DIY — Home and Garden Diva

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

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 h ouse 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.

DIY Gift Ideas For Every Occasion

by Trish

Holidays, birthdays and every day celebrations can certainly be events to look forward to, but not when you have difficulty with finding the perfect gift to give. While some people were born to give gifts, the truth is, most of us aren’t very good at it. Rather than getting something for someone that is simply materialistic and not thoughtful, why not save your money and make something yourself. These DIY gift ideas are perfect for any occasion and are guaranteed to be a hit!

Pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? What’s so great about giving a picture to someone is that it evokes memories and feelings of a previous event, whether they make you think back to when you were younger, someone who has passed or of people who you think about every single day.

Some creative DIY ideas around pictures:

Picture frame wreath – By gluing small frames from the dollar store to a wreath, you’ll have the opportunity to remind the gift recipient of why you care so much about them.
Picture magnet – Add an adhesive magnet to the back of a picture frame to make it magnetic and easy to move wherever you want it to go.
Canvas print – The idea of printing an image to a large canvas has grown to become very popular, and there’s good reason why. Canvas prints allow you to blow up a picture without having to really worry too much about the quality of the picture, and rather than paying a lot of money for a blown up picture and then having to frame it, a canvas print is just the image printed on the canvas, no frame necessary!

Coasters

While this gift might not come off as a personal or thoughtful gift, there are a lot of great DIY ideas that you can create for coasters. For example, if the gift is needed around Christmas time, you can visit local fresh Christmas tree farms to collect discarded tree rounds. After coating them with polyurethane to create round coasters, this gift is bumped up to awesome.

Some other great coaster ideas include:

Stamped tiles – Using inexpensive tiles from a home improvement store, you can stamp or etch whatever design you’d like to personalize these coasters.
Scrabble pieces glued together – Whether you have an old game of scrabble or you found one at the thrift store, these letters can easily be glued together for a set of fun word coasters.
Circular cork with old maps or jute – Cover circles of cork or thrift store coasters with jute or old maps using glue or mod podge for a creative set of coasters.

Bath and beauty products

For someone who needs some serious pampering, these gift ideas are absolutely perfect. While bath and beauty products have always been a go-to gift idea, think about how much more it will mean to the recipient when they find out that you made the item yourself.

Some bath and beauty gift ideas include:

Sugar scrubs
Lavendar sachets
Hand-carved soap
Lip gloss

Food

Edible gifts are usually a big hit, whether it’s the holidays or the middle of summer. What makes the DIY food gifts so special is the fact that you know the exact ingredients that are going into your gift, which allows you to decide how healthy you’d like it to be.

Here are some really unique DIY food ideas:

Edible wreath – Attach clothespins to a cardboard ring to create a colorful wreath. Clip tea bags, hot chocolate packets, spice packets, or even seed packets for a unique and useful gift.
Homemade vanilla – Mix good quality vodka with vanilla beans in a pretty glass bottle. Just keep in mind that “brewing” takes up to eight weeks!
Spice rubs – There are several recipes on the Internet that you can find for spice rubs. Combine spices in a pretty jar with a suggested use for a quick, yet thoughtful gift.

Attached Images:

License: Creative Commons image source

Amy Richards is a freelance writer who loves to give custom gift baskets as presents to all her family and friends. She’s always determined to include at least one of her DIY projects, to really show how much she cares for those she’s giving gifts to.

Top 5 Tips for DIY Roofing Projects

by Trish

Undertaking a DIY project is not just about saving money. Many homeowners get involved with do-it-yourself projects because they want to play an active role in the design and upkeep of their own house. Roofing issues in particular make for the most sought after DIY projects for homeowners. Whether it is as simple as fixing a leak or completely retiling the entire roof, homeowners love to tackle roofing issues by themselves. Here are 5 top tips from roofing experts that should benefit DIY homeowners.

Cut down overhanging branches

Overhanging tree branches can cause a number of problems in a roofing project. In some cases, it is the overhanging branches that cause the problem in the first place. The best thing to do before proceeding with any work is to cut down any overhanging branches. Always check the local laws and regulations before cutting down any branches, especially if the tree is on public property; even the branch encroaches into your property, you may not have the right to cut it down and may have to call the proper authorities to do it. If the tree is in your neighbour’s backyard, seek their permission first.

Keep the gutters clean during and after

Doesn’t matter how strong and sturdy the gutters are, it is not uncommon to find damaged gutters after any roofing work has been performed. In order to minimize the chance of damaging the gutters, try to keep them clean during the project itself. Do not let dirt and debris build-up in the gutters with the aim of cleaning it all up in the end; the longer debris stays in the gutters, the greater the chance of damage. Once the project is completed, do not forget to clean out the gutters one final time; even if there is no damage, you could face the frightful prospect of blacked and clogged gutters.

Check the valleys for leaks

The part of the roof where two roof planes intersect is called the valley. As far as leaking is concerned, the valleys are the most susceptible part of the roof. It is not uncommon to find that some completely unrelated roofing project has caused some damage to the valleys and resulted in a leak. As soon as you complete any roofing work, run some water down the valleys to ensure that there are no leaks present.

Don’t get sloppy

The biggest mistake DIY enthusiasts make is to get sloppy as the project nears completion. Many homeowners find themselves pumped up and rearing to start a DIY roofing project. However, the longer the work takes, the more quickly their enthusiasm fades. At such times, it is very easy to get sloppy and goof up. Always give your full attention to the work at hand. Getting sloppy will not only result in poor quality work, but can also compromise safety.

Never compromise on safety

Many homeowners think it’s alright to skimp on safety standards since they are working in their own backyard. However, safety should never be compromised for any DIY project, including those related to roofing. Always have the necessary safety gear required, including working boots, safety glasses, hardhats and work gloves.

Follow these 5 top tips from roofing experts and your next roofing project should go off without a hitch.

Jeff Fernandes is the author of this guest post. He writes about various DIY projects and suggests Oil Boiler Servicing to maximize efficiency and reduce fuel consumption of your oil boilers.

Five Cheap And Easy Ways To Increase Your Home’s Security

by Trish

If you love your home, and your own personal safety, beefing up your home security is always going to make sense. And though there are certainly many expensive solutions available, most people are surprised to learn just how much can be achieved with a little bit of DIY.

If you want a more secure home, you don’t need to call a security company. And you certainly don’t need to install an expensive surveillance system. All you need is a little bit of time and DIY know how. Here are five tips for turning your home into a fortress without raiding your savings.

Replace Your Locks

Lesson one when it comes to DIY home security is to beef up your locks. This can be done in three steps.

Install deadbolts on all of your exterior doors. When shopping for deadbolts, stick to those with three inch screws and strike plates that are at least a quarter of an inch thick.
Install pry proof locks on all of your windows. You might be surprised to learn just how easily most windows can be opened, even when locked.
Lock your mailbox. Very few homeowners bother to do this and that’s one of the reasons that identity theft is such a big problem. You wouldn’t hand your bank statement to a stranger, don’t leave your mailbox unlocked.

Increase Your Homes Visibility

If you’re home isn’t visible from the road, it’s significantly more likely to be targeted by a burgler. Unfortunately, the more privacy your home has, the easier it is for a burgler to break in unnoticed.

If there are any obstacles between your home and the road, ask yourself how you can get rid of them. Such obstacles are known to make houses an attractive choice for those looking to commit a burglary.

Light Things Up

Though day time burglaries certainly do happen, statistically your home is far more likely to be broken into during the hours of darkness. And one of the easiest ways to protect your home from such break ins is to light it up.

You should aim to install exterior lighting around all of your homes weakest points i.e. its doors and ground floor windows. To avoid ridiculously high energy bills, opt for lights that are controlled by a motion sensor.

Install a Fake Security Camera

Expensive surveillance systems are impressive, but did you know that a wooden box that looks like a camera can be just as effective? Burglars don’t like the look of security cameras and they rarely spend very much time inspecting those that they see.

A fake security camera made of nothing but wood and glass is therefore more than capable of acting as a serious deterrent to anyone considering breaking into your home.

Install a DIY Alarm System

Finally, getting an alarm system professionally installed can work out pretty expensive but the same cannot be said for alarm systems that you install yourself. DIY alarm systems are widely available, surprisingly cheap and come complete with detailed instructions.

The best DIY alarm systems are typically the wireless variety. Wireless systems are not only easier to install, they are easier to both move around and expand at a later date.

Charles Anderson writes informative articles about creative interiors and unique home interior styles. To know more, visit snowplowstuff.com.

Ugly Bathroom Troubles?

by Trish

You go there every single day. Everyone in your family goes there every single day. Even guests will go there relatively frequently. So why are you okay with having such an ugly bathroom?

Let’s face it. That multi-colored mint green and blush pink bathroom just isn’t cute anymore.

Thankfully, there are a lot of other non-mint green/blush pink tiled options out there. And, fortunately, people are beginning to realize that the value of their home actually increases considerably when bathrooms are modernized and updated; you actually have a legitimate reason to fix up the bathroom. So say goodbye to that not-so-cute bathroom your grandma picked out in 1964 and let’s talk remodeling.

You Can’t Do it Alone. No, Really.

First, let’s take a few deep breaths; remodeling makes most people panic. You’re not alone. But what sets you apart from the rest of the bathroom-remodeling folks out there is that you’re not remodeling the bathroom yourself.

You’ve seen too many pipes broken, walls destroyed, and money-pits happen to try to do something like a remodel yourself. Let me go ahead and tell you now, reader, that if you’re still even thinking about doing a home remodel by yourself, don’t. Just say no. I know you’re handy, sir, and I know that you’ve got a killer eye for design, ma’am, but trust me. Home remodeling rarely goes smoothly.

In fact, people end up paying more money for remodels when they do it themselves than when they work with contractors; accidents happen and unforeseen plumbing issues abound in the bathroom. Repeat it with me. Just. Say. No.

So now that we’ve got that out of your system, you need to decide what design you want for your new bathroom. The options are basically endless. Yes, this is that point in the article where you’ll open up a new browser window and start looking up online décor magazines and pull out your catalogs for some inspiration. I know, I know. Take five (or an hour and twenty-five) and we’ll regroup.

So now that you’ve looked online at all of the different options you know exactly what it is you want, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so. I know, I should’ve told you that would make it worse. Sorry. You would’ve done it anyway.

Where to Start?

Okay, let’s get back to your “where to go next” tutorial. You’ve already decided that your bathroom needs to be remodeled. Hallelujah. So, there are a few things we need to address so that you can get into full bathroom-remodeling mode.

Make sure that you’ve got a budget set. This is, without a doubt, the most important part of your remodel. Tell your contractor (because you hired one, right? No? Well then stop here, call a contractor, and then you may proceed) exactly what the budget is, and tell them that that amount also includes the emergency fund. I can almost guarantee you that an unexpected expense will come up – make sure the budget is set.
Be flexible. Like I just said, there are sure to be some unanticipated costs when remodeling a bathroom – be sure to have more than one design plan. If the problems cost more money than you’d anticipated, you’ll have a back-up plan that you yourself picked out.
Make sure your home is prepared for the remodel. Be sure to clear the area of power lines, pipes, water lines, etc. Make sure you know exactly what’s behind every wall and shower before you (your contractor) starts tearing things out.
Do your research. Certain designs and building materials will cost more than others.. Find out if it works for your budget. If something doesn’t work, there are a lot of other options out there. A lot of imitation materials are just as beautiful, even more durable, and half the cost of what you originally wanted.
Stick to your plan(s). This goes along with budgeting. You know how things that you suddenly need just pop up – a different vanity, a different toilet, different faucets, etc. It adds up. Don’t let something sway you. You made your two plans (one for your dream bathroom, the other in case you need to lower the cost), so stick to it.
Be sure to plan your bathroom thoroughly. Pick how many pieces you want, decide the layout (check with your contractor first to make sure it’s feasible), and then plan, plan, plan. Unplanned details can often result in more expenses.
Make sure the people doing the remodel are reliable and know what they’re doing. Ask around for reliable workers. Don’t settle for someone. Make sure your work is done right. And be sure to document the bathroom before and after the remodel to make sure everything was taken care of correctly – and as contracted.

With any luck, that nasty tiled bathroom of yours will be on its way to sleek sophistication in no time. Just remember, don’t try to do it alone! You’ve got people out there who can help you, so take advantage of their services. Just say no to working solo.

Author Bio

Ginger Price writes semi-informational home improvement and home maintenance articles and works closely with companies who provide bathroom remodeling in Shreveport to bring awareness to the awesomeness of bathroom remodels.

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