Author: Keith Williams

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Excellent Benefits of Installing Wood Rain Gutters

Are you considering replacing your gutters with a new system? You will soon find many options in terms of style, quality, material, and other factors. You can choose between PVC gutters and wooden gutters. If you choose the plastic and PVC guttering, you’ll have no regret. It’s as PVC gutters can protect your exterior. Also, this type of gutter can help the home withstand elements. Moreover, there will be no risk of a flooded basement and mold allergies to prevent it from happening. Now, what about the other options? Let’s talk about the wooden gutters here.

Wood Gutters

Another best option you can choose is the wooden gutters. This type of gutter was common 100 years ago but is now rarely found in older homes. There are many modern ways to use wood as a gutter system. Contractors and renovators of historic buildings often use these systems as well. Before choosing a natural material like wood to make your gutters, ensure you have all the facts. Wood may not be the best choice for you. Read on to learn more about the benefits of wood gutters.

Offers Easy Maintenance and High Longevity

Wood GuttersWhen purchasing exterior components, such as gutters, you should choose durable products that are easy to maintain and last a long time. Wood gutters do not meet this criterion. Wood is naturally susceptible to damage from natural elements such as weather and rain. Wood systems can be maintained for up to 15-30 years with proper care. However, this requires a lot of work. You can find low-maintenance systems that will last for many decades by looking for galvanized steel, aluminum, or vinyl alternatives.

Saves Money

Alternative gutter materials are cheaper and more durable than wood. They are also easier and cheaper to install. Wood is heavy and comes from natural sources. It is therefore understandably more expensive to purchase, more challenging to install, and more costly. Wood gutters may be the only option for you. You should expect to spend more and maintain a higher standard. These materials are highly recommended for commercial and residential gutters.

Offers Several Types of Wood

Wood gutters are a good choice if you opt for redwood or red cedar. These woods are more durable and stronger than other options. These woods are excellent for historic renovations and wood gutters. Both types of woods have natural oils that repel water. This reduces the likelihood of mold and mildew, as well as water leaks. These oils are also resistant to drying out (splitting or cracking), which can be a problem with wood gutters.

Douglas fir can be used if you look for a cheaper alternative that will still do the job. It’s cheaper than redwood or red cedar, but it won’t last as long and won’t stand up to the outdoor elements. Regular varnishing and mineral oil can prevent problems and extend the life of the wood.

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Popular Types of Lighting to Bring into Your Home

Lighting is an essential part of interior design. Moreover, bringing the correct amount of light into our home is beneficial to our health. It keeps you from getting lost in the dark and can also serve to prevent accidents. You can read more here to learn how to bring light into your home. When building, remodeling, or renovating, don’t think of lighting as an afterthought. It deserves the same importance as furniture, flooring, fabrics, and accessories. A variety of lighting options can change the look and feel of a room. Knowing the different types of interior lighting can help you create a balanced and beautiful lighting scheme for your home.

Home Lighting Types

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting can be used for general or multi-use purposes. It provides an even distribution of light in the room. Mood lighting can come from recessed ceiling fixtures or various light sources such as ceiling fans, chandeliers, and wall sconces. General lighting is ideal for events such as a cocktail party or everyday tasks such as cleaning the house. Ambient lighting is not enough to create an atmosphere. It can appear cold and impersonal. To warm up the atmosphere, use a different type of lighting. For ambient lighting, I recommend the following lighting fixtures: pendant lights, chandeliers, recessed lights, track lights, downlights, and recessed lights.

Natural Lighting

Home Lighting TypesNatural light is an integral part of your home lighting plan. The sun can change the look of your home throughout the day, whether you realize it or not. Even on rainy days, light from outside can enter your home through French doors, skylights, and windows. This can affect the mood and colors of your interior. On sunny days, natural light can be an excellent alternative to ambient light.

But when the sun goes down, you need to use artificial light sources. These are the best sources of natural light. They include direct sunlight, outdoor reflections, skylights, and large windows.

Task Lighting

Task lighting focuses light on the task at hand. Some people find task lighting too bright. You can reduce contrast and glare by adding an atmospheric light source to your mix. You can use any task lighting, from clamp lights to pendants to under-cabinet lights to floor lamps. Task lighting reduces eye strain and improves visual clarity when reading small print or working near a computer. These fixtures are ideal for task lighting. These fixtures include pendant and swing arm fixtures, bathroom wall fixtures, and under-counter fixtures.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting can create a romantic atmosphere in your bedroom by creating a softly lit ceiling or highlighted wall niches. Accent lighting can be used to highlight artwork, architectural elements, or plants. Combined with ambient lighting, accent lighting can create a relaxing ambiance or highlight the color of a wall. To add drama or ambiance to your event, you can use brass frame lights, string lights, or LED discs. For accent lighting, I recommend the following lights: string lighting and string lighting.

Home, Real Estate

Factors to Consider When Remodeling Your Bathroom

There is a reason why Hollywood actors keep their awards in the bathroom. All their guests will be visiting the washroom at one point or another, so why not place the trophies where everyone can see them? According to swaay, bathroom remodeling done well can impress your guests and increase the home’s value. Remodeling your bathroom can be as straightforward or as complex as a new paint job and fixtures. Or it could be a complete renovation. The first step in bathroom remodeling is to assess the condition of your bathroom. These issues will help you make the most of your project.bathroom

Size of the Bathroom

It may be a good idea for a family to share a bathroom. A separate area could be used for the toilet or shower while the other uses the mirror. You can clean grimy tiles with bleach or an industrial tile cleaner, polish the fixtures and add brighter lighting to your bathroom. This will make it sparkle again and be less expensive than a complete renovation. Consider making more drastic changes if your bathroom is outdated, disorganized, or boring.

Your Budget

Consider how much you can afford before you start. You shouldn’t be in debt for any remodeling project. After you have established a budget, visit your local hardware store and compare prices. Before you begin your renovations, compare prices and start searching for bargains. It doesn’t have to be all at once. You can wait for the sales and buy the tools that you need, then store them.

Amount of Repairs Required

You can remove walls if you plan. It is possible to save space by using pocket doors or a shower instead of a tub. It is best to keep your home conservative and straightforward if you are renovating to sell it or to make an offer on the house soon. Keep things clean and precise. But don’t make your dream whirlpool bathtub.

These issues cover the most important aspects of bathroom remodeling. Be prepared, budget well, look for bargains, and don’t be afraid of asking for help. Bathroom modeling should be enjoyable, and you are free to enjoy the results.

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Simple Tips to Soundproof Your Home on a Budget

It doesn’t have to be expensive to soundproof your home. We all know how little money can be when building a new home. There is no need to spend a lot of money on soundproofing your home. There are many common items that you can buy at your local hardware store. Sand is a great soundproofing material. However, most people do not consider it as such. You can use sand to soundproof your walls if they have been reinforced. Your walls must be able to withstand the weight and pressure of the sand. Use only refined or clean sand. Avoid regular beach sand, which can cause mold and other bacterial problems.

Soundproofing Tips

Invest in Rolled Roofing Materials

Imagine you are building your new home. One of the rooms you see is the home theater. But your budget is already limited. You need to soundproof the room. You can use the usual materials for rolled ceilings. Rolled ceilings are used for buildings like chicken coops or other roofs that are not about aesthetics but need to leak. Rolled roof rolls are typically 30 feet long and 3 feet wide. Their brains spin at 100 miles per hour. What is the purpose of all this rolled roofing material? You may ask. Bulk-loaded vinyl (or MLV) is one of the most effective soundproofing materials on the market today. It’s made of high-quality vinyl that has been impregnated with barium salts, silica, and other chemicals to provide the same soundproofing properties as lead sheet, but without the risks associated with lead.

Install the Soundproofing Walls

Soundproofing TipsThe price of MLV can range from $1.25 to $2.00 per square foot, which could be a problem when building your dream home. Now comes the roll ceiling material. If you are soundproofing your ceiling, I suggest laying rolled ceiling material along the joists and studs. The rolled roofing material is attached to the studs like a membrane. The second section of rolled roofing material should be at least 1 inch larger than the first. The overlap should be caulked with an acoustical adhesive.

Now let’s get back to soundproofing the walls. Once you have installed the roll ceiling and caulked the 1-inch overlap, you need to caulk the perimeter of the newly installed roll ceiling membrane. There is a saying in the soundproofing industry that caulking is cheap. You get the idea. Use as much sealant as you need to seal any cracks or seams in the roofing soundproofing membrane. This roofing material should be sealed as tightly as possible. Roll roofing membrane is not as soundproofing as MLV. Therefore, I highly recommend adding a second layer to each wall and roof. It’s worth the small investment to create a soundproof room for a home cinema or study in peace.

Finish Off the Layer With Drywalls

Once you’ve applied your two layers of roller ceiling to the ceiling and walls and all the sealants have dried, it’s time to install the final layer of drywall. To complete the soundproofing, I recommend installing a layer of 5/8″ fireproof plywood. Tape the walls and then paint them. Now let me talk a little bit about acoustical drywall sealant. Although acoustical sealant is a relatively inexpensive product compared to other soundproofing products, it is an essential part of any soundproofing project. Be sure to use a high-quality acoustical sealant and not a cheap silicone. Soundproofing material is already expensive, so don’t go overboard with the sealant. Tremco Smoke and Sound caulk or OSI-175 SC caulk are two excellent acoustical options. These caulks have excellent acoustic properties. You can contact one of the soundproofing companies online if you have any questions about acoustic oil caulking.

 

 

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Essential Tips to Keep You Motivated During Your Home Renovation Project

When remodeling a home, you feel trapped in a compact space with no air to breathe. Things feel boring. You may start enthusiastic, but all minds are divided, and you need a boost of inspiration to keep going. Unfortunately, this motivation is difficult to discover, even impossible. Also, you can stay motivated during your home renovation project by learning to make light work. Aside from that, here are some notable tips to help you stay motivated while renovating your home.

Home Renovation

Measure Your Success

Yes, home renovation is a big undertaking. You can’t do it successfully until you set your goals. Small victories can allow you to achieve a greater degree of motivation. Create a renovation schedule and break it down into small goals. Evaluate the results as you accomplish each goal. By being a much better result, you are sure to feel motivated.

Keep Futuristic

Home RenovationYou’re not a professional, so you have to make mistakes when renovating your home. Instead of focusing on the flaws you have, plan how you can combat them to improve your future. As you reevaluate what your home will look like later, stage creativity will act as a driving force to help you stay motivated. If you feel that you radically lack essential skills, you can hire specialists. For example, hiring interior designers or specialized painters will help you find results. This will help you stay inspired in your remodeling project.

Stay Relaxed But Prepared

If you do everything on your project, don’t overwork.. You cannot expect your body and head to work continuously 24 hours a day. Therefore, to expect better results, you need to take breaks from boring work. This way, you can refresh your body and mind and make new thoughts and projects. However, it would be best if you also stay prepared for anything unplanned. When you start a job that wasn’t quite in your novels, you invite mismanagement, anxiety, costs, and more. These things go a long way in destroying your motivation. On the other hand, when you work on programs you have prepared in advance, it is easy to manage and execute things.

Set a Budget and Follow Your Plan

Home RenovationHaving a set budget will help you keep your sanity. Things start to feel annoying and unnecessary. You should have a clear financial preparation to decide how much money you can spend on your home renovation needs. These tips will help you renovate your home so that you never feel unmotivated. These tips to inspire you have been tested and analyzed by homeowners who now boast about the results of their renovations. Pay attention to the small successes, regardless of the results.

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Reasons Why You Should Hire a Qualified Roofing Contractor

Most men and women try to do it themselves. It’s not hard to watch videos and tutorials on the internet and try to repair yourself. However, when it comes to repairing and replacing a roof, it pays to hire a roofing expert. Hiring the most professional and qualified roofing contractor can prevent any further hassle and problems. Aside from that, if you read an article at realtytimes.com, you’ll find out that hiring them can increase the value of your home. Along with that, let’s take a look at why you should hire a qualified roofing contractor.

Reasons to Hire a Roofing Contractor

They Have Excellent Experience and Knowledge

A roofing contractor has years of experience. No picture can give you the understanding that comes with years of training and practice. An experienced roofer also knows the tools and materials needed to do the job right. Roofing is much more complex than it seems at first glance, and touching a small spot can lead to problems down the road. An experienced roofer may also know where to look for the cause of what caused the leak or injury in the first place. A professional roofing company will be licensed and insured. New roofs installed by a professional roofing company include warranties. Do-it-yourselfers cannot get help with faulty work or materials.

Repairing or Replacing a Home Roof Requires Professional Roofing Crew

Reasons to Hire a Roofing ContractorThis is a toxic job. An experienced roofer has been trained on the ideal way to move things on the roof and has all the safety equipment and experience needed to do the job safely. Replacing or repairing a home’s roof is quite an undertaking. It can take a team of roofing professionals or several times to complete a home. A do-it-yourself job will take much longer because it lacks the proper tools, equipment, knowledge and personal strength. A do-it-yourselfer may need to search for instructions and consult reference materials, while an expert knows how to finish the job. Not only is it likely to be done faster, but also, the roof will be exposed throughout the process, which can lead to additional difficulties or development.

DIY Roof Repair or Installation Doesn’t Save That Much Money

If you do it yourself, you won’t save as much money as it seems compared to hiring a professional. Roofing contractors can get things done at a reduced price, so you’ll get better quality materials for your dollar. A home improvement project will almost certainly require the purchase of new tools. There are long-term costs that come from mistakes, improper materials and installation.

Hiring a Qualified Roofing Contractor Adds Value to Your Home

Suppose there is a chance that you will market your home in the next few decades. In that case, the use of a qualified along with design and curb guarantees will go to the homeowner, and they will have access to information about roofing and construction materials. These things will give potential buyers peace of mind and therefore make your home more desirable. Before you get on your roof, consider all the benefits of choosing a professional roofing company to do the job right.

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Home Decoration Ideas to Try for This Summer

As the weather starts to get warmer, it’s a good time to start thinking about ways to keep your home cool. Since we have to spend most of our time indoors, it is important to consider appropriate home renovation to reduce the overall heat in the suburbs. You can read more about it here. In these cases, the cool interior of the house can ventilate and open up the house. Here are some practices to keep the inside of the house calm and cool.

Summer Home Renovation

As mentioned, home renovation during summer is essential. Believe it or not, you have longer daylight hours during summer, so it comes in handy when you want to work with your home renovation. Also, during the summer holiday, there are many summer sales that you can see to buy necessary tools or furnishing to work with your home renovation. In this article, we’ll take a look at my home decoration ideas you can try this summer.

Install Light-Colored Curtains

It is important to choose the perfect fabric for your curtains because you want to protect your rooms from the sun’s scorching heat. Light-colored curtains are appropriate in summer. Put light-colored drapes near the window and thick fabric curtains to keep the sun’s rays from entering the house. With mesh curtains, you can enjoy the warm morning sun, and when the day starts to grow and the sunlight enters the region, put the next curtain on it.

Use Couch Covers and Cushions on Your Sofa

Summer Home RenovationUse Try to find muted colors because it will help create a cool feeling of the house. Interior designers say that the more muted colors you use in summer, the more relaxed the view will be. If you have not yet removed carpets from your living spaces, do so today. Carpeting is also known to create a warm atmosphere that you don’t want in the summer. If you need to do something special to give the floor a different look, you can use thin jute or cotton rugs.

Leave Space for Good Ventilation

The interior of your home plays an important role in making your home look open and airy. If your drawing area is small, you should opt for a sofa that takes up less space. Also, it should not be too dense. If the center table is big, then the distance will look really compact and small. Do not design the living room furniture with too much thickness. Otherwise, the distance will seem much smaller, plus the lack of ventilation is very likely to make the room feel stuffy.

In case you use sofa covers, use thin and light covers that match the summer. Also, don’t put anything between the window and the sofa to not impede the airflow. This way, whenever you open the window, there will be no ventilation problems. Finally, decorate the window with fresh flowers. You will get the freshness of the removal without damage.

Paint Your Interior With Bright Colors

If you are thinking of painting the walls, then you can choose new colors for each wall. Bold colors will give an original look. A mix of soft and light colors on the walls has a calming effect on the eye and helps you relax. If you have recently painted the walls, you can add wallpaper to replace a fresh, new look. You could also replace a painting in the area to bring trendy creativity into the room.

Cleaning

Tips on Cleaning a Home Garage

It is possible to spend hours cleaning the garage only. Garages are not only meant for cars but also used for storing unused household items. First, you need to figure out the best way to get things done. Use the criteria that will work for you even if you have to do it for a couple of days. The following are tips on cleaning your home garage:

Declutter

Your home garage is probably filled with items that will never be used. When decluttering, the first step is to find out what is in the garage. Pull out everything and pick a section to start with. This will allow you to see the amount of space you will work with and the type of storage you might need to keep everything intact.

Make categories of the items you find and label them as; “garbage”, “donate” or “keep”. Separate the items into piles to see what is left behind. If you’d like to make extra coins, sell the items, do a little research to decide on how to price the items. Get creative with the items that can’t be donated or sold.

garage cleaning

Organize Your Garage

After cleaning up your garage and decluttering, it’s time to organize. Shelving keeps the garage neat and organized. Fix a few shelves along the garage walls and get rid of all those old boxes and bins. Shelving helps to keep items where they belong and prevent clutter from creeping back.

Items that are used frequently can be kept on the lower shelves for easier access. Use cabinets and closets for items that are rarely used. Larger stools such as shovels, rakes, and spades can be hanged on the walls using firm hooks or nails. Categorize items in groups so that you always know where to find them and return them after use.

Air out the Garage

The garage can get musty over time if it has not been emptied for a long time. Make sure all the windows and doors are opened up after dusting and cleaning the garage. Use a fan to speed up the airing-out process. Place the fan near an open window or door.

Start by identifying the source of garage odors, most potent smell come from a variety of chemicals found inside a garage. To maintain the freshness, use baking soda in tabs that contain several supplies. Every week open up for a few hours to invite in clean air. Always clean the garbage cans and recycling bins. Rinse them carefully and leave them outside to dry.

cleaning garage

Wipe Down and Sweep the Garage

Wipe down any surface in the garage using clean water and soap. Consider the material on the garage walls and surfaces. If the wall is dry and made of brick, you can sweep with a broom to remove dirt and dust.

Remove cobwebs and salt deposits on the walls using a broom. Put a lot of focus on the corners, they are notorious for holding dust. Use detergent and a cloth to scrub off dirt from the windows. Stubborn stains can be removed by using pure vinegar. Dry the surfaces with a microfiber cloth and for the windows use a piece of newspaper.

Interior

How to Choose the Right House Paint

When it comes to choosing the right house paint there is always that pressure on homeowners. Alongside the color preferences of the owner, several factors come into play.

You can get help from a professional to choose a color scheme that works for your style and the surrounding. Here are some tips on choosing the right house paint:

Choose the Right Shade

There are several paint shades available but not every shade will work for you. For an exterior scheme, there are three major parts; field color, accent color, and trim color. The trim color should contrast with the field color even though some designers opt for a monochromatic color. Remember to keep in mind the color wheel.

The colors near each other on the wheel such as purple and blue are analogous to each other and one of them will stand out more. Colors opposite each other such as green and red are complementary to one another and appear nice off each other. Feel free to go bold but be careful to not go overboard.

Consider Your Style

Identify your home’s style it will guide you when choosing house paint colors. Know what you want for your home whether it is a ranch-style home or a modern home.

Your paint scheme should feel appropriate to the style. Most manufacturers have collections of historically accurate colors however, it is not necessary to adhere to the historical guidelines not unless it is a requirement for your home or neighborhood.

Consider the Lighting

You need to factor in the impact light has on the exterior and interior paint colors. Daylight/ sunlight will turn your exterior color blue. That is why you need to go two to three times warmer on your exterior color to get a balanced color that won’t be blue. Choose a color that is at least 1-2 warmer than the color you want.

You should know that black absorbs all colors and colors, white absorbs none and blue absorbs red. Artificial light from bulbs also impacts the color you want to achieve. Turn on artificial lights even during daylight to see what your colors will look like. Be careful of the colors of bold carpets they can reflect light-colored paints.

house paint

Get Samples

The number one rule is to get color samples and paint them in a large swath, view them at different times of the day in both sun and shadow. The sun can bring undertones that are not seen on the paint card. The direction your home is facing and how much shading your home has an impact on the color outcome.

Paint the samples on a poster board or directly on the wall to get the exact color you will love for years to come. Make sure you paint the same color on both south and north sides of your home as light changes dramatically. Being able to see the exterior paint before you paint can save you time, money, and hassle when you want to sell the house.