In the house, certain appliances get a huge amount of use week in and week out, and for most families, especially those with young or multiple children, the washing machine is one of them. As such, if your appliance suddenly goes bust, you can find yourself in a sticky situation – quite literally – when you have soiled children’s clothes and nappies to wash, not to mention your own gear, but no functioning laundry to clean it in.

It pays to swap out your washing machine for a new one before it conks out on you. You don’t want to do this too early though, as this could mean an unnecessary added expense for your household. How to tell when to go down the path of repairing your washing machine and when to outlay the funds on a new one? Here are some signs to look out for.

Noisy Machine

Some noises coming from a washing machine are common and normal, such as when it sounds like your unit could take flight when it’s spinning. This sound typically comes from an unbalanced product and is an easy fix – bring in a washing machine repair specialist, and they’ll probably be able to stop it from shaking and moving about quickly and easily.

However, strange sounds coming from a washing machine aren’t always something simple like this, so get a professional to check your washer. A big issue that can lead to excessive noise is if the motor mount or drum needs tightening. This problem may be able to be fixed by a service technician, but it could be so costly to repair that you’d be better off with a new machine.

Bad Odor Coming from Appliance

Sometimes another sign that you need to buy a new washer is when you notice a terrible smell consistently coming from your appliance. Machines can get a buildup of mold or mildew in them over time. While you might be able to remove this through cleaning (e.g., via natural ingredients like bicarb soda, vinegar, lemon, etc.), if you’ve left it too long, no matter what you do you may still find that the machine, and your items after being in it, smell.

Also, note that there have been some issues with some older machines in the past, where they didn’t adequately self-clean themselves. This failure led to them being much smellier than other appliances and meant that for most people, the only solution was a replacement.

Power Sucking

If you’ve noticed that your energy bills are much higher than you think they should be, your washing machine could be one of the culprits. Older and less efficient machines don’t regulate the amount of water they use in comparison to the number of clothes in the drum (i.e., the same amount of water is used no matter what), so they waste water and energy usage as a result.

There’s nothing you can do to make your current machine more efficient, so if you want to slash your power bills, buy something new. The newer models with high Energy Star certifications are said to use around 45 percent less water and 25 percent less energy in turn than other machines. These reductions can add up to significant savings per year on your utility payments.

Regular Leaks

If you’re continually having to clean up big messes in your laundry because of water leaks stemming from your washing machine, it could be time to get a new appliance. Many leaks occur as a result of loose connections on the water hose or elsewhere, a rusted pipe connection, a cracked tub, or damaged sealant.

Some of these things are repairable in the short term, such as through the replacement of hoses or tightening of pipes, but others, particular cracks in the tub, usually mean you have to buy yourself a new machine.

Old Units

If you have an old washing machine that’s eight years of age or more, you’ll probably need to go straight to buying a new product, rather than wasting money on more repairs. While the latest washers can last around 11 or 12 years, older units are typically starting to get worse for wear once they hit that eight-year mark.

If your machine is an aged one, you might notice that the drum isn’t filling up with water appropriately, the spin cycle isn’t working correctly, or that your clothing isn’t coming out clean. These are all signs to start researching new washers.

Use the above factors to help you decide if now is the time to invest in a new machine, or if you might be able to use your current appliance for a few more years yet.

 

 

 

Home renovations can be quite a challenging task, but all the effort is ultimately worth it. You’re using that home for your everyday safety, security, entertainment, and so much more. It’s only logical to have a decent place all fixed up for you.

If you’re confused about where to start in order to make your house or apartment a better home, we’ve got some ideas.

These will hopefully make the process of renovation easier in the long run:

Go For The Windows

When you live indoors, being able to see and cherish the outdoors is a great blessing. If you have a decent view like a garden or yard, your home renovations should call for some larger, lighter windows. This will instantly give a more cheerful and brightly-lit effect to your home. If this isn’t in the budget, you can make things easier for yourself by simply painting the window frames by choosing a lighter shade.

Pay Attention To The Front Door

The garden or porch is in the background, but the front door is actually the part which first catches anyone’s attention. Opting for a unique door can be a great way to revamp the look of the whole house, especially if you go with something like a blue or teal option.

Again, a whole new door might not always be an option. You may have a perfectly good door, to begin with, so why not enhance that look with a beautifully carved doorknob? You don’t even have to match this up on the rest of the doors in the house. If you’re repainting your door, try to complement the lighting on that particular part of the house.

Revamp That Lawn

Do you love to entertain your guests on the lawn or porch? When you have a piece of grassy land adjoining your house, you need to take certain steps to keep it looking fresh.

Once you get some money together for home renovations, consider getting an automatic lawn sprinkler for your bit of earth. You definitely won’t miss all that watering, and the perpetually green lawn will boost your curb appeal.

Repair The Walls

If you have the resources for renovations, you have the resources for repairs. When there’s a serious issue like a weak wall in your home, you want to tackle that first of all. A home is a place that should protect you, so don’t leave it in danger of collapsing!

Get some decent hydraulic shoring rentals and start repairing any walls, pillars, or any other area that needs attention. Such repairs will prove to be the most useful in the long run.

Make Small Rooms Look Bigger

If you have a tiny apartment or house, your renovations could be centered on making them look bigger. Of course, you can’t always go around knocking down walls or building extensions, so look up some ways to make your existing space seem roomier.

These changes may include painting the rooms a lighter shade of color, removing some of the bulkier furniture, or even something as simple as getting some unique mirrors.

 

Organize The Kitchen Storage

Renovating also means de-cluttering, so have a look at your kitchen and see what you can do about its storage. You can go for DIY cabinets, repainting the existing cabinets, or getting customized cabinets to change up the look and experience of your whole home.

 

Wrapping Up: Getting That Perfect Renovation

Just a little amount of patience, hard work, and investment will help to make your home a little piece of heaven. Start out with any of the ideas above, and see if you don’t automatically feel happier the minute you walk in the door!

 

 

Let’s face it, when you are a mom you have a lot on your plate to deal with, everything from taking the kids to school in the morning to making sure dinner is ready for everyone by a certain time.

Sometimes moms need to chill out and they need somewhere that they can do so. This is why we have created a guide to your perfect mommy chill out room. Keep reading if you’d like to find out more.

The Location

If you want to have somewhere to chill out, then you are going to need somewhere away from the kids. Think about turning your attic into your chill out room or even your garden shed. If you want to make this room something really special, you could order an outdoor building and totally transform it into your mommy chill out room. As long as you choose a location that is well away from your kids, you can get started. You can price up a steel outdoor building on Armstrong Steel and choose your own design and colors to make it unique to you.

The Décor

This is your mommy chill out room, so you need to make sure that you decorate it how you like. Make sure to choose a colour scheme that suits your personality and you will feel a lot better when you are spending time in it. Consider choosing some art for the wallsto give you something to stare at when you just need some time to yourself.

Comfort

In any chill out room, comfort is key so make sure to choose some comfortable furniture for your room. You could get a nice sofa for the room or even lots of pillows and blankets for sitting on the floor. Choose furniture that you are going to feel relaxed on and you will love your mommy chill out room.

Technology

It is totally up to you to decide if you want this to be a technology free room or if you would prefer it to be the place that you can watch your own TV and listen to music. If you want to really make the most of your chill out room, you could get a large TV and some speakers to create a movie atmosphere for when the kids are doing their homework or are at school.

Mini Fridge

If you are going to use your chill out room to watch movies, then you might want to have some drinks and snacks available. This is why you should think about adding a mini fridge, so you don’t have to leave your mommy chill out room at all. On top of this, your other mommy friends will love spending time in your chill out room when they come over for playdates or a girl’s night.

Final Verdict

It is really important that you have a space that you can get away from your kids and relax a little. Make sure to create your own mommy chill out room as you will want it to be personal to you. Make it special and you can invite your other mommy friends around!

 

 

There will come a time that you would have to update or repair your floors in the house. When it has been planned and scheduled, it is important to remember that there will be changes since the family has to stay out of the work area and there will be other people in the house working on the floors. To make sure that your family is ready and that there will be no cause for delay, here are some tips to help you and your family prepare for a home flooring project. Decorative concrete Kansas City may help you with this job

 

Plan and Adjust the Daily Routine

There will be changes in everyone’s daily routine. How big the change will be will depend on which floor of the house is going to undergo renovation. If it is the living room, kitchen, or hallway, then there would be major changes. Everyone has to find an alternative route moving through the house. Before the project starts, sit the whole family down and plan together. Set up another place where you could cook or dine. Prepare another space where you could entertain guests. If it is the garage, find another safe area within your property to park the car temporarily.

 

Opt for Hotel Accommodations

If you are having major repairs or if the disruption to the daily routine is difficult to adjust to, why not opt for a hotel accommodation in the meantime? This is common in home renovations. It may cost extra but it will definitely be more comfortable for the family especially if you have kids or a baby. The work of the installers may become loud and it could be dusty. You wouldn’t want to compromise their health and well-being by staying in the house, would you?

 

Choose a Practical Type of Flooring Project

If possible, choose a flooring project that will only take a few days. Decorative concrete is a highly recommended solution. It maintains the existing slab so it would only take as little as 1 to 5 days to complete, depending on the material or method you choose.

Planning a home flooring project may cause discomfort and disruption to your daily lives but let the family know that, once it is done, the house would be better, safer, and more comfortable to live in. It may require some major adjustments on your end but the results it yields will be all worth it.