The Signs You Need To Use Water Softeners

Adding a filtration system has many perks, and many of them are related to its ability to prevent hard water. Once you’ve considered the signs you need to use water softeners, determine which water softener is best for your home, so you can make an optimal investment.

Unsightly Limescale

Limescale usually builds up when hard water is present. The unsightly grime is a buildup of calcium and magnesium, two minerals that contribute to hard water. You may catch scale on various water fixtures around the home—this includes anything that spouts water, from your coffee pot to your showerhead.

Make sure you address limescale’s presence on your faucets and fixtures, as it usually indicates the presence of limescale in your home’s pipes. Too much buildup could lead to serious home damage and costly repairs.

Dull Hair, Dry Skin

Hard water doesn’t lather well with soaps and shampoos, leaving your skin and hair to suffer. Water that’s been softened ensures a more comprehensive lather and rinse, making the most of every shower.

Decrease in Water Pressure, Increase in Water Bills

Pipes that have buildup must work harder to work sufficiently. Even as it works harder—and garners a steeper water bill—your pipeline system will not perform to the best of its abilities.

One sign your home needs a water softener is a decrease in water pressure. Due to an unfortunate amount of buildup, your pipes cannot serve the pressure you desire, leading to subpar appliance performance and disappointing showers.

Water That Tastes or Looks Peculiar

Of the signs you need to use water softeners for your water fixtures, odd-tasting water is one of the most obvious. Water with a high mineral count often has a metallic-y taste.

Another way to tell whether your home could use a water softener is by looking at the water when it comes out of the faucet. If it’s cloudy or has high turbidity, your home may be due for a filtration system.

Faded Clothing

Just as it doesn’t lather well with soaps and shampoos, hard water does not lather with detergent. Insufficient suds cause detergent residue to accumulate on your clothing, leaving you with stiff, itchy, and dull clothes. If your laundry appears faded, it’s a sign your water’s mineral content is unfavorably high.

The Pros and Cons of Starter Homes and Forever Homes

When house searching, it tends to be a big decision on whether or not you are looking for a short-term starter home, or your forever home. There are pros and cons to both, especially depending on your current income and life circumstances. 

In 2019, 33% of homebuyers in the United States were first-time homebuyers. If you are currently debating on which type of home you are looking for, here are some quick pros and cons of investing in a starter vs. forever homes. 

Starter Home

• Pro: Lower price point- Compared to forever homes, starter homes tend to sit at a much cheaper price point. 

• Pro: Minimize the commitment- With starter homes, there is less commitment, especially if you are just renting or planning to live there short-term. 

• Con: Smaller Space- Starter homes tend to have smaller square footage. Although they are great for first-time homebuyers, they may get a bit tight if you are planning on adding some family members into the household.

Forever Home

• Pro: Less moving- Once you have found your forever home, there is less need for moving around more. This is a great time to solidify your roots in your area! 

• Pro: Customize your home- With a forever home, you can renovate and improve your home in any way you like. You can invest money into your home that you will pay you off once you decide it is time to let it go in the future. 

• Con: Higher Cost- Compared to starter homes, forever homes tend to be much higher in price point, especially if you plan to invest in new additions in your home. 

As you decide on what type of home you are looking for, keep in mind your goals and finances. When buying a new home, it is important to check on current mortgage rates to see what loans you can receive at your price point. 

Five Ways to Save Your Furniture From Fading

“Spring is the time of year when it's summer in the light and winter in the shade,” wrote Charles Dickens.

If you might be tempted to run for the sun in the summer, your furniture may benefit from some shade. We all know that using sunscreen to protect our skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is necessary, but did you know that UV can also damage the interiors of our homes?

Furniture, flooring, artwork, and even books are susceptible to fading, and as the days grow longer in the coming months, you will want to consider how to shield your belongings from the sun's increasing rays.

Here are some tips for preventing your furniture from fading and keeping your interior design in good shape.

Rearrange your belongings.

Let's begin with the most obvious.

Take some time on a bright day to sit and observe how the sun interacts with your room. Is there some shaded area where your most vulnerable furniture – those with dyed fabrics – should be placed?

Smaller furniture, in particular, should be easy to tuck away in a shady spot. Bookshelves are easy to crowd into a corner if you want to avoid fading book spines and yellow page corners.

If your space is south-facing and has a lot of windows, you'll have a hard time finding a place where direct sunlight won't penetrate. If your room is dual-aspect, you can abandon it right now and look for other options.

Of course, none of this can help avoid harm to carpets, rugs, or wooden floors.

Consider the window treatments.

You won't like thinking about ways to let less light into your home if you like how your bright room lifts your mood and you don't want to sit in the dark. There are, however, concessions you can make to preserve your furnishings and add character to your home without making it dark and dreary.

Sheer curtains may be the solution. They're light, so they won't take over, and they're transparent, so they let plenty of diffuse light in while reducing the damage caused by direct sunlight. They are available in a wide range of colors and transparency levels, so you should have no trouble finding the perfect match for your room.

Blinds are another flexible choice because the slats can be easily adjusted to cover your furniture while still allowing plenty of light into space.

Vertical blinds have an office feel to them, but Venetian blinds can work in almost any environment. If you own a period home, you may want to think about adding shutters on the outside or inside.

You may want to consider replacing your double-glazed panels with windows that have built-in or interstitial blinds. The best part about interstitial blinds is that they're enclosed between glass panes, which means the slats can't be scratched and don't need to be dusted.

How about solar blinds?

At the moment, solar blinds are very common. They provide diffuse light, minimize UV exposure to your furniture, and can help keep your room cool in the summer.

They're made of transparent material, similar to sheer curtains, and provide a view of the outside world while making it more difficult for people outside to see in. If privacy is an issue, a less translucent grade would be preferable since anything happening in a room illuminated by electric light at night would be visible to anyone paying attention.

Solar blinds are available in vertical or roller styles and a variety of colors, so you should have no trouble matching them to the interior of your house.

‘Sunglasses’ for your windows

Solar window film reduces cooling and heating costs, reduces glare from the sun, and can also improve privacy in the home by blocking up to 99 percent of harmful UV light.

Although it can be tempting to make this a do-it-yourself project, the high-quality solar film can only be installed by a professional. It's also a good idea to double-check with your window manufacturer to make sure that installing film won't void any warranties, though many window film installers give overriding warranties if that's essential. When washing your screens, stop using any sharp tools or scrapers until they've adhered.

Depending on their intended use, these films vary in quality and are made of various materials. Depending on which choice you choose for your home, almost all films will dim your vision of the outside world to some degree.

Replace the glass in your windows.

If you're thinking of replacing your windows, choose glass with an energy-efficient coating that will help to moderate the heat in your room while still protecting your furniture from UV light.

It's possible to replace only the double glazed unit and keep the uPVC, wood, or aluminum frame if your frames are in good shape and don't need to be replaced. Replacing current glass with a low-E, energy-efficient solution is relatively inexpensive, and you don't have to install all of your windows. Prioritize the rooms that are most influenced by UV rays, which are usually those that face east or south.

If you prefer undressed windows with crystal clear glass, and your current windows have poor thermal efficiency, this is a great solution that kills two birds with one stone.

Guest Post - 4 Home Office Layout Tips for Small Spaces

Working from home is one of the many ways the current pandemic has affected the world. But the now prevalent remote work culture offers many advantages and presents many challenges. 

Workplace distractions have always been present, but professionals used to the relative calm of corporate spaces often find it challenging to focus amid the noise and general busyness at home.

One solution to this is creating your own home office. A dedicated place where you can sit down and have everything you need can help ensure that you work efficiently and resist the temptation to pet your cute puppy or lay in your comfy bed all day long.

The goal is to replicate your original office's vibe as much as possible so that you can be as productive as you were pre-pandemic. Since houses are not office buildings, this can be difficult to pull off, especially for those who reside in small apartments, condominiums, or live with family members.

Not everyone has spare rooms that they can quickly convert to a spacious home office. If you're one of those who have this problem, you'll be happy to consider these work from home tips that will help you design the perfect home office.

1. Location, location, location

The most important thing to consider in your home office layout, and the first in this list, is where you want it to be.

Many often choose the guest room or the study.  But since you're reading this article, there's a good chance you have neither. Don't be discouraged. There are likely many available spaces at home if you look with a critical eye.

Find an area that can be distinct from the rest of the house. Are there any lofts or nooks where you can fit in a desk, your computer, and a chair? Is there extra space underneath the stairs? Even the space beside your bed can be a good choice. Some have converted their closets to hold their essentials or even the entire home office. Kitchen or living room areas are also popular choices.

You can use a bookcase, curtains, or screens to section off your designated corner to ensure enough privacy. With a clever layout, you can make a comfortable working place anywhere.

2. Choose multi-functional furniture

Since you're low on space, it would be best to choose furniture that can fulfill multiple functions simultaneously. For example, some who settle on a bedroom slash home office use their vanity table. Makeup and accessories that generally occupy this table go into baskets when work is in session.

There are also expandable desks that add more surface area instantly, and some can be tucked away into a drawer when not in use. You can customize a cupboard to hide your desk at the end of a workday.

Always keep in mind exactly how much space is available when picking your home office fixtures.

3. Be resourceful with storage

Finding enough storage can be incredibly challenging. Avoid having your office equipment and other knick-knacks take up precious desk areas. Try using wall-mounted storage instead. You could assemble shelves in front or beside your desk. Utilize stackable boxes and baskets for vertical storage.

Meanwhile, you should keep frequently used essentials and important documents near the desk for easy access. A proper filing system reduces clutter and can make a small space seem bigger.

4. Decorate

Just because you want to replicate an actual physical office doesn't mean you have to copy the look. One of the perks of having your very own home office is that you may design it however you want.

A splash of color can instantly lift your mood and help you get down to business. You can be as creative as you want to be. Maybe you can paint just one wall with your favorite color. Place some plants in hanging pots to liven the area. Fill the room with pictures of people who inspire you.

You don't have to hold back, but make sure that all the pretty decor does not distract you from the tasks at hand.

Everyone deserves to have a comfortable workspace to spend hours in. By following these tips, you can make a home office that fits perfectly no matter how limited your space is. We have one last reminder, though—personalize. As helpful as these tips are, they can only be beneficial if they suit your needs. Feel free to adjust these suggestions.

Remember, the goal is for your productivity level to stay the same as before or even higher. Who knows, because of all the benefits that your perfectly designed home office affords you, you might prefer to continue working at home after the pandemic ends.

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Author: Noel Brago is a Project Development Associate at Studio N — the latest living space inside Filinvest City's Northgate Cyberzone. Noel’s interest in houses and architecture led him to a career in real estate. Outside work, you can find him writing articles on business, real estate, and finance.