Latest Blogs
Latest news on Home Improvement
Latest news on Home Improvement
When you take up a home improvement project, it is more than likely that renovating your bathroom will be an important part of this. Bathroom renovations add value to a home, make it more stylish, and must meet your current needs. Any renovation of a bathroom must improve its functionality, its looks, its storage, and make it a place that is meant for your comfort.
Functionality can be improved in a bathroom by increasing the sizes of the drain plumbing from the standard 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches. This will greatly help in reducing the chances of clogging and greatly improve the quality of the drains in your bathroom. Improve the lighting in your bathroom, by adding a window, especially in the shower area, and reduce your dependence on artificial lighting. A window can also add to ventilation and make the bathroom fresh. Change to light-colored tiles on floors and walls, as this can add to the light.
Take a good look at the existing storage space in your bathroom, and consider whether you need to increase it to suit your requirements and that of your family. You need space for storing linen, toiletries, cleaning supplies and others. An improvement that is often considered during renovations is the installation of bigger mirrors. These add to the utility of the bathroom and can also make it look bigger than it is.
During the remodeling of a bathroom, consider changing the faucets and other fittings to ones that can help you to save water. Add in grab bars, and non-skid flooring, especially if you have elderly persons also using the bathroom. Remove bathtubs if they are not used very often, and substitute them with shower enclosures, as you will find them much more useful.
Set a budget before you start any bathroom renovations. Do this by making a proper plan of the changes you intend to make and having them costed by a reliable contractor, like SF Bathrooms. Once you are clear as to what needs to be done, make alternative arrangements as your bathroom will probably become unusable during the period when it is undergoing renovations. Any designed changes must be considered hand in hand with the functionality of the new bathroom. It can also help if the changes made are in line with the general decor in your home.
A properly renovated bathroom must be one that will remain relevant for a long time to come and yet continue to provide the comfort and utility that you need from it.
Temperatures often rise to uncomfortable levels during the summer season. That is why air conditioning systems are usually installed on every commercial and residential property. If you want to upgrade the AC system in your home or install an AC unit in a new office, it is recommended you take your time to compare all the local AC installers in the city to find the best one for your needs. Proper installation is the key to ensuring the air conditioner has a long lifespan and experiences fewer breakdowns.
i) Window Air Conditioners
These are AC units designed to cool a single room. As the name suggests, the AC is installed on the window. The condenser side faces the outside while the evaporator side of the compact unit faces the room. This type of air conditioner is perfect for cooling a single room, such as an office or additional room in a home. These AC units cannot be used to cool the entire house, but they are cheap to procure and easy to install.
ii) Central AC System
Central air conditioning systems are the most popular space-cooling systems. A central air conditioner has a chiller, fans, air ducts and vents. Air from a room is drawn and taken to the chiller through a network of air ducts. Before passing over the chiller, air is first filtered to remove impurities. After filtration and cooling, air is sent back to the room via the supply ducts. Central air conditioners are perfect for cooling whole buildings and homes. They may be challenging and costly to install, but they are highly-energy efficient, so you can be assured of enjoying optimal comfort at home.
iii) Split Ductless AC System
A split air conditioning system is also known as a ductless air conditioning unit. The system has two main components; the evaporator and condenser. The evaporator is usually installed indoors on the wall or ceiling while the condenser is installed outdoors on the rooftop, wall or ground. The two components are connected by refrigerator tubing and electrical cables. These systems are easy to install as they only require mounting of the condenser and evaporator as well as drilling of a hole across the wall to connect the two components.
It is important you hire an expert to design and install the air conditioning system. This is because they have been properly trained to size AC units for clients as well as to install AC systems properly. Only licensed, certified, & insured AC contractors should be considered.
As far as home improvement goes, there are no limits regarding what is possible. You could spend however much you want to upgrade your home and do the work yourself, or pay someone to do the work for you. Having said that, your own DIY efforts should simplify your life, or enhance the appearance of your property to attract buyers.
Contractors That are Commonly Used
There’s several types of contractor that people usually hire to perform home upgrades. Plumbers and electricians are two such examples, because people are often doing work on a bathroom or kitchen, and each of these needs someone who knows what they are doing.
A plumber is a typical contractor that you might wish to hire to do some work. Although doing work like installing a sink isn’t too hard, providing you understand how to switch the water off, if you wish to install a new appliance — like a a bathtub – there’s much that you have to know. It’s vital to purchase the correct insulation and get this installed properly, to stop dampness from entering the walls and producing mould. This could occur without your knowledge, and when you finally discover what’s happened, there’s much more work to do. A professional contractor knows the correct way to do things, and will provide a warranty for their work – in the event that any problems arise.
An electrician is another contractor that people typically hire. Although you can wire your lighting yourself, you will usually need Shuttle Electrics to sign the work off. If you are a professional electrician, you might not need to do this, however it is wise to ensure that the work is completed correctly. Irrespective of who performs the work, you need to ensure that this home upgrade is done well. The last thing you want is for your home to catch fire.
In certain situations, a pest controller is a common contractor. Of course, on the Internet you can find many ideas about how to deal with problem pests yourself. However, would you actually risk trying something that might not be effective, or would you prefer to use a professional and get it done correctly from the outset?
Doing the Work Yourself Versus Hiring a Professional
Suffice to say, it is far less expensive to perform your own home improvements, rather than hiring someone else to do them. However, there’s some practical issues to consider before you make this judgment. One key question to answer is whether the work is something that you are capable of doing.
Another factor in choosing whether to take the DIY approach, or hire someone else, is the timeframe. Let us assume that you are capable of doing the work, what is the probability that you will? Certain people are fairly productive and could redecorate a different room in their home every week, and be finished within three months. However, other people have a tendency to procrastinate, and would take a decade just to redecorate a single room.