How to Landscape on a Budget

Landscape on a Budget

Not everyone has the experience, knowledge, or inclination to work on landscaping themselves. And that’s okay because there are plenty of experts to lend a helping hand. However, if you are trying to bring your property up to scratch on a budget, a landscaping business owner who’s trained in that very task may not be within your reach.

If that’s the case, then you must try and battle through on your own. While it’s going to be tough without the help of someone with years of experience, it’s not impossible. Here are a few helpful hints to help you landscape on a budget.

Use Spreading and Sprawling Plants

The larger your yard, the more plants you have to use. The bigger the number of plants you have to buy, the more money you need. The problem is, not everyone has a massive budget to spend on plants alone. Therefore, you may like to consider purchasing spreading plants that take up a lot of space as a single plant. You can then buy fewer of them.

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Easy-Care Plants to Enhance Your Landscape Design

Easy-Care Plants

While landscaping and landscape design is important to many people, very few would want a yard that seems to use up all their spare time. But how are you supposed to strike a balance between a beautiful yard and one that takes minimal effort to maintain? Easy-care plants could be the answer. Here are a few easy-care plants in Australia that are worth your consideration.

Liriope

Liriope is a landscape design expert’s best friend. Not only is it beautiful, vibrant, and full of life, but it’s low maintenance, affordable, and versatile. You can use Liriope for border planting, green walls, and mass planting, and grow it from a cutting. As soon as you have one substantial plant, you can then split it into smaller plants and grow those to your heart’s content too.

This easy-care plant is robust, ideal for sun or shade, and you can cut it back to allow for new growth. What more could you want?

Rhoeo

If you’re all about attitude, colour, and a little bit of pizzazz, then you’ll get that with Rhoeo. Also known as Moses in a Cradle, it’s a beautiful purple and green plant that both looks attractive and doesn’t need a lot of care. It will fill any area you plant it in – be it sun or shade – and will not ask for much love or your time. The only thing to consider is that this plant does not like wet soil and will sulk if you place it somewhere sodden. (more…)

The Importance Of Always Using High Quality Stainless Steel Pool Fence Fittings

Stainless Steel Pool Fence Fittings

A lot of people forget just how important fittings are to high quality glass pool fencing. Although the glass panels are the main component of the fence, and probably the one which people notice the most, the fittings and other hardware that holds the panels together needs to be installed right.

If you use poor quality fittings to put your pool fence together, they will be obvious. They will corrode or rust, will gather dirt and will lose their shine in no time at all. This will result in pool fencing that looks average at best, even if your glass panels are clean and well maintained.

Below thanks to ClearAzGlass we’re going to look at a few reasons why it’s so important to make sure that you always use high quality glass pool fence fittings that are made from a tough, durable material like stainless steel.

High Quality Fittings Will Last

If you’re spending money on a glass pool fence – and most glass pool fences aren’t cheap – then there’s really no point trying to save by using poor quality fittings and other hardware. They will wear out and lose their shine within a couple of years, and will detract from your entire fence.

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Getting The Most Out Of A Small Space

Small Landscape Design

Designing a new garden can be both fun and rewarding. However, it can be hard to know exactly what to do with small spaces. Should you ignore landscape design and just throw a few plants or a fruit tree in, or should you spend time and money employing a professional to come and sculpt it to perfection?

Unfortunately, there’s no real correct answer. Some people will prefer not to waste their time and money on a landscaper, while others would jump at the chance to turn their small outdoor area into more than wasted space. With this in mind, I’ve put together a few things for you to think about with respect to getting the most out of small outdoor spaces.

Start With A Clear Plan

Planning becomes essential when you’ve only got a small outdoor space to work with. Before you do anything else, you need to sit down and think about the following questions:

  • What sort of elements do you want to include in your landscape design?
  • Who’s going to be using your outdoor area? Do you need to make it child friendly, or should it be designed for adult entertaining?
  • What sort of budget do you have?
  • How much time do you have for garden maintenance?

The answers to these questions will help you clarify exactly what sort of things you should include in your landscape design.

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Plumbing: Air Quality and Your Health

Plumbing

It’s the air that you breathe

It’s no secret that the quality of air you breathe has an impact on your health. Think pollution and its effects. You are at home more than anywhere else, so the air you breathe at home is super important. Is your air clean or is it like many homes a poorer quality than the air outside?

An expert installation by a plumber of a HVAC system ensures its efficiency is responsible for reduced air leaks and has also eliminated the exchange of air with the outside. This means that odours, chemicals, particles and micro-organisms can build up over time and are trapped inside the home. The filter on your system can keep out larger particles, but it’s not able to truly purify the air inside your home. There are specific air purifiers these days that can bring the natural energy of the sun indoors and keep your air clean to ensure greater well-being.

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Chain Link Fence for Security

chain link fence

Chain link security fencing is both practical and cheap. It provides extra security for your business or your home without costing an arm and a leg. Not all fencing contractors love chain link fencing but there are a few good reasons why this basic fencing material is a good choice.

Durability

Chain link fencing requires very little maintenance, unlike timber fences. There’s no need to spend a weekend staining or painting a chain link security fence. Termites won’t be a bother either.

The zinc coating prevents corrosion making the chain link fence great in the toughest conditions. Regardless of the weather, a chain link fence won’t fall apart.

You can get a vinyl coating in black or green if you choose, and this gives even better protection against the weather. If you damage the fence, it’s a lot easier to repair then other fencing types.

Protection

Just because it’s a cheaper option doesn’t mean that chain link won’t provide good protection and keep intruders from your property.

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Best Landscaping Ideas for Your Garden

Landscaping Ideas

Your home isn’t just a place for shelter. It’s also where you want to live the good life. Isn’t that what every one of us wants? There are lots of ways to do that. You can renovate your house and add a patio, or perhaps put a pool in your backyard where you can cool down on a hot summer’s day. Those are great ways to improve your standard of living. But nothing beats the simple freshness that a landscaped garden gives you. Here are some of the best landscape design ideas you can incorporate into your garden.

Driveway Dress Up

Driveways are necessary for all homes, but it can ruin your house’s picturesque view. To avoid this from happening, you can break up the plain old concrete driveway with a central median strip of hardy grass. You can plant any kind of grass there, something like couch or Buffalo grass being the best ones.  This will add a bit of color to what is regarded as a boring, functional part of a house.

Grow Blooming Shrubs

Shrubs don’t necessarily ruin your home’s aesthetics — as long as you use the right ones! Hydrangeas are highly recommended because these bloom lots of vibrant flowers during springtime. This’ll surely transform your landscaped garden into something more stunning and lively, not to mention that they can also hide cracks in your garden’s walls. They also don’t grow too quickly, so there’s no need to worry about branches!

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Concrete Gravel Boards and Posts

Concrete Gravel Boards

If you don’t know what gravel boards are, they are short panels attached below the fence panels, to keep the fencing from contact with the ground. The gravel boards will prevent mud, moisture, insects and whatever else that can cause the fence to deteriorate, which could mean replacement well before it’s due.

Easy to Install Different Ways

The gravel boards provide flexibility when the height of your fence can vary due to the terrain. For example, if the fence location is sloped, the concrete gravel boards can be partially buried making your fence sit level as a result. Another benefit from using these types of boards means they can retain soil that might naturally run away and be lost from a garden bed. If you have gardens set up at various heights, the gravel boards help to divide off each section.

Wooden Fence Posts or Concrete?

There are pros and cons when it comes to deciding on what type of fence post to use when erecting your fence. Like most things, the ‘get what you pay for’ principle also applies in the case of concrete or timber. It’s the customer’s choice to consider appearance, quality, practicality or price. It gets down to budget or what your idea of saving money over the long term means to you.

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Four Benefits of Timber Flooring

Benefits of Timber Flooring

If you are designing a new home or you are planning to renovate your existing home or an investment property, you will, at some stage, have to answer the question about the type of flooring to choose. Over the past few years, timber flooring seems to be an obvious choice for many.  Writing down the project requirements may look a bit like this:

  • What will a timber floor look like?
  • Does it have an ambient quality?
  • How easy, or hard, is it to install?
  • What will it cost?
  • How difficult or easy is it to clean?

Let’s look at a few important points that, when explained, will put you in a better position to make a decision.

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Home Or Office Relocating

Home and Office Relocating

Moving home or office is quite a bit different from moving your household possessions to a new home. Apart from the fact that you will probably need a removalist such as Brilliance Removalists Perth. Moving the home or business can be quite stressful and there are a few tips we can provide to make it a little easier and a little less traumatic.

  1. Planning

That’s a no-brainer. You have to plan everything in your business life and this is no different. There must be a reason you’re moving. Downsizing and need a smaller office? Unexpected growth and need a bigger space?

Part of the planning is to read the contractual details in your new lease very carefully.

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Pros and Cons of a Timber Fence for Business

Timber Fence

There are many different kinds of fencing to be had for both residential and commercial applications. While most fencing contractors such as Fencing Perth are able to erect a timber fence, they will also mention that there are both pros and cons to having one. However, they are a traditional fence that has been used a lot in the past, so it may be just what you want. Before making a firm decision, here are some pros and well as cons to consider.

Pros

Timber can be used to make many different types of fences, not just the usual picket fence. Another attractive option is the post and rail fence that has two wide rails inserted into holes in the fence posts. Such a fence is not for security or to keep pets and toddlers in. It is just to mark the boundary.

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Dealing with Common Carpet Cleaning Predicaments

Carpets are one of the things in the house that naturally tend to become a mess whether we like it or not. From stains, chewing gum, pet poop and pee, candies, to candle wax, according to Brilliance Carpet Cleaning Perth carpet cleaning predicaments are a dime a dozen. But this shouldn’t keep you from keeping your carpets squeaky clean with a few tricks on the sleeve.

  1. Chewing Gum – Things couldn’t be messier when you unknowingly step on chewing gum and accidentally stick it onto your carpet. While getting the sticky glob out may seem impossible at first, a couple of ice cubes can provide an easy solution to your woes. Begin by freezing the gum for about 30 seconds using ice cubes. After it is already frozen, you can use a spoon to lift up the gum. Then cut away the carpet strands that has caught the gum, making sure that you cut away only a small part of carpet.

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8 Reasons to Choose Shade Sails

Shade Sails

Leaving a car out in the rain and sun day and night does nothing for the duco or the interior. It is well-known that cars left in the sun become extremely hot and this has a bad effect on the materials inside the car. Sun and rain will eventually ruin the outside finish of the car as well. What can you do if there’s no garage? Shade Sails from Shade Sails Perth could offer the  protection your car needs.

Some people have no choice but to park their car in the street. They may live in a rental with no garage, or perhaps the block of ground their home is on is too small for a garage. Erecting a garage, car-port or shed can take a lot of time and cost a lot more than your budget allows. Getting the necessary permissions from council often takes months.

Meanwhile your car is outside getting scorched by all that hot weather and at risk of hail as well. So why not choose to have a shade sail instead?

  1. Shade sails are quick and easy to put up. You don’t need council permission, since it is not classed as a construction because there are no foundations needed. You can have your car protected in less than a week depending on what is needed for the installation.
  2. Sails are waterproof if you get the top quality ones that have the fabric coated so it doesn’t let the rain through. Cheaper shade cloth is not waterproof, but it can still be an option if you just want sun protection for your vehicle.

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5 Signs a Power-Point Is Faulty

electricians

While electricity helps us in many ways to achieve and maintain health, according to the Electrician Perth Experts when something goes wrong with it, knowledgeable electricians would be the first to insist it should be fixed by a qualified person – and of course, we know it’s not legal to do it yourself. This includes sparks coming out of the power points. There are several reasons why this may happen.

  1. In some cases when the cord from a device is pulled out of the power point without switching it off first, there will be a spark. This is because there was a load on the power point. In fact, the device should always be switched off where possible, before removing the socket from the wall. Having that spark means the inside of the power point gets hotter and this can wear it out more quickly.
  2. Sparks, smoke or heat coming from a power point are all bad news. It could be shorting out. The power should be switched off at the junction and an electrician called immediately, before a fire breaks out.
  3. There are several ways to tell if a power point is worn out or faulty and needs replacing. One is the switch knob itself is loose or wobbly or it won’t switch on. This means the switch is broken inside and should be replaced.
  4. If the power point is cracked or damaged, it is dangerous. Do not use it at all. Place duct tape over it so no one can try and switch it on, then call the electrician. In no way try and use it or fix it yourself. That is dangerous to your health.
  5. When you plug an appliance into the power point and find it slides halfway out again, or is loose and wobbly, it means there is wear and damage inside it. Do not use it again until it has been replaced.

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How to Make Moving into Your New Home Easier

Most people would agree that moving is a big hassle. It is not only all the packing and cleaning you have to do; moving into the new home and unpacking is also hard work. One way to make it a little easier is to label all the boxes by room type and ask the removalists like Brilliance Removalists Melbourne to take each box to its room.

At least then the boxes will be on hand and you can unpack all the contents near to where they will be stored.  Here are some more tips to make moving into your new home easier.

  1. Apart from labelling the boxes with the room name, colour code them for what they contain.
  1. Decide beforehand where you want the large furniture to go. Draw up a floor plan of the house and give it to the removalists so they know where to put it all if you are not right to hand to tell them. This will save you time and the inconvenience of shifting it again.

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Planning Your Finances for a Renovation

Planning Finances for Renovation

As homes get older they need lots of maintenance to keep up their value. But sometimes it gets to the point where a complete renovation is in order. Of course, this costs more than the odd maintenance job so you have to plan your finances accordingly. Having an experienced financial advisor such as Andep Investment Consultancy to help you will the financial planning for your renovation will ensure you are not left without funds for other needs.

In fact, a financial planner can do much more than help you plan for a whole house renovation; they can find many ways to help you save on costs and make sure you are getting everything possible by going through your tax refunds, investments, superannuation and other things connected to your income.

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8 Different Types of Materials for Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor-furniture

When you design an outdoor area for your home you want it to be a place you can use for many things, from relaxing on your days off to entertaining family and friends. It can be a great place for kids birthday parties too, saving a great deal of wear and tear in the home. However, when purchasing outdoor furniture it’s important to consider what material it should be made from to ensure it suits your lifestyle and budget, while still looking good and lasting.

As with most things, the cheapest is not necessarily the best choice. Even if your budget is low, paying more initially for top quality alfresco furniture can pay off because it will last a lot longer. However when it comes to the materials such furniture is made from, there are many choices.

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How to Get Your Garden from Okay to Awesome

home-gardening

It’s true that the nicest home can be ruined by a garden that is less than its best. Even a garden that is deemed okay is not really good enough for a home that is special to its owners. Digging a few flower beds or planting some shrubs is not making the most of your block of ground. It will do nothing to present your home in the best possible light. So how can you go from okay to awesome? The secret is: with professional landscaping from Landscaping Sydney.home-gardeners

The best way is to seek professional help from creative landscapers whose work you have viewed and liked already.  Most local landscape gardeners will be able to give you the address of properties they have transformed so you can at least drive past and see some of what they have done. People who do landscaping for a living are good at what they do and they know the area they work in intimately. If they don’t, they know how to find out what kind of soil is there, what the climate is and if there are mini-climate conditions on the block, or the potential to create them.

Why do mini-climate conditions matter? They enable you to have many different types of plants. For instance, if your block is on a windswept hill, you will find it difficult to grow tall flowers such as gladioli and even dahlias because the wind will blow them over and their gorgeous flowers will be bruised and ruined.

Creating the min-climate can be done by installing an attractive garden wall or thick hedge to give protection from the wind. But that is not the most important part, though it can be an important part of the whole. The important part is to have the outlay of the garden area designed by professionals to take into account every facet and turn it into an awesome asset.

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The Difference Between Modern and Contemporary Kitchens

modern-kitchen

It is surely the dream of every woman and man who cooks for the family to work in a kitchen that is both modern and attractive to them.  That is to say, some modern styles are not all that attractive to everyone. To some people, modern kitchens like the ones from kitchen professionals look cold and uninviting, while other people love the clean lines and neutral colours.

contemporary-kitchen

However, not everyone knows the difference between a modern kitchen and a contemporary one. Many people use the terms interchangeably, while purists insist there are some differences between the two. If you are renovating and want a specific style, it is necessary to know the difference in case you get something you didn’t expect.

The contemporary style of kitchen design refers to styling that is current, while modern design is really meant to convey the style that was current in about the mid 20th century.  You have to understand that it totally broke with the traditional style that had been in place before the Industrial Revolution, so it was considered innovative and modern at the time.

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The Importance of Fire Proofing Your Home

Fire-Proofing-Home

Have you ever watched a home or commercial building go up in flames? It is a sight you would never forget and if you have lost a home to fire you will know the heartache and cost involved. Homes don’t have to be caught up in a terrible bushfire to be burned to the ground. Often a fire is started due to some fault in the electricity, such as a faulty heater, electric blanket or old wiring. It can also start through an accident in the kitchen, or children playing with matches.

But the result is usually the same. Unless it is put out before it spreads, extensive damage occurs that usually means the home is not safe to live in any more. It is important to fireproof your home if you don’t want to risk losing it to fire. Even a fire in the house next door can affect your house and damage it.

One good way to ensure there is less risk of your home burning down is to build it with a Colorbond roof. The steel sheets are known for their ability to reduce the risks of fire. The burning embers from any fire in the vicinity can easily blow onto the roof and if it sticks in some little niche, the next thing you know your roof is on fire.

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Why Maintaining Your Home is Essential

Maintaining-Your-Home

Property maintenance should be something that is done on a regular basis. In fact, it is an essential part of owning a home. Why? People put many years of effort into paying off their home. For many, it is the most valuable asset they will ever own. To leave it without the proper maintenance will quickly devalue it, until it is not even worth what you paid for it.

There are many simple and affordable jobs that need to be done around the home. If they are not done quickly, the problem can escalate over time to become very expensive to fix. For example, a leaking gutter seems trivial, especially when it’s not raining. But when it does rain, that water will not be carried away. Instead, it can splash down over the cladding and wear away the paintwork. Soon the cladding will start to rot. Or the water can run down under the house and damage the foundations, or wear away the soil underneath the driveway so the concrete is not supported and cracks.

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What Type of Roof will Your Carport Have?

Roof-for-Carport

If you are about to order a carport you need to make sure it is a good fit for your needs. Find out the measurements to make sure they are going to fit the vehicles you have. If you intend to keep two vehicles under your shelter, make sure there is room for the doors to open once both are parked there. The roof also needs to be considered for other reasons.

Many carports have a flat roof and this can be fine, depending on your location, climate and the size of the vehicle you want to store under it. But a flat roof can cause problems for these reasons: –

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Lawn Landscaping

Lawn Landscaping

Your Front Lawn

Don’t you love driving down a suburban street and drool over a house with front lawn landscaping that must be the envy of the neighbours? According to the turf experts at Carabooda Lawn, some people being able to do that to their front yard is a labour of love, and they find it easy to do. But there are those amongst us who just don’t have that eye for design nor do they have a green thumb.  It’s really not that hard if you can grasp a few fundamentals of landscaping design. Let’s look at some ideas that might help get you started.

The Layout

Having a layout plan in your head or at least drawn is a great start. It’s really the first step in the project. You can’t really plan what you are doing if you don’t have a concept or a layout at least. When you design your landscape, the main thing is to ensure you balance all the elements. For example, a symmetrical design will be like a mirror. Split the yard area down the middle and what you plan for the left side should be balanced by what you plan for the right as well.

If you are going for asymmetrical that is also okay as it tends to offer a relaxed and easy-going atmosphere which is nice to have in a front garden design.

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The Subtle Beauty of a Native Garden

Australian Native Garden

If you are considering some landscaping help to nudge your garden into shape, why not go with Australian natives?  The beauty of them is that they don’t gobble up water and they actually don’t even need to be fertilised to the same extent that many other species do. Not only will this save on costs, it also helps to protect our resources.

Another benefit is that they don’t have the kind of lush growth that attracts insect pests or other diseases, so there is less need for pesticide use.

You may think that the flowers of Australian natives are not as showy as say, roses and many of the annuals popular these days, but they have a beauty that is more subtle and must be examined properly to be appreciated. They have many qualities that make them a good choice for gardens that must endure the often hot, dry conditions found in this country.

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