Correct Lubricants to Use around the House

Lubrication is a crucial part of all home maintenance. It is something which is done in every home because otherwise the screeching becomes incessant. Until you own and maintain a home you will not realise how important this is but there are plenty of different things which you will have to lubricate at some point. Whether you are using lubricant to repair your garage roller door locks or keep your bike running smoothly, it is important to use the right lubricant each time. Remember that using the right lubricant will solve the problem immediately, whereas using the wrong one could cause you unnecessary headaches. Here is a guide to which lubricants you should add to your toolbox to use around the home:

Greases

Greases can be used in a number of different ways. They are designed for metal-to-metal, metal-to-plastic, and plastic-to-plastic lubrication. Greases provide a high level of lubrication under numerous intense conditions. They work well in heat and at high speeds so they are ideal for power tools and joints. They are also effective in many harsh chemical environments.

Greases make up an effective multi-purpose part of your tool kit. They can be used for most things but it is important to recognise that they are a messy form of lubricant. It is wise to keep such lubricants away from areas which will experience contact with clothes or hands for this reason. Grease is not suitable for use in door hinges or in draws for this reason.

Be sure to dispose of any rags used to apply grease properly because they will be highly flammable and could ignite easily.

Silicone Compounds

Silicone compounds are resistant to oxidation so they work effectively in areas which will be regularly exposed to the weather. Silicone compounds are excellent lubricants for things like doors and hand tools as they will resist oxidation without making things too greasy.

Silicone compounds offer an excellent level of lubrication and will become a useful element of a tool kit. These lubricants can be effectively used for a wide range of indoor and outdoor lubrications. Everything from draws to cupboard doors will benefit from silicone compounds but they cannot be used in oven doors, for example, because of the high levels of heat exposure.

Pastes

Pastes are utilised mainly where heavy loads are being handled. They have a large concentration of solid lubricants which makes them perfect for things like car hoists and jacks. Keeping your car hoists and car jacks well lubricated is an important practice because a sudden slip could have drastic consequences if you are underneath when they happen.

Pastes are somewhat unsuitable for the majority of uses around the home but they are an essential element if you have any heavy lifting machinery or tools. Keeping these well lubricated is an important element of safety.

Read the label

Many lubricants can be used for a wide range of metal and plastics. It is important, however, not to treat them as an all-in-one solution. Different lubricants will have different results on each of your joints and runners. Be sure to read the label thoroughly before using a lubricant because some are highly flammable and some will dissolve through plastics.

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Understanding Your Home Power Usage

Measuring home power usage has become more important than ever as we enter an era of sky-rocketing power prices. Lower energy emissions are also key to a cleaner greener environment. All of your appliances will use some electricity and they range from being heavy power users (refrigerators), to medium powers users (washing machines), through to low power users like toasters.

The important thing is to understand how much power you use throughout your home. This could be a case of doing some complicated maths and understanding how much power your home is using. Another way to measure this is to check your meter yourself or just take a look at your power bills.

What Uses the Most Power?

You don’t have to be an electrician to understand what uses the most power in your home these days. You can, with most new products, simply look at the energy rating on the device or its packaging. While this is not available for all products, it is now standard on higher-end whitegoods such as new washing machines and refrigerators. Suprisingly, even though our overall power usage has gone up year upon year, traditional appliances actually use less power. So what has been eating up the extra juice? It is probably the computers and other devices that we have plugged in or at least charging for a certain part of the day.

Ways to Save Electricity

Once you understand where your power is going and what it costs, you can start to save some money. There are two ways to save money on electricity, both are very effective and they can even be used in combination:

●      Conserving

●      Preserving

While these concepts may seem similar or even the same, they differ slightly in their methods. If you conserve energy you are trying not to use it at all. This includes turning off the lights and unplugging devices that you are not using. Preserving electricity is entirely different. This involves making the most of the electricity you are using, so it is not wasted. This could include cooking multiple items on an electric stove at the same time, instead of cooking things separately.

Fight the Power

There are some simple ways to understand power usage and lower those electricity bills. One increasingly popular option is to produce your very own electricity, using solar power, or even wind power. If you are thinking of adding renewable energy to your home make sure you understand how your power will be used. An average home will use about 1.5kW, but in the peak usage time anywhere up to ten times this amount could be used. This is why many solar systems start at around the 3.5kW mark. If you go solar, you may want to upgrade any energy-wasting appliances at the same time.

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Spaghetti for Lunch

A week ago, a good friend cooked spaghetti for us. She’s a good cook. We enjoyed our yummy spaghetti lunch. 

 

What is Epoxy Flooring?

 If you’ve heard of epoxy flooring, you’re probably wondering what it’s all about – and what it’s used for. Epoxy flooring is a hard-wearing and durable flooring option that is used in many homes, as well as commercial and industrial areas.

What is Epoxy Flooring?

Epoxy flooring is a type of flooring that consists of multiple layers of epoxy – a type of polymer that is formed by combination of two liquid chemicals. Epoxy is essentially created by combining these two liquids together so that when hardened, they create a durable, seamless and hard floor.

Epoxy flooring is defined as a floor with epoxy that is a minimum of 2mm deep; anything less than this is generally known as epoxy coating, rather than epoxy flooring.

The Growth of Epoxy Flooring

Epoxy flooring is common in commercial and industrial businesses and can be used in places like factory floors, show rooms, bathrooms and industrial kitchens, and in other areas like industrial offices and lunch rooms.

Epoxy flooring is becoming a popular choice in modern home flooring due to its durability, its resistance to chemicals and cleaning products and the ease of maintenance. In residential homes, epoxy floors are common in kitchens, living areas, bathrooms, basements and garages.

The Benefits of Epoxy Flooring

Epoxy flooring has a wide range of benefits for use both in the home and in industrial and commercial areas:

·         -Extremely durable

·        - Ability to withstand high/heavy traffic

·         -Highly resistant to chemicals, spills and fluids

·         -Easy to maintain and clean

·         -Slip resistant and scratch resistant

·        - Resistant to allergens and bacteria, thus extremely hygienic and ideal for asthma or allergy sufferers

·         -An anti-static flooring solutions in commercial/industrial areas

·         -Unaffected by humidity

·         -Seamless, smooth appearance with a glossy finish – no cracks to attract dust or dirt

·         -Extremely modern and appealing, with a range of colours and patterns

·         -Cost effective

Types of Epoxy Flooring

Epoxy flooring comes in a range of types, depending on whether you require it for industrial, commercial or residential use. Self-dispersing and self-levelling floors are generally considered good for high and heavy traffic areas and are used frequently in all types of businesses and at home. Mortar epoxy is the more durable and strongest of epoxy floors and is ideal to use as a base or to repair a broken floor.

Gravelled, terrazzo and flake epoxy floors are considered decorative floors and are used to create a desired look – ideal for those looking for unique designs.

Epoxy Aesthetic

The beauty of epoxy flooring is its flexibility when it comes to colour design, textures and patterns. Because it is made of liquid, epoxy flooring can easily be modified depending on the colour scheme of your home or work space. Epoxy can also be used to create different flooring patterns. You can have floors that resemble marble, tiles or stone, that are dotted or speckled or that are all one, seamless colour.

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Heart-Shaped Adiantum

Captured in our backyard. Like its heart-shaped leaves.

The Weekend in Black and White

Creating a Sense of Space in Your Home

If you have a smaller home, you’ll probably find that you really need to create a sense of space inside, so that you don’t feel too “cooped up.” It’s all just a matter of being a little more clever and creative with your space! 

Choosing Colours

When it comes to designing and choosing the décor for your small home, use light and neutral colours like whites, creams, beiges and pastels to keep your home feeling bright, big and open. Whites and creams work best for wall colours – generally speaking, stay away from browns and greys, which tend to absorb light rather than enhance it.

When it comes to choosing your furniture, select colours that match well with your walls and floors as well. Bright or stark colours will make a space feel broken up and fragmented, while neutral-toned furniture will blend in more and make your space feel bigger. You can then diversify your major furniture items with more brightly coloured accessories, like lamps, shelves, chairs and side tables.

Let in Natural Light

Light playss a large part in making your small space seem bigger. Lots of natural light is ideal, so open up windows and curtains during the day. This will make your room seem bigger because the barrier between inside/outside has been partially removed. Curtains often feel more ‘flowing’ and open than blinds do, so consider switching your blinds for translucent or sheer curtains and keep the curtains the length of the window. If the view outside is not very nice, decorate the windowsill with plants or other hanging ornaments that are pleasant to look at.

Using Artificial Light   

If you’re short on natural light, consider installing extra lights to brighten your space – for instance, you may want to install a ceiling fan with lights and improve your lighting and ventilation in one. At night, counterbalance ceiling lights with small lamps to take away shadows, which can make your space feel smaller.

Furniture & Storage

Furniture is often your biggest problem in a small home. Trade in your old bulky couch or bed for something smaller or skinnier and keep your furniture against the walls, so it doesn’t divide up space.

It’s also handy to invest in furniture that doubles as extra storage space, such as a bed with drawers underneath or a coffee table with a drawer or skirt for storing magazines and other bits and pieces. Again, use wall space where you can; for instance, could you mount your brand new LG TV on the wall, instead of using an entertainment unit.

In the kitchen, use drawers to keep your utensils and appliances hidden away, so that they don’t take up bench space. You can also consider lots of built-in furniture here to save space, like fold-out kitchen tables and a garbage bin built into the cupboard. 

Mirrors & Glass

Mirrors can help make small spaces look larger. Use mirrors to reflect small spaces or consider changing your regular cupboard doors for glass doors, which will increase the depth of your rooms. If you have an opaque shower curtain or door in the bathroom, replace this with a transparent curtain or glass door, which will make the bathroom look much bigger and more open.

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