Category: diy

Preparing in case of flooding

Preparing in case of flooding | H is for Home

Flooding can be disastrous for properties and can lead to long-term problems for home-owners. The recent disruption in the UK from flooding proves the need for homes and businesses across the country to prepare for serious issues in case of future deluges. In the following, we’ll showcase the ways in which you can protect your property in case rainfall leads to destruction.

Find out if your home is at risk of flooding

Before buying or renting a new property you should find out if it is at risk of flooding. Once you know how high the risk is, you can decide if you’re willing to take it or if you’d prefer to move into a home that isn’t so susceptible. Whatever you choose, it’s important that you’re aware of the risks of flooding to your home so that you know how high the chances are of you having to evacuate.

Illustration of a house under an umbrella

Insure your property

Make sure that your home insurance policy has included flood protection so that, in the event of any flood damage, you’ll be covered and able to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. Use a price comparison site to explore the most cost effective solutions on the market and find the cover and price that’s right for you and your home.

Check your drains

To ensure that rainwater runs off your property and doesn’t lead to structural damage to your roof and exterior walls, make sure that your drains are working properly. If you do notice any problems, then you should work with a drainage specialist. You can find support in every area of the UK; for instance, if you’re based in the South East there’s Drain Detectives who’s available to answer your requests 24/7 which is perfect if there ever is an emergency. A company like this can clear any blockages and make sure that your drains work efficiently and will protect your property during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Illustration of a window with a flower in a pot on the sill

Install quality windows and doors

When water gets to your property it will seep through any gaps, so make sure that your windows and doors are secure and don’t have any holes around the edges. Should you notice that the sealant around your windows is failing, or that your doors have shrunk in their frames, then work with a professional to ensure that the issue gets remedied and your home is secure if flood water were to arrive.

Raise your sockets and electrical outlets

Reduce the risk of electrical damage and injury should flood water enter your home by raising your electrical sockets and any outlets. This will mean that if only a small amount of water covers your floor, then your electrical outlets will be safe, and you’ll have less damage to deal with when you’re able to return to your property.

Illustration of a garden with a picket fence, flowers and tree

Use your garden to protect your home

Gardens can soak up a lot of rainwater and potentially help to ensure that your home stays safe in case of flooding, but only if they’re designed properly. Plant and lay out your garden to ensure that water is able to run away from your property and that plants and soil will soak up some of the excess water. This will not only help to prevent flooding in case of an emergency, but also reduce your garden’s chance of becoming waterlogged.

Remember flood prevention when you renovate

During any remodelling work, make sure that you consider how the changes you’re working on will be affected in case of flooding and how your refurbishments could potentially protect your home from damage caused by flooding. Communicate with your builder to work out how you can adapt your renovation work to include flood prevention measures.

Packed emergency bag of supplies

Ensure you know where everything is

In the event of an emergency you’ll need to switch off all power supplies and grab any vital paperwork and essential items, so make sure that you always know where everything is kept. Put all your paperwork in a specific place that’s easy to access just in case you need to grab it in a hurry. If you have dependants like children or pets, make sure their essential possessions are kept together and are easy for you to fetch if you need to relocate quickly and get your family to safety.

Get flood prevention solutions

Products such as sandbags can be used to absorb and dispel water from around your doorways, so in the event of severe flooding make sure that you have a ready supply of them. Use towels to block up toilets so that if lots of water does come into your home, it will be obstructed by the towels from coming up through your toilet.

Cartoon of man getting children prepared for an emergency

Make an emergency plan

Should the worst happen, and your home is hit by flooding, make sure that you have an emergency plan in place so that you and your loved ones know what to do and are as prepared as possible. Check government guidelines on what you need to do in case of a flood, and keep an eye on the social media accounts and websites of your local council and emergency services providers so that you can see any warnings as soon as they’re posted. This proactive approach will ensure that you’re ready to get everyone to safety in the case of serious flooding.

[disclosure*]

Keeping yourself safe while working on home improvements

Keeping yourself safe while working on home improvements

There are some DIY projects that are small and others that are more significant; like fixing the paintwork and plaster on a wall or dealing with damp issues on the ceiling. It depends on the severity of the issue and how urgent it is as to what precautions need be taken before going ahead.

In this post, we look at ways of protecting yourself while getting involved in home projects on the weekend.

Paint and decorating tools

Small vs large projects

Small home improvements might include fixing a squeaky front door to your home that’s been slowly driving you crazy or adding a trim around the windows. In the back garden, fixing a lawnmower with a power cord issue by ordering a replacement part and resolving the problem is a good weekend task.

Larger projects with a bigger budget could be adding a counter-top over your vanity in the bathroom as part of a bathroom makeover project. These tend to be multi-day projects. And then there’s the whole room or entire house improvements with numerous stages that are carried out in stages.

Hands and dust

Understanding the risks with different improvements

Some improvement projects are riskier than others and there are some that shouldn’t cause any concern at all.

It’s important to consider what you’ll be doing and whether it could potentially create a problem. For instance, the breaking up of building materials by demolishing wall structures or fixing a ceiling issue can dislodge older materials can result in material dust spewing out. Depending on the source materials, this dust can be dangerous to inhale.

Even working in the kitchen removing old stone or ceramic materials – replacing them could cause particulate dust to be released, which could be harmful to your health.

Ask yourself: what materials will you come into contact with during the renovations? This includes the original material within the structure; not just what you’ll be using to replace it.

Man drilling wearing a face mask and ear protectors

Protecting yourself with major renovations

The larger the project, the greater the risk of coming into contact with old materials that create dust. Silica dust and other types can be seriously harmful to breathe in. Also, the danger isn’t always visible because the dust can be microscopic. This is partly why it can be so dangerous, with lung cancer being of great concern.

It’s important with any major improvement project to use a dust containment system to cover the part of the home being worked on. This avoids contaminating the rest of the home and protects all the occupants too. Containment systems like ones from Trimaco include plastic sheeting which can block off a side of a room or a complete enveloping system with a door that opens to move in and out safely. It also makes clean-up easier too.

Be sure to use a protective face mask and overalls to keep any dust from your mouth, nose and clothing being worn at the time. Also, for woodworking and other tasks that involve your hands, consider wearing thick gloves to protect your fingers. Once the project is complete, it’s a simple matter of removing the dust containment system safely.

[disclosure*]

4 tips to make painting a room easy every time

4 tips to make painting a room easy every time

When your home is looking a bit tired, the easiest way to freshen it up without spending a lot of money is by giving it a fresh coat of paint. It’s one of those jobs that you can do yourself and it should be easy. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as you think it’s going to be and sometimes, you regret getting started in the first place. However, painting can be really easy as long as you know how to do it properly and you use a few small tricks to make things simpler for yourself. Here’s how to take the stress out of painting a room and get it done quickly.

Dust sheet covering a sofa

Move the furniture out

A lot of the time, people move a few things out of the room and then cover the big pieces of furniture with a dust sheet to protect it when they paint. That’s fine and you can do it that way if you like, but that furniture is still in the way when you’re trying to paint and there’s still a chance that it will get damaged. That’s why you should consider renting storage and just moving everything out for a few days until you’re finished. It’s an added cost but it will make life so much easier for you while you paint the room and you can be sure that you get a great finish on the walls.

Applying grey paint to a wall with a roller

Go for slightly darker colours

When you’re picking colours, you might want to consider going for slightly darker colours because they’re more forgiving. You don’t really want to go for beige because it’s a pretty boring colour and it shows up every single tiny mistake that you make, and it gets dirty easily. Your house will look way more interesting and you’ll get a better finish on the paint if you choose a different colour. Just make sure that you don’t go for anything too dark, otherwise, the room can look cramped and gloomy.

A collection of well-used and badly cleaned paint brushes

Buy good brushes and rollers

When you’re doing any home renovation project, you always want to keep the costs low, but don’t make the mistake of going for cheap brushes and rollers. You might save a bit of money but it will make the painting a lot harder than it needs to be. Paint goes on so much better and you get a more even finish with good quality rollers and brushes so it’s worth spending the extra money. As long as you clean them properly straight away and look after them, they’ll last you a long time.

Preparing walls will filler prior to painting

Don’t skip the prep

Sanding off any lumps and bumps and then cleaning the walls properly is a bit of a pain but if you decide to skip this step, it’ll be harder to get a good finish when it comes time to paint. But if you prep the walls properly before you get started, the paint will go on easier and bond to the wall more effectively so painting is easier and you get a better end result.

Follow these simple tips and painting a room doesn’t have to be a chore any more, it’ll be a pleasure.

[disclosure*]

Home cleaning 101

Home cleaning 101

In this post, we’ll be taking a look at a number of tips and advice for effectively cleaning your home.

Illustration of an oven with its door open

Easy ways to keep your cooker clean

Cleaning the cooker is a task which most of us evade. Most people tend to put off their oven cleaning for months and months out of sheer dread. Eventually, you’re left with a monumental cleaning task on your hands. As a result, it can take hours and hours on end to get your stove to a point where it’s barely passable. However, you’ll be pleased to know, there are a few tips & tricks that can make the task of cleaning a cooker a lot easier. Read on to discover what these are and hopefully you won’t find tackling the oven such a nightmare again.

The first thing you need to do is recognise that your stove needs cleaning regularly. It can be very tempting to simply shut your oven door and forget about it. However, the longer you leave it, the worse it becomes. Simply take the time every time you use it to give your cooker the quick once over. All you need to do is use a damp cloth to wipe and clean the surface. You can then use an oven cleaner to give the inside of the oven some attention as well. If you do this routinely, you’ll manage to stay on top of your oven cleaning. You won’t need to spend loads of time making the oven sparkling clean because you’ll have already put in the groundwork. It’s amazing the difference a regular quick wipe can make.

Of course, the point just mentioned doesn’t relate to a thorough blitz of your cooker. It was merely a general tip to make life a lot easier for you from now on. Nonetheless, if you want a pristine oven, then one of the ways you can achieve this is by using bicarbonate of soda. Combine bicarb with a little water so that it has a thick consistency, then completely coat the inside of your oven with the paste. To achieve the best results, leave your oven like this overnight. The following day, simply wipe off the hardened paste. Use a scourer and some water to help remove it all. Once this is done, your oven should look as good as new.

If the task of cleaning your oven still seems too daunting, why not hire a professional company? There are lots of cleaning companies based in the UK that offer an oven cleaning service. You can arrange it as a one-time job to help you get on your way. Once your oven is gleaming, you can use the tips above to continue looking after it properly yourself.

Illustration of roof gutter with downward drainpipe

Gutter cleaning services

Guttering is an essential aspect of every house; It collects rain water and diverts it away into the drainage. It’s hugely important as it prevents structural damage and ensures that a house is maintained to a high standard. In fact, because the gutter is a property feature that’s often not in plain sight, it’s something that can easily be overlooked.

It’s vital that you get your gutters cleared and maintained on a regular basis; they need to be inspected frequently to ensure that they function effectively. If you don’t, debris such as leaves and moss will collect and the likelihood is that the gutter will become blocked. Therefore, the importance of maintenance is something which simply shouldn’t be underestimated.

There are no hard and fast rules regarding how often you should clean your gutter. Annually, after all autumn leaves have finished falling, is a good schedule to initiate. Checking & cleaning it regularly can be the difference between having a functioning gutter and having to replace it in addition to spending money on tackling a damp problem or leaky roof.

When it comes to tackling this task, it’s advisable that you engage a gutter cleaning service, rather than trying to do it alone. After all, it can be a highly specialised, not to mention, dangerous task. It requires certain tools, products, knowledge and insight to be executed properly. A property maintenance company will have all the apparatus and experience necessary for the job.

When selecting a company that offers gutter cleaning, you should consider your choices. First and foremost, it’s advisable that you read the testimonials on their website. The reviews and feedback that previous customers have left can prove to be invaluable. It’s the best way to gain an honest and genuine insight into the company that you’re considering employing for the job.

Moreover, ensure you get a quote before you go ahead and employ a company for the guttering task ahead. After all, you need to make sure it’s something you can afford. You don’t want to be hit with any extra, unexpected charges when the job is completed and you’re given the bill.

Basically, if you can’t remember when last you had your gutter cleaned, it’s advisable that you get it seen to sooner rather than later.

'Cleaning service' illustration

The importance of employing professionals for end-of-tenancy cleaning

As we all know, when renting it’s absolutely crucial that the property is handed back to the landlord in the same condition as it was found in when you moved in in the first place. If it isn’t, there’s a huge risk of losing the deposit that you initially put down on the property when the contract was signed. For this reason, it’s recommended that you hire professionals to clean the property when it’s been vacated.

Many people attempt to tackle end-of-tenancy cleaning themselves, and most regret the decision. It’s a much harder challenge than anticipated. It’s nowhere near as quick & simple as the cleaning job you’d do on a regular basis. There are so many extras that need to be considered; from degreasing the extractor fan in the kitchen to removing dust and debris beneath the fitted units. When you attempt to clean the property yourself, you’re bound to overlook tasks of which you probably never even thought.

This can obviously have damning consequences. As previously mentioned, you run a serious risk of losing your deposit or at least a significant proportion of it. Don’t expect landlords to go lightly on you; in fact, many landlords can be fault-finding and will scrutinise every minute detail in the house. Ultimately, if something isn’t fully cleaned, a renter will have to pay for it to be done properly. The owner needs their property to be in tip-top condition for their next tenants.

“Little but often” is the practical alternative; rather than needing to arrange a one-time, top to bottom, home cleaning operation when you’re already busy trying to organise a stressful move. There’s the sensible option of regular, recurring house cleaning services in Houston, TX.

The benefits of using a professional end-of-tenancy cleaning service are obvious. However, there are some advantages which people don’t consider. For instance, it will save the person renting the house a lot of time and effort. Chances are, if someone is moving out then they’ll already have a lot on their mind and on their plate. There’s no need to add to the stress by trying to take on such a momentous cleaning task. Firstly, seek out a company like Mr Cheap Rubbish Removal to get rid of all the things you no longer need, and then let cleaners get the property sparkling.

The main reason people seem to avoid employing someone to clean their rental property is because it will cost them money. Of course, this is true, but it will prove to be a lot more cost effective in the long run than if the security deposit is kept by the landlord and little or nothing is reimbursed.

The importance of putting an end-of-tenancy cleaning job in the hands of professionals is clear; don’t run the risk of losing your precious deposit!

[disclosure*]