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Feeling A Cold Draft In Your Home? Here’s Where It’s Coming From!

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As a homeowner, is there anything worse than feeling a cold draft in your house? It’s annoying for a couple of reasons – the obvious one being that you feel chilly all the time. As a result, you feel inclined to turn the heating up high, which leaves you with staggeringly high energy bills. So, that’s pretty damn irritating as well!

 

Why do drafts happen? It’s usually down to a breach in your home that’s letting cold air in. Firstly, ensure that all the doors and windows in your home are tightly shut. If you still feel a draft, it means there’s a problem somewhere. More often than not, it will be down to one of these things:

 

Windows

Yes, even when your windows are closed, drafts can still come from them. For one, many windows have a little gap that you can open or close to let air in and out. In summer, you have these open to air out your home. If they’re still open when it’s cold, you’ll feel a draft – so close them. 

 

Now, the only possible reasons for drafts from your windows are cracks around the edges or problems with the installation. If your windows have been installed incorrectly, there could be spaces between the panes and the rubber sealant, causing a draft. Here, you will need a window replacement to seal everything up and remove the draft. 

 

If you see gaps around the outside of the window, you can fill them up with some sealant. If this doesn’t work, replacing the windows might be necessary for this instance as well. 

 

Doors

Likewise, drafts can come from your doors. Mainly, this is when there’s a gap between the door and the doorframe. Look at any doors leading to the outside of your home and check for these gaps. They’re shockingly common – particularly in flats – but you can easily prevent drafts. 

 

All you need to do is purchase draft excluders that fit around the door and plug up the gaps. They’re easy to get ahold of, and you can install them yourself without any help. Now, the gaps are plugged up and no air comes through them. 

 

Electrical sockets

That’s right, drafts might be sneaking their way through electrical sockets. Wind and cold air from outside might find their way into your home through cracks and gaps around your electrical sockets. If this is the case, use a rubber sealant to fill the gaps around the sockets, plugging them up. 

If that fails, you might need to reinstall your sockets, meaning they are fitted correctly and don’t have any gaps that keep reappearing around them. 

The good news is that most drafts come from one of these three things, and it’s not hard to identify the cause. Furthermore, fixing these problems is straightforward in most cases, so it’s not going to demand massive investments. Even if you do have to spend money replacing or re-installing things, think about the cash you save on your energy bills without having cold drafts in your home. 

Four Ways To Take Care Of Your Home Exterior

Our attention is often focused on maintaining the interior of the home, but we should not neglect its exterior as well. In the nice weather, the outside of your house is a nice way to enjoy the weather. It gives off a first impression, and it’s where you enjoy the first impression of your home. That is why you should pay the same attention you would your interior design. 

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Here are some areas you should be focusing on: 

Welcome To Your Home 

If you want people to have a good impression of your home, you need to take good care of your door. Maintaining clean and tidy means keeping it presentable. A touch of paint or considering replacing it might be the best option for it if it’s seen better days. You should make sure that your door is easily identifiable by displaying clear numbers or your name. 

First Impressions Count  

Whenever people look at your home, the first impressions they have are those about your front garden. In order to make others aware that they have taken good care of their house, people strive to achieve a high level of curb appeal. It makes no sense to have a messy, cluttered, and disorganized front garden when you’re trying to make a good impression on potential customers. Make sure that lawns are mowed, edging is trimmed, and areas around walkways are clean and well maintained. You can give your walkways a new lease of life by using a power hose to clean them. This will prevent you from having to replace these walkways, thus saving you money. 

The Bones Your House 

Your home needs to be taken care of in several different ways. Regularly cleaning the gutters, keeping drains free of debris, and repainting chipped areas are all important. When it’s time to paint your roof, you should consider cleaning and caring for it well, so that it’s well-maintained. You should resolve any concerns you have as soon as possible. Any small repairs left unattended can be detrimental and cause further damage in the future.  This should also include the roof over your head. It is often something that gets forgotten about until there is something wrong. You need to clean and use roof restoration when you need to. 

Your Outdoor Living Space

It is easy to enjoy the good weather in your back garden, especially when it is warm outside. Dinners can be served al fresco, and you can entertain guests and family. It is essential, though, to have a garden that you can relax in and enjoy. Imagine your living space as a representation of your family, easy to maintain and welcoming. You can designate a separate area of your garden for your children and another for the adults. The presence of a seating area outdoors makes it easy to sit and enjoy nature. You may want to consider building a deck or paving area where you can make a comfortable area to relax. 

 

Keep in mind that you also need to maintain the outside of your house. It’s an extension of your home, and you should treat it as such. Is there anything else you can share in the comments below?

5 Easy Ways to Use Light for Home Security

5 Easy Ways to Use Light for Home Security

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Home security is a priority for many homeowners. No one wants an intruder to gain access to their loved ones and belongings. While you can’t eliminate the risk, you can greatly reduce it. One of the biggest tools you have is lighting.

Most thieves are opportunists. That means it’s not that they are personally targeting you, but rather you look like an easy mark. They want minimal hassle so they can break in and leave with less chance of getting caught. You can use this to your advantage. When you understand what a criminal looks for in a potential target, you can make your home as unappealing as possible.

  • Light Up All Sides of Your Home

This is one of the most important things Connect Electric can recommend homeowners do for security. The more light there is around your home, the harder it will be for someone to get close without being noticed. While many families have lights on their front or back porches, it’s important to make sure all sides are covered.

There also needs to be enough light to see things in the area. Powerful floodlights are the best choice for this application. You can buy fixtures with dual flood lights to cover more area.

This can also bring peace of mind in case you hear strange noises at night. It will be much easier to identify a stray cat or raccoon without going outside with a flashlight and putting yourself at risk.

  • Keep Landscape Lights on All Night Long

It’s best to leave your landscape lights on all night. This creates more illumination, making it easier to see what’s outside. If you’re concerned about utility bill costs, use solar lights. They have a cell, usually on top, that gathers sunlight during the day. Then they turn on at night so you can easily see.

Most models are designed to automatically come on at dusk. This is great because you don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn on your landscape lights. Use them along pathways but also arrange them in out-of-the-way places for extra illumination.

  • Install Motion Sensors as an Early Alert

Motion sensors are a great way to frighten would-be thieves. They also serve as an early alert system for you and your family. Even if you have a security system on your home, it may not detect someone until they try a window or door.

Motion sensor lights catch movement before they reach your house. When the light pops on, you know that someone or something is moving out there.

  • Place Lights in Out-of-Reach Places

Criminals don’t like lights, and they will remove them if they can access them. That’s why you need bright lights placed in out-of-reach places, like high up on your home just under the roof. If they can’t reach the bulbs, then they can’t easily darken your property without you noticing.

  • Use Timers When You Aren’t Home

Timers are a must-have, especially if you plan to be away from home. These devices can be plugged into a lamp or light and then set up to switch on and off at a set time. You can use them on interior and exterior lights to create the illusion that someone is there.

Make sure your family is safe by assessing your lighting. A few simple additions can significantly increase your home security.

Stay Healthy While Working from Home

More and more people are working from home these days. It can be a convenient way to work and saves businesses money because they don’t need so much office space. Plenty of people can get their work done remotely, and many also work from home because they’re self-employed. If you work from home, whether it’s something you do occasionally or all the time, it can take a while to get into a routine. One of the things that can be difficult to manage is staying healthy when you’re working from home. You can find a few different solutions to help you stay healthy when you often work from home.

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Create a Routine

 

Having a routine is essential when you work at home. If you don’t set yourself a routine, you risk either working too much or not getting enough work done. A routine ensures you work a healthy amount and take enough breaks too. You might want to take advantage of some of the perks of working from home, such as sleeping slightly later or not having to commute. However, it’s still best to have some discipline and avoid just going with the flow. You’ll work better and harder if you have a clear routine.

 

Prevent Back Problems

 

When you’re sitting at a desk all day, it can be terrible for your back. Sore shoulders, an aching neck, and other problems can arise. While this is the same if you’re working in an office, it can be much easier to do something about it at home. With a more flexible schedule, making an appointment to benefit from the best rated massage therapy provider in your area is easier. You might be able to save money by going at a less busy time of day. You can also make sure that you get up from your desk often and do some stretching, especially since there’s no one else around to see you do it.

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Prepare Healthy Food

 

One of the advantages of being at home is that you won’t be popping out of the office to the nearest cafe, restaurant, or store for food. Instead, you can buy what you want and make lunch and your snacks at home. You can even use a crockpot and start your lunch or dinner in the morning, so it’s ready when you want it. If you don’t trust yourself to stop working and make lunch, prepare your food in advance so you can simply get it when you need it.

 

Get Out of the House

 

Feeling stuck inside can be a negative side effect of working from home. You don’t have a daily commute and don’t go out for after-work drinks. You should make sure you have reasons to leave the house at least once a day. You might get out to exercise, even if it’s just a short walk, to get groceries, or to socialize with other people too.

 

Working from home can give you more time to be healthy if you’re smart about the choices that you make.

If Your Home Renovation Isn’t Enjoyable, It’s Not Right

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Upgrading and enjoying our homes in the best way can be a great deal of fun, and actually, fun should be the marker that enables us to move forward with our plans and stay confident in our goals. If you can achieve that, then you may find this process enjoyable and more worthwhile than you had planned.

 

Renovating a home takes time, patience, investment and energy, but none of that should limit you from having a good time during the process. Does this mean you need to have a party each day you complete a little bit of work? Well, you can if you wish, but you needn’t have to. Instead, using this as an opportunity to better your approach and take chances you may not have thought possible can lead you to a better result.

 

In fact, we’d say that if you’re not largely enjoying yourself, you may wish to go back to the drawing board. Here’s some of our advice for helping you along these lines. Properly followed, it should also stop you from feeling obsessive over your progress:

 

A Home Face lift

 

A few means in which to give your home a face lift can dramatically alter its appearance, and help you see your home in its original light. This can positively or more accurately influence your renovation plans, giving you the chance to make more informed decisions. For instance, the best fence staining service can help you see your fences as they were originally thanks to essential cleaning services. Power washing your driveway or garage door can also add to this effect in the best possible sense. A home face lift can’t hurt from time to time.

 

A Creative Opportunity

 

Why not use this time to better curate your home renovation in the best possible way? For instance, you may decide to repaint the door and windowsill flower beds to help your home theme itself more appropriately. Perhaps you’ll use the renewal of your driveway to curate a better garden path from door to driveway using chipped bricks or freshly cut patio slabs and weatherproof garden lighting. Don’t be afraid to let your investments work for you, and to try and make dreams come true.

 

Establishing A New Normal

 

Establishing a new normal in your home, thanks to your renovation efforts, can be a great idea. Perhaps now that your children have flown the nest or grown-up you can now take off that staircase banister for an aesthetic upgrade, provided you feel secure in the safety risks that grows in return. You may decide to open up your chimney on account of all this messy living room work, allowing yourself to properly clean this environment with the use of professionals, and install the fireplace you have dreamed of for some time. No matter who you are, a little novelty can be a good thing.

 

With this advice, we hope you can better ensure your home renovation is cared for.

Cleaning Your Home Needn’t Be A Challenge

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Cleaning your home properly can be a fun task,, provided you give yourself the right methodology of contending with those duties. For some who have large homes or apartments, that last statement may have led them to snort with laughter. It’s one thing to read that you should have no problem, and it’s quite another trying to crest all of your belongings and commit to a deep clean of a large environment each week.

 

Yet even if you haven’t the largest environment to care for, cleaning your home needn’t be a challenge. In fact, it can be a peaceful and rather therapeutic part of your week, provided you take the time to prepare and ensure that you go about the tougher tasks with a considered approach. In order to make the home cleaning process a little easier, a little more fun, and even a comforting part of your day, something that many people see as a silly goal to hold in the first place, we’ll try to convince you with the following guided steps:

 

Equip Yourself Well

 

Make sure you have the right tools for the job. Even that can provide you with a worthwhile starting point, enabling you to ensure you’re not grievance or annoyed by a lack of ability when noticing a task you need to complete. For instance, vacuum cleaners are becoming more and more efficient, but it’s only when you see them side by side that you can compare the best options for the task at hand. Some people may value ease of use, some may value a multi-dextrous means of ensuring all surfaces are cared for, while others may simple wish for a quiet, peaceful machine they can use regularly. Some may wish for all three. Ensuring you invest in the right tools for you, to get the job done, is always a worthwhile use of your time.

 

Of course, equipping ourselves well means ensuring a range of safety implements are also used. Caustic soda, for instance, can help us unplug drains, while bleach must also be carefully handled. Rubber gloves, scourers, even filtration masks if cleaning a renovated space can be important. When you have the tools at hand, all that’s left is the need to care for this space. To that end, you’re sure to have a good amount of fun.

 

Split Tasks Into Easy Chunks

 

Split the tasks that you do have into easy chunks. There’s no need to clean your entire house from top to bottom in one sitting, or in one day. For instance, you may decide to invest an hour cleaning the living room today, tomorrow morning just hoovering and mopping the bathroom floor and spraying some disinfectant. Then we can attend to our bedroom laundry during the weekend, and perhaps put the hoover/dust and polish around once then. Little maintenance steps can help us keep on top of our home care when we have the energy to do so, and that will prevent it from seeming like such a huge task.

 

It can also be that making things easier for ourselves is important. There’s no reason to feel like you have to tiptoe around your own home, but simply washing your dishes straight after mealtime allows you to avoid piling them up on your counter, and the same goes with regular laundry washing as it stocks up. Soon this will become automatic, but for the most part, the experience will be easy.

 

Spend Your Time Learning!

 

Spending your time learning during your cleaning habits can be a great use of your time. Cleaning, for the most part, can be an ‘automatic’ task we can commit to without having to think about it too deeply. This enables us to place our mind elsewhere, be that through listening to educational podcasts, audiobooks, or other content you enjoy. 

 

Perhaps you haven’t the time to read that new bestseller your friend has recommended to you, but you can listen to it for a nominal fee with a carefully curated voice actor delivering you the lines. After an hour you will be a good few chapters into the book, and your living room or kitchen will be gleaming. That way you will have doubled up on the time and made it more enjoyable to deal with, which can be a positive in itself.

With this advice, cleaning your home needn’t feel like so much of a challenge. In fact, you may even start to look forward to it each week. Don’t worry, we’ll keep that secret safe.

Choosing The Right Pipe System For Your Home

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Plastic pipework is truly taking over at the moment. Practically all industries have turned to plastic over metal. This includes all markets from the industrial field to building construction. There are indeed many reasons why this is the case. Not only is plastic more cost effective, but it is more environmentally friendly, chemical resistant and is not susceptible to corrosion. 

 

Nevertheless, knowing that plastic is the best option to go for is only the beginning. There are then lots of different types of plastic pipes and rain water tanks for you to choose between. You need to take into account everything from plastic type to pipe size. However, before you can even begin to contemplate these aspects selecting a brand of pipework is imperative. 

 

You have everything from Durapipe, to Vulcathene, to Marley Drainage. Selecting the right one is important because some brands cater to specific application types whereas others are versatile. 

 

Look for a company that has generated a leading presence in this industry. There are many reasons why a company will have achieved this status. High performance levels is definitely one of the main factors. You can be assured of this because of the fact that their pipework systems conform to certain standards. In addition to this, look for something that is easy to install.

 

It is also worth bearing in mind the fact that you need to look for plastic pipework for your home that is highly resilient. This is imperative because it ensures that the risk of breakages is diminished significantly. Flow rate is favorable as well. Plus, if that wasn’t enough, let’s not ignore the fact that they do not corrode either – as metal so easily does.

 

Aside from the points that have already been mentioned, the pipes offered by leading brands have gained a lot of positive attention because of the fact that they are highly resistant to both alkalis and acids. However, it would be naïve to assume that these pipes stand up tall against all types of chemicals. There are instances whereby certain chemicals would severely compromise the quality of your system. This includes the following; iodine halogen, aromatic hydrocarbons, fluorine halogen, bromine halogen and extremely polar organic materials. 

 

A final point worth considering when it comes to the vast use of plastic pipes in the current day and finding the best brand  is the fact that innovation lies at the core of the leading companies. This is something else you are going to want to look at when you are trying to find the best company for you. 

 

When you take into account all of the points that have been touched upon in this article it is really not difficult to see why plastic is the favoured option of most pipework systems. From chemical resistance, to high performance, to innovation, to ease of installation, to high resilience levels; it ticks all of the boxes. However, this is only going to be the case if you choose with care!

Make The Most Of Your Home

It doesn’t matter if the home you have was in great condition when you bought it: to make it truly feel like your own home, you’re going to need to make it feel like yours. The good news is this part of the fun and you will take everything in your four walls and garden and make it completely your own.  To get the perfect home, you’re going to have to follow just a few simple steps, and here below we will have a look at what makes this the easiest way to go ahead:

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Have A Plan

 

Above all, it’s important that you go into the process of transforming your home with your very own plan. Ask yourself what you want you want your home to look like, how it should be themed. Each room should have its own style, but there should be a specific style to your home. Take a look at some of the best interior design blogs that are out there and wait for inspiration to strike. Then, see how you’ll incorporate your ideas into the shape, size, and style of your house.

 

Create A Budget

 

If we had millions in the bank it would be easy to create the perfect home but not many of us have that luxury but it doesn’t mean we have to settle. Figuring out a budget for your decor will let you understand what can be done and you can then keep track if something is over budget, or rejig ideas and plans and go down a different route if needs be. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll need to have some cash, so look at a loan or dip into the savings. 

 

Think Long Term

 

It’s easy to get carried away with what’s in style right now, but it’s also important to remember that you’ll want to live in this home for a long time and the future may come with design trend changes and you may not find it perfect in the years to come.  

 

Extra Attention To Key Areas

 

You won’t get everything about your home exactly right first time and you may need to look at some structural changes and changing up your room design to get the most out of your home. You may need to look at buying the equipment yourself, if the renovations are simple, but it may just be that you want to put up some new artwork, you may want to look at drywall screws and different types of hooks you may need.

 

Don’t Forget The Fun 

 

Finally, don’t forget to add the fun and enjoy what you’re doing as after all it is an exciting prospect! Having a home that looks great will be amazing, but in this modern age,  adding the fun factor will be important too. Look at including things like a surround system, cool reading nooks, or even a man cave or similarly entertaining room will make sure you’re never bored in your perfect home.

5 Important Considerations For Building Your Home

So, you’ve decided that building a house is going to be way more fun than buying one outright. We’ll agree with you there; it’s one of the most exciting projects that you could ever embark upon. You can build a whole home with some planning, money, and the right builders by our side.

 

You can daydream about the house that you want all you like, but if you’re not thinking of the crucial questions to ask, you’re going to have a flop on your hands. It would help if you asked questions like how much are building permits, how long will the build take, and whether you are reaching too high with your planning. These are all important to ask – you don’t want things to go wrong in the planning stages.

 

It’s therefore so important to consider the next five items. You want to have a dream house, not a flop that has cost you money and you can’t live in it! So, let’s take a look.

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  1. Get Your Team Together. You’re building a house, but YOU are not building a house. You’re planning your home, and you need to think about how you’re going to get it from paper to placement. You need a builder, a planner, a surveyor – it all matters! You need to make sure you have the right team around you who know what they’re doing. Without them, you’re going to struggle with getting your house ready.
  2. Design The Floor plan. The positioning of every single room in your house is going to matter. It would help if you considered what it’s going to cost you to build this house, and it’s going to depend on how happy you are with the plans before they can go ahead. It’s a very delicate balance, and you should work closely with your contractor and your designer to get exactly what you want at the price you want it at, too.
  3. Expenses, Expenses, Expenses. Remember those building permits we mentioned? It would help if you considered the cost. It’s not just about the fixtures and fittings, though those are very important. You need to add up every single cost – and more. Building a house is an unpredictable process, and you can’t always tell when things are going to go wrong. Plan for everything from the soil tests to the additional interior design help.
  4. Storage Space, Don’t Forget It. It doesn’t matter how big your house is; you’ll find that the lack of storage space is going to get you down! You need to plan to have more than just a tiny closet in your home. The best thing to do is to work your storage into your design, and it saves you building in tons of storage units afterward.

Let In The Light. Plan for big and bold windows with your home. You want lots of natural light pouring in the house and lighting everything up. This way, you can ensure that your emotional and psychological well being are accounted for, and you get that bright home you wanted.

How Your Household Could Become More Inviting

It’s hard to create a perfect living environment. That means something different for everyone. For some people, a great home is a well-designed abode. For others, a great home is a place in which wonderful memories are made. For most people, the perfect answer is a balance. You need to find the solution that works for you. Luckily, this article has been put together to help you achieve that. So, the following pieces of advice could give you some guidance if you want your household to become more inviting.

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Use light to create the right atmosphere.

If you want to make your household feel more inviting, then you should use light to create the right atmosphere. You might be surprised by the effect that light can have on your physical and mental well being. Lighting affects your sleeping pattern, for instance; it’s a key contributor to the maintenance of a steady circadian rhythm. That’s why you should use daylight to improve the ambiance of your home. You might want to start by painting your walls white. This would naturally reflect light and brighten up each room in your house. Natural light affects our emotional health in a positive way, so you should welcome it into your home to create an inviting living space. Artificial light is important, too, of course. You should think about the purpose of each room in your house. A bathroom should be lit brightly, for example, but you might want lamps that cost soft and relaxing light in rooms such as your bedroom and living room. After all, those are supposed to be rooms which allow you to unwind at the end of a long day.

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Make your property secure.

The safety of your home is a big part of making it inviting. Well, that’s a big part of making it inviting to you. In terms of intruders, you should aim to make your home look as unappealing as possible. This will make you and your family feel safer and happier. So, you could start by planting some thick shrubbery under your ground-floor windows; that would prevent criminals from entering your home through a potential entry point. You might also want to get security cameras set up. These would deter would-be intruders because they wouldn’t want to be recorded in the act of committing a crime. There are security system companies that you could check out for useful alarm systems. That could help to keep your property secure. You and your loved ones will feel more relaxed at home if you keep your household well-protected. This will make your abode feel inviting.

 

Add personal things to your home.

Adding personal things to your home could make it feel more inviting, too. As explained in the introduction, many people feel that memories are crucial to making a household feel inviting. Well, personal touches are great ways to capture the personalities of you and your family members. They’ll help you feel as if you’re living in a place that’s yours. Placing photographs on surfaces and hanging them on walls would remind you that you’re living in your family household. That would make your humble abode feel warm and inviting. You could also hang some handmade artwork on your walls. Creating statement pieces as a family could be a fun and creative task. It would be another thing to make your house feel like home.

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