Posts for Home Improvement Category

5 Important Reasons Why Your Drain is completely damaged

Home Improvement - Patrick - January 2, 2021

Blocked Drain is considered one of the most complicated problems. In case you are leaving any drain blocked, then it will surely lead to corrosion, flooding, and slow water drainage related issues. If you want to stop blocked drains, then one must find out an engineer who can quickly eradicate this complicated issue. Sometimes blocked drain or clogged pipe is considered as minor issues, but it can escalate into a bigger issue if not dealt with instantly. If you are one who is leaving a drain completely blocked, then it will create a lot of problems.

Hair is already considered as the main culprit for any drain blockages. Plenty of tools are available on the market that will surely prevent hairs from building up. If you are facing any αποφραξεις περιστερι related problem, then one must make contact with engineer who can solve such issues quickly. In the following paragraphs, we are going to discuss five important reasons related to drain blockage.

  • Wastage of Food

It is highly recommended that you should note food waste never go into the drain. To get rid of the waste, then one must set up a perfect composting pile. The majority of the folks are also investing money in Food scraps that can easily clog the drains. However, if you want to get rid of blockage related problem without hiring a plumber, then you should put a paper towel in the oil and throw it away in the pipe. It will surely keep the drains free from any blockage.

  • Roots of Tree

Just in case you have a leak or small crack in the pipe, then it can automatically initiate to attract the tree roots as they look for water. Just in case roots have reached inside the pipes, then it can quickly grow and will cause pipe damage. If you want to clean tree roots from a pipe, then it requires professional help that can be a little bit complicated process. Just in case if you are facing any complicated drainage-related problem, then one should make contact with a drainage engineer who can offer a solution to this complicated problem.

  • Toiletries

Toiletries are considered as one of the biggest problems. Few things can block the drains like nappies, feminine products, earbuds, and baby wipes can easily block drains. These kinds of things can easily get stuck in pipes. If you don’t want to block the drainage system, then it is your responsibility to supervise everything carefully. Some companies are already offering περιστερι blockages by professionals. If you don’t want to cause major damage to the piping system, then one must hire a professional plumber who can solve such a complicated problem instantly. Make sure that you are choosing an engineer who isn’t using dangerous chemicals because it can be dangerous for the environment. It can easily cause severe damage to the pipes.

  • Drainage issues

Water is considered one of the most important aspects of life for all living creatures and plants. This could be invasive when sometimes it flows. Whenever any kind of residential property experiences any kind of drainage problem, then water can easily cause the biggest damage. There are different kinds of drainage problems that are out there, like saturated soil, pooling, pudding, and others. If you don’t want to damage the drainage system, then one should opt for the best drainage system company that will offer the best quality services.

  • Specific solutions

Make sure that you are choosing experienced drainage system services because they can easily control the biggest problems. The majority of the engineers are using the following methods-

1.French Drain

It has become one of the popular drainage methods, which consist of trenches that can easily hold perforated pipes that are buried and filled with gravel.

2. Dry Well

This particular method is utterly similar to the French Drain. One should choose the best drainage service engineer who can solve complicated issues.

In addition, a lot of drainage system companies are out there who can diagnose the complicated problem & will remedy it with perfect drainage systems. All you need to choose the best company that can offer high-end quality services.

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Black Mold Removal How Toxic Is Penicillium Mold

Black Mold, Guide, Home Improvement, Living - Patrick - December 13, 2020

Spray bottle and sponge near black mould wall. House cleaning concept

If you have been living in your home for an extended period of time, you might begin to realize that your home is starting to smell a little musky, especially at the attic and the basement. And sometimes, even the kitchen too gives off an unmistakable stench of moldiness. Could it be toxic black mold? Should you be alarmed and start conducting black mold removal?

Before you jump into conclusion, it is important to characterize which type of mold less toxic and you should not be overtly alarm by their existence. If you are resident of the florida, then mold inspection in florida can be hired online and get yourself verified and the resident you are going to live in to ensure the good health of your family.

For a lot of homes, especially those which are in humid regions of the country, you will often find penicillium. This is a type of mold which gives off a distinctively musky moldy stench and they also sinister to look at, to say the least. They are greenish mold, infested with tiny little black spores seemingly floating on a cottony cloud. They grow commonly on fruits and bread. Getting rid of them is easy as all you need to do is throw the infested items away, thoroughly clean the containers that hold them, preferably finally rinsing them off with hot water and you are done.

However, certain strains of Penicillium are more robust than their counterparts, and can manifest on your upholstery, fabric furniture, carpets, drywall, wood, plaster etc. And worse, as they contain spores which are very light weight, can be transmitted airborne, they easily float round to infest upon human skin and body, which includes throats and noises. Hence, if you are one of those which are allergic to such strains, you will fall sick easily, causing lethargy and allergies, thereby affecting your immune system.

While the above version of mold are mild in nature, and poses little health hazard, there is one key strain that could cause greater damage to the human body, let alone our living environment. The Aspergillus is one vicious type of mold which literally attacks the human internal organs.

Of the two hundred types of species, only twenty of the Aspergillus are capable of invading living bodies. They can be greenish, or gray, black or white. Those who belong to the highest risk group are the ones with very weaken immune systems and often allergic to citric acid. It is however, important to note that the most fatalistic type of Aspergillus is parasitic in nature.

Hence when you are in a brand new environment, especially when you are buying a new home, or renting a new apartment, do due diligence in checking out the entire home and repair whatever that needs your attention. Black mold removal can be easily conducted and could even save lives, if you only take a little more care. Take heed and conduct mold remediation if you see the tell tale signs of mold infestations.

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Vax U91-MA-B Mach Air Bagless Upright Cleaner

Home Improvement - Patrick - September 11, 2020

Vax is one of UK’s best selling floor care brand and boasts to be the only floor care specialists to offer a comprehensive range of carpet cleaners, upright and cylindrical vacuum cleaners, chordless, steam and hard floor cleaners. Though Vax is best known for their iconic orange tub that was launched in 1979 and is still going strong today, but they still continue to update and introduce new and innovative products.

In the following review, we will see in detail about the Vax U91-MA-B Mach Air Bagless Upright Cleaner which has been marketed heavily by Vax on the television as the lightest bagless cyclonic upright vacuum on the current market.

Sometimes it becomes difficult to choose from so many brands as vacuum cleaners are not something that can be taken lightly given the mess and muck that surround the house all around so you need something like a aspirapolvere senza filo proscenic or Vax U91 to get an idea of what exactly these cleaners mean and this review will help in taking a decision.

Vax has so far the only company to have bought out a similar copy to that of Dyson’s Baby DC24 and the best part is that the Vax U91 weighs even less at 4.9Kgs. Vax also boasts that its Mach Air is the lightest, full size Multi Cyclonic upright vacuum cleaner in the world. It has got a very masculine built with mixed matches of greys and silver with matt orange and vents along with its purposeful ridges planted occasionally. The new Vax U91-MA-B Mach Air Upright vacuum cleaner is very sleek and ultra portable. The lightness of the vacuum does make the Mach Air highly manoeuvrable, though not so much that you would forget that it is an ‘Upright’. The other design highlights include an adjustable handle, with eight notches on offer and when the handle falls back into the vacuum, it makes the device very space saving.

The installation of the Vax U91-MA-B Bagless vacuum cleaner is extremely easy and all that you have to do is, fit in the six meter chord onto the back and fit the three in one tools on, slide and lock in the handle and you are ready to give your floor a great clean. The brush bar next to the power button should be kept on for carpet floors and off for the hardwood floors. We have to say that there is more to this vacuum cleaner than what meets your eyes. To start with there is no foot pedal in order to put the floor head down and you have to just stand on the floor head like Dyson/Oreck upright to pivot it down on the carpet. There seems to be a lot of hard ridges on the handle, despite the grippy orange rubber line beneath it, which can become really painful on usage overtime. We also found that the handle does not lock in properly and moves a bit side to side in use. Hence, Vax has missed out on the quality a little.

The functions of the device can be understood at a glance. Though Vax claims that its U91-MA-B Mach Air can clean flat to floor, but that is not quite happening. At the lowest level, the Vax Mach does not even achieve a perfect 180 degree angle, which is mainly because to its large wheels. A green LED glows and stays on when the brush roll is activated and turns off when it is not in use. Even the slightest to the brush roll makes the green LED light flicker nervously. In case there is a jam, a red LED light replaces the green light and there is also a brush roll reset function available.

 Gone are those days when you have to replace the drive belt, thanks Mach Air’s gentle bristle action on the electric supported motor driven brush roller. If ever the brush roller happens to break, Vax will replace it for you and in case there in a jam, you will find a very handy reset button at the side of the brush, which in turn is supported by a red LED light. One of the biggest advantages is that, the complete brush can be seen from a clear acrylic hatch that can be unlocked by two catches in order to remove the brush roll of hairs or threads that wraps themselves around the bristles tightly. However, be aware of the fact that, like most of the plastic on the vacuum, the actual acrylic is quite thin and feels as though it would break if some exertion is applied to it.

Since this U91-MA-B Mach Air upright vacuum cleaner uses bag-less technology, the device will be able to retain its high efficiency even after emptying and cleaning the container. The container having a maximum capacity of 1.5 litre, it ensures that the vacuum maintains optimal performance without frequent emptying and cleaning, which is best suited for consistent performance of the vacuum. The long 6 meter cable helps reach every nuke and corner of the floor. As with all of the latest vacuum cleaners in the market, the Mach Air too has automatic cable rewind that helps store it compactly after use. The on-board tools facility also aids in hassle free storage. The telescopic tube helps in reaching areas that are unreachable by bare hands and beater bar control for optimum efficiency heighten the viability of it. Tools like dusting brush, upholstery brush and 3-in-1 tool makes it perfect for optimum performance with minimal time and energy requisites and cleaning every area without strain makes it the best reliable appliance.

The Vax U91-MA-B makes use of the Hoover U.S patented “Windtunnel” technology to maintain suction even as the bin is full with dust and dirt. A design Vie for this bagless vacuum cleaner is that, it has suction power of 200 watts to vacuum particles from deep within fibres without causing any damage to the materials. We are not sure if “Air” in its name denotes the overall lightweight of the device or the Active HEPA Filters on board. The H12 HEPA filter traps even the minute dust, pollen and mud that helps prevent allergies.

The slim floor head is simply excellent with clear and easy to use built-in edge and frontal edge. It is a very good match for the cylindrical vacuums on their slim floor heads. Its base tapers sharply towards the back, which is helpful for tight corners, but is less stable. You can work around this by pivoting the Mach Air on its back wheels as you move it. If you are concerned about sliding the vacuum under chairs and tea table, think no more as the Vax Mach Air U91 does a great job on that department. The suction on the carpet is very powerful and with its front rollers turned off as per instructions, it did an average job on hard surfaces. The Mach Air was noisy on all surfaces.

The accessories in the package include Handle, telescopic extension tube, 3-in-one crevice, upholstery and dusting brush tool and Turbo tool. For a limited period, Vax also offers a free Gator handheld vacuum cleaner worth £49.99. The Filters are pre-motor filter and post motor filter. While the pre motor filter is washable, the post motor filter is just cleanable but not washable.

We thought that we were just seeing stuff when the price of this brand new model had be reduced from about £180 to around £130 as it has been on the market since late October. The U91-MA-B Mach Air requires just 1200 watts for all its cleaning.

Vax offers its U91-MA-B Mach Air Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner a massive six years Guarantee for parts and labour.

Weighing just under 5kgs, the Vax U91-MA-B Mach Air Bagless Upright Cleaner is designed with latest technology and energy efficient and powerful features. Mach Air combines has the successful combination of style and effortless performance for optimal manageability. It has the cleaning power and capacity of a conventional upright but weighs a third less. Since it uses H12 HEPA filtration, it is just the ideal one for homes with allergy sufferers. With a massive 6 years warranty offered by Vax, you can go for this vacuum without any second thought.

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Choosing an Apartment on a Low Income Budget

Home Improvement - Patrick - May 31, 2020

When choosing an apartment on a low-income budget, there are several things you can take into consideration that may help you to save money in the long run.

One of the most important is to choose a unit that is not on the ground floor. If you choose a second floor unit or higher, your apartment will tend to be warmer in winter because of the warmth rising from the unit below you. This can help save on heating costs. Our last apartment was so warm that we never once turned the heater on in winter.

A second level unit is also safer because the windows are not at ground level. Most break-ins occur in first floor apartments. Besides, climbing the stairs is excellent exercise!

Choosing an apartment with a balcony is essential if you want to grow your own food. You can grow a surprising amount of food on even the smallest of balconies. Even balconies that are in shade most of the day can grow some shade-loving food plants such as lettuce and spinach. By laying down bags of soil and planting in slits you have cut in the tops of the bags, you can make almost the entire surface area of your balcony a garden. Check your local library for books on how to grow square foot gardens and other high-yield gardens.

We once had an apartment whose entire front was shaded by a large tree. It wasn’t like the linq condo with great views, quality amenities, and accessibility. It cut down on our electricity use immensely by keeping direct sun out of our apartment. We saved almost $100 a month in electricity costs during the summer. It was also a much more beautiful view than just staring out at the parking lot would have been. Look for an apartment that is shaded during most of the day if you can’t find one with a balcony.

Consider fireplaces when apartment shopping. How poor are you? If you will be able to afford heating in winter, do not choose an apartment with a fireplace. It will suck heat from the room when in use and when not in use, will let in cold air, even when the vent is closed.

If you will be unable to afford heating, however, you should choose an apartment with a fireplace so that you will be able to have some way to warm yourself if necessary. You can often find free firewood by checking Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org under the “free” section in your area.

Check to see if the apartment has washer and dryer hookups. Coin washers are much more expensive than running your own. You can usually find free washers and dryers on Freecycle or Craigslist. If you cannot afford to run a washer, choose an apartment with a bathtub so that you can hand-wash your laundry.

If you live in an area with very hot summers, see if you can find an apartment that has a good swimming pool. It’s a great way to escape the heat for a little while and cool off during the day when you can’t afford air conditioning.

If you are planning on choosing a newer apartment or an apartment with appliances, check to see if they are Energy Star appliances. Refrigerators and dishwashers use a surprising amount of electricity. If it’s a choice between two equal apartments, choose the one with newer appliances. They usually are more energy efficient.

Before committing to a contract, check all of the seals on your windows and doors. Poor seals will reduce the energy efficiency of your apartment. Also, check the amount of direct sunlight the unit receives by finding out which direction the windows face. In warmer areas, too much sun will heat up your apartment, but in cooler areas, this can help to reduce your heating bill.

Remember, don’t bee embarrassed to ask to see the unit before you move in. Too often we have taken a rental based solely on price without being able to see it once or twice in advance. If you check it more than once, remember to go during different times of the day and also drive by the place at night to make sure the neighbors are not accustomed to playing loud music in the evenings. Consider all of your options and be picky. Just because you are poor doesn’t mean you don’t deserve the best of what you can afford.

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First Person: DIY Remodel Saved Thousands on Labor

DIY, Guide, Home Improvement - Patrick - May 24, 2020

One Sunday morning, our one year daughter was fussing nosily at church. My husband took our fit- throwing a child to drive around the surrounding neighborhood for twenty minutes. When he returned to pick us up, he told me, “I found the perfect house for us.” Two weeks later, we went to the open house and were overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done to update this old home. Nevertheless, I fell in love with space, and two months later, we were knee-deep in remodeling projects, and in order to make our DIY projects more affordable we tried Impact Driver Guide. Impact Driver Guide has impact driver deals that you can check out in order to make your DIY projects more affordable and convenient.

We started with the kitchen, kitchen hallway, dining room, and hallway bathroom. We started frantically spraying wallpaper remover, scraping, and pulling off bits of wallpaper like crazy. In hindsight, I would have sanded over it and we would have textured and painted right over that thirty years old, impossible to pull off the wallpaper. After the wallpaper was removed as best we could, we borrowed a texture gun from a friend, completely taped up the trim, and taped plastic over the doorways and sprayed California peel all over the kitchen, dining room, and front hallway bathroom. My husband sprayed and I dragged with the trowel after him. It was hard work and messy since it had to be dragged quickly before the textured dried.

The next step was to paint. Painting ourselves was a very time-consuming project. We painted the above-mentioned areas plus all the living room trim, walls, three bedrooms, the laundry room, and an upstairs bathroom. We did it ourselves and the cost of wallpaper remover, paint at $35 a can times 16 cans, and brushes are an estimated $800.

The next step was getting rid of the burnt orange double sink in the kitchen. We replaced it with a $400 huge stainless steel sink. We also replaced the old stovetop with a nice, shiny black one for $565. The old, rusty white dishwasher, we replaced with a closeout black dishwasher for $463. We also replaced the old garbage disposal with a stainless steel wine fridge for $595. For the finishing touch, we added knobs on the kitchen cabinets for $140.

We also updated our home for thirty years by replacing old light fixtures. We replaced the dining room glass plated light fixture with a newer, wrought iron chandelier. We also replaced the entry light. Together the new lighting costs $300. The total costs of remodeling and updating the inside of our old home was $3263. DIY remodeling projects saved us thousands of dollars and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

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