Do Patio Doors Need Blinds?

Patio doors are brilliant investments, often providing a seamless passage from the back of the home to the garden area. After all, gardening is becoming more popular as a pastime, and patio doors make that therapeutic, quick relief even more appealing and accessible.

Patio doors are also great for letting light into a room, as well as providing wide open views from atop a balcony. Essentially, they’re a big window that can open as a door, and that will always be trendy and add a flare of originality to the home.

With all that said, it’s worth asking what might seem like a bizarre question; do patio doors need blinds?

Blocking the Outside

You could have the very best view in all the land, but every homeowner needs their privacy from time to time. Additionally, what’s a nice view on a sunny day can be spoilt entirely by rain, mist or fog, so it’s obviously not always desirable. The point is, depending on the day and time, people can change their minds about what they want from their patio doors.

This is where blinds are useful, exposing and blocking off the view at will. They’re also not as clunkier or heavy handed as thick, obtrusive curtains, and are more subtly inserted into that space where the outside and inside bleed into one another more fluidly. Consequently, roller blinds from Direct Blinds works best here, with no gaps for anyone to peep through while remaining thin and nimble.

Controlling Lighting

Once again, depending on the weather, different amounts of light will be unleashed upon the house. While some might yank regular curtains across the scene if it’s all too bright, this scenario isn’t entirely ideal. After all, such people would only have two stark choices through using standard curtains; no natural light at all or letting in all the natural light.

Obviously, with blinds there’s more room for customising just how much light comes in through the patio door. You can twist the louvres to accurately control just how much light comes in, enabling you to find that perfect spot. The fabric is also easily moved across the rail if you do decide to commit to just letting it all inside. No matter what you decide to do, the important thing is that you can decide thanks to the blinds!

Duette Blinds

Sleek, stylish, and extremely modern; the Duette blinds achieve everything the vertical blinds can but with a different kind of flare. Dubbed as honeycomb blinds, these slick additions are fitted horizontally but can also be scaled up and down the patio door in their entirety.

The stacks are light and extremely responsive too, meaning there’s no heavy yanking on chains and louvres to get them working. This is because they can be controlled and configured with a paired smartphone app, which is another flare of luxury that can be added to your patio area. In the end, Duette blinds would be an extremely stylish addition to the patio area.

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Ways to Make Your House More Valuable

If you’ve come to the decision to sell your home, then no doubt you want to make it as valuable as
possible. Obviously, the more you get from your house, the better, and there’s always little projects you can undertake to get your home into the best shape possible. It’s time to get creative!

However, houses have been selling extremely slowly recently, partly due to the rising costs and younger generations being priced out of the market. Still, this shouldn’t deter you from making your home as
valuable as possible. In the end, the right buyer is out there, even if they’re somewhat harder to find
today.

Therefore, here a few tips and tricks to help you make your house more valuable.

Consult the Experts

Some estate agencies are bonified experts in selling property. They know everything that potential buyers want and expect, and really shape the housing market with their vast quantities of knowledge. Absolutely nothing escapes their notice, which puts them in a prime position for some quality consultation.

If you’re looking to add value to your home, there’s no one better to advise you than agencies like
Andrews, who work tirelessly to minimise your moving stress. They have digital valuation tools to help
you value your property, stay on track with any adjustments, and provide information and advice from
conveyancing services to surveys. In the end, your valuation projects will hit the ground running if you start here.

Room Conversions

While many people are quite happy to add rooms like extensions and conservatories to the mix, this can
be highly expensive. In the latter case, the winter months see conservatories very rarely used, making the
investment questionable in the first instance. In the end, if you’re now selling your home and are
considering adding a room for some added value, hold that train of thought.
Instead, convert an existing room. It’s a far cheaper process, a more creative project for the potential
buyer to view, and leaves room for the new owners to choose whether they’d like to extend the property.
If you can turn a garage into a living room, or merge your kitchen and dining room together, this will give the property a more unique, and thus more appealing, identity.

Use What You Already Have

Many homeowners make the mistake of burying the natural order of things in their property. Still, the
following point is an important one to remember; adding value to a home isn’t always about adding things on, but also about using what you have too.

Some homely adjustments can feel tacked on as an afterthought, a desperate bid to add a bit of ‘umph’ to
the property while instead making it cluttered.

However, the best homes very often speak for themselves, at least at a foundational level. For example, if
you’ve got a view of any kind at the front or back of the property, make sure it’s always on show as they
can add thousands to property value. Also, plan all your rooms economically, relative to the space you
have. Only then will things look organised, appealing, and more valuable, instead of congested and
overstuffed.

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The Benefits of Garage Door Servicing & Maintenance

As a cornerstone of security, convenience and beauty of your home, garage doors need a little TLC to keep them performing well and looking great. Regular maintenance and servicing are the key to restoring the quality of your garage door and avoiding any problems down the line.

 

Is garage door servicing worth it?

The sure answer is, yes! Looking after a valuable element of your property will always be advantageous for its longevity, quality and performance. The benefits of garage and maintenance include:

• Cost-Effective: Ensuring that simple and regular maintenance tasks are carried out on your door a few times a year is much cheaper than needing to replace an entire garage door, should faults be neglected. A bi-annual servicing by a professional is recommended, along with regular visual checks performed by you, the owner, on a regular basis.  

• Enhances the Safety of Your Family and Vehicle: Garage doors are heavy machines with lots of mechanical components keeping them operational. Should a door malfunction at the wrong moment, it has the potential to injure nearby people and animals, as well as your vehicle. Regular maintenance and checks can reduce the likelihood of malfunctions occurring.

• Protects the Security of Your Property: The main function of garage doors is to act as a strong, reliable barrier between the contents of your garage and potential thieves. That’s why you should try not to allow weak spots and potential entry points to go unnoticed, and make sure you catch problems early to avoid break-in risks.

• Avoids DIY and Amateur Mistakes: There is no harm in performing occasional visual checks of your garage door to try and spot issues, but correction of real issues should always be undertaken by a professional – even the most technically-adept DIY enthusiast may worsen the problem, or risk injury to themselves, in an attempt to fix the door.

 

Warning signs that your garage door may need servicing

Is your garage door making a bizarre sound? Perhaps it is a little stiffer, looser or slower than normal? While these signs could see minor, they should never be ignored as they may be signs of garage door deterioration or damage, which could eventually transform into an unsafe situation. Surefire signs that you may need the assistance of a garage door specialist include:

• Unusual noises
• Door closes too quickly or too slowly
• Door will not close completely
• Door will not stay open
• The outside has cracks or gaps in door

Contact a reliable local company like our friends at Doormatic Garage Doors who can inform you of what’s involved in a garage door service, and how they can help diagnose, maintain and repair your garage door.

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Weird and Wonderful Ways of Using Concrete

Despite millions of tonnes of it being used in construction projects around the world, it would be fair to say that concrete is not necessarily the most interesting subject. The word does not typically conjure beautiful imagery, but in the right hands, concrete can be turned into some fascinating creations. In this piece, we’re going to look at some of the most unique and impressive ways concrete has been used.

National Museum of Brazil

Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, a modernist architect, this building was created to resemble a planet. Only half of it is visible above ground, but the water surrounding the structure reflects the dome, creating the illusion of a spherical building.

Photo: Senado Federal on WikimediaCommons

Chandigarh, India

A structure it may be, but this is far from an innovative building or sculpture – this is an entire ‘utopian city’. Designed in 1947 in post-independence India as a collaborative effort between Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, one of the standout features is the Palais de l’Assemblée; it utilises straight, linear concrete forms for the most part, but with curved features at the entrance. As it is built upon a reflective pool, the striking effect is doubled.

Photo: Eduardo Guiot on Wikimediacommons

CyberHub Social – Guguram, India

Concrete has been used very innovatively at this cafe, with concrete sewer pipes used as outdoor seating areas. The enormous (and clean) pipes have been fitted with bench seating and suspended tables, and decorated with colourful graffiti, making for a truly unique and interesting space for having a drink with friends.

The Pierre – Washington, USA

A modern house designed and built by Olson Kundig in 2010, this project is interesting not just because of how good it looks, with the glass frontage and large concrete slabs framing the home, but that it is built into a rock deposit on a hillside. The owner of the home wanted to preserve as much of the deposit as possible, but certain areas of the rock had to be cut away for the home to be built. However, all rock that was cut away was crushed, turned into concrete, and used in the construction of the house itself.

Photo: Olson Kundig Architects

The images above are just four of the most unique and stunning concrete structures in the world, but there are plenty more, borne of the brilliance of architects, designers and construction companies. Concrete isn’t just limited to foundations, flooring and footings – it can be used in wonderful ways, as seen here.

Total Concrete are leading providers of concrete services for customers throughout the Surrey region. We proudly serve the domestic and commercial sectors with the highest quality service and concrete – get in touch with us today and we will be more than happy to help you with anything you need.

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Converting the Home into an Office

In November 2016, there was a boom in residential property being converted into commercial property, spurring on a rise in housing stocks and sparking a new trend. Consequently, up and coming businesses can now be found sandwiched between homes on any typical street. The change is easier said than done, but perfectly possible to do!

Consequently, we share a few tips on how to expertly convert the home space into the workplace!

Create Space

The first thing you’ll notice as you step into the newly converted office is a limited amount of space. There are no floors that can accommodate dozens of desks, nor elevators on standby to remind you of the breadth of the building. Consequently, you need to get creative with how you use the space and qualify the property as a bonified commercial building. There should be no remnants left around that giveaway each room’s prior identity, except for maybe toilets and kitchens.

Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and even airing cupboards all need to be repurposed. Strip any inappropriate wallpaper, uproot any unprofessional floorboards and knock certain walls out to create one big room instead of being stuck with two little rooms. Additionally, you could convert the airing cupboard to a storage closet, and instead invest in a smaller wall hung boiler from JLA, a conveniently compact piece of heating equipment that is designed for commercial use. Don’t settle for the bare minimum; the more your building resembles an authentic work space, the more inclined you’ll be to work.

Efficient Lighting

Obviously, you can’t work if you can’t see. Still, the concerns with lighting go beyond this basic premise. Too much bright, concentrated light can cause strain on your eyes, particularly if you’re just relying on a bright monitor in the middle of an otherwise dark room. All light sources need to be evenly distributed not just for visibility, but for your health too. Also, a professional look can come from lighting too.

Make sure you’re opening curtains and letting in the natural light during the day and try and arrange the room so the sun shines through the window and on to you and your colleagues. This will help your skin and health if you’re spending most of the working day indoors. Additionally, consider swapping more domestic-looking light shades on the ceiling for something a bit more professional; LED ceiling lights, spotlights, etc.

Premium Wi-Fi

Whether this is your only business building, the first of many, or the latest in a long line of conversions, you need good Wi-Fi. Occasionally, you may be required to undertake important Skype meetings with clients or colleagues working remotely. You might also need to reply to business emails, undertake research if you’re a content creator, use communication software such as Slack or simply listen to your favourite playlist on Spotify as you work.

Consequently, strong and reliable Wi-Fi is needed here. Some broadband offers are better than others, offering better signal and overall a more reliable service. You don’t want to be rushing around in a panic trying to fix things when your connectivity randomly wanes in the middle of an important correspondence, so try to invest in the best internet you can. After all, reliable Wi-Fi makes you a reliable worker!

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Tips for Remodelling Your Kitchen

 

Are you thinking of remodelling the kitchen? Often considered the hub of the home, the
kitchen is where a lot of memories are made, and good times are shared. So, it makes sense
it’s the number one room homeowners are keen to upgrade.

When done right, kitchen renovations can not only help to make the space more attractive,
but they can increase the value of the home too. However, there’s a lot that can wrong,
especially if you’re thinking of doing a large remodelling job. So, to help ensure you do it
right, here you’ll discover some great tips for remodelling your kitchen.

Avoid moving the structure of the kitchen

As tempting as it may be, it’s better to leave the actual structure of the kitchen as it is. This
means, leaving cabinets, the sink and the cooker, exactly where they are. However, that
doesn’t mean you can’t change them at all.

For example, instead of moving cabinets, you could simply refurbish them. Adding gas struts
from a company such as SGS, will help you to give your cupboards and cabinets a remodel
without breaking the bank.

Know your budget

Before you start remodelling, it’s a good idea to know your budget. Without having a good
idea of how much you can afford to spend, you’re going to likely end up going over it.

The kitchen can be one of the most expensive rooms to remodel, so working out your budget
and then using that to compare prices from different suppliers will help ensure you don’t
spend more than you need to. You can also check out auction sites and local charity shops to
pick up new kitchen items for a cheap, affordable cost.

Focus on the lighting

If you really want to make a difference to the room, you’re going to want to focus on the
lighting. The right type of lighting can make a kitchen look spectacular, so if your current
lighting isn’t doing its job, it’s time to upgrade. Consider installing dimmer lighting, adding a
chandelier, or simply layering the light in the room.

These are some of the most important things to consider when remodelling a kitchen. You
don’t have to spend a fortune to make big changes. Adding the right lighting and refurbishing
existing cabinets will make a significant change at an affordable cost.

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Essentials for Renovating Your Home for the First Time

Renovating a home for the first time can be a daunting yet rewarding task. Buying a property
which could do with some renovations can help get you onto the property ladder, enabling
you to buy at a low, affordable cost. However, unless you’re careful the cheap renovation
project you thought you’d gotten into, could soon break the bank!

If you’re looking at renovating your first property, below you’ll discover some essential tips
you’ll want to follow.

Budgeting for the renovation

Budgeting is one of the key things people underestimate when they start a renovation project.
Home renovations always go over the expected budget, so it helps to make savings wherever
you can.

To cut your renovation budget down, pick up things you need from car boot sales or charity
shops and learn how to do certain tasks yourself. DIY could save you a small fortune. You’ll
just need to make sure you have the right tools from a store such as Milwaukee, if you want
to carry out a good quality job.

Research and planning

Ideally, before you start the renovations, you’ll have researched and planned well in advance.
That way, by the time you actually come around to renovating, you’ll be an expert in it.
You’ll want to research the legalities, house prices in the area, resale values, local taxes and
contractor prices.

The more you research, the more prepared and knowledgeable you’ll be. This will go a long
way at helping you to make sure the renovations are done correctly and at the right price.

Do it right, or don’t do it at all

It’s easy to think that any renovations will make the property more valuable. Experts claim
that the right renovations can add anything from 5% to 30% value onto a property. However,
if the renovations aren’t done correctly, it can actually have the opposite effect.

So, as tempting as it may be to try and cut corners and get away with the cheapest renovation
possible, you need to make sure you do it properly. Otherwise you’re unlikely to make any
profit and there’s a good chance you might lose money if the job isn’t done right.

These are some of the most important aspects to consider when renovating your first home. It
will be stressful, but providing you do plenty of research beforehand, you should be able to
avoid any major issues.

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