Adding Simple Joys to Your Home with Glass Verandas

September 13, 2012 by

Home improvement projects are often done to address the changing needs of the family. A young couple may convert the guest room into a nursery when a baby comes along, or an attic may be transformed to a bedroom for teenagers who want independence. Modifications in the house may also be done to create a fresh atmosphere or accommodate family activities. One such modification is the construction of a veranda that will let the family members enjoy and bask in the beauty of the outdoors. If you want to have one of these installed in your home, you may require some toronto roofing services to help your vision become a reality.

Weekend picnics or barbeques with the family are simple joys that people usually remember until old age. However, picnic or barbeque plans can easily be ruined by sudden rain showers. Family homes that have verandas need not worry about bringing their yard picnic indoors as these structures provide shelter from rain even while staying outdoors. Those that have a veranda on the exterior of their house may also want to think about getting gutter guards from companies like mastershield Woodstock so they are able to decrease the debris that is allowed to store in their gutters.

The basic components that you need to create a veranda include: columns that hold the roof or covering of the structure, spandrel brackets which are design components that connect the columns to the roof, frieze panels that go through the length of the veranda to highlight the design theme and roof or covering to protect you from external elements.

If you are looking for a company that can build a roof that has durability, you may want to check out WDR Metal Roofing to see what they could do for you and your home.

These components have different designs that you can play with in order to come up with a veranda that looks good on your house. They are generally categorized into traditional and contemporary designs. Traditional designs normally have lattice work or Victorian style while contemporary ones carry clean and sleek lines that are usually associated with modern homes. The latest trend for verandas is the use of glass panels as roof covering that makes outdoor living more stylish. They also allow you to enjoy your outdoor view regardless of the weather. If you have a small patio garden or even a bigger garden in front of your veranda, then you can also browse garden paving here and get some excellent design ideas to make a nice pathway or pavement that leads to the veranda. There are even some designs that enclose the veranda in glass panels to provide protection from the cold without losing the outdoor view.

Adding a veranda in your house gives you a new venue for rest and recreation with family and friends. There are some great looking Traditional Glass Verandas found at nationwideltd.co.uk. They also have design consultants that can help you create great looking verandas that compliment your original house design. You don’t have to worry about installation either because Nationwide has a pool of experienced crew to do it for you. It’s a simple and convenient way to enjoy the outdoors without leaving the comfort of your own home.

Filed Under: Home Improvement, House Matters Tagged With: ,

The Great Appliance Clean Up

August 5, 2012 by

Everyday we sweep the floor, we wipe the tables, tidy up rooms, and wash the dishes. We do always want our homes looking spic and span and as germ-free as possible.  However, we often take our most used appliances forgranted.  When was the last time you cleaned your airconditioner, your toaster, or even your electric fans?  Here are some appliances you should always clean regularly and some tips on how to do so properly:

OVEN TOASTER.  Clean the toaster after every use.  Remove the pan, rack, and crumb tray and wash them in hot soapy water then rinse thoroughly.  Make sure they’re dry before placing them back inside the toaster.

MICROWAVE. To avoid build up of dirt and grime, always give the interior of your microwave a quick wipe with a damp cloth daily.  Include this in your night time cleanup routine.  Once a week or every two weeks, give it a more thorough cleaning.  Make sure you unplug it before doing so.  Check for any damages while cleaning and call a technician if you do see one.  Your microwave may need RF microwave components that only a qualified technician can install.  Here are two options you can use in cleaning your microwave.

  • Steam Cleaning.  Soften grease buildup by placing a cup of water inside and letting it boil for a few minute then use a clean sponge to wipe the grease off.
  • Use Natural Cleansers.  Make a paste using equal parts of Baking Soda and Water or use a mixture of lemon juice and salt.  Apply this paste or mixure to the interior and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Wipe it off with a clean damp sponge.

ELECTRIC FAN. Here in the tropics, fans are often the most used appliance in the house and deserves a weekly cleaning and oiling.  Unplug the fan and remove the fan grill and blades.  Check your fan’s manual for instructions on how to do this. Proper cleaning of fan would depend on the material it is made off.

  • Plastic Parts.  Wash the fan grill and blades in warm soapy water, rinse well, and allow to dry completely.  Always make sure that the parts are dry before putting them back together.
  • Stainless Steel Parts.  Wipe the fan grill and blades with dry cloth.  Use a vacuum cleaner to clean them more thoroughly. Put a drop of oil on a clean cloth and wipe th fan grill and blades with it to prevent rusting.

REFRIGERATOR.  Always clean up food spills immediately to prevent the spread of bacteria.  Give your ref a thorough cleaning once a week. Unplug the ref and take everything out.  Store frozen products inside an ice chest to prevent thawing.  Discard any leftovers that cannot be eaten anymore and condiments that may be expired already.  Remove all shelves and bins and wash in warm soapy water.  Use soft cloth and soapy water to clean the interior and the door seals.  You may also opt to use a bakingsoda paste or a vinegar-water mixture to clean the interior.

 

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net




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Practical Tips On Lowering Household Expenses

March 17, 2012 by

With oil prices rising on a steady uphill trend, fuel, and food items naturally follow the same trend. Unfortunately, workers’ wages are on a plateau and can’t keep up with skyrocketing prices. We, consumers, have no choice but to tighten our belts and to deal with the high cost of living today, and we all need to be careful with your money.

Here are some tips on how you could lower your household expenses so you can allocate a greater part of the household budget to more important needs:

  • Always have a list before going to the grocery. And, stick to the list! Avoid impulse food purchases at all costs. Also, check out bulk sales as it’s more economical to buy items you frequently use in bulk. Additionally, you can always look out for discount codes that you can use for your grocery shopping. Even if you check out something like this Getupside Review, this could be a step in the right direction when it comes to eventually saving money on your shopping. We can all do with saving a little bit here and there, especially when you have other things to pay for in the home.

  • Take advantage of discount coupons found in newspapers and online. Be wary though of being swayed into buying something that you don’t really need just because you can get a discount. Purchase only the items that are necessary to take full advantage of these coupons. Frugal Dad suggests that you find coupon codes before ordering from helly hansen and other stores.
  • Lower your electric bill by using energy-efficient LED lamps and by lessening the use of electronic gadgets. You really don’t need a handheld mixer to prepare mashed potatoes and just about every meal you whip up. Do it the oldfashioned way and use those muscles – it’ll be great exercise too. 😀
  • Conserve water. By doing so, you not only get to save money with lower water bills but you also save the earth from further degradation. Taking shorter showers, using half flushes, using a water-efficient washing machine and checking for leaks are just some of the things you can do to conserve precious water.
  • Shop the sales. Especially for clothes shopping, sale season is the perfect time to update your wardrobe. Companies like NEXT have sales throughout the year, so keep an eye on the NEXT Sale Dates and How to get a VIP Sale Slot to save some big cash on that new best outfit.
  • Concoct your own natural cleansers instead of purchasing expensive ones. Sometimes, all you need is a little baking soda or vinegar to make a stubborn stain disappear. Aside from saving money, you’d be helping Mother Earth a great deal by going “green”.
  • Always, always, always pay your bills on time to avoid late charges. If you use a credit card for your household expenses, make sure you pay the full amount due before the due date. I know of people who have fallen into debt for mismanaging their credit cards. I’ve also known people who decided to use payday loans and it got them in a headspin over what to prioritise so they decided to use payday loan consolidation, I hear it was useful for them.

It’ll be wise to follow some, if not all, of these tips. Do remember though that frugal living isn’t only about scrimping on expenses to save money. Frugal living is about avoiding waste and efficiently using your resources for a better life. We really can’t do anything about the skyrocketing price of commodities, but we can do something to live a better life in spite of the high cost of living.




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A Penny Pincher’s Home Makeover

January 13, 2012 by

Most, if not all, of us want everything to be new at the beginning of each year. Revamping our wardrobe and getting a new haircut seems as important as vowing to stick to our New Year’s resolutions.

While buying new clothes and having glamorous hair are well within the budget, purchasing new furniture and home furnishings are not. However, you could still give your home a new look without spending much – although, you may still need to call out an electrician, like the team at SALT https://saltle.com/electrician-texas-service-areas/austin-tx-electrician/, if you’re going to be re-wiring or installing things like new light fixtures as part of your project.

I was inspired to write this post after speaking to one of my friends. She is currently in the process of designing a brand new house from scratch! For a long time now she has been planning how she wants everything to look and is currently contacting a number of custom home builders to work out a budget and timeframe for her home building project. I cannot wait to see the results as she always has such ambitious plans where her properties are concerned.

  • Rearrange your furniture. You may be surprised at how spacious your home will be when you move your furniture to optimize every square inch of your house. A new layout will also change the ambiance of your home. This doesn’t just mean move the furniture from within one room around, but move furniture from room to room. If it used to live in your bedroom, it might look nice in the lounge. I love modern Miami furniture, and when reading about it the other day I saw a tip to contrast different metals together. I always thought this was a big no-no, but I moved some things around in my house and I now have both steel and brass in my lounge… and I love it! This won’t cost you a single cent. Well, except if you’re like me then you’d still have to shell out a few dollars for pain medication to ease muscle aches you might get from moving the furniture around. 😀
  • Change your curtains. New drapes provide a brand new look without costing you much, if you want to change the whole feel of the exterior and interior of your house then looking at companies similar to Graceland Replacement Windows Austin can do just that for you, hopefully creating your dream home. Retail stores usually offer post-holiday sales so take advantage of the huge discounts you can get for new curtains. If you’re quite handy with a sewing machine, you could save more by purchasing drapery fabric at FabricOnTheNet.net and sewing the curtains yourself.
  • Decorate walls with decals. Home improvement stores carry decals you can use to give your walls color and style without having to paint the entire room. Aside from being easy to apply on walls and furnishings, decals are also a lot easier to remove and to change if you want an entirely different look for your home.
  • Go Green. Bring in a potted plant or two from your garden to spruce up a room. Take your “Go Green” mantra to the next level by being more selective of cleansers you use. Messy Bessy has earth-friendly products you can use for all your household cleaning needs. The Messy Bessy Disinfectant Aroma Spray and the Messy Bessy Tea Tree Mold and Mildew Spray are among my favorites.

These are just a few options you can use to give your home a makeover without putting a hole in your pockets. Try one or all of them and let me know how it turns out.

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Time to Redecorate?

May 25, 2011 by

The toddlers are now more disciplined when it comes to taking care of our things. It has been months since they last created a wall mural without my permission (not that I would have permitted them anyway!) and until now, crayons and other coloring materials have pretty much been used in the confines of their art paper.

Now we can probably start redecorating our home and bring out our dainty furnishings. We’ve been looking at our options, and whilst we likely won’t use it simply because it wouldn’t match our home we found this amazing marble wallpaper – peel and stick, perfect for if another drawing incident happens! My friend told me that when they redecorated they decided to also repair their heating because they felt like their heating wasn’t as efficient as it once was and they wanted to save some more money going forward for future redecorations. They went onto tell me that heating repair ridge wood or something in your local area that offers similar services. But I digress. It would be great to have a couple of white accent tables in our living room. The flowers my husband gives me would surely stand out in such a pristine setting. I would just really have to make perfectly sure that my toddlers’ art materials do not come anywhere near them. Better start surfing for ideas to redecorate our cozy home.

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