The Amateurs Digest

8 Advantages of Choosing Light Garden Pots

February 18, 2016 The Amateurs Digest 0

Whether you have a high-rise apartment with a balcony, or live at ground level growing plants in pots is something that many people take great enjoyment in. Older people find digging and weeding in a garden difficult, so turn to using garden pots for their gardening needs. High rise dwellers don’t have any option but to use pots for their gardening activities.

There are several advantages to choosing light pots for your gardening activities: –

One trouble with many pots is their weight. If you suffer from a bad back, lifting a heavy pot is impossible – sometimes it’s impossible even if you don’t have a bad back. Moving the pot and plant together is a job that requires a lot of muscle. A lighter pot is much easier to move without risking injury.
If you live in a high rise there are usually load limits to balconies. A heavy pot filled with potting mix and a well grown plant could well exceed that limit. Certainly, several pots are likely to. Knowing that you are even close to the limit would make you want to stay off the balcony in case it all went tumbling down.
Lighter pots are much easier to move around on the balcony so you can adjust the position of those potted plants as they grow to take advantage of the sun or the shade, whichever is needed.
You can move it more easily when you need to sweep or clean behind or under it.
There is no need to worry about the load limit, so you can sit in peace and enjoy your plants and the sun or cool breeze in the evenings.

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Enhance Your Life by Using a Professional Handyman

November 24, 2015 The Amateurs Digest 0

When you own a home there is always going to be some repair job that needs doing. While it is true that many homeowners develop the skills to do such jobs, they are rarely as good at doing them than a person who is a professional handyman, simply because they don’t get the experience needed in doing them over and over again – not to mention the professional training in how to do them properly in the first place.

The trouble is that even though you may love your tools and enjoy working with your hands, you have another job that takes up most of your time and energy. Often, those repairs are left for weeks on end – maybe even months – simply because you don’t have the time or inclination to do them. Meanwhile, people who have to use the thing that’s broken get really stressed out because it is difficult to use, or it doesn’t work at all.

Unattended repairs cost money

Repairs such as leaky taps and cisterns that don’t get done are not only stressors in your life, they are actually costing you money. Leaks use up far more water than you would imagine; water you have to pay for. And what’s more, those leaks are never going to go away unless they are properly fixed. Leaks are caused by the seal wearing out and once it is worn, it won’t fix itself.

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Why Scaffolding Should be Designed and Erected by Professionals

October 7, 2015 The Amateurs Digest 0

Scaffolding is a dangerous place to be when it is high up and you are using power tools, but there is one way to make it a lot safer and that is to have it made by a professional scaffold hire company. There is a great deal involved in making scaffold. It has to be strong enough to withstand the weight of workers, their tools and often the building materials as well. If it is not, accidents are likely to occur that can cause serious injury or worse.

It is not only strength that is important; it has to be stable as well. If it is not properly supported both at the base and as it rises high into the sky, it will not be able to stand erect. Once it starts to topple over, nothing can stop it and again, the workers will suffer.

Builders are not experienced scaffolders

While building companies may hire the most experienced, well-trained and professional builders, that doesn’t mean to say they know anything about building or erecting scaffold. This is quite different from building any high-rise. Even though it may seem just like bolting lengths of steel together, there are many more elements that must be considered to ensure safety.

The type of scaffold needed, whether it will be supported by the surface it stands on or by the building itself – or both – and what load it must carry are all important considerations. In fact, the design of the scaffold should be done by an engineer to ensure it is strong enough to do the job safely. It’s only as the scaffold goes up safely that the building company can go ahead with their work.

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What we Want When it Comes to Kitchens – and How to Get it

May 24, 2015 The Amateurs Digest 0

According to Kitchen Professionals when it comes to kitchens, most women want one that is functional but also looks good. These days this is one of the most important rooms in the house. Instead of being tucked away where no one can see it like it used to be years ago, the kitchen has now evolved to become the epicentre of the home – and so it should be.

Every woman wants a lovely kitchen that is also practical. Having the latest appliances such as refrigerator, stove and dishwasher is also good, but if they are not in the right place for the best functionality, and if the cupboards are hard to get at, or incorrectly positioned to make cooking inefficient then the whole kitchen is spoiled.

That is why when you are renovating the kitchen or building a new home it is better by far to get the kitchen designed by a professional company that does it for a living. An architect cannot be trusted to design the kitchen in a way that is totally practical because they tend to go for looks rather than practicality. The builder just follows the building plans so you can’t expect him to design a good kitchen.

And of course, even though most women have had experience cooking in a number of different kitchens and know what works when they are using it, they may not know what does not work – until it is too late and they go to use their new kitchen. They then realise that the preparation area is not handy to the sink or the stove, or else the cupboards are not that easy to access.

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How to Maintain Your Colorbond Roof

March 24, 2015 The Amateurs Digest 0

One of the best advantages of a Colorbond roof is that it is so easy to maintain. Usually, all that is required is rain on the roof to wash off the dust and debris that collects over time. However, there are a few other things to be aware of that will protect your roof and guttering even more.

Why debris may collect on the roof

When things are added to the roof, it can cause a build-up of leaves and debris to remain around where it is connected to the roof. If it is large enough to throw shade and you have a spell of cold, wet weather, mould can develop that causes dampness to remain on the roof and this will eventually cause rust. Items such as a satellite dish can have this effect. It is therefore important to clean the area off every 6-12 months to ensure no damp debris remains in place. A hose down and a wipe over with a soft broom or brush should be sufficient to remove the mould.

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Cut Glare with a Pergola

March 17, 2015 The Amateurs Digest 0

The rise in popularity with people getting pergolas installed in the homes is because many people who live in the south or southwest areas of Australia find that the windows of their homes let in a great deal of glare. There are two main reasons for this.

The sun is at a much lower angle in those areas
The home was not oriented to take advantage of the best angle

There is not much you can do about the sun, but there are several things that can be done to cut the glare. Using blinds is not always the answer, because then the rooms become too dark. Even Venetian blinds don’t work well because that glare is so blinding it still shines in through the narrow gaps between the slats.

Awnings don’t always work

Many homes in those areas have external awnings that help, but these are not always very attractive to look at, from the inside or the outside. Growing a tree or shrub may also help, but this may not be possible, depending on how much room there is outside. Usually the fence prevents anything that would be large and bushy enough to do any good.

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Upgrading Your Floor on Budget

February 8, 2015 The Amateurs Digest 0

The floor of the home gets constant wear and tear, especially if you have children and inside pets. Carpet especially tends to wear and age quickly when it is in a high traffic area. The floor is a part of the house that is very visible, so if yours is making you think of calling a removal company like Brilliance Removalists, why not upgrade? It will really make a big difference to the look and feel of your home – and add value into the bargain.

There are many flooring choices; some of them more budget friendly than others. For instance, these days vinyl floor coverings come in many grades and the more expensive ones are top quality, durable and look great – and are still cheaper than other kinds of flooring. If you choose one that should be glued down, there will be no buckling when the weather gets hotter, as you find in some of the loose lay types.

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Trends in Kitchen Design that You Will Love

November 2, 2014 The Amateurs Digest 0

There are many different trends in kitchen design according to Colray Cabinets, but not all are suitable for everyone and some may be so faddish that your kitchen will date really quickly. Since the kitchen costs quite a bit to renovate, you don’t want to risk it becoming so passé within a few years so that you have to do it all over again. When you have an experienced designer for your kitchen you can be sure that the design will last a long time and suit your needs.

Here are some trends in kitchen design that you are sure to love.

Simply white. Statistic show that white has gained in popularity over the last decade and looks set to stay that way. White not only makes the kitchen look and feel lighter and larger, it is easy to keep clean, especially when it comes to appliances. White appliances are much more popular than stainless steel with its mirror like finish that shows every smudge. So you can’t go wrong with white, but what happens if you like colour?
Neutral grey is the next most popular colour for kitchens. However, it can be drab or cold if it is not treated the right way. You need to add pops of warm or bright colour in accessories such as stools.

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Reasons to Consider Equipment Hire

May 22, 2014 The Amateurs Digest 0

No matter what kind of project is planned, equipment of some kind will be necessary to get it done. However, not every company can consider purchasing such equipment themselves, then employing a skilled operator. They may be able to lease it at an affordable cost, but there is still the question of getting an operator; one that is skilled enough to do the job in question.

The way to solve the dilemma is to hire both the equipment and its operator for the duration of the project, or for the length of time it is needed, which may not be for the whole time of the project. Equipment hire will save a great deal on the cost of purchasing a large piece of equipment that may only be in use for a day or two. It also saves the problem of where to store and how to transport it to the project site. If those costs have to be added to the cost of the project it may end up costing more than the owner is willing to pay.

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How to Iron Your Carpet – and Why

April 17, 2014 The Amateurs Digest 0

Did you know it is possible to iron your carpet? Not the same way you would iron the clothes, of course, but ironing the carpet does have its place and no, not to get the wrinkles out. According to Brilliance Carpet Cleaning Perth ironing is part of a carpet cleaning company process and one possible way to remove stains that you cannot identify the source of. You may think this sounds crazy, but in fact it does work.

This is how you do it.

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