How to Hire a Pest Control Company

If ants, roaches or other varieties of insects are turning your home into their personal playground, it is time for you to call a pest control company to get rid of these annoying critters once and for all. However, all pest control companies are not created equal. In order to find a reputable company like Green Tree Pest Control, there are a few methods you can use. Here are a few helpful tips you can use to find and hire a pest control company that will make your house or apartment free of bugs once again:

1. Ask people you trust

The best way to find a reputable pest control company is to ask people whose opinions you value. This group of people can include family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Ask them if they have ever needed to hire a pest control company in the past. If they have, find out what their experience was like and how much money they were charged.

2. Internet

If you are unable to get a solid recommendation from anyone you trust, you can go online and visit some of the hundreds of websites that post reviews of various businesses. These websites are helpful because you can get an idea about the quality of service provided by a pest control company from a person who has already hired them. These reviews can help you to avoid bad companies and introduce you to some good ones that you never heard of before.

3. Licensing

Make sure any company you hire is licensed to perform pest control in your state. You can call your state's licensing bureau or office of consumer affairs to verify their license. If they are licensed, find out if your state requires continuing education classes for exterminators.

4. Insurance

Before you allow a pest control company to officially begin work in your home, it is important that you verify the company is insured and bonded. This will ensure that the company is able to cover the cost of repairing any damage they might cause to your home while they are working.

5. Experience

Make sure that the pest control company you hire actually has experience dealing with the specific pest problem you are having. Some companies are only equipped to deal with certain types of infestations.

6. Better Business Bureau

Call the Better Business Bureau to find out if the company is a member and if they had any complaints filed against them.

Regular and Special Plumbing Services

A plumber is an extremely valuable asset to have for any building! Whether it is a commercial establishment or industrial outfit or even a residential building, a plumber can help in delivering regular and special services of various kinds. When you talk about regular services, it can encompass:

·         installing various kinds of plumbing fixtures,

·         leak detection, should the need arise,

·         regular maintenance of various kinds of appliances such as water heaters and

·         even responding to various kinds of requests related to plumbing issues.

While there is no denying the fact that such regular services go an extremely long way in helping to maintain the building and its fixtures in pristine condition, sometimes, it also becomes necessary to hire the services of an Orange County Plumber to deliver special plumbing services.

Water extraction

Sometimes, a building may be beset by stagnant water and excess water flooding because of:

·         natural disasters of various kinds,

·         burst pipes,

·         flooded basements and so on.

It becomes essential to call a plumber as quickly as possible because stagnant water can cause a lot of damage to the infrastructure, furniture and other fittings inside a building. When you look for the right kind of plumber, you should also be able to ascertain whether he or the firm can conduct such water extraction activities that can help rid your property of flooded waters.

Restoration after flood damage

When a property gets beset by floods or water deluge, then it can cause a lot of damage as well. Apart from the fact that flood damage can be a cause of contamination, mold growth and other disease bearing organisms, it can also result in rotting furniture and furnishings. The services of an Orange County Plumber can come in handy when one is talking about comprehensive flood damage restoration.

Such flood restoration can encompass:

·         emergency response to a situation,

·         treatment of the property with the right kind of products,

·         customized treatment plants which will take care of ventilation and dehumidification and

·         eliminating the possibility of hidden water damage that can affect the foundations of a building.

Taking care of your expensive equipment

There are plenty of appliances and equipment that run on or are associated with water! Water heaters, laundry machines and dishwashers are just some examples of these kinds of equipment. It would be good for you to have the advice and support of a qualified Orange County Plumber. Such advice and support can go a very long way in helping you choose the right kind of appliances in the first place. It can then come in handy when you have to service your equipment and ensure that it is operating at optimum levels.

Thus, hiring the services of a qualified and licensed Orange County Plumber can indeed go a very long way in helping you enjoy regular and specialized plumbing services of various kinds. From installations of various fixtures to their maintenance and repair - a plumber is somebody that you should be able to rely on at all times.

5 Tips for Choosing Outdoor Roller Blinds

With summer well and truly underway, many homeowners are looking for ways to make their outdoor areas cooler so that their guests are comfortable when they entertain. Did you know that outdoor roller blinds are the perfect way to shade your alfresco area, helping to keep it cool? If you are anything like us, we are sure that you are clueless when it comes to choosing a good blind – so we have shared this list of tips to make your life easier.

1.   Base your selection on your purpose
Whilst the aesthetics of your roller blinds certainly are important, their function is actually more so. You need to determine what sort of role the shade needs to play in your outdoor area – do you want to filter sunlight in or block it out completely, etc – and you can then adjust your choice so that it adds aesthetic value. If you are looking to completely block sunlight, for example, a blockout style will be best.

2.   Select a colour and fabric that matches
when choosing your blinds, it is important that you consider both the interior and the exterior. The inside is what your guests will be staring at as they enjoy your BBQ or a cocktail; the outside is what anyone passing through your yard will see. Take a look around at what colours and fabrics have been used around your alfresco area, then try to choose a shade that will match or complement.

3.   Get the right measurements
Once you have settled on the outdoor roller blinds you would like to install in your alfresco area, it is essential that you go home to obtain the correct measurements. If possible, have a contractor from the store come out to your home to take them for you. We recommend using a steel tape measure to ensure that you get accurate results and that you measure twice (if a second person can help you do this, go for it).

4.   Shop around and get a few quotations
Keep in mind that Melbourne (and Victoria as a whole) is rife with blind companies. To ensure that you are getting the best possible price, we recommend shopping around and obtaining at least three quotes. This will provide you with a fair idea of the average, as well as give you a good idea of the companies charging too much or too little. We recommend choosing a quote that falls somewhere in the middle.

5.   Find specialist outdoor companies
During your search for a reputable company, we recommend looking into those who specialise in outdoor roller shades and other sun control options. The main reason for this is that they will be able to provide adequate guidance should you become confused. They will also have plenty of experience in the provision of blinds for this particular purpose, so you can rely on their advice.

Now that you realise how beneficial outdoor roller blinds can be in keeping your alfresco area cool during the summer, we hope that you find the tips shared above useful in making your purchase. These days, outdoor blinds are becoming increasingly more common, so you should not struggle to find a reputable company or someone who is willing to offer some advice. We are sure that these shades will be a welcome addition to your home, so good luck!

How to Choose the Perfect Rug for Your Home

If you’re considering a thorough overhaul in your home, there are many things to bear in mind: from the adequate tone of wall paint and stylish flooring designs, across vintage, minimalist and urbane touches, all the way to carefully matched window styles, tastefully selected furniture and other small home accessories, we often forget the basics – or the base, at least. Rugs are often the final thought in your interior designing efforts but that doesn’t make them any less important than the rest of the lot. So, before you finally settle down in that comfy armchair with a cup of tea and a tray of biscuits, make sure you put in an adequate rug to round off your home décor with unique taste and functionality – and we have some tips for you right here on how to pick the right floor cover to supplement your freshly done-up home.

Circles and/or squares – Rug shapes and sizes do matter

Rug shapes and sizes vary and people mostly choose them depending on the area that they need to cover. Before setting off on a wild rug chase, make sure you measure the space you want to adorn in a floor cover and write the dimensions down for future reference. This will help you pick a sufficiently large rug when shopping and avoid shabby-looking floor areas accidentally left bare. In case you are not a big fan of squares, you can always go for a round rug that’s large enough to cover just enough of the flooring without looking completely misplaced or too carelessly chosen. Remember: in case you have a sofa, desk or a side table placed next to the wall, your rug should be large enough to reach under the front legs. Likewise, a perfect rug fit for a dinning room or a living room with the furniture placed in the centre is a floor cover that’s big enough on all sides to go under all four legs of each piece of furniture.

Don’t be frayed – Pick the rug by room traffic

When shopping for rugs, picking the right material is essential regardless of your favorite colors and design preferences. It’s important to choose a sufficiently soft and yet durable enough material for each room since you’ll probably be using your rug more than any other item in the house - you might or might not decide to sit in that expensive armchair every day, but you’ll certainly have to walk across your rug to get at least to and from the door. As foot traffic is most often at its highest in hallways and living rooms, you should definitely pick strong-fiber rugs for these premises because durable materials won’t end up looking and feeling all worn out after just a few months of regular use. Bedrooms and dining rooms are less demanding when it comes to traffic and rug material selection so you can adorn these premises with soft or shaggy carpets that are comfortable and warm enough for barefoot walking.

Keep walking – Most frequently used materials in rug production

Dhurries and kilims tend to be made from either flat-woven wool or cotton and are usually easy to clean so they are a good choice for premises with moderate foot traffic. On the other hand, tufted rugs are produced by the process of tufting (i.e. inserting yams or wool threads through a woven base) for extra softness and walking comfort, which makes them better suited for use in rooms with lower traffic. The same goes for premium pads – crafted from recycled post-industrial fiber, plush rugs are warm and thick to touch and can be used on all surfaces, including heated flooring. For high traffic areas, it’s recommendable to go with rugs made from natural materials like plant fiber (most commonly used fibers are those extracted from jute, sisal, hemp or seagrass) as these are extremely durable, affordable and usually neutral in terms of color. Rugs that are overdyed and distressed are produced by the process of dying, washing and distressing to render them softer and more vintage-looking, so they are a good rug choice for areas with low to moderate traffic.

Finding the perfect match – How to pick the right pattern and color

When shopping for floor covers in your local stores or purchasing rugs online, another important matter that you’ll need to bear in mind is the décor of the room. Unless you want your home to come across as too tacky or too hastily decorated, it’s best to pick a rug in the same or similar tone as your furniture and/or walls. Neutrals and pastels are also acceptable as these are likely to blend in with most light tones of wall paint, and white areas help create a more spacious feel in the room although they are more demanding when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Most patterned rugs have one or a series of geometrical shapes interlinking at the corners or across the center so these will go well with both white and pastel walls, as well as solid or neutral-colored furniture. On the other hand, a monochromatic rug in a solid tone will work just fine with most patterned furnishing for as long as you remember to pay attention to the potentially contrasting colors in the most prominent piece of furniture in the room.

If you’ve recently refurbished your home or are considering a meticulous springtime overhaul, make sure you don’t leave your floors unattended. However much attention you and your guests may pay to the wall paint, furniture, accessories and other fine details, the base matters too, so adorn your home flooring in rugs that are sufficiently strong and yet supple enough to touch – because, after all, floors are the part of the house you’ll probably be using a lot.

Read this also to know The best rug materials