Spice up That Fireplace Affordably by Maggie Reed on Creators.com

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Fireplaces tend to serve as the focal point of the room. What if your fireplace is not quite up to snuff and you want to make a change without breaking the bank?

Give it a face-lift with StoneCraft manufactured stone veneer, which installs quickly. Few tools are needed, but bring your imagination as dozens of options are possible.

StoneCraft's nine stone profiles offer beauty, charm and romance. The Heritage profile provides classic style and rectangular shapes; Ledgestone brings clean lines and shadowing through varying heights and depth; Monarch projects strength with its angular flagstone contours.

Colors include Chardonnay with warm earth tones and Pennsylvania with rich and varied hues of gray. By putting together texture and color, you can create any feeling from an Italian villa to a seaside cottage in Maine.

StoneCraft is not limited to the fireplace; it can also be used inside and out on arched walkways, water features, backsplashes and even wine cellars.

All you need for any installation: type N or S mortar mix, trowel, hoe or other mixing tool, grout bag, joint tool, whisk broom and a wheelbarrow or sizable container for mixing the mortar. For safety, you may want to add in goggles, gloves and a dust mask.

StoneCraft is a division of The Tapco Group and a U.S. Green Building Council member. For more information, call 888-580-6448 or visit www.stonecraft.com.

WAY TO SHINE

Hardwood and hard surface floors add charm to any home … if they shine. From buffing to glossing, BonaKemi USA provides products for every step of the way to ensure your floors stand out. Once that perfect floor is in place, it's time to maintain.

Bona Swedish Formula Hard Surface Floor Refresher is a specially formulated waterborne maintenance polish for use on most hard surface floors including: laminate, vinyl, no-wax linoleum, terrazzo, unglazed tile, stone and sealed porous marble flooring.

"What makes this product unique is the extra durability it provides hard surface floors because it's fortified with urethane," said Kirk Francis, Bona's floor care product manager.

Easy to use, the refresher contains UV and scratch protectants, has superior gloss retention, dries quickly and can be coated over traditional acrylic maintenance products.

For hard surface floors, here are some tips:

DO:

Vacuum or sweep regularly and generally clean about once a week.

Remove spills immediately.

Place mats at exterior doors to trap sand and grit.

Use area rugs in highly trafficked areas. Avoid rubber backing or non-ventilated rugs.

Use protected pads or caps on furniture.

Maintain a consistent humidity level during all seasons in all living areas. Swings in humidity levels will cause hardwood floors to swell, shrink, cup, crack and show excessive gaps between boards. A humidifier or dehumidifier will help.

DON'T:

Damp mop hardwood floors, as too much water will make them swell or warp.

Let your pets' claws get too long; they will cause scratches and gouges.

Walk on hardwood in high heels, again, because of scratches and gouges.

Use wax, oil soap or other household cleaners on polyurethane-finished wood floors as they can dull the finish and make refinishing very difficult.

For more information, call 800-574-4674 or visit www.bonakemi.com.

Maggie Reed may be reached at trocar2000@hotmail.com or maggie.reed1@cox.net. To find out more about Maggie Reed, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.