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Using bunk beds to squeeze two kids into one small bedroom
Bunk beds are an excellent way to have added sleeping space while conserving floor space, but they need to be used with a degree of caution. A recent study found that nearly 36,000 children and adolescents are treated for bunk bed-related accidents every year. From 1990 to 2005 approximately 573,000 children from infants to age 21 experienced injuries serious enough to necessitate a trip to the emergency room. Almost half of the injuries happened in children under 6, but there also was a surprising jump in injuries among 18 to 21-year-olds, who were more than twice as likely to be hurt as children ages 14 to 17.

Almost three-quarters of the children were hurt by falls, with approximately 30 percent suffering serious cuts, nearly a quarter reporting scrapes and bruises and about 20 percent suffering fractures. Worse yet, more than one in ten sustained concussions. The study showed 50 percent of the children suffered injuries to the head, neck or the face, and that children younger than 3 years old were about 40 percent more likely to sustain head injuries than older kids. About 60 percent of the kids injured were boys (not a particularly surprising statistic!)

There are voluntary safety guidelines for bunk bed manufacturers which have been put out by both the American Standards of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You need to determine whether or not the bed you are thinking about buying meets the following standards:
(1) Thoroughly examine and test the frame of the bed for sturdiness. The best test is for someone to climb onto the bed and move around; the bed should easily support a parent’s weight without feeling any movement of the frame or hearing any squeaking sounds. To be on the safe side, have the salesperson climb up on the top bunk to demonstrate its strength.
(2) Inspect the whole bed from top to bottom to make sure that there are no potentially dangerous parts protruding, that there aren’t any sharp edges, and that the entire assembly is smooth. Make sure the bedposts don’t have knobs or finials that can snare clothing and other things.
(3) The top bed must always have safety rails on all sides, even if one side is next to a wall. To stop a child from getting stuck between the rails or between the mattress and the bottom rail, no gap should be more than three inches, to prevent entrapment and strangulation. The top rail must be at least five inches above the top of the mattress to prevent the child from tumbling out of bed.
(4) The space between the mattress and the frame should not exceed three inches at any point all around the bed. If there is a space greater than 3 inches, then you will need to get a different mattress. A youngster who falls into the gap between the bed and the mattress while they are sleeping might be strangled, which unfortunately has happened.
(5) Ensure that the ladder is well constructed and well attached to the frame. A well-made ladder should be able to hold a parent’s weight with no moving around. Once again, have the salesman demonstrate the sturdiness of the ladder by getting on it and moving from side to side. The ladder must not slip at all.
(6) There have been a number of reported injuries in which the mattress on the top bed is moved by a child on the lower bunk pushing up on the upper mattress supports. The mattress supports for the top bunk should be securely attached to the bed frame with screws or bolts. Unstable supports might cause injuries if anything is unfastened and this method of construction ought to be avoided.
(7) Periodically check the bed for any wobbly or missing fasteners and replace them immediately. Immediately! Throughout your inspection be sure to look at the horizontal supports holding the upper mattress and all of the hardware holding the bed together.
(8) You should never allow a child under six years old to sleep or play on the top bunk. As pointed out above, one half of the injuries happen to kids under that age.
(9) Locate the bed away from ceiling fans and light fixtures (that should be obvious!) Also you should be certain there is ample room between the top bed and the ceiling.

An alternative type of elevated bed you might consider is the loft bed which has an open space where the bottom bed would normally be. This area may be used for a desk, chair, dresser, play area, or storage. The safety rules for bunk beds also pertain to loft beds and the same attention to detail ought to be taken when visiting a furniture retailer. If you acquire either style of bed over the Internet, be sure it follows the ASTM standards.

Buying air mattresses
An air mattress is an critical piece of equipment for those who spend a serious amount of time camping. There are lots of things you want to consider when making your selection, including portability, size, material and durability. Portability is very critical when you go backpacking but that won’t be a major concern for car camping. Any one you select will need to be durable enough to stand up to the rugged terrain of a wilderness campsite. Condensation can build up in your tent while you are sleeping so you ought to get one with a waterproof bottom. To get a good idea about both portability and comfort you can visit a local sporting goods shop where they display floor models. It doesn’t matter whether you will be using them on the road or for guests in your home, ease use is very important. Any decent air mattress will include either a manual or battery-operated pump with your purchase.

Install bed curtains to create a more romantic bedroom
Canopy bed curtains turn into the focal point of your bedroom decor the minute you hang them up, as they offer unparalleled charm, grace and romance. There is nothing like canopy curtains to produce a sense of both royalty and privacy, especially for the royal couple in your family. Be certain to co-ordinate the color scheme by matching the curtains to the bedding by combining soft, neutral colors to which you can readily add brighter accents. Four-post canopies are very popular in the bedroom, but there will be other ways to install a canopy over the bed, such as draping them from a headboard attachment or from a wire frame fixed to the ceiling. You can influence the amount of privacy you feel by choosing heavier fabrics for a enhanced sense of seclusion, or thinner fabrics for an open feeling. As soon as the curtains are in place you are going to be delivered into the lap of luxury and high fashion. Position the bed next to an open window and the romantic ambiance may be accentuated by the flowing fabric which surrounds you.

Air beds
An air bed will provide you a more restful sleep than a traditional mattress. The ability to manipulate the softness of a mattress could help relieve soreness since your body’s mass can be equally spread across the mattress. Unlike the cheap vinyl tubing that is utilized in camping mattresses, the chambers of an air bed are thick and long-lasting. The idea of sleeping on air began with hospital use. Once patients became bed-ridden, an air mattress would provide them with a more comfortable sleep, and they would also experience less bedsores. The person can adjust their part of the bed to the level of firmness that is most comfortable seeing as the air cavities or chambers contained in the air mattress are the main elements of support.

If you weren’t able to obtain the guidance you are seeking from any of the above articles, possibly the following sites might be more relevant. Here you can find further information regarding buckwheat neck pillows. There are also other resources pertaining to wood bedrooom sets at Solid Wood Bedroom Sets Now. Plus Use Down Comforters is one more site which has information on down comforters, a topic which may benefit you.

Storage cabinets for your home wine cellar
A wine cellar is a special cabinet or storage room made for maintaining wine at the correct humidity and temperature. For a person who is only an infrequent wine drinker, a wine refrigerator is the perfect choice. You won’t need big bucks to purchase a cabinet or refrigerator to cool the wine to the proper drinking temperature.

Fans and refrigeration units are often built into wine cabinets to create a complete system which can care for your bottles. Whenever you are needing to protect as well as show off your wine bottles, consider acquiring a complete system which includes a cooling unit. In order to choose the right wine refrigeration system for your home, it will be wise to shop around. A few imported brands, unfortunately, are of generic manufacture and provide no service histories, warranties, or any useful support, therefore it will always be advisable to avoid those products. Finally, when purchasing a new wine refrigeration system go for name brand systems which have been in business for a long time and are able to confirm their dependability. Buying a wine cooling system doesn’t have to be hard; just use good judgment when deciding on which model is superior.

Save closet space with a coat and hat rack
Coat trees are very useful furniture pieces perfect to hang up hats, coats, umbrellas and scarves. As a rule coat trees are situated at the entrance to the house serving as a convenient piece of furniture and beautiful art. Coat trees are most often six feet high to keep long coats and other garments from coming in contact with the floor. Coat trees can include a hat rack in order that hats can be handily stored and quickly retrieved when it’s time to leave. The pegs for the hat rack are often widely spaced to see that the soft hats are not damaged. Some families choose to locate a coat tree in a hall closet in order to more efficiently keep the jackets and coats. A major advantage of a coat tree is that it allows for big, cumbersome garments to be kept in a tight space. Proper hanging of the jackets and coats can prevent them from wrinkling or becoming damaged.

Audio equipment cabinets
Audio equipment cabinets provide both adequate storage space for your audio equipment, and a primary focal point for the room decor. Highly adaptable in design and construction, audio equipment cabinets will complement room decor with steel or aluminum cabinets for a modern-day look, or with solid wood or wood veneers for a traditional look. The impact the cabinet will have on your decor depends on whether you want it to look like a regular piece of furniture, or if you would rather showcase the audio equipment itself. Glass cabinet doors will be the best way to display the audio equipment as the focal point of the cabinet, but as a regular piece of furniture you need to blend the color of the cabinet door with the rest of the room decor. Art nouveau cabinets are yet another alternative which allows your imagination to run free, resulting in unique designer cabinets, like one in the form of a guitar. Given the rapid development of audio technology, it is a good idea to purchase a cabinet with enough space for additional components. If you require decent sound separation you probably won’t want to put your speakers next to your components, although this is not as much of an issue for smaller speakers which will fit on top of the cabinet. Additional audio equipment cabinet options might be the wall mounted cabinet, which frees up floor space for other functions, or a cabinet mounted on wheels which you will be able to move around.

The theme of furniture and accessories might encompass a lot of different subjects. The links which follow will direct you to additional sites which could be of interest. As an example, if you are interested in rustic furniture, then Moms Rustic Furniture has a lot of useful material.

Wicker rattan furniture
One of the sturdiest materials being used nowadays for building household furniture is rattan, a wood which is grown commercially mainly in Asia In a weight to weight evaluation together with steel, rattan was shown to be stronger. Exactly like other species of wood, rattan furniture appears beautiful painted or stained, and that means it is existing in various colors and shades

Wicker could be made from a number of different materials, but rattan is the main one employed for furniture. A wicker outside collection is much more affordable than an equal group of upholstered cloth furniture. There are numerous types of natural and man-made materials that can be worked with to manufacture wicker furniture. Using wicker furniture in an enclosed area is best for keeping it dry, even though it will endure exceedingly high and low temperatures. Resin or synthetic wicker could be essential if the furniture is going to be open to the rain or direct sunlight as these materials are mold, fade and rust resistant.

Home office desks
Creating a positive working condition for your employees starts with making them comfortable in their workspace by selecting the best office desk. Picking between the large number of brands and styles can be hard if you haven’t done your studying the options. One critical factor to think about when making your choice is the type of work that is typically done in this particular workspace. Consider the necessity for shelves and drawers for storage, along with the task space required on the top of the desk. Consider all the items that need to be kept on a desk-top, from files, books, monitors and computers. When your employees are relaxed they are likely to spend more time there and get more work done. The width and height of the desk needs to allow your employees enough room to move around comfortably while working. Remember to think about the general quality of the construction and materials used.

Solid oak mission furniture
We can thank Catholic monks who were around hundreds of years ago for the development of mission style furniture, the simple looks of which were an expression of their modest lifestyle and their appreciation of natural, unadorned beauty. The natural elegance of oak is well matched for any old-fashioned decor scheme, while the clean, plain lines of the mission style also complement more contemporary accents. It is a fact that solid oak furniture is up to five times as expensive as cheaper wood pieces, but you will tell right away that the money is well spent. Splendid oak furniture needs careful maintenance to retain its timeless beauty, and be certain that you don’t put it where prolonged sun exposure can damage it. If you choose to keep your oak furniture in a location where the humidity is high, it’s wise to use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air, but avoid over-using a de-humidifier since you don’t need to dry the wood out either. Oak furniture needs a certain degree of steady care, such as regular dusting, an occasional cleaning with clear water and vinegar, and perhaps a application of beeswax that you polish up once and a while. One ironclad principle for fine oak furniture is never put a wet glass upon the top of it, but instead always use coasters or else the moisture will leave unsightly rings. When you balance the cost and maintenance demands of oak furniture with its great beauty and long, durable lifespan, you come out way ahead with having such charming and practical furniture around your house.

The speakers will be the most important component of any home theater
People are increasingly adding home theater systems so they can enjoy the theater experience while in their own home. A necessary part of any top of the line system should be a high-end speaker system, since no matter how top notch the electronics are, if the speakers are mediocre so is the sound. There are so many different options on the market that it might be hard to choose the best one, especially if money is tight. Unless you have unlimited resources it is always a smart idea to figure out a total budget before you start shopping. Next it is wise to figure out the features you really need to have your system function properly. There is such a wide selection of makes and models available these days that it should not be too difficult to find something that does what you want. This includes the size of the speaker itself as well as the style of the enclosure and the type of fabric covering the front. One way to learn more about the actual performance of the different brands and models is to check out consumer reviews on many websites devoted to audio system reviews.

There are lots of additional sites which deal with furniture subjects. If, for instance, you are interested in teak outdoor garden furniture, then Teak Furniture Designs has a lot of usable tips. A similar website is New Contemporary Coffee Tables which has informative articles for contemporary coffee tables.

Vacuum storage bags for clothing or other things
Those looking for an affordable way to use space wisely and maintain various items in top condition are using vacuum storage bags. Many of folks have many things stored in large plastic bins that are hard to lug around and do a lousy job of keeping out insects and moisture. There is a storage bag to fit almost everything you want to store with more than ten assorted sizes to pick from. There are very large bags available for storing that heavy winter comforter during the summertime or hanging bags that are perfect for your down parka. You can also save lots of time by not needing to rummage through tubs to find what you are looking for since you can readily see through the clear plastic bags. These bags create a sealed, very safe environment that protects your things from all kinds of damage. If you are ready to use your items again all you have to do is take them out of the bag and they will still be clean and fresh.

Loft beds
Utilizing a loft bed in a bedroom is definitely a great way to create more living area when furnishing a smaller or compact room. The fact is that over time loft beds became associated with decorating on a budget, since loft beds are often quite affordable. The truth is that a fine quality loft bed will likely add functionality as well as excellent style and looks to a bedroom and that means you do not have to sacrifice one for the other.

A loft bed works by placing a bed on top of a frame and elevating it several feet above the floor. This is similar to a bunk bed, but without having the bottom bed and frame, thus you have an open space under the bed. This open area will be wonderful for a desk and chair for a study place, or perhaps a small sofa, chair or love-seat for additional seating, or as a play area for children. Bookshelves, dressers, music systems, and televisions can be neatly placed below the bed. You could even put in a fold-up bed so that you can create a temporary bunk bed.

When searching for a loft bed for the bedroom you must consider the height of the ceiling as well as the length and width of the room. This is very important since you really don’t want to buy a loft bed and then have a relatively confined bedroom because you acquired one that was too big for your space. You will generally prefer the bed to be high enough that you can use the area underneath for useful purposes, but you don’t want your bed to be so high that the person sleeping on the bed can hit their head on the ceiling when sitting straight. You may also purchase a shorter loft bed should you be merely interested in additional storage room for a dresser or cabinets.

Loft beds tend to be more prevalent in children’s rooms and student dormitory rooms. It is rather common nowadays that your college-age child will have to share his / her dormitory room with one or more individuals, resulting in a crowded and confined space. By purchasing a loft bed for their room, it is possible to help create a much more comfortable and laid back space for everybody residing there. One of the useful things about loft beds in kids bedrooms is that if you have a couple of children they have a tendency to battle over who should get the top bunk when you’re getting bunk beds to help you save on space. With two separate loft beds inside the room, each child may have their very own top bed and when they will still get lots of floor space for playing and studying. You may also use fabrics to be able to hide the area under the bed by easily hanging them over the side of the bed, thereby making a separate, secret play area for each child if they want to have a private moment.

In these times loft beds have come into fashion simply because so many more families have older homes, smaller apartments or condos. The additional room created by these beds is really significant and will go a long way towards reducing the problem of putting “10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag” without breaking your budget.

Memory foam neck pillows
Getting a good night’s sleep can be a real problem for many people without the support and comfort of a memory foam neck pillow. A good pillow will maintain our neck and head in the proper position and alignment so that we can sleep soundly throughout the night. It is the solid material of a memory foam pillow that will firmly but softly give the proper amount of support for your neck. When buying a new neck pillow make sure you acquire one that is properly formed to match the contours of your neck and head. You will find that there is a considerable choice of densities, contours and sizes to meet the unique requirements of every person’s size and sleep style. Foam neck pillows will usually be found having densities between 3.5 to 4.5 pounds. Pillows which are less dense will feel softer and tend to be chosen by those who have never used memory foam.

Antique dressers
There are so many popular styles of antique dresser sets that most of us have encountered replicas, without realizing it. Lots of us have seen real antiques in the homes of friends and relatives for years without having realized what they were. A very popular type of antique dresser set is the Rococo revival style which is quickly recognized by the fancy drawer pulls. Frequently these have been produced from mahogany, walnut or rosewood and are characterized by serpentine shaped fronts. People who might like something a bit more elaborate might want to take a look at the graceful dresser sets built during the Renaissance revival era. A few of the characteristics of these ornate dressers include framed mirrors, fluted legs, carved handles and tops of inlaid marble. If buying antiques you will want to spend some time exploring the numerous styles so that you can be positive you are getting the real article. While buying antiques, details such as fading and small imperfections are a good indication that they are genuine and not contemporary reproductions.

Assuming the preceding articles were of value, you will also discover additional information regarding bedroom furnishings on the following sites. For instance, when you have an interest in fleece blankets, then zFleece Blankets will have plenty of usable tips. If you are still wondering about memory foam mattress toppers, go to All Memory Foam Mattress Toppers. In addition, a person may need to find out more about antique metal headboards. When this is the case, All Metal Head Boards will be of value. The last bedroom furnishings site is Cathys Iron Beds which has suggestions regarding a wrought iron bed. You certainly will find this site to be very enlightening.