Creative Loft and Garage Conversions

It has become quite the norm for homeowners to convert their loft space or their unused garage as a different option to moving home all together when they are in need of new space on their property.

In addition to this, converting your loft or garage can actually increase the value of your home too, which is an added extra benefit to conversions which is why they are becoming more common now meaning that loft and garage conversion companies such as MPK Lofts are seeing an increase in inquires.

Having said this, if you are stuck for what room you can create with your new found space, this article will put forward some creative ideas that you may not have thought of yourself. 

A den or hangout space

Do you have young children or teenagers? You may notice that all of their belongings, toys and items spread all over the house and can make your house look cluttered.

You may also have found yourself in the situation where you don’t allow your child to have friends over through fear of disruption to the house or the lack of space.

Well, a hangout space or teenage den is a great way to make use of your new space allowing your children to have their own chill-out space to hang out in which leaves the rest of your home uninterrupted.

For this type of space, you will need to think about creating a safe environment for your children, so bare in mind appropriate stairs and stair rails. 

For her - a crafty corner

Are you itching to get creative and crafty but you just do not have the space to do so in your existing layout? Then a craft corner will be ideal for your new conversion.

With this type of conversion, you want to think about installing big open windows that let light flood into the room.

Make use of the awkward angles in your loft by getting some hand crafted and custom built wardrobe space to store all of your crafty equipment away.

Perk up the colour scheme with some pastel yellows, oranges and greens. 

For him - a man cave

Every man wants to get back to his primal needs, but this man cave comes with a modern twist.

For this type of room, you want to make sure there are a numerous amount of well places power outlets for all of his gadgets and toys.

In comparison to the crafty corner for her, you may want to invest in some blackout blinds to reduce sun glare on the flat screen television that will be proudly placed on the feature wall along with several games consoles.

Keep it masculine, but colourful, with deep reds, blacks and greys. 

A productive home office

This is where you are going to need to get clever with how you design and use the space.

You are going to need to ensure that the room is always light and airy to ease production, so whilst you’re not working on laptops or computers, you are going to want to make sure you have some big windows.

If you are creating a home office in your loft, you may want to think about freeing up all of the flat walls that are possible for storage space, therefore any windows will have to be featured on the slope or roof of your loft.

Ceiling lights are a must for an office space for when it is not light outside to make sure you can see what you’re working on. We suggest low hanging lighting to target your light on your work space.

Created by MPK Lofts

Experts in Pest Control – Your Allies in the War against Termites

While there are 350 species of termites that can be found in Australia, only 10 of these accounts for 99 percent of the total damage done to households and commercial structures. While others prefer to feast on damp and rotting materials like trees and leaves, these 10 attack structures and feast on the wood found in homes and other structures.

According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, almost all structures in Australia have a moderate to high risk of termite attacks — with the exception of areas along the Great Ocean Road and Tasmania which have low to very low risks.

It is also worthwhile to note that there are several crucial factors that make a structure more vulnerable to termites. For example, the closer your house is to the ground, the more vulnerable it is to an attack. Also, if the exterior soil level in your property is higher than the slab level, the risk is considerably higher. Another risk factor is having a structure built on a steep sloping block as soil movement makes it easier for termites to gain entry and access into a home or building. Termites can also easily gain entry into a structure if there are more alternations or extensions within a house. Moisture increases the risk of termite attacks as well, and as such, you may want to invest in subfloor ventilation.

Apart from subfloor ventilation, there are several strategies that property owners can implement to reduce their vulnerability to termites. One of these is enlisting the aid of pest control experts for property inspection. It is also highly advisable to remove untreated wood from the property. To prevent unnecessary moisture, property owners are advised to correct any plumbing and drainage issues in their homes or buildings. Homeowners should also make sure that external levels are below damp course levels.

While gardens and lawns can increase the value of a property, they can also increase its vulnerability to termite attacks. As such, it is recommended to keep vines and plants away from the main structure and avoid the use of timber fencers, gates and similar structures. Reticulation systems should be properly designed and installed such that no water sprays the main structure.

If you do detect the presence of termites, resist the temptation to spray insecticide on these as they will simply transfer to another location in the house. If you can, try to collect a few samples and place them in a jar with water or spirits. Cover the area where you have seen them, or in the case of termites found in doors and windows, seal edges with paper and tape to prevent them from moving to other parts of the house. Finally, call in an expert in pest control.

About the author: Kenneth Lawrence is a “Handyman” and a writer. He writes about home renovation, kitchen improvement, fixtures and furnishings, gardening, interior designing, DIY projects and other topics that can help homeowners. As of now, he visits www.assassinpestcontrol.com.au to know more about pest control services.

The Oxygen Hole

This oxygen hole located at the wall-mounted wood panel near the bed at a hospital room where my SIL was hospitalized last month. The round stuff is in light yellow; unfortunately my capture didn’t show it well.

Monday Mellow Yellows

10 Tips for Office Spring Cleaning

10 Tips for Office Spring Cleaning -Maintaining a pleasant environment in which your employees will enjoy working is important if you wish to get the most out of them. Redecorating old premises is a good place to start and if you want to ensure that your offices remain in excellent condition, an annual spring clean is an excellent idea. Below are ten tips aimed at small business owners who would like to provide their employees with a clean and comfortable workspace.

Image:forbes.com

1. Enlist the help of every employee. Before you get down to the serious business of cleaning, it is a good idea to ask each employee to tidy the area in which they work. The less clutter there is to deal with, the easier a team of professional cleaners will find it to do their job quickly and effectively.
2. Hire a company that specialises in carpet cleaning to come in and give all the carpeted areas in your office the once over. Commercial cleaning firms use industrial equipment and chemicals that allow them to clean carpets far more quickly than your own staff could. It is best to ask them to come in over the weekend to minimise any disruption to your business.
3. Clean PCs and other sensitive electronic equipment with compressed air canisters to ensure that a build-up of dust does not adversely affect their performance.
4. Ask your regular cleaners to wipe down walls, desks, tiled floors and all other hard surfaces with a damp cloth. They should also use an antimicrobial spray to eliminate bacteria around the office.
5. Throw out old IT equipment that is never going to be used again. Whether you take your old monitors and PCs to a recycling depot or donate them to a worthy charity, it is a good idea to have a clear out of obsolete equipment during your spring clean.
6. Prevent infestations of pests such as cockroaches, ants and rodents. These pests are unhygienic and can cause all sorts of problems so any preventative measures that you can take during your spring clean are well worth considering. There are firms that specialise in professional pest control in Sydney, New York, London and many other towns and cities across the globe so no matter where your company is located, you are sure to be able to find a local team of experts to help.
7. Replace old lighting units. To ensure that your employees can see what they are doing, it is a good idea to replace any poorly performing overhead lighting units with more efficient models, as part of your spring clean.
8. Remove dead houseplants and replace them with new ones. Many people like to see greenery in the office but few are keen on brittle, dead plants that just make a mess.
9. Clean and repaint window frames if necessary. It is important not to forget the exterior of your building as it is the first thing that visitors will notice when they arrive for meetings.
10. Clean your coffee machines. Although this should preferably be done every month, it is a task that is frequently forgotten and during your spring clean is the ideal time to clean all the coffeemakers in your office. It might not make a big difference to the overall appearance of your workspace but it will definitely make your coffee taste much better.

Spring cleaning your office might sound like hard work but it can be well worth the effort. Employees tend to be more productive when they are happy with their working environment and few people enjoy working in dirty, drab and dreary offices.

About the Author: Flick Anticimex is an Australian company that offers services such as pest control in Sydney. They cater to all kinds of facilities and establishments whether domestic, commercial or industrial properties.

A Cafe

click to enlarge

 The cafe located inside Bogor Botanical Gardens, Bogor (West Java, Indonesia). This kind of view can only be seen on weekdays. The spot is always full of visitors every weekend.

The Weekend in Black and White