Tips on Planning a House Extension

DIY / Home Improvement

As life moves on so to does your housing requirements and when the time comes that you decide you need more space in the home you have several options in front of you. Sometimes it can be as simple as knocking down a wall in the home to create a larger room, sometimes you may need to opt to move house in order to have the space that you want and sometimes you should be considering an extension on your home in order to give your house the extra room that it needs. I recently extended my home to add 3 new rooms and with the expert help of Jon Bunge and his team, the extension looks perfect and achieved the results that I wanted. If you have been thinking about extending your home then here are some tips to help your planning process.

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Ensure That You Have a Tight Budget

In order to decide on any parts of the extension you need to already have in place the amount of money that you are going to spend on your extension. It is important that you consider how much money you have to spend on the extension rather than working on how much money you will need to find for the extension that you want. There are many different construction and planning costs involved and you need to be fully prepared to pay what you can for this as opposed for looking at a carte-blanche style approach to extending your home which can leave you in debt or financial difficulties.

Talk With Your Neighbors

It is important that during this time you have a strong relationship with your neighbors as you are going to need their support and patience. Not only will they have something new to look at when they stare out of the window (your extension could block their view,) but also there will be a lot of upheaval in your street as construction vehicles come and go and building materials adorn the street. Get your neighbors on board and create an open dialogue with them so that if any problems should arise, they can talk to you directly.

Make Sure That All Planning Has Been Passed

I’ve heard some terrible stories over the years of those who invested in their extension, got their construction team in place, made down payments on supplies and then failed to get their planning passed by local government. To avoid making such financial errors as these it is vital that you seek to get all aspects of your planning permission passed long before you part with any money. There is nothing wrong with having your construction team in place and a list of the exact materials that you will need for your extension whilst your planning application is being submitted. There is a huge difference however between being prepared for your extension in this way, and actually starting it before it has all been approved.

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How to Create a Fantastic Habitat for Birds in Your Backyard

DIY / Home Improvement

If you know How to Create a Fantastic Habitat for Birds in Your Backyard, it will be a lively place indeed
Photo by CC user 24874528@N04 on Flickr

Lots of people put up some bird food in their garden and quickly find themselves hooked. Before you know it, they are turning their entire garden into bird habitats, so they can enjoy all that nature has to give. If this sounds like you, the following tips may be of benefit.

Feeder and Foods

If you want to learn how to create a fantastic habitat for birds in your backyard, you have to start by putting out a feeder in the backyard behind your home. But you also have to get the right food. Commercially available feeds in grocery stores is usually quite bland, and won’t attract many birds. Instead, choose black oil sunflower seeds, which birds find super tasty, as well as easy to eat. Furthermore, it has a really good nutritional value. You will soon attract a range of birds, from woodpeckers to finches.

You can also get feeders that attract specific types of birds. For instance, you can use a thistle seed or nyjer sock, which will attract purple finches, house finches, and American goldfinches. Woodpecker suets, obviously, attract woodpeckers. Nectar feeders attract hummingbirds, although you do have to be patient for these. You can also scatter seeds on the ground, or on a platform, and attract doves, robins, and juncos.

Water

Besides food, you also need water to get birds to your yard. This is perhaps the most enjoyable thing of all. Water is obviously important for the survival of all animal life, but having water available in your yard will also enable birds to play, bathe, and generally enjoy themselves. There is nothing quite so enjoyable to wash as a little finch having a bath on its feathers. Best of all, it is really easy to make a water supply for birds. For instance:

  • You can use a pie tin on a stand.

  • You can fill a plant hanger with water.

  • You can place a casserole dish or large bowl on a tree stump.

  • You can hang a bucket from a branch.

  • You can turn the lid of your garbage can upside down and put it on the garbage can again.

Make sure, however, that you put your water supply away from places where cats could hide. An open space is always best, because it stops predators from hiding nearby. If you can make the water move, birds will love it even more, as they love both the movement and the sound of flowing water.

Your Landscape

Last but not least, there is your overall landscaping. If you make sure that you have different density and heights of plants, you will also attract more birds. Have everything in your yard from tall canopy trees down to perennials to attract the greatest variety of birds. Do make sure, as well, that some of your trees have nuts, berries, and more, as the birds will love this. And make sure you have some dense foliage and height, so that birds can nest as well. An ideal garden is one that also has plenty of nesting material in it.

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Is Stainless Steel Cookware Better Than Aluminum Cookware?

DIY / Home Improvement

Is stainless steel cookware better than aluminum?
Photo by CC user Soerfm on Wikimedia Commons

This may not seem like a difficult question to answer but it is important that some facts are understood in a proper way. The one thing that all stainless steel fabricators will tell you that normally stainless steel will not be great for cooking as it is a heat conductor. That practically means that a part of the skillet or the pan will end up being hotter. That can cause the appearance of uneven cooking. Stainless steel cookware is now available and can be considered but it is really important that you think about alternatives. There are special stainless steel options that can be considered. However, let us first discuss aluminum cookware.

Aluminum Cookware

The sets that you find on the market made out of aluminum are quite affordable and have a durability that is actually higher than that of stainless steel. You can find some that are made out of various different colors, including dark gray or bronze. The surface is non-stick and most cooks prefer the option since it is going to offer even cooking, which is vital for cooking great dishes.

Stainless Steel Cookware

In most cases we have 304 Steel (also referred to as T304 Steel) that is used in cookware. This is actually the softest grade that is offered at the moment. Differences do appear but the durability is still higher than what you may think at first glance. Also, flexibility is pretty good.

What many do not know is that 304 Steel is actually used in many products we now see in the regular kitchen. This includes knives and forks. The steel is also available in machine parts, automobiles and personal care instruments. Corrosion resistance is pretty high and the only situation in which this is a problem is when referring to the presence of a salt water environment.

The main stainless steel competitor that is gaining popularity at the moment is T409. The price is actually lower and in many cases people prefer it because of this. We are also faced with a much higher reliability and durability, all with a better possible finish. Unfortunately, surface corrosion is a problem. However, the appearance of the corrosion will only affect surface. Structure is not going to be affected.

Conclusions

Choosing between stainless steel and aluminum is something that is not at all easy to do when thinking about cookware. You want to consider both of the options and you need to always analyze the opportunities. You can easily go for either stainless steel or aluminum but you want to also think about the other available options. Choosing without knowing everything about the options is a bad idea. Everything basically depends on what is really important for you at the end of the day. Choose after reading reviews about the cookware and never forget about the fact that some of the manufacturers are much better than others. Options available will have to be given the proper research time. Only then can you be sure that your choice is the proper one for your home.

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How to save big on furnishing your home

DIY / Home Improvement

You bought or rented a new home or apartment, have the keys in hand, smile ear to ear, and then you realize, you have way less of the essentials you need for your new place. Can opener…nope, toilet paper roll holder…nope, hand towels…..nope.

Moving into a new place is wildly expensive, so why not save a few green backs where you can? Groupon, the famous deal-a-day pioneer has entered the arena of online coupons, and they’re killing it. They have leveraged many of their partners from the deal-a-day realm and converted them to provide exclusive free coupons to the Groupon website visitors.

One such retailer who has some awesome coupons on the site is Bed Bath and Beyond. You can save on all your home related goods, and big time as well. Check them out today!

groupon coupons

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Twelve of the Most Beautiful Flowers in the World

DIY / Home Improvement

Beautiful flowers such as the Columbine can be found in abundance in the alpine meadows of Colorado's Rocky Mountains ... photo by CC user mypubliclands on Flickr

Photo by CC user mypubliclands on Flickr

There are maybe only a handful of people in the world that do not appreciate the most beautiful flowers in the world. The colours, the smell, the shape or the many other beautiful features from these flowers are something you do not want to miss out on.

No two people would pick the same 12 flowers if they were asked which were their favourite. We do not even believe that florists at www.reidsflorists.co.uk would be able to agree.

My Own Personal Beautiful Flowers List is as Follows…

  1. One of the most beautiful flowers in my book is the Colorado Columbine, a native flower to the Rocky Mountains. This beautiful and rare mountain flower that grows at an altitude of over 14.000 feet, has delicate purple petals combined with white outer petals and a yellow stamen. It is an absolute vision of beauty.

 

  1. Canna is another flower that many people do not know of. The beautiful flower has extremely bright colours and unique patterns on the petals. It is visually amazing every time you see it and it always brings a smile to my face.

 

  1. Some people love this flower and some just do not see the beauty, but the Black Petunia with its velvet looking petals and deep black appearance with a yellow stamen is a special sight. It is a flower that is extremely rare and has been developed in recent years by horticulturists.

 

  1. Parrot Beak is a special flower, not only because it looks like a parrot’s beak, but also the beautiful colours of orange, red and black all mixed in to give the picture of a flower that is both unique and astonishing in appearance.

 

  1. Jade Wine is a flower that cannot be found outside the Philippines. It is rare and you will not find it in many colours. The petals range from mint green to blue green, but the claw like shape of the petals and hanging in truss of up to 3 metres.

 

  1. The Dahlia is another flower that has to be on my list. It is a flower that not catches your eye with its colour but also with its size. It can grow to over 30 centimeters and sprout many petals in an integrate pattern, that will intrigue and attract many admirers.

 

  1. The small delicate Cherry Blossom that is seen in spring is amazing. The flowers are delicate in colour and range from white to a light pink. To experience a Cherry Blossom tree in spring and see the petals fall to the ground like snowflakes is a sight you must experience at least once in your life. Consider planting one in your backyard if you live in a warm enough climate.

 

  1. The Bleeding Heart… they look like the name suggests, a bleeding heart. It looks so delicate and in red, pink and white colours it is a beautiful small flower that you can see from April to June.

 

  1. The Tulip is also amongst the prettiest and most beautiful flowers to be found. It comes in many colours. They bloom in the springtime and can be found in many gardens around the world and grows wild as well. And they do make some of the most beautiful bouquets.

 

  1. With a name like Lily of the Valley you know you will set your eyes upon something of extreme beauty. A small and delicate flower that will bloom in spring. They are also known as “Lady’s tears” due to their beautiful bells.

 

  1. The Magnolia is a tree that only blossoms for a few days in spring. But it is a sight to behold. The flowers are so beautiful that they are worth a detour just for you to look upon this tree in bloom.

 

  1. The Rose is considered to be the most beautiful flower in the world. And with good reason. With its perfect petals this flower has crowned itself the queen of them all!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The above beautiful flowers all makes an astonishing entrance whether it be in nature, in your garden, or in a bouquet. A blooming flower always draws attention for a reason. Because who can fail to enjoy their beauty.

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