home makeovers

2010-06-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

A Few Simple Ways To Improve Residential Security

2009-12-20T05:15:00.000-08:00

You'll agree that, in this uncertain world it's important that homeowners constantly strive to improve the security of their homes and other property. In this blog, we shall consider a few ways in which security conscious homeowners and tenants alike, can notch-up the security of their residences.

Install Day/Night Switches

For those who may not be conversant with what a Day/Night Switch is, let us just say that, this is an electrical/electronic gadget that is 'able' to sense the approach of both night and day upon which it switches your residential security lights on or off. I think that's clear enough.

Therefore, if you happen to be one of those folks who occassionally arrive home late from work, such a gadget would certainly be indespensible to ensure timeous and deligent switching on and off of your home security lights.
It also goes without saying that Day/Night Switches are quite useful during the holidays when most of us decide to go away from home.

Install Spanish Bars

The second thing is to install Spanish Bars around your windows.
While installing these bars will inevitably restrict the opening angle of your windows, you can rest assured that your house will emerge practically impenetrable after installation of these security Bar.

A point to note here is that there are usually local municipal laws( mostly to do with safety and fire regulations) that one is expected to comply with when installing such Bars. It's imperative, therefore, that you familiarise yourself with these statutes, as they apply in your locality before you can proceed with installations.

Install Inside-The-Ceiling Intruder Alarm Sensors

The third and last residential security measure any homeowner serious about home security should consider, if not already in place, is the installation of Inside-The-Ceiling Intruder Alarm Sensors. Usually, DIY capable homeowners neglect this particular aspect of their home Alarm system.

The importance of this aspect of your home Alarm system can never be over-emphasized, surfice to say your home and, by extension, your personal security is seriously compromised without this system in place.

Implementing these simple security tips will go a long way in improving your home security.

Repairing Damaged Plastering

2009-08-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Usually, homeowners with houses built on water logged soils, such as clay, experience the problem of 'decaying' plaster. In other words, the plaster gets undermined by the excess ground water and with the passage of time, the plaster begins to disintegrate. The situation usually comes to the homeowner's attention when the deterioration starts to affect the exterior painting. But by that time, the situation is, of course, out of control. How can this problem be remedied? The first thing that must be done is to strip the damaged plaster off the affected walls. From the bottom of the wall, right at the dumpcourse, strip off a metre's height of plaster right round the exterior wall. The quick and efficient way to do it this is by using an angle grinder fitted with a suitable cutting disk such as a diamond disc. Cut grooves, parallel to the ground, 10cm apart, to create strips of plaster that can later be chiselled of the wall. The grooves must go right to the bricks or as thick as the plaster is, this way it will be easy to strip the plaster completely off the walls. Having done that it's time to prepare new plastering. And since the problem was cause by the presence of excess ground water, our aim now is to ensure that the plaster we apply on the wall, this time around, is waterproof. To accomplish that, we need to add additives to the plaster mix. Afterwards the plaster can be applied in the normal manner. This way, at the completion of the project, you can be sure that the plaster is waterproof. An excellent waterproofing additive is made by COPROX and can be mixed with mortar, screed or plaster with excellent results. Mix a packet of COPROX( it comes in a 2.5kg packet) with every bag of 50kg bag of cement used. Adhere to recognised mixing ratios. Mix the aggregates thoroughly to ensure an even spread of the ingredients. Add water, mix the plaster and apply it the as you would apply any plaster. When the plaster is ready for cutting, follow through with the other plastering steps namely, cutting and floating. You can be sure, afterwards that your new plaster is waterproof.

How To Waterproof Your Bathroom

2009-07-21T09:57:00.001-07:00

A common problem encountered by many a homeowner in the Bathroom, is the issue of water seepage through grouting and the attendant problem of damage to the wall and paint in the room next to the Bathroom or Shower. However, before we discuss the remedy to this problem, it's important that we understand it's cause for us to effectively deal with it. Let me state that, grout, by it's very nature, is a porous to moisture, water and chemicals. Therefore, unless additives, such as bonding liquid, are added in the mixing process, the grout will, most likely, be vulnerable to liquids after the curing period. Besides being vulnerable, such grout is a fertile breeding ground for mildew, bacteria and fungi. To remedy the problem, ones got to start by removing the old grout. Hardware stores stock tools meant for this particular job such as, a grout saw, but a simple scrapper is enough to do the job. Alternative, one can employ a baby-grinder though powertool profiency is necessary in this case. The beauty of using a grinder, obviously, is the speed and easy with which the task can be accomplished. Once the grout has been cut in the middle, the sides can easily be scrapped off. I've personally used this method numerous times and I can assure you it's a great way to do the job. Once the old grout has been removed, ensure that the joints are cleaned of any loose dust. The next thing is to mix the grout for application. To ensure that the grout is waterproof, mix the grout with full-strength bonding liquid. Follow the manufacturers instructions for proper mixing ratios. It's important to note also that cement based grout should be utilized within a specific time period, usually two hour, after it's been mixed. After this period, it's not advisable to use the grout as it's effectiveness would have been compromised. When applying the grout into the joints, ensure that you squeeze it enough for it to reach the bottom of the joint. In other words, pack the stuff tight into the joints as failure to do so can cause the grout to crack later on. Afterwards, give the grout enough curing time before using the shower. Upon curing, a grout sealer can be applied on the grout to double ensure the job. For the corners and the shower door area, apply Bathroom Silicone instead of grout. And since this silicone is anti-bacterial, that will also effectively controls the growth of mildew and bacteria. This way, you can be sure you shower is waterproof.

What A Neat Paint Job Entails

2009-07-11T13:04:00.001-07:00

A painting job, I think almost everyone is agreeable, can be a messy affair unless adequate measures have been put in place to ameliorate against that. What measures, however, can be implemented to reduce untidiness during painting? By its nature, painting as an aspect of ho me-improvent, occur in a fully occupied space and, therefore, a cluttered enviroment. We are here talking about a full furnished house. A livingroom- carpeted, tiled or wood-laminated- complete with a cozy sofa and the a costly entertainment centre on the wall adjacent the floor to ceiling window! An immensely inviting bedroom laid with the best bed affordable! A floor and wall tiled kitchen with built in teakwood cupboards and genuine marble-tops! Surely, the guy who walks in here to paint has a challenge to leave the place as spotlessly neat and clean as he found it. But, how? Well, the first rule is to have all surfaces and items in all the areas to be painted adequately covered for protection. The cozy sofa, the entertainment centre, the tiled, carpeted or wood-laminanated floor, every exposed item and surface need to be covered. The second rule is ensuring that the best covering materials are utilised. What materials are best for this purpose? Newprint is definately a no-no because once wet paint drops on it, it ruptures easily and, therefore, increases the chance of your valuables and expensive floors and surfaces being irreparably tarnished or damaged. Good covering materials can always be gotten at your local hardware in the form of plastic dropsheets and only these can be considered as the suitable material for this purpose. Once the valuables and surfaces to be protected have been covered, the next step is to mask areas that have to be protected from painting overlaps during the painting process. These areas include the wall and cornice boundary, the door and wall boundary, the wall and window boundary and the windowpens etc. The appropriate material for use here is the paint masking tape made out of paper. The pertinent point to remember is that this tape must be removed as soon as the paint application has been done adjacent the particular side as failure to do so can cause paint peelings if the paint hardens over the masking tape. Light switch and plug covers must be removed all together and placed back after the painting has been completed. Thus, having covered all surfaces to be protected from painting as well as valuables and furniture, one can look forward to a neat and enjoyable painting experience.

Determining The Suitability Of A Contractor

2009-07-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, youve got some home improvement you need done on your property and youve called a couple of home improvement contractors for quotations, what, however, is the most important thing you must insist on to help you decide on the suitability of the contractor for the work that needs to be done. The single most important thing that youve got to insist on is that the prospective contractors provide you with past client references with their quotations. The importance of such references, of course, can not be over-emphasized, surfice to say that these references provide you with a really vital factor to help you decide whether a prospective contractor or artisan is suitably qualified or, rather, skilled to execute the project at hand. But how is this possible? While you, in all probability, may know next to nothing when it come to building and related services you certainly would be better positioned to determine if the contractor is up to scratch by physically inspecting the contractors past projects. Indeed, equipped with the requested references, you can ccntact the contractors past clients with a view of verifying the authenticity of the claims of past services provided by the contractor. You can, in fact go further by arranging with the said clients for visits to their residences or premises, so as to physically inspect the contractors quality of work and work habits. Its only by following through in this manner that you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the contractor is not some fly-by-night fella interested only in extorting a deposit out of you and vanishing into the thin air afterwards. All things being equal then, its imperative that you dont simply accept the quotation, but that you follow through making good use of the references thereby reaping satisfaction and value for your hard earned money.

Ensuring A Successful Tiling Project

2009-07-07T04:27:00.001-07:00

Its important when embarking on a tiling project to realise that tiling, as a service, has certain set and recognised standards that a contractor has to comply with for work undertaken to be deemed a success and to ensure durability. In South Africa, these standards are encapsulated in the Design And Installation Of Tiles SABS 01071996. This, therefore, is considered to be the official South African Standard for all tiling work. So, what exactly do these SABS Standards state? Amoung the issues covered by the said standards are matters to do with procedures to be followed when laying tiles on the various surfaces and substrates. For example, does the tiler know the right curing time before a non floated concrete floor can be laid with tile? Whats the procedure to be followed before a painted wall can be tiled? What about the different tiling aids and primers that need to be blended and applied to surfaces to be tiled? What do you do with a vinyl covered surface that has to be tiled or a bitumen covered patio? A tiling contractor worth his salt, will realise that these and other issues covered by the SABS Tiling Standards are not simply superficial matters but rather pivotal matters that at the end of the day determine the durability of work done and thus, he or she will, most certainly, strive to adhere to these standards at all times. Its, therefore, imperative that you hire a tiling contractor who is convesant with the above discussed standards to ensure a successful tiling project.

Waterproofing Season Is Upon Us

2009-07-06T15:48:00.003-07:00

It seems regardless of changes wrought by global warming and related phenomena there are some eventualities that never change. And so here we are at the time when we have to start all over again fixing our roofs, at least here in South Africa. Unlike with our good friends up in the northern hemishere, us here in the sourthern hemisphere begin fixing our roofs as soon as winter precipitation begins to wane. This winter, in particular, has brought quite a bit of precipitation here on the Eastrand and Midrand. Infact, just yesterday we had a light drizzle in Kempton Park and a slightly heavier one, overnight, in parts of Midrand including the Clayville area of Oliphantsfontein. However, its quite clear that these conditions will gradually clear in the next few days and give way to the howling chilly winds of July and August and ursher in waterproofing season. The thing to keep in mind about waterproofing is that it must be done in the absence of precipitation. This is due to the fact that, the modern waterproofing coatings are largely water-based acrylics that would dilute and be washed away in conditions of precipitation. This means that for areas such as here in Eastrand, Midrand and indeed the rest of Gauteng, the best time of the year to waterproof is July to late October or early November, just before the rains begin. Its not only the risk of having the waterproofing acrylic being ruined by precipitation, that determines the right time for waterproofing. Other closely related factors include the need for enough drying time as well as curing time of the applied coating. Normally, it takes anything between 4 and 8 hours for the acrylic roof coating to dry to a point were its able to resist precipitation. That done, it takes another week or so for it to completely cure. The other factor to consider is the surface, its self, to be waterproofed. A good waterproofing contractor will most certainly devote a sizable chunk of his time towards determining the areas of the roof that require special attention for the project to be deemed a success. Top on the list, are parts such as the parapet wall, lap joints, cracked tiles, screw heads, flashings, and roof valleys. To zero-on the problem areas, the contractor may and should enter the ceiling area to determine the areas that are damaged or leaking. Therefore, unless enough time is devote to these areas, the waterproofing project might not be the success it was hoped to be. Thus all these factors and areas need to be considered in planning for a Waterproofing project and since all this involves time, starting early is a good idea.