Author: John Conde

Five Features To Consider While Building A Beach House

Posted on by John Conde

With real estate prices being cheaper than ever, many people are buying properties near the beach and building their dream home using exclusive wood, staircase parts, roofing shingles, and more. From balconies overlooking the ocean to wrap-around porches ideal for lounging in the sun, building a shore house is all about getting creative and considering some fun extra features you’ve always wanted. Beach homes are all about getaways where you can enjoy the outdoors, so you’ll want to consider different aspects that will allow you to enjoy the smell of the sea and the wind in your hair.

Below are five features to consider when building your shore house:

A Wrap-Around Deck
Wrap-around porches hold that southern charm that makes them a popular choice for anyone building a beach home. They also come with an added bonus for anyone with large families you know will want to take beach trips with you all summer long:  these decks are great for entertaining large groups of people at the new home, and are perfect for having a calm, relaxing moment alone while enjoying your new space.

Outdoor Shower
What beach home is complete without an outdoor shower? An outdoor shower is essential for homes located close to the beach. Having a shower outside will help avoid sand being tracked onto the beautiful carpets, or scuffing up any hardwood floor. Even if your home is not located extremely close to the beach, this is still a great addition. The outdoor shower gives another shower option for large groups when there are only so many showers inside. It’s also nice to cool down.

Sunroom
Sunrooms are a versatile feature, as they can be transformed to withstand any season. They are a big hit with shore homes due to a large amount of light they let in, ideal for lounging or entertaining friends, along with the beautiful view of sunny gorgeous skies they can add into a room. You can even set up a living room or dining room in a sunroom. Plus, being able to see the sky can even make a room seem larger.

Balcony
What better way to lay out in the sun than a balcony? There are many different styles of balconies available, from colonial to Roman-style and including staircase parts to access from down below. Balconies are the perfect location to enjoy your morning coffee and socialize with guests. Whether you attach it to a bedroom or a living room, balcony doors also provide a large amount of light to a room – ideal for a beach home.

Pool/Hot Tub
A pool and hot tub is the finishing touch on your shore home. Your dream home should feature all the luxuries, particularly if you’re using your home as a getaway. Relax and soak in the hot tub after a long day or go for a swim during the day to escape the heat of the sun. Plus, they add a level of luxury that most do not have in their beach home. You’ll have a great place to relax, and something to impress your friends.

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5 Great Ways To Get Rid Of Unwanted Items Before A Move

Posted on by John Conde

Although moving can be a stressful time for many people, it also provides a great opportunity for you to purge your life of items that you no longer want or need. Your moving costs will also be less expensive if you have fewer household items, and you will be able to start a clutter-free life in your new home. Fortunately, several ways exist for those who are moving to get rid of items that they would prefer not to take with them. Following are five options for you to consider when deciding how to dispose of certain household items.

1. Consignment Shops

If you have clothing or accessories that are of good quality and show minimal wear and tear, you may be able to sell them through a consignment shop. Consignment shops will keep a certain amount of the sale price and send you the rest after the items are purchased. Although consignment shops frequently only deal in fine clothing, jewelry, handbags and other accessories, some carry items such as furniture and household decorations.

2. Good Old-Fashioned Thrift Shops

While consignment stores are usually somewhat selective about items that they will accept, thrift stores will generally take anything as long as it is clean, in good repair and usable. Many thrift stores will also pick up items from your home, saving you the hassle of loading things into your car and driving to the store locations. Keep in mind those items given to thrift stores are donations that you will not be paid for. If the value of your donations is of considerable worth, however, you may be able to obtain a tax credit.

3. Have a Garage Sale

Having a garage sale is a good way to quickly get rid of things you don’t need anymore. Be sure to advertise your garage sale in your local paper as well as put up signs around your neighborhood. Some people offer leftover items for free after their sale is over.

4. Craigslist

If you have household or personal items that you would like to sell but don’t want to organize a garage sale, consider putting an ad on Craigslist or another free advertising site. You will be able to show the items to interested parties at your own convenience, and it’s possible that you will be able to make a significant sum of money on your unwanted personal items and household goods. Another option is having an online garage sale through an auction site, but you may not be able to dispose of things as quickly as you like if you go this route. You will also have to package items and ship them if the buyers do not live in your geographical area.

5. Give Things Away to Family and Friends

If you have household things that you won’t be needing in your new home, take a look among your family and friends to see if anyone needs anything that you would like to discard. For instance, if you are moving to a smaller place because you are downsizing or retiring, that large dining room table may be perfect for the young family in your circle.

Most people find that getting rid of superfluous items allows them to feel as if they are starting fresh in their new environment.

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5 Swimming Pool Maintenance Mistakes To Avoid

Posted on by John Conde

A commercial swimming pool often needs a lot more maintenance and care than your average backyard swimming pool. Sometimes, this is due to the massive size of the pool, while other times it may be because of how frequently it used by a large group of people. Whatever the reason may be, maintaining the swimming pools can help organizations and business owners save a lot of money in the long run. Here are 5 common maintenance mistakes that one should avoid when dealing with a commercial pool.

Adding chemicals during the day

Adding chemicals to the pool during the day is perhaps the most common swimming pool maintenance mistake. Chemicals, including liquid chlorine, work a lot better if you add them after sunset. Keep adding chemicals during the day and you will find that they are not as effective as you had hoped. Also, the chemicals you have added will not last for too long and will have to be replenished often, casing maintenance costs to go up. Add chemicals during the night and you will find yourself spending a lot less money on purchasing them.

Letting the pH levels soar

What is the point of adding chlorine to the pool if it isn’t allowed to do its job? In order for chlorine to be active, the pH level of the pool water has to be within a favourable range. As a rule of thumb, never let the pH level go above 8.0. This is the extremely common in commercial-sized swimming pools where pH levels tend to soar. If the pH level hits 8.5, the chlorine is only 10-15% active, which makes adding chlorine to the pool water an exercise in futility.

Backwashing filters too often

The filters in a swimming pool work best when they are clean. However, in the name of maintenance, the DE and sand filters are often over-cleaned. This is one scenario where it is actually possible to have too much of a good thing. As long as the needle in the pressure gauge is sitting on ‘clean’, there is no need to backwash the filters; the backwashing won’t do any good and you’ll just end up wasting a lot of water. When the pressure goes up by 8 psi, that’s when the filters should be backwashed.

Not running the pumps long enough

In an effort to save money on power bills, it is not uncommon to run the pumps for short durations. However, though you will be saving on electricity, the swimming pool will suffer. Circulation is crucial for ensuring a good swimming pool and not leaving the pumps running for long enough is a major oversight. Generally, leave the pump running for an hour for every 10 degrees.

Failing to maintain chlorine generators

Ignore cleaning the chlorine generators for too long and it will end up damaging the salt water system cells. If the cells get corroded or calcified, the will not generate chlorine and you will have to spend a small fortune to get them replaced. Clean the cells regularly to prevent calcification and check them at least once a month for signs of corrosion.

Avoid these 5 common gaffes and your commercial pool will be perfect for a long time to come.

Author of this post, Ashley Parker is an architect who specializes in landscape design. Her latest achievement is the award-winning design of a giant garden and pool area of a luxury hotel. She collaborated with commercial pool builders to incorporate an infinity swimming pool as a part of the design. Her hobbies are writing and cycling.

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Preparing Your Home For Water Damage Restoration

Posted on by John Conde

You could have gone through all the proper steps to take preventive measures against water damage in your home through regular maintenance, but unfortunately, things didn’t work out to your advantage and now you’re stuck with a mess. Even if you just bought a new home It doesn’t have to take a big rainstorm and consequent flooding to result in water damage. Your home may have the misfortune of encountering burst pipes or suffering from unknown leaks, and before you realize it, you must act quickly to avoid further destruction from rot and mold. The good news is that with proper cleanup and water damage restoration you can salvage your home and personal belongings.

Identify the Source

Identifying the source of infiltration is the first step to managing water damage. If you come across stains that lead you to discover water draining down walls or dripping from the ceiling, your problem probably lies in a faulty roof that needs immediate repair. Hopefully, you can detect a burst pipe or leak from the sound it makes and determine the need to shut off your home’s water supply right away.

Dry Out Items

Assessing the damage before you jump into cleanup mode is imperative for water damage restoration. As you go through the house noting exactly what needs to be tended to, you should be working to circulate air and dry out all areas exposed to moisture with open windows, fans, and dehumidifiers. All household items need to be dried out to conclude if there is irreversible harm.

Clean and Sanitize

Floors, walls, furniture, and personal items will all require different treatment solutions. Anything that can withstand bleach, including drywall, plaster, and tile, should be washed a couple of times and completely dried out again to get rid of any traces of mold. A steam cleaner should be used immediately on soaked carpets and upholstery. Clothing can be laundered or dry cleaned, and any books, papers, or important documents can be freeze-dried if there are no signs of mold growth. Any unimportant damaged items you find that you can really do without should be thrown away.

Recheck and Reseal

Once you’ve dealt with the urgent matters straight away, you should begin to take new action to minimize further damage. Check for any leaks that can occur around windows, doors, and through roofs and reseal openings or replace shingles. Seal cracks in walls and the foundation, inspect all plumbing, and look for termite destruction in wood structures.

It is always best to bring in a water damage restoration professional to fully evaluate the situation and advise you on things that just aren’t salvageable. Mold is especially difficult to eliminate in carpet and furniture. If not treated properly or if kept when they should be tossed, these items can cause significant long-term health problems. Although you won’t look forward to the money it will cost you, due to weakened materials and rotting, water damage restoration may involve necessary renovations to ensure your home stays strong and standing.

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10 interior design trends that will mark 2013

Posted on by John Conde

Each year brings its trends and this year is no different. We have singled out a few of them that will excite every good interior design lover and which we will surely talk about in 2013.

What are the trends that will mark 2013 when it comes to interior decorating?

1. A new relationship between man and interior design

Society has changed fundamentally over the last few decades, which has greatly influenced all aspects of life, including interior design. Today, men spend more time at home; help with housework and children, which is reflected in the arrangement of the interior space in which they reside. Simple details, less garish colors, the prevalence of white, black and gray, functionality above all – are just a few examples of the growing male dominance in interior design.

2. Teamwork

A more recent phenomenon is that some spaces are decorated in team. This brings better ideas, designers are more efficient and faster – while one deals with the skeleton space, the other is responsible for the lighting effects, and the third for the final touch.

3. Do it yourself

The desire to express yourself is increasingly present in homes around the world. Most people want furniture and decorations that mean something, and that will, ultimately, make their space more personal. Whether the old chairs that you re-fixed, or that you just pulled out of the basement the candlesticks and turned it into a great little detail on the table, creativity is welcome and is increasingly spreading among people.

4. Textures and types of materials

In the past, people didn’t pay much attention to the material the furniture is made from or what the surface feels like when they touch it. But today the situation is completely different. People are looking for material that is comfortable to touch and encourage warmness, which in turn revives the ‘home’ feeling that they want.

5. Stripes everywhere

They encourage dynamism and enter energy into the space. Just as in the previous example, everything is welcome – from carpets, upholstery, wall decorations… it is important to have stripes.

Source: Blogs.babble.com

6. Embroidery and knitting

Too bad we didn’t learn a few things from our grandmothers, because our home would now look more ‘bright’ and playful. Knitting and embroidery is the latest trend in 2013, whether it’s a colorful rug, basket or blanket.

7. African Influence

More modern households began to show a tendency toward African influences, considering them as exotic and dynamic details. Carvings and handmade ornaments certainly are trends that have already impressed the most sceptical fans of beautiful interiors. African influenced decorations will fit beautifully with wooden or timber blinds.

8. Floral patterns on a white background

Flowers are IN again, only this time with the addition of a white background. Such details bring a touch of romance and raise the whole area. Try with wallpapers, photographs – an effect that you will get will be great.

9. Writing on the wall and ceiling

Simple, original, creative … What more needs to be said?

10. Green walls

Life in the countryside is one of the most popular trends this year. Not only it is healthy and provides a feeling of freshness to space, but acts elegant and original. Whatever you choose, whether green panels or framed green screens with lighting effects or plants is something that will certainly raise and refresh your home.

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