Breathe New Life Into Your Home This Summer

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If you are looking for a way to make your home feel like new, then there is good news: there are plenty of them. We all get a little tired with our homes sometimes. Whether it is because we have lived there for a long time, or just because nothing has changed for a while, it can sometimes be frustrating. However, giving your home a new lease on life is probably easier than you think. If you are curious as to how it can be done quickly and inexpensively, then you are not alone. Plenty of people are constantly on the lookout for that quick fix to improve their home. The truth is, with a little inventiveness, it can be surprisingly straightforward to make your home feel like new. Let’s have a look at some of the best ways to do that now.

Change The Decor

If you find that you are literally just sick of looking at the walls, then there is a clear solution. Changing the decor is a deceptively effective way of making your home feel a little fresher. What’s more, summer is a great time to do it. Go for brighter colours, or something completely unlike anything you have had before. That way, you are much more likely to feel as though a huge change has been made. Really, what we are going for here is a psychological change. Repainting the walls and hanging some fresh artwork is a great way to do that, in no time at all. What’s more, it is unlikely that it will cost you much.

Spruce Up The Bathroom

For many people, the bathroom is one of the most important parts of the entire house. If that sounds like you, then this tip might be your ideal starting point. If you are happy to make a more permanent change to your home, then why not consider sprucing up your bathroom this summer? There are many ways to completely alter the feel of the bathroom without breaking the bank. For instance, you could consider installing bathroom pods. These are generally a great solution if you are looking for durability and longevity. And it means that you can completely change the look and feel of the bathroom, in no time at all.

Get Green-Fingered

The garden is an essential part of the home, especially during the summer months. Yet, in many homers, it is sadly left forgotten or abandoned. Often, this is the fault of the winter. During those colder months, it can be hard to convince yourself to go out in the garden and prepare it for the new year. Nonetheless, it is never too late to make some changes to your garden. More to the point, doing so will likely make a dramatic difference to how you feel about the house overall. Giving your garden a new lease on life need not be a huge project. All that is really necessary is that you take proper care of the lawn, and perhaps consider investing in a few new plants. With a little effort, your garden will be teeming with life in no time.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/06/breathe-new-life-into-your-home-this.html

Interesting Facts about Luxury Bathrooms

 This infographic is from The Brighton Bathroom Company.



from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/06/interesting-facts-about-luxury-bathrooms.html

Insuring a Classic Car

Classic cars are the pride and joy of their owners, with people doing whatever they can to keep them well protected and in top condition at all times. If, however, something does go wrong with your classic car, it is vital that the insurance you have for the vehicle covers all aspects of its aesthetics, internal mechanics and functionality.

What is a classic car

Classic cars in the UK do not fall under a specific, fixed age group, though a classic car must be older than 15 years to qualify under this title. A car that is just 15 years old may be referred to as a modern classic, in fact.

Though classic cars do not necessarily have to be old, the majority of them are one-offs that have been made in the past which now are not manufactured any longer. It is important to note that different insurers will class what a classic car is differently from other insurers, so check with your insurer when getting your classic car insured that they are prepared to consider it as one.

Insuring your classic car

When it comes to insuring your classic car, there are various things to take into consideration. Whilst it may be more expensive to insure a classic car for some reasons, such as the parts being less readily available, there are also many instances in which it may in fact be cheaper to insure older, more classic models of car.

Here, we run through some factors worth considering when you insure a classic car to ensure you have all the information available to you, allowing you to pursue the best policy for your model of car:

Low policy price

Classic cars are often cheaper to insure for a number of reasons, including:

Insurers tend to assume that the car will be doing less mileage due to its age and its purpose as a show piece rather than a car used to make long trips or have many passengers. Most classic car owners take great care of their vehicles, ensuring that they are well maintained at all times and stored in a safe and secure location.

Uncommon parts

There are, however, considerations to make when it comes to replacing faulty or broken parts which may no longer be available such as windscreens. Though insurance will cover the repair of a classic car’s windscreen, not all manufacturers may still produce the exact replica windscreens needed to replace the broken ones, meaning that customers’ premiums may be pushed up or certainly a higher excess may be charged in the instance of a broken windscreen on their classic car. For more information on repairing and replacing classic car windscreens, it is worth speaking to specialists such as those at The Windscreen Company.

Other parts of the car may also incur expensive excess payments or, indeed, may make the insurance premium more expensive on account of their rarity. For this reason, it is important to shop around expert insurance companies for the best policy when looking to cover a classic car, as some may be more equipped to cover certain classic makes than others.

The post Insuring a Classic Car appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/insuring-a-classic-car/

What to Look For When Buying an Anti-Ligature Handle

If you're considering a purchase, you are most likely active in an environment where one or more people run the risk of harming themselves, accidentally or not, and you are thinking about how to reduce that risk. Personally, I have found that Stronghold Direct is a good solution, as it carries a large selection of anti-ligature handles from the world's leading manufacturers. 

 

Anti-Ligature Handle

Considering the purchase of a this sort of  specialty handle usually means that you work with, or somehow are in touch with environments in which the risk of people harming themselves, either on purpose or by accident, exists. This means that making this type of purchase is very serious and important requiring careful thought and the right advice. Creating a safe environment for more vulnerable people, like children for example is not a task that should be taken lightly.

There are reliable manufacturers in UK like Stronghold Directthat specialise in security hardware, and have a large range of high-quality security products, including anti-ligature handles of many types. With an accumulated experience of over 80 years in the business, it is one of the frontrunners in the South and in the Midlands when it comes to high security hardware.

First of all, it's important to identify the environment in which the anti-ligature handles will be placed, or under what circumstances they will be used.

·         What are the handles for?

·         How will they be used?

·         Who interacts with the environment?

·         What risks exist at the moment?

These are all valid questions when looking to buy high-quality anti-ligature handles, and they will all influence your choice of handle.

Second of all and something that already briefly came up in the previous paragraph, is to identify who will be the main interactors with the handles you are planning to purchase and install. There exist countless types of handles and deciding on your choice will be largely influenced by who the principal user will be.

In elderly homes, for example, the handles are often aimed at reducing the pain felt by arthritis patients when operating certain handles. In the children's departments of hospitals, for example, the type of handle you choose will largely be based on how to reduce the risk of children getting harmed by interacting with, or being in proximity to, the handles and other devices.

Finally, what you also want to look out for is the reputation of the manufacturer of the handle, and the certifications of the handle itself. You don't want to take any chances with safety, especially not when more vulnerable segments of the population are part of the equation.

Good security itself can prevent crimes, as it is a visible deterrent that there are no easy pickings available. So stop the problems before they start. Insurance is a necessity but it is always best to have a robust and visible system in place that is not compromised by also having anti-ligature functionality.

You know that a company is easy to trust when they only carry high quality, high security handles that will also meet your safety requirements. While each type and style has a selection from the world's leading manufacturers. 

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/06/what-to-look-for-when-buying-anti.html

Maximizing the Space in Your Small Bedrooms

Having a small room in your house doesn’t mean that you can’t max out its usability, whilst still keeping it comfortable and cozy. There are plenty of small hacks and decorating tips that can fool you and your guests into thinking that you have much more space than you actually do have. If you are trying to think of new ways to make the most of your small space, these tried and methods will give you a good place to start.

Choose floating or hanging lights over lamps

If size isn’t on your side, don’t give up that much needed floor space, or bedside table space with lamps and giant shades. A better solution will be to install floating wall lamps, or free hanging pendant lighting. Pendant lighting has become more popular this year, as it creates a stunning focal point for a room, whilst still being functional – not to mention frees up space for other furniture of storage.

Add built in, overhead storage

If you are trying to maximize the functionality of a small bedroom, built in shelving can be an excellent addition. Providing that it remains shallow enough to avoid eating up the floor space. Not only does it give you extra storage options, but shelving that goes up to the ceiling can make the ceiling appear to be much higher, therefore making the room look more spacious.

Stick to neutral colours

Dark colours should only ever be used in larger rooms as they have the effect of making a room look much smaller than it actually is, which can be disastrous for a box room. Stick to light, neutral coloursas they will make the space seem more open, thus giving the illusion of space. The best colours to use are ivory, taupe, grey, white or beige, although you can experiment with light colours of any kind.

Create a feature wall

Creating a feature wall is both an easy and low-cost way to create a focal point within a room, or to be used as a way to break up too much of the same colour. The rules mentioned above still apply though, try not to use any colours that are too dark. If you live in rented accommodation and are restricted on what you can do to your walls, removable wallpaper offers you a very practical, not to mention stylish solution. Once they have been applied they can be easily removed without leaving any residue behind, or damaging the walls. If you don’t like the idea of having a completely different wall, take advantage of wall stickers and add a quote, unique design, sleek silhouette or your favourite image. The beautiful thing about these walldecals if they are removable so you can easily change things up whenever you want to develop your décor further.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Mirrors have always been well utilized accessory when it comes to creating the illusion of space. If you want to visually double the size of your room, opt for mirrors spanning from wall to wall and ceiling to floor.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/06/maximizing-space-in-your-small-bedrooms.html

Spray Painting and Decorating Tips for a Fresh Summer Look

The DIY Doctor's Blog
The DIY Doctor's Blog - DIY and Home Improvement Hints, Tips, Help and Advice from The DIY Doctor

As the weather gets warmer, everyone is looking to spend more time in the garden but no one wants it to look shabby and dull. With this in mind, it’s incredible the difference a lick of paint can make! Preparing for Painting and Decorating Before painting any surfaces, preparation is extremely important. I’d always start Read on...

Spray Painting and Decorating Tips for a Fresh Summer Look

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2016/06/spray-painting-and-decorating/

How long will my appliances last?

We’ve not yet entered a new dawn in terms of how robust technology can be; nothing lasts forever and everything will, at some point, be beyond functionality. So what about all of your appliances at home? Considering the money you spend on each individual appliance in your home, you might be curious to find out how long your appliances will last.

Take a look at our infographic below to see the average lifespan of your household essentials.

 

Dishwasher – 9 years

Microwave – 9 years

Tumble Dryer – 13 years

Refrigerator – 13 years

Extractor Hood – 14 years

Washing Machine – 15 years

Freezer – 16 years

Gas Oven – 18 years

The post How long will my appliances last? appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/how-long-will-my-appliances-last/

The Top 5 Things to Get a SAP Pass and get Building Regs Sign Off for a Self Build

The DIY Doctor's Blog
The DIY Doctor's Blog - DIY and Home Improvement Hints, Tips, Help and Advice from The DIY Doctor

There are a lot of things that you need to consider when you’re self building. Paper work will be one of the last things on your mind but getting a SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) ‘pass’ is vital to getting the all important EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) and the resulting sign off from the buildings inspector. Read on...

The Top 5 Things to Get a SAP Pass and get Building Regs Sign Off for a Self Build

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2016/06/sap-assesment/