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5 Ways Make Your Home Renovation Eco-Friendly

January 24, 2022 0

Are you in the market for a home renovation? If so, you may be wondering how you can make your renovation eco-friendly. There are many ways to do this, it just takes a bit of creativity and some planning. In this blog post, we will discuss five ways you can renovate your home in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. 

Recycle Or Reuse Your Old Materials

When you’re renovating your home, it’s an excellent opportunity to recycle any old materials you may have lying around or even the materials you have removed from your home during your renovation. For example, if you’re replacing your flooring, why not consider recycling or donating the extra materials? Another great way to recycle old materials is by using them in new construction projects. For example, if you have some old cabinets or doors lying around, why not use them in your new renovation?

Consider Eco-Friendly Options

There are many eco-friendly options available when it comes to renovating your home. For example, you can choose low VOC paints and finishes, use natural materials wherever possible, or install energy-efficient appliances. When renovating, the outside area must be re-done too! When considering a new deck, consider contacting deck builders that make use of composite decking. By choosing eco-friendly options, you can help reduce your environmental impact and improve the sustainability of your renovation project.

Use Green Building Techniques

Green building techniques are those that minimize the negative environmental impact of a construction project. When renovating your home, consider using green building techniques such as water harvesting, daylighting, and natural ventilation. These techniques can help reduce energy use and save you money in the long run! In addition, using green building techniques can help you earn points towards LEED certification which may help you qualify for specific incentives hosted by your community.

As part of your green renovation, don’t forget about pest management. If your renovation involves significant changes to your home’s structure, such as new walls or foundations, it’s essential to ensure that any pest issues are addressed early on. Looking for pest control near me can provide eco-friendly pest prevention solutions, ensuring your home remains safe without compromising your sustainable approach.

Don’t Forget The Landscaping

When renovating your home, don’t forget about the landscaping! Landscaping can play a significant role in creating an eco-friendly home. For example, you can use drought-tolerant plants in your garden, install a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering plants or create a compost bin to recycle organic waste. By incorporating these and other green landscaping techniques into your renovation project, you can help improve the sustainability of your home.

Think About The Future

When renovating your home, it’s crucial to think about the future. For example, when choosing materials and finishes, consider their durability and how easy they are to maintain. By selecting materials that are durable and easy to maintain, you can help reduce the amount of waste produced by your renovation project. Additionally, try to choose energy-efficient appliances and lighting fixtures that will save you money in the long run. By thinking ahead, you can help make your home more sustainable for years to come!

In conclusion, there are many ways you can renovate your home in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. Just be creative and think outside the box! By incorporating some of the tips we have discussed in this blog post, you can make your next renovation project more sustainable and environmentally friendly. 

How To Upgrade Your Home With A Minimalistic Design

December 9, 2021 0

When it comes to living in an old home, with a roaring fire and that familiar sense of comfort, modernizing your home can really have the same effect while also adding more class and style to your home’s interior design aesthetic. In the design world these days, minimalist designs are extremely popular, and achieving them is less difficult than you might believe. Here’s how to upgrade your home and fall even more in love with it.

Decor

When decorating a modernized home, artwork tends to take precedence over the color or pattern of the walls. If you want to create a bigger statement with your walls, stick with a neutral color scheme and focus more on the art you hang on them. Depending on the space, this can include everything from enormous and elegant mirrors to sleek fireplaces and artwork by local artists. Whatever interests you have, they could be incorporated as well. Of course, you’ll need the correct equipment for the job, whether you’re hanging artwork or installing unique shelves. It is possible to purchase all of the power tool accessories that you could possibly require at a fair price.

Furniture

Who says that just because you’re aiming for a minimalist aesthetic, you have to sacrifice comfort in the process? There are many different types of sofas, plush rugs, scatter cushions, and recliners available to purchase that will look fantastic in your home. Look for brand names like Porada when it comes to shopping for minimalistic furniture. It’s usually a good idea to have a mental vision of the furniture you want so that when you go furniture shopping, you can focus on choosing the appropriate items for your home.

Declutter

One thing you’ve definitely noticed about modern-styled homes is how clean and airy they are. This is due to the fact that there is no clutter or personal possessions on display, giving the impression that it is a showhome. You may include storage shelves into your design and use them to store all of your personal stuff, allowing you to keep your house free of unnecessary clutter. Additionally, having a clutter-free environment will aid in creativity because there will be nothing to distract you from your job.

Lighting

When you first walk into a place, lighting has a significant impact on how it feels. If there isn’t much natural light in a room throughout the day, it’s doubtful that you will want to spend a lot of time in that space. While it is tough to do much about small windows, bringing in the appropriate lighting into the area will assist you in solving your problems. Spotlights have the ability to produce an enormous amount of light while also maintaining a stylish appearance. You could also increase the ambiance at night by placing lamps around your house; this will make each space cozier at night while still maintaining your desired level of flair.

Think about these suggestions when you’re remodeling your home so that you can enjoy your space even more than you currently do. Remember that when it comes to jobs that need electrical or gas work, it’s always preferable to delegate the work to a professional to avoid the possibility of you injuring yourself.

Skincare At All Different Levels Of Your Body

November 30, 2021 0

Not another clear skin dressing down! That’s what you’re probably thinking when you read the title. Well, just like any area of beauty and health, things move forward and get better. So unless you want to be surprised by new facts and tips that could help bring a new shine to your skin, you’ll pay attention to how things are changing in diets, food perceptions, studies, medicines, and other forms of treatment. Skin is the largest organ in the body or rather, of the body. It’s incredibly complex, strong, and yet vulnerable to the elements and the stresses we put it through. So we thought it would be a good idea to update you all on the progressions that are being made in this area of beauty and wellness. The skin is different in different parts of the body. The skin on your face is slightly different from the skin on your back. The skin on your knees is a lot different compared to your hands. So let’s explore all of them together.

Let’s start simple, with your hands

Right off the bat, we lied. There is nothing simple about the skin on your hands. Take a look at them right now. The skin on the backside of your hand has to be stretchy and tough. What!? How can those two things coexist? For something to be stretchy, it has to be soft. For something to be tough, it has to be rigid. Well, the skin on the backside of your hand is thick and yet very soft, so it allows itself to be stretched over the knuckles and protects the veins and tendons over the top of your hand. To make this part of your skin healthier, you should do a few things daily.

  • Pat or blot your skin dry. Don’t rub the towel over your hands, you’re making the thick skin dryer. The thicker the skin, the harder it is for your body to oxidize it. 
  • Don’t use too much soap or don’t wash your hands too frequently. In the course of the pandemic, washing your hands has become a religion of sorts. But, if you use too much soap and wash too often, your skin becomes very dry and itchy.
  • Don’t wash your hands with hot water, use warm water instead. Again, this is to avoid dryness.

For the inside of your hands, the skin is probably even thicker. Despite more nerve endings being present on the inside of your hand, the skin is even thicker. This is to protect the muscles of your hands. So you should follow the same rules posted above but also a few extra. Use an oil-based moisturizer so the skin remains flexible and stretchy. The amount of grasping and holding we do on a daily basis tends to tighten the skin as our muscles contract. So the oil-based moisturizer will sink deeper and thus, keep that stretch alive. Also, try to do some hand strengthening techniques such as improving your grip strength to inject more blood flow into your hands and skin. If you have blotchy palms, this can really help even out the skin tone.

The skin on your face

Get ready for a long and complex overview of your facial skin. It is by far the most complex skin on your body. It has to stretch, contract, protect, look beautiful, be clear, fight off bacteria, be oily and even fight off the signs of aging. How on earth can we be so brash and bold to ask our face to be all of these things at once? 

Well, in the modern world, we want it all. And you know what, who says we can’t? You just need to first, understand how the skin on your face actually works and what it needs to fulfill your demands. 

If you have acne, you need to buy the right kind of treatment for it. Duac gel is a good choice because it contains active ingredients. What we mean by ‘active’ is that they will react to the acne and not just passively improve your skin. In this way, it can be just 2 to 5 weeks before you begin to see a marked reduction of your acne. In about 12 weeks’ time you should not need to use this gel anymore and in fact, you shouldn’t because of the active ingredients. It’s a bit of an aggressive treatment, so don’t keep using it if you don’t want to ultimately damage the skin on your face.

If you want to have clear beautiful skin, then you should do a number of things in conjunction with regularly washing your face, i.e. twice a day, at least once with some kind of facial scrub, lotion, moisturizer, etc.

  • Get some exercise. The more your skin sweats, the more it releases toxins and thus, healthier, clearer skin.
  • Make sure you eat green vegetables; and the darker the better. When you eat foods like broccoli and spinach, you are eating more vitamin E and hence, your skin is stronger and absorbs more water and oxygen.
  • Stop smoking and drinking too much. Your skin hates these two awful habits, but especially the skin on your face. When you smoke, you will get grey cheeks. When you drink too much you get red cheeks and blotchy skin on your forehead and nose. 
  • Try not to wash your face with hot water. For the same reasons posted earlier.
  • Try to get 8 hours of sleep at least. Any signs of tiredness and lack of hydration will always appear clearly and firstly, on your face. 

More serious skin issues could be worth seeing a dermatologist about. While many skin problems on the face do not cause any pain or carry any added health risks, they can seriously affect self-esteem due to their location. Examples include serious acne, rosacea, psoriasis and lipomas.  At-home skin products may not always have an impact when treating these conditions, which is why you may want to look into professional treatment.

The skin on the rest of your body

Okay, so the face and hands have been given their special mentions. So what about the rest of your skin? Well, let’s look at where your skin is rough and tough, and where it is softer and more supple.

Tough skin tends to be on your 

  • Knees. Your knees have stretchy but thick skin, perhaps the thickest skin anywhere on the body. 
  • Your elbows come a close second to your knees.
  • The back has very thick skin, but it’s softer, because it has to flex and bend as our muscles contract and extend.
  • Your feet have thick skin too and often, the very toughest skin on the body. 

Softer and more supple skin tends to be

  • At the back of the knees. Very often this part of the body is avoided by massage therapists because it is so soft and sensitive. 
  • The inner part of your thighs has very soft skin, because this is where a good amount of fat is stored.
  • The inner part of your elbows is much the same; this is where your tendons and other nerves run past the upper arm and connect with the lower arm (forearm). 

For the thicker parts of your skin, use some kind of ointment, oil or paste for skincare. The thick skin will not fully absorb cream and water-based skincare products. The pastes and other such-like substances will be able to stay on top of the skin and eventually, penetrate deeper. For the softer parts of your body, use the types of products we just described to avoid for the thick areas. Creams and serums are great, but try to base all of your skincare products around nutrients, minerals and vitamins instead of complex chemicals.

Your skin is not the same all around your body. It’s highly complex and has adapted to protect and serve your body and all its movements and needs, over millions of years. So adapt your products and lifestyle to it. 

Practical Ways You Can Keep Your Home Pest-Free

October 29, 2021 0

Pests are not only annoying, but they can also carry diseases and wreak havoc on your home. They’re also expensive to exterminate, so it’s in your best interest to keep them out in the first place. 

Here are some practical ways you can keep pests out of your home.

Deal with Stagnant Water in the Compound 

When it comes to keeping pests at bay, water is a common culprit.  Pests are attracted to stagnant water so avoid leaving any open containers outside the house or in your property for too long. 

If you have an outdoor area with lots of vegetation and ponds or pools, keep them clean as this would help reduce possible mosquito infestations by getting rid of their breeding sites. Also, if your home is highly infested with mosquitos, you may want to consider a mosquito trap outdoor. This will be more effective compared to other ways of getting rid of mosquitos.

Trim All Trees and Bushes 

Trees and bushes can be a breeding ground for pests such as ants, cockroaches, ticks, termites, and mosquitoes, to name a few.  By keeping them trimmed away from the house, you are reducing their access points into your property, reducing the likelihood of having an infestation or being bitten by mosquitoes.

Seal Holes and Cracks 

It’s advisable to seal holes and cracks, such as in the home’s foundation. Sealing gaps around windows and doors is a great way to prevent pests from entering the home. There must be no standing water or moist areas where bugs can breed and spread throughout your house if you have a crawlspace.

Cover All Trash 

Cover all trash cans completely, even if you only throw away some paper towels or empty boxes. This will prevent rodents from getting into your home. You can also sprinkle cayenne pepper around your doors and windows to keep pests away.

Use Natural Products

Natural products are great for keeping pests away from your home. Peppermint oil is a great way to keep ants and other little bugs at bay as they hate the smell of it. Try putting some on cotton balls or even around windows. 

You can also mix peppermint with water in spray bottles and use them as an all-over body spray, too, if you’d like. The pungent smell will work wonders against insects that come near your house. 

Evict All Mice 

Mice have been a nuisance in homes worldwide for centuries, and while some may consider them cute, they are more of an annoyance from a homeowner’s perspective. Mice can spread diseases through their droppings, so it is vital to get rid of mice quickly before things go downhill.

To evict mice from your home, you need a multi-pronged approach that will also affect any of their offspring or other family members they may have hiding in the walls and other hard-to-reach places.

Keep Your Home Clean 

Keep your home clean to keep pests out, as they prefer dirty and moist areas. Be sure to clean your kitchen counters daily and sweep or vacuum the floors every day. 

Wash dishes straight away after use, rather than letting them sit in the sink overnight. Keep food covered when you’re not eating it and be sure to throw out any rotting fruit that falls onto the ground since this will attract insects such as ants. 

Residential Cleaning

For many people, the thought of cleaning their home is enough to send them running for the hills. Fortunately, there are eco-friendly residential cleaning services that can take care of the dirty work for you. These companies employ experienced and trustworthy cleaners who will clean your home from top to bottom, leaving it spotless. In addition to saving you time and energy, residential cleaning services can also help to improve your indoor air quality by removing dust, pollen, pests and other allergens from your home. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to keep your home pest free, consider hiring a residential cleaning service.

The above are some of the best ways to keep your home pest-free. Be sure to use them for excellent results.

Should You Invest In A Home Battery?

October 27, 2021 0
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Just ten years ago, home batteries weren’t even an option. While the technology existed, no companies were offering homeowners the option of hooking them up to their mains systems. Instead, if you wanted backup power during a power cut, you had to invest in a polluting and loud diesel generator. 

With the advent of home battery packs, though, that’s changing. These systems collect energy from solar panels during the day and then distribute it around your home when you need it.

Battery packs solve a major problem of the solar panel industry – the fact that solar arrays can only collect energy when the sun shines. With a battery in your home, you can collect solar energy during the day (perhaps when you’re out at work), and then use the energy in the evening to power your TV or kettle. 

In addition, installing a home battery lets you overcome some of the technical constraints of a traditional solar electric system. You get to keep the energy you produce, instead of having to sell it to the grid or let it go to waste. 

The Benefits Of A Home Battery

As you might expect, there are multiple benefits of a home battery beyond just providing you with a steady supply of electricity that you can use in the evening, 

Power During An Outage

Home batteries essentially make you entirely self-sufficient. So long as the sun continues to shine, PV panels will continue to collect energy and your battery will continue to charge. Therefore, during a power cut, you can continue using your lighting and appliances. You may even be able to ration your use of electricity, allowing you to survive adequately off-grid for weeks at a time. 

Power Your Electric Vehicle

If you have an electric vehicle, you can also use your battery to charge it. During the day, solar panels collect electricity and store charge in the home battery. Then, when you charge your vehicle at night, you can hook it up to your mains, drawing down on your home battery reserves. Some systems may also allow you to draw power directly from solar panels themselves 

Reduce Your Costs

Home batteries lower your costs. Once you purchase the battery, the energy you use it to store is essentially free. You’re able to use it later. 

Furthermore, your meter stops running backward. You no longer have to sell your collected energy back to the grid at a lower rate. You simply collect and use what you store without having to pay premium prices. 

What’s amazing about battery technology is that you don’t even need solar panels to benefit. You can simply use your battery to draw energy from the grid when it is cheap and then use it to power your home when prices rise again during peak hours (such as the evenings). 

Better For The Environment

Lastly, battery technology is generally better for the environment. It reduces the size of the supply chain and impact on natural resources. 

Battery production is not entirely eco-friendly. Many chemistries contain chemicals which can harm the environment. However, the impact is orders of magnitude lower than it is for conventional energy production. Coal-fired power plants require enormous quantities of resources, including capital and raw materials. 

Estimates suggest that with battery technology, people consume an average of 70 percent of their own electricity. That means that they essentially slash grid demand by a whopping 30 percent – quite considerable. 

What To Consider Before You Invest In Battery Technology

Before you invest in battery technology, you’ll want to consider the following. 

The Cost

How much you spend on home batteries depends largely on the size of the battery. Most batteries offer somewhere between 3 and 20.5 kWh. Price per kWh is around $700. So the price of your system will depend on how many kilowatt-hours you get installed. 

The Lifespan

As you might suspect, batteries don’t last forever. In fact, over time, they degrade and lose capacity. Right now, there isn’t much that manufacturers can do about this. Battery chemistry features mean that most batteries will eventually require replacement, no matter how well you look after them. 

However, ten years is still a long time – enough to make savings. 

Physical Size

You’ll also want to think about the physical size of the battery. Some are quite large and heavy and usually require a service room where engineers can hang them. They tend to be around 1 meter long and 15 cm deep, though designs and styles vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. 

Batteries contain a range of components. The majority of the weight and volume is taken up by lithium-ion cells. Other components include the electronic control system which allows the battery to charge and discharge automatically, as well as the inverter to produce an alternating current that you can use in your home. High-performance batteries also require a cooling system to keep them at optimal temperatures during operation. Current batteries do not convert stored energy into electricity with 100 percent efficiency. 

How You Want To Use Your Battery

Another consideration is how you actually want to use your battery. First, you’ll need to check whether the built-in inverter is suitable for your purposes. Inverters take direct current from the panels and transform it into alternating current for your devices. 

If you want your battery to work in the home, you need a two-way inverter. This will allow the battery to both charge and discharge in the correct manner. You may also need to invest in a backup system or grid-forming inverter if you want to use your battery during blackouts. 

Some batteries offer integration with vehicle-to-grid technology. For instance, you might want your battery to act as a buffer to regular flows. You might also want to connect your home battery to your car battery for powering your home at night and avoiding high grid tariffs. 

In summary, whether you invest in a home battery is very much a personal choice. Given the current economics, however, the vast majority of people stand to benefit. 

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