The Ultimate Summer Home Maintenance Checklist

As we are slowly moving away from the winter months, now is an ideal time to get working on the maintenance of your home in time for the summer.  

In this guide, we are sharing the most important tasks to get done now so you can enjoy your home and garden when the weather gets warm. 

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It is time to roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Top 10 Projects To Get Your Home Ready For Summer

Outdoor Maintenance

  • Powerwash The Driveway And Sidewalk

A great place to get started when it comes to summer maintenance is making sure the outside of your home is clean. Over the winter, your driveway has most likely been neglected, so a powerwash is the best thing to do.

Each homeowner has a part of the sidewalk that they are responsible for, so this is also a good time to clean this. 

  • Clean Out Gutters and Downspouts

Following the fall, there will be a lot of debris gathering in places that you cannot normally see. The gutters and downspouts are one of the toughest tasks to tackle before the summer, so it is best to get them done as early as possible.

  • Wash Windows And Replace Window Screens

Washing the exterior of your home will not make a difference if you neglect the windows. When washing the windows following the winter, make sure to clean both inside and outside so the glass is shining.

In some cases, if you have had a harsh winter, then you may need to replace the window screens. This is important for the safety of your home and will make it look cleaner as we enter the brighter months.

  • Prevent Bug Breeding Grounds

While you cannot prevent all bug infestations that will happen during the summer, you can prevent a lot of issues by working early in the season.

As the summer requires a lot of time to be spent outside, then you want to make sure your garden is comfortable, which means removing or cleaning any breeding grounds for critters before they can become a problem. 

Now is also a good time to caulk your windows and doors to prevent the bugs from getting indoors too.

  • Beautify The Yard

The spring is a great time to start beautifying the yard as flowers and plants will be in bloom, and the weather is typically cooler than the summer, so maintenance can be enjoyable.

Start the beautifying process by removing all weeds and dead plants, which will give you space for new items. You should add mulch into your flowerbeds to prevent weeds while also helping them maintain moisture so they can grow healthily.

New landscaping may be required if your garden has been neglected for some time. Focus on what you will be using the garden for during the summer, such as cookouts, to help you prioritize the most important tasks now.

  • Prep The Grills

Inviting friends over for a cookout is one of the best ways to spend a summer afternoon, and it can be a spontaneous event if you get prepared now.

As you are working on the maintenance and beautification of your yard, take some time to test your grill and get it clean. A charcoal grill can be cleaned easily with soap and water, as well as a tough sponge, but you may need to heat a gas grill for 20 minutes first to loosen the grease.

To ensure grill safety ahead of time, look for any cracks, holes, and blockages so you can repair them now. Also, make sure to move your grill away from any structures, railings, or other flammable items before lighting up.

  • Stage Outdoor Furniture

While it might not be a suitable time to get the garden furniture out of storage right now, depending on your location, it is a good time to plan.

Stage your garden furniture one dry afternoon, taking time to see what you have that can still be used and what needs to be replaced. Take some time to clean and repair your current garden furniture or make a plan for what you can buy. 

You do not have to break the bank to get new outdoor furniture, as thrift stores and online marketplaces can offer it cheaply if bought second hand.

Indoor Home Maintenance

  • Examine The Indoor Hoses

The first thing you should do when it comes to indoor summer maintenance is to check the hoses of all essential appliances for signs of wear and tear, as well as leaks or cracks, as these indicate issues. 

Hoses should be replaced every three to five years but should be checked for damage in the meantime. This new season is an opportunity to check if your hoses are due to be replaced or need to be repaired. 

  • Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Dectorors

This is another home maintenance task that should be done regularly, so the beginning of summer is as good a time as any.

  •  Clean Garbage Disposal and Dishwasher

If any waste has been able to collect in the garbage disposal or dishwasher, it will become a prominent problem once the temperatures rise. 

As you are getting your home ready for summer, take some time to deep clean these areas and make sure no food waste is left behind before you will regret it. 

 

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Things To Consider Before Converting Your Garage Into A Room

If you need more space in your home, converting the garage into another room is a creative and effective way to go. 

Although costs can vary based on your location and your specific plans for the garage, a garage remodel can be significantly cheaper than any other home remodel, especially compared to those you would build from scratch.

There are many benefits to remodeling the garage into a useable room, but there are also some things to consider before embarking on a project like this.

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As converting the garage is a large task, one which includes raising the floor, adding heating, insulating the walls, cooling and ventilation, and updating the windows and doors – all before you have to start with the interior design, there are some considerations to make before deciding if this is the right step for you.

In this guide, we are sharing the main areas of consideration when it comes to converting your garage so you can make the best decision for your home.

Five Questions To Ask Before A Garage Makeover

Before you start tearing things apart in your garage, consider these five questions to see whether it is the right thing for you:

  • Is Converting The Garage A Good Option For Me?

While there are many benefits to converting the garage into a new room of the home, it may not always be suitable. If you are looking to add a new room to the home without starting from scratch, then converting the garage is a great idea as well if:

    • The garage door is easily replaceable: If your garage door can be replaced easily and converted into patio doors or something else that will blend in well with the exterior of your home, then this is a great place to start
  • Heating and cooling are accessible within your budget: One of the biggest parts of converting the garage is adding heating and cooling facilities, which can be an expensive task. If this is something you are prepared for and can handle, then converting the garage is a good idea for you
  • Plumbing is accessible: This is not always necessary, as you may not require plumbing in your new room, but it is something to consider if you are working on a new master suite and bathroom or adding a kitchenette into this space 
  • Adequate parking and storage are available elsewhere: Converting the garage is a good idea if it is not currently being used for parking your vehicles or storing essential items or if you have other options for these needs


  • Do I Need A Permit For Converting The Garage?

As you are changing the space in a significant way when converting the garage, a permit is very likely to be needed.

The rules will vary based on your location, so make sure to check with your local Zoning Department before doing any work. When asking for a permit, you may also need to work with an architect who can provide accurate floor plans, so this is also something to consider before starting the work.

To get a permit, which will allow you to convert your garage, your new plans will have to fit in with local building regulations. 

  • What Kind Of Room Can My Garage Become?

Converting the garage is a completely customizable project, as long as you are working with your local building regulations. 

It is possible to create any kind of living space in your garage if you have the budget, space, and permission available. It is a good idea to think about what kind of room your home will benefit from the most before starting to convert the garage, as this will influence the kind of work that needs to be done.

Many people have converted their garages into additional living space, so there is a lot of inspiration out there. From a playroom to a full-on studio apartment, there are many things you can do with your garage if you have the budget and permission.

  • Will Converting The Garage Add Value To My Home?

Even if you have no intention of selling your home, it is a good idea to think about how it may impact the future value of your home. 

In most cases, as long as the garage conversion fits in with local building regulations and codes, it will add value to your home. Having additional living space is something that buyers will always look for, especially for growing families, which is why in most cases, you can expect to recoup at least 80% of the project cost in the value of your property.

There are some cases where converting the garage will not add value to the property, such as if your neighborhood does not permit off-street parking, so a garage is needed, or if the conversion gets rid of all available storage in the home.

  • How Much Does A Garage Conversion Cost?

Depending on what you are wanting to do with your garage, as well as the area you live in and whether additional permits are needed, the cost of a remodel can vary greatly. With this in mind, the cost of a garage remodel can be between $5,000 and $25,000 or more on average. 

Remodeling the garage will only be a good option if it is something you can afford. 

 

Campus Sustainability Spotlight: Arizona WET

Water is one of the most valuable resources across the world, and this is what has inspired the Arizona Project WET in its work.

Arizona Project WET is a unique organization that focuses on water stewardship, hosting educational events and programs to ensure everyone can do their bit for the environment. 

Over the years, WET has grown to become the leading water education program in Arizona, and it is used by students of all grade levels. This organization provides teachers across the state with world-renowned resources and STEM instruction so students can get a real-world experience in responsible water management.

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In this guide, we are going to be sharing the work of the Arizona Project WET and how you can get involved in water conservation

What Does The Arizona Project WET Do?

There are many lessons in sustainability that could be focused on, but water is something that unifies us all. It is especially relevant in Arizona, which is one of the hottest and driest states in the country, which is why the work of Project WET is so important.

Within this organization, there are many platforms and lessons to be shared, including Water Scene Investigations, which inspire students to work with water-efficient technology, and the Aqua STEM Program, which supports teachers in their sustainable lessons in all student grades.

The biggest and most expansive area of work that Project WET partakes in is its contribution to the Arizona Water Festival Program.

This is one of the biggest environmental teaching platforms in the state and is designed to encourage both students and Arizona residents to conserve water sources. It is a series of workshops, educational talks, and programs that can be accessed by anyone in the state who wants to learn more about the environmental impacts of their water usage.

The reach of this program is vast, with over 109,700 students, 4,100 teachers, and 5,500 volunteers participating in the festival since 2000.

2017 marked the year of the largest festival ever as over 1,800 students were reached in one series. This year had 22 festivals overall.

As well as reaching large numbers of people, the Arizona Water Fesitval Program is successful in its education. It was reported by Sara Krznarich, the senior Instructional Specialist, that in the 2016/17 school year, the festival helped students who participated increase their knowledge of watersheds by 31%, groundwater by 21%, the water cycle by 12%, and water conservation efforts by 23%.

How Does The Arizona Water Festival Program Work?

According to Krznarich, the water festivals hosted by Project WET are a collaboration with other organizations, charities, and educational facilities across the state.

With over 45 partners, the water festivals can take place annually and multiple times each year as a way to educate the people of Arizona on their water usage and ways to be more sustainable. Water is one of the most important resources on the planet, and those who reside in Arizona can attest to that.

As it is one of the hottest and driest states, the water usage in Arizona is contributing greatly to wider, global issues, which is why the WET Project resides in this state.

Along with the 45 partners, the Arizona Water Festival Program is supported by school districts across the state. It is with their commitment to the program that festivals can take place throughout the year, and students are encouraged to partake.

The project works with students from all grades to ensure that the next generation is prepared and is destined to be more sustainable. In Arizona, where water shortages are possible in the future, everyone needs to do their bit, and Project WET focuses on school-age children as a way to get the ball rolling.

Many schools have added the Arizona Water Festival Program to their curriculum, making sustainable teachings and the importance of water conservation a regular part of schooling. 

Without this ongoing support and commitment, the Arizona Water Festival Program would be no more, and as this is such a huge part of Project WET, everyone needs to get involved in some way.

Learn More About Arizona WET

Arizona Project WET is a program organized and run by the University of Arizona and is part of the Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Water Resources Water Research Center. 

Both of these programs are part of the University’s College of Agriculture and Life Science, which is why many of the workshops and programs offered by Arizona WET are STEM-approved. 

While the work takes place in Arizona, other projects across the United States do similar work and are connected to these experts in some way. Arizona Project WET is associated with the national Project WET Foundation, which is located in Bozeman, Montana.

The organization offers resources for teachers, as well as workshops and partakes in festivals across the United States. You can see what is taking place in your area by going through Project WET’s website or searching for representatives in your local area.

If you are based in Arizona, you can get involved with water conservation and learn more about the environmental impact of your water usage through their workshops and programs. Schools can rely on their STEm-approved resources and work with the Arizona Water Festival Program through their curriculum.

To keep up to date with everything that Arizona Project WET is doing, check out the website or follow them on social media. 

6 Home Improvements To Save Money And The Planet

The average American household wastes at least 10,000 gallons of water every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

With the cost of water in the United States being on average $1,500 for 1,000 gallons, not only is the common usage of water bad for the planet but also for your bank balance. Any water left dripping, leaky faucets, or even running the shower too long is literally money going down the drain.  

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According to EPA’s Watersense Program, a leaky faucet running at the rate of one drip a second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year which can result in a fair bit of change going to waste too.

With these figures in mind, the idea of going green at home may be more appealing. It is possible to become more sustainable and conserve energy at home without breaking the bank.

How To Save Water At Home

  • Install Low Flow Showerheads

An easy way to start your green journey is to install low flow showerheads in the bathrooms at home. This is something you can do yourself, as it can be as simple as screwing in a lightbulb, and showerheads can be purchased cheaply from most home improvement stores. 

A low flow showerhead can save the average household around 2,600 gallons of water per year, according to the EPA.

  • Install High-Efficiency Toilets

You can drastically reduce the whole family’s water usage by installing high-efficiency toilets across the home. This is something you can do at any point in your sustainable journey, but a good opportunity will be if you notice leaks or damage to your current toilet.

If you do see leaks coming from the toilet, do not ignore them, as this can be an expensive and damaging issue. The Express Sewer reports that a leaky toilet can waste around 200 gallons of water every day that it is left unattended, so now is the perfect time to replace your old model with a newer, more efficient toilet.

Watersense-labeled toilets are approved by the EPA and are reported to use 1.28 gallons or less per flush, which can save on average $110 per year from the toilet alone.

  • Harvest Rainwater In Barrels

Harvesting rainwater is a great way to save money and conserve water as it allows you to collect water for free that can then be reused elsewhere. 

For example, the average lawn requires 125 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet (as reported by Lowe’s Home Improvement). Instead of getting this water from the faucet, you can collect it for free from mother nature.

Rain barrels are an easy and cheap sustainable swap to make that can help you conserve water at home. You can buy rain barrels at home improvement stores, but you may also be able to get them for free if your neighborhood has a sustainable community program or similar initiatives for going green.

How To Save Energy At Home

  • Switch To Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

When it comes to energy-efficient lightbulbs, you have two options depending on your budget.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) can last ten times longer than traditional lightbulbs and use significantly less energy with every use. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more expensive but will last even longer, so they are worth the investment if you can afford them.

  • Seal and Insulate Your Home

One of the most effective ways to conserve energy at home is to ensure that any cracks or holes throughout the property are sealed. This will help trap heat, allowing you to keep the home comfortable all year long without the additional use of heating systems.

You can also conserve energy by replacing your old wall insulation and caulk throughout the home, especially in drafty areas. Focus on window frames, around electrical sockets, and wall-mounted air conditioners, as these tend to be the draftiest spots in the house.

For additional sustainable improvements, consider weatherproofing your home and adding window seals to the doors and windows throughout your home, as this will help conserve energy even more.

  • Install A Programmable Thermostat

Heating or cooling your home when you are not there is not only a waste of energy but also a waste of money. This is why installing a programmable thermostat at home is such an effective home improvement for sustainability, as it allows you to control the temperature of your home at any time or location. 

With these kinds of controls, you can add timers to the heating and cooling of your home so you will have the desired temperature when you get in from work or get out of bed in the morning. Controls will also allow you to heat or cool your home only when it is necessary, which will help you save a lot of money throughout the year and also make your home greener.

Summary

Many of the sustainable home improvements you can do will help save energy and, therefore, money overall. If you want to become greener, the home is a good place to start, as there are a lot of areas that can be made more sustainable with some simple adjustments.

Taking care of your energy and water use is a great way to also reduce your spending, especially when it comes to the home. Save money and the planet through simple home adjustments, and everyone wins. 

 

About The Ground-breaking Tool For Ocean Planning

The Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal is a ground-breaking resource that can be used by a range of industries for ocean planning.

The ocean is one of the biggest natural resources on the planet and, because of this, has experienced a lot of pressure over the years, which continues to contribute to global issues. 

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From travel to fishing and beyond, marine life in the Atlantic Ocean is struggling to keep up with the demands of modern life, which has inspired the work of the Mid Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) in the development of this new, online portal.

What is The Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal?

The Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal is an online toolkit developed by the official council of the Mid Atlantic, MARCO, as a way to conserve resources.

This toolkit is designed as a way for state, federal, and local users to see the current ocean usage, which can then be used in ocean planning. The portal provides information on the ocean resources as well as human use of the Mid Atlantic in real-time, so ocean planning can take place.

With this information, details such as fishing grounds, recreational areas, shipping lanes, energy sites, and other uses of the ocean are public knowledge and can contribute to better conservation of the ocean.

It is a way of ensuring these resources can be shared with all who need them, as well as highlighting the areas of concern.

How Does The Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal Work?

The portal is an online resource that offers essential information regarding the current use of the Mid Atlantic resources.

Logging on to the online portal will provide users with information regarding shipping regions, fishing areas, habitat areas, and other essential information which contributes to sustainable ocean planning.

The portal was developed and is run by the Mid Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, also known as MARCO. It is an ocean management system that can be accessed by state, federal, and local users for ocean planning of the area.

It covers the five-state Mid-Atlantic region, offering essential data and state-of-the-art mapping which can contribute to sustainable ocean planning on a greater scale. 

To provide such an extensive toolkit, there are many contributors to the Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, such as Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute, The Nature Conservatory, the Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis from Rutgers University, and Ecotrust.

All of these organizations work under MARCO to provide up-to-date information and live mapping of the Mid Atlantic Region.

The portal was made possible with donations and funding from organizations, including grant support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

What Does This Mean For The Environment?

The purpose of the Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal is to support regional ocean planning.

The data provided by contributors to the portal is used as a way to allow for more sustainable use of the ocean and its resources. Ocean and marine planning can take place by taking the current ecosystem of the environment and uses from across the region into account.

It is a way of preserving the natural landscape and ensuring there are enough resources to go around.

Water is the biggest natural resource on the planet, and all oceans have taken a hit over the years in terms of excessive use from travelers, the fishing industry, and other pollutants. 

Working with MARCO, the organizations involved with the Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal are aiming to protect this five-state region and ensure that it can still contribute to various industries in the future.

Effective marine planning is the best way to conserve what natural resources are remaining while still getting the necessary use out of them for the moment. 

The contributors to the Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal are providing businesses, states, and residents with essential information regarding this amazing natural resource, ensuring it will continue to be healthy for a long time.

As it is an online toolkit, the portal is easily accessible and is designed to be flexible so it can be tailored to suit stakeholders’ needs. This is an effective tool for conservation and tracking the use of natural resources, which MARCO hopes will inspire other councils across the globe to move the same way.

Do Your Bit For The Ocean

While you may not have any connection to the Mid Atlantic fishing industry or any other stakeholder that relies on the Mid Atlantic Ocean Data Portal for ocean planning, you can still contribute to the conservation of this natural resource.

Water is one of the most commonly used resources at home, and the average American uses tens of thousands of gallons per year. This is a large dent for the environment, not to mention a huge impact on your energy bills, so you may want to reconsider your water usage.

There are some simple ways that you can be more sustainable in terms of your water usage, and there are many tips to be found online. Whether you want to replace your showerhead with a low-flow alternative, collect rainwater to be used in the garden, or even reduce your consumption of fish, there are many ways you can change your habits to be better for the environment. 

Even the smallest of efforts can make a difference, so why not make a change today?

What Is The Best Eco-Friendly Flooring For My Home?

There are many ways, both big and small, that you can be more sustainable. From conserving energy at home to opting to walk to work instead of driving, you can do a lot of work to reduce your impact on the planet. 

If you are already eco-friendly, you may be struggling to think of other ways you can improve your home and habits for the betterment of the planet. 

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Instead of thinking of the bigger picture, try focusing closer to home. In fact, why not look at what is under your feet right now?

It is possible to work with eco-friendly flooring throughout your home, and there are many options. In this guide, we will be sharing some of the best eco-friendly flooring options so you can decide which is the best for you, allowing you to be even more friendly to the environment.

Eco-Friendly Flooring Options

Believe it or not, there are several eco-friendly flooring options out there for you to consider.

These include:

  • Bamboo
  • Coconut timber
  • Concrete
  • Cork
  • Glass tiles
  • Hardwood
  • Linoleum
  • Rubber
  • Wool carpet

If you need to replace the flooring throughout your home, you should consider one of the eco-friendly options that are now available.

What Is The Best Eco-Friendly Flooring?

The best eco-friendly flooring will vary based on your needs and your home. Each option has unique benefits in terms of appearance, feel, and cost.

We are going to give you an oversight of the most popular eco-friendly flooring options out there so you can make the right decision for your home based on what you need, how much you have available to spend, and sustainability. 

  • Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the best eco-friendly materials out there, and it is used for a variety of products, including flooring.

It is easy to install, hardwearing, and looks great, making it a versatile option for all kinds of homes. It has an attractive natural finish, but companies also offer multiple color options for bamboo flooring so it can be used in all locations.

Bamboo flooring is a very popular sustainable material as it is a renewable source and is fairly cheap, averaging $5 per square foot.

  • Cork

While you may associate cork more with a wine bottle than flooring throughout your home, it is a great option and is highly sustainable too.

Cork flooring is durable, stain-resistant, and has an attractive natural appearance which makes it suitable for all kinds of locations. The natural color is attractive enough, but bamboo cork flooring comes in all shades so that you can find the right fit for any room in the home.

Although cork is a durable flooring option, it is also soft and warm underfoot, making it suitable for all climates as well as rooms in the home.

Like bamboo, the average cost of cork flooring is $5 per square foot, making it very accessible.

  • Linoleum

Many homes already have linoleum flooring, but you may not be aware of how sustainable this material is.

Natural linoleum is hypoallergic, which is why it is such a good option for family homes with children crawling or playing on the floors at all hours of the day. Linoleum is a great alternative to other materials, like vinyl which is made up of toxic chemicals.

Instead, linoleum is made using environmentally friendly substances such as linseed oil which comes from flax, a renewable resource.

As well as being great for those with allergies, this sustainable flooring is also highly durable and can last up to 40 years if it is maintained properly. Linoleum is also easy to install and maintain. It is also available in varying shades or patterns. 

Like other environmentally friendly options, this flooring is affordable at $3 to $4 per square foot.

  • Wool Carpet

If you prefer the look and feel of carpet throughout the home, then wool is the most environmentally friendly option for this.

Wool carpet offers all the benefits of any other carpet flooring, as it is warm, soft to walk on, and is a great insulator throughout the home while also being environmentally friendly as it is a natural resource. 

Traditional carpet contains harmful toxins and volatile organic compounds that are not only damaging to your health but also to the environment.

Wool carpet can cost, on average, around $9 per square foot and, like the other flooring options mentioned, is available in a range of colors to suit all homes. 

Go Green With Your Disposal Methods

If you have decided to go green with your flooring, then you should also go green with your disposal of the current flooring you have.

When it comes to removing masses amounts of material from the home, like old tiles or carpeting, hiring a roll-off dumpster from Eagle Dumpster Rental is the best option. Not only does a roll-off container make things easier when getting rid of old flooring, but it is also a sustainable option.

Collecting all of your household waste into one container is an effective way to renovate your home without impacting the environment, and the dumpster rental company will dispose of it responsibly when the bin is full.

There are several dumpster sizes available to rent from Eagle Dumpster Rental, ensuring that there is going to be a responsible waste removal method for your needs. Household renovations can benefit greatly from using a dumpster rental company, so get in touch today.

Removing and Replacing Shingles

Shingles are a vital part of your roof, but they can also wear out somewhat quickly. Since they are your first line of defense against bad weather and water damage, it makes sense that they take the brunt of the damage instead, but that often leaves patches that need urgent placement.

Knowing how to replace shingles is an important part of repairing your roof. Without the skills to remove them yourself, you are often looking at expensive roof work or even a complete re-roofing if the damage has become bad enough. Here is what you will want to know before you start.

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When do you replace shingles?

While you should obviously replace shingles at the first sign of leaking inside your home, the damage is not always easy to spot without the obvious signs. Thankfully, you can still see some clear, distinct hints that your shingles are in need of replacement. Watch out for issues like:

  • The edges of your roof curling up.
  • The shingles themselves curling up.
  • A build-up of algae and moss on the roof.
  • Granules from the shingles are piling up in your gutters.
  • The roof is 20 years old and has not received much regular maintenance.

What are the costs?

Replacing all of the shingles on your roof can be a costly venture, but it heavily depends on how many shingles actually need to be replaced – which is influenced by the size of your house and the kind of material that your home uses for roofing.

For example, concrete usually falls between $50 to $70 for each square foot replaced, whereas asphalt can increase to $100. Slate tends to be the highest at around $400 per square foot. Of course, this is all dependent on the contractor and the project in general.

Removing the shingles themselves can cost plenty of money, too. It often takes between $1,000 and $3,000 to remove all of the old shingles from a roof if you hire a professional. However, unlike the shingle replacement, you can remove shingles yourself instead of needing an expert.

Removing the Singles

If you decide to remove the shingles yourself or even just want to get slightly involved in the process, then you need to actually prepare.

Getting Ready

First of all, decide on when you will be removing your shingles. This is to help you schedule contractors in advance and to make sure that you do not leave the damaged shingles up for too long.

Second, you will want to make sure that you can hire any professionals (and/or tools) that you might need. Hiring in advance is important to ensure that the tools or professionals will be available when you need them most. This includes services like our dumpster rentals.

Then, you need to actually put together the ‘team’ that might be helping you. If you are just doing this yourself and not relying on contractors, then it is not as important, but many people choose to enlist family members to help with some of the more time-consuming work.

Finally, be sure that you have all permits acquired and properly arranged beforehand, then make sure that you have disposal plans lined up. There will be a lot of shingles to handle, so one of our dumpster rental options might be the best way to manage them conveniently.

Gathering Tools

Always grab the right tools for the job. This means ladders, hammers, pry bars, roofing nails, tarps, plywood sheets, adjustable jacks, at least two hammer tackers, and staples that can easily work with the roof itself.

The exact equipment you use will depend on the work that you are doing, but be sure that you are not caught unprepared. You will definitely want a trowel, fork, or small shovel that can pry the shingles off easily.

Also, make sure to wear the usual safety equipment. A safety harness is a must-have, but goggles and gloves are equally as important to your own protection when dealing with shingles directly.

Removing Shingles

Taking off the shingles yourself can be tricky, and there is a lot of nuance to it. However, splitting it into smaller sections of roof and tackling them individually helps.

Start at the peak of your roof, the furthest point from your dumpster rental, and stick a trowel or fork underneath the ridge caps to pry them off. It does not matter if the nails are left since you can remove those later.

Slowly work your way down to the jacks, and then toss the shingles into the dumpster yourself. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you stay safe.

Afterward, you need to check the flashing, the pieces of material that keep water moving away from the home. Any cracks or obvious rust means that you cant’ re-use that part, so you will have to remove that flashing and discard it – but you can keep the parts that still hold up.

If you are keeping any flashing, remove the nails and try to pry out any shingles still underneath. If you are removing it, you do not need to worry about this.

You will have to target the valley and vent flashing, too, the parts that are sealing key parts of your home (such as corners or up against particular walls and surfaces). This is tackled in a similar way, but it might be much more fiddly.

After all of that, it is just a case of removing each section of shingles, taking away the nails, sweeping the roof, and then installing any ice and water barriers you need. If you cap it off with felt, then you can keep the roof relatively protected until an expert arrives to install your new shingles.

Quick and Easy DIY Projects for your Garden

DIY can be a valuable skill set that covers a lot of different kinds of work, and the garden is one of the most notable places to put that skill set to use. Not only can you create all kinds of interesting decorations and additions to your outdoor areas, but you can make practical changes, too.

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If there is anything about your garden that you do not like, then you can rely on a DIY project to change it. Whether that is lighting, furniture, free space, decorations, or even just the garden’s layout, there is a lot you can change with only a little hard work.

DIY Furniture

Creating your own DIY furniture can be a fun, inexpensive way of adding more flair and style to your garden. Whether you are creating your own table out of spare wood or turning barrels and cinder blocks into chairs and benches, you can tweak things to get the exact visual style you are looking for.

Not only is DIY furniture far less expensive than commercially-sold garden furniture, but you have more control over the end result. It is a nice way to get rid of scrap materials, too, and you are not limited by a pre-made kit or a set of vague instructions.

This is a great way to train your DIY skills if you are still relatively new to making furniture, and it is a good chance to practice some more advanced techniques. For an experienced DIY lover, it becomes a nice way to flex some of those creative muscles and produce something entirely unique.

Lighting

Lighting is important to any space, including your garden. Having the right kind of lighting does not just make a space look brighter, but it can completely change the mood depending on the overall weather conditions, layout, and general tone of the space as a whole.

You can install your own solar lights, set up hanging lights around the garden, make your own candle holders, or even experiment with unconventional light options to make something brand new. Even something as small as a colored bulb can make a massive difference.

Lighting can be a very flexible thing, so it is a good idea to do it after all of your own DIY work. It can even be used to hide mistakes or accidentally shoddy jobs, redirecting the attention towards the things that did work well and making your garden look just a little bit nicer as a result.

Walkways

Walkways are an often-forgotten part of most fancy gardens, but they can be an excellent way to structure the space to how you prefer it. Whether you are using bricks, stones, gravel, or even treated wood, you can create some interesting garden walkways with only a little hard work.

Building a path can be as easy or as complex as you like, depending on how specific the designs are. You might just want to put square tiles down as a way to lay out a walkway or create a raised wooden structure that connects both sides of your garden. Either way, it is a simple, reliable, and fairly versatile project that almost anybody can enjoy.

Depending on what you decide to do with your garden, it can also be the start of a larger project further down the line. A decent walkway can form the basis of an entire DIY garden overhaul, and you can even expand it into a separate patio area, add a raised cover, or make countless other changes.

Any leftover materials can be thrown away easily, meaning that you get a clean, neat way to dispose of scrap materials. You can always try one of our dumpster rental options if you need a convenient and hassle-free way to dispose of anything that you did not use in the walkway.

Garden Beds

Creating a raised garden bed gives you a way to separate certain plants from the others, all while adding some extra style to your garden as a whole. There are countless ways to do this, but whatever you create, it can be tailored to the specific style that you like most.

Not only do these garden beds help prevent spreading weeds, but they can be used for all kinds of niche purposes. You might use it as a way to grow fruit and vegetables or treat it like a mini garden that your children can experiment with at their own pace.

Garden beds can be as small or as large as you like, and there are no specific ways that you need to use them. This gives them a very flexible and varied role in your garden’s design and layout.

Planters

Planters are one of the best uses of old materials, especially containers like buckets, jars, and plant pots. The more spare containers you have, the more creative things you can do with them, and you have all kinds of ways to customize and improve the end result however you like.

This can be an ideal way to use up anything that you can’t find another use for in your home, like old jars and bottles. You can also go checking through your garage or even visit yard sales to find some interesting potential planters that could be added to your garden’s design.

Creating a planter itself is easy, with the only issue being drainage – but you can easily solve that if you have some decent DIY skills. Many people will go a step further: hanging planters off old ladders that they have strapped to the walls or creating tiered planters out of multiple jars and old vases.

Small Tips to Selling Your Home Quickly

Selling a house can be a complex process with a lot of different factors to consider, and that can often mean that you are stuck trying to sell your home for an extended period of time. Sometimes buyers are just not showing up or are getting turned away at the last second.

No matter the circumstances, this can be a huge pain, especially if trying to sell your home is a huge drain on your time and money. Using some simple tricks to try and close a sale faster can help a lot, and even a small change can make a huge difference.

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Alter the List Price

If your home is not selling as easy as you expected, then the list price might be wrong. It is important to understand that ‘lowest price’ and ‘best price’ do not have to be the same: most potential customers will be well-informed about what makes a home “worth it” to them.

By adjusting your list price to make it more appealing, you can sometimes secure buyers that are very focused on getting the best deal – which can be a lot of buyers in the current world economy. Try using other listed homes in your area as a reference point.

Show It Off

A lot of potential homeowners will start their search online, only moving into real-world visits when they find a home they like. Your home’s internet presence can have the biggest impact on who might end up buying it, so putting the right videos and images up online can be an important step.

You want to show off the best parts of the house, anything that would make people interested in owning it for themselves. You do not have to show off every inch of the house, so you can tailor the media to whatever parts look the best and only show off the parts that work well.

Use an Agent

It is always worth using a reliable agent if you do not feel like you can sell your home yourself. Even if you are only using their ads as an advisor, a real estate agent can help you identify areas where you might be damaging your own chances of a sale or making your home look worse than it really is.

Most real estate agents also have a strong connection to the market as a whole, meaning that you can rely on them to provide accurate prices or other details relating to homes sold in your area. They might even be able to tell you what prospective homeowners are prioritizing in the housing market.

Declutter

A messy home is a home that is hard to sell, and it can easily mean you lose sales that you otherwise would have landed. The messier your home is, the harder it becomes to sell it reliably, so you want to clean as much as possible before buyers arrive.

Remember to dust furniture, remove piles of personal possessions on the floor, and deal with smells that might be lingering in certain rooms. Even if you are used to something, prospective buyers will not be, and it can kill the sale for them.

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Make Visual Changes

Small tweaks to your home, such as moving garden furniture or repainting the front of the building, can make a massive difference in how potential buyers will perceive it. It is the little things that all add up, the details that they might notice even if you do not.

You want your home to look move-in-ready, all while keeping the personal touches as minimal as possible: some buyers might be turned off by pictures of a house that is clearly still being lived in.

Making your home less personal as a whole can actually have a massive impact on how easy it is to sell your house. Not only does it remove the issue of your tastes not aligning with their own, but it means that they are not going to feel uncomfortable admiring your possessions or personal items.

Anything you can do to help a buyer picture themselves in your home is a benefit, so clean, declutter, and try to make the space look nice. If that means moving furniture and repainting certain walls, then do it.

Do not Overwhelm Buyers

It is always important to make buyers feel comfortable, so you do not want to give the impression that you are trying to rush people – even if you are. The last thing you need is for an interested buyer to get turned away, feeling like you are putting pressure on them.

Instead, try to make sure that you are available for showings and can calmly answer any questions they might have, but do not bombard them with information and attention. Let them see the house and consider their options without butting in to take over every conversation.

Keep Yourself on Track

One of the most important parts of selling your home is staying on target. A quick home sale is much cheaper and more convenient than trying to delay the sale itself, so you should keep the benefits in mind to help yourself stay focused.

Never forget why selling your house quickly is so important: it costs less, gets the property off your hands faster, and removes the stress of having to attend showings or deal with buyers. It also eliminates mortgage and upkeep costs for the property itself.

Fixing your Yard’s Drainage Problems

If your yard has not been draining properly, then there can be any number of issues that you might face. Sometimes your grass ends up waterlogged, and other times, entire flowerbeds might die out from being drowned in dirty water.

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Whatever the cause, fixing up your yard’s drainage system is important. Identifying the actual problem is only part of the solution, though – you also need to understand how you can handle it and what methods can tackle the issue properly.

Common Causes

Most drainage issues have the same basic causes, no matter how different individual parts of the garden actually are. Dealing with a major drainage problem can be as simple as making one small change to your garden, so it always helps to understand the basics first.

  • Water flows down slopes, meaning that it tends to pool in lower areas. A garden that pitches downwards in one direction will divert most of the water to that lowest point, which could flood during heavy rainfall.
  • A gutter’s downspout might pump water straight into a landscaped area or flower bed, which can result in waterlogging.
  • Damaged or impacted soil might become harder to drain as a whole and can retain moisture for longer than expected.
  • Walkways, flower bed boundaries, and other decorations can all block a water’s drainage path, making it pool in an inconvenient location.
  • Sometimes, the runoff from a drainage pipe can strip away topsoil, eroding an area and making water gather there more often.

Fixing the Problem

While understanding the common causes can help a lot if you do not know the situation, you also need a way to fix it once you have figured out what is wrong. There is not always a one-step solution to each problem, and some drainage issues might even need a combination of smaller changes to resolve it.

Even if you are not completely sure of the reason behind the lack of drainage, there are some tricks that can always make an impact. These are some of the most common fixes, the tricks that will resolve the vast majority of drainage issues.

If these do not work, or your drainage problems are only getting worse, then there could be something much more serious causing the issues. Always check that your solutions are actually making a difference before assuming that the problem is fixed.

Water Less Often

Over-watering can be a common cause of plants dying and drowning, especially if you aren’t keeping to any kind of consistent schedule. If you are watering plants too often, then you can end up drowning a lot of the plants without realizing it, especially if the water flows downhill.

Cutting back on watering might help. Try to water plants only when they seem dry, and make sure that other people are not watering the plants at other times without telling you. Alternatively, get a sprinkler system and set it to a lower speed or schedule to get more consistent coverage.

Alter the Downspout

Runoff from your gutter downspout can often funnel excess water into one specific spot, and that can often cause a core area of your yard to get far more water than it should be. Diverting it away from the house needs to be done in a way that will not hurt your plants.

Instead, try to aim it for a drain, or even place a barrel under your drain to collect the water in there. This gives you more control over where the water goes and opens up a new supply of water to use on your plants if they are drying out.

Dig a Creek

One of the lesser-known solutions involves digging an artificial drainage swale to draw away excess water, helping to suck moisture out of wet areas. By creating a kind of ‘dirt slide,’ you are able to control where the runoff goes and which areas it passes.

This can be a good way of draining water straight out of your garden, but it also gives you a useful tool for moving water to areas that might not get enough water on a daily basis. Redistributing the natural water can help you get more control over how your yard looks and feels.

Create a Rain Garden

 A rain garden is a garden specifically designed to catch heavy rainfall, making it a great choice for areas that are almost constantly wet or waterlogged. These are plants that either require a lot of water to grow or naturally thrive in water regardless.

By doing this, you can turn an otherwise useless patch of your garden into a dedicated ‘wet space,’ somewhere that water-loving plants can grow. For example, if you have a sloped yard, you might put water-needy plants at the very bottom to use up any water that drains down there.

Create a Dry Well

A dry well is basically a pipe running underneath your soil (or, more specifically, topsoil) that can collect water from underneath the plants themselves, draining away any moisture that sinks too deep into the dirt. They’re often well-concealed and can be a permanent addition to any yard.

By using these dry wells (also known as French drains), you can create ‘secret’ drainage pipes that either move the water out of your property or redistribute it elsewhere. They are versatile, reliable, and can be installed almost anywhere with only a small amount of effort.

If you will be digging up a lot of earth, then you will probably need a way to dispose of it. Consider one of our dumpster rentals – not only can they make your whole yard drainage project easier, but they give you a way to dispose of garden waste without having to transport it anywhere yourself.

Creating a DIY Rain Barrel from Scratch

Rain barrels are an excellent addition to any yard or garden, giving you a way to save up water from natural rainfall while also avoiding flooding or the over-watering of anything below your drains. Even outside of water shortages, it can be a valuable tool to have installed.

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However, it is often cheaper to create your own rain barrel than to buy one, especially if you have most of the materials in your home already. It does not take as long as you might think, and the end result can be a personal, handcrafted rain barrel unique to your own home.

What you Will Need

There are no specific steps that you have to follow when creating a rain barrel, and each one is likely to be different. However, certain tools are required to make this kind of DIY work even possible.

  • A barrel, trash can, or another suitable container
  • A roll of screen (such as a window screen)
  • A water nozzle
  • At least one faucet
  • Cinder blocks, planks, or something else to hold the barrel
  • Scissors
  • A Screwdriver
  • A staple gun
  • A utility knife
  • A rotary cutting tool
  • A shovel
  • A level
  • A set of pliers

If you can work without any of these, or want to use alternative tools, then they can work as well. Just remember that your tools will change the end result of your DIY work, so using the right equipment can make your finished barrel much better.

Locating a Spot

It is important to know where your barrel is going to be placed before you try to create it. This can help you avoid problems like creating a barrel that will not fit under the drain or making one that can’t get close enough to the wall. It also lets you pre-cut the drainage pipes yourself.

Try to choose a drain that receives a lot of rainwater, such as a single drain that is dedicated to one whole half of your home’s roof. This increases your water yield and ensures that the water is not going to flood your yard easily.

There are two ways to prepare a drainpipe – either install a diverter or cut the pipe yourself. How you do this depends on the pipe and barrel you want to use, so take some time to plan it out.

Prepare the Barrel

The barrel (or trash can or whatever container you are planning to use) needs to be properly prepared before you can actually use it. 

The Faucet

First, cut a hole on the side, a few inches from the bottom – this is going to be the place where you install the faucet. Make sure that you have a faucet piece ready, and cut the hole so that it can fit snugly without leaving any gaps. 

You will need to install a metal washer onto the faucet itself, then thread on a rubber washer after that. Insert it into the hole and thread a second rubber washer on the end, then screw a locknut into place so that it stays there. This will seal all of the water inside the can.

Also, consider installing a second faucet higher up the barrel. This can be a good way to quickly release some water in a controlled way if the barrel is overflowing, rather than letting the water pour over the top in every direction.

The Hole

Now, you need a hole actually to get the water into the barrel. You can either cut the entire top off and use a screen (which is often easier but runs the risk of leaves getting through or other debris landing in the water) or cut a hole specifically for the drain.

If you are cutting a hole, then you will want to make sure that it is just big enough for the drain. This can be tricky depending on the design of the barrel, so do not hesitate to mark it out with a pen and cut it open yourself. If you can remove the barrel lid, this becomes even easier.

The Screen

Installing a screen over the top of the barrel ensures that no dirt or debris can get into it, along with anything that might taint the water too much to use it on plants. 

This is not too hard – simply roll your chosen screen (many people use a window screen) across the top, then staple it down with a staple gun and cut off any leftover materials. If you want, you can keep the material scraps to do repairs to the screen later if it tears. 

Installing the Barrel

It is not hard to install a rain barrel once you have created one. Simply fit it underneath the drain downspout, ideally on top of some planks or cinder blocks so that it can be lifted as needed.

Always make sure that the downspout is lined up properly with the hole if you are using a hole rather than just cutting the top off. If it is misaligned, then some of the water might flow out and bounce off the top of the barrel anyway, meaning that you are not collecting nearly as much water.

There is a lot you can do with one of these barrels to personalize them. Some people include a second hole for a stick, which they can plunge into the water to check the current water level, while others might connect a garden hose to one of the faucets permanently.

If you have any materials leftover or have multiple failed rain barrel projects that you need to scrap, then consider one of our dumpster rental options. These can be an incredibly convenient way of removing waste from your home, especially after major DIY work like this.

A Handy Guide to Preparing to Knock Down Walls

An open floor plan can be a very liberating addition to any home or office, giving you an easy way to merge multiple rooms together and create a larger, multi-purpose space. However, there can be a lot of specific things to consider when you are planning to break down an entire wall on your own.

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Here are some quick steps to keep in mind if you are going to knock down a wall, regardless of how large it might be or what kind of scale you are working at. Just remember that every home is different, so you need to work around your own home’s limits and physical design.

Identify Load-Bearing Walls

A loadbearing wall can be a serious concern when you are going to knock a wall down since breaking them can cause major damage to your home’s structure. These walls are the ones that support another part of your home, whether that is another floor or the entire roof.

Identifying load-bearing walls often means talking with an actual engineer or architect – hiring one to inspect your home is an easy way to learn which walls you can safely knock through and which you can’t. 

You can always get load-bearing walls converted or adjusted to that you can still create an open floor plan, but this takes a lot of time, money, and expert help. Be sure to avoid including load-bearing walls in your DIY projects since you might damage your whole house.

The exact location of the load-bearing walls in your home might not always be obvious, but if you have any of the original plans, then you can usually use those. Just be sure that you are not about to break through a load-bearing structure since it could cause serious long-term damage.

Consider Costs

The cost of knocking down a wall can vary heavily depending on the work that you are doing. However, breaking through a standard non-load-bearing wall with no pipes or wires can cost as little as $1,000, less if you are doing it all by yourself and not hiring any specialists.

However, removing a load-bearing wall requires contracted professionals and can cost anything from three to twenty times that amount. Going for cheaper options can also result in the work being done to a much lower standard of quality.

Remember that you will also have to buy the materials and tools for the job, too. A sledgehammer might not cost that much, but you will need the tools to safely remove all of the debris and smashed bricks from your home, as well as seal up any gaps you left in other surfaces.

This is also important if you are going to be doing other work after knocking the wall down, such as trying to properly combine the two rooms into one space. These can all add to the cost of the project, so you should budget for the entire task and not just this first step.

Keep in mind that costs are not always consistent, so you can’t always rely on internet prices to translate into real life. A specialist might cost far more than you had expected, whereas a certain tool could be much cheaper – you need to work with what you have available.

Avoid In-Wall Equipment

Outlets can be one of the biggest issues when dealing with any wall. Removing a power outlet involves hiring a professional who can safely handle all of the wiring-related safety hazards, and you do not want to knock a wall down when there is still a live power outlet built into it.

The same goes for water pipes, ventilation, and anything else that is set inside the wall itself. Sometimes, not all of these things are obvious, so you will want to identify them before you start.

The best way to do this is to cut a hole in your drywall, either through the basement (if you have one) or in the wall itself. A flashlight can help you spot any shining metal parts. If you are not completely satisfied that the wall is clear, then consider getting a professional to do it for you.

This all depends on where you plan to knock through the wall, of course. If you are only breaking open particular parts of a wall, then you might be able to get away with ignoring the outlets and pipes as long as they do not cross into the section of the wall that you are trying to break.

Correct your Tools

You will always want the correct tools for a project like this. It does not take that much to knock down a wall, but you need to be fully prepared if you want to do it quickly and easily.

  • A sledgehammer
  • A pry bar
  • A utility knife
  • A stud finder
  • A reciprocating saw
  • Multiple widths of trowel
  • An electric drill
  • Any other specific gear you might want to use

In terms of materials, make sure to bring all of the standard safety equipment, including goggles, gloves, and face masks. Plastic sheeting and tape can help too. If you need to dispose of the debris quickly, one of our dumpster rental options can work incredibly well.

You might also want to get extra materials in place to help with the more niche parts of your work. For example, it can be more efficient to keep drywall compound and wood strips around so that you can patch up any remaining gaps or holes quickly, rather than doing it separately later.

Remodeling your Laundry Room through DIY

The laundry room can be one of the most easily-forgotten locations in your home, but it is also one of the most important for many people. Renovating and improving it can go a long way towards making it a more comfortable and appealing space, and DIY is the perfect way to go about it.

Why use DIY?

A full overhaul of your laundry room would cost quite a bit if you had it professionally renovated, but DIY techniques can be a far cheaper way to approach the project. Not only does it mean that you are not paying for a contractor, but you get full control over your own budget.

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For example, custom cabinet installation could cost as much as $2,000 or more when you hire a specialist. By doing it yourself, you save all of that money and get a bit more control over how you are actually installing them, as well as improving your own DIY skills in the process.

Quick DIY techniques for your laundry room 

Instead of having to budget out a lot of money for a professional remodel, you can take on your utility room as a DIY project and make some small but meaningful tweaks. It only takes a few little additions or changes to completely alter the atmosphere and feel of a room.

Add Shelving

Shelving is always at a premium in a small room, but there are some creative places where you can add extra shelves without cramping the room even further. Adding some behind a door will not make the room any smaller, but even a few inches of shelf space can make a difference.

Using up any ‘dead space’ that you have left is a great way to get more out of a small room, making it a much easier space to use without actually limiting your own movement. Even something as simple as adding one extra shelf to an existing wall shelving set can be a huge boon.

Use Hangars

Hanging up clothes and laundry is the ideal way to let them dry naturally, but you can’t always do that outside. While it might seem wasteful to use up space hanging your clothing indoors, it is actually quite an easy thing to set up.

Even something as simple as a thin board between two ceiling struts, or a rail above a window, can give you an easy and reliable place to hang up clothing so that it can dry faster. An adjustable shower rod can be a less permanent (but no less effective) option for smaller homes.

Swap to Sliding Doors

A door that opens into a laundry room will naturally cut down on space since you need some of the floor free to actually swing it open. Even if it swings the other way, the door handle still sticks out, and you can’t really block it without compromising your own safety.

Using sliding doors can alleviate this problem and give you a nicer-looking utility room, with the added possibility of letting light through if it is partially glass. This can be an advanced project, but if your DIY skills and budget allow it, then it offers a lot of benefits and almost no drawbacks.

Try Fold-Away Utilities

Folding appliances are always useful in a small space, and this makes a folding ironing board perfect for a laundry room. Not only can this cut down on how much space you use, but it also gives you far more control over the way that your room is laid out since the ironing board can be hidden away.

The same goes for a lot of stowaway items, from tables to clothing racks. All of this can be very useful without consuming extra space when you are not using them, giving you a lot more flexibility in a small room.

Improve Lighting

Sometimes, lighting can make one of the biggest differences in how a room looks. Not only does good lighting help make a room look cleaner, but dark lighting can actively harm how nice a space looks, even if everything else is perfect.

Consider changing around your lights, either by choosing new bulbs for existing lights or installing new ones. Even a battery-operated or wall-plug-powered LED light strip can help, and you have a lot of control over how you choose to light the room.

Repaint Walls

If you are still stuck for new options, try repainting the walls of your utility room. This can sound strange at first, but a full repaint lets you bring out brand new colors and excellent atmospheres that the old paint colors might not have.

Beyond that, the right paint colors can sometimes let light bounce around a room more effectively, meaning that natural light will make a bigger difference. Whatever you choose to do, it is a good way to improve a dark or bland space that could use some extra flair.

What Else?

Really, there is not a single way to tackle a DIY project like this, so it all comes down to what you are looking for. Depending on the scale and style of your renovations, you might be able to do it entirely DIY, but some larger projects can depend on outside help as well.

If you have a lot of debris and scrap leftover, consider getting one of our dumpster rental options. These can make it much easier to throw away a lot of trash and leftover materials without needing to rely on your own vehicle to move it all.

9 Major Signs of Home Foundation Damage

Your foundations are literally the part of your home that holds everything together, the anchor that makes sure each wall is kept in the right place and at the right angle. As you might expect, damage to your home’s foundation is not just a nuisance – it can be an incredibly serious problem.

However, knowing how to spot (and react to) individual problems is extremely important. One of the biggest causes of major foundation damage is not noticing smaller issues, which can quickly build up until they become a problem that requires a lot of time and money to resolve.

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Here are nine core signs that something might be wrong with your home’s foundation, whether your home is brand new or has been around for decades.

  1. Cracks

Naturally, if you see cracks in walls and floors, then there is something causing them. This is usually foundation damage, and that means that you will want to do actual repair work instead of just filling them in and ignoring them.

  1. Sagging Ceilings and Floors

If a foundation is damaged too much, it can start to shift, pulling walls and beams away from one another. This changes the weight distribution in your home and can often result in a sagging floor or ceiling, one that might get worse over time.

If your floor seems too slanted, then you likely have foundation problems. It is worth checking the flooring with a spirit level tool if you are ever unsure of how flat it is: if it is getting more slanted with each passing week or month, then you have foundation issues.

  1. Stuck Windows and Doors

If the doors and windows in parts of your house have completely stopped closing correctly, then there could be some foundation issues that are distorting the frames. This is not the only cause of a window being stuck, but if it is happening to multiple at once, then something might be up.

This will gradually get worse and worse as the foundation problems intensify, so if a window goes from sticking to completely jamming, then you should do a foundation inspection just in case.

  1. Wall Gaps

Any gaps between walls and other parts of your home (doors, windows, facades, or even a deck) can mean that your foundation is pulling parts of the structure apart. These not only let moisture and insects in but can get worse the longer you leave them unresolved.

Watch out for this kind of physical damage because it can result in needing major repair work for even the smallest issues. The earlier you catch it, the easier and cheaper it will be to repair, so do not hesitate to do some basic checks of your own or hire an expert to do it for you.

  1. Bad Smells

If you can smell something awful in your basement or other under-wall areas, then mildew might be leaking into the basement walls. While this can be a plumbing issue, it also happens when moisture can seep into the foundation through cracks.

This is not always a clear sign of foundation damage itself, but it can still be worth investigating – no matter the cause, it will be something that you will want to fix anyway.

  1. Heavy Mold

Just like the mildew that could start forming in your basement, mold by the edges of windows and doors (or even at the edges of walls) can mean that moisture is getting into your home through a crack or gap.

As before, this could just be due to other sources of water or moisture, but you should never rule out foundation damage too quickly. The more mold you see, the worse things might be getting, do be sure to double-check everything as soon as you possibly can.

  1. Bowed Walls

Bowing exterior walls are a sign that the foundation is moving. While it is easy to mistake heat or water-related paint damage with bowing at first, it should quickly become clear that the wall itself is shifting in a way that it should not be.

This can be important in houses that might cover quite a large surface area since the foundation damage might only start in one corner of your home. Catching the bowing walls early on makes a big difference, especially if they are load-bearing walls.

  1. Damaged Nails

If you see nails popping out of drywall or poking out in strange ways, then the wall might be moving in a way that forces the nails out. This can be a very clear sign that something has pushed them out, and this usually means foundation damage – or wall damage, at the very least.

You can fill individual screw holes in drywall quite easily, but if a lot of nails keep popping out, then the damage will not stop coming any time soon and needs to be repaired as soon as possible. The longer you leave it alone, the worse it might get.

  1. Chimney Issues

If your chimney is shifting or looks ready to collapse, then it is most likely being shifted by the foundation’s movements. A chimney runs all the way through a house, so any changes to the structure can impact the entire chimney as a whole.

Make sure to get it repaired and stabilized as soon as possible since a collapsing chimney can be a major health and safety hazard around the home. If it does fall apart, you can use one of our dumpster rentals to help move the damaged bricks and debris away safely.

 

DIY Bathroom Remodels: A Step By Step Guide

Introduction

The bathroom is one of the rooms of your home you are likely to spend the most time in, or at least to visit the most frequently. Despite that, many homeowners overlook the importance of making this space a nice and well-designed one. If you are starting to wonder about remodeling your bathroom, then we are here to help. Below, you will find a simple step-by-step guide to DIY bathroom remodeling, as well as some selected top DIY tips.

How Much Does it Cost to Remodel Your Bathroom?

The cost of remodeling a bathroom can vary significantly depending on what level of remodeling you are doing. A surface-level remodel is likely to cost you around $10,000, while a full-scale remodel involving moving plumbing layouts could cost up to around $25,000.

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However, a lot of those costs come from labor prices. A DIY bathroom remodel can save you on labor costs, freeing that money up for materials and design.

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel

The most important part of a DIY bathroom remodel is the planning phase. Make sure you choose a design that is both one you are really happy with and one that falls comfortably within your DIY skill set and abilities. Consider important features like color schemes, fixtures, functional storage spaces, and where all the pipes in the room are located before you start. 

Tools

Before you get started on your remodel, you will want to get some essential tools together. You will need: 

  • Safety mask
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Caulking gun
  • Silicone sealant
  • Hammer
  • Tape measure
  • Spackle knife
  • Spackle
  • Stud finder
  • Power drill
  • Pry bar
  • Bucket
  • Chisel
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Flathead screwdriver
  • Hacksaw
  • Utility knife
  • Chalk line
  • Extension cord

We would also recommend trying to have access to a cordless drill and a wet-dry shop vac if you can borrow them from somewhere, as they are likely to make the project a bit easier.

Step 1: Remove Old Fixtures

Before you start adding anything, you will want to remove whatever old fixtures you are looking to replace. That means fixtures, piping, tiles, and potentially even drywall. The first part of this process is shutting off the water. Do not do anything to any of the pipes until you have shut the water off completely, or things could go horribly wrong, and you might get very wet!

Step 2: Install New Baths or Showers First

When you are ready to start installing new features for your bathroom, you should start with the largest ones: the bath and/or shower. Getting this out of the way first is important, as you will want all the empty space you can get in order to move large components around without risking damage to your new fittings.

Step 3: Lay the Flooring

Once you have dealt with the largest parts of the bathroom, it is time to lay the new floor. Start by prepping the subfloor carefully, and then you can start to install flooring. Tile is the most popular option for decorating most bathrooms, but laminate or vinyl can be much more affordable. These are not as durable as tile, but they are easier to lay and much cheaper, two qualities that make them very DIY friendly.

If you are using tile, we would recommend grabbing a mason’s chalk and using that to mark reference lines perpendicular to your walls, giving you a guide to help you ensure that you lay your tiles in neat, straight lines.

Step 4: The Walls

Once you are happy with the floor and it has all set firmly in place, your next step should be the walls. This can be one of the most time-consuming steps of the process, as you will have to cut your new drywall to fit around the largest fittings and plumbing in the room. Take your time, and measure carefully for a tight fit. 

Once you have got the drywall nailed in place, coat the tub wall area with a waterproofing membrane of some sort to protect it from water damage. When you are happy with the structure, it is time to add some color. Painting your walls can be a quick and easy process, but choosing the paint is an important step. We would recommend a semi-gloss paint of some sort, as a semi-gloss finish is much more resistant to mold and mildew than a matt finish and can be wiped clean more easily.

Step 5: Cabinets and Vanities

When you have done the walls and floor, you can start on the furnishings. Install the vanity first, including the sink system. Once you have got the drains and pipes properly hooked up, you can move on to the cabinets, mirrors, and whatever trim you want around your shower or bathtub.

Step 6: Lighting

Updating your bathroom lighting can be time-consuming. If your chosen new lighting requires any rewiring, you should call in a professional electrician to help you! Take your time and ensure all of your lighting is properly and safely installed.

Step 7: Time for Toilets!

The final stage of your bathroom installation should be the plumbing. This is because it is important to avoid chipping the toilet while you install other features of the bathroom. A chipped or cracked toilet can let down an entire bathroom!

Conclusion

A DIY bathroom renovation does not have to be a complicated project. Take your time with it, and do not be afraid to call in professional tradespeople to help you out if you decide that some of it is too complex to tackle on your own!

Clearing Out a Relative’s Home

Losing a loved one is an intensely difficult period of your life. Add to this the need to clear out their home for an estate sale, and you may find yourself floundering over the best way to approach the whole situation. It can be difficult to know where to start, or you could find that you have a much shorter deadline than you would like to have. 

We have gathered some of the best tips we could find from those who have complete estate clear-outs that will hopefully help make this process as easy as it can be for you. 

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Step 1: Change the Locks

Before you do anything else, you must ensure the house is secure. Even if you think you know where all existing keys are, you can never be certain that one has not been missed. The easiest way to secure the home is to change the locks on all external doors. This may be a simple job that you can do yourself, depending on the lock. Alternatively, if you contact a locksmith, this can be done easily. 

If your loved one lived in rented accommodation, we recommend speaking to them immediately both to notify them of the passing and to secure the property until it can be cleared. 

 

Step 2: Check the Will

Reviewing your relative’s will is an essential step before beginning to clear anything out of the house. Depending on your relationship with them and the nature of their death, you may already be aware of the contents of their will. If this is the case, we recommend you still check it over to ensure everything is as you remember or expect. If you are unaware of the contents of the will, then reading it is essential to ensure you are the correct person to clear their home. 

If your loved one has died without a will in place, then intestacy laws will describe how their property will be allocated. You must not begin to move or dispose of their assets or possessions until their estate has been allocated. We advise contacting a legal professional to avoid any questions of wrongdoing from other relatives. Also, as intestacy laws can be different depending on which state you are in, it is always worth having everything checked by a legal professional. 

 

Step 3: Gather Valuable Paperwork

If you are confirmed as the person who will be clearing the house or in charge of the paperwork, your first step is to get all the valuable paperwork in one place. This will include any:

  • Legal documentation
  • Insurance policies
  • Paychecks
  • Social Security information
  • Utility details 
  • Login information for online records
  • Credit card bills/bank statements
  • Tax Information
  • Paperwork relating to high-value items in the home

After locating all of this paperwork, put it to one side for when it is needed, preferably in a folder or safe if there is one available. If you need to deal with any of the paperwork immediately, then take the time to do so before you begin looking at personal possessions.

 

Step 4: Make a Plan

If you do not have a plan for how you will approach this task, it can end up becoming something that just does not get done. Clearing out a loved one’s home can be a daunting and emotional task, so having a plan in place for how you will approach it will make a difference in how long it will take. 

You can do this in numerous ways, but the most straightforward is to create a timeline and stick to it. Set yourself limits for how long each room/task will take, and force yourself, if necessary, to stick to the limits set. 

 

Step 5: Begin Looking at Possessions 

Now that you have prepared the home for sorting, it is time to begin the task. If you are the sole relative, this can be an overwhelming task, and if you are not, this can be complicated. Our recommendation for tackling this is the same regardless. 

We advise you to do an initial sort through of possessions and create piles/label items as you go. The easiest way to do this is room by room. During this, we advise making four piles: 

  • Broken items – likely to be discarded uncontested/definitely to be discarded
  • (Potentially) High-value – Need to be appraised 
  • Items already bequeathed in the will – if there are any
  • Other

Not all of these will be relevant if you are the sole relative. However, there may be some items that have been left to charities or friends in the will.

Anything that has been individually gifted should be given as soon as possible, broken items discarded, and potentially high-value items appraised. 

 

Step 6: Begin Working with Family Members 

If you have other family members, now is the time to get them involved. After all the items that have been gifted have been removed from the home, other members of the family can begin looking at keepsakes for themselves. This can be relatively easy if everyone has a good relationship. If not, it can get contentious, so you may want to keep a list and not let anything leave the property until every family member has been to look around the house. 

 

Step 7: Donate, Donate, Donate

Now that all personal items and keepsakes have been dealt with, try to donate as many of the possessions not being kept as possible. Some organizations will pick up furniture and appliances directly from the home, so look into this for your area. 

 

Step 8: Liquidate the Remaining Assets

Now that the house is empty, it is time to liquidate any high-value assets and items. An estate liquidator may be the best way to go if you are unsure of what to do or there are a lot of items to liquidate. 

The Kitchen Remodel Survival Guide

Kitchen remodels are so satisfying once they have been completed. However, during the process of remodeling your kitchen, we cannot think of anything worse than having to live in a home with a building site for a kitchen. 

If you have remodeled a kitchen in the past, you may be aware of what is to come when you begin planning another. You may also know the best things to do to get through running a household without a useable kitchen. However, if you have not experienced this, it is understandable that you may feel slightly daunted right now. 

 

Whether you just want your remodel to go better than it did last time, or you are planning your first remodel, we have gathered some top tips for how to survive the process. 

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Timescales

Before you start the remodel, you may need to prepare yourself for the time it will take to plan and execute the project. 

Planning will take approximately: 

  • 2-4 weeks to speak to contractors and decide which you will use
  • 1-4 weeks to draw up your designs, choose the materials, and work out your costs

 

Completing the remodel will take approximately:

  • 1-4 weeks to order the materials, have your permits approved, and receive the materials
  • 2-4 to build the new kitchen

 

Step 1: Organize

While the planning stage is being completed, you can make your first step towards surviving the remodeling process. That is to organize your kitchen. Organizing your kitchen at this point serves two purposes. The first is to ensure that you know where everything is while the remodel is taking place. This will make it much easier if you need something from your kitchen while it is all in boxes. 

Secondly, organizing your kitchen is an excellent way to declutter and donate or dispose of anything you no longer use, need, or want in your new kitchen. Completing this step early in the planning process of the remodel means that you will not be rushed or pressed for time to get it done and end up keeping everything. This also means you do not need to sort through your kitchen items while you are unpacking into your new kitchen. 

The best thing to do when while your kitchen is being remodeled is to create a temporary kitchen setup, so you do not end up eating out each night for several weeks. Organizing early will allow you to have the temporary setup created and ready to go in plenty of time, so you do not forget something. 

 

Step 2: Create Your Temporary Kitchen Setup

Firstly, when creating your temporary kitchen, you need to decide which room you are going to utilize. The main thing when deciding this is to pick a room where you have plumbing and electrical outlets. This will make cooking and washing up much easier. You could utilize a basement space or laundry room if you have either. If you do not, you can use a dining room to use the outlets and use your bathroom to wash up the dishes. 

You should ideally use a room that is set away from your kitchen, but if you cannot, then ensure you use a room where the doors can be fully closed. This will really make the difference when there is dust in the air from the remodel. 

The items we recommend you have in your kitchen during the remodel are your essentials for daily use. If you are a big coffee drinker, for example, ensure your coffee maker is set up, and you have mugs and coffee in place before it starts. You should also include appliances that can be used to make full meals, like slow cookers/crock pots and a microwave. A small fridge is also a great idea, along with an electric kettle, hot plate, and toaster. 

 

Step 3: Plan Meals

This step goes closely with step 2, as the meals you plan to make during the kitchen remodel may influence the items you choose to include in your temporary kitchen. We recommend you plan meals that can be cooked easily with very little preparation as you will be working in a restricted space. 

Slow cooker meals are a great place to start, especially with pre-prepared ingredients, so you can just add everything to the pot and set it away to cook. For less washing up, use a slow cooker liner that can be disposed of quickly and easily once the food is served. 

Microwave meals are also a great option and can be bought and cooked immediately. If you do not have much or any fridge space, you can buy one to microwave immediately. A takeout is also a great option, and you can use leftovers for meals the next day to save you having to cook again. 

 

Step 4: Keep Children and Pets out of the Kitchen

Keeping children and pets out of the kitchen area is sensible to avoid injuries, but also to avoid them trailing dust and debris through your home too. 

Sitting your children down, if you have children, ahead of the remodel and explaining the process to them is also a huge benefit. Children knowing the impact a home improvement project is going to have on them is good for everyone in the house as it is less of a shock throughout the process. 

Ensuring your children can stick as close to their usual routine as possible will help the whole family get through the project and will make your life easier outside of the remodel. We advise you to ensure that you have ways to make their favorite foods in your temporary kitchen too, in case of a difficult day. 

Organizing A Playroom

If you have a playroom for your children at home, it can be tempting to close the door on the room at the end of each day. The idea that it will only get messed up again the next day is correct but also means the playroom will never be tidy. 

Although you have a playroom to give your child or children somewhere to play, you can use a playroom as an educational room. You can teach children from a young age about tidying their toys and making their spaces clean. 

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Having an excellent organization structure in your playroom will allow your child or children to have space to play and places for each toy to be. It will also help you to keep track of the toys that your children own and retire toys as appropriate. 

So, what are the best and easiest ways to organize your playroom? Do not despair; we have detailed some of our favorite ideas below to help you to get started.

Declutter

The first step to having an organized playroom is to make sure that only what you need is in there. The best way to do this is to begin decluttering, you can do this area by area, or you can do the entire room in one. 

First, remove any broken toys. If they cannot be fixed, there is no need for them to be in your playroom. Once you have removed the broken toys, it is time to remove the toys your children have outgrown. You can do this with your children so that they feel involved in the process and do not become upset that their toys are missing. 

This is also a great way to educate your children about donating to other children and charities. 

Use Clear Storage Boxes

If you use clear storage boxes to store your children’s toys, you can more easily see where everything is. This makes it easier if your children want to play with something specific. Using clear storage boxes means you do not need to get multiple boxes out to find what is needed. More boxes being brought out to check means more chance of your children pulling out extra toys while you look. 

Clear storage boxes are also a great way to help your children clean up each night as they can put everything back easily where they can see it fits.

Have Places for their Favorites

Having spaces for their favorite toys is a great way to get children started on the idea of clearing their toys away. A favorite doll into a dollhouse each night before they go to bed is a great way to get started with organization. 

Labeling 

Using labels as your children get older is a great way for them to see where their toys should be. As your children get old enough to read the labels on the boxes, your children can see where each toy should go at the end of the day. If your children are younger, you could add pictures for visual cues of where toys should be.

However, as your children grow, they will inevitably outgrow the toys they currently have, so we recommend you use labels that can be easily removed from the boxes. 

Small Toys

Your children will have small toys throughout their childhood that can become problematic if left loose. We recommend making sure you have containers for these types of toys. Little storage buckets with a lid are a great idea so that if they are knocked over, there is less mess. 

Shelve the Books

We recommend you have an organized space for books, such as shelves or a book display unit. Giving your children a space in their playroom to sit quietly and read will help them to unwind and settle towards the end of the day. Having a seat or an area with nice comfortable floor pillows is a great idea, and this will help to keep books in a better condition. 

Make your Storage Accessible

While it can be tempting to buy storage solutions that save space on your floor to give more space for the children to play, they are not always the most effective. A tall storage unit will mean that your children cannot reach all of the storage areas. This makes it more difficult for them to clear up at the end of the day. 

A tall storage unit can also mean some toys will not be played with if they are in the higher containers. Or you will spend all of your time moving between the playroom and other rooms of your house to grab toys that are higher. 

Having accessible storage for your children may mean less floor space but will be invaluable in other ways. 

Move Toys that need Supervision

Messy play is an essential part of childhood, but it is not an everyday, unsupervised occurrence. Keeping toys that would make a lot of mess out of reach is especially helpful to keep your playroom organized. 

Play Mats 

Using play mats on the floor is a way of keeping the toys contained in one area of the playroom. If your children know that play is to be kept on the playmats, you will have less chance of toys being under furniture. 

Cleaning Time Games

Making cleaning time into playtime is a good way to encourage your children to clean up each evening. You can try several games to decide which works best for your children but getting the children involved in creating the game will help. 

Making the Best of Small Spaces

Having a small home does not mean that your home needs to be cluttered or that you will be forced to become a minimalist. You can make the most of the space that you do have to ensure that your home does not become cluttered. We advise that you are organized and make the best use of the space that you do have. 

To help you get started with this, we have details of some of our favorite ideas to make the most of the spaces you have in a smaller home. 

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Living Room

There are several ways that you can make the most of the space in your living room. The living room is often the main entertaining and relaxing room in the home. Having a living room that is cluttered can feel chaotic and make you feel unable to relax. In contrast, if you move too many items out of your living room, it can make it feel sparse and cold. 

Some of the ways to make the most of this room are: 

  1. Neutral Color Schemes

Keeping your color palette neutral is a great way to make any room seem bigger. Lighter walls make the space feel brighter. Continuing this theme in all aspects of the living room color scheme, from furniture to trinkets, will help too. Although light colors are often not chosen because they ‘show the dirt,’ they are a great way to create the illusion of a bigger room and more space. 

  1. Buy Big Rugs

A big rug that covers a wide surface area creates the illusion of space too. A rug that goes under multiple pieces of furniture makes your eye view the wider space. We recommend that you do not pick a rug with an overwhelming pattern or bright colors, as this can make a room feel smaller. 

  1. Get Creative with Storage

Storage units or cupboards are not effective for maximizing space, as the furniture itself will feel cramped. We love floating shelves instead of shelving units to make your living room feel more spacious. Having a shelf out in the open will also help you to keep your room less cluttered. Being able to see what is on a shelf stops you from overloading the shelf. 

  1. Move Items off the Floor

The more floor space in your living room, the better. Having items such as your television mounted on the wall draws your eye up. Having the television on the wall and removing a television unit will benefit a small living room. 

Kitchen

Your kitchen is where you will spend less time, usually, than your living room. However, having a cluttered kitchen can be more problematic for you on a day-to-day basis. If you have a kitchen that does not have a lot of space, it can make preparing and cooking meals difficult. When dealing with a small kitchen counter space is premium, to make the most of it, we recommend:

  1. Hanging items above the countertop

We love the magnetic strips to hang rails above the counters. You can use them for so many things. We prefer them hanging just under the wall cupboards. They are so versatile, and you can utilize them for mugs, knives, and utensils.

  1. Clear your Counters

Having clear countertops is essential in a smaller kitchen. The more space you have to work on, the more relaxing your cooking experience will be. The best way to do this is through decluttering. If you are not using an item in your kitchen, ‘keeping it for a rainy day’ is not necessary. We recommend going through your cupboards and drawers regularly and purging those items you bought for one project several years ago. 

Also, similarly to in the living room, use floating shelves to store cookbooks and have a light and neutral color scheme to make the room feel bigger. 

Bathroom

Your bathroom is not a room that you will spend a huge amount of time in but is one that can quickly and easily become cluttered. We recommend ensuring your bathroom products are put away as soon as you use them. There is nothing worse in a small bathroom than every surface being covered in tubes of toothpaste or hair products. 

  1. Utilize Empty Walls

We recommend you make use of the empty wall space in your bathroom. You can use this to hang a towel rail, some floating shelves, or a small medicine cabinet. This will help you to manage the items in your bathroom while not having units taking up floor space. 

  1. Reflect Light

Including a mirror in your bathroom is a great idea. The mirror will reflect any light sources in the room, which will make your bathroom feel bigger. This could be a wall-mounted mirror or a medicine cabinet with mirrored doors. 

Bedroom

Walking into your bedroom should not be stressful, seeing lots of clutter or having no space to move around. Unlike rooms for entertaining, your bedroom is important for your wellbeing and sleep, so some of our space maximizing techniques are:

  1. Declutter

The first step in any room is to make sure you only keep items you use or need. Clearing out old clothes and books is a great first step in making the most of your space. 

  1. Buy Dual Purpose Furniture

Having furniture that serves two purposes is a brilliant way to make the most of the space it uses. A bed with storage underneath or a chair that incorporates bookshelves will benefit you. 

Of course, as we have mentioned with other rooms, neutral, light color schemes, mirrors on the wall, and floating shelves work great in a bedroom too. 

The Top Three Products Reinventing The Trash Can

Technology has changed many areas of our lives and will continue to do so far into the future. While it may be expected for certain products to be improved by technology, you may have never considered trash cans to be included in this.

However, there are several products available right now that are revolutionizing the market when it comes to trash cans and the way we handle the waste. These products are being used in homes, businesses, and even at parties across the nation to change the way we impact the planet with our rubbish.

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If you are interested in changing the way you deal with trash, then you will want to check out these three products.

#1: Bruno Smart Can

Bruno is known as the world’s first Smart Can and has brought the humble trash can into the future, along with the rest of us.

This trash can works with smartphone connectivity, allowing you to control your waste with the touch of a button on your phone, as well as offering easy in-bag storage and a built-in vacuum. This vacuum is present at the bottom of the trash can and is one of the best features as it works to suck up everything from cat hairs to food crumbs and directs it directly to the trash can. 

The Bruno Smart Can was welcomed into the market following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015. The company raised over $117,0000, which was an incredible feat considering their goal was $50,000.

Bruno was brought to life by Jim Howard and Lori Montag, who gave the smart can a human name as it works on intelligence. This trash can will remind users to take out the trash with notifications on their smartphone and will also send an alert when it is low on trash bags.

With Bruno, you will never have to deal with the last-minute rush before the trash is collected, as notifications will be sent directly to you ahead of time. 

#2: Drop Bucket

Festivals and other large public events can be an incredible strain on resources. The amount of trash that is left behind following a large public event is incredible and can be difficult to handle alone.

This is where Drop Bucket comes in, as this trash can is designed to be easy to carry.

Developed by two Denmark students, Marie S. Berggreen and Heiða G. Nolsøe, the Drop Bucket is made of recycled cardboard and is designed as an impromptu trash can. As it is made from cardboard, this trash can is lightweight, so it can be carried and is foldable, making it easy to set up wherever you are.

The Drop Bucket is now an award-winning trash can that has been hailed for its innovative design, but it is also incredibly beneficial for its eco-friendly properties. This trash can has helped to reduce the human footprint at many public events, like festivals, across Denmark since its development and continues to be a great option for these kinds of events.

The company desires to expand into Europe and other locations due to the success it has seen in its home country. 

#3: Trash-Ease

Disposing of trash on the go has never been an easy feat which is why Trash-Ease was developed.

This trash can is a wireframed device that has been designed to hold a trash bag and allows them to hang from surfaces. Whether you are sitting in the garden enjoying some canned drinks or are in the local park having a picnic, Trash Ease can be brought along with you to provide a holder for all kinds of trash.

Trash-Ease is a simple device that has so many benefits. It is foldable, so it can be taken on the go with you and is incredibly useful in camping trips, sports matches and games, and cookouts, to name but a few.

The wireframe can be attached to a range of surfaces making for easy access to a trash container at all times. At the end of the event, the trash bag can be removed from Trash-Ease, tied up, and thrown in the dumpster preventing litter.

You can find Trash-Ease in Walmarts across the nation, making it incredibly accessible.

The Future Of Trash Cans

While you might not have given it much thought, trash cans are an important part of our everyday routines. Traditional trash cans are good for a specific purpose, but as you can see from this article, there are many ways they can be improved.

The three products in this article are excellent examples of the innovation that can be applied to most everyday products to make things easier and more sustainable for everyone.

With the innovative technology we now have access to, the future of trash cans is only going to get better. The evolution of the trash can that we have already witnessed plays a huge part in benefitting the environment and can help people lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

While we can focus on ways to reduce our waste, it is still a good idea to highlight the companies that are making it easier to dispose of the waste we do create. 

Brands like those mentioned in this article are making it easier for us to throw away the trash, preventing litter, and keeping our spaces clean, which has long-lasting benefits for the environment.