Home and Garden Diva

You are here: Home / Archives for Home Improvement

Why You May Want To Hire A Professional Painter Instead Of Taking On The Job Alone

by



We lead extremely busy lives these days and because of this, finding time to do those little projects around the house, such as paint, can prove to be quite difficult. Instead of trying to cram your days to their maximum capacity, why not find someone else who can get the job done for you? This will give you more time to focus on what’s most important in life; such as your family and staying healthy. While DIY jobs can be fun, never feel as though you need to take on everything on your own because there are always plenty of options to choose from. Sometimes spending a little more cash now is more beneficial to you in the long run.


Save Yourself Time

As we touched on above, hiring a professional to do something you may technically be able to do on your own is going to save your household quite a bit of time. It can actually save you money as well, if taking on a job for the very first time. Typically, mistakes are going to happen. At least if you hire a professional, you are going to be able to rest assured knowing they have completed similar jobs hundreds, if not thousands of times before. If you so choose, you don’t even have to be home during the entire paint job. You can enjoy your family, go on vacation or take that much-needed hiking getaway; knowing the entire time you are away that everything is being taken care of effectively and efficiently.

Preparation: Avoid It

Did you know one of the most time consuming aspects of most DIY jobs is the preparation? You need to make sure you have all your proper tools, your safety gear, etc. When you aren’t the one taking the task head on, you don’t have to worry about any of this. An experienced painter will always have everything they need with them. For someone who is new to a particular type of project, organization may be tricky, causing much more time to be wasted.

Keep Your Family Safe

Staying safe is one of the most important things in life. Not only do you want to protect yourself but you want to protect your family as well. By hiring a professional painter to do the job, you are keeping yourself and your family away from the toxic fumes that paint work exposes those in the surrounding areas to. If you are looking for ways to keep the kids out of the house, why not take them to the park or to a friend’s house and let the magic happen while you’re away?

If heights are a fear of yours, as they are with many people around the globe, then you’ll probably be pretty excited to have someone else climb up on your roof if the paint job requires doing so. Even if you aren’t worried about it and have done it many times before in the past, it really isn’t worth the risk. A paid painter is going to have all the right safety equipment to get the job done without putting anyone at risk and since they’ve probably done similar jobs often, they are going to know which precautions to take to keep them the safest as well as the most productive. On a side note, it’s very important to make sure the person or company you hire has documentation to prove they have insurance just to be on the safe side. Even the most experienced of painters can have accidents, so verify coverage and you should be golden.

This guest post is authored by Matthew Jennings. He is one of the finest house painters in Melbourne. When he is not busy working, he likes visiting art galleries and museums to find inspiration for his work. He says highlighting one wall of the room with a dark shade makes it look more stylish.

Why Do I Need An Arborist Report?

by

If you have trees on your property, then you may have occasion to need an arborist’s report. In order to understand why you would need such a report, it is first necessary to understand what an arborist does.

What is an arborist?

An arborist is a professional who is concerned with the health and safety of individual trees, shrubs, vines and other perennial woody plants. An arborist doesn’t manage forests (forestry) or harvest trees (logging). A Certified Arborist is one who has achieved certification with the International Society of Arboriculture by passing exams and then participating in yearly continuing education courses.

What is an Arborist Report?

An arborist report can only be written by a Certified Arborist. The details of the report will vary depending on the requirements of your situation but basically it is an analysis of the health and condition of a tree and the site where it is growing. Issues addressed in these reports can include the presence or absence of disease, the safety of the structure of the tree and recommendations regarding pruning or removal of the tree.

Why do I need an arborist report?

Arborist reports are most commonly used when a homeowner is seeking a permit to prune or remove a tree on their property which is owned by the municipality or if the landscaping is governed by a homeowner’s association. An arborist’s report will determine if a tree is a hazard and needs to be removed because it is diseased or dead. In addition to removal, the report could recommend suitable replacement trees if the original tree was not appropriate to the site or if conditions in the landscape have changed significantly since the tree in question was planted. The report could recommend pruning the tree which would remove limbs that are a danger to buildings or people as well as contribute to the overall health of the tree.

If a tree on your property appears to be ailing, an arborist report can determine what is wrong, for instance insect infestation, disease or improper pruning, and recommend a course of action to bring the tree back to health.

You could also use an arborist report to value a tree for insurance purposes or if you are making a legal claim for damages due to vandalism. An arborist determines the value of a tree by taking into consideration the species of tree, the size of the tree, the condition of the tree and the location of the tree.

Arborist reports are used in personal injury lawsuits, insurance claims, property purchase and development, and in disputes between owners of adjacent properties.

Arborists at Work 2

Attached Images:

Peter Wendt enjoys taking care of his yard when he’s not writing or researching his next project. For those seeking more information about landscaping, Wendt suggests his readers click here.

Bring The Beach Inside With A Beach-Themed Bedroom

by

You love everything about the beach from the crashing waves to the feel of sand underneath your bare feet. While you wish you could live on the beach, you will eventually have to go back home to your own boring bedroom for the night.

You don’t have to be separated from the beach you love. Bring it inside your own home by creating a beach-themed bedroom. Beach themes can be placed in all types of bedrooms whether they are big or small or have hardwood flooring. With just a bit of imagination, you can go to sleep and wake up on the beach every day.

Paint Scheme

Tackle those boring walls by incorporating the colors of the beach. Different shades of tans and blues work great.

You can either paint the entire wall a solid color, divide the wall by painting the top half blue to represent the ocean and the bottom half tan to represent sand, paint the walls tan and the ceiling blue, or color wash the walls in different shades of blues as it can look like waves. You can stencil in white seashells for more of a beach feel.

Furniture And Flooring

The furniture can be a difficult to place into a beach-theme if you aren’t looking to spend a lot of money replacing your old furniture. You can go with white furniture in the way of beach chairs and tables. If you aren’t keen to having that much white in your room, go with light wood color tones.

As for the floor, hardwood flooring with an area rug of rattan material or bamboo can give the perfect beach appearance to your room. It will also work fine if you have regular carpeting.

Beach Accessories

Beach accessories can come in all shapes and sizes for decorations in your room. Hang paintings of the ocean or other beach themes on the walls. Scatter seashells on dressers, tables and shelves. Purchase beach-themed lamps, bedding and knickknacks to complete the overall beach look.

Sleep In Paradise in Your Beach-Themed Bedroom

Devote time and creativity into your beach design to have a warm and comforting feeling in your bedroom. You’ll never be too far from the beach even in the winter time when you decorate your room with these beach ideas. It doesn’t have to take a lot of money or time to have the perfect bedroom of your dreams.

Amy Nelson is a mother, avid home decorator and author. Mrs. Nelson has written several informative publications on family life, interior decorating, and simple home improvement tips.

Lighting It Up: How To Decorate With Lamps

by

Lamps are not only great sources of light. Whether it’s reading, writing or working on a craft project, a lamp or two will make the job easier. However, more than just providing a generous pool of light, they also add a huge impact on your decorating scheme. A simple lamp on an entry table, for instance, can lend a cozy welcome to your guests. When placed on the kitchen or the bedroom, they aid in softening the hard edges of the space, and when slipped in an awkward corner of the living room, it can do a whole lot in giving the space a fresh face. With such capabilities, no wonder, lamps are a must-have item in any decorator’s arsenal.

If you are planning to give your room a makeover, don’t forget to include lamps in your decorating scheme as they will definitely lend an amazing impact to your space. To get you started, here are some tips you can follow when incorporating lamps in your home’s décor.

Determine the function of the room

Before you buy lamps, consider what activities you are going to use the space for. The type of activities that the room will serve will influence your choice of fixtures as well as their placement. Since most rooms serve more than one function, it is necessary that you purchase lamps that will allow you to do those activities properly. For instance, table lamps can become the key sources of light for the bedroom that will permit the occupant to properly traverse through the space and allow sufficient illumination for reading. A work area that doubles as a reading room, on the other hand, calls for tall and narrow floor lamps that can be easily slipped into corners to illumine dark spaces and provide ample amount of light for homework or reading.

Think of your décor

Aside from the function of the room, you also need to look at the existing décor. Doing so will allow you to select the right pieces that will complement the rest of the room. For instance, if your room is contemporary, lamps with slim bases and drum-shaped shades will fit in well to the space since they can lend drama to the room without necessarily overpowering other decorative elements inside. A room with a classic décor, on the other hand, is best accentuated with lamps whose shades are round or square.

Mind the scale

Always pay special attention to the size of your lamps. Be sure that their scale is appropriate for the location where they will be placed. You do not want to accessorize a small coffee table with a huge lamp with tapered shade. Not only will the piece look out of place, it will also affect the flow of traffic in the room since it is likely to be bumped into or knocked over. Similarly, a particularly small lamp should not be used a stand-alone fixture in a large room. As a rule of thumb, the shade of the lamp should be between one-half to three-fourths the size of its base, and it should also be able to properly hide the lamp’s hardware.

Translucent or opaque?

Another important thing that you have to consider when picking a lamp is the amount of light you want the fixture to cast. If you want a lamp that will illumine the room and will provide light for certain tasks, your best bet is to go for a piece with a translucent shade. However, if the lamp will function only as an accessory to the room, go for an opaque shade instead.

This article was written by Ericka for www.heritagecleaning.co.uk. Ericka is a home improvement enthusiast which inspires her to write helpful posts about home repair, organization, maintenance, décor and gardening.

Proper Light Placement To Better Illumine The Exterior Of Your Home

by

While lighting the exterior of your house is not difficult at all, it is also easy to make mistakes when it comes to where the lighting fixtures should be affixed. Try strolling around your house after dark and you will notice that there are some areas that are cloaked in the shadows, paths that are hard to thread on in the darkness, or seating areas that are rendered useless at night. You may also find spots that are too bright that guests and passers-by have to cover their eyes from the glare of your lighting fixtures.

Fortunately, it is easy to correct these problems. With a little know-how on proper placement and what type of lights to use for certain spots, you can make the exterior of your home safer and more usable after the sun goes down and at the same time lend drama to the space. Below are some tips on how you should incorporate lights into your home’s exterior, where they should be placed, and what types of fixtures you should use.

Front door

Lighting is particularly important on the access and egress point of your house for good reasons. It shows people where to enter and where the doorbell and keyhole are positioned; prevents tripping on the steps; and allows the people inside to know who is at the front door.

The most ideal light fixtures to use on the front door are lanterns with two low-voltage compact fluorescent bulbs placed on both sides of the door (preferably mounted along the front door’s upper third portion). These fixtures provide the right amount of light without glare and at the same time enhance the appeal of the front door.

When picking wall or post lanterns, go for pieces with frosted or colored lenses instead of those with clear glass as they are easier on the eyes.

Garage and Driveway

Just like how you would light up your front door, you should also provide proper illumination on your garage and driveway entrance so that guests and vehicles will be able to find your home at night. For the driveway, it is not necessary to light up the entire strip. A few low-voltage spreadlights staggered along the edge of the pavement will suffice. Your garage, on the other hand, will benefit from the addition of some wall-mounted compact fluorescent floodlights near the door and on the sides. Also, do not forget to illuminate your house number. Guests arriving at night as well as emergency responders will definitely appreciate such addition since they will be able to know which house is yours.

Steps and walkways

To lead guests to the front door and guard them against slipping, layered lights coming from low-voltage fixtures are the most suitable choices for illuminating steps and walkways. Popular fixture selections for these locations include bollard lights, mushroom lights and path shaded tier lights. All these fixtures cast light downward so they are easy on the eyes. They also come in a wide variety of styles and different price points, allowing you to pick pieces that complement the look of your home and your budget.

For the most pleasing effect when positioning the lights and prevent the runway look, do not place all the lights on a straight line. Instead, stagger them on both sides of the steps and walkways.

Seating areas (patios, decks, porch)

To ensure you will be able to entertain guests even after dark, do not forget to light up your outdoor living areas. There is no hard or fast rules when it comes to lighting up outdoor living spaces, allowing you to take free helm on your light choices. However, do not forget to install task lighting in or near areas where they are needed and where safety might be a concern, such as benches, stair risers, deck railing and the wall near the grilling or dining area.

To avoid attracting pests to your patio, deck or porch, it will be preferable to go for compact fluorescent bulbs that are specially designed to ward off pests. You may also control the amount of light in the area if you use dimmers that will let you adjust light levels.

Landscape features

Add a touch of drama to your home’s exterior by highlighting the beautiful features in your landscape with a combination of low-voltage lighting and accent lighting. To do this, pick a focal point that you wish to emphasize, such as a specimen tree or a structure, along with secondary areas. To illuminate your primary focal point, use flood lights affixed to in-ground poles or spotlights attached on a nearby wall, fence or other elevated structure. For secondary areas like flower beds, ground covers and statuary, emphasize them with low-voltage fixtures that are recessed into the ground. Or, go for a backlit effect or hidden glow by pinning the light sources between the objects you want to highlight and the wall of your house.

Just a word of caution: be mindful where you direct the beams of your lights. At the most, they should not be pointed toward your neighbors windows.

The guest post above, which was written for www.steelbuildingsuk.co.uk, was contributed by Ericka. Ericka is a home improvement and gardening enthusiast. Her passion for these subjects inspires her to write useful posts about house repairing, decorating, cleaning and organizing.

Meta

Tags

basement bed bedroom clean cleaning clutter dog exercise family fitness flowers friends Furniture garden Health help home house husband ideas Kitchen laptop Lighting money Music neighborhood neighbors party plants room Shopping sick skin spring summer tips tired Toronto Travel tv Vacation walking warm winter work

Pages