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Archive for July, 2009

You may have noticed in the places you’ve been to the different issues concerning handrails. You may have complained in some instances that certain handrails you used were too big and hard to grasp. Or you may have observed the others to be too small you’d wonder if it is sturdy enough to protect you and the people who use it.

Handrails are supposed to provide comfort and security to people with physical disabilities especially those who cannot walk normally and the elderly. However, not all builders are perfect the reason for these problems.

In order to serve people, handrails should be installed properly. In other words, the right measurements have to be followed by builders and homeowners to assist and protect people in areas which are safety hazards.

In the home, handrails are a must in staircases as well as in balconies whether situated on the ground level or on an upper level. They can be installed together with railings or they can put up as it is on the wall, in the bathroom and toilet as well as on a bar counter. Handrails mounted in the toilet and bathroom are meant to help people keep their balance in case of slips and to prevent falls.

Depending on the type of people you’re targeting to use it for, handrails can be installed in different ways and with varying measurements. For the elderly and disabled people, handrails should ideally be installed at a height of 0.85 meters and 0.95 meters from the floor level.

A second handrail can be added measuring 0.70 and 0.75 meters in height for people on wheelchairs. Additionally, a third handrail can be installed to benefit short people including children at a height of 0.60 meters.

Handrails can be made from various types of materials such as wood and metal. They can also be of different shapes such as circular and square or with several sides. If possible, these should allow people to grip it firmly and easily. Handrails with sharp edges should always be avoided.

For those that are mounted on the wall, there is a required distance. For smooth walls, the handrail should be between 40 mm and 50 mm while for rough and textured walls, the ideal distance is 60 mm.

An important consideration when installing wall-mounted handrails is that they should be of a different color from that of the wall. Using a contrasting color will make it easy for people to see the fixture. This is also very beneficial to people with problems in their vision.

Whether in homes or buildings, handrails should always be continuous. There should not be gaps in between except only when it’s around the landing and when near the doorway. For stairs or ramps that measure more than three meters wide, it is vital to have a continuous handrail.

Keep these things in mind in order to install the right handrail with the proper measurements. If you’re able to do this, you can rest assured that your loved ones will be safe in your home.

There is something that we all love about every season the world goes through. Summer is the hot weather, we can go to the beach, play in the sand and take our families on picnics – we can do things that we do not get to do in any of the other season, except spring. Winter is one of those seasons that we love to hate. The main reason for not liking winter as much as spring or summer is that it brings on the damp, which means that we need to do basement waterproofing, and other types of damp control around the rest of the house.

For a lot of people damp is a huge reality, and the main cause of damp is the fact the when the house was built it was not seal properly. It was also not painted with a damp seal, and or the roof leaks whenever it rains.

Now, there are a number of reason why a house will get damp, but who cares about that, all we, as home owners are concerned of is that we get a moldy ceiling every year when winter comes around and there is nothing we can do about it.

We all need to go buy a few bottles of cleaner and paint so that we can give our places a nice clean and coat of paint once a year. This is what most of us do year in and year out. There are other things you can do if you are having problems with damp.

The first thing you may want to do is to get the professional to go through you home. They will come in and see where the damp is. They will then climb into you ceiling or attic (which ever or where ever the roof is) and they will try to determine where the damp is coming from.

Yes, this alternative is a bit pricey once off, but you will find, if they do find the leak you will not have this problem ever again, which means that you do not need to go out and buy paints and cleaner once every year. It will all be done, clean and mold free.

You also want to remember that you do not want to leave the mold on your ceiling or walls for too long; there are a ton of health issues that this can bring up – for your whole family. If you have kids, this is especially true, you really want to get that mold cleaned up as soon as possible, and if possible, get the professional out to get the problem fixed.

We know how tough times are these days, but it is important that you clean up the moldy mess, as it can cause TB is the little tiny spores get into the air and gets breathed in through the mouth or nose. You do not want this type of thing happening to any member of the family. Besides, this type of healthy issue will cost more than the professional damp people.

Just taking a quick walk around your home, you’re bound to see a number of home improvement projects you’d like to tackle. From bathroom tiles to kitchen cabinets, after several years of wear and tear – especially with kids around the house – they are soon ready for refurbishing or replacing altogether.

Taking a stroll around the outside of your house, you’re going to have a similar experience. We all know that it only takes a couple of nasty winters before you’re considering a new paint job or some staining and protecting for the wood of a deck. At the same time, your landscaping could always be improved, while the kids may have outgrown their swings. Any way you think about it, you should think about the exterior while the weather is tolerable, as you’ll undoubtedly be focused indoors in the winter months. Here are five exterior projects to tackle before the deep freeze sets in.

1. Landscaping. In the months when the weather is nice, you’ll find you aren’t so reluctant to jump in the car and go for a drive. As you’re pulling into your driveway, make the landscaping checks. Does your home have the adequate greenery? Doing a bit of gardening and planting is great in the warm weather, so make you assessment while the fair weather continues.

2. Window replacement. When your window frames are rusting and the oxidation has become visible, it’s an eyesore for everyone, even at the rear of your home. Chances are, if a window has fallen into such disrepair, it has become a burden on your energy costs as well. Window replacement could spell an attractive new look and mean lower prices when your energy bill arrives every month.

3. New doors. Looking over the state of your front door, remember that it is not only an aesthetic concern but a security concern as well. The knobs on your outer doors can be a place for visual upgrades, as well as the color scheme with the paint job, while with the interior you should focus mainly on the invulnerability of the locks.

4. Siding. Every now and again, you have probably seen an area where the paint has begun to chip away. Are you ready for the painting experience yet again? Climbing up on the ladder and engaging in that ritual can become a wearisome process over time. One way to say goodbye to paintbrushes forever is by opting for vinyl siding. You’ll cut out maintenance and have an attractive look without spending a fortune.

5. Deck renovations. One of the most enjoyable places during the warm weather months is the patio or deck of your home. Keep an eye for any spots where the wood has started to deteriorate. Take care of your staining project early, so you’ll have the bulk of the spring and summer to enjoy it.

People tend to take little leaks in the bathroom lightly. It is a common tendency to postpone shower leaks and have them repaired only when they get out of hand. Meanwhile, the trickling drops of water from the leaking shower seeps into the surrounding area, resulting in extra moisture.

Gradually, you start observing damp walls, followed by wet carpets and your bathroom taking a bad shape eventually. Why do leaks happen? Leaks may take place due to a number of reasons. The prominent ones are wear and tear, aging and poor workmanship. Why seek professional help for shower maintenance? A professional service provider has extensive hands-on experience of repairing shower leak and waterproofing it to avoid future leaks.

A professional offers you expert know-how of repairing bathroom fixtures. Professional services are craftsmen of their trade and show repairs and sealing without removing any tiles. They have access to the state-of-the-art utilities, tools and technologies to ensure trouble free and long lasting bathroom repairs. The comprehensive bathroom retiling services by professionals include waterproofing, floor tiling and wall tiling.

What’s more, these services maintain your bathroom with quality finish for the best price. In short, by hiring professional services for maintaining your bathroom, you can rest assured of proper care of shower maintenance among other aspects. You can simply lie back while they deliver you a sparkling, smooth, leak-free bathroom with a guarantee of quality and affordability.

An eye catching way of using ceramic kitchen or bathroom tiles is to affix them to about 1.2m from the ground, this is known as half tiling and looks really effective.

If you want to know how to half tile your walls then I suggest you read this entire article word for word.

For the inexperienced tiler it would seem sensible to start by applying whole tiles at floor or skirting board level. In fact this is a classic mistake as your floor will probably not be level and the impact of using it as your baseline will be to gradually force your tiles off square.

The correct method is to use a wooden guide batten. You fix this to the wall just below the lowest edge of the lowest row of tiles. Make sure your batten is level when you screw it or stick it to the wall. Then ensure that the gap below the batten is about three quarters of a tile width.

I always fit a vertical guide batten at one side of the area to be tiled. This way you ensure that your tiled columns are nice, neat and straight.

Now your guides are in place fit all your whole tiles starting from the horizontal batten and working centre outwards. Once your reach the top of the area i.e. half way up the wall you can remove the battens and then affix all the tiles you need to cut.