Archive for August, 2012
5 DIY Jobs – A Nightmare for Newbies!
Nothing gives us more pleasure than doing up and redecorating our homes. Many of us are carried away with the idea, that they need to build their dream house with their own hands.
Many home owners pursue this line of thought with action and throw themselves with their entire energies by doing everything themselves. At the start, there is a potent enthusiasm, but soon they realize, they are in a big mess.
The rule is clear; DIY is not everyone’s cup of tea, and not everyone is a trained professional to complete the job. It is best to leave professional jobs with the safe hands. These experts have studied their craft, be it Plumbing, Electrical work or Painting. By taking on these jobs, without any experience, its sure there would be lots of jolts. Following are 5 DIY-jobs that most newcomers try themselves at the time of renovating their homes.
- Plumbing – Bathroom construction and installation is a highly essential feature of any residence, and requires expert knowledge and experience. If one tends to get carried away, thinking that he could fit out bathrooms and drains, think twice. Plumbing does not just involve choosing fancy bathroom accessories and fixing them with cement, but detailed knowledge of drainage systems, and advanced technology, which is used by most modern plumbers. One wrong move can end up with a choked toilet drain and sewage seeping back in the house. A professional plumber knows about the right plumbing codes and has all the equipment’s and certificates to carry out the plumbing job.
- Electrical Fittings – Playing with electrical fittings is never a good idea. Again this work involves technical knowledge of currents, wiring, earthing etc. If anything left unfinished or without proper insulation, can welcome a host of problems. This not only can be potentially dangerous to the lives of the inhabitants of the house, but can raise electrical bills considerably and even wreck electrical appliances. It’s best to hand over these jobs to an experienced and trained Electrician, who can save yourself from a lot of problems and shocks.
- Flooring – Another area that is best left to professionals. Many home enthusiasts feel that laying tiles is can be quite easy, and they dive their selves. This is a big mistake, as laying floor tiles is a mason’s job and requires proper knowledge of balance and layout planning. By trying to fit tiles, one might lose the equilibrium of the flooring and end up with an uneven floor, which not only would be terrible to look, but would cost a fortune of money to rectify. Laying a floor requires precision and technical knowledge of cutting tiles to the perfect fit. It needs special tools and experience in handling them. It’s better to hand these types of jobs to a Mason.
- Carpentry – One might remark, “This can be real easy, why anyone can not do it!”
“I wish if this could be so easy of banging a nail in the wall or sawing a plank.” But, the exhaustive carpentry that makes a home complete requires more than just the ability to use a hammer and saw. Large furniture requires distinctive wood and knowledge of how to shape it. More important it’s an art, and one needs to install in such a way that not only does it look highly aesthetic, but is strong enough to last for many years. Even a small job such as hammering a nail in the wall to hang up a mirror requires precise expertise. If not done in the right way, one might find themself looking at broken pieces of glass. It is best to leave this work to Carpenters who have studied this art, and carry all the necessary tools for it.
And last but not the least,
- Doing up Walls – As an amateur this could turn out to be a white elephant, if one have no experience, and proper knowledge of building technology. Just papering or painting is not sufficient. Many homes have leakage problems and uneven walls. These need expert study and appropriate application of materials to give home, not just a smooth finish, but insulation from ugly splotches. It is, therefore, advisable to hand over these jobs to professional contractors who can guide in the right direction, and give a perfect interior finish.
Without doubt, it is advisable to let professional with the requisite expertise, handle the most valuable aspects of the DIY Job. This is crucial, if one has little or no experience in these areas. If you feel disappointed with not being able to put your hand to these jobs; don’t take it too hard, because at the end of the day, it will be your design, colours and choices, which will form your dream home. Such professionals will only be the executors of your ideas. So go right ahead, and start visualizing your home and its look, to your heart’s content.
Shamala is media blogger and writes for Bathrooms-Near. She is passionate about home decor and new bathroom products.
How to Create a Comfortable Bathroom
In this day of fast-paced communication, hectic professional life and demanding personal commitments, your bathroom is probably the only place where one can find a semblance of privacy and solitude. It is here that many individuals finally find time from their hectic schedule to be with themselves. No wonder many scientists of the yesteryears were at their creative and innovative best in their bathrooms.3
The first question that occurs in our mind is what are the factors that need to be considered at the time of designing a bathroom? Irrespective of the amount of resources, and the level of comfort, and style that one aim, the most critical criteria that a bathroom need is a high level of cleanliness. The design, plan and the material used to create a bathroom itself lends the cleanliness to entire bathroom.
It is then followed, by the comfort level of a bathroom, and especially, how the toilets are designed and what it offers. It is a facility that all the members of a family whether they are young and old, would be using, and the last thing one would not want a cheap toilet that develops yellow stains, just within few months of purchase.
Also, ensure that layout and the placement of all the amenities in your designer bathroom do not just offer comfort of usage but that it also suits your habits and lifestyle. People differ in the manner, the way and the sequence in which they go about their daily chores. Have the layout of your designer bathroom designed in a manner that complements your habits and lifestyle. It will make one feel more comfortable in a bathroom. Needless to say, the accessories one opts their bathroom must be of a superior quality and must blend with other bathroom decor.
Last but not the least, the ambience of your bathroom will determine how comfortable it is. By using the right color combinations and the right décor one can gradually come up into the groove to meet the demand of a modern and comfortable bathroom. One may not realize, but a bathroom could well be a place where one could hit upon a million-dollar idea, that he or she may have been waiting for their entire life.
