Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lights can change the entire feel of a home, venue or city. Here we take a brief overview of some of the types of external lights on the market today.

Timed and censor lights – These are great for home protection and security but also for parties and entertaining. You can set them at a range of heights and angels and can an extremely wide range in light strength.

Floodlight – Perfect for your outdoor spaces such as swimming pools, tennis courts or entaertaining areas. They can be an excellent inexpensive option that have a huge impact.

Step lights – These not only make your paths and steps safer they also offer a touch of class to your paths and entry. The lights come in different designs which range from the regular types to individuals that could come provided with sensors that double as security measures.

Wall lights – These are excellent to help make your garden ornaments get noticed at night-time. For example, they are often installed on the pillars of a veranda or a porch to enhance its aesthetics. Again, these come in a huge range of colours and varieties.

Visit this great Pinterest page for more ideas https://www.pinterest.com.au/explore/backyard-lighting

Ceiling Lights – Some of the most popular options here include options like track lights, pendant lights, and chandelier lights. They are a standard choice for indoor lightings but may work equally well in outdoor areas like the patio, porch, or gazebo.

Bollards – These are lamps that are encased inside a transparent material often installed to incorporate lighting aesthetics to the garden. Position them close to an outdoors seating area and to help accentuate them. These offer a real touch of class you’re your night-time setting.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, if you would like some professional outdoor lighting design and ideas make sure you talk to the team at Electrician Geelong.

Slate roof care

slate roofingFirstly, I want to say thanks to Slate Roofing Sydney for all their help on this one. If you need any slate roofing done in Sydney these are there services:
Slate roof repairs
New slate roofs
Slate roof restoration
Slate roof replacement

This article is to highlight the two biggest mistakes that people make when they are trying to care for their slate roofs. Theses problems come out due to the fact that slate is actually a very delicate material when it comes to roofing. Other products such as tile or metal just simply don’t have the same issues. It is extremely important when dealing with anything to do with slate that you are extremely delicate and cautious. Slate is very expensive and these mistakes can indeed be very costly. I personally recommend only using a slate professional but I don understand that sometimes you do have to address issues yourself.

Don’t walk on slate

Don’t ever walk on your slate roof. Slate can easily break under your weight. Even professional slate roofers that know exactly where to walk can easily break older tiles. Instead you can get a lengthy ladder and place it alongside the house, making sure to secure it as you go. This will offer you enough reach to still get the hose to most areas.

Avoid using strong powered cleaner such as pressure washers

Avoid strong powered pressure washers. As I have mentioned before slate is a more delicate material to tiles or shingles and can be chipped or cracked very easily, it is simply not worth the risk of using high powered cleaners. If your pressure washer does not have a power setting that you can adjust then you may be better off just using a hose or leaf blower.

Advice For Keeping Your Home Cool In The Summer

keep your home cool in summerIs it tiring to have to stay in a house that is too hot during the summer months?

A lot of people complain about this but they don’t have to as long as they are ready to pay attention to the solutions around them. Let’s take a look at advice from experts that state it is possible to stay cool in the summer.

1) Turn Off The Lights

Do the simple things right and that is going to include closing the lights in your house.

The reason this works well has to do with the heat that comes off the lighting fixtures. You are only making things worse by turning them on and it is best to keep them off.

2) Close the Curtains

You will want to close the curtains and even invest in specific blinds that keep the rays out.

This is going to make sure the house doesn’t turn into a hot box during the hottest days of the summer. You want to be smart and spend money on these as soon as you can.

3) Use Your Bathroom Fans

This is a good investment to make because your bathroom fans do add value. The reason bathroom fans are important has to do with their advantages as a suction-based solution. You are going to be able to pull in hot air with these fans and that is going to make life easier. You will be able to get things to work out for you and that is what it all comes down to. Use your bathroom fans and watch as the rooms start to get cooler over time. This is a must for those that are tired of getting hot.

4) Sleep Lower to the Ground

Yes, a lot of people are able to notice a real change in the house’s temperature when they sleep lower to the ground. This is going to be where the air is cooler and that applies to different levels of your property too (i.e. basement).

5) Turn on the AC

Well, this is a common sense tip and one that you will want to implement (if possible)!

Turning on the AC is a good way to regulate indoor temperature.

Think about these tips as you look to spend time indoors during the summer months. A lot of people hate the summer because of this feeling of getting hot and it shouldn’t be this way at all! Contact the team at Air conditioning Geelong for help and friendly advice.

Preparing for your Plumber

The good thing about getting plumbing work done is that there is a fair amount that you can do to get organised and potentially reduce the workload required of your plumber. This of course is not always the case if it is an emergency but even then, there are some things that you can do to help out and speed up the process.

Turn off the water

Whether its an emergency or not it is a great idea to get yourself prepared and turn off the water main. This is particularly important when it is a repair job as it can greatly reduce the amount of damage.

Find a good plumber

This is key, ask your friends or family if they know a good plumber who is fully licensed and insured. If that fails ask Google but make sure to look out for any reviews.

Organise the job

Communication is key when dealing with any tradie. Make sure that you have given clear instructions to what needs do be done and what time frame it needs to be done it.

Prepare the area

Do everything you can to prepare the area. If you are handy around the home this may include digging, moving tiles or simply moving furniture or other objects from the work area.

Give them space

Once they have started they will probably need some room to move. Make sure that you give them plenty of space and are not constantly hanging over their shoulder.

Good plumbers are hard to find and once you have found a good one you should do everything that you can to hold onto them as repeat work in the plumbing industry is more common than nearly all other trades. I would recommend that you pay your bill on time and do your best to be friendly to your plumber if he is a good one.

If you need a good Plumber in the Geelong area we highly recommend Plumbers Geelong.

Things to do prior to Installing solar roof panels

Before You Install Solar PanelsIf you are intending to setup solar roof panels there is a multitude of things that you need to consider.

Do you get enough Sun?

This is the simplest and yet most often overlooked question. You need to fully assess whether your homes roof gets enough sun so that you know your purchase of solar roof panels will be worthwhile. As well as assessing if you get enough sun you need to identify what part of your roof gets the most sun during the different times and seasons of the year. Identify where the best areas will be and talk to a professional roofer such as the guys from Roof Restoration South Adelaide to see if it is possible to fit solar panels to the parts of your roof that have the greatest amount of sun.

What condition is my roof in?

Think of your homes roof in terms of the length of time it’s likely to last, too. You are likely to be looking into brand new solar panels along with their warranties. Well, the last thing you want is to install those panels then must do a lot of roof work many years later. Understandably, it could be easier for you to get the roof work done first. Ensure that roof of yours is still in good enough before you even consider installing panels. Cary out any major repairs prior to installation and see a roofing professional to get an inspection of your roof.

Is there any chance of my panels getting damaged?

One of the things that can happen to solar panels is that they can be damaged by strong winds, hail storms or even falling branches. When considering where and how to install your panels you should look at what direction the strongest winds and storms come from for your location as well as potentially remove any large overhanging branches.

How do I install my solar panels?

This is an entirely personal preference and has many variables. Some of the things to consider when choosing between a professional company or a DIY project is what type of solar panels that you have and what type of access you have to your roof. Some panels are simply too large or have a complex installation procedure for you to do the installation yourself.

If you have a steep pitch roof or a double story roof it is highly recommended that you engage a professional company to do the installation for you.

Property Investment In Newcastle – Mistakes To Avoid

Property Investment

If you are brave enough to have a go at investing in property on your own, here are some tips on how to avoid common mistakes. Property investment in Newcastle is hot right now and delivering some of the best returns in the state. Particularly popular are positive geared properties and if you’re unsure, check out the team at Property Investment Newcastle for professional advice in the Newcastle area.

Lots of mistakes can and have been made by individuals in the property investment landscape. Lots of these issues can be avoided by carrying out thorough research. Talk to locals, talk to experts, check out the suburb carefully and get a feel for how the property your are interested in is positioned compared to the market overall.

You can avoid paying too much for a property by comparing it to recent sales in the surrounding areas.

Thorough property inspections are a must. Hidden problems that come out after purchasing a property can turn a potentially great investment into a disaster. If you’re keen on area such as Newcastle, seek out the services of a reliable, reputable building inspector and form a decent relationship with them. You’ll need to trust them when making investment decisions. Don’t overlook issues reported from an inspection, and try to keep emotionally detached to help you make sound decisions.

Understand the value of the property. As previously mentioned, carry out thorough research into the area you are interested in. This will aid you in determining the value of the property and help prevent you from overpaying for your investment. Enlist the aid of experts if necessary and get as knowledgable as you possibly can. The internet is a valuable source of information and sales and price history can often be found fairly easily.

Take your time with your decision (although not too much time, someone might come in before you with an offer acceptable to the vendors) and don’t rush. Pay attention to all the facts in the proposition and consider the pros and cons very carefully. Experience will help with the decision making process however if you are new to the industry, consider everything you have learnt about the property and try to make a careful assessment of the risk of the investment.

It will also help to have your finances in order before offering to purchase a property. This is very important and can assist in a speedy transaction. Seek the services of a local mortgage broker, financial advisor and of course your accountant.

There are many mistakes to be made in the property investment game. These are just a few examples and you will find that thorough homework and research coupled with experience will assist in minimising risk. Risk can also be minimised/avoided by using expert professional services such as those offered by Property Investment Newcastle.