Supervise Your Building Projects

To get a building constructed can be very easy if you follow these steps. Before you begin at all or planning to do anything is better you know what is involved on that thing, and in your plan know how much you are going to spend, and you need to know the numbers of people you’ll be using so that you don’t end up paying people on your site that didn’t work for the day.

            There are stages in building constructions that you must follow and requirements of labor varies but have it in your mind that anybody you bring to your site, work or not, they will have to be paid. And in case your first plan doesn’t work you can try another one.

            A lot of books are out there advertising new innovations on building, you may be surprised to find out that what you need right now are right in those papers, and you have more opportunities of alternatives.

             The reputation of your professional or contractor; how honest is he and which of his past jobs can he point to? Who can stand for him, or recommend him to carry out your job. Make sure this person is actually qualified for the job.

            Whatever you estimate, our economy is besiege by unending inflation, you will always be expected to spend more at the end of the day, so earmark 20% of the estimate for your building for exigencies, though make sure you don’t stretch your budget to the limit, or what is the essence of a shelter if you don’t have money to provide food for you and your family?

            It is important you approve your building plan because of future occurrences, the government can decide to turn your building to a road, what will you use to fight back or at least be paid compensation for your property. If you are a businessman with an approved plan you can turn property as a collateral to obtain loan from the bank to help your business. You and your contractor must have written agreement on a specific task he is to perform and also documents amount you pay him and always let him sign under to confirm amount of money you have paid to him, if you fail to do this, the probability is very high that you’ll quarrel over money with your contractor as the job progresses. I have seen several cases of this. If you feel what he’s charging is a bit on the high side is better you price lower and find out how your building will reflect the amount of money you are paying. Thought the cheapest price is not always the best and the cheapest at the long run may end up being the costliest.

            The safety of your workers on site is very important to avoid disaster let your contractor stipulates his health measures for his workers especially in a large building.

            When you are not sure of a step you are about to take, please don’t hesitate to ask the professionals before you embark on it, it may ruin your plans when you don’t seek advice, and local contractors and professionals can be of immense benefits also when you need them at short notice. Remember you are employing and creating a job by giving out your project to be managed by a professional who may actually be your friend, but in this case this is business and should be treated as such.

            When purchasing materials, always go for the best quality and don’t hesitate to ask for discounts, you will be shocked by the amount of money that will be returned to you. When your contractor is offering you a deal that is too generous to your purse then you may be heading for disaster. Building work is not always as smooth sailing as some people will make you believe.

            You can also save cost unknowingly when you build the biggest possible size you can afford as it will cost less if done at the initial stage rather than as extension later on especially when you are sure of your capabilities.

            There is no need for being unnecessarily apprehensive to get your building completed very fast, be patient to watch out for favorable weather when building and also give room for waste management, so that you don’t end up having no space for your septic, refuse and other wastes. Whatever kind of material you are purchasing make sure they will be ready when you need them and always make sure of the presence of services on the site before you purchase them.

            Where you keep your materials is also important, are they safe? Using an artisan (bricklayer, carpenter, welder etc) to do the job of a professional like Architect, Structural Engineer etc. is not advisable on your site make sure everyone is qualified for the job at hand and don’t allow any contractor to decide for you because you are the boss and pay only when the job is satisfactory however, don’t cut corners because it will cost you more later.

A Creative Way to Design Storage Solutions in Bathroom

Whether you have a bathroom as big as a master bedroom or you have one the size of a small closet, bathroom storage is persistently an issue for homeowners. Finding a creative way to design storage solutions while maximizing space is a difficult undertaking for anyone. Most people find themselves overwhelmed with the constraints of their room size or confused by the amount of products that are available and what would be best for their space. From finding storage products that enhance the style of your bathroom that are still highly functional to understanding the underlying source of your storage issues, creating a storage solution can be a challenging project for even a very experienced home renovator.

The Importance of Well Designed Bathrooms

Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is the main room that will draw potential buyers to purchase a home. This is why it is absolutely critical that your bathroom appear as functional and appealing as possible. Investing in adequate storage solutions is a great investment as most buyers are typically seeking a well organized bathroom. In order to get the most for your renovation money. It may help to call in a professional bathroom designer or an organization specialist. These professionals will have ideas on the latest products for your storage solution as well as having tools to help you view various options.

 Whether you are considering a major reconfiguration of your bathroom or just some additional shelving. Professional software can take the dimensions of your translate them in to your improvement ideas. This visualization can often change the direction of a project as homeowners realize what they thought would work might not be the best option. A professional would be able to help you make the right decisions about your project, materials, dimensions and style.

Getting to the Root of the Issue for many homeowners that start out thinking they don’t have enough storage space in their bathrooms, finding the source of the storage issue should be the first stop in the design phase. Having difficulty finding storage for towels is a lot different than lacking storage for dozens of cosmetics and hair products. Deciding whether you want concealed storage or open storage will be another big decision and will depend on the type of items you struggle to find a home for in your bathroom.

There are custom drawer inserts available for existing bathroom cabinets that can be a grate option for small cosmetics that you find yourself stacking on top of each other only to have them topple over every time the drawer opens or closes. Under sink space may also be underutilized if the cabinet is too deep. This provides an opportunity to use roll-out shelving or removable storage containers. There also may be under used space right above a toilet which can be great for shallow shelves or a cupboard for storing extra toilet paper, tissue or cleaning suppliers.

Tricks of the Trade

When it comes to bathroom storage design, one of the key facets is utilizing every square inch of a bathroom without making it look as if you have used every square inch. Creating shelving that is vertical is one of the tricks bathroom designers will utilize which actually provides a feeling that the room is taller and therefore larger than it really is. There are other options which can help to ‘steal’ space you didn’t know you had. An experienced contractor may be able to find space between wall studs that is not impacted by plumbing or electrical where you can add custom, built in shelving. You can use this space openly or attach a cupboard door to conceal the contents, similar to a medicine cabinet.

 Many small bathrooms will only have a pedestal sink which offers no storage. There are some simple storage options that people may not have considered, such as utilizing decorative baskets that can sit on the floor to hold towels. There is a wide assortment of decorative storage boxes and baskets available that may be perfect for your space and can hide the extra hair products and cosmetics. Just be sure when selecting your container that it can hold up to the humidity of a bathroom environment.

For larger bathrooms that simply do not have the right flow, there are a number of design tricks that can be used to maximize your space. If you are planning to replace your sink cabinet, you might select one that is actually 4-6 inches higher than the current cabinet. Many cabinets were built to standard specifications, but most custom and higher end bathrooms have elevated sink cabinets. This serves two purposes, one being that the sink is more ergonomically situated for its general purpose of hand and face washing and then secondly, the added height will provide for more storage.

The size of your Project

Before heading in to the home improvement store, take a look at your bathroom cabinet and see if you are fully utilizing all the storage beneath the sink, or if you mostly have extra soap and shampoo bottles that don’t stack well. Rather than replacing the whole cabinet, an added shelving layer might make a huge difference in your space usage. Another common storage issue is wet towels and where to hang them. If they aren’t slung over the top of the shower door then they are piled on the floor. If you have a glass door shower, check to see if you can add a towel bar across the door which is a great way to make up for a lack of wall space.

Some homeowners have waited so long to deal with their bathroom storage issue that they really just want to rip the whole thing out and start over. If you have the time and money to invest in this project, it almost always brings a return on your investment when it comes to re-sale. If you want to see how much you can do on a small budget to solve your need for a medicine cabinet, cosmetic counter and linen closet, a consultation with a professional would still be strongly advised due to the sheer complexities of space, plumbing and electricity that are involved with bathroom renovations or project installations. Some simple storage fixes may be all that you need rather than an entire overhaul.

Update Your Bathroom for Latest Trends

You don’t have the time, money or inclination to give your bathroom a complete makeover, but you do want to update it. How can you update your bathroom without spending a lot of money on a full bathroom renovation? A little DIY “elbow grease” and a few touches here and there may be all it takes to give your bathroom a facelift.

Don’t Replace – Refresh

The biggest difference between cleaning a bathroom and cleaning any other room in the house is that a bathroom is a wet room. As such, it has special cleaning needs that other rooms don’t require. Mold accumulates in the tile grouting and soap scum gradually builds up on tiles, your shower screen and even on fittings like your shower head. If your bathroom is looking a little dingy, mould and shop scum may be the culprits and a little “spring cleaning” may be in order.

There  are some tips that can help you make your bathroom sparkle again:

Maintaining Your Shower Screen shows how to make your shower screen shine again using a solution of white vinegar and water.

If you have ceramic tiles in your bathroom, check out How o Clean Ceramic Tiles and learn the best ways to clean and maintain ceramic floor and wall tiles.

How to Maintain Stone Tiles will tell you want you need to know about maintaining and cleaning stone tiles.

If you start your bathroom update with a thorough cleaning, you’ll be much better able to see what else needs to be done.

Don’t Replace – Resurface

Now that you shower screen and tiles are sparking, do your bathtub and sink look dingy? You can give them a good scrub, but if they’re scratched, chipped, stained and/or faded, more drastic action may be called for. Before you call in the wrecking crew, though, consider getting quotes from bath& basin resurfacing specialists. They can make your tub and sink look like new again and even change their colour, giving your bathroom a whole new look. Better yet, resurfacing costs a fraction of the price of replacing a bathtub and basin.

Perform Painting Magic

There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint or two for updating your living room or bathroom. The sane thing is true in the bathroom. You may have liked that soothing pale blue wall colour 5 years ago, but is it putting you to sleep today? Have a look at the bathroom design ideas on our photo pages and be inspired by all the bathroom colour schemes that are in vogue today. Choose your favorite, contact your local paint supplier and perform painting magic in your bathroom.

“That’s a great idea, but my tiles don’t match the paint colour I want,” you say? Well, there’s a solution for that, too. If you want more professional result, tile resurfacing specialists can perform the same magic on your tiles that bath & basin resurfaces can perform on your tub and sink.

Don’t forget the Details

By updating your bathroom on a budget, you probably have enough money left add a few details that can make all the difference to your bathroom. For example, consider replacing your shower head with a modern water saving shower head. Unlike old style water saving shower heads that basically saved water simply by restricting the flow of water, modern versions cleverly work by improving the way water flows out of the shower head. Imagine the refreshing fall of rain and you get the idea.

When you update your bathroom this way, by cleaning, refreshing, resurfacing and repainting instead of replacing, you can save thousands of dollars and have a bathroom that looks as good as new. Now, why not have a nice shower in your new bathroom and treat yourselves to a night out? You deserve it.

Flexible Flyscreens?

The fly screen was a grate invention and has helped millions of Australians enjoy the fresh air in their homes without the nuisance of all the insects that invite themselves in whenever they are given the opportunity. Still, there has always been something less than perfect about standard rigid fly screens. They say you can’t reinvent the wheel, but there have certainly been improvements made to wheels over the years. The same is true of fly screens. For a modern improvement on the iconic Aussie fly screen, look into flexible fly screens.

What are Flexible Fly screens?

As the name implies, flexible fly screen without its rigid aluminum frame and you get the idea. Instead of having a frame flexible fly screens are “framed” in either Velcro or a magnetic ribbon. There are a lot of advantages to such a system:

Made-to-measure flexible fly screens create a tight seal, even around out-of-square windows and oddly shaped openings, such as caravan windows.

● Made-to-measure flexible fly screens create a tight seal, even around out-of-square windows and oddly shaped openings, such as caravan windows.

● Flexible fly screens are easy to remove, giving you quick access to your windows when you want to open or shut them.

● They can be rolled up and stored when not needed and reinstalled in no time at all.

Flexible fly screens are ideal in many situations where normal flyscreens just don’t work:

● Hinged at the top, awning windows swing outwards, making indoors the only possible place to hang fly screens. It’s not likely you’ll make the best use of your awning windows if you have to remove a rigid fly screen every time you want to open or shut them, but with a flexible fly screen, all you have to do is peel back an edge, open the window, and fix the fly screen in place again.

● you can hang rigid fly screens outside of casement windows, but that creates problems when you want to clean or remove them.

● Hopper windows open inwards. You can install fly screens outdoors for these, but this creates the same problem you have with casement windows and you may not want to leave them permanently in place. Install flexible fly screens and you can install or remove them in seconds.

Another disadvantage to standard fly screens is that when hung outside the windows, they aren’t very attractive. If you have timber framed windows, you really don’t want to hide them behind fly screens. If you install flexible fly screens, you don’t have to.

There is still a place for rigid fly screens in the home. A fly screen sliding door, for example, is ideal for you sliding glass door. However, if you use a little “flexible” thinking, you’ll probably find that flexible fly screens are perfect for dozens of other applications. Custom made to order, you can install them yourself or get a quote for supply and installation.