DIY/Home Archives - Page 33 of 37

Your Christmas Preparations Should Include Your Boiler

December 9, 2016 by Mandy

December is here once again and of course you’re busy racing around trying to bag all those presents, as well as maybe make a cake and even pick out a half-decent turkey. When you’re in the middle of this hustle-and-bustle, it’s easy to forget the more humdrum concerns like making sure your boiler is up to the challenges of winter.

The winter of 2016-17, we’re told by those in the know (or should that be in the snow?) is fixing to be a cold one. In addition to the extra demands to be placed on your boiler due to the cold, you’ll also probably be in the house more over the holiday period. All this means extra stress and work for your boiler, so it’s important that you can rely on it, at least until spring.

Think about replacing your boiler with a new, energy-efficient model

In the last decade or two there have been some great leaps and bounds in heating tech, mainly driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions and to conserve fossil fuels. These advances also have the advantage of saving the homeowner quite a bit of money. Think about it, you’ve just stocked up on the best value home heating oil NI has to offer, but your boiler is almost 15 years old and doesn’t use it as efficiently as it could.

Even though Christmas is looming, it’s not too late to replace your existing boiler with a new, highly efficient model. You could save up to 20% on your heating costs over the year, which would make a nice bonus for next Christmas.

Your faithful old boiler is, in reality, operating at only 50-60% efficiency, whereas a modern conventional boiler works at around 70% and a condensing boiler at around 90%. Condensing boilers cost more, but pay for themselves within three to five years.

More about energy-efficient boilers

You can find out more about the efficiency of different gas- and oil-fired boilers by consulting a special database. This database, developed and compiled by the UK government to aid Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) operatives. The SAP looks at how energy-efficient a building or dwelling is, and this database helps buyers and developers to choose the best boilers for domestic heating systems.

Most boiler makers publish their seasonal efficiency averages, which look much like the energy ratings you see on fridges, washing machines and other domestic appliances. There’s a simple guide to boiler efficiency, which uses these Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK (SEDBUK) bandings in the familiar A-G, green-to-red format. When you go to choose a new boiler, choose the most efficient one that you can afford – it’ll pay off within a few years.

Get your boiler serviced now if you haven’t already

Your boiler really needs to be checked at least once a year and if you’ve been putting it off because of the expense or the hassle, you might be making a costly and uncomfortable mistake if it goes kaput during a blizzard. That really will dampen your Christmas spirit.

4 Tips for Backyard Party Decor

December 5, 2016 by Mandy

The arrival of Fall means that you’ll throw lots of outdoor parties in the coming months. If you want to impress your friends and loved ones, you’ll need to start decorating your place. Here are four tips for backyard party decor that will cause your guests to marvel at your taste and style.

Event Signs

There’s no better way to personalize a party than to make signs especially for it. These are shockingly easy to create, too. All you need are a few pieces of wood and a can of paint that stands out against the color of the wood. Then write the event’s name on the sign. In fact, you can expand on this idea by building enough signs to operate as directions to your home visible from the road.

If you don’t have access to wood, you can use chalkboard as an alternative. Simply find a frame to wrap around it, then grab your chalk and write a special message for your event. If it’s an intimate affair, you can also add the names of all the invited guests to make everyone feel special.

DIY Arrangement

One of the best ways to impress your guests is through your own handiwork. Flower arrangements are perfect for any time of year. You can select flowers that are in bloom to highlight their beauty and color. Simply head to your favorite flower shop and buy the ones that catch your eye. Then choose one of many five-minute arrangement options to craft the one that’s perfect for your event.

Decorative Lights

Everything’s better when you illuminate it with the correct type of lighting. Stringing lights in the backyard will create the perfect mood for your party. It’ll also cause the entire affair to feel a bit more magical. A nice trick is to string holiday lights from a trusted vendor such as Christmas Lights Etc on the walls. Your guests will naturally associate the lights with cheer due to their common use during the holiday season. The background lights will also quietly set a celebratory tone, proving that holiday lights have year-round value.

Go All Out

Nothing says “party” like full on, themed decor. Take your party to the next level with themed centerpieces, plates, cups, and even an outdoor dj setup with turntables You can even encourage guests to partake in the festivities by dressing up to match the mood. There are endless fun ideas to play on such as classic ideas like a luau or 80’s vibe.

You can also try out something unexpected like a carnival theme involving hot dogs, cotton candy, and red and white striped decor. Or a murder mystery party that would allow all of your guest to join in on the fun.

Your outdoor party’s decor should feature all the right touches, from the mood, to the food. Simply follow the suggestions above, or modify them to fit your personal style. With these tips, you’ll be able to throw unforgettable parties all year long.

Creating and Maintaining Value of Your Family Vehicle

November 22, 2016 by Mandy

A new vehicle’s value depreciates as soon as it is driven off the dealership’s lot. In fact, as soon as you drive it on the road, it is already considered a “used” car. Even brand new vehicles when used as demo cars are no longer considered new. However, there are ways to maintain the value of your family vehicle so it holds the most value over the years that you own it.

There are also financial and resale reasons to ensure the value of your vehicle. Resale and collateral for a loan.

Taking Out a Loan Against the Value of Your Vehicle

At some point, your family may have an emergency and need to secure a short-term loan for financial reasons. If you’re close to paying off your vehicle, or it has already been paid off and holds its book value, there are car title loans to help through the financial crisis.

Maintaining a High Resale Value

No vehicle will ever sell for what you paid for it, unless you’re selling a mint condition classic or antique vehicle. As such, it’s important to do regular maintenance on your car from the first day you purchase it. This ensures that if you ever decide to sell it or trade it in on a newer car, you will get the most money back on it.

It is not difficult to keep your car maintained, however, if this is your family’s primary vehicle and you have small children, there are some important considerations to keeping your car in check.

Interior Maintenance

When you go to trade in your car or use it against a loan, the vehicle’s interior plays as much importance as the outside and under the hood. In fact, some buyers may not worry as much about a torn hose as they are about stains or tears on the car seats or carpets. A hose is easier to replace than a vehicle’s interior.

Seat covers: If you have kids who like to eat and drink in the car, which is normal, the best idea is to buy seat covers and car mats for your car. The covers and mats can be taken out to wash and dry and they’ll protect against stains and other damage. When you’re ready to sell your car or have it evaluated for collateral against a loan, simply remove the covers and mats and your vehicle’s interior will look showroom new.
Smoking: If you’re a smoker, now is the time to quit smoking inside of your vehicle. It doesn’t matter how many windows you have down, the residue will seep inside of the car’s interior and you may never get rid of the smell even with professional detailing. In addition, never let any passengers smoke inside of your vehicle either and try not to smoke right before getting into your car. The smoke will cling to your clothing and transfer to the interior of your vehicle.
Trash removal: Never let trash pile up in your car. Dispose of it daily so it takes less time when you do your weekly cleaning. An alternative is to keep a bag inside your car specifically for tossing out any trash you generate during the week.
Weekly cleaning: Set aside one morning a week to thoroughly clean the inside and outside of your car. Beyond vacuuming, wipe down the interior including the dashboard, steering column and seat belts, and clean the windows. When you wash the car, be sure to get up under the wheel wells and clean the wheels.
Car Wax: If you use a good wax, you should only need to wax your car two or three times per year. For older vehicles, you may want to give the car a double wax before winter to protect it against the salt and sand during the snow season. For hotter climates, wax protects sun damage.

Maintaining the Mechanicals

For new car purchases, do not ignore the maintenance schedule included in the owner’s manual. They are there to help you keep your vehicle running smoothly and avoid possible major repairs down the road.

Aside from annual vehicle inspections, if you live in a state that requires them, you need to keep a check on the following, which could end up damaging the vehicle’s engine or transmission over time:

Fuel oil: Check with the owner’s manual to see what weight the oil should be during different times of the year. Before you go on any long road trips, be sure the check the oil level. It is critical to maintain the proper levels of fuel oil so you don’t have the expense of replacing your car’s engine.
Brake fluid: You need your car to stop securely, but if you’re low on brake fluid, you may need to apply more pressure than necessary and the car may not stop.
Transmission fluid: This is especially essential in automatic transmission vehicles. Not maintaining the proper fluid levels could seriously damage your vehicle’s transmission, which is a repair you do not want to have to make. It can be very costly.

Safety Essentials

To even further protect your vehicle’s value, make sure you’re safe on the road so you can be better protected against accidents. These include proper headlights, turn signals, rear and brake lights and tire pressure. Keeping all of these essentials properly maintained will go far in maintaining the value of your vehicle.

5 Tips to Restore Upholstery from Water Damage

November 16, 2016 by Mandy

A flood is something nobody wants to experience, and if you happen to live in an area where flooding occurs, it can be a serious problem. Water might be an essential component to life, but it sure can damage furniture, and if you’ve ever experienced trying to restore furniture damaged by water you’ll understand perfectly. Most furniture is made from timber, and water quickly degenerates wood, causing stains, and after a while making the wood unusable. Here are some useful tips to help you save your furniture if it’s been damaged by water.

It is important to evaluate the damage as soon as possible, and remove the furniture to a dry area. The longer it is exposed to water, the more damage will occur, so move everything as soon as you can, even lifting it off the ground will help. Water damage restoration should be carried out by professionals, especially if the furniture is expensive.

Salvage what you can, and separate what can be saved and what cannot. Take pictures of all the furniture, as this might come in useful when making insurance claims. Make sure the damage is evident, and if necessary, take pictures of one item from several angles. Wooden doors will often swell up after being exposed to water, and you may not be able to open them without causing damage. If the furniture is inside a room and the door will not open, it is probably best to sacrifice the door by breaking it down, to allow access to the damaged furniture.

Sunlight is your best friend when it comes to drying out furniture, so try to find a dry area in the sun and leave all the items out for as long as possible. Mattresses can often be saved, if the water isn’t too dirty, and they haven’t been exposed to the water for too long. Anything more than a few hours would render the mattress unusable.

Timber furniture can often be salvaged, especially if it is made from hardwood, and after it has been dried, check the joints and see if mould has established itself. If you are in WA, and need your furniture restored after a flood, call in http://www.chemdryexpresswa.com.au/, who can quickly appraise the damage, and undertake any possible repairs.

Upholstered furniture might be salvageable, especially leather, although with some upholstery, the colour might run. For leather, try various chemical cleaners, but make sure the surface is fully dried before using any chemical solutions. If you are unsure whether or not an item of furniture can be salvaged, talk to the experts, and they will quickly assess the damage. Often, the repairs would cost more than the item is worth, and unless it has some sentimental value, it is best to write it off.

Flooding causes a lot of damage in the home, and time is of the essence. If you have advanced warning of rising water levels, move everything off the ground if possible, as this will reduce the damage considerably.

Décor like Never Before

November 15, 2016 by Mandy

Interior design is one of those industries that is continually integrating new technology, and products to create spectacular effects and design concepts. Mosaic tiles are no exception. The tiles that you will find in the market place today are far from being the same old humdrum tile options of years past.

Materials and Finishes

Mosaic tiles have always come in a variety of styles and finishes; however the tiles that you will encounter today have opened up an entirely new pallet to work with. They come in simulated wood, finished pebbles, and an assortment of metals to name a few.

These new finishes provide durability that was previously missing while creating additional use options. Where you might not want to install wood flooring or metal detailing in a bathroom, because of water erosion issues, with this mosaic tile pattern you can achieve the same look as wood or metal without having to worry about water damage, rust, or erosion.

Don’t Paint, Tile

Mosaic tiles are not just for floors either. You can use the mosaic tiles that you find for sale today on walls, kitchen islands, as backsplashes, and any place that your imagination can picture them. The availability of different sizes and patterns opens up your options more than ever before.

Idea Sparks

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Fireplace – Instead of painting that dirty old fireplace mantle, cover it with mosaic tile. This gives you the ability to use smooth pebbles, wood, or even metal to create a one of a kind focal point in your room, that will be easily cleanable and durable.
Kitchen – Replace your kitchen backsplash with a decorative mosaic tile to draw color and interesting details into what is typically looked at as a workspace.
Bedrooms – Instead of a bulky headboard, consider creating your own work of art headboard with mosaic tiles.
Patio – Use mosaic tiles to cover cheap wood planter boxes to create an upscale outdoor living area at the fraction of the cost of what you would pay for something that you may not even like that much.

Longevity

Although mosaic tiles are more durable than a lot of other products they still need tender loving care, such as regular cleaning, especially on exposed grout. However, if you take the time to include these maintenance routines into your normal cleaning regimen you will find that your tile work will stay looking like new for generations to come.

Creating a home that represents who you are is something everyone strives for. And, in the past your creativity may have been stifled by the limited products and materials available to you. That has all changed though, with the emergence of such high quality mosaic tile options that come in so many different finishes and looks. Today’s mosaic tiles are durable, functional, and beautiful opening up a whole new world in the field of interior design that even the do-it-yourself weekend warrior can use to create the living space of their dreams.