Important Safety Tips To Protect Your Child From Window & Door Manufacturers Association

      The Window & Door Manufacturers Association is a proud member of the National Safety Council's Window Safety Task Force, which was formed to promote greater awareness of window safety.
(HIT) - Each year, one week in April is marked as National  Window Safety Week. The National Safety Council (NSC) would like to provide parents and caretakers with important safety tips that will help protect children year round. As spring arrives and there is a natural desire to open windows and let in fresh air, please be reminded of these important safety tips  to help protect your child:


         Windows can provide a secondary means of escape during a fire. Since windows provide a secondary means of escape from a burning home or building, every family should develop and practice an emergency escape plan in the event that fire or smoke blocks the primary exit. Children may have to rely on a window to escape in a fire, so help them learn to safely use a window under these circumstances.

  

Include windows in home emergency escape plans. Be sure to identify all doors and windows that can be used. Make sure they open easily. Keep escape routes free from clutter – toys, furniture, electrical cords and other potential tripping and falling hazards. Teach all household members to use windows and doors properly for escape and rescue purposes.


                      
Keep furniture – or anything children can use to climb – away from windows. Children may use such objects to climb to an open window and potentially fall.
Remember that insect screens are intended to keep insects out. They are neither designed nor intended to keep children from falling out of windows and should not be expected to do so.
When installing window guards or window fall prevention devices, be aware that the window guards or window fall prevention devices must have a release mechanism so that they can be opened for escape in a fire emergency.
Select a device that complies with ASTM F2090, which provides minimum requirements for window fall prevention devices to ensure that they can be easily removed or opened when necessary. Consult your local fire department or building code official to determine proper window guard placement.
"As temperatures rise and home fires are increasingly in the headlines across the country, it's more important than ever for adults to take steps to enhance window safety," says Donna Stein Harris, Executive Director, National Safety Council's Home and Community Partnerships and Initiatives. "Remember that when it comes to safety, there's no substitute for adult supervision, so it's essential to teach children to keep play away from windows, doors, and balconies."

                        

                        Two FREE printed resources on the topic of window safety are also available to order:
Keeping the Promise of Safety" brochure provides helpful window safety tips. Individual brochures may be downloaded from the National Safety Council Web site.
For larger quantities (in quantities of 100), you may order them from the National Safety Council by contacting NSC Customer Service at: 800-621-7619, and ask for the "Keeping the Promise of Safety" brochure, product number 00006-6215.
Window Safety Information Kit includes the "Keeping the Promise of Safety Brochure," as well as Window Safety Tip Sheets, Window Safety Checklist, Window Safety Press Release, and Window Safety Activity and Coloring Book.
This kit is available free from the National Safety Council by contacting NSC Customer Service at 800-621-7619, and asking for the "Window Safety Information Kit," product number 00006-6210. You may order these in any quantity.
About WDMA:


            Founded  in 1927, the Window & Door Manufacturers Association is the premier trade  association representing the leading manufacturers of residential and  commercial window, door and skylight products for the domestic and export  markets. WDMA members are focused on Total Product Performance™ products that  are designed and built to performance-based standards. The association is  focused on key member needs in the areas of advocacy, product performance,  education and information and facilitating business interactions and  relationships in the fenestration eco-system. For more information, please  visit www.wdma.com.


      Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

      

Great Gifts For The Family Host And Entertainer From The Cedar Store

(HIT) - If you’re not sure who the hostess or entertainer in  your family is, consider this: at whose house is everyone gathering this  holiday season? There’s your answer! Luckily, most families have that one super  hero that can always fit enough seating into any small area, make a meal that  everyone will love, and always remember all of those tiny, vital details that  make family events a success. This is a perfect season to get these humble  hosts gifts that will both thrill their senses and aid in the activities they  love best. But, remember, the planning for the holiday season will be nearly  over by the time they open your fantastic gift. So, why not plan ahead for the  spring and summer months? Many people would love to entertain in their  backyards and patios, but lack the necessary outdoor furnishings to do so.

                             
                             
                           
                             
                             
                           
                             
                             
Outdoor Bar Set
             
                             
                             
                           
                       
Outdoor Bar Set: An  outdoor bar set is absolutely perfect for backyard parties. It is, of course,  suitable for holding bottles of wine, liquor, and beer. But, it can also stash  snacks, soda, and other party essentials. A place to set out food creates a  gathering spot for outdoor jamborees, as well as a protected spot for drinks.  Many outdoor bar sets also have patio bar stools that can be pulled right up to  it, making it perfect for both small get-togethers and big groups.


                             
                             
                           
                             
                             
                           
                             
Outdoor Buffet
                             
                           
                             
                             
                           
                       
Outdoor Buffet:  An outdoor buffet serves many of the same needs as an outdoor bar set, but has  a different attitude. Very often, there’s more storage capacity for outdoor  dining dishes and serving materials. If your family hostess is bound to host a  get-together nearly every weekend, this is a perfect piece to keep all of those  entertaining essentials within arm’s reach at a moment’s notice.


                             
                             
                           
                             
                             
                           
                             
                             
Patio Dining Set
                           
                             
                             
                           
                       
Patio Dining Set:  The difference between a picnic table and a patio dining set is in the height  of luxury. Patio dining sets are the formal dining room to a kitchen’s  breakfast nook. Most use separate outdoor dining chairs in place of picnic  benches. Create outdoor dining that wows and inspires with a teak or cedar  patio dining set. Your favorite host will be able to hold dinner parties under  the stars. Because so many styles are available, don’t be afraid to take a cue  from existing furniture and tables. Mirroring interior furniture allows design  schemes to effortlessly spill outdoors.
Getting a big and impressive gift for the person who makes  sure all events go off without a hitch is a great idea this year. Especially as  you look forward to the spring, hearts will be warmed with the intention and  thoughtfulness.
All of these gifts and more can be found at CedarStore.com. If you’re worried about  getting the wrong piece, you can always get a gift certificate to allow your  hosts to pick the perfect gift themselves!



      Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Ce

Hardwood Games, Puzzles and Toys Make Great Gifts for Adults From American Hardwood Information Center

(HIT) - Classic train sets. Fire trucks. Helicopters and planes. The hardwood toys Tom Merrin makes are enough to enthrall any child. And, it turns out, adults like them too.

"People get excited when they see a product crafted of wood, especially when they realize it's hardwood with natural finishing," Merrin says. "They want something nostalgic."

Photo Courtesy of Tom Merrin (www.hardwoodtoys.com)

Beautiful, lasting hardwood toys like those Merrin makes are popular gifts for grown-ups. So are classic wood puzzles and board games, many of which were popular when Baby Boomers were kids.

'Shoot the Moon'

One old favorite made by the Drueke Co. is "Shoot-the-Moon." The object of the game is to maneuver two steel rods so that a steel ball rolls along and drops into a high-scoring hole in a narrow maple board.

"You walk into an office. Someone has one of these games on the desk, and you can't help but play with it," says Martin Bohn, Drueke vice president of operations.

Chess games, which Drueke has been making since 1914, remain a solid seller at specialty stores across the nation, Bohn says. The company sells a tournament chess box made of solid walnut and aspen and a game room table made of walnut. Restoration Hardware sells an "ultimate game box" made by Drueke. It features a walnut box with a storage tray, game board, checkers, chess pieces, cards and dominoes.

"Video games are becoming less and less popular," Bohn says. "Family games are coming back because it brings people back together."

Puzzle Designer Fashions Brain Teasers From Hardwood

Kathleen Malcolmson started working with wood in a junior high shop class. She never forgot what she learned, and today she is an expert woodworker who designs puzzles.

"I love the challenge of coming up with new ideas," Malcolmson says. "I like the thought that my puzzles make people think."

In her workshop in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains outside Cotopaxi, Colo., Malcolmson fashions puzzles from solid hardwoods like cherry, maple and walnut. Some of the puzzles are mechanical, the kind you take apart and then try to put back together. Others are artful puzzle boxes, which can only be opened by solving a trick.


It's no accident Malcolmson works with wood.

"It's satisfying to hold and manipulate wood in your hands," she says. "It's warm, and it's soft. There are no hard edges or coolness to it. Wood has a quality that draws you in to look at it and to touch it."

Malcolmson and her husband, Charlie, sell puzzles worldwide through their company, Cleverwood Fine Woodworking, via the Internet.


Prices for Malcolmson's puzzles range from $2.50 to $550. The popular magnetic rhombus puzzle, made of eight solid maple pieces with small round magnets in them.

"The rhombus comes apart very easily, but it does not go back very easily," Charlie says. "There are 40,320 possible combinations. Only one of them works."

Malcolmson typically uses a table saw to cut puzzle pieces from raw wood. A stationary belt sander smoothes out the surfaces. The magnetic rhombus has a clear finish, and some of the pieces are dipped in die. The magnets are glued into drilled holes. For puzzle boxes, she uses a router table to mill the joinery and mechanisms.

"It's very relaxing to work with wood," Malcolmson says. "You're shaping and forming each piece according to its unique character."

Consider how challenging a particular puzzle might be before you buy it for a friend or yourself. "Everyone's frustration level differs," Malcolmson says. "You want enough frustration to challenge you but not so much that you are discouraged. Most people can do more than they think. A great puzzle will stretch what you think your limits are."

Gift Ideas

Here are some ideas for hardwood games, toys and puzzles that appeal to adults:

1. Architectural building blocks
2. Checkers
3. Chess
4. Chinese Checkers
5. Cribbage
6. Croquet
7. Dollhouse and furniture
8. Dominoes
9. Game box that contains a variety of games
10. Kaleidoscope
11. Mechanical puzzle
12. Miniature car, tractor, truck or airplane
13. Model plane, boat or car kit
14. Rocking horse
15. Train set
16. Yo-yo

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center