The Importance of Your Front Door in Feng Shui

The front door plays a very special role in feng shui. Often described as the "mouth of chi," the front door, is the entryway for energy into your home. Many people never use the actual front door, though, so they often ask if this affects their feng shui. The answer is yes. That's because the front door is usually at the center of the home and faces the road -- a symbol of water -- which equates to wealth.

A key feature of the front door is that it normally is designed to face the view of a road, street, or other feature, such as a lake. Sometimes a house has a tremendous view of a valley or view of the city or lake at the back of the house.

In that case, the "facing direction" of a house is where the most "yang" energy exists. In these cases, it would be at the rear of the house because of these terrific views. Architecturally, some houses are very small at the front and large and expansive at the rear. This would make the "front" wherever the large, open, and expansive side or view is.

Again, this is uncommon, but it does affect what is considered Steel Doors the front or facing direction. So, look at your house to determine the most "yang side" when you are trying to determine where the front door is on your house. (For more information, see the Red Lotus Letter issue on Determining Your Facing Direction.)

Use the door intended by the architect

More common, is the broad expanse and open front of a house that is positioned facing the street. The door also normally faces the street. This is the most typical situation and it remains the standard arrangement for most houses -- and it's the door intended as the front door by the architect. It is also the place where a delivery person will go if they've never been to your house. Now that we have that established, let's talk about why the "real" front door is so important.

The front door to the house is the doorway of energy. Because it faces the street (a conduit for water), this is an opportunity for wealth energy to enter the house. Therefore, every time you enter your home through the front door, you will be activating the entryway and creating an opportunity for wealth to enter your house.

The front door is also a location of opportunity...and we all know that opportunities often bring greater wealth (raises, increased salaries, windfalls) with them. Also, a house that never has the front door opened is a house that's low in energy -- and that impacts wealth. Because the street is usually in front of the house (which means "water" is at the front), opening the door allows water energy to enter in the front of the house -- the ideal location for water in feng shui.

Enter through a side door and watch money slip from your hands

Many people frequently ask if they no longer use the front door and enter the house from the side, or a kitchen door, or a garage door, should they consider that as their "front door"? The answer: absolutely NOT. I will usually ask that person if they are experiencing financial difficulties. In fact, most all have severe financial problems. Use the front door if you would like those problems to lessen.

Enter through the laundry room, kitchen, etc. and see your finances suffer

If you enter the house through a laundry room, Wood doors you are watching your money go down the drain symbolically, with bills larger than you expected. If you enter through the kitchen, you'll literally "burn through the cash" with one expense cropping up after another -- and it could cause you to gain weight if the kitchen is the first thing you see when you enter the house.

Still, knowing that the front door is so important to enter, many people still insist on using a back door or side door out of convenience. If you are entering through a garage or kitchen or other service room or porch, you are harming your opportunities for more money to come to you. In light of that, isn't it a good idea to use the front door?

After all, we create beautiful entry areas and if they're only used by solicitors, delivery people, or the occasional visitor, you're wasting an opportunity to bring more energy -- and more wealth -- into your home. You might also find that opportunities suddenly appear when you begin using your front door. Why use your front door and beautiful foyer only for a delivery person, mailman, or visitors? After all, you are the most important person to enter your house. So treat yourself as good -- or better -- than anyone else by using the front door every day.

Interior Design-Feng Shui Values

Feng Shui is not a decorating style, nor a collection of ornaments for an interior design project. Feng Shui is an art, or a discipline that involves complex elements: religion, philosophy, astrology, aesthetics, mathematics and a "little something" called the "chi" (a person's inner energy or "cosmic breath"). Translated literally Feng Shui means "wind-water" and is the art of achieving harmony not only for living spaces, but also for day-to-day living and life. Feng Shui takes its inspiration from the natural environment.

In the traditional Chinese thinking, nature is balance and harmony. By following the patterns of nature the Feng Shui practitioner can achieve this balance in his/her home and in his/her life. While in China Feng Shui is a discipline, in the Western world this is just an interior design technique, with more or less clear rules and unambiguous patterns. The main concept of Feng Shui designs is based on "wind", "water" and nature's "chi". This is why Feng Shui practitioners will focus their decoration patterns on aligning the elements to follow the natural flow of nature. For example, among the guidelines for proper Feng Shui designs, decorators should avoid clutter, straight lines and sharp corners. Clutter is supposed to create a "bad energy" and shift the focus from harmony to chaos, straight lines are associated with the paths followed by evil spirits and sharp corners tend to attract dirt (cobwebs, dust, etc).

In the western world, the religious beliefs of Feng Shui don't matter. Interior designers don't use crystals, Feng Shui water fountains and mirrors because of their supernatural abilities, but as mood boosters. Planning a working space (office) so that the worker faces the entrance has a logical explanation: no one likes to be distraught by unexpected visitors. Feng Shui decorators use colors, light, water and even music and sound to attain a space that contains a strong positive energy. For example bedrooms should be always free of bad "chi". When the energy in a bedroom is hostile it may cause problems within the couple. A messy room has a bad "chi". Clothes or other items scattered around the bedroom create clutter. Dirty windows increase the bad "chi". Lack of fresh air it's even worse. Believe it or not, these are basic principles of the Feng Shui as much as they are common sense aspects.

Out of the all rooms in a home, the kitchen is the most sensible to bad "chi". Smells are important for a good "chi". The kitchen has often not so pleasant smells, especially when cooking. Although for the senses a steak's aroma is delightful for a short time, how would you feel to breathe each day an air that smells like meat? You'll lose appetite. So it is important for a kitchen needs to be permanently clean, free from garbage and broken plates and cups, aerated on regular basis and neat. The predominant smells in the kitchen should be related to fresh fruits of herbs. While the art of Feng Shui takes a lifetime to perfect, its basic concepts should be followed in each interior design project: harmony, tidiness, cleanness and freshness.

Home Gate - Tips For Choosing a Good One

Choosing a gate may seem rather simple, but once you make it to the store and see all the choices it can be overwhelming. What makes one gate different from another can be a number of things. You really have to understand each gate type and your personal needs in order to choose the gate that is right for you.

Your Needs Assessment

Figuring out your needs may seem simple enough, but consider the following things before you finalize your list of needs:

Do you need a gate that locks?

Do you need to keep someone or something in or out?

Do you need a gate that is easy to get or out of?

Do you need a gate that can to bee seen through?
Here are a few other factors to consider:

Do you want a gate that has a lock or combination or code access?

Do you need a gate that automatically opens and closes?

Do you need a special design of gate to match your fence or home style?

Do you have limited space around the gate area for it to open?
Types of Gates

Here is a run down of the two common gate styles available to you:

Swing Gates: These are gates which open in two pieces - one on the left and one on the right. Smaller sized swing gates only have one piece that swings open.

Some considerations:


Can be equipped with automatic opener.
Needs room enough to swing open in Wood doors front and back of gate area.
Can be easily locked or armed with a code pad.

Rolling Gates: These gates roll open or slide to open.

Some considerations:


Can be equipped with an automatic opener.
Compact opening so no extra room needed in front or behind gate.
Can be locked or armed with a code pad.

- Easy one person opening.

Besides the basic style of gate, you will find an array of material China doors choices, colors and sizes. There are numerous types of gates out there and you are sure to be able to easily find one to meet your needs.

You will need to look at your needs and compare them with the style of gate available to you. Make sure to choose carefully and that the gate meets all your needs.

Porch Screens

A screened porch is a safe haven for many people during the summer. It is shady, often cooler than the inside of the house and gives people the opportunity to sit outside in the fresh air without having to worry about being inundated by bugs or other creatures. People are especially grateful for the screens on their porches when they want to eat outside. There is nothing worse than having some bug land right in the middle of your dinner.

There are, of course, different types of porch screens. There are two basic varieties: the kind that will keep bugs out and the kind that will keep larger creatures out.

Insect screens are typically made up by mesh that is either eighteen by fourteen or eighteen by sixteen. These numbers refer to the number of wires per inch. There are always eighteen wires per inch going in one direction on a porch screen, but insect ones can come in either fourteen wires per inch or sixteen wires per inch going in the other direction. Typically these wire arrangements create squares that are smaller than one sixteenth of an inch square. These two variations of insect screens will keep out must of the bugs that would be a bother, but experts suggest using a twenty by twenty mesh one made of fiberglass for porches that might have a problem with very tiny bugs.

These screens can be made from the aforementioned fiberglass as well as galvanized steel, aluminum or bronze. Each type of screen has its own problems. Galvanized steel mesh has to be replaced the most often because the coating that protects it will flake off, which will let the wires of the screen rust. Aluminum will stand up to corrosion or rusting, but does not work well in coastal areas.

Pet-Resistant Screens (the type of screens that will keep larger creatures out) is a fairly new development. One brand, PetScreen, boasts that its screens are seven times stronger than the porch screens made to just keep the insects out. Pet-Resistant screens are made of polyester that has been vinyl coated. It is installed in the same way that insect porch screens are installed, but offers a sturdier barrier between your porch and the creatures who might try to wander on to it.

There are also wind resistant and sun-shading ones which are made from stronger mesh that can resist the wind and other products that can help protect the people sitting on the porch from up to ninety percent of the sun's heat and UV rays.

Screens are a good idea, especially if you live in an area that has a reputation for its bugs or stray creatures. Even if you live in an area relatively bug and creature free, the wind resistant or shadier screens might be a good idea. They will make sitting outside more comfortable almost no matter what the weather conditions happen to be.

Tips On Choosing A Home Lock

If you know what you are doing then changing your locks is not so difficult. You can find lots of different styles of handles and different kinds of locking mechanisms for your door. Each kind of lock has its own properties so make sure you learn about them before you get new locks for your place. Read this piece for tips on how to change a lock and what kind of style you should choose.

You need to know what purpose your lock serves and what kind of security needs you have before you change it. Think about these styles before you buy a new lock.

If you want to change the handle on your closet doors and you will not need the locks then opt for a free through passage handle. You can find them in a knob style or in a lever style. You should make sure you don’t have anything that needs to be locked up if you use this kind of handle.

IF you need privacy then opt for a privacy door knob. This kind of lock will allow you to unlock it from the inside by simply turning the knob or a switch. These are perfect for the bathroom.

If you need an entrance lock than you will want Interior Doors something that will help you to keep things secure in your garage or anywhere you might have dangerous things stored. You will want this if you need to keep sharp objects safe, tools, or machinery. You could put this on a fence that surrounds your swimming pool or your property if you want to keep trespassers out.

If you want to improve the look of your home than you can opt for decorative door knobs. These are often placed on French doors or you can put them on your pantry as well. These don’t have locks so you will want to use them only in areas of your home that you don’t need to make secure. These handles can be put on both sides of the door or you can put them only on the outside if you wish. On the other side will be a cap with a similar color and with fake trim if you don’t have the knob on both sides.

Get a security single deadbolt lock if you want to secure your home from the front or back door. You can put them on interior door that connects to the garage and the inside of your home. You should use this lock if you have a door with no glass panes or else someone could enter by just breaking the glass and reaching into fool with your lock. You can also add a chain lock to your door to make it even more secure.

Try a decorative deadbolt and latch set which can be made either like a knob or handle and it can have a deadbolt lock and a door latch all together. Or you can use the two pieces alone as well. It all depends on what you need out of your lock.