Tips On Maintaining Commercial Plumbing

Plumbing maintenance is something that many landlords and tenants ignore, which can lead to large repair bills to get things in working order. Prevention is always better than the cure, so if you need some advice on maintaining your property, you can find plenty of useful plumbing-related tips online that you can take note of. Keeping on top of the plumbing maintenance will help to keep your costs down, as well as your tenants happy.

Stop Any Leaks

You often find that a leak can be a symptom of a more pressing problem, so it is important that you repair any leaks as soon as you find them. If your building does not employ a full-time maintenance engineer, then you can easily find commercial plumbers in Brisbane, or where ever you are located, using the internet to help fix any leaking pipes. Finding out the cause of a problem is an excellent way to save money in the long run, by preventing a catastrophe before it happens.

Check Your Water Pressure

Checking the water pressure is something that can be done on a regular basis as it does not take much time or effort. If the water comes out of your taps lacking gusto, then you may be able to fix this by turning up the pressure on the pump. Make sure that you do not turn the pressure up too high as this could significantly increase water consumption, as well as increase bills.

Take Care Of The Porcelain

Another way to help protect your plumbing system is to make sure that you take good care of your toilets. It is important to educate tenants to make sure that they only flush down the toilet what is necessary, human waste and toilet paper. When you start flushing things down the toilet, even liquids such as oils, you can create a blockage in your system which if not addressed could end up becoming rather smelly. Solid objects can also cause an obstruction, and if the toilet paper builds up, it could end blocking the pipes completely and backing up your toilets.

Check The Drains

As soon as it is reported that a drain is blocked, you should have it fixed as quickly as possible to prevent further issues from arising. Make sure that water can run freely down the drain and that it is not partially blocked, which will help to keep your plumbing in top condition. As with the toilet, make sure that you do not put any liquids down the drains which could create problems down the line.

Preventing Damp

If you have a plumbing issue which goes left unfixed, a build up of water can lead to damp in the building which can cost a substantial amount to fix. Damp can also create mould and mildew, which can have potentially harmful side effects on people, so it is critical that any issue is resolved quickly to make sure that your building remains safe for habitation or commercial use.

If you are in any doubt, you can have a professional perform a maintenance check on your plumbing to make sure that there are no problems on the horizon. After all, it is better to spend a little money now and fix a problem than ignore it for it to cost you ten times the amount down the line!

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/05/maintaining-commercial-plumbing.html

Finding an Extra Large Rug I Love… and Can Afford

6 home hacks you need to try out

Want to know which home hacks you should try out? Then read on to discover our top recommendations, from things you can make to things you should look out for when you’re next shopping for your home.    

1. Recycle and repurpose

Recycle and repurpose objects to give your home a fresh new look. The website for The Freecycle Network is a great place to start, with lots of items being given away for free in your area. Just log on to www.freecycle.org to find your local group, and see what items are in need of a new home. It’s a great way to inject some personality into your property with some quirky vintage or ‘nearly new’ finds. In addition, try architectural salvage yards, car boot sales, charity shops and local auction houses for items that are one of a kind. Look at objects a fresh and think about how you could repurpose them, from an industrial cable reel repurposed as a coffee table to antique chimney pots repurposed as garden features – the possibilities are endless.   

2. Get crafty

There’s been a huge resurgence of interest in traditional crafts in recent years, and it’s time to join in if you haven’t already. From crochet to knitting and patchwork, to name but a few, crafts provide the perfect way to add some new accessories to your home. New curtains, cushions and quilts are all within your reach. Moreover, soft furnishings provide a great way to use up your stash of material, all those odds and ends you haven’t found a use for can be incorporated. You could even incorporate your vintage finds to give your home a unique style, from traditional floral designs to mid-century ‘atomic ‘fabrics, they’ll help set the tone of your home styling efforts.      

3. Get ready, steady, paint

Painting is probably the most economical home hack at your fingertips. You could begin by using chalky paint to give furniture a shabby chic look. Alternatively, you could embrace special painting techniques such as stippling or rag rolling to give your home a whole new look.  

4. Mirror or mirror on the wall

Maximise the light levels in your home by adding additional mirrors in strategic places, helping small spaces to seem larger. There are a plethora of affordable styles available on the high street from sizeable overmantel styles to smaller, decorative examples. Geometric art deco and mid-century sunburst designs are a firm favourite at the moment.     

5. Ice at the ready

Ice machines, including ice makers and ice flakers, can transform your kitchen and will mean you’re always ready to cater for guests – even if they’re unexpected. From a fun slushy drink for your children to refreshments ‘on the rocks’ for the grown-ups, an ice machine is what you need. Ice machines will save you time and hassle when it comes to entertaining.

6. Then there was light

Introduce a fun and practical element to your home with a remote control light bulb. You can introduce special lighting effects into your home, including a variety of colours – all at the touch of a button.

So there you have our top six home hacks that you need to try out, from hints and tips on things you can make and do, to the latest gadgets for your home. Get your next home improvement project underway, with our home hacks.     

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/05/home-hacks-uk.html

Timeless Home Decor Trends – Is There Such a Thing?

Today, I’ve got a bit of an unusual post for this blog: a guest contributor!

Over the last 7 years of blogging, I have let maybe 3 or 4 contributors come and share something about themselves on the blog. And it’s not because there aren’t other amazing DIYers out there, or that I wouldn’t love to have a regular contributor or two sharing their cool DIY projects with you guys (I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, so more on that later). It’s because working alone on this blog has always been a juggling act — planning and actually doing the projects on my to-do list, writing about them, editing photos, getting the behind-the-blog business to operate smoothly, maintaining the site, managing the finances of it, and of course, dealing with lots of emails — it’s minutes here and minutes there, and then there’s no more time in the day for new stuff (and duh, Charlie needs a walk or two).

And for those of you who aren’t familiar with the behind-the-scenes stuff with blogs, “guest post” requests are WAY TOO OFTEN nothing more than thinly veiled attempts for spamming you guys with marketing content. And since all of us are smarter than that, I got annoyed, frustrated at sorting through them, and just stopped taking guest post requests altogether. But here’s the not-so-fun-part of that: any blogger could easily tell you that my policy has solved nothing, because spammers love to follow up on emails no one wanted to even read the first time. My inbox still stays full, unless I pen a response somewhere along the lines of “to be 100% honest, I would rather eat rusty nails than publish this for you.”

But then, on a very rare day when just the right sunlight comes through the window and I’ve had enough coffee to not hate email, I will find a real post worth sharing. And this is one of those things. A reader-slash-interior-designer named Ruth Stolerman reached out about a recent project she did for a children’s bedroom. She does really fun, custom murals for her clients, and offered to share some of her secrets for a DIY tutorial, for no other reason than you guys might enjoy seeing how they’re made.

And, it got me thinking that I’d love to see more posts like this from readers who are proud of their work. So, I said yes. And she was super nice and sent me everything in a neat little package, and I managed to still get bogged down for months before getting it onto the blog. So I’m finally sharing it (with apologies to Ruth, of course). I hope you guys enjoy! *Affiliate links may be used in this post.*

———————-

An Interior Designer’s Guide to Painting a Mural

I love painting murals for my clients – they’re great above a bed because lots of people worry about heavy artwork falling on them in their sleep. The key to a successful mural is planning. Before you get started, make sure you have a clear vision in your mind. Even if you would like to freestyle it, look at images that will help formulate an idea. I will walk you through a mural I just finished (see above) where we had a clear vision from the start. This mural is in a children’s bedroom and we decided I would paint a scene from the amazing Roald Dahl book, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me.

Materials Needed:

• pencil
• paint brushes of various sizes
• a water glass to clean your brushes
• a palette or makeshift palette (plate, etc.)
• a kitchen towel
• cling wrap
• acrylic paint

I like to use acrylic paints because they dry quickly and are water resistant. If you make a mistake before the paint has dried, you can dab it with a damp towel and completely remove the error.

If you’re nervous then I would recommend sketching your ideas on pieces of paper in the size you want, which you can then use as a 1:1 guide. I just dove straight in but I have done quite a lot of these!

When you have finished planning, start off by painting your wall in the color you would like it to be, using the paint brand of your choice. Alternatively, just work with the wall color you’ve got!

Let any paint dry and wipe down the wall thoroughly so that you have a clean surface. If you have to use a little water for this, make sure the walls are dry before you begin. Don’t forget to move any furniture out of your way, or cover anything you might drip paint on.

Now, using a light pencil, mark out the rough area you would like to paint within to make sure your drawing doesn’t get too large or small. If you have done sketches, stick them on the wall using masking tape in the position that you would like them to be in, to make sure you like the layout. Copy or trace them on to the wall.

If you are copying an image, have it in front of you and start drawing. I started this mural in the bottom left hand corner because I wanted to be sure the image sat just above the duvet. Keep stepping back from your drawing throughout to make sure your dimensions are correct and that you are filling the allocated space in the right proportions.

Once you have finished drawing, it’s time to get your paint ready. I like to put kitchen towel on my palette and wet it slightly with water. This means that the acrylic paint doesn’t dry out too quickly and if you want to keep painting the next day you can Clingfilm the palette and it will stay damp. I then work round the edge of the palette with paints, going from light to dark, leaving as much of the palette untouched as possible. This way you can mix colors below easily to get the perfect shade. Don’t have your paints too close to each other or they will inevitably get muddled together as you go. Try to use a good range of colors; I decided I wanted a bit of blue in my painting so instead of using black to make the grey areas, I mixed blue and a little brown with some white.

It’s time to paint! If your image suits an outline, paint it in your color of choice using a thin brush. I like to paint from left to right as I use the wall to steady my painting hand and this avoids smudging.

Now it’s just painting by numbers. Pick one color to start with, I like picking a light color here because if your brushes aren’t 100% clean when you switch colors, there is less contamination going from light to dark. Paint all the areas in your color of choice first.

For your second color, just move to the next darkest color and do the same as you go on. If there are small details in your painting, wait until the paint is dry and add these last.

Keep adding colors one by one until your image is complete. Good luck, and happy painting!

Before

After

———————-

Image credits: www.ruthstolerman.com

Thank you so, so much to Ruth for sharing her amazing work! And if you’d like to follow her, you can check out her work on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

P.S. If you’re a regular reader of this blog and want to show off your work, feel free to email me. I’m a sucker for a good before and after, and I’d be happy to share your story! (but if you spam me… see the rusty nail thing above…)

The post An Interior Designer’s Guide to Painting a Mural appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

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

from The Ugly Duckling House http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/an-interior-designers-guide-to-painting-a-wall-mural/

Storing Things Safely In Your Garden

No matter what the size of your garden, it is handy to have a shed which gives you a place to store all manner of items, including tools, furniture, and maybe even bicycles. However, you will want to make sure that your shed is secure and you can find some excellent information on the safewise.com website on how you can secureyour shed properly. With just a little effort and investment, you can create a safe storage area for your garden and also deter any would-be burglars.

Purchase A Sturdy Shed

There are plenty of suppliers of garden sheds in the UK, so finding one will not be a problem. Whichever company you decide to purchase your shed from, make sure that you buy one that is sturdy with a strong frame around the door. The stronger your shed is, the less of an easy target it will be, and there are also other measures that you can take to keep your property safe.

Security Lights

An excellent addition to your garden’s security is to install a floodlight that has a motion sensor that will light up when movement is detected. The light does not have to be too bright as it will be a massive deterrent to any late night prowlers. The light is also handy for when you need to open the shed at night, and can be used as a source of light.

A Solid Lock

You should always keep your shed locked, and it is important to invest in a lock of high-quality. An average garden shed will come with one position where you can use a padlock, but you can also add some more if you wanted that extra piece of mind. If someone does steal from your shed and it was not locked, you may find that your house insurance may not cover your stolen items.

A Security Camera

Another excellent deterrent to stop thieves is to add CCTV to your home which can be done relatively cheaply. You can install one or two units that work using wireless technology, and with modern software and applications, you can check the stream using your computer or Smartphone. There are floodlight systems with motion detectors that also have built-in cameras, so you can purchase a complete system to keep your possessions safe and secure.

Do Not Advertise

Most thieves are opportunists, so if you present them with the possibility of stealing something of high value with ease, they will usually take it. If your garden shed has a window, install a net curtain, or even a non-transparent material, across it to prevent people from seeing what is inside when it is dark. Keep your shed door closed, and always keep it locked when you are not using it. Place stickers on the front of your property showing that a security system is being used, and also remain vigilant. By not presenting yourself as an easy target and investing a small amount in the safety and protection of your family, thieves may just pass you by and choose a much easier target.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/05/storing-things-safely-in-your-garden.html

Why You Can See Water Coming Out Of Your Boiler

If you are looking for a boiler for your home, you can get some excellent product reviews on the goodhousekeeping.com website to help you decide which model is best for your house. However, if you already have a boiler and you are experiencing problems with it leaking water, there are four main reasons as to why this may happen. Rather than going through the expense of a new boiler, you may be able to repair the problem which will cost a lot less than a whole new system.

A Problem With The Pressure

It is very common for a boiler to have drips of water that come from the pressure outlet pipe which allows pressure to escape from it and prevent it from blowing up. Although it is common to have the occasional drip of water coming from this pipe, if you see water underneath the boiler on a daily basis, you may have a problem with the internal pressure of the boiler being too high. You will need to check the pressure gauge on the tank and take an accurate reading. If you are not qualified to work on your boiler, you will need to consult a specialist. You can type Worcester Bosch Boiler Repair in your internet browser, or whatever manufacturer your boiler is, and you will find some different companies that will be able to assist you with problems with your system.

Loose Joints

Another issue which can cause water to leak from your boiler and hot water system is loose joints. The biggest cause of loose joints is the climate, as the cooling down and warming up through the seasons can cause the metal to contract and expand, loosening the joints. Take a look at the blowdown valve making sure that it is not loose, and check all the other joints are secure. If you do find any issues, you will need to call your local service company to take a look at the problem for you.

Faulty Or Damaged Seals

Your boiler may also have worn or broken seals, which can also lead to water leaking out of it. As the water pump works, the water is pushed through the system, as well as also leaking out of the broken seals causing a puddle of water to build up. If you are experiencing this sort of issue, then you will have to replace the seals, as well as also potentially replacing the pump to solve the problem. Make sure that you fix the problem quickly as leaving it for a while could cause the problem to get bigger, causing more damage to your home and increasing the repair bill.

An Old Boiler

If your boiler has seen better days and is pretty old, you may find that the water tank can crack over time due to age and fatigue. The problem is the heating and cooling down of the system which over time can fatigue metals causing them to crack and allowing water to escape. When this problem occurs, you need to replace the whole unit, rather than attempt a repair, as it will be likely that it will fail again in the not too distant future.

Whenever you have any issues with your water boiler, do not take any chances at attempting to fix it yourself if you are not qualified. Have a registered engineer inspect and assess your boiler, and carry out any necessary repairs.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/05/water-coming-out-of-BOILER.html