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Eco Friendly Gardening Tips To Try Out This Summer

Michael Klements
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Eco Friendly Gardening Tips To Try Out This Summer

When talking about all things eco-friendly, your garden is probably one of the less likely places to come to mind. There are however a variety of gardening techniques to turn your garden into a more self-sustaining, eco-friendly environment which can be used to reduce waste from your home and become more reliant on renewable energy sources, especially if your garden has become somewhat uninteresting or dull. The local birds and wildlife will certainly thank you for making these changes!

Attract More Of The Good Bugs

Not all insects and bugs are harmful to your garden, there are actually quite a few benefits to attracting the right kind of bugs to your garden. Bugs like ladybirds and lacewings actually eat aphids, so if you’re having trouble with aphids, planting sunflowers and marigolds can help to attract some of the good bugs.

If you’re not keen on having bugs and insects around your garden, try building your own bat house which encourages small bats to move in. Bats feed off of the bugs and insects in your garden and their waste makes an excellent fertilizer.

Try Out Companion Planting

Healthy gardens usually flourish as a result of a diverse range of plants, as certain plant combinations are said to complement each other in order to boost vitality and growth. For example, taller plants create shaded areas which enable smaller and more sensitive plants and flowers to flourish. Planning out your garden and finding plants which work well together beforehand will ensure that you have a healthy and flourishing garden for years to come.

The same goes for growing your own veggies at home. Here are some veggie combinations which work well together:

  • Roses and Garlic
  • Cucumbers and Dill
  • Chives and Tomatoes
  • Carrots and Spring Onions

Try Out Companion Planting

Make Use Of Bare Spaces

Make use of the ledges and bare areas around your pool, patio and living spaces to plant small potted trees, flower pots and even grasses and shrubs. Gardening in these areas can instantly uplift the area and make it feel natural.

Instead of bare concrete, why not try using eco-friendly decking or an artificial grass roof terrace like these from Lawrence Lawns.

Use Electric Powered Tools And Equipment For Gardening

Instead of using the old petrol powered mowers, edge trimmers and hedges, consider switching to more eco-friendly and modern electric alternatives which can either be powered from your mains or batteries. Battery powered ones can even be charged using solar panels! Using electric equipment reduces air pollution and can save you money as electricity is usually cheaper than gas.

Start A Compost Bin

Compost is an important part of returning nutrients to your eco-friendly garden in order to boost plant growth. While you can buy compost from your local nursery, why not reduce your home’s waste by making it yourself?

You can compost most natural waste from your home, including table scraps, fruit and vegetable peels and offcuts, shells, tea leaves and coffee grounds. You can also throw some of your garden and lawn trimmings into the compost bin.

Here are some other awesome ways you can use coffee grounds in your garden.

Start A Compost Bin

Collect And Re-use Water

There are a number of ways to conserve water in your home and use it in your garden. Save water from your bath and shower using buckets or more permanently by installing storage tanks onto the drain lines from these areas. You can also divert the rain water from your roof into storage tanks if you live in an area in which it often rains.

Try watering your garden in the early morning or evenings to limit water loss to evaporation and make sure that the majority of it is being absorbed into the soil for your lawn, trees and plants.

So now that we’ve given you some tips and ideas for making your garden more eco-friendly, we’d love to hear your gardening tips and ideas you’ve used to make your home garden more eco-friendly in the comments section below.

Enjoy watching your new eco-friendly garden flourish!

Home Restoration: 8 Ways to Add Character to Your House

Ford Hudson
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Home Restoration: 8 Ways to Add Character to Your House

In the world of home improvement, there are two camps of people—the renovators and the restorationists. Neither group is definitively better than the other, but the two are very different. Restorationists are generally concerned with revitalizing a space back to its former glory, home restoration is about taking cues from what already exists. Renovators, on the other hand, usually care more about upgrading, modernizing and making a space feel shiny and new. Both are excellent methodologies to take when jazzing up a space and bringing in some serious style.

Today, we’re covering how to add character to your home the restorationist way. With this approach, the pre-existing architecture, the finishes and the history of the place should guide the decision-making. That doesn’t mean never replacing anything—quite the contrary, in fact! It just means making decisions that honor the original quality and aesthetic of the space first and foremost. Here are some of the most impactful ways to add character to your house through home restoration.

  1. Refinishing or Replacing the Floors—The floors are everything when it comes to interior character! Many homeowners are unnecessarily preoccupied with restoration when it comes to flooring and—although plenty of hardwood endures for a century or more and can be beautifully refinished—it’s perfectly fine to replace the flooring when you’re restoring. Just make sure to choose a wood type and finish that honors the original integrity of the home (in other words, don’t choose a trendy slate gray floor for your turn-of-the-century Victorian revival if you want to keep it true to the period).
  2. Adding Some Charming, New Hardware—Want to bring some big style to the kitchen or dining room? One of the easiest and most affordable ways to do that is to install fresh, new hardware. There are plenty of ways you can use your hardware to match the period and style of your home. Of course, if it’s a mid-century oasis, turn your studies to the sleek hardware of the era. If it’s a Tudor, Victorian or Italianate space, go for something more ornamental.
  3. Addressing the Little Things—A sprinkle of character here, a bit of charm there. In many ways, adding character is about sprucing up the details hidden in every nook and cranny of your home. One of the best ways to get ideas on how to revitalize the little things isto head to your local antique or architectural salvage shop. Bins of crystal doorknobs, piles of salvaged banisters, even fully detached mantelpieces. All of these things can be integrated into your home relatively easily to give it a cozy, old-school charm.
  4. Adding Some Decorative Molding—The floor and crown molding really adds a special layer of detail to your environment, acting as the icing on the metaphorical cake. Molding is also a fairly simple way to give a room a period charm, as there are unique shapes, finishes and designs that harken back to certain eras. Refreshing these aspects is also relatively simple and affordable if you buy them pre-made rather than having them made by a carpenter.Adding Some Decorative Molding
  5. Adding Some Wainscoting—In the same vein, you can really dress up a room by adding some permanent wall features. Wainscoting in particular is a lovely way to give the dining room or living room a more formal and decadent feel and to create some floor-to-ceiling character. If you’re not huge on the room-defining nature of wainscoting, consider adding a simple chair rail around the walls for just a bit more definition. Painting it a crisp white will help it pop.
  6. Upgrading Your Light Fixtures—You’d be surprised to see how much swapping out your chandeliers, sconces and flush-mount fixtures can really transform a room. Thankfully, there are many pickers, restorationists and salvagers who collect and refurbish period light fixtures, making it fairly easy to stay within the character and time period of your home. These small, little finishes help you capture a luxurious feel in your space while also boosting its functionality by adding more lighting.
  7. Adding Some Exterior Trim—When it comes to home restoration, the exterior of your home probably matters more than the interior, since it’s quite a bit more difficult to change. With that being said, you can certainly jazz up some personality-devoid exteriors by giving the exterior windows, shutters and trim a fresh new coat of paint. Consider adding a contrast color—such as a pop of gray or black onyour white home—for an interesting look.
  8. Reconsidering Your Landscaping—It’s truly amazing what some well-pruned shrubs and flowering trees can do to bring a space to life. You don’t have to sink a ton into a complex landscape design so long as you focus on the right things. Just remember that, if adding character is your ultimate goal, you should consider what garden upgrades would best suit your home’s architectural theme.Reconsidering Your Landscaping

Infusing Your Personality

So there you have it: From gorgeous hardwood floors to fresh, new light fixtures, it’s easy to give your home a character overhaul, quite literally, from floor to ceiling. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that character is about creating and highlighting the personality of your home, so anything you can do to set it apart from the rest can be chalked up to a win. Get creative with your home restoration and your house will surely win the character contest!

Why Slate Is A Great Roofing Material

Ron Wolf
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Why Slate Is A Great Roofing Material

We don’t associate our houses with the phrase ʽhaving a roof over our headsʼ for nothing – it is an integralpart of every home which is responsible for ourfeeling of safety and security. Houses are always in need of continued investment and improvement and, while there are many handy apps for these projects, repairing or improving your roof is far from an easy or cheap task. This is why it is important to pick a high quality and durable material for your roof, right from the start, and the slate is about as durable as it gets. It is actually one of the longest lasting and highest quality materials available on the market, with a long and equally storied history. As a natural stone product it has famous longevity and a beautiful, unique appearance. Nevertheless, this unique roof material is often overlooked because many customers are unfamiliar with its capabilities and value.

What Is Slate Exactly?

First of all, roof slates are not tiles, although they’re often referred to that way. Typical roof tiles are not made from slate but from engineered materials such as concrete or clay. Slate is a metamorphic rock, foliated and fine-graded. During the low-grade regional metamorphism, it is created by the alteration of mudstone or shale. Depending upon the degree of metamorphism, it can be composed mainly of micas or clay minerals. The increasing level of pressure and heat alters the original clay minerals to micas. It can also contain an abundance of quartzas well assmall amounts of hematite, pyrite, calcite, feldspar, and other minerals.

This makes it one of the longest-lasting roof materials, able to last more than a century. And it has been used for centuries as a roof covering, but typically only in slate mining areas. It became common outside these areas after the industrial revolution and the construction of the extensiverailway networks. There is a list of what it can be used for besides roofing – decorative aggregate, dimension stone, exterior paving,  and interior flooring. Small pieces of it are also good to make turkey calls. Throughout history, it has been used for table tops, whetstones, cemetery markers, billiard tables, student writing slates, and chalkboards. It was even used for early switch boxes and electric panels due to it being a good electrical insulator. Our chemistry and history lesson over, let’s take a look at its modern advantages as a roofing material.

The Variety Of Classy Appearances

The Variety Of Slate Roof Colours And Textures

Probably the number one reason why so many homeowners are drawn to slate lies in its beauty. In the entiremarket, there can’t be found any material with a more celebrated and classier appearance. On top of that, there is a great variety inthat beauty. There are many slate roofing styles to choose from, ranging from mixed colors and patterns to textural and graduated installations. And variation is not only in style but also in texture,which can be everywhere from rough and rustic to very smooth and uniform. Although most slates are greyincolor and continuum of shades from dark to light grey, it also naturally occurs in shades of brown, purple, black, red, and green. Tiles can even be mottled with several colors mixed together. The color is determined by the amount of organic material and iron present in the rock.

This makes it obvious that slate roofing tiles offer far more choices than many homeowners realize. Besides the above mentioned wide range of colors, they are also available in varying thickness and size. All this makes slate not only an elegant roofing material but also the one that will definitely enhance the architectural style of your house, maintaining itsappearance over the years. This also means that its ability to increase the sale value of your home is unquestionable.

A Century Of Slate Without Maintenance

In an industry where roofing systems are usually lucky to last 20 or top 30 years before they need to be replaced, slate roofs will last at least a century. If they’re properly installed, it is completely reasonable to expect 150 years of roof longevity with little to no heritage tile maintenance. So it’s safe to say that you’ll gain at least 75 years to a whole century more out of your slate roof. This is pretty obvious when you look at the facts – we’ve already explained that slate is a homogeneous metamorphic rock which is derived from an original sedimentary rock composed of volcanic ash or clay via low-grade regional metamorphism. We’ve repeated this rather complicated chemistry process just to make our point – if your roofing material is millions of years old, it’s pretty obvious that it’s very durable.

Withstanding Fire And Ice

Slate Roof Tiles Can Withstand Ice and Fire

Due to the fact it’s incredibly strong, slate has very good weather resistance. It has very low water absorption, meaning that it can easily withstand freezing temperatures. We all know that harsh winters can take us by surprise, and other regular roof tiles are likely to freeze and breakin those situations. On the other extreme, slate roofs are the most fire-resistant out there. After fires caused by adjacent house fires, wildfires, or airborne sparks from fireworks (which all happen too often today) you can say goodbye to many other roof materials, but slate tiles themselves are one hundred percent fireproof.  Furthermore, slate tiles are also great insulators dueo to their relatively high thermal mass.They perform a pretty good job absorbing heat from the sun during daytime and releasing it at nighttime.

Away From Landfields

Atlast, but certainly not the least, slate tiles are environmentally friendly. When you look at the fact that more than 5 percent of total waste ending up on landfillsacross the nationevery year isin the form of roofing waste, you get the picture. This is happening because asphalt shingle roofing is in need of replacement every 20 to 30 years. When you embrace the fact that you’regoing toinstall a roof that’s going to last over a century, the positive environmental impact becomes obvious.

And that is precisely what you get – beauty, class, and variety of it. A roof over your heads for almost two generations without maintenance. Complete resistance to all weather extremes and a good night sleep knowing that your contribution to landfills has just decreased.

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5 Top Tips For Remodelling Your Bathroom On A Budget

Sarah Jones
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5 Top Tips For Remodelling Your Bathroom On A Budget

The bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the home and designing one to meet your families needs can be challenging both practically and financially. The average family bathroom is small compared to most of the rooms in a typical house, yet a redesign can still cost between £3000 to £10,000 depending on the bathroom furniture and fixtures you choose.  In this post, I will go through 5 of my top tips for remodelling your bathroom while sticking to a budget.

Go Green. Save Your Wallet And The Planet.

My first money saving tip is to go green with your bathroom and become eco-friendly.  Even if you are not the most environmentally friendly person on the planet you can still do your bit to help with a few small changes, and these changes can save you a lot of money long term. By installing low-flow bathroom fixtures such low flow toilets, dual flushing toilets, low flow shower heads and LED lights you can save on your utility bills considerably. Low flow toilets and bathroom fixtures can save the average family over 40,000 gallons of water per year, not bad for a simple fix.  

Install Fittings Yourself And Save

Skilled manual work can be difficult, but with that said, if you are looking to save money on your bathroom remodel, fitting fixtures like the toilet is a great way of saving money. I picked the toilet because it’s quite simple to fit, even with no experience.  All you need to do is have a look on youtube and look for a tutorial. The toilet only has one waterline to hook up so don’t be put off, it’s actually quite easy to install. If you do fit your own toilet, get someone to help you move it as they can be heavy and remember to turn off the water in your home before taking your old toilet off the wall.  

Install fittings yourself and save

Update Fixtures And Fittings If You Can’t Afford A Complete Remodelling

If you can’t afford to start from the ground up and have a full bathroom remodel you should have a look into replacing some of the fittings like bath panels, light fixtures, sinks or bathroom cabinets. Every time I have sold a house I have used the above method to make the bathroom (and kitchen) more looked after and more expensive than it actually is.  Replacing the small details will make a huge difference in the aesthetics of your bathroom design.

You can even go a step further if your budget is limited.  Start by replacing the towels, bath mats, toothbrush holders, toilet brush, and toilet seat.  You can replace all of the above for very little and it still makes your bathroom look much better than before. If you can’t afford a complete remodelling, have a look at these top 10 DIY bathroom upgrades you could do this weekend.

Shop Around For Suppliers And Contractors

The majority of your bathroom remodelling budget will go on materials and labour, because of this it makes sense to shop around for the best deals.  Often online stores will have cheaper prices than the shops locally, however, this isn’t always true. 

If you are looking to remodel on a budget you can look in store for ex-display items, they may not be brand new and will have a few scratches but they will look better than that 15-year-old bathroom suite you currently have.

To save money on your bathroom design it is very important to set a budget and stick to it. Only when you have a budget should you start to look for a bathroom suite otherwise emotion will play a role in the buying process and you will end up spending way more than you should. Some companies charge £5000+ for a bathtub, while others charge £2000 for an entire bathroom suite.  Know your budget and stick to it.

Shop around for remodelling suppliers and contractors

Unless You Have A Large Budget, Keep The Pipework Where It Is.

Plumbers are expensive so when remodelling on a budget you will want to keep the time a plumber is working on your bathroom to a minimum.  Bathrooms can benefit tremendously by moving certain parts of the plumbing around, maybe moving the toilet into the corner and putting the sink more centrally looks better, but when you’re working on a budget it doesn’t make sense to move them around. Moving the pipework around can increase costs fast, my money saving tip is to leave the plumbing where it is unless it’s a major problem in terms of practicality.  This may limit your overall design, but it will save you money.

Conclusion

If you create a realistic budget and make smart choices you can easily create an amazing looking bathroom without breaking the bank.  I have moved home several times and I always remodel the same way. Doing all of the above I have on average saved over £1500 with every bathroom remodel.

Do you have any bathroom remodelling tips and tricks that can help save money? Please leave them in the comments below, we’d love to hear them.

Natural Upgrades To Give Your Modern Home A Touch Of Rustic Serenity

Lilly Miller
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Natural Upgrades To Give Your Modern Home A Touch Of Rustic Serenity

Modern design homes may showcase smooth and polished surfaces, monochromatic spaces and all the latest fashion when it comes to furniture and minimalist decorative items. However, when you overdo it, modern décor can seem cold and artificial, which many homeowners want to avoid. This is why, in order to add their own unique and personal touch to their living space, many of them introduce certain natural elements and hints of rustic design here and there. This allows them to create somewhat of an eclectic and a bit warmer décor style in their home. Here are some ideas for you to turn your own home into a modern rustic one as well.

Rustic kitchen upgrades

Rustic kitchen upgrades

When it comes to kitchens, they’re the perfect place to start with upgrades. First of all, there’s a difference between the role of the kitchen in a home in the past and nowadays, which is reflected in its design. While once the kitchen was simply a place where food was prepared and only the cooks would spend time in, today it’s a common area, a focal point of most homes, and a place where families spend their time together. So, a modern kitchen will feature plenty of technology, sensors and smart designs, with white and other lighter colors now making way for darker cabinet colors, and with quartz countertops being the first choice of most homeowners. A nice way to make it a bit more rustic and natural is to choose a warm and welcoming hazelnut for your cabinets, or replace your quartz countertops with butcher block ones. Add a few vintage-looking canisters or hang some decorative plates on the kitchen walls and you’ll create that farmhouse charm you were aiming for.

Dine like a farmer

Dine like a farmer

No matter how slick and modern your dining room set is, if your ceiling has exposed wooden beams or if you’ve put some vintage decorative dishes on a rustic wooden shelf on one of the walls, the room will get a wonderful country-style feel to it. On the other hand, if your walls are painted in one of the contemporary hues, such as misty blue, coral or various shades of gray, with huge windows for a modern look, you’ll make a great impact by choosing a large country-style wooden table with matching old-fashioned chairs, or functional barn doors, which are an ideal combination of rustic and modern that can fit into any space. Another way to mix and match these two décor styles is through lighting fixtures. Current fashion dictates matte finishes and minimalist lighting fixtures, as well as pendant lights in different shapes and colors, which you can hang above that rustic table, or you can go the other way about it and hang a rustic ring light with unfinished metal details. Finally, if you opt for natural wood for your flooring, it will be just a big enough splash of rustic for any amount of modern-style décor.

Bring the outdoors into your living room

Bring the outdoors into your living room

A white color palette with contemporary graphic art and see-through furnishing is what you can expect from a modern living room. This minimalism with its clean and organized, and sometimes even sterile space can benefit a lot from some more natural elements. For instance, if you have large windows with a view of the city, you might lack the golden yellows and greens of trees and fields, which is something you can introduce through art on the walls. Similarly, a straight-line sofa will look much cozier and alluring if you place several embroidered cushions and throws on top of it, or if you choose furniture covers in prints and patterns which mimic the exact type of outdoor spaces you like, whether it’s a red, orange and yellow sunset, or the greens, blues and grays of a rainy day over a green meadow. Another great way to achieve a similar effect is by investing in a nice traditional rug for your living room floor. Whether you choose it in wool or another natural material, a rustic area rug will make your living room instantly more inviting and will soften any sharpness of contemporary-design furniture. Just make sure that the color you get your rug in complements the rest of the room and that you like it enough to make it a part of your living room design.

Your home is your safe haven, your go-to place when you need to hide from all the stress and madness of everyday life. This is why you should add a dash of nature and just a tinge of rustic style to make it a serene and relaxing place you need it to be. With these tips, it should be a piece of cake.

What Are The Best Solar Batteries In 2019?

Michael Klements
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What Are The Best Solar Batteries In 2019?

Solar storage batteries are the core of any home solar power or off-grid system. These batteries are used to store the energy generated by your solar panels during the day so that you can continue to use the power in the evening, through the night and on days where there is limited or no sunshine. Solar storage batteries can also be used as a backup system if you have intermittent or unreliable power supplied to your home. The battery industry is ever changing, but is it worth splashing out on the latest technology when you could be saving money by using slightly older ones? Let’s have a look at what the options are in 2019 and whether your should consider upgrading your batteries.

If you’re new to solar power or are just getting started with a new installation, you may want to have a look at this guide on switching to solar power. We also have a great guide on building your own solar panel from scratch if you’re feeling particularly hands-on.

Common Types of Batteries Available In 2019

Solar storage batteries may look similar to vehicle or truck batteries but they’re actually quite different, they’re designed for a deeper cycle (can be discharged further without damaging them), specifically to store energy for power backup and renewable energy systems. Here are some of the more common types of solar storage batteries available in 2019:

Lead Acid Batteries

Although one of the oldest technologies on this list, they’re still by far the most common and arguably the most affordable. Lead acid batteries are very similar in principle to general car batteries in that they have a number of “wet” cells linked together which are filled with acid. There are however some key differences in construction which enable them to be discharged more deeply (deep cycled) than regular car batteries.

These batteries are popular due to their low upfront cost and reliability. The main disadvantages of this type of battery are that they are generally quite heavy and bulky and they don’t last very long due to internal corrosion on the plates. They are also required to be stored in a ventilated area and you’ll need to check on their acid levels periodically and top them up when required.

AGM Batteries

AGM or absorbent glass mat batteries are simply a variation of the lead acid batteries discussed above  in which the acid or electrolyte is absorbed by a glass mat, making them lighter and a bit more reliable, requiring less maintenance.

AGM batteries are particularly useful if you live in a cold region as they’re more resistant to cold temperatures than lead acid batteries and they do not require as much ventilation so they can be stored in a more confined space.

Gel Batteries

Gel batteries are again similar to lead acid batteries but the electrolyte is thickened to a gel-like state by an additive which makes the batteries less hazardous and less likely to leak. They require no ventilation and can be discharged at a higher rate than lead acid and AGM batteries.

They are a popular option for solar installations but they are very sensitive to being overcharged. Since most charging systems are designed by default for lead acid batteries, the lower charging voltage required by gel batteries results in them being easily destroyed.

One of the main benefits of gel batteries is the higher life-cycle (number of times the battery can be charged and discharged until it is no longer effective) than lead acid and AGM alternatives although they can sometimes be significantly more expensive.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

One of the newer additions to the list, lithium-ion batteries are becoming an increasing popular option as their cost is steadily reducing. Lithium-ion batteries form the heart of most portable power tools, cellphones and portable electronics. They’re small and light weight for their power storage capacity, they can be discharged almost entirely without damaging them and they have a significantly higher life-cycle than the other batteries on this list. The Tesla Powerwall home energy storage solutions are powered with lithium-ion technology.

There are a number of different types of lithium-ion batteries available but the most common and most suitable type for solar installations is Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4).

The biggest disadvantage of lithium-ion batteries is the cost, they often cost four to six times what lead acid batteries of a similar capacity cost.

Some Things To Consider When Choosing Solar Batteries

There are a couple of things to consider when choosing which solar storage batteries to buy in order to get your best value for money and the type of battery which is most suitable for your application and needs:

  • Battery Storage Capacity – your battery’s energy storage capacity generally means how much energy can be stored in the battery to be used at a later stage, obviously the more the better. Have a look at this article to figure out how much battery storage capacity you’ll need for your home.
  • Cost – cost is probably going to be the main factor in deciding on the type and size of your storage batteries. Everyone’s needs and budgets are different so you’ll need to have a look at whether a high initial cost for potential future savings is your main goal or if you’d rather experiment on the cheaper side first and look at upgrading elements of your system in future.
  • Battery Life & Warranty – battery life or the number of cycles the battery can go through before being considered to be ineffective is somewhat related to the cost. You’ll find that batteries which are initially cheaper tend to reach their cycle limit much faster than more expensive ones. Lead acid batteries can usually only do 500-1000 cycles depending on how deep the cycle is, while some modern lithium-ion batteries can do up to 5000 cycles. If you take into account that the lithium-ion batteries may last up to ten times longer than lead acid batteries then it may actually work out cheaper in the long run to go with lithium ion batteries. Also make sure that you know what the manufacturer’s warranty is so you know you’ll be covered if anything goes wrong with the battery prematurely.
  • Charging Time – the speed at which your batteries charge can become important if you live in area with limited sunlight or you have a large storage capacity. Lithium-ion and gel batteries generally charge much faster (3-4 hours) than lead acid batteries which may take the whole day.

Our Top Battery Choices For 2019

  • Lead Acid – Mighty Max 12V 100Ah Deep Cycle Lead Acid Battery.  These lead acid batteries offer a great, sturdy design and at a really good price. They’re definitely not the best batteries on the market but you’ll struggle to find a more cost effective and reliable solution.
  • AGM – ExpertPower 12V 33Ah Deep Cycle AGM Battery. This is one of the most trusted and reviewed batteries available on the market now and at $75, is still really affordable.
  • Gel – NPP NPG12 150Ah Gel Deep Cycle Battery. We’ve chosen this gel battery for its reputation, capacity and price point. It is quite expensive at $310 but given its capacity of 150Ah, you’re actually paying less per Ah than the AGM battery listed above.
  • Lithium-Ion – Renogy 12V 50Ah Lithium-Iron Phosphate Battery. This is by far the most expensive option on the list but for the size and lifespan you can expect from this battery, in our opinion it is worth it in the long run. You’ll be getting many years of reliable and consistent, maintenance free use from this battery.

We know that choosing the right battery for your solar power system might seem like a daunting task when you’re starting out but if you keep to your budget and consider your primary application, you can’t really go wrong. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and let us know which battery option you’ve gone with in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!

Remember to consult a professional for advice or installation assistance if you are unsure of what you are doing, there batteries store a large amount of energy which can be dangerous if incorrectly installed.

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What Are The Best Solar Storage Batteries In 2019?

How To Reduce Heat Loss From Your Home

Michael Klements
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How To Reduce Heat Loss From Your Home

Reducing heat loss from your home is an important part of reduce your homes energy and electricity consumption, thereby reducing your monthly bills. We’ve put together a list of our best tips to ensure that your home is making the best use of the energy you’re putting in and not losing heat unnecessarily to the outside.

Reduce Drafts And Air Leakage

  • Have your window and door frame’s caulking checked at least once a year. Draughts through cracks in the caulking around your windows and doors can lead to significant heat loss.
    • A great time to check your caulking is when you repaint the exterior of your home as redoing the caulking will often lead to white smudges around the frames.
  • Make sure that all of your windows close and seal properly. Damaged hinges, sliders or latches can cause gaps which allow the warm air to escape.
  • If you have a chimney, close it off when you are not using it. An open chimney creates an upward draft which literally sucks the warm air out of your home. If your chimney does not have a shut-off mechanism, you can buy specially designed stuffers and inflatable “balloons” which block off your chimney. Just remember to remove them before using your fireplace again!
  • Install good quality air vents which are not simply open to the outside of your home. Proper air vents, like these passyfier vents from Sovereign Chemicals, don’t allow drafts to pass through them but rather gently bleed air and moisture through them to the outside of your home.
  • Make sure that the bathroom or kitchen ventilation fan exhausts have baffles or draft blockers installed onto them so that you don’t get cold air blowing back into your home.

Improve Your Home’s Insulation

  • Double and triple glazed windows are a must for extremely cold regions. Glass is a good conductor of heat and a large amount of heat can be lost very quickly through large windows. By leaving a pocket of air, which is a bad conductor of heat, between the panes of glass, the heat loss through your windows is dramatically reduced.
    • If you can’t afford to install double glazing or your home can’t accommodate it, consider installing insulating window shades or blinds such as honeycomb type double cell insulating blinds. These blinds stop the heat from escaping through the windows during the evening or on less sunny days. You can also get thermal curtain liners installed.
  • Reduce heat loss through your roof by laying down loft insulation material over your ceiling boards. Insulation material is relatively inexpensive and is available from most hardware stores.
    • There’s an easy way to see if you’re losing excessive heat through your roof. Have a look at your roof on a cold and frosty morning. If there are any areas on your roof without frost then you know that you’re losing heat through that area and you should look at improving the insulation.
  • Make sure that all of your radiator pipes and hot water pipes are insulated on the outside or in the service ducts and roof of your home. You’ve just used energy to heat the water up and you don’t want to be losing that heat to the outside of your home unnecessarily.
  • Get your floor properly insulated. According to some studies, up to 10% of your home’s heat can be lost through the floor alone. Wood and carpet floors offer the best insulation, just make sure that your floorboards do not have large gaps between them.

Keep Curtains Open During The Day

Use Effective Heating Methods To Reduce Your Energy Consumption

  • Keep your curtains open during the day in winter to allow the sun into your home. The warmth from the sun can make a big difference to a room’s temperature during the day.
    • This is why property or estate agents advertise north facing houses in the southern hemisphere and south facing houses in the northern hemisphere as being a great benefit.
  • Close the doors to the unused rooms in your home so that your heating system is not working harder to keep a larger volume of air warm.
  • Replace your bathroom exhaust vent fan switches with timers so they are not left running by accident. These exhaust fans typically discharge to the outside of your home or into the ceiling which just wastes the air you’ve warmed up.

If you’re passionate about saving energy around your home, have a look at these 30 energy saving tips for your home.

Have you tried any of the above tips to reduce heat loss from your home? What are some of the other tips and tricks you use? Share them with us in the comments section below.

Fire Damage Emergency Tips: What To Do Until Help Arrives

Michael Klements
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Fire Damage Emergency Tips: What To Do Until Help Arrives

A home fire can cause a lot of destruction and can be potentially dangerous. Although quite rare, home fires do still occur, and it’s important to know what you should do immediately after the fire has been extinguished to ensure that your home remains safe and that the damaged areas have a chance at being restored. You’ll not only be dealing with the damage from the fire, but also water damage which has been caused by the firefighting team.

When working in an area which has been damaged by fire, your primary focus should be on safety. Here are some fire damage restoration tips which you can follow before the professional help arrives to begin with the restoration. Following these tips will ensure that the area has the best chance of being fully restored.

Note: These tips are for small home fires which have not damaged the structural integrity of your home. If the fire has damaged the structure of your home’s walls, roof or floors then you should get professional assistance as there may be an impending risk of collapse which can result in serious injury or death.

Fire Damage Restoration Tips: Until Help Arrives

1. Remove Smoke Damage

When a fire occurs in a home, there is almost always some amount of smoke damage caused to the walls, wallpaper and paintwork. First try dusting the affected area off with a duster to remove any loose soot and then clean it by scrubbing with a mixture of water and a mild detergent such as dish soap or thin bleach. The soot cause by fire smoke is usually quite greasy and therefore requires a detergent to break down the grease in order to come clean.

2. Get Rid of Mold and Mildew

One of the next biggest risks is the onset of mold and mildew caused by the water which was used in the firefighting process seeping into the joints in your walls, floors and ceiling. It is usually best to get a professional team in to assist with drying out your home, they’ll use a series of pumps, fans and dryers to get rid of the damp. Proper drying is crucial as mold and mildew build-up in your home can cause serious health issues.

You can assist in making this process a bit quicker by immediately opening up all of the windows, vents and doors to air out all of the rooms before the professionals arrive. You can also give your filters a proper clean once they have been removed.

3. Limit Movement Throughout the Location

Until help arrives, limit movement around your house. This helps in preventing the movement of fine soot particles; you don’t want these to stick to the carpets and upholstery. This doesn’t mean that you can’t clean or remove items, just try to limit the number of people involved. Also be sure to keep your hands clean to prevent yourself from spreading soot around your home. You can protect you undamaged furniture and décor by covering them with clean towels.

4. Clean Smoke Damage from Clothing

Depending on the location of the fire, your clothing may be covered in soot, have smoke damage or may just smell like fire. Do not simply throw all of your clothing into the washing machine, dry cleaning is a much more effective cleaning method for this type of dirt or damage. Ask your local dry cleaners if they have any experience in post fire laundry.

5. Clean and Dry Flooring or Replace Carpets

The carpets in your house are prone to absorbing water and soot after a fire and will most likely need to be replaced. It is very difficult to thoroughly clean and properly dry out your carpets after a fire so most professionals will recommend replacement.

If you have floor boards or hard wood flooring, water will probably have soaked underneath the flooring. A professional drying company will be able to assist you with drying out this area, as mentioned previously.

6. Soak and Clean your Dishes

Utensils, crockery, pots, pans and other dishes are essential to clean after a fire as they are going to be in contact with food and can therefore cause serious health issues. Wash all of your dishes well; even those which were in a cupboard and don’t look dirty. Let them soak in a solution of water and bleach. If any dishes or utensils won’t come clean then throw them out, it is not worth the risk.

Basic Do’s and Don’ts in Case of Fire Damage

  • Clean all appliances with a light coating of oil or Vaseline.
  • If the power supply has been damaged or turned off, empty your freezer and refrigerator and the keep doors open with rolled towels or newspaper to absorb the moisture.
  • Clean your indoor plants, wipe down both sides of the leaves with a damp cloth.
  • Open all of your windows for ventilation (depending on the weather conditions outside).
  • Use a double layer of cheesecloth on air registers.
  • Use wet clothes on windows and doors as it helps in dealing with the smoke.

What Not to Do After a Fire?

After a fire has damaged a portion of your home, there are certain things which are strictly a no-no. Don’t attempt these after fire damage:

  • Don’t clean any electrical appliances which were close to the fire.
  • If the ceiling is wet and your home still has power, do not turn on ceiling fixtures. This may cause damage to the wiring.
  • Don’t use any unsealed food or beverages which were stored near the fire.
  • Don’t use electrical appliances like your television, radio or laptops until they are checked by the experts, especially if they were close to the fire or got wet in any way.
  • Do not try to wash absorbent surfaces, the dirt and soot will further soak into them.
  • Be cautious moving around and limit your movement to the affected area. Do not go into any areas which have visible structural damage to the walls, floors or ceilings.

Your safety is the most important in situations like this, no material possessions are worth risking your safety for. So wear safety equipment like shoes, long sleeves clothes, gloves, safety glasses, and a respiratory mask where possible.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in how to reduce the risk of and deal with chimney fires.

Have you had to deal with a fire in your home? Let us know what you did to assist in restoring your home in the comments section below.

How To Resize A Watch Strap, Make It Smaller Or Larger

Michael Klements
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How To Resize A Watch Strap, Make It Smaller Or Larger

If your watch has a metal strap then it’s likely not easily adjustable, it has set size links which need to be added or removed in order to resize it. The good news is that you don’t need to take it to the manufacturer or a jeweler to resize, you can do it yourself with just a couple of tools you’ve likely already got. Its actually quite an easy process once you know what to do.

Tools You Need

How To Resize Your Watch Strap

To start with, you’ll need to find the original spare links which should have come in your watch’s box when you bought it. Although you’ll only need the actual links if you’re making your watch strap larger, the spare pin(s) are going to help you to remove the pins which are currently installed in your strap if you don’t have a watch tool kit.

You Should Have Received Replacement Links With Your Watch

If you can’t find the original links or you don’t have a loose pin with them because the pins are also installed in the replacement links and are not easily removable then you’ll need to find a thin and strong piece of wire (a thin paperclip would work), small screw driver or blunt needle to push the pins out with.

You need an edge to place the strap over and tap the pin out of the bottom. Try use the edge of a strong box, a piece of soft wood or the spin of a book. It needs to be strong enough to support the watch strap while tapping but not too hard or rough that it scratches or scuffs your watch.

Position The Pin To Be Removed Over An Edge

Place the pin which you’re trying to remove over the edge and then line up one of the loose pins or your thin wire with the tip of the pin in the small hole on the side of the strap.

Align Pin With The Pin In The Strap

Most watches use solid round pins but there are a few which use split pins which have a bulging rounded end and the other end has two folded over half circles. With these type of pins, you cannot push the rounded end through the strap, you’ll need to tap on the split (two piece) side to push the pin back out the way it was pushed in. Likewise, when re-installing it, you’ll need to push the end with two piece in first.

Once you’ve got it lined up, gently tap the back of the loose pin with a hammer or solid object to push the pin out of the other side of the strap.

Tap The Pin So That It Protrudes Enough To Grap With Pliers

You don’t need to push it the entire way out or you’ll then struggle to get the loose pin out. Just tap it enough so that the end of the pin protrudes enough to grab it with your pliers and pull it out the rest of the way.

Now that you’ve got the pin part of the way out, grab it with your pliers and pull it the rest of the way out.

Use A Pliers To Pull The Pin From The Watch Strap

Your watch strap should now come apart at the links where where you’ve just removed the pin.

Strap Opened Up

You now need to decide how many links you need to add or remove. Remember that if you are going to be removing multiple links, always try to remove an even number from each side of the clasp so that the clasp stays on the opposite side of your wrist to the face of the watch. If you add or remove too many links from one side then you’ll land up with the clasp on the side of your wrist instead of on the bottom of your wrist. Obviously if you’re only adding or removing a single link then it doesn’t matter which side you remove it from.

To remove links, repeat the above process, tapping the pin of the adjacent link out such that the link comes completely free from the strap.

To add links, get your replacement links ready and follow the below process to re-seat the pins, adding the new links into the gap you’ve created in the previous steps.

To replace the pins. Align the two links on your strap.

Align The Two Links

Now gently feed the pin into the hole until it goes tight, this should only happen for the last third or so of the pin’s length. You may need to wiggle the links around a little to get the holes aligned properly for the pins to go through. You shouldn’t need to force the pin until the last portion, applying excessive force to the pin may result in damage to the pin or the strap.

Push The Pin Back Into The Link

Once the pin is most of the way through and has become tight, place the strap onto your edge again and gently tap the pin with your hammer until it is seated all the way into the hole. You can even tap it slightly further with one of the loose pin so that the end it not protruding from the strap.

Push The Pin Into The Strap As Far As Your Can

Pin Seated Back Into Strap

Repeat the above above for both sides of any links you’re adding and then you’re done. You’ve now managed to resize your own watch strap without having to take it in.

Let us know in the comments section below if you’ve tried resizing your own watch strap.

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How To Resize A Watch Strap, Make It Smaller Or Larger

5 DIY Ways To Remove Kitchen Smells

Michael Klements
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5 DIY Ways To Remove Kitchen Smells

You’ve just prepared some delicious food for the party tonight and now it’s time to clean up and set the table. You’ve done all you can but you just can’t seem to get rid of the kitchen smells in your house. Lingering smells can ruin your first impression, especially during holidays when there’s so much food to prep and so little time to clean up. Cooking smells can be the worst to deal with. Who likes to welcome people into a stinky house!

Kitchen smells can get really tricky. While some odors may be delightful such as baked cookies and cakes, others may force you to open the windows and turn on the fans.

The easiest way to reduce smells would be to follow an organized kitchen layout, because this will give you a head-start for cleaning up. A good start is by getting yourself high quality, affordable kitchen supplies in Dubai. Cleaning up spills instantly from the floor and counter tops makes sure the smells don’t diffuse in the air. Turn the fan on while you’re cooking and take the garbage out regularly. Also, periodically clean the garbage can on the inside as well. Keep your sink clean and dispose of any sponges or rags which smell. Here are a few inexpensive DIY tricks to ward off those horrible cooking smells.

Lemon

For a refreshing scent in your sink, let citrus be your friend. Lemon can do wonders for removing bad smells. Store leftover lemon rinds and citrus peels in the fridge and use twice a month or whenever the sink starts to stink.

Take some lemon rinds and toss them in the sink. Now turn on the faucet and the garbage disposal switch and let the rinds save the day. The citric acid in the rinds breaks down the gunk that was causing the smell and produces a pleasant lemon fragrance.

If there’s a food odor in the kitchen that doesn’t seem to go away, put lemon rinds and cinnamon in water and let it boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the pot stay there all day. The lemon and cinnamon fumes will neutralize all other bad smells and refresh the atmosphere.

Lemon can also help you ward off that cringing fish odor from your hands. Just take a lemon half and squeeze out the juice over your hands. Now rub them together and rinse them off.

Vinegar

No matter how much you love to cook fish for a party, the stinky, pungent odor makes you to have second thoughts. Although the best way to avoid fish smells is to not cook it in the first place, vinegar can help you out here. As soon as you bring fish in your home, set out some bowls of vinegar in the kitchen. This will absorb the fish smell and neutralize the atmosphere. Once you’re done with cooking, wipe off the countertops and stove with some distilled white vinegar to get rid of any clingy scents.

Another good DIY cleanup is creating a vinegar mist. Take a saucepan and fill it with 3 tbsp of vinegar and 1 cup of water. Turn on the heat and let it boil for 5 to 10 minutes. The steam coming from the saucepan will diffuse in the air and counteract those nasty smells.

Baking Soda and Coffee Grounds

Baking soda is already well-known for deodorizing the atmosphere. Put some baking soda in mason jars and poke holes in the lid. Set them around the kitchen while preparing your meal. For a fragrant scent, you can also add some essential oils to it. For stronger smells put a bowl of coffee grounds on your kitchen counter and leave it overnight. This will alleviate any smells from the day before.

Baking soda can also be used to remove smells from the fridge. The first step would be to clean any spills that you see and check all the leftovers and expiry dates on products. Clingy odors may still persist, so keep a little bowl of baking soda at the back of your fridge. If the smell still seems strong, put some fresh dry coffee grounds in the fridge for a couple days. There’s no way this won’t work!

Baking soda is incredibly efficient for stinky drains. Take a cup of baking soda and dump it in the drain. Now pour boiling hot water into the sink. The baking soda will flush out all the foul smells with it. Baking soda and vinegar also make a good team. The chemical reaction might even help in unclogging the drain. Dump about a half cup of baking soda directly into the drain and chase it with a half cup of vinegar. Allow it to sit for at least 15 to 20 minutes and then flush out.

DIY Aromatherapy

Conquer bad smells with other great cooking smells. Spices like cinnamon and cloves, when simmered with water on a stove, can produce fresh natural fragrances that overpower all other lingering odors. Create your own DIY recipes and make your kitchen the best smelling part of your home. Here are a few DIY simple recipes you can try:

  • If your kitchen smells like garlic or onions, put some cinnamon powder, butter, and brown sugar into a pan and bake it for a couple hours. Your kitchen will smell like a baked dessert or cookies.
  • Boil some cloves in water and leave it on the stove for a few hours.
  • The smell of roasting coffee beans is a treat for all. Grinding fresh coffee can also do the trick.
  • Prepare a homemade mist with simple ingredients. Take an 8oz spray bottle and pour in a ¾ cup of water. Add 2 tbsp of rubbing alcohol or vodka and 20 drops of any essential oil like lavender, peppermint or any other oils you like. Shake well and store it under the kitchen sink cabinet. Spray whenever you need to freshen up the place.
  • Soak cotton swabs in vanilla essence and place them in the corners of your counter tops.
  • Make a mixture of all of your favorite essential oils with equal amounts of each and pour it into a spray bottle. Use this to spray around your stove top and vents. Turn the fan on for a few minutes and let it diffuse in the air.

DIY Aromatherapy To Remove Kitchen Smells

Good Ventilation

Proper ventilation has to be the most important factor in controlling bad odors. While you’re cooking make sure there’s a good flow of air around your kitchen. If you have an exhaust fan or a vent over your stove, don’t forget to open it. If you don’t have one, keep your windows open or set up a fan that pushes air out of the window.

A good exhaust fan can make a huge difference if positioned correctly. Fans pull odors from the air and stop them from hanging in the atmosphere. If you don’t have a fan, consider installing one as this could be your first line of defense against lingering smells.

If you’re cooking something that makes too much smoke, have a plan to pull it out from the house beforehand. Keep all the kitchen doors and windows open so that the smoke has a place to escape. Turn on a portable fan and set it by the windows and door. Make sure the fan faces the door or windows. Doing this will clear out all the smoke in a matter of minutes.

If you can afford, invest in an electric chimney. Electric chimneys come with special filters which gather  grease and fumes very efficiently. It might be an expensive option but it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

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