How to Survive a Home Remodel

Renovating your home can feel as though your life is being turned upside down, but there are ways to maintain some order in your life as you await the completion of your project. If you plan to have your home remodeled, here are a few ways that you can survive the chaos.

Protect Your Belongings

You don’t want any of your prized possessions to get damaged while your home is being renovated. It’s important to add protective padding to fragile items or remove them from your home and keep them in storage so that they don’t get broken. Many of your furniture pieces can be covered to prevent them from becoming heavily soiled. There is even protective padding that can be used to prevent damage to your floors.

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[Photo courtesy of jossuetrejo_oficial/pixabay.com]

Keep It Tidy

Even though your home will likely get dirty and be rather disorganized during your project, you can still take measures to tidy up your living space as the work progresses. At the end of each day, try sweeping and dusting accessible areas to prevent massive dirt buildups. Clearing out any extra scraps or debris will also be to your advantage. There are cleaning companies that offer post-construction cleanings Sheboygan residents can depend on, and you can hire one of these service providers to do a thorough cleaning of your home after your project is complete.

Treat Yourself

You’ll likely want to be at your property as much as possible to oversee the work, but you should still allow yourself the opportunity to escape the chaos and do something enjoyable. A day at the spa or an afternoon of golf will be a great outlet and may be just what you need to de-stress. You can also get away by visiting a local museum or theme park. By treating yourself to some fun time away, you’ll have a cleared mind and be able to address challenges with greater ease when you return home.

Surviving a home renovation project is possible and can be done with less difficulty if the appropriate steps are taken. By putting in some extra effort, you’ll be able to minimize certain hassles throughout the remodel.

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Why Household Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Problems around the house are a little like flies at times. A certain amount you can ignore, especially if they’re small and quiet. But the bigger they are and the more of them there are, the worse. And before too long, because you ignored the little ones, there are a lot of big ones, and they’re doing real damage. As tempting as it may be just to say “it’s not a real issue” or “I’ll get that looked at – soon”, it’s a bad idea.

The fact is that problems are usually easier to solve than we build them up to be. Would you rather be under the sink fixing a pipe or sitting watching TV? Probably the latter, but considering it takes next to no time to do the work there’s no reason to cancel the great binge-watch. A fifteen-minute postponement won’t ruin the whole thing. And you won’t have to worry about an inevitable kitchen flood, which is always good.

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Image by Daren

Of course, there are going to be some problems around the home that you won’t be able to fix. It’s useful to have the wisdom to know the difference between the two. It’s also wise to bear in mind that stopping it getting to the point where repairs are needed is the best course altogether. Yes, it’s boring. But it takes so much less time and money.

The truth is, repairing even minor issues in your home can be a time suck and can cost more than you would like. Yes, you can replace your faucets yourself – and at some point, might do so just for a change. But if you keep them in good condition on an ongoing basis, you won’t be forced into it.

Those basic bits of housekeeping will save you a lot of time and money, but annoyingly they can be things you just wouldn’t consider in the basic run of housework. If you’re not sure what you should be doing then these details from Assured Comfort are a handy reference. If you really want to save time then it’s always going to be better to, say, stop food from being washed down the sink. That way you don’t have to ask yourself whether to call a plumber for the blocked pipe or do it yourself.

The same goes for issues anywhere in your home, not just within the plumbing. Major electrical issues such as frayed wires and regular fuse blow-outs are likely to need some intervention. A trained electrician will know precisely what to do and do it safely. However, a blown fuse in a plug can typically be easily replaced by hand, and you should change light bulbs on a semi-regular basis.

Problems around your house can be simple or complicated. If you treat them as a minor inconvenience, then you’re not saving yourself time or money. If problems are allowed to become chronic, the time will come when they present a real threat to your and your family’s health. If that happens, then you can end up paying in much more than dollars. Taking preventative measures is a huge step towards securing safety.

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Is Your Home Summer-Ready?

Spring is drawing to a close, and summer is within touching distance. You may be thinking about spending lazy days in the garden, but is your home ready for summer? Here is an essential checklist to prepare you for the warmer months and ensure you’re all sorted and ready to relax in the sunshine.

Prepping your garden

Most of us get excited at the thought of spending free weekends in the garden. Are you planning to get friends and family around? Are you looking forward to playing with the kids in the open air? If so,  it’s a good idea to get your garden prepped and ready now. Start by having a good clear out and getting rid of any loose patio tiles, weeds, and dead leaves. Give decking and paved areas a sweep and then jet wash them clean. Mow your lawn on a dry day, and plant your seeds. When the weather warms up, dust down your patio furniture and give the barbecue a thorough scrub. If you’re eager to add some color or create an entertaining area, look for inspiration online. You can convert a modest decking area into a chic dining space. Add a rattan table and chairs set, some oversized lanterns and a couple of patterned floor cushions.

[Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture/pixabay.com]

Spring cleaning

Nothing prepares you for summer better than a good, old-fashioned spring clean. Now is the time to declutter. Tackle those boxes that have never been unpacked and be ruthless. If you have items that are in good condition, give them to charity, or organize a yard sale. Visit the tip and get rid of anything you don’t want. Once your rooms are clear, get your rubber gloves out and clean from top to bottom. Open the windows and let the fresh air in. You may not enjoy cleaning, but you’ll feel much better when it’s done. Pack away winter clothing to give you more closet space.

Maintenance checks
Before summer arrives, it’s a good idea to get any DIY jobs completed and to book some essential maintenance checks. Finish off painting jobs and put those shelves up in the spare room. Call a service man to carry out appliance repair, and book boiler and air conditioning checks. Replace broken appliances that cannot be salvaged. If you’re looking to save money on energy bills, go for products, which have a high energy rating. If you’re expecting hot weather, it’s particularly important to get air conditioning units serviced.

Interior design
If you fancy brightening up your home in time for summer, you don’t have to spend a fortune to make a difference. Invest in finishing touches, such as lamps, vases, and cushions to inject some color and give your home a new look. Look through some magazines for ideas.

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[Photo courtesy of midascode /pixabay.com]

If your home is not quite ready for summer, don’t worry. You’ve got time to work through your to-do list. Investing time and effort now will enable you to put your feet up and enjoy the warm weather when summer arrives.

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How to Give a Ceiling a New Look with Armstrong Residential Ceilings

One of the seriously overlooked aspect of a house appearance is the ceiling,  we often remember to remodel and fix the ceiling when rain water is started leaking.  An old ceiling can make a house outdated when you remodeled most of the part of your house, at the same time a new up to date ceiling can uplift the mood of the entire home.

One of the perfect examples of  an outdated ceiling is the picture below, as can you see the walls are neatly clean but if you look above, the ceiling is already badly stains from water damage which ruin the whole mood of the room because the room could be attractive and appealing without looking at the ceiling. Homeowners should know that when there is excess water or moisture in their home molds and termites are likely to stay, termites are attracted to water;  they can destroy woods and even the walls or foundation of your home.

Old Ceiling

Well, if we had this house I am likely to hold the ceiling remodel as soon as possible before the damage could increase and decrease our finances. There is plenty of home repair advice online that could help me on how to take up the project and even internet sites that sell affordable residential ceiling products for any type of projects, one of them is Armstrong World Industries, Inc one of the global dealer on designing and manufacturing floors and ceilings.

Armstrong offers different styles and textures of tiles for ceiling projects and to begin with remodeling the first step is to determine the water damage, clean the molds and remove the existing ceilings if it is badly damaged and replace the ceiling with a new one but instead of using patterned wallpapers which are commonly used in Korea to beautify their residential ceiling I will use Armstrong Residential Ceilings products to add beauty and charm.

Armstrong has several types of ceiling tiles that are only offered in white color  but homeowners can paint them if they wanted. I will probably paint it with gray or brown color that will fit with the room decor because I believed a plain ceiling nowadays is an old trend. The best thing about these ceiling tiles aside from being fire retardant and moisture resistant they are also easy to install to the existing ceiling using adhesive and furring strips so this is not going to be like a rocket science that requires a lot of thinking.

Well, if you are also planning to decorate your home and remodel your ceiling Armstrong has an outstanding collection of ceiling tiles and ceiling panels for all your needs. If you are dreaming for a ceiling with stylish look a drop ceiling panel is a good choice, it can hide wires, pipes, and other unsightly fixtures.

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