Category: Renovation

How to Clean the Bathroom Easily and Cheaply

January 5, 2022 kelvinaurelians Renovation Leave a comment

The bathroom is a room where we clean ourselves and get rid of body waste. Therefore, the bathroom is vulnerable to the spread of disease if it is not cleaned regularly.

Ideally, the bathroom should be cleaned once a week. The reason is, the bathroom is prone to odors and the floor tends to be slippery.

Here’s an easy way to clean the bathroom easily and cheaply.

1. Clean the dirty and moldy bathroom floor


The bathroom floor generally turns a little brown and looks dirty after several months of not being cleaned. If that’s the case, the easiest way to clean it is to use bleach.

Leave the bleach solution on the tile lines for a day and don’t forget to rinse with water.

2. Cleaning the bathroom toilet


An effective way to clean the toilet is to use a solution of limescale and a special soap. Apply the solution on the problem area evenly. Do not forget to rinse thoroughly until the stain is not visible.

3. Cleaning the bathroom mirror


Stubborn water splashes on the bathroom mirror are a common sight and difficult to clean. The best way to deal with this is to dampen some microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol, dilute it with water, and gently wipe it on a mirror.…

Be Prepared: Pest Control Tips And Tricks

October 6, 2019 kelvinaurelians Renovation Leave a comment

Getting rid of pests inside your home can be pretty daunting. While it may seem like they will never go away, there are several methods that you should consider. The following article is full of tips that will help you take your home back from all of the pests that have been living there.

If your home has a problem with brown recluse spiders, use sticky traps to catch them. They can hide very well and they are hard to kill with pesticides. At night they search for food. Put these traps along your walls as well as behind your furniture so you can trap them.

Use an outside perimeter spray to prevent indoor insects. Windows, doors, foundations and steps should all be treated with the product. Always spray the pesticides in the cracks that you see. Use caulk or another type of filler to seal the open areas.

You can prevent most pest infestations by keeping your home clean. Do not leave any food scrapes on your table or in the kitchen sink and make sure you tightly seal garbage bags. Get rid of your garbage on a regular basis and do not hesitate to store garbage bags in your garage until you can get rid of them.

Borax powder is known as a natural pest control. It can be used to rid your home and yard of many different kinds of insects, including roaches and ants. Avoid using borax around children and pets. Instead, place borax along baseboards and under cabinets to quickly rid your home of these pests.

If you live in an apartment complex or multi-unit condo complex, unite with your neighbors. Anything you try to do to control pests in your own unit will be unsuccessful if all the other units in your building are infested. Get together with the residents of your building and schedule pest control for the entire building to deal with the problem.

When you put bushes around your house, put them about 12 inches away from your home at minimum. Bushes make a great home for many different insects and rodents. If bushes are near your windows or any other point of entrance, bugs will come off the bushes into your house.

If you have children, explain to them the rules around the house for eating. Make sure that you designate only one area of the home for eating to help reduce any infestations that you may have. If all members of the house are responsible for what they do, you will have less of a pest problem.

Do a little research on the rodents or insects that have made your house their home. Determine why they are there based on the things they are attracted to. A plan designed for your specific pest program is the best approach.

While you may have been living with pests in your home for quite some time, there are ways that you can get rid of them. It may take a little trial and error to finally get rid of them, but it can work. The tips here will help you take your home back.…

Anyone Can Fix Their Own Pipes Without Help

April 19, 2019 kelvinaurelians Renovation Leave a comment

This is the best place for plumbing tips. You could look far and wide but you will not find tips as well written and clear as what you will find here. Use this article today if you want to know all that you should know about plumbing and your home.

Use a hairdryer to thaw frozen pipes, after you shut off the water to the house. A hairdryer will gently heat the pipe and thaw the ice without causing significant damage to the pipe. Shutting off the water first means that if the pipe is broken, there will be no rush of water into the house.

Use your garbage disposal with the cold water running so that you can preserve the blades of the disposal. Using hot water makes grease more liquid and can cause problems, including clogs. Make sure to clean blades by putting in a little dish detergent and run cold water at the same time.

There are many ways to unclog a drain. You can try plunging it at first. If that doesn’t work try using a chemical agent from the store. Before you go and spend money at the store though, if you have baking soda and some vinegar handy, you can mix those together and pour them in the drain and try to plunge that but if all else fails they have stronger remedies at your local hardware store.

Sometimes you have to make the choice between replacing or repairing. If you have an old appliance, that uses a lot of water or electricity, it may be best to replace. Sure, it will cost more initially, but it will save you money in the long run. The other thing is, you can’t be sure how well a repair will work out, whereas with a new appliance you’ll at least get a guarantee.

Find out the plumbing codes in your local area before starting any project. Plumbing codes can vary wildly from area to area and you don’t want to run afoul of the codes. Visit your local building department to find out information or hire a plumber for a day to help you go over your plans and provide advice.

Is your toilet leaking? Find out by putting some food color in the tank and then check the bowl later. If there is colored water in the bowl, the toilet has an internal leak. To fix an internal leak you can simply replace the tank’s ball or flapper.

When it gets cold out, ensure that your faucets outside aren’t dripping or leaking. If there are problems, you must make the needed fixes prior to the arrival of freezing temperatures. Whatever the material of your pipes, freezing water causes pressure that can make them crack. Even a very tiny crack can cause water to get out and flood your home, or at least cause some water damage.

In conclusion, plumbing is a skill that you should know about – plain and simple. It is something that you will always be able to use and you may be able to save yourself a lot of money and frustration in the future. Hopefully this article was beneficial to you.…

Don’t Let Plumbing Issues Be A Bother

July 28, 2018 kelvinaurelians Renovation Leave a comment

If you have never owned a house before, it is crucial to know that plumbing problems may happen quite soon after buying a new home. The most common places these problems pop up is in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Really, at some point every homeowner will deal with some kind of plumbing problem. Here are some tips to help you when that happens.

If you are paying someone else to do the plumbing in your home be sure that they are licensed in your state to do that work. Some people who have little or no knowledge of plumbing will try to pass themselves off as a pro. So you can see the importance of checking to see if your plumber is licensed. You should also see if you can find positive testimonials about the plumbers work.

As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.

When starting a plumbing project that is due to loud noises in your pipes empty the pipes first. This can be an easy fix to an other wise wasted huge job. Just close the main water line and open the facets throughout the house. After the water has stopped flowing turn the water on from the main source and check to see if the noise is eliminated.

Never use your bare hands to try fixing your garbage disposal. Garbage disposals can be dangerous, even if they are powered off. You can look online to find the diagram for the disposal that you have.

Install screen traps or drain covers on all of your sinks and tub drains. Most home plumbing calls are about clogged pipes. These can be caused by debris, especially hair, washing down the drains. Putting in a trap means that you can clean this debris off before it ends up in the pipes.

If your drain in any device is taking longer to drain water, then you may need to have your pipes professionally cleaned depending on the severity of the circumstances. Before you do this, there are several different products you can try. However, some of them are professional strength and all products should be used with caution.

There are simple ways to check your toilet for leaks that can ultimately lead to great cost savings in the long run. The easiest way to do this is to pour a small amount of food dye into the holding tank of your toilet overnight. In the morning, if you have any color in the basin then you know you have a leak that needs some attention.

The worst thing to have happen is a plumbing problem if you are unprepared to deal with it. All homeowners should know the basics of plumbing. When the time comes for you to deal with a plumbing problem, hopefully, the advice from this article will see you through it.…

Confused With A Plumbing Issue? Read This Piece

January 27, 2018 kelvinaurelians Renovation Leave a comment

Your plumbing system, like you and your family, is an important part of your home. Just like you, it needs to be be taken care of. You need to research all kinds of techniques and equipment and find what works for your plumbing job. These tips below can help you with that.

Don’t be afraid to call a professional. Don’t take on jobs to save money, if you aren’t sure how to fix them. Calling a professional plumber saves you money, the experience and know-how can fix your problem sooner and with less fuss.

Don’t pay a plumber until the job is completed. A plumber may require some money upfront, but it’s wise to wait until the job is completely done before giving him the entire payment. Many things can happen between the stop and end of a job, so to be safe wait until you are satisfied with the completed work before paying.

Do not put cooking oils, fat, or grease, down your drain. These fats cause clogs by solidifying in pipes. To properly dispose of fats, put them in a bowl with a lid that you can dispose of. Once it gets hard, throw it in the trash or compost bin.

Unclog drains with ease. Try using a plunger and drain cleaner, as your clog may simply be a build-up of hair and debris. If this doesn’t work you may have to clear the drain with a snake. Feed the snake into the drain line as far as it will go. Turn the crank gently, which will help to loosen the clog. Remove the snake, and run water down the drain to see if the clog has been removed. You may have to use the snake a couple of times, before the clog is cleared so don’t give up!

Cover pipes that are outside or in cool areas. Use heat tape to make sure that the pipes are completely covered and insulated. This will prevent frozen pipes in the winter, which can be an expensive problem. Check outdoor pipes for other problems such as leaks and cracks which are better to catch early.

Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.

Seeing sewage back up through your toilet means that you probably have a blockage somewhere in your branch line which connects the sewage line and the main line. You can run a device through this called a snake to try to clean up the clog. Or you can also purchase some specific drain cleaner and hope that works. If not, you’ll have to call in the professionals.

Doing your own plumbing ensures that if anything happens to it, you can fix it. Similar to taking care of your family, it is really important that you take care of your plumbing system. So, do yourself a favor and do your research and apply the above tips to your plumbing jobs.…

Effectively Choose A Reliable Plumber In Your Area

January 6, 2018 kelvinaurelians Renovation Leave a comment

Imagine taking on a plumbing project with the confidence that you are going to do a good job and that you are going to complete the job for well under the price of hiring professional help. Now use this hopefulness, and take a few minutes to read the great tips in this article.

Rigid copper is used for main water lines in many homes. You cannot bend rigid copper, so joints and tees must be soldered on. When soldering, always apply flux (also called soldering paste) to both surfaces. Flux retards oxidation when the copper is heated. Always use lead-free or nearly lead-free solder when sweating a copper joint.

Before starting any plumbing project be sure to turn off the main water supply. Water damage can be one of the most expensive things to repair. To minimize damage turn the main water supply off as well as any shut off valves near where you are working. This will save a great deal of hardship later on.

If your pipes bang when you turn on the water, and all the pipes are anchored correctly, you should add some straps or cushion the pipes with a rubber blanket. There may be times when you will need to do both. Make sure that if you have copper pipes, you are not using galvanized straps.

Make sure you know where your home’s water shutoff is located. You never know when there might be an emergency involving a broken pipe or damaged connection that requires you to turn off the water right away. In addition, knowing where the shutoff is located is vital before you start any plumbing project, in case anything goes wrong.

Do not overload your garbage disposal. If you need to dispose of large items, cut them up into smaller pieces. Also, do not put too much in at a time, put one or two items in and wait a few seconds to dispose of the rest. Overloading your disposal can cause the engine to overheat.

To lessen the chances of toilet problems, do not use as a place to put trash. Keep away from flushing improper items down the toilet, like cotton balls, diapers, paper towels, or feminine hygiene products. These types of items can clog your toilet as they do not dissolve. As well, use just enough toilet paper to clean yourself!

Do not forget to check the temperature of the water heater in your house, especially if you are planning to leave for an extended period of time. You should keep the temperature no higher than 120 degrees, which will help to reduce energy use and prevent your system from burning out.

Do a routine check around your house each month on each and every faucet to make sure there are no signs of leaks or drips. Over time, leaks can add a lot of money to your water bill and will worsen if you do not take care of the problem.

To summarize, you want to know that you are taking care of your plumbing job just the same as a professional would, but without the additional costs they would inflict upon you. Hopefully, this article was informative enough for you to tackle any plumbing issue that might come your way.…