Carbon Steel woks are by far the most popular woks which certainly make your life easier. A carbon steel wok is one of the essential products for every kitchen. There is more than one work that carbon steel woks can do such as boiling, pan-frying, steaming, smoking, braising, stir frying, deep frying… Carbon steel is also a durable metal that makes the wok lightweight and pliable.

It will take some serious consideration when choosing the best carbon steel wok. Besides the main function of them, small aspects that also make the difference between the random wok and the wok has been chosen with great care

#1  Design bottom

There are two kinds of carbon steel work’s bottom: flat and round bottoms. Unfortunately, each shape of wok is offer and works perfectly with only one purpose.

If you are using a gas stovetop in your kitchen, then you should buy a wok with round bottoms. In contrast, if you have induction ranges, electric stoves or flat grills, so a flat bottom is a good choice for you

#2 Quality

The most important thing you must consider before buying your wok is how fast this carbon steel pan conducts heat to food! You should consider if it conducts heat well so it heats up quickly and evenly or not?

Otherwise, having a highly durable and long-lasting will make it the best carbon steel wok to buy. If the wok has corrosion free or rust free features, you can use it for a long since.

#3 Worth

You should consider the budget to buy your carbon steel. A quality pan with more function is always good. But if your budget is not too much and just for home use, so consider a wed with a small size and it is better to balance the quality and your budget.

See also:

• Best Commercial Stove
• Best Commercial Electric Griddle
• Best Commercial Soup Pot

Hardwood flooring is an ancient floor décor that has never lost its natural beauty and allure to this day. In fact, it is the number one appealing floor in most homes in the developed countries.

The natural beauty and elegance is one reason that a hardwood floor still tops the list of all floor décor besides the warmth it provides and safety from being slippery. Nevertheless, as elegant as it might be, it is susceptible to damages due to any slight wrong action. Be careful when handling it to avoid messing it up while looking to uplift its luster and elegance.

While employing extra care by selecting the right tools or cleaning solutions you will use there are things you might mistakenly do that can cause severe damages to the floor. You will therefore avoid some of those mistakes when you get informed about them.

7 Mistakes that can Damage Your Hardwood Floor

In this list, you will get to know some of the common hardwood floor mistakes that can damage the floor and how to avoid them.

#1 – Doormats

As simple as it might be, lack of a doormat can lead to scratches on your hardwood floor and thus deteriorate it. Stepping inside the house in shoes can bring in grit which will then cause scratches.

Placing a doormat and especially with a ‘Welcome’ sign is a way polite way to ask your visitors to wipe their shoes as well as to make your visitors feel welcomed and homely.

Shoes with sharp heel are also damaging to the floor. Don’t walk on the floor with this kind of shoes. Use house slippers on your floor.

#2 – Sweeping

Failing to sweep or vacuum clean your floor more often can cause buildup dirt which can cause scratches or marks by stepping on them. Sweep the floor regularly using one of the best hardwood floor brooms with soft bristles. You will then avoid scratching the floor by using the wrong broom with hard bristles and stepping on grit.

#3 – Furniture Glides

Placing furniture directly on the wood floor would be detrimental in causing scratches with when you slightly move them. Again, sitting on a couch or chair without a pad under the legs would destroy the floor by gouging it due to weight.

Use furniture pads under your furniture to avoid such damages and even making it easy for you when you need to push them around.

#4 – Liquids

Leaving liquids spilled on the floor for a long time can damage your hardwood floor. Wipe immediately as some can stain it. Also, if you must use water to clean your floor, use a damp hardwood floor mop or cloth but not a wet one as too much water can cause warping.

#5 – Cleaning Solutions

Some cleaning solutions are abrasive and therefore wrong to your hardwood floor. Don’t use just any cleaning solutions but be selective to get the best hardwood floor cleaners.

While most people preach about using vinegar to clean hardwood floor, refrain from using it or be careful to know how to mix since it is acidic and therefore abrasive.

#6 – Cleaning Tools

When you use a beater bar vacuum cleaner on your hardwood floor, you can ruin it by causing dents or scrapes to the finish. Use only the best vacuum cleaner for hardwood floor to avoid other worse damages.

Be cautious to get only the best brooms with soft bristles for your hardwood floor to avoid scratches from using hard bristle broom when sweeping. And for the mop, get the best hardwood mop for excellent cleaning without any damage.

#7 – Rugs & Carpets

Do not have rugs backed with rubber or vinyl on your hardwood floor since they can cause dullness or discolor. Change your rug or carpet’s position regularly for the uniformity of color tone on the floor finish.

Conclusion

Avoid these seven common hardwood floor care mistakes, and you will maintain beauty and elegance to your high investment floor while extending its life.

Introduction

A balloon arch is a great ornament for any type of party. It can be made with a great variety of materials. Regardless of how different they all look, the process for building them is more or less the same in all cases. In general, the balloons are usually tied by their tails forming groups of four and these are later tied to a structure with the shape of an arch.

Decide What Type of Balloon Arch You Want

#1 Proportions of the Arch

First, you have to define the proportion between the length of the arch, and the size of the balloons. If the arch is too long or the balloons are too small, the arch will be very unstable. In order to build a solid balloon arch that starts on the floor and rises above the height of a person, a good proportion could be a 6-meter-long arch, formed with 9-inch balloons. You will require 120 balloons for this specific type of arch.

#2 Colors of the Balloons

Next, you need to decide what color you want the arch to be. If you want to be in one single color, then you need to buy 120 balloons of that same color. If you want to combine two colors, then you need to buy 60 balloons of one color and 60 balloons of the other, for this specific arch. Try to buy extra balloons, in case that some of them burst.

#3 Structure of the Arch

The balloons need a structure that holds them together forming an arch. The easiest way to solve the problem of the structure is to buy a balloon arch kit. It will contain instructions to put together all the components so that you have a good structure for the balloon arch. It is important to check the size of the arch because it could be a small one that you put on top of a table, and you will need smaller balloons for that.

There are many other possible structures that can hold a balloon arch. If you are putting the arch in an exterior place where there will be wind, you will need a strong structure that can hold the balloons together. In this case you can use a strong wire structure anchored to something heavy on both ends, like buckets of gravel or sand. You may even need to tie a fishing line from the upper part of the arch to something solid, like a post or a tree branch, for greater stability.

If you are placing the arch in an interior place where there is no wind, you can simply use a long ribbon to tie the balloons together and tie something heavy on both ends of the arch, like a piece of wood. By placing both ends together, the arch will be formed. If the balloons contain normal air inside, the arch would have to be placed against a wall. If the balloons contain helium, it can stand on its own.

Build the Balloon Arch

#1 Blow Up the Balloons

Blowing up 120 balloons is a very tiring task. You will probably need a balloon inflator for the job. Using a balloon inflator, blow up the balloons until they measure about 9 inches in diameter. You can check their measurement by placing two chairs, separated by the diameter of the balloons, placing each balloon between the chairs, and letting the air out until it can pass between the chairs. Once you have two balloons of the correct size, tie them together by their tails, forming a pair. After that, tie two pairs by their tails so that they form groups of four balloons. [See more how long do balloons stay inflated].

#2 How to Arrange the Colors of the Balloons

When you are forming the groups of four balloons, you have to consider the color that each balloon needs to have. If you want to create an arch with friezes of colors that alternate perpendicular to the length of the arch, the four balloons will have to be of the same color. However, if you want to create an arch with two colors that rotate around it forming a helix, tie two pairs of balloons of different colors and arrange them so that they have the same colors in opposite ends.

#3 Tie the Balloon to the Structure

If you are using a balloon arch kit, build the structure following the instructions of the manufacturer. Then, place each group of four balloons onto the structure, so that the knot touches the structure. In order to attach them to the structure, rotate one balloon over the next one, once or twice. Repeat this process for all the groups of balloons. This strategy also works for wire structures.

If you want to use a ribbon to tie together the balloons, start by making a knot onto a solid object, like a chair. Then, press a group of four balloons against the knot on the chair and move the ribbon around each balloon. Next put the following group of four balloons against the first, rotate it, press it against the first group, and move the ribbon around two adjacent balloons, forming the figure eight. By pressing them somewhat hard, the arch will be strongly tied together. Repeat this process until the all the balloons are tied together. When you are done and have a long line of balloons, untie the knot on the chair and tie something heavy in both ends of the arch. A piece of wood can be a good option. By placing both ends together on the floor, the arch will be formed.

#4 Placing the Arch in Place

The final step is to place the arch in its location. If the structure came with the balloon arch kit, place it where the instructions indicate. If the arch has a wire structure, it can go anywhere you want, but try to tie the upper part of the arch to something solid so that it has more stability. If it has a ribbon structure and the balloons are filled with normal air, it has to be placed against a wall in the interior of a room. If it has a ribbon structure and the balloons are filled with helium, you can place the arch anywhere inside a room. You can even move it around the room during the party.

Conclusion

Balloon arches are a very interesting decoration for a party and they are very simple to build. There is a great variety of options to choose from, depending on your needs. It is one of the most entertaining ways to prepare a party and start having fun before the party even starts.