Tips For Preparing For An Outside Catering Event

If you are thinking of holding a celebration in Sydney, and you quit to think of it, you will realize that there is a horrible great deal of work to do to make sure that your party runs efficiently, and is an occasion that your visitors could remember for a very long time ahead. You want them to bear in mind it for the appropriate factors, not the wrong ones. Team building events are one of the factor to the success of all businesses, corporate or otherwise!

In order to get it right, social event wedding catering preparing in Sydney has to be – well – intended! There is much more to it than just calling around all your buddies and welcoming them over for the day, or the evening. That is actually the easy little, as well as you may well have actually done that prior to you understand that you may merely potentially have attacked off more than you can chew.

To begin with, unless you have a big family and a very big home, it is likely that your oven simply has four hobs and also one oven. That is all that many homes call for. All of a sudden you have to ready meals for perhaps 20 or 30 folks much more if you have actually overdone it and there is no way that you are going to do that with the typical household cooker.

Couldn’t I Make It A Bbq Event?

OK. The weather in Sydney is pleasant, the sunlight radiates for 340 days a year, so we ll make it a bbq social event.

The individuals that obtained served first would certainly nearly be prepared for their following dish by the time you had completed food preparation for the last couple. There is much additional to event food catering planning than you would understand.

Exactly what Concerning A Cold weather Buffet?

We put on t like to state this, but also for the most part offering a cool buffet suggests cooking a bunch of food just before the guests arrive, and also permitting it cool. You have to arrange it so that it all fits with each other and also looks rather.

Permit is claim that your item in resistance is going to be a large salmon. You have to prepare it, permit it cool, place it on a recipe, and embellish it with herbs, vegetables, tossed salad, or whatever you want, to make sure that it looks as though it has actually been done by expert event caterers.

It is additionally very likely that a salmon large good enough for your functions won t suit your oven in the first place.

As a matter of fact, for any type of party of more than around a dozen folks, you will find that your oven just won t cope, and also you could need to invest so much time on preparation that by the time your visitors arrive all you could feel like doing is falling into bed, as opposed to playing the perfect host.

Hmmm. Exactly what About The Plates And also Cutlery?

It is very likely that you simply put on t have enough of these to cater for even a small social event, allow alone one of 30 or additional. It saves on the washing up, however you wish your event to be born in mind for being a wonderful success, not something that you may view at the neighborhood religion fete.

Yes, there is a lot additional to event food catering preparing, if you want to have an event that is hailed as a roaring success, than you could initially think.

ASSISTANCE! Just what Can I Do?

As with the majority of factors in life, there are constantly folks around that are professionals as well as could make sure that whatever you require is done completely, since it s their work. At Chilterns Catering & Events we have actually been organising social event catering planning in Sydney for many years, as well as although we advocate ourselves, we are respectable at it.

We have all the devices that you will ever before need to hold your event, and also we are professionals when it pertains to celebration meals. Not to put also great a point on it, our entire group contains devoted foodies which like absolutely nothing better than preparing, and then creating, meals that could simply make your mouth water.

We like to consume the very best ourselves, yet we get excellent enjoyment from offering the same for people. Yes, it s just how we make our living, yet at the same time we get a bang out of it, as well as we like absolutely nothing more than when our clients write, phone, and email us after their social event to inform us just how much their visitors appreciated it. Try this social events for your visitors.

Offer us a call now, or send us an email, and also tell us what your ideas for your party are. Rely on us to make it happen.

Using the Right Tools Makes Pressure Washing Driveways Easier

Whether you are cleaning concrete, brick, pavers, or asphalt driveways, the surface is porous and gets dirty easily. Your tires bring grease, oil, dirt, and all kinds of grime (even road kill) home to your driveway, so you want to clean it, but you’re tired of spending your whole Saturday working on your driveway with a hose, right? Well, we get it.

How much does a concrete driveway cost?

The only answer I can provide is it still depends on the design, the material, and the area on which you will use for your driveway.

The best and quickest way to clean any driveway is with a pressure washer. These cleaning machines will spray a high volume of water at a high pressure (some even at a high temperature) in order to expedite cleaning. For pressure washing driveways, we recommend a washer with pressures of at least 3000 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch). Once you have your pressure washer and a driveway to clean, just follow these easy steps to make your drive look new again:

  1. Clear the Driveway — Move cars, debris, and toys to make the way clear for the pressure washer.
  2. Deal with Grease and Oil — Soak up any spots of excess grease or oil with saw dust or cat litter.1
  3. Use Chemicals — Pre-treat the drive with a pressure washer detergent or degreaser as needed (as the name implies, degreasers will come in handy for any grease or oil not soaked up by the kitty litter). It is a good idea to let the cleaning solutions sit for about 5 or 10 minutes before power washing to ensure maximum performance.
  4. Pressure Wash — Direct the high-pressure stream over the entire surface of the driveway, removing dirt and grime along the way. When you are done, your driveway will look as good as new.

There are a few choices you have once you begin pressure washing driveways. If you have been researching pressure washers, you have probably come up with a few questions about which nozzles or accessories to use for this application. The most common configuration is to put a 25˚ (green) nozzle in the end of your pressure washer gun. This will remove dirt and sweep as you go. For things like gum and tar, a 15˚ (yellow) nozzle is best. This nozzle can be used like a chisel to scrape things up off of the driveway.2 If you want to speed up the process even further; there are a few pressure washer attachments that can help you:

Cleaning Concrete Driveway

Rotary Turbo Nozzle — A rotary turbo nozzle will focus the water into a very fine stream, but constantly rotate that stream in order to cover a wider area. This is very useful when cleaning concrete, bricks, pavers and even houses. Covering a wider area means that pressure washing driveways will take you fewer passes, and less time.

Water Broom — If you want to cover more area than a rotary nozzle, consider a water broom. This pressure washer attachment will have several nozzles lined up along a bar, to clean a wider area in one pass. Water brooms have castors that keep the nozzles the same height over the surface while pressure washing driveways. This means that you will not get the zebra striping associated with holding the tip at varying heights above your surface.

Surface Cleaner — This is the quickest option for pressure washing driveways. These machines have 2 or 3 nozzles attached to the end of a rotary arm that spins covering areas of 8 inches all the way up to 30 inches. Pressure washer surface cleaners have handles for you to hold on to, allowing you to simply push them over the entire driveway cleaning as you go. Like a water broom, a surface cleaner can eliminate zebra striping by keeping your nozzles at a uniform height during the entire cleaning process.

Measuring How Many Calories Pilates Burns

Although calorie burning is not the main reason people do Pilates, many of us, especially those interested in weight loss, would like to know exactly how many calories Pilates burns. Unfortunately, unless you workout in a lab, measuring the calories burned doing Pilates is a very imprecise science. In this article, we look at the factors that influence the measurement of calories burned in Pilates (and other activities) as well as some Pilates-specific variables. Our accredited pilates instructor course set the standard in Brisbane & Australia.

Calorie Basics

A calorie is a unit of measure of heat. When you eat food that contains a certain number of calories, it means that food has the potential to release many units of heat when burned. Your body converts calories from food and stored nutrition, mainly fat, into energy by way of thermal metabolic processes that release heat, thus the term “burning calories.”

It takes a certain number of calories for your body to stay alive and function normally. That is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). The more you exert yourself in an activity, the more your metabolic rate increases and the more calories you burn. Your basal metabolic rate is unique. It is influenced by your age, gender, weight, and body composition (fat to muscle ratio for example). The amount your metabolism will increase with exertion beyond your basal metabolic rate is also influenced by those factors as well as the intensity and duration of the workout.

Pilates and Calorie Calculators

You can see already that the number of variables involved in measuring the exact amount of calories burned in a Pilates workout is considerable. When you add to that the wide differences in workout intensity available in Pilates, as well as the huge differences in intensity related to whether or not a workout includes Pilates equipment or not, and then which equipment and at what settings, it is clearly impossible to identify a specific number of calories burned that would be applicable to everyone.

There, however, some very general estimates made about the number of calories Pilates burns. My survey of online calorie calculators showed an average measure of all doing mat Pilates at a beginner level.

191 calories per hour for a 120lb person
206 calories per hour for a 130lb person
238 calories per hour for a 150lb person
286 calories per hour for a 180lb person

Obviously, calorie burn numbers would be higher than those cited for a person doing an intermediate or advanced Pilates workout. To give you some perspective, one calorie calculator projected 360 calories per hour for a 120lb person and 432 per hour for a 150lb person doing advanced Pilates.

Keep in mind that most online calorie calculators only ask for weight and duration. They do not tell you what population their baseline is taken from—gender, weight, level of fitness, etc. nor do they specify what kind of Pilates is being performed — ​mat exercises, equipment exercises, or level. So these numbers must be regarded as extremely general. Also, if you are “guesstimating” keep in mind that men typically burn more calories than women doing the same activity. Persons in better shape tend to have a higher BMR but burn fewer calories a lower percentage of additional calories under exertion.

Calories Burned and Your Body

To get a somewhat more accurate Pilates calorie burn number, you would need to turn to measures based on your own body. The primary way to do this is to use a heart rate monitor. Because the body requires oxygen to burn calories and the heart pumps oxygen through the body, there is a relationship between how hard the heart is working and your body’s demand for oxygen to burn calories with.

Some heart rate monitors come with projections of calories burned based on your BMR and an average of the heart rate you have during your exertion period. Very good ones will have inputs for other personal data such as weight and gender as well.

You can also find heart rate-based calorie burn calculators online. As technology improves activity monitors will be able to predict calorie burn during Pilates but they are not yet developed to monitor activity in multiple planes of movement.

Given the array of variables involved in trying to pinpoint calories burned in Pilates, a more practical solution is to pay attention to your own exertion level as that correlates with burning more calories, and it happens to be the variable you have the most control over. You can do that with a heart rate monitor. You can do that more easily by using the perceived rate of exertion scale which uses a subjective experience of breathing rate, fatigue, sweat measured on a scale from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (the most exertion possible)to help you gauge your exertion rate.

Burning Calories for Weight Loss

If your interest in the calories burned in Pilates is because you want to lose weight, keep in mind that you have to burn 3500 calories more than you take in to lose one pound. Most people achieve that over time by reducing the number of calories they take in and increasing the number of calories they burn with exercise.

As for Pilates and calorie burning, as moderate strength training Pilates definitely has an important role in a weight loss program and it will help you burn calories. In fact, resistance exercise, like Pilates equipment exercises, have been shown to keep the metabolic rate elevated longer after a workout than aerobic exercise. However, the benefits of Pilates far exceed calorie burning and Pilates is not one of those cardio activities, such as jogging or elliptical training, that are primarily done for their aerobic and calorie burning effect.

Pilates vs. Yoga: The Differences and What’s Right for You

Pilates, yoga, Yogilates, PiYo. They all seem to offer similar workouts, so how do you choose? Pilates and yoga have significantly evolved in recent years. With different variations available at gyms and studios around the world, there’s something for almost everyone. Our pilates teacher training Sydney is extremely beneficial because of the experience they gain.

Yoga and Pilates are both low-impact workouts that focus on using bodyweight resistance. The benefits are vast. Both workouts can increase overall health, leading to a better quality of life.

As with any exercise, proper form is crucial. Modifications must be made for those with physical limitations.

Pilates

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates at the end of World War I. It was primarily used as rehabilitation for wounded soldiers. Pilates brought his method to the United States in 1923 and spent years refining his approach.

Pilates may:

  • increase muscle strength and endurance
  • improve flexibility and posture
  • lead to better balance
  • result in decreased joint pain

Pilates focuses on small movements that require the use of important stabilizing muscles of the back and core. There is a strong emphasis on starting each exercise with a controlled breath that initiates a contraction of the core muscles. Pilates can be done on a mat or on specialized equipment. The equipment is unique as it only uses springs, levers, and your own body weight to provide resistance.

Evidence suggests that Pilates may be beneficial for those with the following conditions:

  • arthritis
  • urinary incontinence
  • respiratory conditions
  • joint injuries
  • back pain

Yoga

The exact origins of yoga are unknown. But it’s been around for at least the past 3,000 years. Yoga has roots in shamanism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. It’s centered around the five beliefs of:

  • proper relaxation
  • exercise
  • breathing
  • diet
  • positive thinking and meditation

Mindfulness and deep breathing are key features in a yoga practice. Although there are many different types of yoga, holding various poses and flowing through different series of movements is standard in most classes. Yoga can be seen as a form of mind-body fitness. It combines physical activity and mindful focus. This brings increased awareness to the breath and energy.

The benefits of yoga have been studied extensively. In addition to physical and mental benefits, yoga is also known to have positive effects for medical issues, including:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • multiple sclerosis
  • arthritis
  • respiratory conditions
  • high blood pressure
  • chronic pain
  • type 2 diabetes

 

Yoga vs. Pilates: Which is better?

Yoga and Pilates are both great workouts. If you have a health condition, you may want to consult an instructor to determine what’s best for you.

Many forms of yoga require substantial flexibility and mobility of the joints, especially the spine, hips, and wrists. Although most poses can be modified, a person with severe limitations or pain may find it challenging to follow along in more advanced classes.

There are many different styles of yoga, including restorative yoga, acro yoga, and chair yoga. Finding what works best for your body is key.

Pilates can be a great exercise for older adults or those recovering from injury due to its low- impact exercises and subtle movements. There are many forms of Pilates. The main difference between them is the type of equipment used.

Equipment-based workouts use many of the same movements as in a mat class, but with added resistance. Mat Pilates is great for many people, but it can be more challenging for those with decreased mobility or poor core strength.

Pilates can be expensive, and access to equipment is mandatory for some forms of Pilates. As with yoga, Pilates can be modified, but proper teaching and performance of the exercises is crucial to avoid injury.

Warnings

Modify your workouts if you suffer from back or neck pain, or have respiratory problems. Talk to your doctor before trying Pilates or yoga if you’re pregnant or have other physical restrictions.

Always consult your doctor and a certified instructor before starting any exercise program. You may want to think about taking private lessons before jumping into a class or following a workout video. Incorrect form or pushing yourself past your limits may cause injury.

How to create the perfect van sign

Small businesses rarely spend a lot on marketing but could you be missing an effective method of advertising by not having signs on your van? Stickers Sydney can put the vinyl signwriting on the van for you or, with smaller signage, you can fit it yourself.

According to a recent study, as many as 40 per cent of tradespeople prefer their commercial vehicle to remain anonymous. Builders were the least likely to brand their vans, with 53 per cent choosing not to, while 83 per cent of roofers were happy to broadcast their profession.

Some firms are understandably wary of drawing unwanted attention from thieves but in cities it is estimated that as many as 3,000 people an hour will see your van – which could bring more business.

The pros and cons should be assessed on your circumstances. For example a business with a B2B customer base may not feel the need to promote itself but a tradesperson looking for fresh inquiries may want to. If you decide to apply branding to your van, what are the options?

There are two methods to consider, sign writing or wrapping. While sign writing used to mean paintbrushes and a pot of paint, it is now far more sophisticated and will usually involve the use of stenciled adhesive vinyl lettering on the bonnet, rear doors or side of the van.

Option two is a full or partial vehicle wrap, again using vinyl. This method has the added benefit of protecting the vehicle’s paintwork whilst serving as a blank canvas for your branding.

The whole vehicle colour can be changed if necessary, and businesses often buy a white van for its residual value and immediately wrap the vehicle in their colourful corporate colours, preserving the pristine paintwork for any later buyer. Kindly check out our vehicle signage concepts that we made previously with our clients.

Categories diy

Expert Catering Tips – Knowing How Much Food is Enough

If you are thinking about holding an event in Sydney, and also you quit to think of it, you will certainly realize that there is an awful lot of job to do to make sure that your social event runs efficiently, and is an event that your visitors will remember for a long time to come. You want them to bear in mind it for the best reasons, not the wrong ones. Whether you’re planning a corporate catering events, a quarterly meeting or an annual corporate party, we understand there’s a lot riding on your choice of caterer.

In order to get it right, party catering planning in Sydney needs to be – well – intended! There is far more to it than just sounding around all your buddies as well as welcoming them over for the day, or the evening. That is really the simple bit, as well as you might well have done that just before you realize that you may just possibly have actually bitten off greater than you can chew.

To begin with, unless you have a big household and a huge residence, it is most likely that your stove just has four hobs and also one stove. Nevertheless, that is all that many households call for. Unexpectedly you need to ready food for maybe 20 or 30 individuals more if you have actually really gone overboard and there is no way that you are visiting do that with the typical household cooker.

Couldn’t I Make It A Barbeque Celebration?

OK. The climate in Sydney is pleasant, the sunlight shines for 340 days a year, so we ll make it a barbeque celebration.

The folks that got served first would certainly nearly be ready for their next dish by the time you had completed food preparation for the last couple. There is far even more to event catering planning compared to you would certainly recognize.

Exactly what About A Cold Buffet?

We wear t like to mention this, but also for the most component serving a chilly buffet suggests cooking a bunch of food just before the visitors show up, and also letting it awesome. You have to organize it so that it all fits with each other and looks quite.

For example, allow s say that your magnum opus is visiting be a large salmon. You have to cook it, let it great, area it on a dish, and also decorate it with natural herbs, vegetables, salad, or whatever you desire, so that it looks as though it has actually been done by professional caterers.

It is likewise most likely that a salmon huge sufficient for your functions won t suit your stove to begin with.
As a matter of fact, for any kind of party of more than around a loads individuals, you could locate that your stove merely succeeded t deal, and you could need to spend a lot time on preparation that by the time your guests show up all you will certainly seem like doing is falling under bed, as opposed to playing the perfect host.

Hmmm. What About The Plates And also Cutlery?

That s a good point. There is the little issue of plates, flatware, glasses, and so forth. It is likely that you simply put on t have good enough of these to cater for even a small celebration, not to mention among 30 or additional. Sure, you could make use of paper plates and also plastic cutlery, however do you really desire your visitors to utilize something so tacky? It saves on the washing up, yet you want your event to be remembered for being a terrific success, not something that you may view at the local church fete.

Yes, there is a great deal more to celebration catering preparing, if you want to have a celebration that is hailed as a roaring success, than you might in the beginning think.

HELP! What Can I Do?

Just like a lot of points in life, there are consistently people around who are specialists and also can make sure that whatever you require is done flawlessly, due to the fact that it s their job. At Chilterns Catering & Events we have actually been planning celebration food catering preparing in Sydney for several years, as well as although we advocate ourselves, we are respectable at it.

We have all the equipment that you will ever need to hold your party, and we are professionals when it contacts social event food. Not to place too fine a factor on it, our whole group includes dedicated foodies who enjoy nothing better compared to planning, then creating, food that will simply make your mouth water.

We enjoy to eat the best ourselves, yet we obtain fantastic pleasure from supplying the very same for people. Yes, it s exactly how we make our living, but at the very same time we get a bang out of it, and we like nothing greater than when our customers write, phone, as well as email us after their event to inform us how much their guests appreciated it. For catering needs in any event you may connect with us through our website.

Provide us a phone call now, or send us an e-mail, as well as tell us just what your ideas for your event are. Rely on us to make it take place.

Caring For Leather Upholstery

When I told him the damage to his new leather sofa probably wasn’t covered by his warranty, I thought he was going to cry. Or hit me; I couldn’t tell which. Generally what carnauba wax does to your car is the same look when you purchase it.

“But I used a leather cleaner” he pleaded. In fact, he did use leather cleaner; he bought it at an automotive supply store, and it said right on the bottle “Leather Cleaner”. Had he read the cleaning code tag on his sofa as closely as he read the label on the bottle he was holding, he would have known that his sofa was Nubuck leather, and couldn’t be cleaned with the same cleaner as auto upholstery.

Leather is a beautiful and durable upholstery fabric. It will last a long time if it is properly cared for. The keys to properly caring for your leather are to know what kind of leather you have, and what the appropriate cleaning and conditioning methods are. Those keys will be covered in this article.

Upholstered Furniture Has a Cleaning Code

The American Furniture Manufacturers Association recommends that upholstered furniture manufacturers place a tag on their products that contains the product’s cleaning code. The tag is most commonly found on the decking fabric under the chair/sofa cushion or underneath the chair/sofa attached to the dust cover. Although all types of fabrics will have a cleaning code, here I will focus only on leather products. The cleaning codes and characteristics for leather upholstery are:

“A” code for Aniline Leather; also known as Naked, Natural, and Unprotected leather

Analine leathers are colored with transparent aniline dyes. Because the dye is transparent, you are able to see the actual surface grain and markings in the leather. The identifying characteristics of Aniline leather are that it is very easy to scratch; water drops will darken the color and then will dry back to its’ natural color. These leathers have very little or no protective treatments applied to them. Aniline leather is especially sensitive to sunlight and should not be placed in front of windows or under skylights.

“P” code for Protected Leather; also known as Finished, Pigmented, or Painted leather.

Protected leathers are colored by the application of pigments to the surface of the leather. The leather then has a clear finish applied to the surface, making it more resistant to scratching. The identifying characteristics of Protected leather are that it has uniform color and grain patterns, it will not scratch easily, and water drops will not change its’ color. Protected leathers are the most common leather; they are found on over 90% of upholstered furniture and all automotive upholstery.

“N” code for Nubuck Leather; also known as Bomber, Brushed, Buffed, Split Grain, or Suede.

Nubuck leathers are actually Aniline leathers whose surface has been brushed to create a texture similar to velvet. The identifying characteristics of Nubuck are similar to Aniline; it is very soft to the touch, it will scratch or scuff very easily, and water drops will darken the leather but return to its original color upon drying. Although Nubuck is usually very expensive leather, it is not as durable as “top grain” protected leather.

How to Properly Clean Leather Upholstery

This may be self-evident, but a reminder is in order: automotive leather cleaners are too harsh for upholstered furniture. Buy the cleaner that is recommended for the type of leather you are cleaning. Always pre-test in an inconspicuous area for colorfastness with a soft, clean, white lint-free cloth.

When it comes to cleaning any type of leather, liquid is the enemy. Turn your cleaner into foam before putting it on the leather. Foamers can be purchased at Bed, Bath, & Beyond or similar stores. Simply pour the cleaner into the foamer, and then pump the trigger; it will dispense foam similar to shaving cream. It you don’t have a foamer, pour the cleaner onto a sponge and rapidly squeeze the sponge until foam is produced.

Apply the foam to soiled area in a gentle circular motion. Wait a few minutes, then blot with a soft, clean white lint-free cloth and reapply if area is heavily soiled. If your leather extremely dry and the leather cleaner absorbs quickly, then add 20% distilled water to the leather cleaner to slow down absorption. When the leather has dried, rub a cream leather conditioner into the leather to keep it soft and supple. These instructions apply to both auto and furniture upholstery.

Special Instructions for Nubuck

Since Nubuck has a nap, the foam must be worked into the nap of the leather. After cleaning, use a hair dryer and rub a soft bristle brush or Nubuck Cloth against the grain to raise the nap. If the Leather is not very dirty, use the Nubuck Cleaning Cloth only.

With proper care, your leather upholstery will stay supple and durable for years.

Wayne Jordan is a Virginia licensed Auctioneer, Certified Personal Property Appraiser, and Accredited Business Broker. He specializes in the Valuation and Liquidation of Estate and Business assets. Learn more at his website http://www.waynejordanauctions.com or his blog http://www.wayne-jordan.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Wayne_Jordan/457885

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Super Handyman: Brick pavers are easy to maintain

The cost for concrete driveway depends upon material and finish grade, surface area and material volume, preparation and special needs, and the labor rate. Brick pavers are just wonderful. Whether you are doing a walkway, patio or even a driveway, if done correctly, they will look great for many years with little trouble. Even the problems that you might have are easy to fix. Here are solutions to those issues and how you easily can take care of them yourself:

• If you have weeds that pop up between the bricks, just use a herbicide to take them out.

• If your paver surface has loose sand between the joints, keep in mind that the sand will settle over time. Apply a new layer of sand to the surface and sweep it into the cracks. This adds stability to the pavers and helps them withstand slight movement.

• If a brick or two settle or sink a little, you can use a scrap of heavy-duty wire to lift them out. The wire needs to have a small hook on the bottom to grab the bottom of the brick to lift it up.

Other tools you might try are a trowel, pry bar or hacksaw blade. Once up, you can add a handful of sand to the base, smooth it out and carefully set the brick back down. Use a rubber mallet to tamp it back into place.

If you end up with a cracked brick, you can use the “wire trick” to lift the pieces out and then you can put a new brick into place. Hopefully you have extras. If not, take a brick from a discreet spot and use it to fill the open area.

Then, put another brick into the semi-hidden area.

• If you have several bricks that have sunk, remove them all and fill the area with sand so that you have a level base, and replace the bricks. Once you get the first brick up, the others will be much easier to get out.

There are a variety of stone and brick cleaners and sealers that you may want to use, should you have stains on your bricks. Once you use the cleaner, you can apply a sealer that will protect your bricks for a long time.

There is even a line of “wet look” sealers that will really bring out the color in the pavers. Shop your hardware store or home center to see what it has.

As you can see, just a little light maintenance really is all that is ever required so your hard work will look good for many years to come.

Q: I want to know what I can use to paint an old bed frame. It’s metal, and I was hoping I could make it look like brass. What can you recommend? – J.A.

A: You can buy brass paint. It’s not real brass, but it does look amazingly like the real thing and it comes in a spray and brush-on. There’s a little prep involved, but you should like the results.

Shoptalk

Bead board is a great look, but it can be a little labor-intensive and also can get costly. But Brewster makes a line of heavily textured wallpaper that looks just like bead board. It comes in several widths and finishes and goes up just like wallpaper. That means you don’t have to have a truck and a bunch of other tools like you would for the real paneling to get the look in your home. It costs a lot less, too. You can do walls, wainscoting and even do a ceiling with this stuff and, once painted, nobody will be able to tell it’s paper, not wood! You can get it at your Home Depot store. Check it out online at www.homedepot.com and see it for yourself.

Categories diy

Emergency Electrician & 24 Hour Electrical Services

People generally don’t think about how much they depend on electricity until something goes wrong. From a flickering light to an electrical fire, electrical issues often strike suddenly and at the worst times. At Piper Electric Co., Inc., we understand the inconvenience, danger, and lost productivity that can result from an electrical emergency. That’s why we offer after hours electrician Brisbane services performed by our experienced, licensed technicians throughout the Arvada and the Denver metro area.

Safety First

A flickering light or stray spark may not seem like a big deal, but any inconsistency with your electrical system can indicate a serious safety issue. It’s important that you take immediate action when you spot an issue with your electric system. Waiting to address an issue until normal business hours could lead to larger problems or even catastrophic loss.

Piper Electric Co., Inc.’s emergency electricians are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist with any electrical emergency—large or small, residential or commercial in the Denver and Arvada region. Our emergency electricians will promptly assess and recommend relevant repairs to keep your home or business safe and operational, potentially saving you thousands and keeping your family or coworkers out of danger.
Preventative Maintenance and Repairs

One way to avoid issues with your electricity is to repair or replace any old or defective wiring before a problem arises. If you live or work in an aging building or house, you could benefit from an inspection by one of our licensed technicians. Damaged wiring presents a potential fire hazard that could strike at any time if not properly addressed. You may also be leaking power, which could be costing you money and decreasing the performance of your electronics. We have an experienced team that specializes in inspection, rewiring, remodeling, and troubleshooting. We can identify major or minor issues and make repairs and install any necessary components, increasing efficiency and possibly saving you money and hassle.

Of course, if an electrical emergency does arise for any reason, our 24-hour emergency electrical service technicians will be ready to help—rain or shine, night or day. Your safety is our number one priority. Give us a call at (303) 422-9219 if you notice anything out of the ordinary with your electrical systems or to assess your current wiring. We promise to treat your emergency as if it was our own.

Building a Driveway the Right Way!

When it comes to creating instant “kerb appeal” a good looking driveway should be high on the list of priorities to make your house stand out from the crowd – regardless of whether you are thinking of selling or staying put! The Drivewayproperth.com.au provides a wealth of driveway solutions that are the very epitome of style and practicality. They can also gave you a cement driveway cost Perth.

The smartest properties and the most glorious gardens can never achieve their full style potential if they are let down by a dreary, unkempt driveway. In addition to the obvious aesthetic benefits of investing in a stunning driveway, there are a number of practical factors to consider. A well laid driveway can dispense with the seasonal appearance of unsightly puddles, whilst also providing a clear and uncluttered route from the road to the house – particularly important for when you are regularly unloading a car laden with shopping bags! If you have children, you will also appreciate the additional joy of teaching your child to ride their bike within the safe confines of your own property, rather than risking life and limb on the open road!

Driveway Decisions

Once you’ve decided to invest in a new driveway, you’ll need to give some thought to the following:

Colour – make sure you select a driveway medium which is available in a colour to either complement or contrast with your home and its surroundings

Material – the ultimate driveway material is block paving but be aware that garden paving products are generally not suitable for creating a professional driveway. Alternatives to block paving include gravel (which is great as a burglar deterrent but liable to movement and can be travelled into the house), concrete and tarmac (although you will be limited in terms of choice of colour). There are also a range of resin bound paving solutions which use natural gravel, crushed stone, imported marble and recycled materials, these are available in a wide range of colours and finishes

Drainage – get it right and you can kiss goodbye to pools of water sitting on the driveway. Find a professional driveway installer to ensure your finished driveway drains with ease

Legislation – Remember that following the introduction of legislation which came into effect in October 2008, unless you are working with a permeable driveway paving product you may require planning permission to pave over a front garden.

Lighting – an immaculate driveway will benefit from strategically placed lighting to illuminate a safe route to the door. Low energy LED lighting can be simple to install, weatherproof and requires minimal maintenance.

Driveway Drama

If you want your driveway to deliver a dramatic style statement consider laying pavers to incorporate a striking circular or octant pattern. Alternatively for added impact, you can include bands of contrasting pavers to produce either an attractive edging or a distinctive stand alone feature in its own right.

Driveways with a conscience

In built up environments, as much as 95% of rainfall makes it way directly into drains and straight to the watercourse – which puts immense pressure on the country’s drainage systems. The summer of 2007 devastating floods demonstrated the potential catastrophic consequences of placing our drainage systems under too much duress and The Environment Agency has estimated that up to two thirds of the floods in 2007 were caused by the surge in surface water overwhelming the country’s drainage systems.

The growing problem associated with excess surface water running off into our drainage systems has given rise to the new planning legislation which now requires householders looking to pave over their front garden – which could include creating a driveway – will require permission unless permeable materials are used.

If you want to be future perfect and environmentally responsible, there are already several new permeable products on the market which seek to help address the above issue. The systems are designed to enable surface water to drain away at source directly into the ground rather than into the hard pressed sewer systems during times of heavy rainfall.

“Priora” and “Tegula Priora” from Marshalls are permeable domestic block paving driveway solutions which feature voids at the joints to allow any surface water to pass naturally through into a specially calculated sub-base. But if block paving is not for you, you might want to consider alternative products such as “Grassguard”, an innovative, sustainable alternative to traditional concrete block paving. Grassguard features an open grid pattern that allows grass to grow through the blocks giving a “green” option for driveways and hard standing areas in front gardens. The grid pattern enables water to drain through the grass into the ground rather than directly into drains.

John Key is a website designer in the UK and has recently designed and built an all new website for Outdoor-Creations.co.uk, leading London garden designers and experts in garden landscaping.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_J_Key/50142

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