Sisterhood Home Interior & Design

Exterior siding is necessary for all frame dwellings that are not constructed of masonry. Choosing the right one can be difficult. Basically there are four types of siding for residential use, wood, aluminum, vinyl and fiber cement. All of these have their advantages and disadvantages.

Wood siding is the original siding used for houses for centuries. It has been known by many names such as wood shingles, shakes, clapboard and others. All other siding is a copy of wood siding in appearance. Wood left unpainted especially in coastal areas takes on a patina of unsurpassed charm like the New England Cape Cod homes with their silver gray shingles and the shingle style Victorian homes that were once so prevalent along the New Jersey shore with their weathered brown or gray patinas. There is much merit there from an historical standpoint but, in general, wood shingles are high maintenance, burn quickly and, aside from cedar, attract insects.

Next there is aluminum siding which is durable and lasts for a very long time. It is recyclable making it popular among environmental groups. Aluminum siding, in many cases, needs to be painted occasionally although some types have a vinyl coating that will keep its color. It is washable and except for denting on impact it can withstand much abuse from weather. It does not offer a lot of styles and colors from which to choose.

Vinyl siding is a more recent introduction into the market place and is inexpensive and maintenance free. It accounts today for the siding on thirty percent of all newly constructed homes. It can withstand a lot of abuse and because the color runs right though the material it resists scratches and never needs painting. It is available in many patterns, grains and colors. If it has a down side it is the fact that it becomes brittle in very cold weather and can crack making it a poor choice for extremely frigid climates.

Fiber cement is a recent member to join the siding club. It is designed to look like wood and comes in a very broad spectrum of colors and intricate designs. It can be used for very detailed architectural patterns. It is also extremely tough and long lived. It is on the high end cost wise but can be worth the extra investment due to its superior properties.

As you can see exterior siding choices are many. When making your choice it is advisable to consult with a professional in your local area who is familiar with the pros and cons of all the products. His or her expertise will prove invaluable in your decision.

Is your home feeling crowded and purchasing a larger home is not part of the plan? The good news is that there are many great ways to make your existing home roomier. Here are the top 10 ways to give your home more space.

Get rid of the clutter
Most of us have too much stuff. It looks messy, takes away from usable space, and serves little function. Have a garage sale or donate things to charity that you no longer want. This step is contagious. Once you begin to get rid of unwanted stuff, you’ll see space open up with great potential. You’ll soon be motivated to go through every room and weed out stuff that is just taking up space you’ve got better ideas for.

Rent storage space
If you can’t bear to get rid of the stuff you aren’t using, or if you know you’ll use it later, store it. Space can be affordable if you shop around for it. Most storage facilities offer easy access while being quite secure. Check with your insurance agent to make sure stored items are covered by your policy.

Use closet organizers
You don’t have to call in the expensive closet designer unless you want to. Most home improvement stores have sections dedicated to low-cost, do-it-yourself shelving and organizational helpers. In a weekend you could rearrange a large walk-in closet or a couple of stuffed hall closets and enjoy the satisfaction of freeing up space and making things more accessible.

Choose compact HVAC equipment
Todays furnaces and air handlers are more compact than ever before. They fit into tighter spaces or simply free up room in your basement or utility closet. They are also more efficient and will begin to pay for themselves the very first month.

Replace the water heater with tankless models
Most conventional water heaters have a 30-50 gallon tank. That takes up a lot of room! Most tankless models fit under sink cabinets and take up very little space. Make sure you check out reviews before purchasing because they are not all created equal.

Build desks or furniture into walls
This is an old design concept that is getting revived as a means of making space in homes. These items take up less room and storage space beneath a couch or chair can be included in the design.

Make use of height
Build shelving over kitchen cabinets or around the perimeter of the kitchen or other room. It can be very attractive as well as space-saving. You’ll need to keep a step stool on hand to access these shelves or cabinets.

Build a shed in the back yard
Its like a storage unit but its close by. It will be easier to rotate items you use seasonally than if you have to cart things back and forth to storage.

Add overhead hooks and shelves in the garage
Items like bikes, tools, garden equipment and sports gear can be hung up, freeing up space in your home and garage.

Remove interior walls
Some interior walls create nice spaces within the home but others create cramped and crowded conditions. Opening up rooms and zones of your home will not only make your home feel more spacious, there will be more room and less clutter.

As one designer noted, you can stay in the same place and still have more space when you follow these tips. Use the top 10 ways to give your home more space and you’ll enjoy your home and get more use from it than ever before.

Your home is your refuge and place of sanctuary. Naturally you would want it to look its best at all times. Home improvement is not always for cosmetic reasons, but can also be for maintenance reasons. Painting, paving, restoring the exteriors makes the property look neater and also prolongs the life of the building. When you have an older building, you might have to occasionally spend money on its upkeep. Older buildings are draughty but they have exceptional architectural value and the stonework and chimneys might be very distinctive. Those who would like to enhance the look of their old English home might think of adding conservatories to give the home a sunny porch that is not only beautiful from the outside but functional for the residents.

Conservatories are also termed sunrooms or solarium and were very popular in the Edwardian and Victorian eras in English architecture. Highly ornate conservatories are made more of glass than brick and allow the entry of maximum sunlight. Sunrooms are regaining popularity for providing privacy and shelter from inclement weather. Such extensions are beautifully designed to give your home an elegance and refinement that echoes back to more distinguished times. Conservatories can be stand alone structures too. They are popularly known as greenhouses and used to cultivate fruit and flowers. The original use of a sunroom was for horticulture or as an extra recreation room to serve tea and entertain guests. The first sunrooms date back to the sixteenth century in Europe.

Before adding on conservatories to a property, the owner must find out if he or she needs permission to construct a sunroom. A conservatory can be a great way to gain better access and space from your property. It enhances the frontage and an expert craftsman with crew can finish a job in 3 weeks. Larger conservatories might require more time. A craftsman can help you select the location, size and style of your sunroom. With the addition of this feature you can enjoy more space and sun in you annexe. It can serve as a breakfast area, reading room, recreation area, play room and also to grow plants. It is an ideal area for an artist to paint or sketch. Use it as a home office or as an enclosure for an indoor pool. The list of possibilities for your new extension is long and varied. An orangery is similar in structure but has less brickwork than conservatories. Gravesend residents can seek quotes on building their sunrooms from local contractors and craftsmen.

1. Looking for a domestic cleaner? the best place to find a local domestic cleaning company is either through your local press or online. I recommend doing a search online as this way you can find further infomation on the company by clicking through to their websites. Try websites such as Gumtree, Adzooks, Yell.com or Google – if using Google make sure you stipulate your search area within the search box.

2. Don’t just rely on a web form for any enquiries you may have. Give them a call. By speaking to an actual employee of the business you can get a feel of who you are dealing with.

3. Always ask how quickly they can find you a cleaner. 24 – 48hrs should be the minimum length of time it takes to find you a cleaner. Any longer than this and I recommend you give them a wide berth. Why? Well in case of emergencies i.e. your cleaner is offsick, you need to know that they will be able to find you a replacement in the shortest time possible.

4. Find out what their vetting procedure is. A good domestic cleaning company should be able to provide references for each of their cleaners. If they also provide police background checks this is an added bonus.

5. Find out if their cleaning staff are regularly trained. A common misconception made by some cleaning companies is that anyone can clean, this is far from the truth. Cleaning staff need to be trained in the little things – i.e. buffing taps to a shine, removing marks from walls, cleaning switches etc. The little things really do matter.

6. Ask if they provide their own cleaning materials. If you are going to use a domestic cleaning company you may as well pick one that also provides cleaning materials. This means you do not have to worry about having the correct materials for the tasks at hand. This is also a more cost effective solution as you do not have to fork out extra to pay for cleaning products.

7. Make sure they are ensured for both Public and Employers Liability.

8. Find out if they have a contract which you need to sign. Read each clause carefully. Some companies will not pay for loss of keys nor damage to your property so be aware.

9. How do they maintain standards? Check to see if the have a system of checking that the work provided by your cleaner is of a high standard.

10. Try and get some sort of service level guarantees from the company you pick. For example if you are not happy with the work provided do they come back and redo the work for free or offer some kind of discount. Generally companies that offer this type of guarantees tend to be more customer focused.

Today’s modern bathrooms and contemporary showers are greatly related to each other and without showers no bathroom projects and design can be accomplished. Bathroom showers are coming with various styles and performances available from manual hot and cold water to automatic sprays that regulate the temperature of water according to your preference.

Not only showers are coming with varieties of ranges but also evolved with different functionality and you can’t add any shower that fits to your bathroom. You also should be aware of their functionality, making wrong choice will make all the decoration useless. Let us start some of the popular showers with their functionality bellow:

Electric Showers:

Electric showers are connected to your mains domestic supply, from which it draw water directly and heat it as it is used. The advantage of electric shower is that it heats the water you need to use not the whole water tank, which is safer than the tank fed system.

Electric shower is the best option for the houses where there is no hot stored water supply and well known for its versatility. They are easy to install and provide you continuous showering even if you have not stored hot water. Electric showers may not work properly in low water pressure.

Power showers:

Power showers are a combination of mixing valve with a pump in one complete unit and this integral pump helps to maximize the shower pressure by increasing the water flow from the shower head. The thermostatic valve maintains the proper temperature, even if the water flows else where within the home.

Power showers are available in both manual and thermostatic model. They are ideal for homes that have storage tank of cold water and a readily available supply of stored hot water.

Mixer showers:

If you are looking for a shower to install in your bathroom within your budget then mixer shower is the best choice for you. You can find these in various types such as: manual, thermostat, pump powered and pressure balanced types. Thermostatic mixer is the most commonly used in homes. Due to in-built thermostats it heats the water to specific degrees which is greatly depending upon the surrounding temperature.

If we make a comparison then mixer showers give high flow rate than electric showers, but power shower is much powerful than these two unless you put an additional pump to enhance the water flow.