Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Tips to Help You Install a Hardwood Floor

When choosing flooring, people often opt to choose materials that are long-lasting, durable and easy to clean. Ceramic floor tiles and porcelain floor tiles are a popular choice for rooms that are likely to become wet, such as the bathroom or the kitchen. For other rooms where water is not an issue, hardwood flooring is the perfect choice.

If you are not confident at DIY, then most joiners and builders have experience of fitting this type of flooring. However, if you are willing to try fitting it yourself, it is not as difficult a task as you might expect. Here is a step-by-step-guide to completing this task.

1) Measure the Room
Measure the room at the longest and widest points. Multiply these two measurements and this will give you the square footage. You need to know this to buy the right amount. Remember to add on 15% to this figure to allow for wastage.

2) Choose Your Flooring
Choose the flooring that best suits your needs and matches the style you are trying to create.

3) Check the Current Floor and Prepare
Look at the existing floorboards in the room. Are they even? Also, look for squeaky floorboards and nail these down. Next, prepare the floor by removing any shoe-moulding and sweeping through thoroughly.

4) Lay Vapour Barrier Paper
Allowing a 4" overlap, lay out the strips of vapour barrier paper and staple to the floor. While you are doing this, mark along the skirting boards where the joists are located in the room.

5) Layout the Boards
It can be helpful to lay out a few boards before beginning to install them as this helps you to visualise what they will look like and where they will go.

6) Fit the First Board
It is important to start in the right place. This should be at the longest wall with no obstructions. Next, you need to snap a chalk line 3/8" out from the baseboard as this will allow for expansion. You should then choose a longboard to begin.

7) Place the Boards
Align the board to the chalk line and drill a pilot hole through the board and the sub floor. At the point of the joists, face-nail the board and then use a nail-set to set the nail. The boards should be laid perpendicular to the floor joists.

8) Hand-Nail the Rolls
Once you have installed two rows, drill a pilot hole through the tongue of every board and then hand-nail the boards. You will only need to do this until there is sufficient clearance for a pneumatic nail gun.

9) Staple the Boards
Next, you will need a pneumatic nail gun. Position the lip of the gun over the edge of the board. Strike firmly with a mallet to drive the nail through the tongue of the board. There should be a nail approximately every 10".

10) How to Cut Up To Skirting Boards
Choose pieces that will fit in the space and then leave between 10" and 12" and cut off there. Use the other piece to start the next row you lay.

11) Clearance Problems
Using the pneumatic drill when you get close to the walls is tricky because of the clearance issue. Instead, drill pilot holes and face-nail the boards in these areas.

12) Last Boards
Sometimes there is only a narrow space for the last boards. If this is the case, you will need to cut the boards lengthwise to fit. Remember to leave room for expansion.

13) Use Wood Putty (plastic wood)
Buy wood putty that matches the flooring and then fill all the nail holes with this. By doing so, you will create a better finish to the job.

With a little patience and by following these step-by-step instructions, you should have wooden flooring that looks fantastic. If the skills needed are beyond your capabilities, then seek the support of an expert and remember you can now buy realistic wood-effect porcelain floor tiles instead if you need to tile a kitchen or bathroom floor.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

How To Design Your Dream Home

They say home is where the heart is. Imagine being given a chance to design your dream house, right from scratch, adding your personal touch. You can design it however you'd like, be it neo-modern or traditionally quaint. Here are 5 simple ways which will help you do just that.

Start Simple

Don't let the design process intimidate you. It's quite simple, really. All you have to do is jot your ideas down on paper. Even a rough sketch describing your ideas would help your design team understand your requirements.

Observe Your Surroundings Closely

Visiting the locality and plot, and familiarizing yourself with the surroundings, will help make designing your home much easier. For instance, if there is a lot of greenery on one part of the property, then you can design the living area facing the greenery, or if the area is close to a stream or river then you can build your bedroom facing it, in order to enjoy the picturesque view.

Reflect on Light

Make sure there is enough light entering the house. Light is powerful because it can brighten up your day, literally! In addition, you could also install skylights, maximizing the natural light coming into your home. Also, if you want to enjoy the natural morning light in your dining area, then make sure you place it towards east, the direction in which the sun rises.

Think About the Future

Keep in mind that early planning is always beneficial. Design your home in such a way that you can accommodate the changes that would eventually take place in your life, be it extending your family or accommodating office space in your house. In addition, you could also make room for some extra space in your house in case you would want your friends and relatives to come over during the holidays.

Prioritize Features

It is important to identify the most important features of your house. This will help you keep your budget under check. Otherwise, while designing your dream house, you might get carried away with the wide range of options you could choose from, resulting in over-stretching the budget.

Following the above steps can help you design your dream house. Make sure you take your time while designing it, sit with the design team and discuss your queries with them if you are unsure about how things are going. Remember, it is much easier to be upfront and discuss all your requirements in the initial stages than miss out on something important which would require you to remodel your custom home later.

I am an avid writer, whose focus is more towards highlighting civic issues our society faces on a daily basis. I provide tips on property investment, write on real estate market price trends in India, and provide an insight on the latest residential projects. For more property related queries, you can visit http://www.commonfloor.com

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Interior Design Ideas For Your Home

is really great to be in a place where you can relax and be really comfortable. Whether it is your bedroom or the living room, it is always such a nice feeling to stay in a place that looks calm, beautiful and relaxing. This is why, creative interior design is very important.

And when you think about interior design, there is a popular city that always springs to mind with its spectacular infrastructure and design forward homes. You can't walk into any establishment or any home in the emirate without being floored by the interior design. These designers recently unveiled several trends making their way into interior spaces.

Most offices are starting to recognise the benefits of doing away with the corner office. Instead, expect to see more brainstorming spaces that bring teams toward better collaboration and dynamic creativity. Custom lighting, fluid layout for better movement, spacing and ambiance are all key to introducing a closer atmosphere in most offices. This has already become a trend.

Sustainability is also becoming a consistent element for interior designers. Design pieces are reclaimed or recreated, adding an entirely unique vibe to any space, from homes and offices to retail stores and hospitality establishments. By no means should this indicate throwing a piece of wood around the house or your place of business. Expert interior designers recommend going for sinuous lines, textured palettes, natural colours, and basically, using nature for inspiration. This is not only great to look at but very calming and comfortable.

Monochromes and colour blocking are out. Optical geometrics, illustrated prints, and other patterns are in. Designers are looking to meteorology and climatology for fresh, inventive, and a new generation of styles that highlight molecular and abstract forms. You'll also find contemporary design will be alluring to the eyes as well as decadent to the skin. This is design and comfort in one.

Another creative interior design idea is making use of wallpapers. Wallpapers are making a comeback. Colours, prints, and patterns on walls add eye candy to any space. Reduced deign is also a very popular one. This concept will never go out of style. So you'll still find this design idea a hot trend. Free up your interior spaces with lighter palettes and forms, and keep it pure and simple. This minimalist style is often viewed as trendy, chic and sophisticated.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Number One Tips For House Extensions

Having house extensions is a more sensible option than selling your house and buying a bigger one. With the housing market not stable, selling a house would take longer time. Buying a house would probably cost more. It would be more practical and more convenient to hire an architect to design for your house extension. Having House extensions is more advantageous than having to move to a new and more expensive house.

Having a house extension will add value to your house. This you could sell for better price once the market condition has become more stable. The usual home extensions are adding a new kitchen or a lounge. Older homes usually have not given much priority or attention to their kitchens. Or you may choose for a lounge extension considering you have a growing family. You can have quality time together or entertain guests at your extended lounge.

If you prefer to add another bedroom with its own bathroom, it could be possible to have it over your garage space. Or if you have a large backyard, you can have your house extension there. The space would be great for your children who might need more privacy or for guests and relatives who visits you occasionally. There are certain limits or boundaries you can build your extension without needing for a planning permission.

You may want a conservatory for your home extension and this can be built in just a few weeks. You may also be considering having a playroom or study room based on your needs.

But before proceeding with building your extension, you must ensure the foundation is strong enough to allow the extension to take place. Your foundation must be placed directly under your walls and position them properly to avoid having problems with it in the future. Aside from the foundation, you also need to check your damp proofing. Checking this will help you prevent future related problems.

Electric cables should have proper protective coverings. This actually is very important primarily for safety purposes. The floor should have the proper height so that your doors and windows will have the proper height too.

An experienced and reputed builder knows which mistakes to avoid, but if you are the one doing the extensions, it is best that you also take note of these and have them checked. It is advisable to order adequate materials before the start of the construction of your house extension. If you run out of materials, you might be faced with difficulty finding similar materials.

A house extension will not cost you as much and will increase the value of your house. A good company is capable of handling the project from start to its completion. The company's representative can determine whether your extension design will be feasible or not. Your specific needs and preference will be discussed with you and necessary recommendations will be given to the feasibility of the project. The company will provide you with full transparency for the management system of the project. You will be provided with constant updates as the construction of your house extension progresses. You will be provided with a detailed breakdown of the estimated cost so you could manage your budget well.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Electricity Prices Are the Lowest This Year

This past cold winter caused electricity rates to skyrocket and they remained high well into 2014. Usually these rates moderate during the spring and remain low through the early fall. However this year, prices stayed high during the spring and they are just now starting to moderate in July. Almost every day in July has seen lower prices.

Two main factors that cause prices to rise and fall are: 1. the price of natural gas and 2. geopolitical unrest.

Natural gas prices typically go up each winter and geopolitical unrest can happen anytime. The typical scenario is that electricity prices go up in the winter when natural gas prices rise and come down in the late spring and summer, when natural gas prices fall. This year the combination of high natural gas prices remaining well into the spring with the unrest in the Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, electricity prices continued at high prices into the early summer.

Now that prices are coming down, it is time to examine your electricity bill and your term commitment. If your contract expires in the next 120 days, you should be able to shop around and sign a new contract with a provider that can lower your cost of electricity each month.

You should look for electricity rates for the energy itself at or below.060 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). This is the deregulated or competitive part of your electric bill. The other part of your electricity bill is the delivery part, which encompasses reading your electric meter and delivering the electricity to your home or business. This part is the regulated part of your bill and it is not subject to competitive pricing. There are also associated taxes and fees included here.

All in, you should strive to keep your total electricity costs below 10.0 cents per kWh. When you find that prices are extremely low, you should select the longer term contracts, 24 or 36 months. If you are not sure about the current prices, then you should select the shorter term contracts, 6 or 12 months.

In any event, you should take a look at your electric bill and determine how much you are currently paying per kWh and how long is your term contract. If you are paying in the 12 to 16 cents per kWh, you are paying too much. Once you have determined when your contract ends, you should actively shop prices and lock in a low rate.

In the future, keep tabs on the prices of electricity and the time your contract expires. This will prepare you to be ready to keep your electric bills at the lowest rates possible.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

What we Inspect Home Inspection

Home Inspection
Whether you are buying or selling your home, West Coast Home Inspection can provide an easy mind and assist you an effortless transaction with the other party. West Coast has been serving the County areas for over 10 years and has countless inspections under their belt. Our home inspections include everything from the top to the bottom including: Roofing, Foundation, Electrical, Plumbing and more! We have been trusted by our home owners and seekers with home inspections due to our commitment to kind, courteous service and thorough reports that tell you exactly what's going on in your home.

Home Inspector: It's crucial to find a home inspector in  that you can have confidence. Picking the best  Home Inspection company does not come without it's possible pitfalls. Here are some tips about how you can be sure you're choosing the best home inspector to handle your affairs.
  •     First, never hire an inspector who provides repairs along with his or her home inspection report. This is a big conflict of interest and could leave you paying out more money than you actually need to for your home inspection of your  property or home.

  •     Secondly, be absolutely certain you're hiring an established inspector with many inspections under their belt. Many inspectors are brand new out of training and certification and they don't necessarily know the ins and outs of every home they inspect especially if the inspector has never apprenticed anyone in the past.

What we Inspect in your home

At West Coast, our inspectors analyze over 400 items and work meticulously to identify the possible problems of the home. We leave no stone unturned in our home inspection process. When our home inspectors are finished with your home, we prepare a report specifically tailored with the details of our home inspection purchase.

New construction home inspections in are carried out upon the fininshing of the home, but just before one last walkthrough using the builder's customer support representative or agent. It is usually smart to verify that utilities (gas, water and electric) happen to be switched on, either on your part or even the builder with respect to the constructor's policy. The home inspection ought to be scheduled just a couple of days before you decide to final walkthrough using the builder. This can make sure that most, if not completely, last second products happen to be completed just before your inspection. Following the inspection West Coast in Los Angeles, a completed report is going to be given to you. It is wise to keep your home inspection on file.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Improving HVAC Performance in Your Home

HVAC Heater
Whether it's the middle of winter or the middle of summer, you probably want to keep outdoor temperatures at bay. Of course, maintaining a comfortable climate inside your home or business requires energy, and it also requires powerful HVAC equipment that is ideally suited for your property. No matter where you live, you'll face months where you pay high rates on energy bills. In some cases, you may find yourself paying high amounts all year long. Fortunately, there are ways you can invest in your property to improve energy efficiency and the performance of your heating and cooling equipment.

It all starts with the HVAC appliances themselves. You'll want appliances that are powerful enough to effectively heat or cool your entire property. Wear and tear is normal on heating and cooling equipment, so you'll need to keep an eye on them to ensure they're working at an optimal level. If you've noticed a significant drop off in the effectiveness of your heater or AC, it's time to call a technician to have your appliance serviced. In addition, you should have the ducts in your property cleaned regularly improve efficiency and the quality of air in your home. Of course, it's also essential to change air filters on a regular basis. An inefficient appliance will cost you money unnecessarily, so consider the investment in tuning up your heater or AC a worthy one.

If your house is poorly insulated, you'll have a very hard time maintaining a comfortable temperature. In fact, during particularly hot or cold months, you may be unable to reach a desired temperature at all. When you invest in insulating your floors, walls, and attic, it can have a big impact on the effectiveness of your HVAC systems. Even if your house has old insulation, it may be a good idea to replace it with newer, more advanced materials that are well rated. Improving insulation will save you money for years to come, and it will even increase your property's value. A lot of air can travel through windows and doorways as well. Use doorstops and caulk to get rid of leaks at thresholds, and consider investing in double-paned and treated glass to make your windows more efficient.

When you've invested in your property to reduce your energy consumption, you'll be amazed at the results that show up monthly on your HVAC bill. While the cost of investing in insulation or you think that an upgraded heating and cooling system may seem steep now, you'll experience the benefits for years to come. In addition, your home will be much, much greener when you invest in quality building materials. As you can see, there are several benefits to reducing the amount of energy you consume.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Office Design - Decor Ideas

Decor Ideas
Office decorating ideas can not be an easy task, especially if you have not delivered to him throughout life. Although many small business owners find the Small Office Home Office (SOHO) concept that works for the offices is a must for large companies. And internal office to look attractive and candies, whether at home or in shopping malls, you must innovate med office decorating ideas.

These smart ideas can really make your home office a place where everything would look amazing especially reassuring to work vigorous. When designing TheOffice decorating ideas, you must remember in the office area at your disposal. Remember that too many ideas did not work once the art, especially if you have a small office space. You can cover the walls of your office with a beautiful tapestry, or if you do not need there would be the easiest solution is to paint the office walls with light colors graceful. Next in line would be adorned with antiques, which may be placed in conference rooms and reception on the ground.

Office decorating ideas, such as indoor lighting and decoration of the walls of the paintings you can still add a touch of grandeur and delicacy office. Even in this case would be one of the great sumptuousoffice and decorating ideas to decorate the corners of conceptual models, arts and crafts, evaluated, shells property and more.

In addition, you can go for office furniture and compatible chip that not only takes up less desk space, but also creates a clean environment in the office interiors.Office decorating ideas for the furniture should include credenzas, filing cabinets, desks , chairs, hydraulic, and more. It would also be a good idea to decorate the interior corridors Walking with ornamental plants.

Friday, July 18, 2014

How to build Your Home as Fireproof As doable

There ought to need to require no matter preventive measures they'll. By the U.S. fireplace Administration's estimates, over three,400 deaths and seventeen,500 injuries occur thanks to fireplace each year during this country, and that is not even taking under consideration all the fireplace injury caused to property. Meantime the yanked nongovernmental organization reports that fires finish additional lives in America than all different sorts of natural disasters place along.

But there square measure many easy steps you'll want improve the percentages against you, your family, and your home falling victim to a fireplace.

Don't Smoke inside

Clearly, smoking the least bit will cause you to additional probably to develop every kind of nasty health ailments. However smoking inside, particularly during a sleeping room, greatly improves the percentages of a still-lit butt finding its method onto combustible material. In fact, the National fireplace hindrance Association cites smoking because the preferred reason for fire-related deaths.

Run a Monthly practice

Everyone is aware of to stay a minimum of one smoke detector in their home, however once was the last time you detected of anyone testing their fireplace alarm? The USFA recommends deliberately activating your alarm system once a month to grasp if batteries, or the alarm itself, have to be compelled to get replaced. Additionally, it may be crucially useful to contrive potential escapes routes, and practice wherever house members ought to come in the event of a fireplace. In step with the nongovernmental organization, solely a bit over 1 / 4 of yanked families have gone over a fireplace escape arrange, therefore you may straight off be higher ready than the general public.

Be Careful whereas You Cook

The U.S. Centers for sickness management and hindrance calls attention to the room as an area wherever fires hazards will occur. The agency recommends sporting short-sleeved shirts, or a minimum of consumer goods that will not leave something support over a flame, whereas preparation. Additionally, you ought to ne'er take your eyes off food on a burning stove, and it is not an honest plan to depart something combustible - towels or dish rags, as an example - close to the stove.

Be Selective wherever you place area Heaters

Electric area heaters will be excellent thanks to block on your heating bills throughout the winter months. However, the government agency notes that you just ought to use caution to not place them anyplace close to bookshelves, paper baskets, or something that would conflagrate.

Educate the Young Ones

Some kids get pleasure from fidgeting with matches; however it's extremely vital that oldsters deter them from thinking of fireside as a supply for amusement. In step with the USFA, youngster’s square measure statistically additional probably to want emergency services for injures or worse from fireplace than the other phase of the population. confirm any matches or lighters in your home square measure tucked so much, far-off from very little hands, and see children regarding the hazards of fireside.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

How to Find Quality Furniture and a Trust Worthy Seller

The great thing about looking for a retailer or manufacturer of rustic log furniture is there are plenty of sellers out there these days, especially with the age of the world wide web. Since the birth of the internet everyone and there brother seem to have tried to start making and selling all types of rustic furniture online, but what I am sure that they found out is that making log furniture the right way is a hard task to achieve. Now don't take me the wrong way there are some great builders of this style of furniture and you will notice they are the craftsmen that have been around for a while. So knowing this let me tell you how to make the right decision on choosing your rustic furniture.

One of the first things you need to decide is the species of wood you would like to go with, there are dozens of them out there, but only a couple of good species that will stand up to the elements outside. There is hickory, cypress , pine(not recommended), aromatic cedar, eastern white cedar, Northern white cedar etc. As for the species I mentioned I can tell a little about each, hickory is a nice species but I noticed the furniture I see made is that the diameter of the wood is always small and I get a little suspicious of the strength of it. Cypress, has hardly no grain that I see compared to the rest. Pine is absolutely not for me, it is sappy and soft and it is not very durable. Aromatic cedar is a beautiful wood but when it weathers if turns dark in the elements untreated. Eastern white cedar people will say it is the same as Northern white cedar, but let me tell you its not, I know from working with it. The wood is really knotty and hairy compared to Northern white cedar. The looks are similar in color and the aging process is the same. As for Northern white cedar it weathers to a beautiful silvery gray if untreated and exposed to the elements. Northern white cedar can with stand the elements for years, some say that it will last for 50 years outside untreated, but I can tell you by experience that it really only last for 20 years. White cedar is not sappy at all, making it easier to stain or varnish unlike other species, like pine that will actually have the sap come out years later, right through the paint or varnish that was on there.

Once you decided the species the next thing to do is find the retailer out there selling the log furniture with that wood. When you locate this seller, keep in mind that if that seller is just a middleman, you will not get the service you will get from the actual manufacturer. More than likely, if that person is not the manufacturer and is just a website owner or guru, it is probably just a drop ship situation and they will surely tell you they can get you the furniture right away, when they have no idea of the inventory or how busy the manufacturer really is (don't be fooled with factory direct, sales pitches). Second, just how much can that person really know about rustic log furniture if they are just an order taker. Dealing with the person who is actually handcrafting your furniture and can tell you exactly when it will be done, is by far a more reliable way to purchase your furniture. Trust me, there are more websites out there selling log furniture then there are manufacturers of it.

Now we can get to the construction of the log furniture. Some log furniture is sanded smooth, some are skipped peeled, some have the bark on and some are completely peeled. As for which one is better, I can only tell you what I think. The sanded log furniture definitely takes away from the rustic feel, skipped peel is a nice look, but I wonder about the smoothness of the wood with just a peel on parts of the log. The furniture with the bark left on definitely has to have some sort of finish on it to keep the bark on, and sometimes I have seen where the bark will peel off over time. Completely peeled log furniture is smooth with out splinters and can easily be treated and has the true rustic look and feel. Getting past that you should then take note of how the log furniture is actually connected together. Some furniture is just butted up together and is nailed, I do not recommend that style of construction. Most have a mortise and tenon connection, which is extremely durable. Things to watch out for with this is the size of the dowels, some out there will go with a smaller diameter dowel meaning their logs are usually smaller too. I recommend asking the diameter and make sure it is at least 1.25", since that is the weakest point of the furniture. The diameter of the logs should be no less than 3" as far as I am concerned. Most of the rustic log furniture I see on the internet does not meet that size on a good percentage of there lines of furniture, even though it looks large in the pictures I would definitely ask the sizes of the logs to get a good comparison from one builder to the next. The hardware that is used on the log furniture is a big factor also, because if you are going to have your furniture exposed to the rain and snow or what ever you don't want the hardware starting to bleed or rust, all the hardware should be zinc coated on all parts of the furniture. This is one of the many ways that some of the manufacturers and garage builders cheapen the quality of the furniture. Another thing to look for in the hardware part of it is whether they nail or screw the furniture together, screws are the better way to go than nails, but nails that are hot dipped in glue are just as good as screws. The nails without the glue coating will actually start to back out over time due to the fibers of the wood pushing on them. If you take a closer look at the pictures and ask some of these questions you will get two things out of it, 1. You will find the better quality log furniture and 2. You will find out if that person who is selling you the furniture really truly knows anything about rustic furniture.

Other than construction or species the only thing I can tell you about looking for a quality piece of rustic furniture is that you should take a closer look at the company you are dealing with. Building rustic furniture is not like building a square table that can be pre cut to length and then put together on an assembly line. Rustic furniture needs plenty of design work, custom fitting, lots of judgmental decisions being made do to the differences of the sizes of stock, and craftsmanship that you do not get from the builders that have 75 employees, there is now way that all the employees have these kind of skills or patience or pride, they are on an assembly line slapping the pieces together and getting the furniture out the door to you, plus they have the big money to market the product and get the exposure to be seen by the public. Notice while your looking on the Internet or anywhere else that there are plenty of sites or stores with the same manufacturers, these are the big companies. Getting your rustic furniture from a small company that has been in business for at least 10 years and takes pride in every hand fitted piece, will give you all the things you need to get a quality piece of rustic furniture that will last for a long time to come.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

How to Protect Your Home From Rain Water

Your house is the only thing that protects you from all kinds of weather conditions, especially rain. We can call your home, your shield. Especially during rainy seasons, you should take extra care of your house exteriors.

When you are sitting in your home clean and dry, your house is more susceptible to the water damage. Hence, you should always take some safety measures to protect your home during monsoon seasons if you want to increase your property's life span.

Protect your home

Sturdy roofing: If you install worn out or missing roofing materials for your home, the water will easily seep in and damage your house structure. Therefore, always consult with professionals for any roofing related services. Also, you should inspect your roofing twice every year, but if there is any severe storm you should always check your roofing. Look for molds or any water marks underneath your roof.

Exterior Paints: Run a quick check on your exterior paintings because heavy rainfalls are very dangerous for. If you find bubbling, cracking or peeling in your exterior paints, repaint the affected area with quality paint that has the tendency to resist water.

Foundation: Again, run a quick check the foundation. Repair all the cracks to avoid water from leaking into your home. First concentrate in the large cracks. They need immediate attention and repairing.

Basement: Now the next thing you need to inspect is the basement. If there is a water leakage, you will find signs of water seepage. Check your carpets for any wet spots. Don't forget the corners. You can also sniff your walls for molds and mildews behind your walls. Take appropriate steps to remove all these unwanted things from your wall. Hire a professional if the problem is serious. Molds and mildews feed on your walls, and if they get inside your house, it can cause health problems. Call a professional pressure washing company to clean each and every corner of your house exteriors.

Gutters: You should always clean your gutters to eliminate any dirt or debris. Or else, the rain water will back up and damage your house again. Window ledge, decomposed boards and water leaking into your foundation or your basement are some of the common problems you will face with clogged gutters.

Downspouts: Lastly, check your downspouts to see where the water is being dumped. If your downspout is dumping water 5 feet, then use gutter damage to dump it further.

When taking care of your house in the raining season, do not ignore the damp on your outside walls otherwise, it will seep inside. Also, if you want to get your exteriors painted for before the monsoons, go for modified paints with silicon because they repel water and you can enjoy the weather worrying about your walls at least.

Cleaning Tips: Oriental Rug

Oriental rugs are meticulously crafted carpets obtained from India, Turkey, Iran, Southeast Asia or any other region in the Middle East. The rugs have been shown to greatly alter the feel and character of a living space and as a result you should take great care of them.

One of the best ways of taking good care of the carpets is by cleaning them when they get dirty. You need to note that the rugs are made from different materials; therefore, they don't have the same cleaning methods.

If you have a wool rug, you need to be cautious in order to prevent fading and running. You need to note that soil that has been deeply embedded in the carpet can't be easily vacuumed.

If you have to vacuum, you should do it without the beating brush. The best way of removing the dirt is by sweeping. If dirt stains are left after sweeping, you should use a detergent to remove the stains.

If you have a handmade rug, you need to note that dirt and dander usually don't get deep into the rug since the carpet is usually tightly wound; therefore, to clean it you only need to undertake regular vacuuming.

It's recommended that you regularly clean your rug every two weeks; however, if you can't vacuum your handmade carpet, you should throw it over a banister or rail outside your house and beat it using a broom. This is to loosen the material.

When cleaning the homemade carpet, you should avoid steam cleaning it. This is because hot water and steam tend to loosen the fibers and as a result damage the carpet.

The best way of going about it is cleaning the carpet using a mild soap detergent and cold water. You should avoid using harsh cleaners or chemicals to clean the carpet.

If you find an animal accident such as vomit, urine, or fecal matter on your carpet, you should flush the rug immediately with cold water in order to disperse the material. After doing this you should dab the carpet with a dry rag.

Animal accident materials often have acids; therefore, you should use mild ammonia solution to clean the affected area. To dry the area you should use a hair dryer or fan.

If you are having trouble cleaning your oriental rug, you should consider hiring the services of a professional cleaning company.

Before you entrust a given company with your carpet, you should do thorough research and ensure that the company that you want to hire has the right equipment and expertise.

You should also ensure that the company has the ability of undertaking proper rug repair in order to maintain the carpet's original value.

Five Ways to Not Get Buyers Interested in Your House

Tired of serious buyers traipsing through your house after you put it on the market? Offering you that pesky money for your house? Here's a surefire way to ensure that no one at all expresses any interest in buying your home with tips seen in real online listings.

1. Firstly, don't clean your house. Preferably, don't clean anything for months before taking the pictures. Your pictures should highlight just what kind of dire need your house has for a good thorough washing. Make sure to include as many cobwebs in your pictures as possible. If you can't get your house good and dirty, try taking the pictures in poor light so that people can't really see the rooms clearly.

2. Next, leave all kinds of belongings out in the open, scattered around is best though stacks of things like old newspapers works well here as well. If you can, pile so much stuff in each room that you're taking a picture of that you can't really discern what the room is supposed to be used for. Showcase just how many pieces of furniture that you can get in each room. Don't restrict yourself to items that belong in that room either, the more random the better. Don't give anyone a hint as to what the room is actually used for by the contents.

3. Take only pictures that highlight areas that require repair, poorly designed elements, or if you don't have any of those, shots that show expanses of blank walls. Don't allow any of the interesting elements of your home to show at all. Only show the least intesting angles of your yard as well or that pile of garden debris or junk that you cleaned out of the garage you're going to take to the dump.

4. Whenever possible take your photos from odd angles or even with a fisheye lens. Photos taken from close to the ceiling will make all your rooms look like only a hobbit could live in them while shots taken from near the floor will make all your furniture seem to loom over you. Distortion is the name of the game here, don't be afraid to take shots down staircases to show just how treacherous they might really be, even if they aren't.

5. Make sure that when you have all your pictures, you write up your listing with misspelled words, using poor punctuation, and either no capitals or ALL capitals. Nothing says "I'm not a professional" like a lack of proof reading.

All joking aside, when you decide to put up your home for sale, you will want to make sure that the pictures show a clean home that is free from clutter. A buyer is likely to think that if a seller can't be bothered to clean and tidy their house for something as important as putting it on the market it is likely to have not been maintained well either. The text that accompanies your pictures should be clear and concise and proof-read for mistakes. For even better results, consult a professional real estate agent in your area for expert advice and tips on selling your home.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Tips: How To Increase The Value Of Your Home Cheaply

If you are planning of selling your home you should highly consider increasing the home's value in order to sell it at a higher price. The good side is that you don't have to spend a lot of money for you to improve the value. Here are some tips on how to increase the value of your home inexpensively.

Clean and de-clutter your home

A clean house will look appealing to the buyer and as a result you are able to sell it at a higher price.

The first thing that you should do is to make your home spacious. Here you need to eliminate any junky and unnecessary items. For example, you should get rid of any battered furniture and papers.

Once you have removed all the junk, you should now clean the house. When cleaning you should pay close attention to the areas that are rarely cleaned such as baseboards, heating vents and grout.

To be on the safe side you should ensure that every area of your home is thoroughly clean and there are no stains. If you find that you are having trouble with the cleaning you should consider hiring a professional cleaning service to help you out.

Paint your home

Paint tends to brighten your home. Paint also makes your home appear well cared for. For ideal results you should ensure that you first patch up any holes before you apply the paint. To give your home a silky smooth finish, it's recommended that you apply a primer coat.

When choosing the finish for your home, you should ensure that you consider the condition of your walls. If your walls have some imperfections such as dents or cracks, you should use eggshell finish paint.

When painting the house you should pay close attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. This is because these are the most important areas that buyers look at for them to decide whether to buy the house or not.

Update the curtains and blinds

Curtains and blinds are cheap thus affordable for many people. To increase your home's value it's recommended that you go for modern curtains in the market.

Although, increasing the value of your home aids in increasing the home's cost, you should be very careful when buying the materials. This is because you can end up spending more money than what the market gives you back.