Poor preparation

A proper renovation takes preparation – lots of it. A detailed plan will help keep you on budget and on time. Set out a very specific agreement with your contractor before the work begins and get everything in writing. You should be able to see on paper how your renovation is going to play out before it even begins.

Buying before planning

I can’t stress this enough: Don’t buy materials or appliances until your renovation is planned out and all measurements have been taken. Online sales can be tempting, but that great deal on a 24-inch dishwasher isn’t going to save you any money if you only have room for an 18-inch model. Don’t over plan things. Keep everything clear in your mind before buying. Visit 2-3 stores to compare rates before finalising

Ignoring issues

When you tear down walls or rip up floors, there’s a good chance you’re going to find something you weren’t expecting, especially in … Read the rest

There are endless possibilities when choosing pool shapes from a basic rectangle or kidney to lavish structures that include waterfall features. The conventional styles with smaller dimensions are most popular offering a basic pool to unwind and cool off. Designs are not limited to squares or rectangles, but can include large circles or rounded edges.

Shapes and sizes of pools are determined by the amount of space available on the property. The area selected for installation will influence the style of the feature that will best work in terms of practicality and ease of maintenance. Do not make a rushed decision, but carefully consider size as it is expensive and complex to have to fill or remove pools at a later stage.

Create a budget for the addition and consider the options available that are valuable and cost effective. Contacting a professional contractor in the installation of pools will include an estimate of the materials and labor involved. The smaller … Read the rest

Cleaning is easy

Kitchens and bathrooms are rooms which are notorious for high levels of foot traffic and lots of mess. From spilt baked beans to toothpaste and everything in between, kitchens and bathrooms are notorious for taking a lot of abuse! The problem with real wood floors and laminate flooring is that you have to be careful when cleaning them. Wood absorbs water and it will eventually rot. Gerflor flooring and other types of vinyl are very easy to clean. You can mop or wipe spillages and not have to worry about the impact it will have on the floor itself. Stone and tiling is similarly easy to clean, but for those on a budget, vinyl is probably the best solution.

Fantastic value for money

Vinyl is one of the cheapest flooring options around, but it is also great value for money given that it is highly durable. There are a huge number of patterns you can choose from … Read the rest

The first thing you need is a good pump. The pump is in charge of pulling the water out through the skimmer, forcing it through the filter where it is cleaned and then putting it back into the pool. If you don’t keep the water moving around your pool won’t look pretty for long.

The filter works in tandem with the pump. It is responsible for sifting out the impurities that accumulate in the water. There are three main types of filters: sand, cartridge and DE. Sand filters are the cheapest option but also have the most work attached to them. They are the most basic of filters and they do the job well, as long as you backwash them every 2 weeks. Cartridge filters on the other hand only have to be cleaned twice throughout the season and they are more like a vacuum filter you have at home. They get out more of the bad stuff so you … Read the rest

Flotex flooring sits somewhere between carpet and vinyl flooring, encapsulating features of both to create a completely new kind of flooring. It is made of nylon fibres and there are approximately 66 million of them for every square metre of this flooring! Unlike carpet fibres, however, the fibres used to make Flotex flooring are completely upright, meaning that dirt and other mess does not get stuck and is easy to remove. Thus this acts as if it were a vinyl floor, but also has the additional benefits of a carpeted floor. The most common place you might find this type of flooring is in public places such as schools and gyms which have lots of traffic and are often the subject of potential stains.

The vertical fibres of the Flotex flooring are important for two reasons. Firstly, it helps reduce the chances of spilled products staining the surfaces FIbres which are curved are more likely to retain stains and mess … Read the rest