Archive for January, 2014

The New Garbage Shed

When we are still living in the old neighborhood we usually throw our car boards, plastic and glass  every time the large shopping bag is full but since we moved to new neighborhood and apartment we are throwing these recyclable items every day as there’s a designated corner in the yard for the tenants to throw the garbage and trash.

Garbage Shed

One day, we just found out that the metal bar holding the sacks for different recyclable items was ruined, we just saw it hanged in the shrubs. We suspect a car accidentally hit the area although we are wondering why the metal box for card boards are missing, so we are in doubt if there’s really an accident happened with the thought probably the landlord sign a new contract from different garbage disposal.

In less than a month we just woke up one day with the sound of hammer and drilling and when we look down the apartment building we see men building a shed in the area where garbage disposal was situated.  Although I am not sure what’s the use of the shed or the room as it looks like an office it could be a dog shed because there’s a table and office chair, a guard house probably?

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Planning for Minimalist Design in the Living Room

As I have blogged previously my family decided to keep the large speakers in the unfinished bedroom after I complain to them that are house is becoming loaded and scruffy.  As much as I like I wanted minimal designs to our house because our hold house has a lot of intricate displays from walls to display cabinets that is eating all the space in our living room.

Miles Keyboard

So I was relieved that what’s left at the bottom of the stairs is the electronic keyboard my mother had bought a few years ago and have not been used even a year, it only serves as a display and an adornment to our living room. If you will ask me if it is just waste of money, but my mother like to own one so much, that’s why no matter how I try to stop and disappoint her it didn’t work. Probably if she knew about the affordable roland gkc at musicians friend she will buy one to connect a guitar to any of the speakers we had, if we only have a large land we maybe build a big house with music room in it.

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How To Organize Your Bathroom

It’s always a good idea to keep your home as attractive and comfortable as possible and sometimes you realize that the way you have your home arranged and decorated just isn’t really working. It can be difficult to get a fresh perspective on what to do in order to make your home more functional, especially if you don’t consider yourself to be creative. There’s still no need to hire a professional designer when instead you can go online and surf the net for bedroom and bathroom designs. It’s sort of like walking through sample homes – by simply looking at how other people decorate you get inspiration and ideas you can execute in your own home.

Bathroom, Sink, Contemporary, Elegance, Lifestyle

[Image courtesy of GregoryButler/pixabay.com]

Perhaps the bathroom cabinets and shelves are at capacity in the family bathroom. There are many creative solutions to explore instead of just throwing up your hands and declaring it hopeless. Start by going through everything that is stored in the bathroom and donate, recycle or discard the items you no longer use. Often times you will find it’s just accumulated over the years and you need to cull the inventory; be sure to properly dispose of any unused or expired medications. Take stock of your towels and washcloths as they do wear out over time; many can be used as rags or donated to a pet shelter. Towels that are in good condition but not to your taste any more can always be donated or put in a pile for the next garage sale.

Turn on every light and draw the drapes so that you can clean the bathroom from top to bottom and be sure to replace any burned out light bulbs so you can  see what you are doing. Experts recommend replacing the shower curtain and bath mat on a regular basis; look for a hookless shower curtain with a built-in liner for a clean and contemporary solution.

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Moving the Speaker to the Bedroom

It was been a month already since the construction of our house was stopped. We have no more funds to continue the construction, while my father has no work at the moment, he is busy doing finishing touches to the windows and flooring of the bedroom.  The bedroom has no tiles nor window installed yet, but they decided to move the bamboo bed in the room to make it useful.  Some of the speakers were also moved into the bedroom to make space in our living room.

Karaoke Speaker

When my sister uploaded new photos, the keyboard was the only one left under the stairs. The large karaoke speaker had been already in the bedroom, I think my family is planning to buy good genz benz acoustic amp to create solid and dynamic blending of more than one instrument when they are into sound tripping.

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Basic Plumbing Tools and Supplies for Quick Repair

Plumbing is a complex system of water or gas connection from the main source to its point of distribution. When any of the plumbing supplies get busted, it could affect the reading of your next water bill. A drop of water can cost you a few dollars if you do not have someone to fix it.

Do-it yourself plumbing repair is needed this time so when your toilet bowl clogs or the faucet has loosened its thread, you know how to troubleshoot. To enable you to start the repair, you have to equip yourself with plumbing tools that you can buy online.

Plumber

[Image source newmaxcincinnatiplumbing.com]

Start investing with the commonly used tools such as adjustable or a crescent pipe wrench which is used to grip the pipe during repair. Faucet valve seat wrench and resetting tool are used when fixing the faucet.

When you live away from the hardware store and traveling would be burdensome to you, buy extra faucet washers, faucet stem packing, faucets, drains, shower heads and water filters for quick repair and replacement.

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How to Winterize Your Home

Once autumn hits, you will want to start winterizing your home. It always sneaks up on you faster than you think and its best to be prepared. There are many different ways to stay safe and warm and also save money by getting ready for the cold weather ahead of time. Here are a few.

Clean Your Gutters

Remove dirt, leaves and debris from your gutters and rinse them out well with a hose so icy rain and melting snow can drain easily. If your gutters clog, ice dams can form freeze and cause water to leak into your home. During the time you hose out your gutters, check for leaks and repair them to avoid flooding and other water damage.

Block the Leaks

To prevent flooding of your basement  make sure you have a water powered sump pump to help prevent any water from flooding your basement when heavy rain comes or from melting snow.

The average American home has leaks that amount to a nine – square – foot hole in the wall! You can find the leaks on a breezy day by taking a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas like windows and doors frames and electrical outlets. Then block up the leaks with caulk and use door sweeps under exterior doors. Even small cracks need to be blocked up. This even prevents insects from entering! Don’t forget to put up the storm windows and have the chimney inspected periodically.

How to Winterize Your Home

Insulation

Adding insulation can be expensive but it saves you so much money in the long run. You need a minimum of a foot of insulation in your attic. To make sure there is at least one foot of insulation, you can go in the attic. If you see the ceiling joists, you do not have enough insulation because ceiling joists are ten to eleven inches at most. Be sure not to use insulation with the paper backing if you are going over insulation. It can cause moisture problems.

Check the Furnace

First of all, you need to make sure your furnace is working by turning it on. You should be able to smell it, like a temporary burning smell. If the smell lasts a long time, shut it off and call a professional. Clean and tune your furnace every year. Check your furnace filters monthly. A dirty filter restricts air flow and in some extreme cases, can even start a fire. Fiberglass filters need to be tossed out and replaced while electronic filters can be washed and reused.

Check Your Ducts

Homes with central heating can lose up to 60% of the heated air before it reaches the vents. Which is a huge waste of money and you end up with a chilly home. Ducts aren’t always easy to find but you can usually find them in the attic, basement and crawl spaces. Repair pinches in pipes and fix gaps with a tape that is metal backed, not duct tape. Ducts should also be vacuumed periodically to get out any dust and gunk that may be gathered.

Author Bio:

If you are looking for someone to help you winterize your home, contact Service Star at www.servicestarac.com. Service Star is a customer focused company that wants to be your first call every time for taking care of your home.

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Kitchen Renovations and Contemporary Cabinets

House furniture needs to be functional but it doesn’t always mean they cannot be stylish and trendy. One of the integral part of your kitchen is the kitchen cabinets. They are indispensable part of the kitchen, you can store anything from kitchen utensils to crockery to smaller kitchen accessories in your home.

If you are planning to improve the look of your kitchen you should start from the cabinets because they are first thing to be noticed inside your kitchen so it is best to keep your kitchen cabinets within the style of your kitchen, but renovating them is costly.  One of the best alternative when improving your contemporary cabinets is by refacing them instead of replacing and make sure that they’re also providing your kitchen with enough space and functionality so that your whole kitchen feels usable and spacious.

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Bubble Wrap Window Insulation

Energy saving techniques for winter will help you save money and energy during the cold season.  Every time we go to the bathroom we can feel the cold breeze of wind coming in,  it seems the window was not properly done.  To save gas and to avoid the cold temperature from coming in, we always closed the bathroom door.  It is quite tiring sometimes to open and closed the bathroom when we have to use it, so when I went to downtown and saw bubble wrap I immediately bought a roll.

Bubble Wrap Window Insulation

At home I measured the window with measuring tape and cut the exact measure of bubble wrap and instead of attaching it directly to the window glass, I taped it properly in the wall to avoid the air from getting in.

The bubble wrap comes with a simple direction on how to do the window insulation, after you cut the right size for the window. Spray water in the window glass and while the window is still wet, apply the bubble wrap and press it with the bubble side going towards the window. The water will hold the bubble wrap to the window all winter and you will need no tape or glue.

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