Selecting Outdoor Party Lights for Fun andFunctions

When you organize any party or function in your home, its decoration is very important. In order to make the atmosphere vibrant a lot of lighting is used so that it sets the right atmosphere and at the same time enhances the location too. No matter whether you are planning your party in the outdoor area or in your garden, the lights can make a huge difference to your decoration. With its help, you can give a fresh touch to the place thereby making it your gardens dazzle. There is a wide range of outdoor party lights that you can go for from the simple ones to the funky style, ranging in different colours and shapes. You can get them in different sizes as well, so depending on the needs one can opt for the best ones available. 

As there are a lot of options available, it will be easy for you to complete your decoration and augment the place. Even your boring place will become beautiful and eye catching thus setting the mood of your party or the function.

Get attractive and cheap outdoor party lights

Even if the budget of your party is limited, still you can opt for outdoor party lights. These lights are quite affordable and you can buy from a huge range of options as well. In order to avail the cheap ones, you can take the help of the internet where you will find a massive collection of all types of lights. There are a number of websites and online portals which have a superb collection of lights you are looking for. You can explore the options and place the order so that it gets delivered on time.

The internet is full of such outdoor party light providers, and you refine your search with keywords so that you are able to find the right type of lights that you are looking for. Also, the pricing is quite low as compared to the market and you can discover trendy collections that you may like here. So why not head towards the internet where you have the latest collection of the outdoor lights coming your way.

Christmas outdoor party lights

As the Christmas season is fast approaching you might be planning for a party. The outdoor lights can be a fabulous option as it will not only enlighten the place but make the festival splendid. So rather than going for the same boring lighting, why not try something unique this Christmas. The outdoor party lights in funky shapes are quite in trend and can be used to adorn your homes as well as the garden areas. You can either hang them around or install them in fixtures. It is entirely your choice to decide which option is more feasible to you keeping in mind your budget as well.

You can also use these lighting for your dancing area where you can create a perfect environment to groove. The lights come in appealing colours so one can easily choose sparkling shades to make the place look like a great one. The best part is that such lights outshine your party and that is why they are very popular for special occasions. So what are you waiting for, do not waste your time but explore the internet for the mind-blowing collection of the outdoor lights for this Christmas season?

Hope these lights enlighten the festive mood and also seek the attention of your guests. So go online to buy them and bring them home today at reasonable prices. Give your place a new touch with the simple yet classy outdoor party lights.

from Home My Heaven:Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/12/selecting-outdoor-party-lights-for-fun.html

Uk Home Improvements Idea

Basic or integral parts of a Home’s infrastructure are wiring, home security, flooring etc. After completing all these basic parts, think about some cool and useful features that you can include in your home, which will glamorize the whole look of the house.  A creative and useful feature can be Atrium. 

Atrium is actually a large open place(Air or Skylight covered) surrounded by a building. It was a very common feature in ancient roman houses, though modern atria is a product of 19th-20th century's architectural development. 

Photo by Lee Ann Marienthal Gardens - Discover contemporary patio design inspiration

Photo by Urbanism Designs - Discover midcentury deck design inspiration

 

 

Many homes in South America and Europe design around a central courtyard. This is a wonderful open plan, brings a garden-like environment inside, and creates a huge amount of privacy in the separate "wings" of the surrounding square.

One of my favorite design concepts is, A skylight roof, or, with enough cash, a retractable sun roof, makes this a perfect foundation for a happy home.

You can keep,

A commercial air curtain above all entrances and windows, appropriately decorated to blend in.  These preserve temperature differences, so are energy savers - but, most importantly, keep bugs out when you have doors and windows open.

A washable mat spring floor for the kitchen can be useful.  If you're going all out on this, you're going to want to entertain in this house - that means kitchen staff (or lots of time in the kitchen for the owner).  Save backs and knees with flooring that is shock absorbing and eases tension, so the 12 course meal doesn't feel like it took the 15 hours it did.  In all honesty, all professions that require excessive standing should have this.  This includes hair stylists, surgeons, cashiers, loading docks, etc.  Huge, huge benefit.

"Farmers sinks" in the kitchen - giant one basin (not split basin) sinks, with faucets that are high and can be removed.  Once you use one, you'll know why these are mandatory in life.

Photo by Redbud Custom Homes - Browse traditional kitchen ideas

Vacuum ports and central vacuum are nice. It makes cleanup much better without a dustpan - even when you're vacuuming.

By stilesquinn - See more Home Design Photos

A brick oven, especially as an outdoor grill. You will never eat inside again.

Photo by BrickWood Ovens - Look for traditional landscape design inspiration

Photo by EASYdesigns - Browse traditional patio photos

There must be a very large closet for clothing, consider rotating racks or revolving racks instead of adding floors. The novelty of a multi-floor closet is nice, but no one really wants to climb stairs to get their clothes. Especially over age 50.

 A secret entrance/ exit 

Window seats that are actually comfortable. People love being next to the light of windows, but the cushion on a box concept and its many variations generally suck. Build something with actual support as if it were furniture that happened to be a fixture, not a fixture that happened to be furniture. You can keep a wildflower garden. Not the horticultural beauties everyone usually raves about, but the open prairie flowers that you only notice when you're driving by and happen to glance over at the right time. No one thinks about these, but they never fail to impress.

Photo by Adam Woodruff + Associates, Garden Artisans - More contemporary landscape ideas

Photo by Designing Eden llc - Look for modern landscape design inspiration

An indoor/ outdoor "fairy garden"

 A small space, a balcony or patio, that is mostly enclosed by plants, fruit trees, and contains a water feature, like a small fountain. Sometimes people put those zen sand boxes in there, too. A small, very private, very quiet little place.

Photo by Groundswell Design Group, LLC - More traditional landscape ideas

If the garage is below the house, or kitchen is not at entry level, a dumbwaiter. I can't seem to get all of the photos to attach here in the app. Really love the ideas and gorgeous photos from others - this is a wonderful question and commentary line!

All these suggestions are from Alexandra.

from Home My Heaven:Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/12/uk-home-improvements-idea.html

Top Tips to Solve Damp Problems in Your Home

Building pathology has established that damp, if not treated, can damage the structural integrity of your home. Damp has two main forms:penetrating damp, where the water leaks, or seeps through the walls, and rising damp,where the water in the ground passes through the damp proof course of your house and enters the lower parts of the walls.

There are some things you can do as a home owner to get rid of damp and mould, but in the most serious cases, work may need to be done by professional builders to rectify the problem.In this article, we share some tips for getting rid of damping your home. 

Damp Problem

 This picture is taken by Tim Gillin, dated 29 August, 2007 

 

Penetrating damp

If the damp or wet patches on the walls are higher than 5 feet, then your outside walls have lost their weatherproofing qualities. Inside, the room probably has a stale, musty smell and your curtains, furnishings and some clothes may feel damp and also smell.

Your outside walls will probably be cracked, the render may have come away from the walls and the paint will be flaking. This is the reason why you have damp inside. Damp patches can often be found behind furniture, at the back of wardrobes, and where the paintwork is flaking away or has become powdery.

The best way to cure penetrating damp is to apply a damp-proof exterior wall coating.

Rising damp

Rising damp normally happens if the damp proof course is not doing its job or there isn’t one. It can also be caused by air bricks that are blocked so that air cannot pass through, or if muddy water has collected up against the walls of the house and breached the damp proof course. Using a shovel, move the mud away from the walls and make sure it does not build up again.

Builders can fix a faulty or missing damp proof course by injecting a special chemical compound into the low sections of the walls. They inject into drilled holes along the wall that are around 5 inches apart.The chemical dissipates around the damp proof course level, settles inside and becomes a barrier that prevents moisture from penetrating the walls.

 

Damp problem in Home

Ventilation is crucial

Mould spores don’t like fresh air, so even if it’s cold outside, start by getting some fresh air into your house.If your bathroom has mould, this means the ventilation is poor so you should open the windows after having a bath or a shower. This allows the wet, damp air to dissipate in the air rather than condense on the colder wall tiles and the ceiling.If your bathroom windows have trickle vents, then make sure they’re open.

This picture is taken by Bryn Pinzgaue. This plasterboard got a lot of damp and mould problems. 

Mould cleaners

Buy the very best mould cleaning liquids that are available on the market and clean the areas of mould thoroughly. Many people think that using a mixture of bleach and water is a good idea. This is fine for bathroom or kitchen tiles but using bleach on a porous surface like a brick or a drywall only removes the discoloration and not the mould itself – instead, use a mould cleaner.

Buy or rent a dehumidifier

Using a humidifier is a short-term solution for getting rid of moisture and damp in the air, inside your house. Only use it when you’ve had work done to stop the cause of existing damp. Humidifiers can be rented at reasonable prices or you can buy your own.

 

Damp problems in Home

New fabrics and clothes

If your home has suffered from penetrating damp or rising damp, then it’s very likely that your carpets, soft furnishings and bedding will have a dreadful musty smell and feel cold and damp to the touch.Damp and moisture eat away at the fibres in fabric and cause the awful smell that’s practically impossible to get rid of, so it’s probably best to replace these items with new ones.

Seal tiles and regrout

Mould growing in bathrooms, wet rooms, utility rooms and kitchens is a very common problem in homes in the UK. Mould spores are dangerous and can cause illness if they’re inhaled. Bathing and showering produces a combination of humidity and moisture which normally evaporates into the air if there’s good air circulation in the room. But if there’s no air because the windows are closed, then water will settle on the cold wall tiles, walls and ceilings and mould will start to grow … and once started, mould and mildew can grow at a very rapid rate.

To prevent this happening you should spray the walls with a dedicated antimicrobial solution, then seal the grout lines of the tiles with two coats of grout sealer. Thereafter, make sure the bathroom has a good flow of air, in and out. 

Written by Dakota Murphey, a freelance writer working alongside Hutton and Rostron for information for this article.

from Home My Heaven:Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/12/top-tips-to-solve-damp-problems-in-your.html

How Healthy Is Your Home Improvement?

You have to be careful about health risks of Home Improvement/DIY works, especially when there is asbestos. Mesothelioma is a rare and dangerous form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. In 2013 about 50,000 people had mesothelioma and 34,000 died from the disease. Rates are higher is United kingdom, Australia and much lower in Japan. Commercial use of asbestos increased the rate significantly. You can visit this link of mesothelioma claims to know more about it.

This informative inforaphic is made by Slater and Gordon.Click on the image to see large.

from Home My Heaven:Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/12/how-healthy-is-your-home-improvement.html

My First Visit to a Lumber Yard

How to Protect Your Hardwood Flooring from Sun Damage

How to Protect Your Hardwood Flooring from Sun Damage

Few things are more beautiful than a well-laid, brand-new hardwood floor made of the finest oak, maple, birch or other wood. A hardwood floor can last a very long time, and there are still homes from the Colonial era that have their original floors. But as it is with so many other things in the home, direct sunlight is a hardwood floor’s enemy. How can a homeowner protect their beautiful and pricey hardwood floor from the sun?

Hardwood flooring

Why the Sun Causes Damage in the First Place

Sunlight on a new floor is pretty, but over time a homeowner will notice that the wood’s rich color starts to fade or sometimes darken in ways the homeowner doesn’t care for. This effect is even more unpleasant if it only happens to a part of the floor that’s not covered by a rug or furniture. The planks or tiles may even dry out and crack. This is due to the different types of light the sun delivers into the house. Ultraviolet light causes discoloration. Infrared light is experienced as heat and that heat can cause the wood to deteriorate. Even a floor that’s sealed will have trouble surviving the ravages of a lot of ultraviolet and infrared light working together.

First Solution

The first and probably best solution is to install the hardwood flooring in a place that gets little direct sunlight. This can be a hallway or a room whose windows face north. But many homeowners want to enjoy a room with both a hardwood floor and lots of natural light. In that case they can:

Install Windows With Low-E Glass

Low-E means low emissivity. This type of glass cuts down on the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light that gets into a room without cutting down on visible light. Low-e glass has an extremely thin coat of silver or other low emissivity substance and limits the damaging ultraviolet and infrared rays that hardwood floors can be exposed to. Films that do the same thing as low-emissivity glass can be directly applied to the windows and cost considerably less.

Move the Furnishings Around

It may be a good idea to rearrange the furniture and area rugs in a room to make sure that all areas of the floor get the same amount of sunlight. If the wood has to fade, it should all fade to the same color. If this is not

possible -

Cover the Windows

Curtains, drapes, shutters and Venetian blinds can all be employed to keep the hardwood floors from sun damage. If the homeowner can’t stand to live in a house where the windows are covered all day long, they can be covered when the sun is at its strongest. This is usually between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Some of the newer blinds or shutters are motorized and come with a timer. Because they open and shut or rise and fall by themselves, the homeowner doesn’t even have to bother with them twice a day.

Install Awnings

Awnings add a touch of elegance to the exterior of a house, and they have the benefit of stopping the UV and infrared rays before they even come in through the windows. Awnings can come in a wealth of styles and materials that complement the house. They can be stationary or retractable.

Refinish the Floors

Floors can be refinished before the sun damage gets too severe. The one problem with refinishing hardwood floors is that it can’t be done endlessly without eventually causing more damage, and engineered wood floors tolerate even less refinishing that solid wood floors. Refinish only when necessary.

These few techniques will go a long way in keeping a hardwood floor looking its best for decades.

You can read this article about Bamboo flooring versus wood flooring. 

Bio - This guest post contribution is courtesy of MacDonaldHardwoods, a Denver-based hardwood flooring company. Macwoods has been a long-standing resource for prefinished wood flooring also offering hardwood cleaning and installation. If you're in Denver area, be sure to check out their hardwood flooring installation classes.

from Home Improvement Blog: Home My Heaven http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/12/how-to-protect-your-hardwood-flooring.html

Black Friday Online Deals – Top Picks for a Smart Home

If you’ve followed this blog during the holidays in years past, you are probably well aware that my family makes a tradition out of Black Friday. Often, I use Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday to get the things I’ve been otherwise saving for the rest of the year, like a new TV or washer and dryer. This year, I don’t have a lot of big ticket items on my need-to-have list, so I thought it might be better this time around to give you guys a head’s up on the stuff worth scooping up (either for yourself or as a gift… to yourself).

Oh, and affiliate links are included here — all that means is that I make a few pennies/dollars when purchases are made from my recommendations (but like every post I did before I started using affiliates, I’d recommend these things regardless if that were true). My disclosure page goes into more boring detail about this, but let’s get to shopping!

Powerbeats In-Ear Headphones – $89 (55% off! $110 savings!)

I’ve been planning on doing several gift idea roundups this year, one of which includes gifts for runners. I’m not a strong runner, but I do run with lots of people who do marathons and I’ve learned quite a lot from them in addition to my own preferences. These Powerbeats Wireless In-Ear Headphones were/are going to be on that list, but they are a steal right now, so I’m jumping ahead of that later-planned list and telling you to scoop them up while the gettin’s good. I use these when I’m working on outdoor projects in the heat as well (they handle sweat like a champ). They have a long charge, a Bluetooth connection that automatically syncs with my phone when I turn them on (I love that I don’t have to go into Settings to connect), and they stay put, even if I’m getting jostled around on a backhoe. They come in several colors, but I have the bright yellow-green ones, which are really easy to find when I’m looking for them.

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot – $139.99 and $39.99 (22% and 20% off)

So, I don’t actually own either of these products, but I’ve been reading reviews like mad, and I think I’m going to buy one or both of these this weekend. A bunch of stores are selling these items for the same price, so you can either try to rush out and get one from the store or order online (though I recommend the one that comes to you).

Nest Learning Thermostat – $199 (20% off)

I don’t have this one in my house, but I have helped install a Nest thermostat before, and they are really easy! I love that they sync to your phone and other devices (including Alexa, which is what the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot connect to above as well, so that makes for a pretty smart home system). The Nest indoor security camera is on sale as well, which I’ve also seen before but I’m not really recommending for the sole reason that they have an outdoor one and that seems like a better option to me (the Nest Cam Outdoor IS on sale, but it’s a new release, so it probably won’t have a similar Black Friday discount until there’s a second generation or next year).

TILE Bluetooth-Enabled Trackers – up to 35%

I got this as a regift for my birthday (a used regift, actually), and even though that person is forever deserving of a good punch to the crotch for their misdeed, this thing is awesome and a top-recommended product for how many times it’s saved my butt. What it does is work as a key/phone/anything finder that you download as an app on your phone and then attach Bluetooth-enabled trackers to your most-used stuff, like your remote, your keys, and your purse. They now have a slim one that you can stick in your wallet and mini versions as well, which make great stocking stuffers because it’s a universal truth that everyone misplaces their stuff. The best deals are if you get them in combo packs (which, bonus for you, means you can keep one or two for yourself).

I’m going to add these items to one collective group of Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals, along with whatever else I find throughout the weekend/week (like tools, clothes, etc.), but I’ve got to get out and go grab a few things myself, so I’ll leave it at that for now!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Top Picks

Also, just for savings in general…

More Savings Tips

I have several things I use on my computer and phone that help me to save on discounts and rebates during the year. Just for the sake of making sure you’re aware of those too, I’ve included some referral links to the stuff I like most (usually by signing up via the referral code, it gives us both an incentive, like a free $5 or whatever).

Honey – this installs in most major browsers and can save you a LOT of time in searching for discount codes. On Amazon, it also has a little button that confirms if this is definitely the cheapest price it can find or will suggest a different seller. Basically, it searches the internet for all of those promo codes and coupons and lets you search and apply them with one click. If it can get you a better deal at checkout, it most definitely will. It also occasionally gives cash back. I’ve saved additionally (5-10%) on big-ticket items and even food orders just by using this thing.

Wikibuy – this is another browser install that scans other websites to see if they are offering a better deal. I haven’t used this quite as much as I have Honey, but it flat-out tells you the difference in savings, and sometimes it’s significant enough to click and see what’s up. The way it often works is they act as a middleman and don’t necessarily tell you the actual website offering the cheapest price (they basically try to work their own exclusive discounts), but they also guarantee the item you’re purchasing so you can buy without worrying if the website offering said “deal” is sketch. Right now after looking at just a handful of items, I am seeing offers that are even slightly less than Black Friday purchases (so perhaps they have a special discount on top).

Paribus – in this case, this browser tool tracks your purchases and gives you refunds if the prices drop during a certain time period (minus a small % for giving you the refund). Don’t you hate it when you buy something and it goes on sale for cheaper the next day? With this app, the concept is that you can eliminate that game for good. This is the app I have just recently started trying out, but I was amazed at how well-integrated it was with my recent purchases and look forward to trying it out more.

Happy shopping!

The post Black Friday Online Deals – Top Picks for a Smart Home appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

Website // Subscribe // Advertise // Twitter // Facebook // Google+

from The Ugly Duckling House http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/black-friday-online-deals-top-picks/