Here's a nice doormat that both welcomes guests and, later, bids them a coarse adieu. The designers of this clever mat have been able to massage and manipulate a font in such a way so as to create a readable message from both right-side-up and upside-down orientations. Upon arrival, the mat offers a welcoming "Come in", while departing guests are left to deal with the blunt "Go away" parting shot.
A relatively new company called 'Cydus' has addressed the dearth of residential RFID access controllers in the marketplace by releasing a pair of modern electronic deadbolts. The locks operate as you may expect RFID proximity access controllers to, however, this unit, the MyKey 2300, unfortunately requires that a button be pressed before the unit is ready to read the keychain RFID tag. The higher end unit, the 4000, only requires the card to be in close proximity to the reader for activation. Besides it's raison d'etre; the convenience of keyless entry through small RFID cards, the deadbolts have some interesting features, including this backup battery system in case the unit's batteries die:
These aren't the first solar powered walkway tiles we've seen, but they are the largest. The previously linked sets were smaller and perhaps easier to integrate into some tile work, but this version of the same idea comes in more of a standard brick size - and in the end, the more options the better, really.
From the site:
Of the instant doorway arch kits we've seen, this one by Creative Corners looks like it may be the easiest to install, at least judging by the quick four step process outlined on their site. The company lists four arch sets, three of which come in two corner pieces, and the forth being a full, one piece arch.
If you enjoy the convenience of keyless entry technology at work then perhaps you've thought about having a similar unit installed at home to make life a little easier, like when you struggle to reach your keys with armfuls of groceries or when you're being chased by neighbourhood thugs and vagrants.
We've seen cool secret doors from the Hidden Door Company, but we hadn't realised that HiddenPassageway.com was out there competing for your secret room renovation dollars as well. The company seems to offer doors with more integrated technology and electronics, with specialty switches, biometrics, custom setups and whatnot. Their site has a few videos of their products in action as well.
As we've said before, doorway arch kits seem like an easy way to make a doorway look a lot less cookie cutter while adding some extra character to your home. Although, as easy as the Insta Arch kit may be to install, the 15 minutes that the company is claiming it takes to do the job seems like a bit of a stretch, especially if you've seen their pictorial step-by-step instructions. That's not to imply that the installation would be difficult, but for a first time installer, 15 minutes seems a little optimistic, to say the least.
If you have a garage door remote so weak that your garage door opener doesn't respond until your vehicle is practically on the driveway, forcing you to wait while the slow moving door opens, then this hack's for you. A little solder and some patience worked for this guy, although he tested his remote against a thick wall that was previously impenetrable and not by measuring distance. Still might be worth a shot, however.
If you want a lighted front walkway but are sick of moonray bulbs constantly burning out (or worse, having the bulbs stolen), then these solar powered LED tiles might be better suited for your needs. The tiles are available in amber, blue, white, yellow, red and green. From the site:
Now here's a great idea. Gutter Stuff is a clever product that is so simple that it will leave many wondering how it was that they didn't think it up themselves. The product is a non-absorbent foam filler that fits in your roof's gutter, allowing water to drain out as normal while preventing leaves or unwanted debris from settling in. Check out the Gutter Stuff movie (direct link) for a demo.
CurveMakers.com offers these clever doorway arch kits. Modern homes are rarely built with doorway arches, which were much more common in the past. Arches offer so much character but usually require some significant renovation dollars. These kits, which are reasonably priced, allow any standard doorway to be made to look more elegant and unique. Very nice.
The finishing touches were being put on the HouseHacker website* when this post on Ask Mefi caught my eye. Seems like an appropriate enough way to launch the site, no? Lots of great ideas, including:
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