If you are tired of living in your home as it is, or it simply is not big enough for you and your family anymore, you do not necessarily have to move. Remodelling your home can be less expensive and it means that you do not have to put up with all the stress of getting used to living somewhere new.
If you do decide to remodel your home, instead of moving on, there are several things that you should pay close attention to. Doing so means that the project is more likely to be completed successfully, producing the results that you are looking for.
It’s very easy for the cost of remodelling work to spiral out of control. It’s up to you to make sure that this does not happen. You need to spend time planning a realistic budget for the project. Do not over stretch yourself as the shine will definitely be taken off your remodelled home if you struggle to pay for the work. Remember, that there are likely to be some unexpected costs along the way, so you should factor additional funds in to your calculations.
Remodelling work will demand your attention, whether you are doing the work yourself or not. You need to be available to make decisions and ensure that work is being completed as it should. You are not going to be able to do this if you are on vacation for part of the time, or if you are distracted by other major events in your life. Make sure that the project is undertaken when you are available to pay attention to it.
You may want a high end freezer or expensive pictures for the walls, but do you actually need them? Always start your plans with the essentials, such as enough power sockets in the room and the basic amenities. Once you have accounted for the cost of all of these items, you can take a look at the latest trends in interior design and splash out on those extras that grab your attention.
When you have remodelling work completed, there may be other aspects that it’s wise to consider. For instance, it may be worth speaking to a pest control expert about conducting an inspection of your home. If any potential issues are identified, such as gaps and cracks needing to be filled in, the work can be carried out at the same time as the remodelling, to prevent further disruption in the future.
Remodelling work can be expensive, so you may be tempted to get an enthusiastic amateur to do the work. This is usually a bad idea. It’s worth paying more for the project to de done by professionals. You need to make sure that everyone you hire, including builders, architects, exterminators, plumbers and electricians, is reputable, fully licensed and insured.
Remodelling your home is not something that can be rushed. Trying to get everything done as quickly as possible is likely to lead to problems. Take time to plan, so that you spend within your means, prioritize effectively and get the right people to do the job.
Never rush into remodelling your home. Taking time to think ahead and plan can save you money, and a lot of wasted effort.
]]>The real issue with rot is that if you don’t treat it promptly it will spread across your timbers; the result is you’ll be looking at house cladding options; not just repairing your rotting cladding.
Of course this is an option if our budget can stretch to it; there are some excellent options available on the market.
If you do find your cladding is rotting then here is what you need to do:
Walk round your home looking for any areas that could be rotting. Your cladding handles all the weather and could start to rot at any time. You can test the wood with a screwdriver; if it slides effortlessly into the wood you have rot.
It is important to pay particular attention to windowsills and any joints you have. This is often where water ingress starts.
Rotten wood must be removed as quickly as possible. You can use your screwdriver or any other sharp edge to dig the soft wood out of your structure. The point of this is to find out how big the damaged area is. Once you’ve worked out the extent of the rot you’ll be able to remove all of it.
It is best to cut your cladding on the good wood; this will make sure all the rotten wood is gone.
The tighter the fit the better, when looking at replacing the rotten cladding; you’ll need to cut a piece or pieces of wood that fits the gaps you have.
Once you’ve cut it test it by putting it in and out of the hole in your cladding.
It is best to use polyurethane glue to fix your new piece of cladding into place. This glue reacts with water to create an excellent waterproof seal; you need to dampen the wood before applying the glue.
Of course you also need to clean all the surfaces to ensure the wood can bond effectively.
The new piece of cladding needs to be securely fastened into position. The aim of the glue is to ensure there is a good waterproof seal. You’ll need to drill through your replacement piece and then into the wall behind.
This will allow you to fasten your new piece in place with screws.
Once the glue has set you’ll be able to sand it down to get a flush finish with the rest of the wood cladding. If necessary you can chisel off large amounts of glue.
To ensure your repair blends in perfectly you’ll need to cover the screw heads with putty and then add a coat of paint to match the existing cladding.
You can then step back to admire your own work.
]]>Of course the role of stairs has changed and the material used may be different; but you’ll still get the same warning signs that your stairs need to be repaired:
You know the sound; as you bound up the steps a specific one always creaks. It is often dismissed as simple the character of your home. But, this squeak is a very early warning that there will be an issue with your stairs.
It’s also a good idea to fix the stairs in order to prevent the whole family being woken up by your nightly bathroom trips!
The most common cause of a squeaky stair is a gap between the tread and the riser. Simply fill the space with carpenter’s glue and your squeak should disappear.
If you look at your stairs and notice that the tread or the riser is cracked, then you need to act quickly. This will prevent the rest of the stairs starting to get damaged.
You’ll need to remove the damaged tread or riser and replace it. You can do this yourself but you may prefer to call a professional.
If you find that one of your treads is loose or wobbly then you need to get it fixed before it causes you or someone else an accident.
If it is simply the tread you may be able to refasten it to the securing network. However, you’ll need to make sure it is secured into good wood to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
If the stair appears securely attached but feels loose then there will be a gap that needs carpenters glue.
This is an obvious sign that there is an issue with your stairs. After all the hand rail is designed to protect you and stop you from falling. You lean on it more than you realize; if it gives way it could cause a serious injury.
It is essential to replace the hand rail immediately or get professional help if you can’t do it yourself.
If the post securing your stairs or handrail is starting to wobble it is either suffering from wood rot or old age. You’ll need to replace the post. This is not a job to be taken on lightly although it is possible for someone with good DIY skills.
You may not instantly realize that your stairs have been damaged by water but a flood can start to rot your wood. You’ll be left with damp rot which can be easily tested for by gently inserting a screwdriver into it. If it goes in easily then you probably have wood rot.
It will be necessary to get professional help.
It’s also a good idea to contact an emergency electrician; your home electrics may be affected.
If you have dogs or cats, then it is possible they will decide to sharpen their claws or even take a bite out of your furniture.
Fortunately, you should be able to sand this out or replace the damaged covering; making this the easiest issue to deal with on the list!
]]>Above image by James Dear – The Lighting Judge
Key considerations of home office design include (but are not limited to):
A home office has to have stable internet access. The connection also has or be accessible, so wifi extenders, routers, and modem have to be carefully placed. Not knowing where a modem connects to the wall can lead to a situation where the computer is across the room from it necessitating long cables or wireless.
As the above list shows, there are many factors that go into a good home office. Even with all the proper equipment figuring out how to place these items can present a challenge. In addition to this overall floor space has to be factored in as well. Every home office only has so much square footage to use. Here are six different online tools and apps to help in the office design process and help prevent common errors.
SketchUp: Can create a full 3D floor plan and room layouts. This gives a very precise idea of what a complete office floor plan will look like for daily use. It also offers 2D layouts and a paid professional version for more advanced features.
Ikea Planner Tools: This layout was created by the well-known furniture store chain. The platform offers floor plans for several types of rooms including home offices. This is a useful tool for creating a general floor plan. It also useful if the office designer favors Ikea products.
Sweet Home 3D: has both an online and downloadable version of its software. The site also offers optional registration to save online office layouts for later review. Finished floor plans can be viewed in both a virtual tour and aerial view formats.
HomeStyler: is a fully online 3D layout creator. What makes it stand out is it’s an entirely online product without any complex or time-consuming registration process. It allows for resizing of furniture, drag, and drop, and has several different design elements to make use of. It can also create 2D floor plans as well.
Planner 5D: is known for the versatility of the platform. It has several different designs, layouts, and interior options to pick from. It can create 2D or 3D renderings of proposed office layouts as needed. It’s also cross-platform and can run on Android, iOS, and Mac OS platforms.
Floor Planner: this is a simple and effective layout tool that offers a built-in office floor plan. The site has to be registered for with an email address. However, it does offer both free and paid versions. A key feature is the variety of furniture and architecture elements offered to allow for highly customized office designs.
An effective home office is reliant on good design. The above elements of a good office cannot be achieved by randomly placing office furniture. Office design tools create a blueprint that can be followed that prevents avoidable mistakes. Such mistakes are time consuming and can result in having to move furniture repeatedly or in some cases return it. Office design tools allow a designer to get an exact idea of how their layout and home office ideas will translate to the real world. This helps create a home office that meets all of the above-noted qualities of an effective office. It also creates a more uniformed approach to office setup and avoids multiple shopping trips or simply buying things randomly.
]]>The maritime industry is one of the most complex and challenging sectors in which to work. As a naval architect, you can become a professional engineer, tasked with the role of designing, construction and repairing some of the finest seafaring vessels known to man. Although it is often viewed as an incredibly niche profession, it remains an incredibly important one too, ensuring civil and military vessels can travel safely and efficiently at sea. It’s particularly beneficial for military fleets to have naval craft and submarines that are designed and engineered to be technically sound in use and comply with all necessary safety regulations; particularly as they will tend to travel 1,000s of miles at a time.
Naval architects are therefore pivotal to industrial design. Both in terms of the aesthetic and structural design of new seafaring vessels. Without innovative naval architecture, where would the superyacht industry be too? Betway Casino’s review of luxury yachts for its high-rollers suggests that the rich and famous wouldn’t be able to enjoy the finer things in life with their own private crew if naval architects did not exist. Even Yachting Pages acknowledges the changing trends in superyacht naval architecture. Just as fashion trends evolve with time, so too do superyacht designs that have to meet the needs of the super-rich, incorporating new technologies and providing a contemporary appearance.
Common educational routes and skills required
In order to gain employment in the world of naval architecture, you’ll need to obtain a degree in a relevant subject. Most budding naval architects will simply enrol in a BEng or Meng in Naval Architecture. Nevertheless, if your chosen university does not offer this specific course, you’ll find that related fields such as marine science and general engineering could also be acceptable. In the UK, the best undergraduate courses to look out for are those that are accredited fully by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects(RINA). In the United States, the best degree programs in naval architecture are those approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Post-degree, in the UK you will need to obtain professional status from the RINA before applying for jobs or setting up in business on your own. There are several levels of RINA membership available, including chartered engineer (CEng), incorporated engineer (IEng) and engineering technician (EngTech). On the other side of the Atlantic, American naval architect students that graduate through an ABET-accredited degree must then pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. This eight-hour test is a prerequisite to obtaining a professional license.
In terms of key skills necessary to undertake the job on a day-to-day basis, you’ll need the following attributes:
Typical daily activities of a naval architect
IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay.com
Types of employers of naval architects
Although naval architecture is considered a niche industry to work in, there are a variety of employers that will require the services of a naval architect to build or repair vessels of all types and sizes. Passenger liners will require the design and engineering knowledge of a naval architect to build new vessels and retrofit existing ones too. From another commercial aspect, offshore support companies will need consultancy on oil tankers and other integral vessels.
Working for the military or the navy would be the pinnacle of most naval architects’ careers, with the ability to design and manage the manufacture and refitting of naval vessels and submarines for the country’s forces to use with complete reliability and safety. If you enjoy the safety side of naval architecture, there are classification societies that employ individuals to evaluate and approve the safety of new and retrofitted marine ships and structures.
Furthermore, you could also consider assisting with the design and manufacture of heavy industry products used at sea e.g. auxiliary systems, subsea production systems and propulsion systems.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) some 8,200 naval architecture jobs existed in the US in 2016. The outlook is that another 1,000 jobs will be created between 2016 and 2026, representing a 12% increase in vacancies, a faster-than-average rise compared with all other industries.
Career progression in naval architecture
Newly qualified naval architects are required to spend a minimum of two years in training before being able to progress to full RINA membership in the UK, achieving chartered status in the process. In the US, each state has its own licensing requirements for naval architects, so it’s a good idea to do your own research on what’s required in the state you live and work in. You’ll often need to take the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Principles and Practice of Engineering exam to obtain a working license. You never know, you might just become one of America’s next greatest living architects of your generation.
What’s hugely exciting about a career in naval architecture is the salaries on offer, capable of accurately recompensing you for your specialist skills and knowledge. Even a starting salary for a graduate naval architect starts from around $40,000 up to $46,000. You can then expect to earn between $46,000 and $66,000, having gained some level of experience. Senior naval architects tend to command salaries upwards of $86,000 in order to take charge of high-profile projects within a significant organization.
]]>To help make the transition as smooth as possible, quotezone.co.uk has created an expert infographic to help first-time landlords make the right decisions when it comes to their responsibilities and insurance options.
Do Your Research
As above, the infographic recommends that you would be wise to gain a thorough understanding of your legal obligations before you welcome a new tenant. For example, you are required to provide each tenant with a safe property that is free from health hazards.
Also, try to gain an understanding of your market and think about the type of tenant you want to attract. Consider not only their life stages and the property’s location, but their income to ensure they pay their rent on time each week or month.
Manage the Property
You should also regularly refer to the infographic to learn about the different ways you should manage your property. For example, every landlord must ensure the building is fit for rent before they advertise the property to a new tenant, why not think about getting a home cleaning service to help. For example, you should ensure no loose wiring is on display and that the boiler has been serviced by a professional.
As recommended by quotezone.co.uk, you must have a clear understanding on how you will manage the property. Ask yourself if you have enough time or passion to manage the property yourself. If you don’t, consider hiring a professional property manager, who can perform regular inspections on your behalf, but as the infographic states, you must provide a tenant with the right level of notice before doing so.
Choose the Correct Cover
The difference between a profitable income or a drain on your bank balance could be landlord insurance. As a landlord, you are financially and legally liable for any theft or damage to the property, which is why you should never underestimate its importance.
Quotezone.co.uk suggests every first-time landlord should review multiple policies using a reputable insurance comparison website, so you can find the right level of cover and type of insurance, which should be based on the property type, number of tenants, number of properties, and number of rooms at each property. You must also identify what will be covered within each landlord insurance policy, such as theft, water damage or fire damage. For example, it will be you who will be left out of pocket if a property experiences a fire, but you failed to invest in fire cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate landlord insurance, after all.
If you want to read more landlord insurance tips to help you become a successful landlord, check out the above infographic from quotezone.co.uk for expert advice, which you should save onto your computer or smartphone for future assistance.
]]>Whether your living situation is temporary or long-term, personalizing a space is the key to making it your own. With this in mind, here are five tips to help you upgrade your rental without losing your security deposit.
Add Splashes of Color
A splash of color can do wonders for a lifeless room, but renters often get stuck with magnolia walls that do little to inspire. Check with your landlord before ruling out painting your apartment, as some are more relaxed about tenants redecorating if it’s done tastefully. Most of the time, however, painting a rental home will cost you your security deposit, so don’t unleash your paintbrush on the walls without permission.
If you can’t change your wall colors, don’t despair – you can paint your furniture instead. Just make sure you buy multi-surface paint and clean and sand items down before starting, and lay dustsheets to avoid getting paint on the floor.
Hang Pictures Without Leaving a Mark
Personal photographs and artwork are what turns a house into a home, but most landlords are reluctant to let you drill holes to hang them up. Instead of living with bare walls, try using command hooks or washi tape to personalize your space. You can even use Velcro strips if you want to be able to move items around easily. If making holes in your walls is unavoidable, know that they can be filled easily with spackling paste before you leave.
Create Artistic Storage Displays
Who said storage had to be boring? These days, there are tons of clever storage ideas on the Internet, including wire basket displays, ladders as shelves, dry bags on display and tree stumps as side tables. Open shelving is also really popular, giving you an opportunity to showcase your best crockery or organize your pantry essentials into pretty jars.
Go Big on Lighting
A beautiful space is nothing without proper lighting, so invest in some stylish table and floor lamps, even if you can’t change the overhead fittings. YLighting offers an extensive collection of statement lamps and lighting solutions that will take your interior style up a notch, while melding functionality with beauty. For instance, a contemporary floor light with reading light would be ideal for a reading nook or home office, being both practical and artistic at the same time.
Dress Your Floors
You may not be able to get carpet or change the tacky flooring in your bathroom, but you can lay rugs to transform the look of your home instantly. Using rugs will also help to insulate the property – not to mention they will keep your feet feeling toasty when the weather drops. Look out for large area rugs that will add to your style, or consider making your own using scraps of material.
]]>Be patient in your redecorating; it is a slow process if you want to get it right. Although there is no right or wrong answer, you shouldn’t rush into all decisions. You need to think of your home as a house, and not as separate rooms; you also need to think before you buy because furniture is costly. For those looking to master the art of interior design, consider the following:
Educate yourself
The only way to know more about the art of interior design is to learn through interior blogs, written by industry leaders. Read magazines, blogs and take note of what other homeowners are doing in their spaces. Consider all the advice before you start planning your room; make a list of what you like and what you want to avoid when working on your home. Don’t make assumptions, and research the answer if you’re unsure.
Lighting Matters
When it comes to choosing your home’s lighting, finding the correct fixture means a great deal. You need to find the perfect balance between illuminating your room and creating a wonderful atmosphere for you and your family to endure. To get the best of both worlds, turning to modern lighting options means you can have a contemporary style that’s both practical and beautiful. Retailers such as Lumens sell great modern lighting collections from a selection of wonderful brands such as Alico Lighting and Arnsberg.
Branch out
Interior designers aren’t afraid to go wild or step outside their comfort zone, some can even get creative with a climbing carabiner. To make a statement, you have to be willing to take risks and include elements that you wouldn’t normally consider in the past. Know what’s in, and then pick a few items or features you want to adopt in your home. By challenging yourself, you’re opening up a wealth of possibilities you’d originally closed off. Be bold and be brilliant.
Use Color
Fall in love with color and embrace its ability to liven up your home. Add a splash with pillows, artwork and paint. Pick a palette and work around this foundation as you decorate the rest of your home; think of colors that are complementary but also clash. Study color and understand how certain hues have the ability to lift your mood and make you feel happier; think of each room’s functionality and how certain colors should be used for different reasons (e.g. a living room could be yellow, because the color offers warmth and vibrancy).
Conclusion
Interior design requires special skills and an eye for decorating, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn some of the secrets and take a shot at it. You’ll likely be surprised at how good of a job you do in your home. Use these tips for inspiration.
]]>Whether you like power napping in hammocks or sleeping through the night, it’s clear that sleep is now more critical than ever! I would like to point out some of the reasons why sleep is essential. Here, I’ve come up with ten exciting benefits. Let us carefully go through them!
Strokes and heart attacks have a higher chance of occurring during early mornings. Experts say that this is because of the manner in which sleep interacts with your blood vessels. Insufficient sleep is continuously linked to conditions such as an increase in cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Reports from try mattress even show that in the past, we ignored the concept of rest. However, now it’s one of the most crucial factors to our general wellbeing and health. I’ve learned that, for instance, if you’re having trouble sleeping, you stand at a higher chance of contracting severe diseases. I also discovered that people who work late have a higher likelihood of developing colon or breast cancer. Studies show that exposure to light reduces the levels of Melatonin in the body. This is the hormone which controls your sleep and wake cycles. It’s even though to protect the body from cancer as it usually suppresses the development of tumors.
If you’re not giving yourself enough rest, you put yourself in a messy and stressful situation. Your body’s functions are put on constant and high alert, causing high blood pressure and the secretion of stress hormones. Keep in mind that high blood pressure is notorious for causing stroke and heart attack.
Increased levels of stress caused by insufficient sleep raise your body’s level of inflammation. Such creates a massive risk of heart-related conditions and diabetes, as well as cancer. I was shocked to know that inflammation destroys the immune system of your body with age.
Whether you decide to take a power nap or sleep for 8hrs, we can all agree that we wake up feeling alert and energized. Being active and engaged not only improves your productivity but also improves your chances of getting another fantastic night. Once you wake up feeling refreshed, don’t rest on that energy. Instead, go out, be engaged in your world and do powerful stuff.
Although researchers do not have accurate facts on how sleep is connected to dreaming, they say it’s crucial for a process called memory consolidation. As you sleep, your body may be resting, but your mind is busy processing the day’s information. It’s making various connections on events, feelings and sensory input.
Studies show that people who sleep for less than 7 hours each night are more likely to be obese or overweight. I found out that insufficient sleep destroys the balance of the ‘appetite’ hormones. These are Leptin and Ghrelin which are in charge of controlling and regulating appetite. So, if you want to lose or maintain your weight, remember that sleeping plays a massive role in this process.
Taking a nap during the day is a refreshing alternative to drinking caffeine. It’s good for your health and also boosts your productivity. Studies show that people who took several naps during the week were less likely to die from heart disease. Besides, napping also improves your cognitive function, mood and memory!
Lack of sleep plays hinders the production of the Serotonin hormone. In such a situation, you’ll stand at a higher chance of suffering from depression. You can prevent depression by ensuring you always get enough sleep.
Sleep is a good time to wind up and relax. It’s also a time where the body is working hard to repair the damage caused by stress and harmful exposures to Ultra Violet rays. How does this work? Well, your body usually produces a lot of proteins as you sleep. These molecules form the main building blocks of muscle cells. Hence, they can correct the damage.
As I conclude, I would like to remind you that sleeping is not a competition. Whether you sleep for 8 hours and your colleague does for 5 hours, it does not matter. Of course, we all sleep for different reasons. For instance, you may be tired or feeling stressed. Either way, always give your body the rest it deserves!
]]>The Competition between the vinyl plank flooring and Ceramic flooring hardly exists when it comes to qualities like beauty, design, durability, and installation. The vinyl plank flooring products are designed for luxury using the latest technology. It is less comparable with ceramic flooring options which are not as attractive as vinyl plank flooring in many areas. If you break the floor down and explore the five qualities of the installed floor in your house, you will get a clear picture of how vinyl plank option outranks any other option.
The five options
The five options to look for a quality floor are Look & Style, Durability & Stability, Environmental Impact, Applications, and Cost. When it comes to looking and style, the ceramic floor is a strong option because it lasts for a long time. But it also can become a flaw if you think of a fashion designer. The real truth is that Ceramic flooring is expensive, messy, and time-consuming to install and remove. Conversely, luxury vinyl flooring is extremely easy to install. Even when it comes to reinstalling the ceramic flooring option, it takes a lot of effort, cost, and the help of a professional to do a satisfactory job.
The money invested in vinyl plank flooring by homeowners never go wasted; it does not require many expensive tools to cut down the vinyl plank floors. It takes professionals hard effort of many hours to cut the ceramic floors on the other hand. You can simply make use of a utility knife and a measuring tape and get the job done easily with vinyl plank. The luxury of vinyl floors always lasts as they are very easy to install and reinstall in an office or home where the small or large gathering of people feels comfort on a daily basis.
The durability of the floor can be measured with its long life and hardness of the floor; the quality material used in the vinyl plank flooring comes in various sizes and shapes to cope with the climatic changes. It needs less taking care of as compared to ceramic which fails with the changing weather. Vinyl plank option is best suitable for heavy commercial use. However, the stability factor in ceramic is also a stronger point for owners to decide during purchase. The environmental impact of the vinyl tiles as compared to ceramic tiles is excellent, the issue of removing ceramic tiles with smashing makes it less environmentally friendly product and not recyclable. GoHaus Vinyl Flooring provides the most affordable and elegant designs of vinyl plank flooring for their loyal customers. Visit our website for more details.
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