Featured Posts

How To Organize Linen Closet Once you have a plan, organizing linen closet is simple and doesn't take a lot of time. Here are simple steps on how to organize your linen closet: 1. Arrange according to use: Stash everyday...

Read more

Buying Carpet Cleaning Machine Cleaning your carpet can be very easy if you engage the service of a carpet cleaning company. However, unless you have loads of money to spare, the fact is that you like the rest of us do not like...

Read more

Stay Gas Safe When Renting Property Gas safety is important whether you run your own business or have a supply into your home. Many students who move into their first rented accommodation are not aware of the risks and preventative measures...

Read more

Stone Flooring: Things to Consider Before You Buy While colour, pattern and finish may be at the forefront of your mind when choosing stone as flooring material, do consider the practical questions first. * Does your home have timber floor joists and...

Read more

Building Information Modeling Many of the inefficiencies in the commercial construction industry can be eliminated by a simple solution: Building Information Modeling. Building Information Modeling has been around for a long time....

Read more

  • Prev
  • Next

How To Organize Linen Closet

Category : Apartment Living

Once you have a plan, organizing linen closet is simple and doesn’t take a lot of time.

Here are simple steps on how to organize your linen closet:

1. Arrange according to use:

Stash everyday items at eye level, and the things you rarely use – extra blankets, beach towels – on the top and bottom shelves. Put them in large plastic bags first to protect them from dust.

2. Determine how many towels you really need

The number will depend on the space and how often you do laundry, but two sets per person is fine for most families. Hold on to matching towels; turn the rest into rags and move them to the laundry room. Slip a bar of scented soap into your clost to keep towels smelling fresh.

3. Stow sheets inside pillowcases

This space-saving trick also makes them easy to grab. Two sets of sheets per room is standard. If you have more than that, rotate them: put the freshly cleaned ones on the bottom so they all get equal use.

4. Store toiletries in baskets or small bins

This will make items easily visible and help you avoid wasting money on things you already have. Put first aid supplies in one bin, cough and cold treatments in another, travel items in a third (and be sure to dispose of any expired medications).

Buying Carpet Cleaning Machine

Category : Cleaning, Tools

Cleaning your carpet can be very easy if you engage the service of a carpet cleaning company. However, unless you have loads of money to spare, the fact is that you like the rest of us do not like the idea of paying every time when engaging a carpet cleaning company to do your carpet cleaning.. So what is the next best option? The answer lies in the very affordable and capable carpet cleaner machine.

The carpet cleaner machine can comes in many different shapes and sizes and of course price tags but you do not need to be stressed out when buying the perfect carpet cleaner machine for your home. While the more expensive types do come with a lot of bells and whistlers, what you really need is something that can just do a quality job  for you. In fact, you do not need to fork out unnecessary money for features that you do not really need. There are a couple of things that you need to take note though when buying the perfect  carpet cleaner machine.

First of all, consider carefully your budget for buying a carpet cleaner machine. Don’t over commit yourself financially just because you badly want to get one. Think carefully on the amount that you would like to spend and buy something within your budget. Once you settle on a budget, make your you adhere strictly to it. There are many cases of people buying over their budget and later came to regret it. Make sure your budget includes a high quality vacuum cleaner as well. Read the last point on why you need to budget for a high quality vacuum cleaner as well.

Next, you must know what type of materials your carpet is made of. Carpets are made of many different types of materials such as plant fibres, silk, synthetics and wool. You have to take into consideration what is the best method or methods used to clean the type of materials your carpet is made up of. Each type of material can also be cleaned in many different ways using many different types of detergent or cleaning solutions. If you don’t know what your carpet is made of, don’t worry. Just go back to the supplier where you got your carpet from and ask him or her about it.

Another point to consider is the type of cleaning or stains that you want your carpet cleaner machine to remove. For example if you have pets at home and would like to remove pet odour stains from your carpet, you can either spray your carpet with enzymes chemical sprays  that helps to break down the bacteria causing the odour or use one that can do a deep thorough cleaning using a lot of hot water. Otherwise, if you are not too particular you can get one that do dry chemical cleaning instead.

Last but not least, make sure you invest in a high quality vacuum cleaner for the daily cleaning of your carpet. A lot of people miss out on this vital piece of equipment when budgeting for their carpet cleaner machines. However, a carpet cleaner machine works hand in hand with a vacuum cleaner. The carpet cleaner machine is normally the cleaner of extractor which helps to clean and wash the dirt off your carpet. To prevent massive build up of dirt in your carpet, having a high quality vacuum cleaner to do the daily cleaning will provide a massive boost to your carpet cleaning duties and also helps to preserve the life of your carpet longer.

In a nutshell, just like everything else prevention is always better than cure. If you hate the idea of cleaning your carpet yourself or paying money to engage professionals to do it, either you can reconsider getting carpet for your flooring or make sure as little dirt as possible gets into your house. However at the end of the day, you still need to clean and take care of your carpet. Which is why investing in a good and high quality carpet cleaner machine can be the best buying decision you ever made.

Stay Gas Safe When Renting Property

1

Category : Health and Safety

Gas safety is important whether you run your own business or have a supply into your home. Many students who move into their first rented accommodation are not aware of the risks and preventative measures which can save their lives. If you are a student it is important to know your rights and be aware of the signs which can signal a leak in your flat, room or house.

One of the biggest dangers of gas is carbon monoxide poisoning.  The Health and Safety Executive have released statistics which state that about 15 people per year die from carbon monoxide poisoning, and all of these deaths could have been prevented.

The Duties of the Landlord

When you rent it is the duty of your landlord to organize yearly gas safety checks with a competent gas man who is listed on the Gas Safe Register which has now taken over from the CORGI register. When you sign your new contract be sure to ask about the gas safety checks and you should be supplied with a copy of the latest check, and provided with a copy with every subsequent check which is performed during your tenancy.

By law the landlord must give you a copy of the gas safety record within 28 days of you moving in. Although you will have many exciting new developments happening in your life it is essential to know your rights and demand that you have your copy which shows the gas has been checked. If you are present during the gas check ask to see the workers ID before work commences. If your landlord does not arrange the gas checks you should report them to the Health and Safety Executive as they are breaking the law and putting loves in danger.

Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There can be some signs which indicate carbon monoxide poisoning. The problem is that many people mistake them for hangovers or illnesses and so the signs go unnoticed. Here is a list of the symptoms to help you become aware of the signs.

  1. Headaches
  2. Breathlessness
  3. Nausea
  4. Dizziness
  5. Collapsing
  6. Losing consciousness

What You Can Do

Even if you have a competent landlord it is still a good idea to be aware of the symptoms and to help prevent tragic losses of lives. In D.I.Y stores you can find very cheap carbon monoxide detectors which change color if the lethal gas is detected. For a few pounds more it is possible to find a battery operated detector which will sound an alarm to make you aware if the gas is present.

Carbon monoxide can leak from any gas appliance in the house and not just the gas boiler. Remember to ask the gas engineer to check your gas cooker and your gas fires and install detection devices close to these appliances throughout the home. Check the batteries in your audible alarm when you check your fire alarm and try and get into good habits regarding carrying out quick safety checks on a regular basis.

Stone Flooring: Things to Consider Before You Buy

Category : Flooring

While colour, pattern and finish may be at the forefront of your mind when choosing stone as flooring material, do consider the practical questions first.

* Does your home have timber floor joists and are they capable of withstanding the extra weight?

* Does your budget stretch to underfloor heating, as stone can feel cold?

* Do you have small children or pets who might find the surface hard and unrelenting?

A stone floor is a large investment, so think it through. One complaint about stone in kitchens and dining rooms is that glass and chinaware will break if dropped, while bathrooms can become slippery.

Positive side

* Virtually indestructible, it is easy to clean if sealed properly, allergy-friendly, and a good choice for wet areas as it withstands damp and flooding.

* It is a natural material that comes in a vast choice of colours and finishes, from pale marbles to black slates, and a surprisingly lively colour palette in between with yellows, blues, greens and pinks created by mineral content. Natural variations add interest – look for grain, veining and even fossils – and you can alter the character of any stone with a finish such as a high-sheen polish, an understated matt or even a weathered effect.

* Finally, despite its reputation for being cold underfoot, stone is a great insulator, keeping cool in summer and retaining ambient heat in winter.

Building Information Modeling

Category : Construction, Industry News

Many of the inefficiencies in the commercial construction industry can be eliminated by a simple solution: Building Information Modeling.

Building Information Modeling has been around for a long time. However, only recently – within the last 5 years – is when it really started to gain traction in the construction industry. A Certificate of Management in Building Information Modeling is offered now by the Associated General Contractors of America, that distinguishes professionals with an advanced understanding of computer-generated models and their ability to make construction projects more efficient.

<strong>What Is Building Information Modeling?</strong>

It’s a 3D parametric model that is populated with additional information you can attach to the model, like cost estimates and work productivity rates. The model with specific information that you put in can be used after construction is complete, for management purposes.

A model can be adjusted as construction progresses, so that the final result is a 3D model that is exactly how the building looks once completed. The real premise of Building Information Modeling is ensuring the integrity of information used to complete the project and maintaining that information throughout the life of a facility.

The traditional way of doing things is once a building is built, you have to have all of the manuals for the facility management staff to run the building. Usually the contractor builds a binder that has printouts of those manuals. Facility management basically has a giant stack of paper with all kind of information in it. In case of emergency, or throughout daily tasks, like building maintenance, water leak detection or major building repairs, it is a very laborious process to sort through that documentation and the process of dealing with paper-based manual can include all sorts of issues along the way.

Computer modeling can help those in construction, architecture and engineering to make construction projects much more efficient and maintain the information throughout the life of a building facility.

Decorating With Wallcoverings: Tips and Tricks

Category : Decorating Ideas, Interior Projects

  • When hanging a large scale pattern in a room that has a fireplace, center the first strip over the fireplace and hang to the right. Then go back and hang to the left. If you are going around the whole room, plan to end in an inconspicuous corner.
  • Never “wrap” a whole strip around inside corners, without cutting and realigning. It may look ok at first, but in a few weeks wrinkles and creases might appear.
  • When using no-match, plain textured wallcoverings, reverse every other strip top to bottom for uniform color.
  • Never use a seam roller on flocked wallcoverings. Gently tap the seams with the edge of a smoothing brush.
  • Check the run numbers on your rolls before you start to make sure they are the same, as color may vary slightly from run to run.
  • If you are not going to paper into the inside of an arch or frameless window or door, trim the wallcovering with your razor 1/4 inch from the outside edge. This will prevent from fraying or pulling from the outside edge.
  • Ceilings, like walls, are not always “true”. So plan to end the ceiling wallcovering on the less critical side of the room, like above the entrance.
  • When using the same pattern on the ceiling and walls, it can only be matched one way, so choose the direction most frequently looked at.
  • To match the pattern, trim ceiling wallcovering so there’s a 1/4 inch overlap on the sidewall. Match the first sidewall strip at the ceiling line, overlapping 2 inches as usual. Smooth the strip down. To trim the overlap, score it with a pencil at the joint. Pull the wallcovering back and cut on the scored line with scissors. Smooth it back down. It is matched!
  • Where vinyl wallcoverings overlap in corners, at ceilings, etc., you will probably need to use a vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive to make them stick together.

Installing Grab Bars Or Hand Grips

Category : Bathroom Remodeling

Are you debating on whether you need to install grab bars or hand grips in your bathroom as part of bathroom renovation project? Here’s an alarming statistic: Falls are the number one cause of injury and accidental death around the home.

It seems, grab bars should be more than the right choice for people with disabilities and seniors, especially when so many beautiful designs, finishes and colors are available today.

Consider this:

  • Take time selecting your grab bar and its placement. Consider who will be using it – a child, a senior, a person with disability or somebody else. Consider all the scenarios in which it would be used, in order to choose the right length and placement.
  • Know that mounting a grab bar at a 45-degree angle, as opposed to horizontally, will accommodate people of various heights.
  • Know that BOTH ends of a grab bar MUST be mounted into studs.
  • Look for a grab bar with a mounting flange that has adjustable screw openings to ensure proper attachment to the stud fastening.
  • For help with drilling into tile, read a blog post “How to …”
  • Grab bars mount differently depending on the brand. It is always best to follow manufacturer’s instructions and safety precautions.

Prep Work:

Protect the area beneath where you will be drilling with a towel or a newspaper.

Use a stud finder to locate the studs in the area where you want to mount the grab bar. Mark them with a pencil or grease pencil, if on tile. Read this blog post to learn how to locate the center of a stud.

With a level, place a strip of masking tape down the wall to indicate the stud locations.

The Project:

Take the grab bar and position the end over the masking tape indicating the studs. Remember both ends must be mounted solidly into studs. If mounting horizontally or vertically, check for level or plumb.

If the bar has a decorative cover to conceal the screws, slide it out of the way to expose the mounting flange. Holding the bar in place with a fine-point marker, mark the 3 screw holes to be drilled on each end.

Before drilling your pilot hole, use masking tape or etch the tile mark with a nail-set to prevent the drill from walking.

Drill your pilot hole with a masonry bit. When you are through the tile, be sure you hit wood, and stop drilling. Switch to your wood bit and drill your pilot holes into the studs. Wipe away any debris.

Insert a little silicone into each hole and then on the backs of the grab bar ends.

Place your grab bar ends over the pilot holes. With the mounting flange lined up with the holes, thread any washers onto the wood screws and drive the screws through the flange into the holes. Wipe away any silicone that may have oozed out.

Slide on any decorative cover over the mounting flange – spin/snap it in place. Don’t wet the area until the silicone has dried. See manufacturer’s instructions for drying times.

Wood Fencing: Fence Designs

Category : Exterior Projects

These traditional enclosures define the character of our homes and our relationships with neighbors. The experts at local handyman magazine can help you find wood fencing to suit your property, your budget and your style.

There are plenty of practical uses for a fence: to gain privacy, safely corral kids and pets, block wind and noise, and prevent unsupervised dips in a swimming pool. But the right fence also makes a strong aethetic statement, improving a home’s curb appeal.

Going back 400 years, the favorite residential fencing material in this country has always been wood. In 2007 alone, Americans put up 59,000 miles of it, enough to circle the globe twice, and then some. Why wood? It is inexpensive and lightweight, to be sure, but so is chain link. The  main reason is that a wood fence can easily be shaped to give properties character and individuality. You can choose from dozens of styles, including linear post-and-rail and crisscrossing lattice, as well as myriad picket patterns and post cap designs. and you can stain the wood to make it pop out or recede from the landscape as either a vibrant or subtle frame for what’s behind it.

See below some of the forms wood fencing can take and check out different fence designs; learn the basics of buying, installing and maintaining wood fence. Take the time now to carefully consider your choice. If you follow out tips, you will be looking at that fence – and enjoying it – for the years to come.

Damaged Properties – To Buy or Not To Buy?

Category : Real Estate, Uncategorized

Homes that have been damaged – this can range from holes in the walls to property that have been flattened by a tornado – are often referred to as fixer-uppers, handyman specials or damaged properties.

People buy damaged properties for a variety of reasons, most commonly because they can be potential bargains (since the property has been damaged, the price is reduced). Other people who love the creative process of home renovation and home remodeling, work with realtors who show them only distressed properties. And some people aren’t looking for a “handyman special” at all, but happen to fall in love with an older home that needs a lot of work.

For whatever reason you buy a fixer-upper, it can be a good financial deal and a rewarding experience if you go into it with your eyes open and have a plan for repairing the damage. However,

Sometimes It Is Just Not Worth It

Home renovation is a good investment – per square foot, you can’t build for the price you can restore it. A family can restore an old home for a half of the price of a new home. The problem is, though, that many families spend the bulk of their available cash to buy a damaged property, and are left with nothing to pay for fixing it up.

What To Watch Out For

Avoid houses with damaged roofs that need roof repair, water in the basement that will need waterproofing and weatherproofing, watch out for termite damage, off-level foundations and sagging floors that can’t be easily straightened (no matter what the bargain price is) unless you are sure you can handle the home repairs. Keep in mind, that if the building doesn’t qualify for a Certificate of occupancy, you will have to get a building plan, which by the way costs more than a morgage.

If the price of a damaged family house is too high, and the contractor’s services are too expensive, and it doesn’t add up to a financially sound investment, wait for something better to come along. There are a lot of opportunities out there.

If This Is Your First Home

If you are buying your first house, it is usually wise not to take on a major renovating job. Get experience, get to know the prices and learn a little about plumbing, heating, lighting and wiring before making your first home renovation. Only if the price is right, you might want to take a chance.

Carpet Laying Basics – DIY

3

Category : Interior Projects, Uncategorized

Using the proper equipment, some of which is rentable, you can install wall-to-wall carpet the professional way.

An accurate scale drawing will help you determine how many yards of carpet to buy and how best to lay it out. Measure the room, including any alcoves or bays; add 3 inches on all sides so that the carpet can be trimmed to fit precisely. If seaming is necessary, keep in mind that any major seam should lay perpendicular to the principle source of daylight and away from areas of heavy wear. Also carpet pile should all lean the same way, preferably toward the main door. Allow extra yardage for matching a pattern.

Use the drawing to calculate padding (the square footage of the room plus a few extra feet) and tackless stripping (the perimeter of the room plus a few extra feet). Tackless stripping comes with pins of varying lengths. Test a carpet sample; you should be able to feel the pins but not be pricked by them. Be sure that preset nails, wood or masonry types, are appropriate for your floor.

Laying the Carpet

Clean the floor, nail loose boards and, if possible, remove any quarter-round moldings. Install tackless stripping around the room (excluding the doorways) 1/8 inch from the wall with pins leaning toward the wall. Lay the padding between the strips: staple it to wood flooring; adhere it to concrete. Rough cut the carpet, in an adjoining room if possible, allowing a few inches of excess. For a cut pile, use a utility knife along the back; for a loop pile, cut through the face, preferably with a row-running knife.

Lay out the carpet, kicking it into place. Slash the excess at corners so that the carpet will lie flat.

To seam, overlap the carpet edges 1 inch; cut the bottom layer with a row-running knife. Lay hot-melt seaming tape under the carpet edges, melt the adhesive with a seaming iron, then press the edges together over the tape.

Use a knee-kicker to anchor the carpet at two adjacent walls, then a power stretcher (if you can find one, otherwise continue with a knee kicker) to work the carpet into the opposite two walls. Hammer the carpet onto the tackless stripping. Trim the excess with a knife and tuck all edges behind the stripping. Secure the carpet at doorways with the metal edging. Replace the quarter-round moldings.

If this sounds above your head, you can always find a carpet cleaning company. Carpet cleaners are usually experiences in carpet installation service besides carpet cleaning, or can recommend carpet professionals who can do carpet laying for you.