covering the wood with a special cover or you can also have wood to add to your ambience of the exterior of your home. These wooden awnings kits have been specially designed for the purpose of providing the suitable awnings for the wooden house. However they can also be used in the case wherein you have a vinyl sliding on the exterior of your home also. It is important to remember the fact that materials that you use for attaching the wooden awnings to the windows can be made of any material either made of wood or even the aluminum or the stainless steel hardware that is resistant to rust and even corrosion. There are other creative ideas that you can add with the house awnings, for example you can consider the fact of adding special lighting, decorative valances and even the storage holders. These decorative items look spectacular on the wooden awnings. It is important to decide on the fact about how you want the wooden awnings to have the final touch, you can think of the fact of painting the wood in the color of your home but do ensure the fact that the paint you are applying is water proof.
Supernatural Visits to Heaven, Hell, Meeting Jesus, Angels and the Saints in Visions – Part 3
Seeing Jesus in a vision as he looked after his whipping and His sobering advice
I have seen Jesus in a vision in a church where he came and talked to me about his crucifixion and His body was cut to ribbons of flesh when he showed me His back. He told me this was what he looked like before He was nailed to the cross. He was so clearly visible in that vision that there was no difference between what I saw and if I actually saw a human body in the flesh in front of me. This was another funny vision to comprehend because I was looking at the body just before they hung him on the cross 2000 years ago.
Did He come forward 2000 years in time to show me this body? Who knows? I saw Him and how He looked five years before The passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson. I can tell you this from what I saw. I don’t think modern medicine with all it’s technology and knowledge could stitch up and heal that back, and from what I saw of that back I am not sure if today’s doctors could keep him alive even if they were given that body. It was the most terrible thing I have ever seen in my life.
He stood on the stage in that church I was later to be kicked out of and arrested in and said some stuff to me that I just cannot forget.
He was as clear as day to me in this vision and it was like he was standing in the flesh in front of me, yet no one else could see Him.
He pointed up to the screen where the lyrics to the songs they were singing were written above His head. As he pointed to the words on the screen, he asked me, “Are they singing about this Matthew? (meaning his crucifixion)
At that point I encountered this same Jesus that sues to be questioned by the Pharisees.
I knew the answer He wanted me to give Him, but I knew that answer wasn’t leading to something nice.
“Yes Jesus they are singing about this crucifixion”
“Who are they singing it to Matthew?”
“Well they are singing it to you Jesus”, I said, not really liking how this questioning was going fro some reason.
“Tell me if they were singing to the prime minister a song that was praising something great the prime minister had done for these people, would they continue to sing if that prime minister walked into their church and stood in front of the worship team like I am now?”
“No I think they would get a shock and they would stop singing!”
“So I am here Matthew and I am standing here and why haven’t they stopped singing?”
“Because they can’t see you and they don’t know you are here!”
“So why can’t they feel me? Why are you the only one that can see me an hear me talking to you?”
“I am not sure Jesus!”
“Tell me this, if I am here and they are singing this song to me, are they all looking up and singing it to heaven, why are they doing that? Why are they looking toward heaven when I am in their midst? I am here Matthew, so who are they singing this to?”
“I am not sure Jesus” I really was having trouble following Him and yet I knew what He was saying. He was saying they are singing to the air and going through all the right motions, but if they really knew him and his presence then they would stop and recognize Him in their midst and they would be ready to listen. One thing for sure, they were NOT singing to him because none of them were looking in his direction and he was talking to me and so he wasn’t even listening to them.
“Tell me, if I was to manifest myself to them all right now in the flesh so that they could see me and recognize me and see what they are supposedly singing about, would they continue to praise me and sing or would most of them be running out the door screaming?”
“Lord I think they would on the most part be running out screaming.”
“Okay Matthew. Here is a little lesson for you. If you are singing a song to me, sing it with all your heart. If you can’t get into the mood to sing to me and praise me, don’t sing and just be silent. If you can’t sing certain word and sentences to me in a song, don’t sing them. Okay?”
“Yes Lord”, I replied.
“Good. I am going now, have a good day!”
He walked off the podium and out down the aisle and out the back of the church.
A couple of months later he walked back into the church in the body of a homeless woman. And you know that story.
Jesus comes to my church and watches worship
Twice I have seen Jesus in the past 3 months standing on the second story of our church that is an unused balcony seating standing and watching the praise and worship. All of the unused seating up there was filled with angels and they where all in worship to their God with hands in the air and none of them looking down.
Both times I have waved to Jesus and he has waved back, one time He left before the worship finished and one time He came down, sat in an empty chair in the front seat and sat through the sermon. You know when you are getting a little comfortable with Jesus turning up when you simply forget He is there and you turn your head and listen to the sermon like Him.
Angel dances before the Lord in worship
Oh what a joy it is to see a woman angel walk to the front of your church and just before the alter and in front of you and in front of the worship team, see her dance to the music in worship with a ribbon in her hand that she is sliding all through the air and around her body in pure devotion to her Master. Oh what a joy it is to worship the Lord God simply by singing and watching this lady angel dance before her creator. To see the angles in worship. Oh what an honor and oh what a sight to see.
Seeing Jesus more then once in visions,
I have seen Jesus in visions in the places that I frequent so many times that I don’t know the number. I think it could be up to twenty times. Eight of those visits I was with my poor friend on a disability pension who everyone likes to reject. Jesus has seen fit to come and sit with us and chat with us. Both my friend and I are gifted in the prophetic so we both take turns to relay to each other what He is saying.
One day when I was going through a struggle and we were sitting down in another friend’s house listening to music and chatting Jesus suddenly appeared and sat in a couch facing us all. Each of the three of us can hear His voice and for over an hour he talked to each of us and answered many of our questions. I was going through a really hard time with a sin in my life and though I know I had been forgiven I was beating myself up with it and very very sad that I was such a poor excuse for a Christian. Jesus said to me through my best friend who always sees Him with me that I was being too hard on myself. That brought me great comfort. It was so lovely chatting with the prince of peace and yet even having times together where no one was chatting but we were all listening to a song together.
Meeting Michael the arch angel in the flesh as a human
I have met Michael the archangel in the flesh and spent forty five minutes with him as he was a passenger in my taxi and it wasn’t until he got out and left me that I knew it was angel. I ran into the airport and looked everywhere he could possibly be and he had gone! A few years later I was told by Jesus his identity. I have seen Michael fly down from heaven one time when my life was in danger and I needed protection and I have seen Him another three times in Jesus’ company when Jesus has appeared to me in the city of Sydney.
Out of all the experiences I have encountered trying to come to grips with the fact that it was Michael the arch angel that sat and ministered to a very sad man who was going through a fight in the courts to be granted access to my own child with the wife I loved yet who didn’t want me to see my son was and is something that is very very hard for me to accept and publicly admit. I keep on thinking why would Jesus send his captain of his host of fighting armies of heaven down to my car and sit with me and counsel me with scripture and the words of the Lord? Why me? Any angel was good enough. Any one of them could have given me the message and hope that Michael gave me. Why did it have to be this powerful angel that will one day throw Satan into hell? Some may see me boasting by saying that I have met Michael and conversed with him in the flesh as a man in my cab and spent forty five minutes with him. Some simply will not believe it. Well you are in good company. This is one things that I keep having to ask Jesus if it is really Him telling me this or my own mind playing tricks on me.
Yet, the Lord calls me to obey. I really think there is one person out there that will read this account of my life and the supernatural and he or she will really get some faith from this experience and they will see that I am just a regular guy and they will start to walk in the commands of Jesus and I really believe that once day this person will have bigger and better stories then me. It is my prayer that all of you see Jesus before you die and all of you begin to see the logic of obeying Jesus and start to come to know Him in a really deep and meaningful way.
Choir of angels bring peace and anointing to our church worship
I have on two occasions seen a whole choir of angels singing, one at each of the two churches I attend. They both times have been above the praise and worship team and both times I have heard them singing the song we were singing.
One time when people where getting baptized at a church I was at fifteen years ago, the roof of the church opened and I saw into heaven and Jesus stood up from His throne and said.
“Can you feel the peace up here and the joy that is here?”
I said yes I could and I heard angels singing.
Jesus said, “Matthew I want you to get baptized and then I want you to preach my word and baptize all men in my name.”
You could say that was my own personal great commission. Up until that time I never had the guts to get baptized because you had to do a five minute testimony before they would baptize you. I had lived from age eight to twenty seven as a Christian and hadn’t been baptized because of my fear of the microphone.
Now I have preached three times in a church and about fifteen times on the streets of Sydney to the public and spoken on four occasions to industry professionals on the subject of mental health, and what’s more for those speeches I get fifty dollars an hour. Man that comes in handy around bill time!
So I have seen choirs three times!
The angels with the coolest job in the universe
Meeting the cup bearers
I have on two occasions met the cupbearer angel for Jesus. In fact, I think there might be two of them and I have met one on the first visit and the other one on the second visit. This is one of my most favourite visions as to be the Lord personal servant would be the job that I would most highly seek in eternity. Just to serve Jesus coffee or wine or wash his clothes and serve Him and be in His company 24/7 would be the best job in the universe. I still can’t get over meeting them and before I did meet them I didn’t even know that there was such a position for the King of Kings. I have never read about these angels in books written by men on the subject.
A special Christmas party with Mary Jesus’ mother Mary Magdalene, John the Apostle, Paul the Apostle and Jesus.
In the past year Jesus has been bringing guests with him down to earth to visit me in visions and this year at a homeless Christmas party he brought four guests. Each of the guests are special to me and the two ladies laughed I noticed when I got up and did some crazy dancing.
I pray that my encounters have blessed you. I am sure very person can have supernatural encounters if they obey Jesus and submit to His will on earth. Jesus says the pure in heart shall meet God, why not this week!!
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Tags: Angels, Heaven, Jesus, Meeting, Saints, Supernatural, Visions, Visits | 
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Painting Metal Siding
Painting metal and aluminum siding can become a nightmare if not done right. Over the years I have worked on and repaired many homes with metal siding. Metal siding is real common in mobile homes. Most older mobile homes use aluminum paneling for their exterior siding.
Most painted metal siding seems to last at least 20 years. The reason for this is the paint is baked on in a factory giving it a high quality and nice looking surface. This baked on method is used for painting aluminum and most metals siding that gives the product a long life.
I lived in a mobile home park for a few years and my next door neighbor’s mobile home had never been painted and was over 45 years old. He would go out and washed the mobile home once a year with some TSP soap while using a brush on the end of an extension pole to clean the home.
His mobile home might not have looked brand new but it was definitely in great shape. Over the years he had developed a few scratches and some dirt that was hard to wash off but that was about the extent of the damage to the painted metal siding.
Well we painted our mobile home and used an expensive metal primer along with some expensive paint from Dunn Edwards & Co… This paint worked great. We lived there for around four years and never had any problems once the home was painted. Having been in the construction business I knew we had to use a good metal paint primer in order for the paint to stick to the baked on paint process for the metal siding to look good.
Here’s my advice to you when painting metal siding.
1. Make sure the metal siding is clean. Use TSP soap along with a scrub brush and scrub that baby clean. The cleaner the metal surface the better the new paint primer will stick or adhere to the old paint.
2. Follow the instructions carefully on the paint primer can when applying the primer. Do not paint below or above the recommended paint temperatures.
3. Make sure you explain to the paint salesman at whatever store you’re in that you are going to be painting metal siding. Get the right paint primer.
4. I would love to recommend a paint primer but cannot because I don’t want to get a phone call from anyone a few years from now telling me the paint is peeling off of their home. Let that responsibility become the paint manufacturers.
5. Let the paint primer dry for the recommended time as per the directions on the paint primer can. I prefer letting the paint dry at least one week. The reason for this is some paint primer’s stay soft for a while and if you paint over them immediately they doesn’t seem to bond as good and sometimes will stay soft for a long period of time.
6. Apply your final coats of paint following the manufacturer’s instructions on the paint can.
There you have it painting metal siding is all in the preparation of the surface you are painting.
Have fun painting and always read and follow the manufacturer’s recommended instructions for the products you are using. These people test their products constantly and know the best way to apply them to any surface.
The Advantages of a Sliding Garage Door
If you are thinking about investing in a new garage door, but you want something different from the conventional up-and-over or side hinged options, a sliding, roller or sectional door may be the answer.
The main door opening mechanism available to the home market are:
Side hinged
Up and over
Sliding
Sectional and
Roller
This article will look at the sliding door which sees the door itself slide away from the garage entrance to a resting point to the side of the door‘s opening.
How it works
A sliding door is composed of several vertical sections (panels), all of which are hinged to enable it to turn around corners.
The door is supported at the top and bottom on runners that are guided by a track that leads away from the door‘s opening to a convenient storage point. This storage position may be directly adjacent to the opening, or it may be some distance away on an opposing wall. There is no limit to the length of track that can be used.
The advantages of a sliding door
1. Unlike an up-and-over door, a sliding door does not take up roof space that could otherwise be used for storage. Neither does it have an “opening zone” within the garage that needs to be kept clear.
2. The sliding operation also means that no “opening space” is required in front of the door. This means that the door can still be opened if a vehicle or other obstacle is parked within inches of it.
3. Garage doors that slide on tracks are very easy to operate because the weight of the door is always on the track. This means that they require a minimum of effort to open and to close. This makes them ideal for people of all ages and genders. They can also be secured internally or externally.
4. This form of door is very easy to automate with a motor and a remote control and most people who own one select this option. The fact that the door does not lift means that only low powered motors are required and the wear on these motors is minimal.
5. Unlike every other kind of door, there is no limit or restriction on the width of the garage’s opening. A single sliding door will work in all situations without the need to split the door into two or more sections. There is also no weight/loading issue as can be the case with sectional and roller doors that are supported above the door‘s opening.
6. Most roller doors are available with an insulation layer and they can have finishes that mimic natural wood or panelled ironmongery.
7. Sliding doors to garages, storage buildings and outbuildings are very popular in the commercial sector. Indeed they are probably the most widely used system and this is because of their reliability, ease of use, speed of use and toughness.
8. It is possible to include a separate side hinged human access door into a sliding door. This makes ingress and exit easy, even when the main door is locked and secured.
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Prebuilt Sliding Wood Closet Doors
There can be various types of closet materials, most of the time; it reflects the style of its owner. Wood closet doors are more distinct than their steel counterparts.
There are closet issues that can be very annoying at times; you can usually correct them with sliding wood closet doors. One of the best examples of these is floor to ceiling closet systems. It also utilizes the sliding doors to provide better usability without eating more space.
Sliding closet doors are very easy to install, they can come pre assembled and would require as much as to no professional help. The prefabricated versions are often lightweight and can measure 2400 mm high. With an average setup time of 3 hours on 2 people per installation is not that bad.
A wooden sliding door is also a good alternative to get your design tastes on your room. With being a space-saving tool, a sliding door will easily get you access to the insides of your closet without worrying about the door banging and making noises.
There are different types of wooden sliding closet doors. A traditional door can give your room a very distinct and warm look.
There can also be other variations on the wooden material such as laminated and other different combination of textures and colors; there are even designs which are completely covered in mirrors.
This can give your room life as well as saving space. You can get more interesting designs along the internet to suite your taste and style.
Along with wooden materials, they can also be complimented with glass; they can give an open look to your storage closet and will give more room and an impression of being wide and open.
They can be easily organized on its visible material. This can be a perfect design for people who would like to see their things even from the outside or just simply show off their belongings.
It will ultimately end up to your selection and decision. With a limited space, you can install sliding wood closet doors as your best bet. But even if you don’t have any space constraints, they offer a good decorating quality to enhance the overall look of your area.
Are Pet Doors For Sliding Glass Door A Good Choice For Your Home?
If you have a pet, then you probably want to let your pet to enter and exit as they desire. It can be irritating to constantly have to worry about letting your pet in and out, therefore a pet door can be a huge convenience. One type of pet door that you may want to get for your pet are pet doors for sliding glass doors. These doors can be installed beside your sliding glass door and you’ll still be able to use the sliding glass door as usual. Instead of installing a pet door in the glass door, they come with a special panel that fits perfectly into the track of your sliding glass door.
How Much Does It Cost?
Pet doors for sliding glass doors are not very expensive. Most of the will only cost you between $30 and $80. However, the prices can vary, depending on where you get the door. If you want to get the best deal on your pet door, then try a few places and compare their prices before you make your decision on where to buy. Remember, you want to get a quality door, and sometimes this will cost you slightly more money.
Benefits
Firstly, you may find it more convenient to have a way for your pet to move in and out of your house. Secondly, you may toilet train your pet outside of the house so that you do not have to deal with the terrible smell and mess they make inside the house. Lastly, pet doors for sliding glass doors are comparatively cheaper than buying a pet door for walls and wooden doors.
Disadvantages
One possible drawback is the security of glass doors. Sliding glass doors are not very secure as it is, and adding a pet door can worsen the problem. When you purchase a pet door, make sure that it has locks on it. Pet doors can let in the heat or the cold, therefore if you live in an area that has very hot or cold temperatures, consider buying double glazed glass for some additional insulation.