Make Your Dusty Old Fireplace Look Modern and New

Fireplaces are intended to be the centerpiece of a home's living space. Unfortunately, when that centerpiece looks outdated and dingy, the entire room and even entire house can suffer. Here are five easy ways to make your dusty old fireplace look modern and new again.

Do a Basic Cleaning

Sometimes all your fireplace needs is a good clean. Soot from log-burning fireplaces is an obvious problem. Clean the firebox of old wood, charcoal, and ash as thoroughly as possible. Wash both sides of the glass door. Finally, vacuum, dust, and wet-wash all exterior surfaces using cleaners designated for wood-burning fireplaces.

"Clean burning" gas and propane leave behind an invisible layer of film that can attract dirt. A thorough wiping with soapy water around the mantle, face, and door will work wonders for your fireplace's appearance.

Deep-Clean the Masonry

If your fireplace's masonry needs a deeper clean, a "paint and peel" masonry cleaner may be in order. You simply brush the cleaner on the brick or tile and let it dry, then peel it off, removing embedded dirt, dust, and soot with it. This is a great way to clean out the natural divots and pits that give masonry its beautiful earthy coziness.

Replace Old Logs

Artificial logs lose their luster over time. The average lifespan of artificial logs is 3-5 years of regular use. Revive your logs by replacing them with vent free gas logs, which come in natural gas or liquid propane versions. You can also find them in a variety of different arrangements and wood styles to best fit your decor.

Update Your Mantle

The mantle of a fireplace can either enhance or diminish the appeal of what lies underneath. By updating your mantle with paint, fresh stain, or an entirely new mantle altogether, you can dramatically improve the modern feel of your old fireplace with minimal cost.

Refinish the Face

Last but not least, consider refinishing the face of your fireplace. Your fireplace face doesn't need to be completely demolished and replaced to modernize it. Simply whitewashing an old brick fireplace face can immediately brighten your room. Or go a step further and install a wood, tile, or stone veneer hearth over an existing face.

These are all easy and fairly inexpensive ways to make your dusty old fireplace look modern and new. Doing one or all of these will revive your living space and provide a sense of overall energy throughout your entire home.

7 Surprising Benefits of Hiring a Professional Window Cleaner for Your Home

First impressions count a lot. When it comes to our home or even business establishment, our building’s exterior is probably the first to be noticed. Before anyone comes in, he has already made an impression about you or the business based on what the outside looks like. Dirty or smudged windows because of accumulated dirt and debris will not wow your guests.

Are you struggling to keep up with your window cleaning regime? It might be time for you to consider having a commercial window cleaning done. Here are seven surprising benefits of hiring a professional window cleaner for your home.

1. It enhances the aesthetics of your home. 

As windows are a part of a house exterior, clean windows make your home look better. Whether you are trying to impress your neighbours or you simply want to make your house shine, a professional window cleaning service can make your abode look appealing and well maintained. They are guaranteed to add value to your home and improve its quality.

2. It extends the life of your windows. 

Unattended dirt and other debris accumulating in your windows can cause permanent damage. They can etch the glass and result in scratches that are unsightly. To protect your windows, you should have them professionally washed regularly.

Cleaning the windows by professionals will make windows last longer. These cleaners can remove corrosive substances from your windows which reduces the likelihood of having cracks and scratches, as well as glass degradation.

3. It uses the right equipment for the job.

Soap and water are not the only tools needed to make windows clean. Different windows may require different cleaning methods, cleaning solutions and even cleaning equipment. When you hire a professional window cleaner, you will not worry about all of these. You won’t need to spend extra on these cleaning needs. Their cleaning service company surely invested in the right equipment for the job. 

4. It’s more effective than washing them yourself.

Professionally washed windows are cleaner and clearer. These experts leave no marks or smudges behind. They have the right tools, techniques and equipment to make sure that your windows will be sparkling clean when they leave. If you do the job yourself, streaks and specks of dirt are still probably somewhere around the corner. Your personal tools and cleaning method may not effectively remove them. 

5. It saves you time.

With the pandemic, most of us are probably working from home. This setup is not as ideal as it sounds. We may become tempted to do tasks unrelated to work, or we may be distracted by the grimy window facing us. We tend to clean up while working which ends up in tasks piling up.

Cleaning windows can be more complicated than having a bucket of water and a bar of soap ready. It may consume more time than you think. Instead of doing it by yourself, outsource your window cleaning needs to the professionals. It will save you time from doing tasks not related to your job and even increase your productivity.

6. It keeps you safe.

A professional window cleaner can deep clean your windows, their frames and everything around them. They can get rid of molds, clouds of dust, debris and other allergens that may have accumulated. You can then breathe better without the worry of inhaling any of them.

When you clean your windows by yourself, there is also a high risk of breaking the glasses or falling from a ladder while reaching for the top of the window. The cleaning solution may also pose a hazard to you. When you get your windows professionally cleaned, you won’t have to think about these risks. They are experts in what they are doing, and they know how to protect themselves from these hazards.

7. It reduces fatigue and stress.

Balancing work and home life is already overwhelming. A home to tend after a day of work can leave you exhausted and without extra time to clean windows. 

When you let the professionals do the cleaning for you, you can relax and bond with your family while they clean. You won’t need to spread yourself too thin. You will not stress out from all the house chores you need to do. You can have downtime to rest and take care of yourself or be with your loved ones instead.

Are you ready to hire a window cleaner?

Window cleaning is as important as cleaning the other parts of your house, yet it may not come naturally and frequently like how you sweep the floor. We tend to clean only when we see dirt building up on the window surface.

However, we should remember that our windows also deserve regular cleaning. If you want to maintain the beauty of your glass windows, book a professional window cleaner. You will be surprised by the value it can give to you and your home. 

Guest Post - DIY Projects to Improve the Safety of Your Home

There are many reasons to take on a home improvement project. Some are serious, like adding on a room or remodeling an old home. Others are fun, like renovating a space to update its ambiance and appeal.

Some of the most important kinds of improvements are those that increase your home’s safety. Here are a few different projects that address the safety of your dwelling from several different perspectives.

Review Basic Safety Hazards

If you want to ensure that your living space is a safe place for you and your loved ones, it’s wise to start with several basic considerations. A few common safety hazards that can be addressed with quick DIY fixes include:

• Trip and fall prevention: You can do this by installing handrails on stairs, adding guard rails on a porch, replacing slippery flooring, or even swapping out a steep step with two smaller stairs.

• Adding storage: Storage, especially high and out of reach options, provides an ideal place to keep chemicals, medicine, and dangerous equipment out of reach of children. It can also help you avoid further trip and fall accidents by keeping items out of pathways.

• Install alarms: Fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and even flood alarms are all important to have properly installed throughout your home. If you don’t have them yet, schedule a time to install them.

Before you start looking for nuanced projects to work on, make sure basic safety considerations like these have been tended to.

Protect Your Home and Equipment

Safety doesn’t always revolve around things like physical accidents or fires and floods. At times they’re very human in nature. With that in mind, it’s also important to ensure that your property is properly protected from two kinds of theft.

First, review your home’s locks and safety features. You may even want to consider installing a smart home system to help deter potential theft. In addition, review your home insurance policy to see if you’re properly protected from everything from break-ins to natural disasters.

Second, consider all of the electronics in your home network. Cybersecurity is a serious concern these days. Make sure everything is up to date, password-protected, and has anti-malware and anti-virus software, too.

Consider Your Electricity

One DIY project worth consideration is conducting a review of your electrical situation. While most serious electrical jobs should be done by a certified electrician, there are many ways that you can look over your home’s electricity usage to make sure basic safety precautions are being made.

Take some time to go through your home and look for easy DIY fixes. For example, you can:

• Make sure appliances have plenty of room for air circulation.

• Check to see that outlets are properly protected with covers.

• Unplug unused appliances to reduce potential hazards.

• Check that exhaust fans are clean to prevent the risk of overheating.

• Replace damaged electrical cords and appliances.

Electricity is critical to a functioning modern home. However, it also poses many risks. Reviewing your electricity setup is a great DIY project to regularly schedule into the calendar every few months.

Not-DIY Projects to Avoid

While there are many safety projects that are perfectly doable on your own, others should be left to a professional. They may cost more, but if your goal is to be safer, you want to make sure everything is done correctly. 

For instance, if you’re trying to remove harmful substances like radon, asbestos, or mold, you may want to get a professional. Bigger projects like sanding down floors or repairing a leaky roof should also be kept off of the DIY list, and left in the hands of a professional.

Creating a Safer Home Environment

There are many factors that go into a safe home environment. Everything from removing trip and fall threats to addressing electrical, flood, and fire hazards to setting up physical- and cyber-security measures should be taken into consideration.

While there are some projects that are better left to a professional, many safety-focused home improvement activities are easy to do yourself. So review the suggestions above and consider where your home is lacking. Then make plans to start fixing things as soon as you can to create as safe a home environment as possible for you and your family.

Author Bio: Noah Rue is a freelance writer.

How To Choose the Ideal Door Lock for Your Home?

We partnered with a lock company for this post. The opinions in the post are honest. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views. We are excited because we know you will love it.

Choosing the right lock can make or break the situation if a thief tries to break in your home. It’s important to have the right one installed because you never know when someone’s going to have the courage and actually attempt to steal your belongings inside. Luckily, Keyside Locksmiths is here to satisfy your locksmithing request. Whether you need a locksmith Newcastle, Sydney, or Central Coast, rest assured that we will service you in all suburbs of New South Wales. That’s not all, because our goal is to also help our clients gain more knowledge, which is why we will be talking about how you can choose the ideal lock for your home:

1. Having Deadbolts is a Must

We cannot stress how important it is to get deadbolt locks nowadays. If you don’t know what these are, deadbolt locks are locks that have a bolt inside them instead of a traditional spring. Not only does it add additional protection for your household because it cannot be jimmied open, but these kinds of locks are 100% guaranteed a Grade 1 Rated lock standard, the highest grade given, meaning that it is one of the safest locks out there in the market . Although they may cost more than the average lock, we can tell you that we would pay more if it guarantees additional safety. 

2.Have the Right Budget to Afford Quality Locks

We’re going to be honest, getting a high quality home security system isn’t exactly going to be budget-friendly to your wallet. If you care about the safety of you, your family, and your pets however, then we’re going to tell you right now that’s the more important thing to worry about than a couple hundred bucks. Besides, if ever you do get robbed, the money deducted from your assurance is going to be higher than the cost of a lock installation. So our advice: manage your finances and your priorities. 

3. Go the Extra Mile and Make Some Door Renovations

If your door frame has a history of not being particularly sturdy, maybe the lock isn’t the only thing you need to replace too. Consider investing in some high quality material such as Mahogany wood to make your door stronger and sturdier than no thief should be able to kick down and come barging in.

To add any purchase of a lock, you’ll need to be sure that it’s made with heavy-duty metal with a set of screws provided for the installation. Just to take note, though, a double-sided lock is a big no-no in our books, because you’ll need a key to unlock the door even when you’re inside. If you lose that key, then you’ll end up trapped. A professional will help you find the best door hardware.

4. Make a Thorough Assessment and Analysis On What You’ll Need

Beyond picking what kind of lock needed, you’ll still have to take into account other factors to take into consideration when installing your locking mechanism onto your door. Everything from aesthetics, usefulness, effectiveness, and overall security are just some to keep in mind, while some homeowners would also add appearance as a big factor in choosing the locks. 

Here are some examples of what people usually think of when installing a lock:

• Is the door knob easily removable for easy entry?

This can be a good and bad thing for you. Good because if you’ll ever get stuck inside your home, you’ll have an easy way. Unfortunately, it’s bad because thieves might think the same thing as well. In this scenario, it would be best adding another lock to remove the threat of easy access. 

• Is the door easy for homeowners to use?

People react to things differently all the time, and the same goes for locks. Some people may find certain locks easy to use, while others struggle with them. For example, keyless locks may be easy to use for young people, but boomers might think differently because they’re not as tech-savvy compared to them. Other instances can be found with different types of locks. Your best bet would be smart locks, as they're really convenient and go hand-in-hand with your home security system, if you have one installed that is. 

• What’s the rating of the door lock?

For those of you unaware, doors actually have their own grading system to them. The American National Standard Institute, or ANSI, gives a numerical representation on the overall security a specific lock has on your household. The grade is based on factors such impact resistance, functionality, pull strength, etc. On the average, residential locks score an ANSI grade of 1-3, 1 being the highest level security and considered commercial grade, while 3 being the lowest meeting only basic requirements. For maximizing safety, choose either Grade 1 or 2 locks.