Category: Home and Garden

Nowadays, most kids spend the better part of the day indoors with eyes glued on electronics, such as tablets. That’s just fine, considering the fast-paced generation in which we are living. But sometimes kids need to step out and engage in outdoor activities for their overall well-being. The skip and jump games keep their bodies active and get them to flex muscles a little bit.

However, with screens all over the house, it isn’t easy to convince children to spend more time outdoors. That’s why you may need to install outdoor play equipment for kids like cubby with slides and sandpits to entice them. It might be costly to set an outdoor play area, but in the long run, it’s worth it. 

Here’s how to create an outdoor play area that kids will adore.

Encourage Active Play

Kids like moving around as they play, so you need to include equipment that will encourage a range of motions. They’ll want to jump, pull, push, climb, hop, etc. You can have fixed structures like slides or equipment that can be moved around, such as skipping ropes and scooters for this purpose. Some old tires around the home can also make great bouncing tools, and if you’ve got a big space, you may have kicking balls to train the little feet. Moving is essential for the development of motor skills, so don’t leave these kinds of toys.

Sensory Play

Sensory play is essential for brain development. As such, you should allow children to use their senses at playtime actively. Consider having permanent sandpits or tools for water and mud play. However, it works best where there’s ample space. So if you have a small outdoor play area, you may have to drop a few items. You can also have simple things like pebbles, seashells, grassy surfaces, and bubbles – they too encourage sensory play. 

Encourage Creativity

Apart from having fun, children need to explore their creativity during play. Drawing and painting serve it, but you could also include some building challenges and some problem-solving tools in your outdoor play area. The good thing is that some of those creativity tools you use indoors can still make perfect outdoor equipment. For instance, the little one can bring a set of paints to extend her painting and drawing outdoors. You can also consider fixed tools such as an outdoor chalkboard so that you don’t have to eat so much of the indoor space.

Create Room for Pretend-Play

Imaginative play is essential in a child’s development. Therefore, be sure to include play equipment that facilitates pretend-play in your outdoor space. Things like a cubby house, ride-on toys, and playhouse are great tools for imaginative play. You could have a fairy garden to spark all kinds of imaginations and adventures if you have a vast play area. If the child is old enough to make a choice, let them tell you their preference. They need to have endless fun, so you can only get them what they love. Remember to keep an eye on them during this time, as they may get hurt as they explore their imaginations.

Engage Them in  Real Tasks

As much as you want your kids to have fun outdoors, you’d be happy if they learnt one or two skills. Therefore, consider engaging them in mild chores like watering the flowers around the home or tending a vegetable garden. Tree-planting is also an excellent activity for kids. They’ll live to see the trees they planted grow, and that creates beautiful childhood memories. You can also teach them how to take care of pets, and assign them duties with time.  Outdoor play is not only essential to a child’s development but also keeps their health in shape. So add a few tools to your outdoor space to reduce the number of hours your child spends indoors.

A fireplace is an excellent appliance for warming your house during cold winter nights. There is no doubt that you should install one in readiness for the next winter. The two most common types of home heaters are wood and electric. 

Before settling for any, know the advantages and the disadvantages of each. Find out which option suits your lifestyle and living demands. Then you will make a highly informed decision. This guide will help you. 

Wood Heaters

Most first time homeowners look for traditional wood heaters when they are building their houses. This one makes occasional sounds as the wood burns, creating an intimate and even romantic atmosphere. The aura of burning wood is also therapeutic. Wood heaters are made of brick and stone. That means you will have to hire the services of a qualified mason. 

Advantages of Wood Heaters

• A wooden fireplace can be custom-made to inject a sense of style in the living room. Designs range from antique to modern and everything in between. You can order yours to be bespoke to accentuate the home décor, accessories, and furniture.
• The fact that it uses a renewable source of energy means that a wood heater is friendlier to the environment. As far as communities and organizations observe the required forestation standards, you are good to go. 
• The fact that it is independent of all power sources in your house means it is cost-effective. You want to save real dollars during summer. 
• You can install heat exchangers to bow the hot air from the fireplace to your living spaces. 

Disadvantages of Wood Heaters

• Wood heaters are extraordinarily expensive to purchase and install—factor in the cost of local contractors, fees paid to local experts and planners. 
• If you are buying wood, you could end up spending hundreds of dollars by the time the cold season is over. 
• The smoke from wood that is not dry enough could compromise the quality of life in your household. 
• These solutions to cold weather involve smoke. They cause unattractive soot around the installation and chimney. 

Electric Heaters

Electric heaters are portable units that you can shop at a physical store or order online. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. You can find some that have a styled finish to resemble a wooden heater, or even a brick and stone one. These are good alternatives for wood fireplaces, especially for a small family that lives in a small apartment or condo. 

Advantages of Electric Heaters

• These are less pricey to buy and install than their wood counterparts. Unlike a wood heater, you can buy one and have it set up without remodelling the living room. 
• Portable heaters can be moved from one corner of the room or from the living room to the kitchen. 
• As these do not produce smoke, they come in handy for modern homes where occupants want a calm lifestyle. 
• Electric heaters are a plug and play solution to cold weather. You need to push a button and set a required heat limit. 

Disadvantages of Electric Heaters

• While an electric heater costs less upfront, it may cost you to rack up hundreds of dollars in power bills. 
• You will need to invest in the services of a professional electrician to troubleshoot operational challenges. 

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Moisture makes the iron in your garden shed vulnerable to rusting and corrosion, which affects their performance and lifetime. It can also damage the shed itself, especially if it is made from wood or metal. If you want to avoid such instances, it is essential to keep the structure moisture-free.

Here are the best ways of ensuring that your garden shed is damp-proof.

Regular Maintenance

Observing a consistent maintenance routine is the best way of keeping your garden shed protected from moisture. It is advisable to start by inspecting the roof. Since most designs have shingles or felt, which deteriorate over time, you should carefully look at stress points such as the eaves and ridgelines. If you notice any holes, patch them with a sealant. Alternatively, you can invest in the more reliable EPDM roofs.

After the roof, you shouldinspect the doors, walls, and windows. If the walls are wooden, apply treatment to prevent rotting. For metallic ones, apply paint to prevent rusting and corrosion.

Make sure that the doors and windows are in excellent condition and do not have any potential leak points. If you notice any, apply a filler immediately. This prevents the entry of rainwater.

Install Insulation

Insulation is a smart way of ensuring that dew does not form on cold surfaces such as windows, doors, and metallic equipment in your garden shed. As a result, you prevent rusting and corrosion. Dew also has adverse effects on wooden surfaces, as it can cause rotting and moulding.

Improve Air Circulation

Another way of keeping your shed moisture-free is by improving air circulation. For instance, opening your windows and doors frequently can keep moisture levels down. In addition, you should install air vents on opposite walls to ensure that damp air does not accumulate in the structure.

Install Heaters

Besides ventilation, installing heaters is an excellent way of preventing moisture buildup in your garden shed. If you have a connection to the mains grid, invest in a heating mechanism that keeps the temperature above the dew point.

For those without mains electricity, you can keep your shed heated by purchasing a solar-powered heater. Avoid kerosene and gas heaters because they produce moisture alongside heat, which counters their primary objective.

Other than heaters, you could install a dehumidifier. This is particularly applicable if you live along the coast, in an area with the damp ground, or a place that receives a lot of rainfall.

Invest in Quality Storage

Sometimes, the efforts mentioned above cannot be enough to keep the equipment in your shed moisture-free. If you experience this, consider purchasing better storage solutions.

Make sure that nothing is left lying on the floor or shelves without covering. For instance, you could store smaller items in boxes and cover the bigger ones with plastic sheets.

Conclusion

If you leave your shed exposed to moisture, you risk incurring damage on both the structure and the equipment it houses. However, if you observe the tips above, you can keep it warm and increase the lifetime of your stuff.

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Swimming pool steps are ledges are additions to concrete swimming pools as the pool are easy to customise to individual preferences. If you have an in-ground swimming pool, especially in a rocky area, then swimming pool steps and ledges will be a welcome addition to the pool.

What is the Importance of Swimming Pool Ledges?

One type of swimming pool ledge is the safety ledge. A swimming pool safety ledge provides the following benefits to the pool users.

1. Provides Safety for Non-Swimmers

Some of the people who use a swimming pool do so out of obligation. One of these obligations is a doctor’s advice to people suffering from ailments such as joint pain, arthritis, or other limb disabilities. Since this category of people cannot swim like other people, they need a safety ledge to hold on to after a short time. They need to rest after a few minutes since their limbs are not strong enough to swim from one end of the pool to the other.

2. Child Safety

The safety of children is vital when swimming. A safety ledge enables the child to stand and hold the poolside; this is especially important when children are swimming learners. Parents will be at peace when their children are inside the pool when there is a safety ledge in the pool.

3. Adds Strength to the Pool

Other than providing safety to swimmers, a safety ledge adds structural strength to a swimming pool. 

Tanning Ledges

When sunbathing at the beach, you can take a lounge chair to a shallow part of the ocean to bask in the sun while staying cool at the same time. A tanning ledge provides the same effect in a swimming pool in addition to other benefits stated below.

1. Kids Entertainment

Kids have fun on a tanning ledge as they get to enjoy the water without getting into the deeper parts of the pool. A tanning ledge is shallow and safe enough for kids to sit inside the water.

2. Sunbathing

When you are done with swimming, you can rest on a tanning ledge and sunbathe. A lounge chair can be placed on a tanning ledge to allow you to lay or sit in the sun. 

Swimming Pool Steps

Swimming pool steps are normally used in above-ground pools. They enable swimmers to get in and out of the pool with ease. One of the advantages of these types of steps is that they are not a permanent fixture. This means that when no one is using the pool, you can remove them to prevent children from accessing the pool without supervision. 

Pool steps are also ideal in an area where space is limited since you only bring it out when necessary. They are made from non-slip material to prevent slipping when getting in and out of the pool.

In summary, pool steps and ledges are vital additions to a swimming pool. Apart from the safety that they provide, they also add elegance to the pool area as they come in attractive designs and colours. If you want one in your swimming pool, contact your nearest swimming pool builders for installation. Don’t worry about variety, there are plenty of designs and colours to choose from to meet your preferences. 

A garden shed is a vital structure for any homeowner. It is mainly used as an extra storage area for things that might not fit in the main house or those that are best stored away from the house. Such items include gardening tools, hazardous chemicals, and anything that you would find fit stored there. Some people use their sheds as a home office, or somewhere they host their guests over a barbeque. 

Getting a custom garden shed comes with lots of benefits over other kinds of garden sheds. In this piece, we answer the question when do you need a custom garden shed? 

1. For Better Organization

As pointed out earlier, one of the key reasons for getting a garden shed is getting an extra room to store items. You are better organized as you will have tools properly stored with ample room ensuring that they remain well aerated.

If you are a gardening enthusiast, your tools will always be within reach hence making your gardening more efficient.

With a custom garden shed, you get to make additions that make your life easier. For instance, you can have as many shelves or racks as you need. You have shelves designed depending on the number of tools and other items that you need to store. 

2. When you have limited finances

Buying a ready-made garden shed can be quite costly in comparison to having one built in your garden. Some of the storage units that are used as an alternative to garden sheds require one to pay some monthly fees. With this option, all you have to spend is during its construction. After that, you might have to spend only on maintenance and repair, both of which don’t come so often. These are very insignificant costs if you get your shed made by a reputable builder using durable material.

3. When you need to Enhance the Appearance of Your Backyard

Apart from its core function, which is essentially storage, a custom garden shed allows homeowners to enjoy a beautiful backyard that is complemented with an equally impressive shed. All You need to do is to choose a design that matches your garden and voila your yard will be transformed, and you will be happy to entertain guests around it. 

4. When you Want to Increase Property Value

A custom garden shed is likely to result in better resale value for a home. Property valour’s are increasingly factoring in such things as sheds in their valuation. If you have a well-built customized garden shed, then you can be confident you will reap big after selling it. 

5. To Improve Access

With adequately stored tools and other items, it is easier to manoeuvre through and get access to whatever item you might want. Due to limited space, we sometimes end up not finding specific items, and we are forced to purchase new ones only for us to spot them much later. With a custom shed, however, you will have everything well organized, saving you time in the process. 

Conclusion

As a homeowner, a garden shed should be one of the things that you endeavour to have since it offers multiple benefits ranging from extra storage, increasing property value among many other benefits that we have addressed in this article.

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An exceptional guest room will make your home a favourite amongst your family and friends. There is nothing better than a comfortable and clean place to sleep when you are away from home. Most guest rooms are used as an extra storage space, at least when there are no guests around. In this piece, we shall detail tips you can use to create the perfect guest room.

1. Get a Great Mattress

Nothing ruins a good night’s sleep than a worn-out mattress. Your guests will keep twisting and turning all night long as they try to get a comfortable spot. To avoid this and the eventual embarrassment, ensure you buy a new state of the art mattress. As technology has improved, so has mattress technology, ditch the 90’s mattresses, and get something more recent. Today’s mattresses are more durable and ensure that users get a restful sleep.

2. Buy High-Quality Beddings

The practice in most homes is to take used linens to the guest room as soon as they replace them with new ones from their bed.

Choose an excellent fabric for your beddings that is soft and easy to wash. You can keep extra blankets for those cold nights for guests who might not be accustomed to your environment. There is nothing worse than spending a cold night away from home. Avoid turning your guest’s sleepover into a nightmare.

3. Create Plenty of Space

Whenever guests come over, they usually come with luggage depending on the length of their stay. Most guest rooms are often full of unnecessary items, leaving guests with minimal room to manoeuvre through. Arrange the room adequately, allowing your guests with enough space for their luggage. Ensure there are enough hangers and ample space in the wardrobe, as well as, enough empty drawers they can make use of.

4. Include Bathroom Essentials

The last thing you want to do as a guest is to ask your host for bathroom essentials. To avoid this scenario, provide your guests with a neatly folded towel on their bed. The same way you provide them with quality bedding should also apply here. Choose soft towels that quickly absorb water. Other things to include in the bathroom essentials are conditioners, toothpaste, shampoo, dental floss as well as an excellent moisturizer.

5. Provide Some Privacy

Staying in someone’s home, especially if it is a large family, can provide room for many awkward moments. To minimize this, make sure you make the guestroom as a self-contained as possible. Having mirrors in the rooms design and perhaps a bathroom will avoid embarrassing occurrences.

6. Make Your Guest Room a Homely One

Nothing makes a guest more comfortable than finding a room that makes them feel as if they are in their place back home. To do this, try include items or essentials you have in your bedroom, but now in the guest room.

Have some photos or paintings on the wall, provide your guests with reading material like books and magazines. All these will contribute towards making your guests have a homely experience.

Conclusion

With these tips, we believe that you will be in a great position to provide your guests with a beautiful experience as they visit your home. Your house will be a favourite for many!

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After some time, you may feel that your pool in no longer exciting as it used to be. This is normal since many people base the design of their swimming pool on the latest trends that become outdated over time. The solution to such a problem is doing pool renovation.

A swimming pool makeover can include small improvements or a major overhaul, depending on your budget and preferences. Regardless, it is a guarantee that you will get a pool that your family will find irresistible.

Here are some pool upgrade ideas that you need to check out.

Underwater LED Lighting

You can create an ambient atmosphere in your swimming pool by installing underwater LED lights. Besides efficient energy consumption, these lights have enough lumens to colour a large pool. If you get a model with a logic controller, you can adjust the intensity and the colour of the lights.

Another advantage of LED lights is that they are easy to install. You do not have to spend money on hiring a professional to add them to your swimming pool.

Gas-powered Fireplaces

A smart way of transforming your outdoors from drab to eye-catching is by improving its lighting. Installing a gas-powered fireplace can add light and a luxurious feel to your poolside. That said, you will need to get proper pedestals for the fireplaces to avoid fire-related accidents.

Fireplaces have an added benefit because they can also serve as outdoor kitchens and keep people warm. For instance, you can use them to prepare barbeques during pool parties.

Pool Re-surfacing

Although it is costly and time-consuming, resurfacing a swimming pool gives it a fresh appearance. After extended use, the surface can wear out, requiring you to re-plaster it. You might also want to replace a concrete floor with tiles or an aggregated finish, and so forth. Keep in mind that the pool will remain unusable throughout the resurfacing period.

Upgrade the Water Pump and Filter

It is advisable to replace your pool pump and filter after a few years of use. Make sure that you go for the latest models since they consume energy efficiently and require little maintenance. If you want an eco-friendly option, invest in heat pumps because they have zero emissions.

Install a New Liner

Vinyl liners are incredibly popular among homeowners. If you have a blueliner, you need to replace it because it is too common. Replacing your liner is one of the essential pool renovation practices.

When you remove the old liner, remember to inspect the pool surface for defects and repair them before fitting a new one. Common defects include rust and dents on the floor.

Waterfalls

You can add freshness to your swimming pool by installing a waterfall. For some people, still, the water feels like a stagnant, Marsh. Waterfalls help by making the water move. Moreover, constant circulation ensures that the water remains clean.

Pool Theater

If you have the money, consider purchasing a music system and projector screen for your poolside. You must, however, implement measures to prevent the electric wiring from touching water to avoid electrocution.

Conclusion

Whatever your preference, you are assured of getting the renovations you want for your swimming pool. Before choosing an idea to implement, consider its cost, timeframe, and future maintenance. More importantly, hire professionals to do the tasks that you cannot handle.

Read Also:

• The Importance of Aspect and Sunlight in Your Pool Planning
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You will come across a variety of choices for your flooring needs. From tile, carpet to hardwood. Homeowners have a variety of options to choose from. Each of these has its pros and cons. Building a home is usually a large investment that you do not intend to repeat once in a while. You, therefore, want to get it right in terms of the materials you use in various parts of the house. The floor is one of the most crucial elements since it is where you will be stepping on most of the time. Getting the right material is vital. In this piece, we shall look at the benefits of these kinds of floors.

1. Hygienically safe

Compared to carpets, which are known to harbour harmful bugs and dust, which result in allergies, these floors are free from them. All you need to do is gently wipe or mop to keep them clean. Carpets, on the other hand, require intense vacuuming to be free from dust.

With this option, the air in your house will always be clean with no fibres to trap allergens. As a result, your family will be free from constant illnesses.

2. They’re Easy to Clean.

Cleanliness is a top priority for most people when choosing the type of floor for their homes. All you need to do to clean these types of surfaces are routine sweeping, as well as, occasional polishing, and your floors will look as good as new.

3. They Look beautiful

Apart from clean floors, the other thing you want is an elegant looking floor. Your best bet at getting this is hardwood floors. The good thing about them is that they match with most wooden furniture. Your house will look amazing, even with limited furniture.

4. They’re Durable.

The floor might look elegant, but if it is not durable, then you haven’t gotten the right type of floor. Hardwoods are known for their longevity. With this type of design, you can be confident that for a couple of decades, you will not have to worry about significant floor renovations.

All you have to do is properly take care of it, and it will give you excellent service.

5. There are many varieties to choose from.

If you opt for this as the floor for your home, you have a variety of choices to choose from. From streaks, patterns, knots, dark, and light, it will all be down to your tastes. You certainly will get something that suits your taste and style.

6. Provides a nice sound surrounding

Homes with this kind of floors have a great sound, with some people even suggesting that the sound quality you get is almost as good as that in a recording studio.

7. Increase the value of your home

Property sellers have noted that house with this kind of flooring fetches better prices compared to other options. As long as you keep them in fantastic shape, every buyer will want to get your home.

Conclusion: With these tips, we are confident you have found reasons enough to choose a hardwood floor and not only get a beautiful looking home but have a clean environment for you and your family.

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• 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Hardwood Floor
• Engineered Wood Vs Solid Wood

Beefeater BBQ is ideal for outdoor cooking purposes to make delicious foods, especially in the summer season. You can also have one inside your kitchen if you are a grilling enthusiast. There are many other reasons why people love Beefeater BBQ, and we shall look at some of them.

·        Assorted Products

The Beefeater has a wide range of BBQs that customers can choose from. They are available in models that can be installed in outdoor kitchens, built-in in an indoor kitchen areas, or taken out on picnics camping as a portable barbecue. Also, the beefeater range of BBQs operates on various fuels such as electricity, charcoal, and gas. The portable grill also comes in a small size that is fit for someone who does not grill a lot of food. 

·        Durability

The beefeater BBQ is made from stainless steel; this means that it will not degrade or tarnish when exposed to the weather elements. It is further reinforced with a porcelain layer to develop a non-porous working area that is easy to clean and maintain. 

Also, the cooking surface on this BBQ is made from stainless steel and cast iron. The cooking surface is suitable for all types of food including vegetables, steaks, potatoes, or bread.

· High-Quality Construction

The construction of beefeater BBQ is simple, easy to use, and sleek. It is easy to assemble without the need for professional help.

·        Has Extra Features

Beefeater BBQs have a variety of extra features unique from other brands that are available in the market. Some of the additional features include side burners, grill and drip trays, and a wide range of hoods that cover your food as it is cooking.

·        Versatility in Cooking

The beefeater BBQs in the market allow versatility while preparing. You can make various dishes on the grill from steaks to vegetables; you only need to regulate the heat to suit your preferred meal and follow the right recipes for a tasteful dish.

·        Spare Parts are Accessible

BBQs are great but when they break down, it is difficult to find spare parts for them rendering them useless in the long run. Beefeater BBQ spare parts are readily available; hence you should not worry about replacing your grill burners or plates when faults develop.

·        Value for Money

The beefeater BBQs are costly, but they give great value for money. Their high-quality construction makes them last for over a decade in addition to their excellent extra features. Therefore, buying a beefeater BBQ is an excellent choice and a worthwhile investment. The service you get off a beefeater BBQ is priceless.

·        Valuable Cast Burners

The burners on beefeater BBQs are made of cast iron. Burners from other companies are mainly made from stainless steel, which burns out much faster. As a result, the burners need replacing more often than those made from cast iron. Cast iron is a durable material that withstands extreme heat without degradation.

In conclusion, beefeater BBQ is an excellent choice for any lover of grilled food. It is a durable grill that has many attractive features to make your grilling experience more enjoyable. Whether you need one for indoor or outdoor use, you will find a BBQ that fits your needs.

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