Year: 2014

LifeStyle

8 Tips to Enjoy Outdoor Living

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Outdoor-Living

Most of Australia is lucky in that the warm, temperate climate makes outdoor living very pleasant and to be enjoyed for nine months of the year or more, depending on where you live. Since it is something that most people enjoy whether for entertaining or just relaxing after the evening meal, here are some tips to help you enjoy it more.

  1. If you and your family enjoy dining outdoors, create a space that does not cause a lot of work taking chairs, tables and lighting outside – not to mention food – then bringing it all back in after the meal is over. For instance, an outdoor kitchen on the deck will contain everything you need for a meal and you can even cook outdoors instead of being stuck inside tending to the meal while everyone else enjoys themselves in the cool of the evening.
  1. If the barbeque area is down the backyard, make it more usable and pleasant by adding a shade-cloth, a wind-break if wind is a problem in your area, and pavers or another flooring option to keep your feet dry and clean. That way mud and wet grass won’t be tracked back inside at the end of the meal.

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DIY

How to Have a Really Cool Basement

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If you have a basement you are one of the lucky ones. Not only do you have a spare room for storage, it is usually large enough to be remodelled into anything you want, all without losing storage space. The main thing to remember is that being under the house, it’s likely to be naturally dim, so good lighting will be essential. A qualified electrician can install both lighting and power points for your new basement room, once you’ve decided what you want to do with it. (more…)

Garden

5 Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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Not everyone has the time or ability to landscape their backyard, but when you take care to make the most of it, your property will suddenly be worth a great deal more. Besides, landscaping your property gives it street appeal and makes you proud of the place you call home. If you don’t have much creativity when it comes to landscape design, here are 5 simple ideas to help you out.

  • Got an awkward corner that is difficult to mow? Convert it into a garden. Dig out the grass or poison it, then add shrubs and plants, making sure you plant the largest ones at the back. Cover the soil in between with organic mulch such as lawn clippings or wood chips to keep the weeds out. While mature plants will give you an instant garden, using those that are still young will most likely give you more success as they adapt to being transplanted more easily. Landscapers Sydney suggest you choose a variety of leaf shapes such as long thin ones and round or wide ones to give visual appeal.
  • Enclose the garden with an attractive edging – there are many on the market these days. This helps to keep the lawn grass from growing into the garden area. You can also make a living border with edging plants that grow in thick clumps or mounds. You can even have an edging of annuals so there will be a different look for each season. Mounding petunias or pansies will look fantastic.

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Property

Top Tips to Make Your Pool Sparkle

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If you are lucky enough to have a pool, you will indeed be able to enjoy the hot weather by lazing – or swimming – in the cool water whenever you feel like it. You can also relax poolside while you watch the children enjoy the fresh air and sunshine jumping in and out of the pool all the while.

However, once you’ve build a pool from one of the best pool builders and with the delights of a pool come the responsibility of keeping it clean so it will be a healthy environment for you and the children to play in. Water that is static will always be a breeding ground for bacteria, which is why those pool chemical have to be used. But even these can have a difficult job to keep your pool water sparkling because of the variable conditions.

Weather

Wind and rain can both have an effect on your pool water. The run-off from rain can dilute the chemicals in the water so it is no longer enough to eliminate bacteria. The wind can blow debris such as dust, leaves, sticks and dirt into the pool. These organic products begin to decay immediately, changing the PH of the water. (more…)