Swim Spas at Prices Under Twenty Thousand Dollars

A top quality swim spa with all the best features is going to cost you a minimum of thirty thousand dollars before installation costs. At the same time if you work out what features are important to you and which are not you can get an adequate swim spa for under twenty thousand dollars.

Which Features Matter Most?

These are the main features to look for in a swim spa. If you don't need all of these you can save a lot of money.

The main reason that most people buy a swim spa is because it is an affordable and space saving way of getting swimming exercise. Swim spas allow you to swim continuously in place while a water current provides the resistance. Swim jets are cheapest but give you a turbulent current that is hard to swim in. Propeller or paddle wheel generated water currents give you the best swimming in place experience.
Another reason to buy a swim spa is the chance to relax and have a hot tub style massage. For this you will need massage jets. Molded bucket seats help keep you secure as the jets pummel out those tensions.
For a party swim spa, LED and fiber optic lighting, a built in sound system and water features like waterfalls enhance the experience.

The question is- do you really need all of these features?

The Fastlane from Endless Pools

This comes complete for $11,000. The pool itself is a cheap, above ground, self-assembly pool with a vinyl liner. There are no seats, massage jets, lights, heaters or sound system. What you do get is a top quality swim current generator.

Endless Pools are one of the best names in swimming spas and the Fastlane current generator is state of the art. The current is wide, deep and fast enough for very strong swimmers. The variable speed controls mean it can be adjusted to suit every individual. Because it is so easy to set up it can used outside in the summer and moved inside in the winter- if you have a large garage or basement with a strong enough floor.

The Swimergy

The Swimergy cost around $6000 before installation costs. What is it lacking? The most obvious thing is that there is no water current to swim against. You get the swim in place experience by using a swim tether. The tether attaches to the swimmer's special shoes. This kind of resistance swimming is used by pro swimming teams and the US Army for endurance training. The problem in a small pool is that waves build up as the person swims and the Swimergy pool's great advantage is that it is specially shaped to dampen water movements.

At eight feet by fifteen feet, the pool is big enough for two swimmers to use at the same time. It is also a fun place for kids to splash around in. There are no seats, massage jets, sound systems etc.

H20 Swim Spas

There are economy swim spas that use swim jets to create a current to swim against. H2O are one of many manufacturers.

The South Sea swimming spa is one of the most basic models on the market; there are no seats, only a few perches to sit on. On the other hand, there is room for gentle swimming, plenty of space for kids, a heater and an ozone generator to keep the water fresh. The swim spa can be found online for around $16,000, excluding installation.

H2O also offer the 'Super Swim Spa Exercise Swimming Pool Spa'. This is a terrible name but it has some good features for a spa selling online at $17,500. The swim current is from swim jets, like the South Beach, but here you will find 2 molded seats, many hydro jets, LED and fiber optic lighting, air blowers and an integrated sound system.

Mahjong Game Sets - A Classic Board Game

Mahjong game sets are as diverse as the game is complicated. You can find the sets made out of marble, ivory, bone, wood, and plastic resin. The tiles of a full set are in three categories.

The first sets of tiles in a full mahjong set are the suit tiles. The suit tiles are the tiles which consist of dots, lines, and characters, depicting a suit, similar to a deck of cards. Each set of suit tiles in the mahjong set, consists of four sets of nine dot tiles, four sets of nine line tiles, and four sets of nine character tiles.

The honor tiles consist of four sets of three dragon tiles, a red dragon, a green dragon, and a white dragon. The white dragon tile is sometimes depicted simply with a blank tile. Also included in the honor tiles, are the directional wind tiles. There are four sets of four wind tiles, each depicting a direction the wind blows, in other words, east, west, north, and south.

The bonus tiles are just that, a bonus. If you choose a tile, and it turns out to be a bonus tile, you simply put it aside, face up, to be played later, and draw another tile. The bonus tiles usually depict a flower, with a number, going from one to four; there are eight of these tiles, two sets of four.

In some mahjong game sets, you will also find a set of tiles that depict the seasons, winter, spring, fall, and of course summer. While the mahjong game sets can vary slightly, they will generally consist of at least one hundred and thirty six tiles, and up to one hundred and forty four tiles.

Also available, are mahjong game sets that are actually decks of cards, however, the tiles are preferred as you get the actual feel of the game, as well as the traditional sound of the tiles clinking together.

The game of mahjong is a complicated game, which dates back four thousand years, to a time when only royalty played the game. It has been passed on through the generations and there are now several versions of the game. Included in these versions, are the Chinese version, American version, Taiwan version, Vietnamese and Japanese versions.

In every version of the mahjong game sets, there will be included different accessories, such a tile holders, and dealer score cards.

Preparing to Lay Your New Wooden Floor

Due to the nature of real wood such as oak it is a living and breathing product. It will expand and contract depending on its environment. A new wood floor looks fantastic but it is always best to ensure it stays looking pristine for years to come. The way to do this is to make sure the preparation for laying the flooring is done correctly, along with a common knowledge of the small issues that can happen with real wood floors.

Solid flooring has a tendency to expand and contract. In summer, when the air is more humid due to the house being aired more often - the boards soak up the extra moisture and tend to expand slightly. In winter, when central heating / underfloor heating are used regularly, the air in the house is very dry therefore resulting in the boards drying and contracting - this often creates gaps appearing between boards - often large enough to put a coin between. These are harmless and disappear in the warmer months when heating is not used in the house as often.

When hardwood flooring gets wet or damp it absorbs the moisture and expands to accommodate this extra moisture. This can often happen even if the room does not feel damp or wet - the humidity in the air can also affect the floor. Before laying a wooden floor in is essential to check that the room is dry and the sub floor contains no extra moisture. It is also best to check the moisture content of the flooring before installing. However the sub floor is the most important thing to check before installing as this will affect the floor if it is not the correct moisture levels.

Where an existing timber subfloor is present, this needs to be checked for wet rot, dry rot and for woodworm. Although these are not commonplace it is always best to check existing floors before laying down your new wood floors which can get ruined by rot or woodworm. It is always best to ensure that the existing boards are also securely fastened to the joists as they will cause creaking if not fitted well. Loose timber boards can be screwed down onto the joists - or additional noggins can be placed between the joists if an old board has been cut in the wrong place and is loose.

When nailing down onto the existing flooring, the boards should be laid at 90 degrees to the sub floor. This ensures maximum stability and strength in the floor. (As an example consider a jenga game where all the blocks are placed on top of each other in the same direction - it is extremely unstable). If you are wanting the boards to be laid in the same direction as the sub floor a layer of plywood can be placed and nailed or screwed down to ensure a stable fit of the new wood flooring.

There are additional precautions to take where a screed or concrete sub floor is present. New concrete dries at a rate of 1 inch per month or 1mm per day. Although the concrete can look and feel dry to the touch, it can often still contain more moisture than the recommended amounts for hardwood flooring. The best way to check is to use a moisture meter - this will give you an instant reading and tell you whether you need to leave it to dry for longer.

If the new wood floor is an engineered floor that is being laid as a floating floor then it is possible to lay an extra layer of damp proof membrane (DPM) over the concrete / screed to ensure no moisture reaches the wood floor however if the floor is being glued down to the subfloor or battened out it would not be possible to lay the DPM, however a liquid DPM or epoxy resin can be used to create a liquid barrier instead. As solid wood floors are recommended to be stuck down to the sub floor it is best to glue solid wood floors down to the concrete directly therefore it is essential that the moisture is checked before laying.

With all wood flooring, an expansion gap must be left around the edge to ensure there is room for expansion in case of problems with moisture. This can be covered with skirting, beading or an edge profile. When preparation for the sub floor has been completed correctly, the laying of the wood floor is more likely to fit properly and without problems for the future.

Dungeon Tiles Are a Great Game Tool

Dungeons and Dragons, the table top role playing game, has inspired many wonderful tools available for those of us who play the game. Dungeon tiles are one of the lesser known tools. I'd like to showcase their uses in this article. And remember, they don't have to be limited to only actual Dungeons and Dragons gaming. You can use these versatile tiles in many RPGs.

The tiles are thick cardboard cut into several sizes. The standard square size for a D&D map is a one-inch square, so these tiles are sized that way. The average set is going to have some 8 by 8 tiles, 4 by 4 and 2 by 2. They come in various themes -- themes familiar to any role player. You can find forest themes and dungeon themes and sewer themes. Each side of the tile has a different picture. The artwork is generally top-notch on these and they do a great job of varying the terrain. So in a forest theme, for example, you'll have tiles with a few trees and a few stumps. You'll have tiles with no trees, but a stream and the ruins of a stone wall. Or perhaps there will be a few tiles with giant spider webs (think of the Mirkwood forest scene in "The Hobbit").

What makes dungeon tiles so awesome for the game master is that they are sturdy and cheap (you can get about 30 tiles for $10). It saves you from having to create maps by hand or from having to draw maps on the fly with a battle mat. I prefer to save my creativity for the the story and the non-player characters, so the tiles are perfect for me. It's as though the tiles can set the stage and I can populate it with my monsters, allies and strangers.

For the players, dungeon tiles give them a beautiful window into the imaginary world of the game. That is one of the strengths and weaknesses of D&D -- so much of it happens inside each player's head. So having the tiles (along with your miniature figures, of course) can ground the player's experience. The players have some nice drawings to help flesh out the story.

The designers do a great job of making sure that the terrain is varied and that there are good hiding spots. In this way both the game master and the players can take full tactical advantage of the tiles -- the archer can use a fallen log (to continue with my forest theme) for cover. The game master can use the spot where two trees grow together as an ambush spot.

Overall, for the price, dungeon tiles are a great tool for a GM to have in his or her toolbox. Pick up a pack of them and let your imagination run wild.

Mahjong Mah-Jongg Key Chain ''Joker'' Tile

Product Details

Bring good luck to your mahjong game with this lovely key chain. It makes a great gift for members of a mahjong club!

• Mahjong tile is made of fiberglass
• Tile measures 1-3/16'' H x 7/8'' W x 1/2'' Thick (30mm x 22mm x 13mm).

E-Z Tiles: Wilderness Set 1 (CD-ROM)

Product Details

Dorm and Apartment Decorating on a Student Budget

Welcome high school graduate or returning scholar to the fantastic world of college. Continuing your education in the institution of higher learning in hopes of making more money, acquiring universal knowledge and perhaps evening finding out whether you have what it takes to survive college life is an honor that should be fully recognized by all. But to make money you have to spend money, which is the first lesson you'll come to terms with when paying for tuition, parking, books, and other expenses you may accrue. If you reside on campus or in an apartment close by, the first thing you may want to do is make your den as livable as possible while on a tight student budget.

A few tips to help you on your way to make your apartment or dorm just like home:

If you can spare to loosen up the purse strings, try to invest in a bed or comfortable sofa or futon bed. Beds can be expensive, and sometimes you can only afford the mattress and boxspring, but it's really not recommended to just leave them sitting on the floor. Moisture can develop under the mattress and boxspring, which can result in an unsanitary and nasty growth known as mold. Now unless you're a biology student and you're growing culture samples to fulfill your lab requirements, I advise against keeping your mattress on the floor and suggest that you buy a bed frame.

Sofa and futon beds are an option to buying beds. Easier to transport than a full on bed, these alternatives double as lounge chairs in the day, and beds at night (or between classes). Perfect for studying or playing video games, sofa and futon beds will give you your money's worth, something that you'll appreciate throughout your college career.

Additional lights like table lamps, floor lamps and maybe even some pendant lighting will bring some personality into a somewhat lifeless dorm or apartment can be affordable if you know what you want and where to go. Places like second-hand stores carry a wide selection of lights, from Tiffany-styled lamps to desk lamps.

Now that you've got the basics of home decorating down, you'll be able to turn your dorm or apartment into a living space even your mom would be proud of, so long as you don't leave the laundry on the floor. Just remember college scholar, decorating and living on a budget are skills do you will master during the duration of your college career.