12-Things-to-Do-Before-Movi

12 Things to Do Before Moving into Your New Home

Not everyone is highly organised, but when you have to move into a new home, the more organised you are the better you will cope. That said, being organised doesn’t have to be difficult. Just like professional removalists do, if you write down a list of things to do and stick to doing them, you will be organised. The trick may be in knowing exactly what to do, especially if you have never moved before.  Here is a list to help you.

  • Sort through your things and dispose of everything that you don’t want. This will make packing easier. Disposal can take time if you are selling things, so leave enough time to do it. Taking photos of the goods and writing descriptions if you sell online all take time too, which is why starting early is a good idea.
  • Make that phone call to book professional removalists early, making sure they have a truck large enough for your goods, insurance and a good reputation. Another phone call a week or two ahead just to confirm is also a good idea.
  • If you are renting your current home, you will need to start cleaning early in order to reduce stress and get your bond back. It is much easier to clean walls and cupboards well before moving day rather than leaving it all till the last minute. Don’t forget on top of the kitchen cupboards and in the groove of sliding windows and doors. That’s where the estate agents will look.
  • Pack all those things that you don’t need, such as books, decorations and pictures, out of season clothing, crafts/hobbies and some of the children’s toys. Getting these packed toys back after moving will delight the children and keep them out of your hair while you unpack.
  • Pull down the swing/slides/trampoline and pack them away a few weeks ahead of moving date, especially if your children don’t use them much.

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How is Scaffolding Designed-min

How is Scaffolding Designed?

Scaffolding is a temporary structure that allows workers such as painters access to a building enabling them to work on parts that would be out of reach without it. According to common building advice, many different kinds of buildings need scaffolding and it can also be needed for maintenance and cleaning a structure such as a clock tower or large statue that would otherwise be impossible to get to.

There are six main components in most scaffolding: –

  • Standards or uprights – upright posts that support the rest of the structure and transfer the load to the ground or a lower level. The legs stand on base plates that help to spread the load and give stability.
  • Ledgers – connect the standards together. They are fixed in a horizontal position and are often hollow tubing.
  • Transoms – are vertical posts similar to the standards, but shorter. They rest on the ledgers rather than reaching to the ground. The main transoms are fitted close to the standards and hold them in place. They also support the boards that are the deck on each level. The intermediate transoms provide additional support for the boards. Toe boards are used at the outside edge of the deck to prevent tools or materials being accidentally kicked off the deck. This helps to prevent injury to people working below
  • Fittings are as most people know, things such as bolts, nuts, screws and anything else that is used to attach pieces to each other and to the uprights.

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The Best Plants for a Balcony Garden

You take your love of gardening to a whole new level — to the balcony! A balcony garden could be simple or complex, depending on the type of plants and the garden style you choose. Since balconies have a different climate than natural ground soil, the plant choices may vary too from your backyard garden.

However, there are some aspects to keep in mind while planning for a balcony garden:

  • How large the space should be, has to be the fundamental question in your mind when planning planting in your balcony. The choice here has to be specific and has to be noted for the size of plants to choose from.
  • The sunlight your balcony gets every day (for how many hours) has to be noted. Approximations work sometimes, but if plants selected for your balcony garden are sensitive to the scorching heat of the sun, then it is better to have accurate estimates of the sun’s exposure.
  • How much time would you be able to give to your plants out of your busy schedule?
  • Water availability is also an important factor to keep in mind while selecting plants for your balcony garden.
  • The budget has to be the first consideration as further planning is dependent on it.

The windiness and overall temperature has to be monitored for some specific plants. Also, in case of growing edibles, more careful selection and processes would be involved.

The plants grown in your balcony garden are a part of house interior and need to be kept tidy and aesthetically appealing at all times. Following are 4 plants ideal for balcony gardens:

Boston Fern
Also known as the Boston sword fern, this plant grows like a shrub and is ideal for pots. For balcony garden, a dense plant like this makes for a tranquil green background for the more colorful smaller plants to be grown in the fore.

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Benefits of an Office Garden

Office gardens! That sounds green. Who said you need to wait for retirement to enjoy the gardening sessions and aesthetics plants offer? Offices can have gardens too, in the front yard or rooftop, depending on the space available!

As with the practices of corporate social responsibility, companies are increasingly going green inside the office premises too. Firms are realizing the advantages of converting some area of office space into natural space with greenery and beautifully designed landscaping that not only capture the attention of the visitors but also keeps the environment fresh and energetic. They’re often known as Corporate Gardens and are a growing trend nowadays regardless of what the organization has as a business offering.

There are numerous benefits of a garden in office space where employees have access, such as:

1. Teamwork and problem solving
The corporate gardens possess nature’s rejuvenating qualities that inculcate optimism in humans. The greenery allows the brains of employees to relax and focus better on the tasks at hand. Teamwork and problem solving skills are enhanced with healthy brain activity and engagement in gardening tasks in spare time. This allows them to focus on the pressing issues at work and fosters better problem solving.

2. Meditation
No time for yoga after work? Not an issue at all with your corporate garden. These gardens are naturally engaging and some amount of manageable exercise in these gardens help release endorphins that are the stress buster hormones. Meditation is an essential tool to relieve oneself of all the worries and ruminations, and provided a chance at the workplace, your employees are more likely to stick with your organization for long.

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water conservation in gardens

Water Conservation in the Garden

In dry times or when El Nino haunts our thoughts, we tend to save as much water as possible and one of the first things to do is stop watering the garden. Water restrictions usually come in whether we want them too or not and it is painful to see precious plants in the garden droop and die for want of a good soaking. Nevertheless, it is something that all gardeners in dry areas must come to terms with. Here are some ways to conserve water in the garden.

Irrigation

When you install a watering system, go for drip irrigation. This will deliver a small amount of water right to the base of the plant where it is needed, rather than spraying heaps across the whole garden, path, fence, driveway and the wall of the house. You can now get systems that can sense whether the garden even needs watering. DIY guide (Drip Irrigation)

Time of watering is also important. If you water in the morning, there are 8-10 hours of heat that will evaporate your efforts. Watering in the evening means the water will not evaporate to any great extent until the next day. That means your plant roots have all that time to soak it up, thus making the best use of the water you give them. Professional reticulation installers should be used at all times.

Two Kinds of Mulch

Choosing the right plants will reduce the need for water in the garden, but mulching will also help. Using mulch keeps the soil cooler and slows down evaporation. Straw, mushroom waste and sugarcane mulch are all good additions to the garden as they break down slowly and add fertiliser.  You don’t have to buy straw if you have a lawn that needs mowing on a regular basis. All you need to do is save the clippings – and the fallen leaves from trees and shrubs.

How to use Sugar Cane Mulch

However, you can also add the kind of mulch that does not break down and this, too, will help to conserve water in the garden. Pine chips or bark, or even pebbles in a smaller garden help to conserve water.

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Benefits of Installing a Proper Irrigation System

To keep your yard alive, you need to water it on a regular basis as rain water alone, will not be enough for the plants and grass in your garden. However, different plants require different amounts of water to remain healthy; therefore, you need to install a proper source for watering your plants that will make your yard greener, while being economical as well.

To aid them in this purpose, many people use irrigation systems to supply their yard with the water it needs, as frequently as is desired. If you want to make landscaping easier, you can also install such a system, regardless of the size of your yard, and additionally, hiring a professional for the job who will hire the equipment for the project which will make the process even more convenient.

Following are the benefits of installing an irrigation system in your yard.

Better Water Conservation

A study states that 70% of the water consumed by the household is for outdoor upkeep. However, irrigation systems will reduce the excess water usage and make your yard eco-friendly.

Many systems even come equipped with a sensor that can detect soil moisture and shut the system off, on its own, when the required level is met. These devices also have weather sensors which adjust the water setting according to the moisture level in the air, and give water to the plants only when necessary.

Greener Garden

When your plants consume the right amount of water daily, they grow healthier and look beautiful. It is better to spend on an irrigation system than being dependent on a gardener for your yard’s upkeep. Also, since your plants look amazing, any potential buyer will notice your yard, and eventually, the value and demand of your home in the market will increase.

Is Not Time Consuming

A lot of people opt for an irrigation system, mostly because they feel that watering their plants is just another household chore, which takes up a lot of their time. Irrigation systems, however, will save this time, which you can utilize more productively for other tasks.

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Door frame cross section

Premium Security Doors vs. Old Style Grille Doors

These days more than ever, security doors are essential to keep our homes and loved ones safe. Since most thieves try to enter by the door first and foremost, this is the most important place to ensure security. This is usually accomplished by adding a screen security door, but are these as strong as they look? Unfortunately, many of the old style grille doors are not and here is why.

Main Points of Weakness

There are three main points of weakness in a security door; the place where the mesh joins the framed edge, the screws that hold it all together and the hinges. Even though the lock may be strong, if the hinges are weak anyone can easily remove the door on that side to enter the home. In addition, in some of the older style doors the actual mesh could be cut rather easily, so they don’t really do a good job of providing security at all.

The Kick Test

Many of the old style security doors used wedges to join the mesh to the frame. One good kick and these will pop out, allowing the mesh to be easily removed. Premium security doors have screws instead of wedges. The screws go right through the mesh into the other side of the frame, making it kick-resistant. The screws are specially made to fit the mesh and clamp it into place, deep within the frame.  No amount of kicking or pulling will remove the mesh from the frame using this kind of technology. In fact, such doors meet or exceed all the Australian Standards that are now in place for security doors.

Mesh Strength

The strength of the mesh is another important factor in providing good security. Old style doors had mesh that could actually be cut with a sharp knife. Premium doors use new technology to make mesh that can withstand such objects. In addition, they have the horizontal mesh – that takes the most punishment in an attack – over 26% thicker than the old style mesh. And because it  is tensile stainless steel mesh, it is not going to rust out like the mesh in many of the older style doors did. It passes the Shear Test, the Knife Test and the Pull Test to mention just a few. You can be sure that any burglar is likely to give up in despair before ever getting into your home when you install premium security doors.

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Benefits of Installing Elevators

With increasing floors being built in commercial buildings, such as shopping malls, hospitals, or offices; installing elevators has become a prerequisite. However, elevators used for commercial projects often differ from those installed in residential structures. This is because when it comes to commercial buildings, different types of elevators can be installed for different functions.

Since the elevators installed in commercial areas are for the use of the general public, there are also some laws that state the requirements for their proper installation. Hence, any incidents concerning a commercial elevator may lead to a lawsuit against your company. Therefore, it is necessary to meet all the requirements to the letter.

Below mention are some benefits of installing commercial elevators in your official building.

Better Mobility
Hydraulic or electrical elevators are commonly used in commercial buildings as they are better equipped for high speeds and lifting heavier weights. These types can carry up to six thousand pounds of weight. Furthermore, the hydraulic elevator can carry loads at the rate of 200 feet per minute; whereas electric elevators can move with the speed of 500 feet per minute.

Aside from offices, elevators are also quite useful in hospitals; not just for people with physical conditions that do not permit them to use the stairs, but also for moving patients on stretchers to different floors in a lesser amount of time. People on wheelchairs can also commute easily on such elevators as they are usually designed with wider doors and have space and weight capacity for a larger number of people.

Easy to Set Up and Maintain
Setting up and maintaining commercial elevators, is far easier than you think! Even if you did not leave any space for installing an elevator within your architectural design; you can install small commercial elevators whenever the need arises. Different types of commercial elevators such as; porch lifts and LULA (Limited Use Limited Application) are also widely used at workplaces. These are cheaper as well as easy to accommodate in small spaces without needing any changes in the building structure.

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home elevators

4 Advantages of Installing a Home Lift

Many people these days enjoy living in a two or even three storey home. They have more room and can enjoy the view and the upper breezes. But one thing they may not enjoy so much is going up those stairs, especially when they are feeling tired. Home lifts are the obvious choice for homes with staircases.

There are many advantages of installing a home lift; here are 4 of them.

  1. Save carrying heavy weights upstairs – a home lift is a quick and easy way to access the upper storey/s of your home when you have heavy loads to carry up. Groceries, luggage, furniture and home accessories are all too heavy to cart up stairs. Furniture is often too large and awkward to get around the narrow stairs, especially if there is a landing and bend in the middle.
  2. Ease of use – lifts are much easier for older people to use. Anyone with arthritis or other health problems that make them weak will appreciate having a lift instead of using the stairs. Children can learn to use a lift at an early age and it can save them falling on the steps. Using a lift is quieter than those rattling footsteps on stairs that are not carpeted.
  3. Easier to clean – vacuuming stairs is difficult at the best of times, and they seem to get dirty more often than the floor due to the concentration of traffic on them. A lift can be vacuumed in a few minutes compared to the stairs and it takes much less effort.
  4. Safety – it is much safer to use a lift than to use stairs, no matter whether you are young old, strong or weak. There is always the possibility of falling when coming down or even going up a staircase. In a lift, there is no likelihood of falling. You can even have a chair to sit on in the lift if you want to. When you are carrying a baby in your arms, or are pregnant, it is much safer to use a lift than to go up or down stairs.

Having a lift will enable you to stay in your home even when you  become frail with age. It will increase the value of your home and make it suitable for a wider demographic should you decide to sell for any reason. Thus, the house is likely to sell more quickly so you can get on with the rest of your life.  Once you have a lift installed you will not be able to believe the difference it makes in your life, being more convenient and pleasant to access those upper reaches.

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3 Best Types of Security Fencing

Many commercial or industrial properties need to have secure fencing to keep intruders or vandals out. Some need to also keep animals out or in. The kind of security fencing chosen usually depends on the needs of the company, but other factors sometimes have to be taken into consideration. Climate, position and the type of ground – steep or flat – are all important aspects of choosing fencing to secure your site.

Having the right kind of fencing in place will give you peace of mind and reduce the costs of repairing damage. It can even avoid litigation if someone wanders onto your site and is hurt. Even though they were not supposed to be there, they can still sue the company if they get hurt.

Here are three of the best types of security fencing.

Chain link or mesh fencing. While you may think that chain link gaps can provide a toehold, the top being curved makes it very difficult for any athletic intruder to actually complete the climb in. Chain mesh fencing can be of various heights to suit your needs and the gaps can also be larger or smaller. There can be a single or double curved top with barbed wire along it to discourage climbers. It can also have a cement footing so no one can dig under it. It can be used for mining sites, sporting fields or community pools and many other applications due to its versatility. It is also a cost effective option for low security areas.

A higher level of security can be gained by using Garrison fencing. Tubular steel posts are attached to horizontal steel rails between steel posts that are cemented into the ground. Again, this type of fencing can be higher or lower, but the higher option offers better protection. It is often found around commercial properties, sporting fields, government facilities and schools. It can be finished with powder-coating – often chosen where it is important for the fence to look attractive.

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