Construction Ventures Guide – Page 2 – The Consumer Building Hub

How Often Should I Clean My Glass Pool Fence?

On May 30, 2019

Glass pool fences are becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. However, it’s important to make sure that you look after your glass pool fencing properly, otherwise it simply won’t look as good as it could.

Building & Construction experts jsbearthmoving.com.au advise that one of the best ways to make sure that your pool fencing continues to look great for years into the future is to clean it every few weeks or so. Regular cleaning will keep your pool fence looking great, and will prevent it from wearing excessively and becoming run down. However, a lot of people don’t know exactly how often they should clean their pool fences.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a short guide to help people living in different climates decide when to clean their pool fencing. We’ve also included a short section on how to clean your pool fence.

How Often Should I Clean My Pool Fence?

Ultimately, how regularly you should clean your glass pool fence will depend on where you live and what sort of climate your fence is exposed to. Below we’ve broken down cleaning timelines into three main climate/condition groups:

Pros and Cons of Installing a Pool Blanket

By CVG

On February 8, 2019

In Swimming Pools

Pool covers or blankets as they are often called have many advantages, yet most people with a pool in their backyard don’t use them. There are two main reasons for this; people don’t like how they look, or they don’t have enough room to install one. Budget may also be important. Most people would prefer an automatic pool cleaner over a blanket.

However, because they are not all that common, many people would not realise just what the advantages of having a pool cover are. Here are the pros and cons of pool covers.

Pros

If you live in a climate where winter comes early and the sun is often not hot even in summer, using a pool cover will increase the water temperature by around 4 degrees, making your swim much more enjoyable.
It saves a great deal on the cost of heating water in a cooler climate.
A pool blanket will keep leaves and twigs out of the pool, making it easier to clean and reducing the amount of chlorine needed to get the pH up to scratch.
It reduces the consumption of chlorine because UV rays degrade it. But plastic keeps the UV rays off the water.

Red tape, acts of God and realistic completion dates

By CVG

On July 24, 2018

In Building & Construction

There is a saying that ‘to be forewarned is to be forearmed’. One of the most frustrating and disappointing aspects of having a new home built is that the whole process sometimes can drag on for what seems like forever. Of course you need to get your expectations in order. If you have a completion date provided by an experienced and expert builder, generally speaking you will know pretty much exactly when you will be able to move in. From that information you can set your expectations. But don’t allow your expectations to run away from you. It may all end in tears when the job is not finished on time.

Red tape is everywhere

Now there are different aspects to the red tape associated with the building of your new home. You need to get approval to build a home in the first place, your builder needs to get permits for various parts of the building process, the contractors will need to comply with building codes, for example the glazing contractors will need to install glass, such as shower screens and mirrors to the correct safety standards and you need to get a clearance from the building inspectors at various stages of the build and finally, when your house is finished, you need to get what is usually called a certificate of occupancy. This is the final piece of red tape which allows you to actually move into your new home.

How Often Should I Service My Fire Extinguisher For Optimal Fire Protection?

By CVG

On July 20, 2018

In Maintenance

Workplace safety is an extremely important consideration in the modern world. In many cases, fire protection is up there among the most important aspects of workplace safety, mainly due to the unpredictable, dangerous nature of fires. A lot of people will argue that fire protection should include a fire action plan, an evacuation plan and a range of fire protection equipment – such as fire extinguishers.

It is essential to remember that you can’t just install fire safety equipment and then forget about it. Things like fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems need to be serviced regularly to make sure that they remain in good working order, and that they can be used quickly and effectively by everyone in the workplace.

Why Do I Need To Service My Fire Extinguishers?

Things like fire extinguisher servicing is very important as they do need to be maintained to a high standard. Fittings and seals can degrade over time, and the contents of an extinguisher can go bad eventually. Regular servicing by a trained professional will help to make sure that your extinguishers remain in working order throughout the year.

Where to Spend Your Money in a Home Renovation

By CVG

On May 22, 2018

In Building & Construction, Property Investment

With the value of real estate finally on the rise again, many Australian homeowners are starting to once again look into doing home renovations to improve the value of their properties. For years people have been putting off employing a landscape design company or doing a full home renovation project, to avoid putting more money in their home without seeing a similar increase in its value. However now, with the market slowly and steadily recovering, renovation projects are once again a smart way to increase the value of your property.

Finding something to remodel or upgrade in your home is typically the easiest part of the process. It is easy for anyone to point out the areas that they are not happy with or wish to upgrade. It is far more difficult to know which projects to pick, both for your own enjoyment and the resale value of the home. When working with limited funds to renovate a home, it is important to pick and choose the projects that will really make an impact. Upgrades in a few key areas of the home can make a big impact on the property value, without blowing the budget.

Makeover the Kitchen for a Big Impact

The kitchen is always referred to as the heart of a home, making it a great place to invest your renovating budget. You don’t have to be a professional chef to appreciate the beauty of a high quality kitchen renovation. A gourmet kitchen will not only be the most important room in the house, but will also become the favourite room to spend time with the family, it will become a more functional space where cooking becomes much more enjoyable. Not only will the new kitchen look swish, it will be the first thing that prospective buyers look at should you decide to sell your home further down the track.

How Hard Can Landscaping Be?

By CVG

On March 16, 2018

In Landscaping

If you believe that art imitates life, then a quick scan of the TV Guide will have you believing we can all sing, cook, renovate, dance, lose weight, catch alligators, find antique bargains and of course, landscape our gardens to manicured perfection. So how hard is landscaping anyway? And what, precisely, is it?

Make no mistake, landscaping is a very lucrative industry and there are literally dozens of providers in any local area and hundreds, even thousands in each state. Some focus on the big end of town and do corporate work for big firms, making the surroundings of their factories and office complexes blend in harmoniously with the bush land (or urban) setting of their new premises. Others work out of a ute and a mobile phone with just an ad in the local rag and perhaps a Facebook page put up for them by the wife.

Kitchen Cabinet Door Styles

By CVG

On October 7, 2017

In Cabinets

These days, we have so many choices when it comes to kitchen cabinets (and every little aspect of them), that it can be tempting to give up and just choose one without a whole lot of thought. But once you start to carefully consider the different materials, finishes and colours that are available, you’ll begin to form an idea in your mind of the type of cabinets that will best suit your kitchen and lifestyle.

The cabinet doors are one of the most noticeable parts of your kitchen, so making the right choice will pay dividends in the long run. The cabinet doors need to fit in well with your overall kitchen design and renovations. Luckily, the doors are generally available in a huge range of finishes and colours, as well as materials and designs. You can get matte styled cabinet doors, glossy type, textured or natural timber.

If you have a traditional styled kitchen, such as country decor or traditional European style, cabinet doors that are hand painted can lend an incredibly authentic feel to the room. It also allows you to truly customize the colours of the kitchen cabinets. Some of the most popular kitchen cabinet options are of course solid timber, as well as timber veneer doors.

6 Tips for a Backyard Makeover

By CVG

On May 16, 2017

In Landscaping, Outdoor Living

Backyards are an extension of your home, when they are carefully planned and landscaped they can become an outdoor oasis, another living space where you can spend quality time with family and friends.

Here in Australia we are fortunate to live with beautiful weather for most part of the year, allowing landscapers to create wonderful outdoor spaces for living and entertaining. If you are considering giving your backyard an overhaul, it may seem a bit daunting; however there are many simple things that you can do that will improve the look and feel of your outdoor space.

We’ve thought of all the things that we love about our favourite gardens and balconies, and have come up with some ideas to help you create your own green sanctuary.

Lawn matters

If your garden seems to have more weeds than grass, it might be worthwhile to lay down some new turf and get a decent reticulation service. This is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to make an instant, bright change, and it will also create a safe, soft place for little feet to play. New homes can benefit from laying down turf, for it is an inexpensive way to green things up while you wait for all your other garden additions to grow.

Why buy a house and land package?

By CVG

On May 2, 2017

In Building & Construction

This is an interesting situation and like so many things in life you need to compare apples with apples. One common situation you might come across after spotting all the builders display centre flag poles is when a builder offers a house and land package.

The builder owns a number of blocks and for the one price you get your block of land and your house built on it. At first sight it sounds like a darn good idea. You don’t have to go around looking for a block of land and then, having purchased it, start looking for a builder. With a house and land package you may well be dealing with the one person.

But every house and land package is not the same. Every builder is not the same. So what are the pros and cons in this situation? Let’s talk about changes to the contract, let’s talk about variations. Some builders who offer a house and land package have a very fixed view on what you get for the price. They would argue that the price is as low as it is because they don’t allow for variations. You may want to change the colour scheme or have higher ceilings or a different type of floor covering or you may not want to have the landscaping which comes with the contract.

New or Remodeled Kitchen

By CVG

On April 1, 2017

In Cabinets

Should You Get a New or Renovated Kitchen?

If your current kitchen has grown old and tired, and you know it’s at the point of needing an update, the big question is: do you remodel your current kitchen, or do you install an entire new kitchen from scratch?

How much money you have to spend will largely determine how far you can go, but in many cases when you engage professional cabinet makers, a new kitchen can come out costing a very similar amount to a re-modelling job. Therefore your decision will likely be based on just how much you think you can salvage from your current kitchen, versus how much you desire a totally fresh new look.