Category: Trade Services & Supplies For The Property Industry

Recent weather in Queensland, including heavy rainfall which led to flash floods and the ensuing heat wave provided the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies and other insects.

According to reports, parts of the Gold Coast, Logan and the Scenic Rim were hit by record-breaking rain, resulting in numerous evacuations and emergency rescues,

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) also warned about the risk of possible flash-flooding at Mount Tamborine, Tamborine, Coomera, Hope Island, South Stradbroke and Jacobs Well.

Major flooding was recorded at Beaudesert and river levels were a chance of going higher with further rainfall forecast into the evening.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-13/south-east-queensland-flood-body-mary-river/11959914

Brisbane residents have been on high alert following the reports and beaches on the Gold Coast were closed.  There was also rainfall of a record high 232 millimetres recorded in 24 hours at Sunshine Coast airport, while Coolum received 216mm.

In the Aftermath of the Flood

Why Mosquitoes Are Attracted to Stagnant Water after a Flood

Water is essential for mosquitoes to breed because they lay their eggs in puddles of standing water. After the mosquitoes hatch, the larvae in the water develop into adults.

This process of hatching and developing takes several days and if not addressed can cause the population to explode, approximately a week after a flood.

It’s important that we act quickly and address this risk when dealing with the aftermath of a flood because mosquitoes can carry diseases such as Malaria, Dengue fever, Ross River Virus and many others.

Intelliscreens is a leading provider of retractable fly screens in Brisbane, so if you’re a resident in Brisbane, installing retractable screen will give you the peace of mind that your family is protected even while you still enjoy the benefits of open plan, indoor/outdoor living.  

Protection from Insect Bites

In the clean-up process, post-flooding, it can be easy to forget one important possible risk, the rise in mosquito populations.

When outdoors, make sure that you’re either fully covered with long pants and sleeves or use an insect repellent to protect yourself.

Also check that all standing water on your property is disposed of, including on trash can lids, in gutters, puddles and so on.

Importance of Retractable Fly Screens

In Brisbane up to 100mm of rain was received in a 24hour period, with high temperatures forecast post-flood. It is feared that these hot and humid conditions could give rise to an insect infestation, particularly mosquitoes, whose bites are potentially dangerous, as well as being just plain irritating.

While some insects come in with flood waters, eliminating all standing water on your property is the first step in ensuring mosquitoes don’t breed.

The most effective solution to protecting your home is with retractable fly screens. In Brisbane you’re probably not going to be able to address every standing water source around your property. You may get some mosquitoes from neighbouring properties, roads, bodies of water nearby etc. so until mosquito swarms die down, you need to protect your family from potentially dangerous bites.

Good quality retractable fly screens in Brisbane are crucial given the hot, humid climate. We need to ensure that insect screens are installed and if you’ve already got insect screens fitted, check that they are in good condition.

Dispose of Mosquito Breeding Grounds

• Be thorough when removing any collected, stagnant water to prevent mosquitos infesting your property.
• Any muddy areas, puddles and water traps on the property can be filled with soil.
• You should also ensure trash cans and their lids are cleaned and dry.
• Gutters should be checked and cleared of stagnant water.
• Storage containers on your property should be emptied of water and turned upside down so they don’t collect water.
• Also check tarps and walls or floors around the home.

We can expect extreme weather to continue including flooding and very hot conditions, so ensuring your home is protected from mosquito infestations with retractable fly screens in Brisbane means one less thing you have to worry about as the effects of climate change become ever more evident.  

 

The thought of home renovation frightens many people. Armed with the right tools and information, you can take on any project. Use the information given here to do the home improvement work you’ve been thinking about.

carpets and floors

If you have an older home, you may find that there are hardwood floors underneath any carpeting currently installed. Many homes prior to 1950s were required to have hard wood as their sub-floor. This means that there may be gold in those floorboards. They may need some refinishing, but not having to pay to have them installed would be a huge money saver.

When planning a home renovation with your contractor, be honest about your budget. While many homeowners fear that they will get ripped off by a contractor if it is known how much money they have to spend, the reality is that being honest will get you better results. The contractor is free to budget for better work and higher-quality materials if they know your true cost ceiling.

Go with a light tile when re-doing your roof. Lighter colors reflect the sun more efficiently, lessening the build up of heat in your attic. You will save a lot of money on energy bills by doing this.

Always insist on references before hiring a contractor to work on your home improvement project. Make sure your potential contractor is properly licensed to perform the work in question. Hiring a professional is worth the money to give you peace of mind that the job is done right the first time.

Eliminate the sound of floor squeaks with construction adhesive. You may have to work in tight spots but your efforts are well worth it. With a caulking gun, place a line of construction glue along the sides of each floor joist, allowing the glue to secure each adjoining subfloor plank to your joists.

Remodeling

When looking to improve the value of your home, remodeling a bathroom can be a great step to take. Simple bathroom remodeling steps can include painting, changing out fixtures and installing new tiles. More elaborate efforts can include replacing bathtubs, toilets and sinks. Whatever route you choose, you’re sure to see an increased home value when you update your bathroom.

When you are deciding what it is you want to remodel ask for opinions. You want to make sure you are giving off the right vibes when you are choosing how to remodel your home. Ask for advice from neighbors or close friends and family. Sometimes other people’s advice can help you in the decision making process when remodeling your home.

In this tough economy, do major remodeling only if you have a reason. Selling your home, welcoming a new member to your family, or improving your living arrangements are good reasons to remodel. However, changing your home on a whim, when you don’t have the budget, can put you at a real disadvantage.

Before you start remodeling or redecorating a room, bring in a professional to check out the electrical and the plumbing, to be sure that it is in good working condition. It is very disheartening having to tear out a new floor or rip into a new wall, to make a repair that should have been done before doing the work.

No matter what room you are remodeling, try to make it as bright as possible. It is proven that rooms with a lot of light and color put a person in a better room. A lot of light is also attractive to potential buyers when you are selling your home.

Perhaps you were of the belief that doing home improvements without a contractor would be tough. However, if you absorbed the information from this article, you can give yourself the necessary skills to help you handle some projects on your own.

The carpet market is a vast market, with many types to choose from. Below, you’ll find the several different types of carpet and what they will offer you and your home.

interesting article

Woven
Woven carpet is produced on a loom that is very similar to woven cloth, being cut pile. There are many different colored yarns being used and the entire process is capable of producing very intricate patterns from designs that are pre-determined. Normally, woven is the highest quality of carpet on the market.

Tufted
This type of carpet is produced on a tufting machine by using either a single colored or sometimes a non colored yarn. If non colored is being used, then the carpet will be dyed or printed with a design as a separate process. Carpets that are tufted can either be cut pile, loop pile, or a combination of both. Machines can produce a lot more meters of carpet than weaving, and they are normally at the lower end of the market.

Needlefelt
The needlefelt type of carpet is a bit more technologically advanced. They are produced by electrostatic attraction of individual fibers that form a unique carpet with extremely high durability. You can normally find needlefelt carpet in the contract market such as in hotels or other places where there is always going to be a lot of traffic.

Flatweave
The flatweave carpet is created by interlocking warp and weft threads. The types of oriental flatwoven carpet include soumak, plain weave, and tapestry weave. This type is not well known in the North American region, although it is very popular in the orient and Japan.

Hooked rug
This is a simple construction of rug that is handmade by pulling strips of cloth such as wool or cotton through the meshes of a very sturdy fabric. Now, this type of rug is generally known as a handicraft.

Knotted pile
With knotted pile carpets, the structural weft threads will alternate with a supplementary weft that will rise from the surface of the weave at a perpendicular angle.

Cut and loop piles
The cut and loop pile combines both looped and cut fibers. They provide a variety of surface textures for medium durability. Cut and loop carpets are available in either solid or different colors. The several different layers in this carpet can hide dirt and footprints in formal and informal areas.

Saxony
Saxony consists of tightly twisted cut piles that are heat set straight. They consist of two or more fibers that have been twisted together in a yarn, and they provide a very soft texture for informal as well as formal areas. They will show each and every footprint and even marks from vacuum cleaners.

Textured saxony
Textured carpet is the best selling and it works well in informal areas due to the very soft feel. They are tightly twisted and texture headset for medium durability. They also offer a multi colored look that will hide tracks and footprints.

Frieze
Frieze is a highly twisted cut pile type of carpet that is suited for high traffic areas. It has short fibers that will tend to curl in different directions at the surface to hide footprints and vacuum marks.

great post

The process of steam cleaning your carpet involves hot water being fed to a spray extraction tool or wand, coupled to a pump vacuum power unit. The
cleaning solution is injected under pressure deep into the carpet through water jet nozzles.

The water will then penetrate the fiber all the way down to the backing. This action will loosen any embedded soil, remove oil and grease deposits, and get your carpet cleaner than it has ever been.

There are many types and makes of steam carpet cleaners available on the market, ranging from small portables to the large and very powerful truck
mounted units. The principle is the same no matter what model you pick.

The models that are truck mounted are designed so that only the hose and the wand are taken into the area being cleaned. These units are very powerful,
delivering hot water and generating a high vacuum recovery that can be powered by diesel fuel, gas, propane, or even by the motor of the truck.

Most carpet manufacturers, fiber producers, and professional cleaners endorse this process for achieving soil removal efficiency. With the present state of art equipment and technology, we are more than capable of high production and cleaning of carpet.

The real disadvantage to steam carpet cleaning are the problems that are associated with over wetting and longer drying times. These can be eliminated however, by a skilled operator who uses equipment that is well maintained and in good overall operating condition.

Currently, there are two methods being used with steam carpet cleaning.

1. This method involves a traffic lane cleaner being sprayed onto the traffic lanes and then agitated into the fibers. The entire area is then cleaned by using a hot water extractor that has a cleaning solution being injected into the fibers through the wand.

2. The second method involves a free rinse emulsifying pre-spray being sprayed onto the entire carpet, then agitated into the fibers.

Steam cleaning procedures

1. Prepare the equipment and supplies. In a pump or power sprayer you should mix the free rinsing pre-spray. In the solution tank of the extractor, mix the rinsing agent.

2. If you have a lot of furniture to move, make yourself a floor plan.

3. If the area being cleaned has furniture, you should remove as much as possible.

4. Thoroughly vacuum the carpet. If the pile is crushed or matted, use a pile brush to loosen the soils which will make vacuuming more effective.

5. Pre-spray a good amount of the pre-spray.

6. Using a grooming tool, agitate the pre spray deep into the fibers then let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes, making sure that it doesn’t dry out.

7. Extract the area using a portable, truck mounted, or automatic carpet cleaner.

8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until the entire area has been cleaned.

9. Groom the cleaned area, replace all furniture that was removed, then clean all equipment that you used.

So, you want to improve your home like you have some knowledge and respect for the endeavor, yes? Very well. First, you need to know the basics associated with it to showcase what type of knowledge you actually have about it. If that is not enough, try reviewing the article listed below to assist you.

Have a missing or damaged tile? Take a sample to your local home improvement store to see if they can match the color. Replacing an entire floor of tile is expensive as well as a heinous chore. Save money and time by finding a tile that is a close match to the existing tile.

Do not be ashamed to call in a professional. Knowing you did all your home repairs yourself can be rewarding. That pride might come with a steep price tag though. Sometimes it is best to give in and just call in a handyman. Depending on the situation, they might be able to do it faster and for less money than you could.

When it comes to home improvement, be sure to do your background work and ensure that the contractor is bonded. This is important because a way to assure that the job you intended to be completed will be completed per the stated terms. Also, the bond provider will cover any damage or theft that occurs.

Home Improvement

When it comes to home improvement, take your current space into consideration before adding on with new construction. It may be much more cost effective to convert either an attic or basement into living space. Added costs come into play when you have to add more to your foundation or roof area.

Make your life easier by having a timed sprinkler system installed. If you can’t afford the expense of professional landscaping, you can buy a timer at your local home improvement store to attach to a hose and sprinkler. This will automatically water your lawn, garden, or other plants at a set time each day.

When the day comes for your next home improvement projects, consider any “age-in-place” steps you can take. This refers to the concept that takes into account that homeowners inevitably grow older as they live in the home. No matter how long you plan on staying in your house, these additions will make your home a more comfortable place to live.

carpets and floors

If you have an older home, you may find that there are hardwood floors underneath any carpeting currently installed. Many homes prior to 1950s were required to have hard wood as their sub-floor. This means that there may be gold in those floorboards. They may need some refinishing, but not having to pay to have them installed would be a huge money saver.

An easy way to make the worn our furniture and scuffed up floors look like new is to add new lighting fixtures. There are many styles of lights that create a comforting aura of light. While you may think the adding light to the room emphasizes the impurities, but guests will only notice the bright and cheery glow of the house.

Replacing your carpets can be a breath of fresh air. Carpets can be a hotbed of allergens making your own home hard to live in. Consider replacing your carpets with hardwood, tile, or laminate floors for a healthier living environment. Hard surface floors will also provide an updated look to your home.

Ah, you have read the aforementioned article, or you wouldn’t be down here reading through the conclusion. Well done! That article should have provided you with a proper foundation of what it takes to properly and safely improve your home. If any questions still remain, try reviewing the article again.