Clogged sinks

Clogged sinks occur when water refuses to drain or when it drains very slowly.The result is overflowing sinks. The problem is often unbearable and tedious. Unfortunately, a clogged sink means you can’t wash your dishes, brush your teeth or wash your hands. The problem makes daily activities impossible.  A plunger may come in handy but it’s not always useful. If the water doesn’t drain, one can use an Augerinstead of a plunger. If it the problem persists, a plumber has to be called. Plumbers are experts at unblocking clogged sinks.

Clogged toilets

A clogged toilet can make a house uninhabitable. It’s a bad sight, that is both cumbersome and a real health risk. A plunger should feature in your first attempt to fix the problem. The plunger pushes air into the draining pipes forcing down any causing the blockage. Once the clog is fixed one should flush the toilet to completely clear the drains. If the water doesn’t drain or if the entire process looks cumbersome, an emergency plumber is the best option. Plumbers are equipped with all the necessary tools for unblocking toilets. Therefore don’t stay with a clogged toilet, call in the experts.

Leaking pipes

Leaks are a sign of impending damages. Leaky faucets and toilets cause rustingof pipes which weakens the structural integrity. The leaks also form a breeding ground for moulds that give a discomforting sight.  The sound from a leaking pipe is also irritating and can cause sleepless nights. An emergency plumber can fix leaks and put your plumbing in order.

Burst pipes

An emergency plumber should be called immediately if a pipe bursts. Burst pipes cause excessive loss of water and increase the water bills exponentially. Moreover, the excessive water leaving burst pipes may collect in the house or in your backyard. Consequently, your residence may become uninhabitable. Immediately you notice any signs of a burst, call the plumber before the problem becomes worse. If the burst is from drain pipes or sewage pipes, your response should be swift due to the health risks such bursts pose.

Identifying a burst may be problematic since some can occur out of sight. One of the signs you should look out for is low pressure in your taps. This could be as a result of a hidden burst in your plumbing. Bursting pipes may be due to physical damage during construction. Tree roots may also wrap around the weak points of your water pipes or sewer lines causing the pipes to burst. Another cause is to corrosion. In any case, one should take precaution in case you notice any signs. Call the plumber and minimize damages by protecting the items in your house. Burst pipes can release 100 gallons over 8 hours, therefore, it’s important to respond fast.

Leaking water heater

A leak in your hot water supply can cause property damage and high power bills. A leaky water valve can be replaced but if the entire wall of the heater is rusty, the whole heater needs replacement. A professional plumber can quickly fix the problem and restore the hot water supply in your residence. A leaking water heater can turn the hot water in your shower ice cold. Some faults can make the water too hot. With a plumber a call away, the problem can be assessed and fixed before heavy losses are incurred.

Gas leaks.

Gas leaks are dangerous. When thereis a gas leak vacate the building and call a professional plumber or the gas company immediately. In case of a gas leak, your first response should be to turn off all the gas valves, disconnect the pipes from the main supply and put out any flames in the house. If the leak continues, do not waste time trying to find it. Professional plumbers are fully-equipped to find and fix gas leaks. They take all the precautions to avoid any accidents during their repairs. If the leak is serious the gas company may get involved to ensure the safety of you and your property.

It’s important to have an emergency line for your plumber. Some plumbing problems require immediate attention and waiting only makes them worse.

Read More:

• Outdoor Plumbing Tips
• Why ‘Poor’ Plumbing Practices Can Lead to Bigger Problems Down the Track
• How Long Does A Gas Hot Water Heater Last?

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Today, we’re trying to find a middle ground. Installing an outdoor playset in the yard ensures the kids stay close to home and protects them from stranger danger, but it also gets them outside and gives them some measure of autonomy. However, just because you know where they are doesn’t mean you should leave them unsupervised. Keep an eye on them, making sure they don’t play too rough, and offering a first-aid-kiss when needed.

Soften their falls

Public playgrounds often have floors made of concrete, asphalt, or grass, which isn’t the best surface to fall on. When you install your home playset, ensure the soft fall area is well cushioned. This protective landing bay should extend roughly six feet beyond the playset boundary in every direction. For climbing sets, the area in the middle of the playset should be protected too, in case of vertical falls. Higher swings need wider soft falls.

Rubber mats offer the best soft surfacing, though you can also use artificial soft turf. The flooring materials should never be trampled or packed down, because this hardens the surface. Instead, try loose flooring options like wood chips, shredded rubber, pea gravel, or mulch. If the ground is concrete, blacktop, or asphalt, apply multiple layers of protection.

Put impact mats on the ground and cover that with 3 to 6 inches of loose-fill. Then put a cloth above that and add another 3 to 6 inches of loose soft filling. The depth of your flooring material depends on the height of the playset. Include the height of the child in your measurement. If a child stands at the top of the playset, and the top of his or her head is 8 feet above the ground, you need 12 inches of loose floor filling.

Age-appropriate selection

Many playset manufacturers divide their modular units into three age groups. Toddlers and infants are under 2 years of age, while pre-school playsets cover age 2 to 5. School-age playsets are designed for ages 5 to 12. Bigger kids can break playsets intended for a younger age bracket, while the ‘babies’ can hurt themselves if they attempt to use playsets above the age grade. The proportions are all wrong for their shorter muscle groups and bones.

Spacing protects the kids as well. If you have any holes, gaps, or rungs, they should either be smaller than 8cm or wider than 20cm to prevent tiny heads or body parts from getting stuck. Nets that have a perimeter larger than half a metre could trap a child, so go for smaller nets. For swings, make sure there’s at least 2 feet between the seats, and 75cm between the outer side of the swing and the swing frame.

In general, if the playset is higher than 75cm, there should be a 9 foot gap between it and the neighbouring playset. If the playset has moving parts, inspect them carefully to see if there are parts where kids can pinch themselves or crush their fingers. Put these playsets in a separate area from stationary playsets. Examples are swings, merry-go-rounds, and see-saws.

Targeted safety guidelines

If the playset has any raised platforms or high portions, hem them in using guard rails and barriers to minimise falls. Inspect the playset regularly for paint chips, rust, rough edges, wood splinters, and potentially harmful wear and tear. Sand down sharp corners and edges to prevent cuts and bruises. Always use paint and dye that is child-safe and waterproof.

Teach kids basic safety tips – like no pushing on the playground – and always check before sliding or swinging, to make sure there are no other kids in the way. Remind them not to play on hot or wet surfaces, and check that their play clothes don’t have strings or laces that could trip them or get tangled in the playset.

Some safety tips go counter to kids’ preferred ways of playing, so just keep an eye on them. For example, kids shouldn’t slide on their tummies, kneel on swings, kick off the ground on see-saws, or play hands-free on a log roll. Enforcing all these rules can be exhausting, especially since the unsafe options seem to be what kids instinctively want to do. That’s why adult supervision is still the first and most important law of playground safety.

The post Safety Procedures to Follow for Your Outdoor Play Module appeared first on Expert Zine.

This last point is debatable. After all, services like child care, education, construction, and plumbing are crucial. In the western world, these jobs can earn you a good income. In the third world, they’re considered ‘family business’ because they were traditionally done by family members, and families were large enough that there was always someone available to look after the kids, teach them cultural expectations, or build a new house. This means even today, when these tasks have to be outsourced, people don’t pay very much for them.

Here in the western world though, plumbing is one of those premium services. If your toilet breaks in the middle of a dinner party or your kitchen flood in the middle of the night, you’ll part with a fortune to get that repaired. That emergency plumbing though. There are some more basic tasks you can do on your own. Let’s look at a few outdoor plumbing fixes you can do at home, with or without the assistance of YouTube, starting with the toilet.

Septic situations

According to WikiHow and the almighty YouTube, you can replace your own toilet. Just go to the hardware, buy a bowl and cistern, follow a million steps, and hey presto new toilet. Getting into your septic tank is slightly more complicated. Whether it’s a domestic unit or part of the municipal system, it requires occasional maintenance, and you can’t just yank off the manhole and jump in there. There’s a reason there are so many documentaries and legends about fatbergs and alligators in the sewers (of New York).

But while you can’t dive in wellies-first, you can do a few other things. Like, take notes. That’s not as silly as it sounds. Your septic tank needs to be inspected two or three times a year, just to make sure everything is flowing as it should. And because you don’t always get the same plumber, it helps to keep detailed records of who visited, when, and what they said. You may need their feedback for the next visit, or for a home insurance claim. Note down any repairs they made (and how much they billed). You also need a sketch of your septic system.

Once in three years (or five years for smaller households) your septic tank should be pumped and evaluated. You can’t do that yourself, but you can still keep detailed notes. If you’ve had any yard work done that required permits or adjustments to the sewers, keep a record of that too. If nothing else, your cost-based observations will jog your memory in case the next Sydney plumbers try to overcharge you.

Taps and drains

You’re probably pretty good about routine home checks – making sure doors and windows are locked at night, and that taps are closed when you leave the house. Extend this habit outdoors. Check all your faucets and if there are more than three, use a checklist system. You can even draft a little map to give your house-sitters while you’re away. Every day (or maybe once a week), walk to each tap, open it, and let it run for a few seconds. Ideally, it should run into a bucket or cup to avoid wastage. Then, close the tap.

You’re looking to see if the tap closes effectively, or whether it drips. You’re also reviewing the pressure of your tap. If it sometimes flows and sometimes drips, there might be something blocking the pipe, so you’ll need to call in a plumber. Dripping faucets can also suggest there’s a crack somewhere inside the mechanism of the tap. If you’re pipe-curious, go forth and YouTube – you’ll find a detailed tutorial. Otherwise, just call Mario.

As for your drains, it’s more about cleaning than plumbing. Sweep, blow, or vacuum them to get rid of dead leaves, fallen twigs, and other dirt that may pile up and risk blockage. Regular drain checks will help you spot backed-up pipes before they get stagnant, start to stink or raise a scourge of mosquitoes. You may also need to periodically pour commercial de-clogging products down your drains, or inside your septic tank.

Read More:

• How to Handle a Dripping Toilet
• How Long Does A Gas Hot Water Heater Last?

The post Outdoor Plumbing Tips appeared first on Expert Zine.

1. Affordable

Furniture is expensive, and many first-time homebuyers are already overwhelmed paying their mortgage, let alone finding the money to furnish their home. Renting furniture allows you to fully furnish a room or your entire home for a fraction of the cost it would take to buy all of those items outright. It also helps you to avoid the costly mistake of buying a piece of furniture that is the wrong size or shape for your room, or is just bad quality.

Renting furniture lets you take home the furniture without the commitment of owning it forever—if you don’t like it after one, two, or even six months, you can just end the rental. If you’ve bought furniture, you typically can only return it for a very short window of time.

2. Convenient and Stress-free

Buying furniture can be tiring and stressful. If you’re not working with an interior designer, all of the decisions regarding the style of the room are up to you. That can be an overwhelming task, having to shell out large sums of money for items that you just aren’t sure will create the look you’re going for. When you rent furniture, you can take an item home, see how it fits in your space, and then continue renting it or return it to try something different, all with very little monetary investment by comparison. If you finally find a set up you love and you have the money to spare, then you can go out and buy the same or similar pieces to achieve the same look.

Renting furniture is also convenient because it’s one-stop shopping. If you were going to buy furniture, you would probably have to look at several different shops to find the items you’re looking for at the best price. When you rent, your investment is low, so you can afford to take home the items you love without worrying about comparison shopping.

3. Great for Long or Short Term

Many people think renting furniture only makes sense in the short-term. But if you know you’ll be moving to a new home every few years due to work, property investment, or personal preference, then renting long-term can be a perfect fit.

The costs of moving, storage, damage, disposal, and buying new pieces for a new home can really add up, especially if you’re doing it every few years. Renting furniture basically eliminates those costs and takes away so much coordination and stress from the moving process. You’ll no longer have to worry whether the furniture in your current house will work in your new home or not, whether you’ll need to put some of it in storage or not, or whether you’ll need to repeat some or all of the furniture buying process in your new home.

4. Flexible

In today’s globalized world, many people jump from city to city for work, often unsure of how long they will be stationed there. It could be one year, it could be ten. Others move unexpectedly or fall on hard times just when they’ve moved or bought a new home. Renting furniture allows you the flexibility of feeling settled in a new place without the financial or material commitment of buying new furniture. And should you need to suddenly move again, you have the flexibility to return your furniture and hop to your next destination unburdened and worry-free.

5. High-Quality and Stylish

Good furniture rental outlets will keep up their offerings with the latest trends and styles. This means that if you have been renting for a while but are seeing a new style that you love, you can return your current items and rent the new items that you love. When you’ve invested in a piece of furniture on the other hand, your kind of stuck with it, even if you’re seeing new styles that you love.

Furniture rental companies also have a vested interest in providing quality furniture—they want it to last so that it has a long rental life. This means you’ll get top-quality items at the amazing low cost of your rental. This is especially important for those who rent furniture because they move frequently. Without furniture rental available, many people buy cheap, lesser-quality furniture just to last for the duration of their stay in the area. Once they move on, they can essentially just throw it away. This is bad for the owner, as they will be living with low-quality furniture, but also takes a toll on the environment.

The post Sometimes Renting Your Furniture is a Win-Win appeared first on Expert Zine.

It sounds easy, but at times it’s easy to get caught up in the rat the race and before you know it you’re getting home from work exhausted and time poor, struggling to muster the energy for any extracurricular activities, like taking the family to the park.

So it is important to manage your time wisely and take care of your body so you are at your best when it comes time to spending quality time with the family. In this post, we will give you some red hot tips on how to free up some time and take care of yourself, so you can be at your very best for your family.

Get Quality Sleep

There is a difference between sleep and quality sleep. The optimal time where your body gets the best rest is between 10:30 pm to 6:30 am. Circadian rhythms follow the sun. You might also want to get into a relaxing practice such as breathing exercises or some light yoga to wind down your body and mind so it’s ready for deep sleep. Getting a restful night’s sleep will give you the energy to power through the day and into the afternoon, so when you arrive home and the kids want to play you still have some reserves in the tank.

Time Management

This is an obvious one but it’s one of the hardest to maintain. Buy a diary, set alarms and utilize all apps you can that will help you manage time wisely. A little bit of planning goes a long way and will allow you to get things done and free up some time for you to spend with your family. The night before, plan your day so you have a clear idea of what needs to be and done and when. Of course, allow as much time as you can afford for quality time with your family.

Plan Day Trips

Try to dedicate at least one full day a week where you leave the phones at home and take the family out of the city and into nature. The natural environment will not only feed your soul, it will also bring your family closer together and is the perfect setting for some quality time. Nearly every city has some hidden gems just outside the city limits. Do some research online during the week, pack a picnic hamper and set off with the family.

Outsource Duties

If you are time poor and you are struggling to get a moment for yourself let alone your family, try outsourcing some of your daily chores. Get a cleaner in a few times a week for a regular clean. You would be surprised how much time doing household chores consumes. Don’t be too proud to let someone else help out like a house cleaning service. That way when you get home from work you can tend to what’s important such as playing some board games with the family.

This can also be done in the work arena. Try outsourcing some of the tasks that you feel someone else can handle. You may have to sacrifice a few dollars in the process but you will be buying something that is priceless. Time!

Just Say No

It’s quite common in our work and social lives for us to want to be agreeable and feel like we aren’t letting people down. Whether it’s a work function or an invitation to a wedding or party. It’s ok to say no without feeling guilty. Obviously, use some tact when approaching the situation and politely decline where it’s possible. Saying no to certain engagements will free up your time for you to spend with your family.

Get Your Priorities Straight Mate

Get out a pencil and paper. Now!  Make a list of work and life of the things that you spend the most time on. This will give you a visual representation of your life in its current state. Then make another list of how you would like to prioritise your life. Look at every day and work towards achieving it. The results may not come instantly but chip away at it little by little giving more time to things that you hold dear.

Don’t Get Distracted

It’s easy to get distracted in our current times. You start listening to a podcast while you’re working and the next minute you’ve been taken down a rabbit hole and you are reading about the mysterious disappearance of Harold Holt. Recognise this behaviour and avoid it. Get back on track and hammer away at your work, get it done.

These are just a few general tips for you to free up some valuable time that can be spent with your family. You know your life better than anyone else, therefore, you have the best understanding of how to make some tweaks and refine it so you can be living a well-balanced life and spend quality time with the people you love.

The post Spend More Quality Time with Your Family appeared first on Expert Zine.

On the phone (or tablet or laptop), you can install a pool care app like Connect My Pool, Pool Pal, or Pool Doctor. These apps work with your digital pool box, allowing you to programme a pool robot, switch on the pool lights, heater, pump, pool cover, and more. You can do this from anywhere – the back yard or the moon – as long as your phone has internet access, and as long as your home WiFi extends to the pool. Pool apps work on home spas too. Whether you’re using a smartphone or something more analogue, here are 4 essential pool care tips.

Go go gadget pool cleaner

A robotic pool cleaner can seem like a really fun toy, but it’s pretty handy too. Some models come with self-drive and self-park options. This means you can use your phone to instruct the robot to get inside the pool, do a deep clean, remove itself from the pool, and get back into its parking spot. This can be done even when you’re not physically on the premises.

The pool robot does the same cleaning you would do by hand, so if you don’t have one, use a pool vacuum or pool brush to clean the floor and sides of the pool. This gets rids of any dust, debris, or filmy layers accumulated at the bottom or walls of the pool. This process – by machine or hand – prevents algae from building up on your pool’s surfaces, and you need to do it once a week or so.

Get rid of surface dirt

Dirt beneath the water isn’t as easy to spot, even when your pool is calm and clear. However, surface dirt is an eyesore and can attract pests. If leaves or twigs stay on the water too long and start to rot, they can attract flies and other insects. They overwork your pool skimmer and can spread disease-bearing germs in the water. Plus, it just looks bad.

Once a day, give the pool a once over with a skimmer pole. Just pick out the leaves and sticks. You should also empty and rinse the skimmer basket once a week. If your poolside is particularly ‘woodsy’ or if your neighbourhood has frequent breezes and elaborate landscaping, consider a pool cover. It could be a basic leaf cover or something automated and solar-powered. Some pool covers can be opened and shut using your smartphone pool app.

Review pool chemicals

All pools use chlorine – even mineral pools and salt-water pools. The difference is in the amount and type. For example, salt-water pools use cartridges to convert salt into liquid chlorine and back in a perpetual cycle. This means it uses far less chlorine powder than a regularly chlorinated pool. Mineral pools rely more on magnesium chloride, silver ions, copper ions, and borates, with just a dash of actual chlorine.

Other chemicals in your pool include algaecides, cyanuric acid, calcium, bromine, muriatic acid, and calcium hypochlorite. And yet, even with all these chemicals, you want your pool pH to settle around 7.2, the pH of fresh potable water. This means you should routinely test the chemical levels and adjust them accordingly. You can do this on your phone as well, though you’ll have to physically restore the right pH.

How deep is your pool?

Before we get pools of our own, we assume the only issue with any pool is chlorine. In reality, the pH is far more important, and it’s a cumulative figure based on all the pool chemicals you’ve used. So if swimmers feel an itch, burn, or redness in their eyes, it’s because of the pool pH, not the chlorine volumes in the pool.

Shocking the pool can usually resolve this, but first, you should check alkalinity and acidity then correct as necessary. At the same time, check how much water is in the pool. Too much evaporation could destroy the pool filter, and might indicate a leak that needs repairing. Pool covers are great for minimising the pace of evaporation – and they cut down your heating bill too – so consider putting one in.

Read Also:

Looking After Your Pool Through The Seasons

How to Make Your Pool Unique

The post 4 Essential Pool Maintenance Tips appeared first on Expert Zine.

Lopi Endeavour

Lopi produces some of the finest fireplaces on the market. They have been in the game for a very long time and there is a reason for it. Their fireplaces a crafted to the highest standard and all the moving parts work seamlessly. Not only are they of quality construction, they look great. They have what you would call a timeless appeal. What I love about the Lopi is that it combines efficiency, quality craftsmanship, and style, all in the one package. The Lopi Endeavour has a beautiful gold trimming around the viewing panel that adds a touch of elegance and it is definitely one of my favourite free-standing fireplaces on the market.

The Potbelly

It’s hard not to love a potbelly stove. They have been aptly named as the bulge in the middle resembles a fat man’s stomach. For nostalgic reasons, I have included the potbelly on my list. They may not be the most efficient of wood heaters, but if you want to add some rustic charm to your dwelling, the pot belly is the free-standing wood heater for you. They come in a range of styles but essentially have one thing in common – and that’s their signature bulge in the middle. They are deal for the holiday home or the cabin in the woods.

Lopi Republic

Yes, another Lopi on the list. The Lopi Republic combines all the elements that make Lopi great, such as efficiency and quality craftsmanship, and packages them in a beautifully designed, timeless piece of ornamental greatness. The Republic combines the classic appeal of a freestanding heater with the functionality of cooktop. It’s a great unit if you’re after a cooking surface as well.

Jotul F3

Jotul is renowned for their unique freestanding fireplaces. The F3’s classic stylings and brilliantly designed looking glass set it apart from the rest of the field. It’s a great fireplace for those looking for something a bit different, something a bit special, that will have your guests intrigued by the beauty as they relax around the fireplace. It looks great and is of solid construction – and that is why it makes the list.

Jotul F105

Now, this Jotul is a bit quirky. It looks like the future’s past. The Jotul F105 is shaped like an old television set and has a rounded looking glass. It kind of reminds of the Jetsons or of what someone from the 1960’s would have imagined the future of fireplaces to look like. I’d even go as far to say that it’s a bit of an art piece or collector’s item with its second function to provide warmth for your household. The Jotul F105 is a real head turner.

Lopi Liberty

Yes, another Lopi. You’re probably wondering why there are so many Lopi fireplaces on this list. Well in all my research (and I did a lot) Lopi fireplaces are a cut above the rest. The Liberty is the big bertha of the range and can handle 24-inch logs, so you can keep that fire burning all night long. The Liberty is a beautiful fireplace with an enchanting gold trim around the looking glass and all mechanical parts move and lock into place smoothly. This can even be installed in mobile homes, which is a bonus for the grey nomads who want to add some homely features to their house on wheels.

Malm Freestanding Fireplace

The people at Malm must have been watching a lot of Star Wars when they designed this unique yet oddly beautiful fireplace. The fireplace resembles Darth Vader’s helmet! I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a kid and my eyes lit up when I saw this fireplace while doing my research. I probably would have bought this one if the wife would have let me. Unfortunately, when you get married sometimes you have to compromise. But when I get my man cave, this will be the first purchase on my list.

These are just a few of my favourite freestanding fireplace, but there are so many great fireplaces on the market. I can think of about 20 more that could have made the list. Making my final decision was a tough one but I finally went with the Lopi Republic as it ticked all the boxes.

Read Also:

Tips For Keeping Your Fireplace And Fire Clean

The Benefits of More Frequent Professional Cleans Over Winter

The post My Favourite Freestanding Wood Heaters appeared first on Expert Zine.

In my line of work, I’m never in one place for a long time. In my last ten years of work, I lived in six or seven different places for medium to long periods of time. Long enough to want to have some homely comforts, but not long enough to buy a house or fill a house full of new furniture. That’s why I love renting, because I can deck out my house exactly how and want to and not have to worry about lugging all the furniture with me. The rentals terms are extremely flexible and it gets delivered directly to my door, wherever that may be in the world.

There is quite a variety to choose from so if your house looks tacky, don’t blame the rental furniture – your interior design skills and furniture choices are probably what’s lacking here. Make sure you check out the house or apartment you’re going to be finishing first. You want the furniture to gel with the existing theme. Plus, you will need some idea of how much furniture you will need to fill the space.

It’s easy to get excited and go overboard when you’re renting furniture. There is such a wide selection and once you get in the showroom it quite exciting. I made this folly on my first renting experience. I ordered too much furniture and could barely walk around my apartment it was so cluttered. Since then, I have adopted a minimalist approach. I only order what I need and I try to keep as much walk space as possible. It makes for more of an open environment and for me personally I find it easier to relax and think.

It’s a fine line between too little furniture and the right amount. You instinctively know when you have too much or too little furniture. You will feel that something is missing or you will be kicking your toe every 10 minutes, cursing that extra coffee table you thought you needed at the time.

So once you know how much furniture you need you can start planning the layout and colour scheme for each room. Don’t worry too much if the rental company will have your favourite colour schemes. As I said before, the range is huge and you will certainly be able to find that olive green couch if that tickles your fancy.

The best thing to do is get a pen and paper out and draw up the floor plan of your abode and start pencilling in where you want everything to go and write down what colours you want them to be.

I usually choose a colour theme for each room and take the entire colour scheme of the house in mind. Each room should look unique, although the house should look complete. So choose a colour scheme for each room that will gel with the other rooms and you can’t really go wrong.

I always start with the living areas, such as the lounge room and the kitchen, because this is more than likely where you will be spending most of your time. Keep it light and keep it breezy. Using light colours for your furniture will make the space appear to be more open. Carefully plot out where your walkways and chill out zones will be.

There should be some continuity between your living room, dining room and kitchen, because they all kind of join together. Start off with a neutral base colour that’s to your liking and add highlight features such as cushions and lamps to bring colour and vibrancy. If you stick by this simple rule, you have a hard time messing up your interior décor. Throw rugs are another inexpensive way to further enhance the rooms in your house. I always buy some indoor plants once I’ve settled in a location for 3 months. It just adds a nice touch of colour and makes me feel at home. When you do leave, gift your houseplants to friends and neighbours to keep the plant and the dream alive.

It doesn’t take much to turn a temporary house into a home. Rental furniture may not be yours to own but it’s yours while it’s in your house and doesn’t have to look tacky. If you choose your furniture and décor right, you will turn your short-term accommodation into an inviting home to relax and de-stress in after a hard day at the office. This helps for overall health and general wellbeing. I hope I have given you some tips and ideas for your next move and adventure.

The post Rented Furniture Doesn’t Have to Look Tacky appeared first on Expert Zine.

That’s why it’s unlikely that the average person would try to build their own shed. It just sounds cumbersome. You have to buy wood, cut the planks to the right sizes, sand them, plane then, erect a foundation, and design the floor plan. Then you have to buy roofing materials. You haven’t even considered the windows, doors, and shed interior.

As it turns out, sheds don’t need to be that complicated. Modern methods have made it a lot easier to do. You could hire a shed supplier to install your new shed for you, and they can do it in as little as one day. For that matter, you can put up your own shed from scratch, and you don’t even need any specialised tools. A power drill with screwdriver bits is adequate.

Pick the right shed

Start by looking at the available yard space to help you decide on your shed dimensions. Simple sheds are the cheapest and fastest to erect, so you could select a square shaped or rectangular shed. Shed sizes can be as small as 1.5m x 1m and will be roughly 2m high. If you want something bigger, you can speak to your shed supplier. Standard sizes can go up to 6m by 4m, but you can request customised adjustments.

Pricewise, a 1.5m by 1m shed with a flat roof costs a little under $300. If you need help installing it, that’ll run you another $100 or so. The bigger the shed, the higher the cost of purchase and installation, though it’s unlikely to go beyond $3,000. Each added feature on your shed attracts an additional cost, so measure your budget against your style preference.

Think about extra features

Sheds don’t have to be made out of wood. You can order a PVC shed, and special options include roofing style. Flat roofs are the cheapest, but you can get a gabled roof or a skillion roof. You can also have fibreglass skylights installed. You can request shelves for the inside of your shed, as well as additional doors and windows.

Doors can be hinged or sliding, and windows can be louvered or framed. You can also anchor your shed to the ground using concrete or pegs. Pegs only work if your shed has an earthen floor or a grassy surface. Concrete floors are more advisable, because they’re easier to clean and will partially protect the shed from rising damp. PVC sheds can be glossy zinc or they can have coloured panels, though it costs extra.

Bringing home the shed

When you order a PVC shed, it comes to you as a flat pack. It can be delivered at a small fee, and the pack contains all the relevant pieces including doors, windows, shelves, and fastenings. It’s designed for easy assembly, so it won’t need a complex tool kit. The parts fit into each other snugly, and the pack comes with clear, easy-to-follow instructions.

If you don’t want to do the work yourself, request professional installation. As long as the weather allows, the shed can be installed within a day. The crew is insured, but they advise against working in rainy or windy weather, to prevent injury. You can get in touch and book them on a day that is convenient for you. They will gladly put the shed up for you, but you’ll still have to do your own silicone sealing. They’ll explain how to do it though.

Sheds are pretty versatile. You can use them as a home office, crafting space, parking garage, or storage for garden tools. You can even install a specialised shed for your pets, particularly birds and dogs. Pet sheds don’t necessarily have solid walls, because the animals need room to breathe. So whether you’re looking for a small weekend project or you’d rather have someone else get their hands dirty, pre-fab sheds are a viable option.

Read Also:

Is There Any Way to Get Rid of Ants with Natural Products?

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The Benefits of More Frequent Professional Cleans Over Winter

The post Sheds are Cheaper And Easier to Install than You Think appeared first on Expert Zine.

Watching a trail of ants can actually be quite mesmerising. Theway they stop and ‘talk’ to each other, like they’re exchanging gossip. The way they spot food out of nowhere and suddenly there are hundreds of them chomping off tiny bits until it’s all gone. The way you clear their mounds and within hours, a new one appears. It all makes a curious study.

Unfortunately, when their pilgrimage leads them into your kitchen, it becomes a lot less entertaining. Having a colony of ants trooping through your home can be distressing, especially when they get into your wardrobe or food supply. They’re too small and numerous to squish, and you’ll be worried about keeping your edible goods intact. Ideally, you want natural options that won’t toxify your entire kitchen.

Sugar and fats and dirty vats

At home, ants are interested in foods that are sweet or fatty. They are sometimes drawn to less kosher sources. For example, in hospitals, they’ve been known to seek out dressings that are septic, dirty beddings, and unattended bed pans. That situation can get messier than a home ant invasion, and is even more needful of a natural solution and deterrent.

You probably know baking soda and vinegar can take care of everything from blocked drains, tile grout, scorched pans, and cockroaches, so why not ants? Bait one part powdered sugar with one part baking soda, then sprinkle it along ant trails. Target spots where you’ve previously dismantled ant mounds. You could also place the powder on upturned jar lids.

To ants, fine sugar and baking soda seem the same, especially if the particles are similar in size. It isn’t clear why the taste doesn’t alert them, but hey. Either way, the alkali in baking powder mixes with the acid in the ants’ stomachs and they … um … explode. Make it a point to clean the rest of your space, ensuring ants are only drawn to the poisoned bait, rather than spreading to safer food sources.

Acid for the win

Naturally occurring acids seem to work well against ants. Acetic acid in vinegar and ascorbic + citric acid in lemons are both effective. They’re repellents rather than ‘cures’, so a little spray on your countertops, doors, and window ledges will make them far less attractive to ants. These acids are mild – mix them with essential oils, which are also good repellents.

For acid treatments, some residents prefer to wipe surfaces down with citrus-flavoured detergents, but raw home-made acidic sprays are better, because they have no chemical additives. Ants don’t like the smell. Plus it covers up their own natural scent, making it hard for their colony-mates to find and join the trail. The best sprays combine your chosen acid product, water, essential oils, and vinegar.

Try mixing one part apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice with one part water. Add leftover citrus peels and about thirty drops of peppermint, tea tree, lemon, orange, or grapefruit essential oil. For clove, three or four drops is fine. Another recipe is to boil the citrus peels in one part water and one part vinegar, leave overnight, then sieve out the peels.

Sweet oil and alcohol

Option three, make a power spray with a quarter cup of vodka, a quarter cup of (distilled) water, fifteen drops each of peppermint and tea tree, a drop or three of clove oil, and seven drops of your chosen citrus oil. For countertops and food storage areas, leave out the tea tree and double the peppermint. Shake the bottle vigorously and spray entryways or any other spots where ants gather.

Each of these oils can be used on their own as a repellent, with varying active ingredients. Peppermint has a pleasant, strong scent that overpowers the smell of ant trails, disrupting signals. Tea tree has disinfectant abilities, while eugenol in clove oil kills ants the moment they touch it. D-limonene in citrus-based essential oils is equally toxic to ants.

To use oils on their own, put three or four drops on a ball or bud of cotton and use them to wipe skirting boards, window sills, doorways, or any other ant access points. These oils have a pleasant, lingering smell, so you can dip a cotton ball in oil and leave it inside a cupboard or food cabinet to keep ants away, though clove may be too strong. Both the sprays and the cotton wipes will have to be repeated every two or three days until the ants stop coming.

Wax off

Oil and acid sprays keep ants away, but if you’d rather have something that lures them before killing them, try using Dr.Bronner’s soap or diatomaceous earth. The soap can be mixed with water while DE is best in powder form. Sprinkle or spray in ant-rich spaces. Both products dissolve the ants’ waxy exoskeleton, exposing their innards and killing them.

This sounds gruesome, but has no effect on mammals, so it’s safe for use around kids and (mammalian) pets. Many animals actually enjoy the taste of DE. It has a lot of silica, which is great for nails and hair. It anecdotally removes heavy metals, bacteria, and parasites from your system. The powder comprises marine phytoplankton fossils, has no intrinsic scent, and it doesn’t leave stains, so it’s ideal for domestic use.

Make sure you get food grade DE, not the kind used in pools, since the latter is toxic when you inhale it. Keep in mind that all these home remedies are largely effective for keeping ants away. But if you already have an infestation, you probably need a Sydney pest control services Once the commercial pest control team have done their thing, you can use the methods above to keep the bugs away.

Read More:

• Do We Have Bed Bugs Here in Australia?
• How Long Does a Gas Hot Water Heater Last?

The post Is There Any Way to Get Rid of Ants with Natural Products? appeared first on Expert Zine.