If you find it difficult to locate specific objects in your home or are struggling for space, simply continue reading in order to discover a few tips on how to organise your home. As you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to better organise your home and garage especially with the right shelving systems.

Use items which serve multiple purposes to furnish your home:

If you’re looking to make the best possible use out of your available space, it’s a great idea to opt to place items which serve multiple purposes in your home. As an example, to avoid having a cluttered bathroom, you may want to consider hanging up a wall mirror, which also serves as a handy bathroom cabinet. This is a great idea, if you don’t have enough room in your bathroom to place your toiletries and medicines.

Another example of an item which serves multiple purposes is an ottoman. Which can be used as additional seating as well as a makeshift coffee table and added storage space. Some items which you can hide away in an ottoman, include newspapers, magazines, books and small electronic devices such as tablets, laptops and smartphones. You can even hide your TV remote and laptop chargers in an ottoman.

Use plenty of robust shelving:

Another simple way to keep your home organised is to use robust shelving, throughout your home to keep the items in your home well organised. As an example, you may want to place a shelving system in your home office, in order to keep all of your folders, stationary supplies and books, neatly organised.

Or if you use your garage as a storage space, it’s also well worth putting up shelving in your garage, so that all of your tools and supplies have a designated spot. Which should make it a whole lot easier to find specific items, when you need them. As nothing is worse than having to hunt for an item, which doesn’t have a designated storage spot and could be easily misplaced.

Purchase a bed which boasts handy storage space:

If your bedroom lacks adequate storage space and you’re well overdue to purchase a new bed, you may want to consider replacing your outdated bed with a bed which boasts handy storage space. As an example, many beds offer drawers, which you can use to store some of your clothes, books or electronics.

Make sure that your wardrobe is properly organised:

When it comes to organising your wardrobe logically, you have two options. You can choose to organise the individual pieces in your wardrobe by type or by color. Depending on how you prefer to style your outfits.

Use vacuum storage bags to store your clothes at the end of each season:

At the end of each season, store any clothes that you are unlikely to wear for the coming season in vacuum storage bags. In order to free up extra room in your drawers.

So if you’d like to better organise your home and garage, it’s well worth experimenting with using a few of the handy storage tips which are listed out above. All of which will help you be able to find items, when you need them.

One of the most exciting home renovation projects you can complete this year is converting an unused or boring space into an entertainment room. Designing the right space could significantly improve your life at home, boost your entertaining ability, and even add value to your house.

Do you have any entertainment room ideas? Will you focus on activities or comfort?

Choosing an entertainment room design takes a little forethought. What will you primarily be using the room for? Do you plan on making it a staple for entertaining guests or keeping it as a private relaxation room?

The answers to these questions will play a large role in the decision-making process. However, here are our entertainment room ideas to help you decide.

1. Invest in a High Definition Projector

First, if you plan to watch movies or play video games in your entertainment room, you’re going to want a big screen. A large screen can significantly enhance the experience of watching movies or playing videogames, especially if you’re playing games with multiple people.

While you could invest in a super-sized TV, why stop there? We suggest getting a high-definition projector to convert an entire wall into a screen for your viewing pleasure. You should also take the time to learn more about your entertainment options regarding digital TV and on-demand movies.

2. Immerse the Audience with Surround Sound

The best entertainment room setup should come standard with surround sound speakers and a subwoofer. There’s nothing that will immerse an audience in a movie or game more than feeling like they’re in the environment on the screen.

Surround sound systems provide crystal clear sound with directional audio that make whispers sound like they’re right behind you and explosions sound as though they’re inside the house.

3. Create a Game Room

However, if you plan on creating an active game room, your entertainment room design will have to maximize space. For example, having a pool table is great, but not if the players can’t make their shots without banging their sticks into the wall.

We suggest making a room that’s versatile and can be moved around to accommodate different activities. Here are some fun indoor game ideas:

• Pool
• Darts
• Foosball
• Air hockey
• Interactive video games (bowling, golf, archery, etc.)
• Table tennis
• Golf simulators

4. Include a Full Bar

Most of us enjoy a little alcohol with our entertainment and relaxation. One of the best entertainment room ideas requires incorporating a full bar in the planning. You should have a small fridge or wine cooler as well as the appropriate vessels (wine glasses, shot glasses, whiskey glasses, beer mugs, etc.)

5. Maximum Comfort and Convenience

No matter the size of your entertainment room, you should focus on maximum convenience and comfort. Even small entertainment room ideas should include on-site amenities such as snacks, drinks, a minifridge, and more.

Remember, the goal of creating an amazing entertainment room is to completely immerse yourself and guests in the environment. Use the most comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and stimulating decor. Also, remember that comfort means creating a climate-controlled environment.

Looking for More Entertainment Room Ideas?

If you liked some of our top entertainment room ideas and are looking for more great content, you’re in the right place. Be sure to check out some of our other articles before you go. We have everything from home improvement projects to business marketing!

Whether you’re currently designing a new residential or commercial property or you’re looking to make a few key adjustments to your current property, simply continue reading in order to discover a few things you may need for your Toronto based property. As you may find a bit of handy inspiration for your building.

Things You Need for Your Residential or Commercial Property:

Glass railings

Railings are essential to ensure the safety of any visitors to your home or commercial building. If you’re interested in opting for railings which are functional as well as stylish, you can’t go wrong selecting glass railings. Especially if you don’t want to block a beautiful view of a picturesque garden or a pool area.

Or if you’d like the interior of your building to have a clean, modern look. For more information on fitting glass railings into your home or commercial building make sure to check out GTA glass railings. As you’ll be able to check out some of your options.

Heatline

Heatline is a trustworthy award winning business which offers professional heat trace, heat cable and pipe freeze protection, for both residential and commercial properties. If you want to prevent your pipes from freezing in the cold, winter months, it’s a great idea to invest in Heatline solutions. For more information about the benefits of opting to purchase heat line freeze protection for your pipes, to prevent them from bursting in winter, visit https://www.heatline.com.

Underfloor heating:

To ensure that your building is cost-effective to heat in the cold, winter months, it’s a wise idea to have underfloor heating fitted into your Toronto property. If you only want to place underfloor heating in sections of your property, to test it out. You may want to start off with having underfloor heating placed in your foyer, bathroom or kitchens. Especially if any of these areas boast tiled flooring. Once you feel how warm a room with underfloor heating can be, without turning on a heat pump or heater, you may be convinced to fit underfloor heating throughout your building.

A modern security system:

Whether you are looking to improve a residential property or a commercial property, it’s important to think about installing a modern security system. In order to protect your assets as well as your family members or employees. Some examples of security systems which you may want to invest in, include external security cameras, motion activated lighting and card based or password based check in systems. All of which should deter would be intruders from trying to access your building.

If you’re unsure of which security measures you should opt for, your best option may be to talk to a home security specialist or a commercial security specialist. As they should be able to create a security plan that suits your personal preferences or your business’ preferences.

So if you’re in the process of designing a new residential or commercial property or you’re simply interested in upgrading your current property, it’s well worth paying for a few of the services and products, which have been listed above.

 

With summer coming up fast, it’s time to start thinking about what home improvement projects are most easily or successfully done when it’s warm outside and the weather is nice. So to help you come up with a list of things you can and should accomplish in the next few months, here are three home improvement projects to tackle this summer.

Clean Out Your Pantry

In most areas, the summer is when pests start coming out in homes and around properties. Because of this, the summer is the perfect time to reevaluate your pantry and how you’ve been storing food inside your house.

According to Maria Conti, a contributor to DIY Network, your first priority should be getting all of the food that isn’t already stored in an air-tight container into an air-tight container. To make your organization easier, you may want to consider using clear containers so you can easily see what’s stored inside rather than having to label or open each container in order to find what you’re looking for.

Additionally, if you have kids at home, you’ll also want to be conscious of where you store certain items in your pantry. Food that you want your children to be able to get on their own should be stored lower and within reach. But food that you don’t want them to get into, or that they shouldn’t be eating without supervision, should be stored higher and out of reach.

Install New Windows

If you’ve noticed that your home has been having issues with the foundation that have manifested themselves in faulty windows, the summer is the perfect time to address these issues.

When installing new windows, Glenda Taylor, a contributor to BobVila.com, recommends that you opt for windows that are both energy efficient and low maintenance for you. With windows like this, you will not only be able to feel more comfortable and safe within your home, but you’ll likely also see a decrease in your heating and cooling costs since your home will be more energy efficient.

Seal Your Home

To keep your home both cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you’ve got to have things properly sealed. Without this, air will easily escape through cracks, holes, and spaces all around the exterior of your home. So before you start cranking your air conditioning this summer, Daniel Bortz, a contributor to Realtor.com, shares that you should go around your home looking for air leaks that you can plug in order to get a better seal around your home.

If you’re ready to take on some home improvement projects this summer, consider the ones mentioned above to get done in these warmer months.

Brand-new homes typically settle over the first few years of existence. Such settling is nothing more than a matter of the home bearing down on soil underneath and compacting it. It is minor enough that any damage done is merely cosmetic.

The Concrete Raising Company in Salt Lake City says that settling occurring many years after a house is built could indicate that other issues are in play. Settling should not be an issue after the third or fourth year. Any settling after that could signal that there are issues with underlying soil, the house itself was poorly constructed, or something else.

Below are descriptions of some of the most worrisome signs of house settling. If you’ve noticing any of them, you might want to have a professional inspection of your home. The sooner you do so, the sooner you can correct minor problems – before they become major.

Sticky Windows and Doors

Both windows and doors are squared when first installed. That means that they sit squarely in their frames and in perfect alignment. You can open them without much effort. As a house settles however, window and door frames may become slightly out of square. This is particularly noticeable with windows. Out of square windows seem to stick. You cannot get them open without Herculean effort.

Severely stuck windows and doors indicate that their frames are significantly out of square. This could be because one side of the house is sinking while the other is not. Such sinking throws off the entire level of the house.

Wall and Ceiling Cracks

Minor cracks are fairly normal when a new house settles. These types of cracks tend to appear where pieces of drywall meet. If your house is settling because of an underlying structural problem however, cracks can appear just about anywhere. Extremely serious settling will lead to those cracks eventually becoming wide gaps.

Slanted Floors

One of the most obvious signs of severe house settling are slanted floors. Assuming your house was built properly, all the floors would have been level from the start. The fact that they are no longer so is proof that one area of the house is lower than the other. However, slanted floors do not guarantee settling.

Floors slanted to one side of the house or the other indicate settling. Slanted floors that slope inward may be a sign that the main beams supporting the house are failing. In such a case, there may be no settling occurring at all. You have to check on the direction of the slope to determine what is causing it.

Broken Water Pipes

A severely settling house can put a lot of pressure on water pipes, causing them to bend and twist beyond their ability to withstand the pressure. The end result is bursting. Under normal circumstances, pipes should be able to go decades without any problems. If your home has suffered burst pipes on more than one occasion in recent years, you could be looking at settling issues.

Foundation Cracks

Cracks in the foundation are another sure sign of settling. Cracks are likely to occur in the mortar between bricks or cinder blocks. If you look closely enough, cracks will tell you exactly what direction the house is settling in and to what degree it has already occurred.

Repairing Settling Problems

There are different ways to address settling houses depending on the seriousness. The Concrete Raising Company says minor problems can often be addressed with something known as slab jacking. In most cases of severe settling though, pier jacking is the better option.

 

Most U.S homes are built using concrete, spaces such as garages, basements, patios, and pool decks are mostly composed of concrete material. Though the material is known for its durability, it can show some signs of damages over time, which needs immediate concrete repair Dallas. The most common factors to concrete damages include chemical exposure, heavy impact, and weather changes. Outdoor spaces are more prone to these factors making the material more prone to wear and tear.

Dallasdecorativeconcrete.com and austinconcreteartisans.com have listed the wear and tear concrete flooring signs to know when it’s time to have your surface repaired by a professional. Immediately identifying concrete damages will prevent further damage, it also makes your home or business area safer, stable, maintain its beauty and value.

Being familiar with these signs will make it easier to ensure the safety and stability of your home or business. The concrete damages signs you need to watch out for are the following:

• Visible Cracks

Cracks that appear on your concrete surfaces need immediate attention. The most common causes of concrete cracks include soil movement and weather changes. Harsh weather conditions cause the soil underneath your home to expand, making concrete cracks visible on the surface.

When you noticed visible cracks on your concrete, it is advisable to seek professional help from trusted concrete repair companies to determine what type of repair is needed.

• Uneven Surfaces 

Uneven concrete surfaces are another sign you need to watch out for. The leading causes of this are weather changes and weak concrete foundation. If this problem is neglected, it can lead to further issues such as breaking and crumbling, which can potentially cause accidents. It is important to take immediate action to prevent further damage and potential accidents.

• Water Accumulation 

If you are noticing an accumulation of water on your concrete surfaces after the rain, it is a sign that your concrete floor is unable to drain water naturally. Accumulation of water weakens the concrete making it susceptible to wear and tear. To protect areas of your home, you have an option to add a water-resistant coating during the concrete repair to prevent any kind of concrete damages. However, the material needs to be recoated after a year, depending on the damage.

• Old Concrete 

Concrete can last for many years. However, it could look old and worn out due to aging. All of the signs mentioned above can be visible on your concrete floors. An old concrete needs to be repaired by a professional concrete repair contractor to properly access what should be done to fix concrete flooring issues.

Some Other signs

Aside from what’s mentioned above, there are also some other signs that need to be observed, and that includes the following:

• Doors are sticking on the concrete whenever you try to open or close or open them. This is mostly caused by a damaged concrete foundation
• Cracks visibly showing up in your outdoor and indoor spaces
• Concrete floors are sinking
• Concrete floors are sloping, 15-20 feet slopes need to be immediately addressed by a professional

These concrete damages signs need to be addressed as soon as possible. To effectively restore the beauty of your concrete floors, make sure to hire a professional concrete repair contractor to ensure quality results.

Choosing a Trusted Concrete Repair Company

If you have noticed the concrete damages mentioned above, it’s an indication that you need to look for a trusted concrete repair company that would professionally help you resolve the problem. There are factors you need to consider in choosing a concrete repair company, and that includes the following:

Years of experience

While searching for a trusted concrete repair contractor, consider looking into their years of experience because that indicates how expert they are in what they do. Doing so gives you an assurance for quality outcomes.

Trusted Reputation

A concrete repair company that has built its reputation for years has many viable recommendations. Look into their review section and see what their past customers have said about their service.

Cost and Other Considerations 

The company’s costing for concrete repair projects should also be taken into consideration. Some companies offer a free no-obligation quote, this will help you determine if their costings fit your budget. But, don’t work with someone who offers a lower price, hire someone with a competitive price point to ensure quality.

Benefits of Concrete Repair

Delaying the needed repairs for your concrete flooring would actually make the problem worse, causing you to spend more money. However, immediately resolving the issue through trusted concrete repair contractor comes with several benefits, including:

• Prevents concrete damage from getting worse
• Reduce the risk of possible accidents
• Maintains the appearance of concrete flooring
• Keeps the concrete floors functional
• Identify underlying concrete damages
• Cost Saving

 

 

 

 

Whether you’re a musical person or you simply like the look of a piano in your home, many people choose to use a piano or other musical instruments in their design and decor. However, doing this isn’t always an easy task, since a piano takes up a lot of space and can be very overwhelming in some spaces.

If you want to keep a piano in your home but aren’t sure where to place it or how to bring in other design elements around it, here are three tips for incorporating a piano into your home decor.

Use It To Get In Touch With Nature

Although many home pianos are the classic black-and-white, if you choose to get a piano that’s more of a natural wood color, you can use it to help your home feel more connected to the nature around you.

According to Maria Conti, a contributor to HGTV.com, a piano with warmer tones in the wood can really warm up a space and help your room feel alive. Especially if you bring in other natural elements, like plants, you can easily create a space around your wood piano that fits well with the other decor of your home. Keep in mind, however, that you want the wood colors of your piano to be complementary to any hardwood you might have as flooring in your space, so make sure these colors don’t clash with one another.

Pick The Right Flooring For Underneath

When deciding where in your home to place a piano, one of your main concerns should be the flooring underneath it.

Kathryn Vercillo, a contributor to Houzz.com, shares that putting your piano on tile or another hard flooring can help make the room feel a lot more formal. However, you’ll get a lot louder sound from your piano when it’s played in a room with hard floors. To combat this, you may want to put your piano in a room with carpet, especially if you’ll be having kids practicing playing the piano on a regular basis.

Get Cozy With It

In some homes, a piano can seem like an elegant piece that doesn’t fit with the rest of the decor of the space. So if your home feels pretty cozy but your piano doesn’t there are things you can do to adjust this,

According to Sarah Lyon, a contributor to Apartment Therapy, one way you can make your piano feel cozier is to put a fur throw or other soft textile on the seat or bench of the piano. This can help soften the look of the piano and make it fit better with the rest of your room.

If you have a piano that you’re struggling to incorporate into the decor of your home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you fix this.

These days mobile home parks are very nice, well maintained communities of residents, most of which have been seeking an alternative lifestyle that doesn’t consume all their money and time. With this massive upsurge in the popularity of mobile home parks, property investors should be taking note.

In this post we’ll cover some of the main reasons why investors should seriously consider investing in mobile home parks, and if you need further convincing, just go online and do some research on expert sites such as Lee Kort.

You Can Acquire More Units for Less money

This truly is one of the huge advantages available when you choose to invest in mobile home parks. These parks often have hundreds of homes and lots inside them, and when you divide the overall purchase price by the number of lots, you’ll be surprised just how cheap each house and lot really is.

From the point of view of the investors, it means you’ll be getting a very healthy rental return on properties that didn’t cost much at all.

 

Mobile Home Parks Spread Your Investment Risk

With more traditional property investing, and the cost per unit generally being sky high, you’ll be limited in how many properties you can buy. If you only have a few investment properties and one or more remain vacant for a time, you’ll very likely suffer a negative ROI overall.

It’s a vastly different story when it comes to mobile home parks. The cost per unit is low, plus you have so many properties available that if a few sit vacant for a time, you’ll barely even notice a dent in your cash flow.

While nothing can ever be completely guaranteed, you have a far better chance of always experiencing a positive ROI when you invest your money in mobile home parks.

 

A Professional Management Team Looks After the Park for You

This equates to a really hands-off and passive income investment for you. At first glance a mobile home park with so many lots and residents might sound like loads of hard work for an investor, but with a professional management team looking after the running of the park, all you really have to focus on is the rent money flowing into your account each and every month.

The managers and the staff they hire will take care of all resident liaison, cleaning and maintenance of the park, repairs, security and more. They will also ensure all residents abide by the park rules.

 

Low Resident Turnover

The popularity of mobile home park living these days helps ensure a very high occupation rate. This means you’ll very rarely have a group of homes vacant at any given time. Once people are in, they’ll want to stay in and will be in no hurry to leave.

Another way to ensure low turnover rates goes back to the point above, and that’s having a decent management team on board. Not only should managers ensure the park is run smoothly and looked after, but they will also help instill a real sense of community and goodwill among residents.

Because of this close knit community spirit, people make a lot of friends with neighbors, which also helps keep the occupancy rate high and resident turnover really low.

 

Competition Among Property Investors Is Quite Low

Here’s the thing. When it comes to property investing, the majority of investors are still stuck in that traditional housing loop and have never even had the thought of investing in mobile home parks. Not because they’re not a great investment, quite the opposite, but simply because they have tunnel vision and believe traditional housing or commercial properties are the only true options.

Because of this mindset that exists, it leaves the door open to savvy investors who can think outside the traditional box. You can freely look into mobile home park investing without fear of missing out on a great deal because everyone else is driving up the price. Low competition means lower prices, generally speaking, so some really fantastic deals and opportunities are there, just waiting for smart investors to jump onto them.

As you can see, there are some very compelling arguments for taking the chance on investing in mobile home parks.

 

There’s nothing worse than mounting a new flat-screen TV only to have it fall off.  Although mounting a TV may seem like an easy task, a lot can go wrong. This is especially if you don’t have the right tools.

If you’re nervous about mounting a TV for the first time, don’t worry. Here we break down how to mount a TV and which tools you need to get the job done.

Dry Wall TV Mounting

If you’re like most people, you will mount a TV on standard drywall. The tools you will need a pretty simple, and you may already have them in your toolkit.

One of the things you will need is a stud finder. This will help you locate where the wood studs are. The next tool you will need to mount a TV is a power drill and bits. A variable speed drill will ensure that you don’t strip the screws.

Don’t have any studs? No problem. Hanging a TV without studs is easy. All you need to do is nail the wall plate onto the drywall and then hang the TV.

Another tool you will need is a level — preferably a 3-foot or 5-foot level. This will ensure that the TV is leveled. Next, you will need a socket wrench and sockets.

You will also need safety goggles. Whenever you work with power tools, wearing safety goggles is crucial. Lastly, you will need a wall mount kit that fits your TV’s dimensions.

Brick Wall TV Mounting

For brick wall TV mounting, you will need the aforementioned tools. Along with those you will need a hammer drill — to get through the brick wall.

Next, you will need carbide-tipped masonry bits. Unlike standard bits, these are strong enough to penetrate brick.

Lastly, you will need a concrete sleeve anchor. This helps fasten the mounting bracket to the brick.

Also, be sure to connect the power cord and cables to the TV before you mount it. Doing this will make it easier to get to the connection panels.

Now that you know how to mount a TV on brick and drywall, let’s talk about how to hide cables.

How to Hide Cables

A pile of cables and cords is an eyesore. Thankfully, you can effortlessly hide them.

One way you can do this is by purchasing a cord cover. These are made to hide cables below your TV. They come in an array of shapes and styles that will fit your home decor. They’re even printable!

Another way you can high unsightly cords is by installing a TV in-wall wiring kit. These allow you to hide wires and cables behind the walls. Not to mention, they are easy to install and are code compliant.

Are You Ready to Mount a TV?

As you can see here, you don’t need to hire a handyman to mount a TV. All you need is a few tools and a helping hand to successfully hang your television.

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