Monthly Archives: August 2011

How To Get Rid of Bathroom Mildew

Posted by admin on August 31, 2011 Comments Off

Bathroom mildew stains often appear as thin, usually black, sometimes white, growth produced on many surfaces by mold. The mold appears in the dark and damp corners of your bathroom, such as the floor, shower, and sink areas. The following contains a few tips on how to get rid of bathroom mildew, successfully.

STEP 1:  Make sure the bathroom is well ventilated before you begin to clean.

STEP 2:  Remove mold and mildew from the grout between your bathroom tiles by mixing equal parts of chlorine bleach and water, as well as, 15 – 20 drops of Tea Tree essential oil, and spray it over grout. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then scrub with a stiff brush, and rinse off with warm, clean water.

STEP 3:  Get mold and mildew off your shower curtains by washing them in warm water with 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach, ¼ cup of laundry detergent, and 10 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil (antimicrobial). Remember to wash the shower curtain with a couple of bath towels to prevent the plastic curtains from crinkling. Once the wash has been completed, mix 20 drops of Eucalyptus oil and water in a spray bottle. Then spray the washing machine to get rid of any extra microbes.

STEP 4:  Rid your rubber shower mat of mold and mildew by soaking it in a solution of 1/8 cup of chlorine bleach, 1 gallon of water, and 20 drops of Tea Tree oil for 1-2 hours. Rinse well.

STEP 5:  With hard-to-reach spots in the bathroom, such as faucets and fixtures, soak a few cotton balls in bleach with 5 drops of Tea Tree oil and 3 drops of Lemon essential oil (disinfectant), and leave them in the hard-to-reach spots for about an hour. Finish by rinsing with warm, clean water.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:  Read instructions before using chlorine bleach. Research all essential oils before use.

Roof Trusses

Posted by admin on August 31, 2011 Comments Off

Building a house isn’t particularly easy at the best of time, hence why designers & architects are vital in the process. Building a house that is structurally sound, attractive & space efficient is key in these modern times, but often a feature goes overlooked or is handed to the responsibility of the architect, that is the roof, and often roof truss designers are available to put the proverbial cherry on top of your new build home.

Roof Trusses are vitally important parts of your home, they provide structure to your roof & vary depending on location. For example, in the warmer climates of the Mediterranean, flat white roofs are used to help insulate the house against the heat, whilst in wetter climates, roofs are shaped in a prism to help allow run off of water, often into guttering. Basic roof truss design is no secret, however advanced roof truss design can really add value to your home.

For example, an attractive roof can make the house stand out, and particularly good roof truss designers can help create a loft or other space at the top of the house, that you can quite happily store items or even convert it into a bedroom. Therefore, if you are investing in an architect for your new build, or if you are a property developer yourself, the cost of hiring a roof truss designer can be outweighed by the value that will be added to the build in the future. There are many roof truss designers out there, plus some of the larger suppliers also have access to CAD design software as well.

Tips for Cleaning Your Venetian Blinds

Posted by admin on August 31, 2011 Comments Off

With proper care and maintenance, Venetian blinds can last a lifetime. Unlike curtains that can look worn after a few years of cleaning, Venetian blinds will always look pristine and stylish. But how do you look after your Venetian blinds.

It depends on which type of blinds you’ve purchased. Wooden Venetian blinds cannot be submerged or soaked in water, as this tends to warp the wood. Vinyl and aluminium blinds can, however, be cleaned in hot soapy water.

Like every other surface in your house, Venetian blinds collect dust. To clean away this dust, every time you vacuum, run the vacuum over your Venetian blinds on a low-power setting. Use a smaller nozzle and steady your vacuum cleaner with both hands so you don’t damage your blinds. This should remove most of the collected dust.

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To clean off any remaining dust or dirt, wipe with a damp, warm cloth. Don’t use abrasive cleaners as these can react with the sealant in wooden blinds or the coating on vinyl or aluminium blinds.

Don’t forget to clean the strings and hardware attachments too. And dust the windowsills above and below the window to prevent dust buildup around your blinds.

Every once in a while, you should give your blinds a thorough clean. To do this, remove your blinds from the wall and submerge in a bath of warm water and soap for 30 minutes. Clean any tough dirt and stains from your blinds with a soft brush. Drain the bathwater and use the shower head to remove any remaining soap. Then lay your blinds out to dry – you could even use a hairdryer for speedy drying.

DO NOT do this if your blinds are wood or a wood composite, as you could split or warp the blinds. Instead, use the vacuum cleaner and damp (not wet) cloth, and if you’re concerned, hire a professional blind cleaner.

With proper care and maintenance, no matter which blinds you have, you’ll be able to make them last a lifetime. While curtains may tear or fade, a properly-maintained set of Venetian blinds will remain a modern, stylish window dressing in your home.

Want to know more? Check out Total Blinds for the best selection of Blinds Auckland,

Have a Shower in Your Bath With Bath Shower Mixer Taps

Posted by admin on August 30, 2011 Comments Off

Getting the right temperature for your bath water is essential but a difficult task. This has made Bath shower mixer taps very popular as it allows you to test the temperature in the metal base of the bath rim before you put on the tap. The traditional tap system of balancing hot and cold water to bring you a balanced temperature is now an old fashion.

Bath shower mixer taps are a kind shower taps that work as a controller of the flow of water through your shower head, but has two flows of water – hot and cold. This tap allows you to control and mix the amount of hot or cold water such that you get just the right temperature you want.There are two types of shower mixers: thermostatic and manual shower mixer. Manual shower mixers do not have automatic mixing of water. They are inconvenient for people who are unable to mix hot and cold water in the right proportion.

Thus, using thermostatic showers is the ideal choice. It will automate the temperature adjustments of your shower and thus save you from getting scalded with very hot water or getting surprised with icy cold water.The shower automatically adjusts both pressure and temperature.

There are different kinds of Bath Shower Mixer Taps. Even though each bath tap performs same function, they have certain added features. Based on these features, the bath shower mixer taps are divided into different categories or varieties:
1. The three hole mixer does not come with the added feature of a shower. However, you can always attach a shower pipe to the tap and convert the bath unit into a bath and shower unit.
2. The four hole mixture has a fourth hole, which consists of the shower.

There are also different styles of Bath Shower Mixer Taps.

Bathroom fixtures are usually either of antique style or contemporary style but mixer taps are seldom seen in a traditional look. Mixer taps are made of different materials. This difference in composition creates different styles, thereby adding beauty to your bathroom. Each metal is appropriate for a different look. While stainless steel is suitable for minimally decorated space, gold looks good in an elegantly decorated setting. Chrome is best suited for most modern decorative styles. The composition of tap you choose will depend to a great extent on your budget. The style of bath shower mixer tap must match the style of your bathroom fixtures.

Before buying a shower tap, you need to check with the supplier if the mixer value will suit your bathroom system. Surface mounted systems are preferred by people who have an existing bathroom system as they are easy to install. In Flush mounted systems all the pipes are hidden behind the wall, and thus, it can be installed if you are building a new bathroom.

You must ensure that the pressure of both cold and hot water is the same for effective use of shower mixer tap. This is possible if the sources of both hot and cold water systems are the same. In case of uneven pressure of hot and cold water, you need to install a balanced mixer valve which will ensure that pressure of both hot and cold water is the same.