Month: September 2015

Killing off Mildew: The Foot Soldiers of Mold Infestation

You might already feel that mold (mould) is starting to infest your house. To start your witch hunt for mold, you better start with looking for mildew first. Mildew is a surface type mold that is visible and often black in colour.

Mildew Can Be Mistaken as Dirt

They can be confused for stubborn dirt due to their colour. To know if a black stain on your wall, gutter, or wall you see is mildew or dirt, put a few drops of bleach on it. If the stain gets whiter or starts to form bubbles, there is a high chance that it is mildew (although regular dirt might react like this way to bleach as well).

Mold Infestation Indicator

Thankfully, mildew does little damage to the surface they inhabit. However, they are good indicators that mold infestation is imminent. By the way, to remove mildew, you can use a scraper (or a screwdriver if the mildew infestation is rather small) and scrape the patches off the surface.

Finishing Mildew with Bleach Solution

Once the patches are gone, completely eliminate the mildew by using a bleach solution. Mix one half cup of bleach with four cups of water. Add some detergent until the solution gets a bit foamy.

Get your handy-dandy scrubber, dab a cup of the solution onto the mildew, and scrub the remaining mildew off the surface. By the way, if you are weak to allergens, you need to wear gloves and mask to protect you against any floating mold on the air.

Aftermath

Once you’re done, look for the root cause of mildew. If the mildew you found was in the bathroom, you better check for any leaks or if the room’s exhaust fan is working well. In case that your bathroom doesn’t have one, then make sure that the window is kept open to ensure proper ventilation.

If the rising humidity in your house is the culprit, make sure that you air conditioning is working well. In case that there’s nothing wrong with your AC and mold has been a recurring problem in your house, you might want to spend a few dollars on getting a dehumidifier.

Getting Started with Bathroom Renovation

It might seem that the easiest room to renovate is the bathroom. After all, the bathroom is usually the smallest room in a house. What could go wrong, right?

A lot.

lot of things can go awry if you underestimate the effort you need to exert to renovate one small bathroom. Despite being relatively small in size, bathrooms can be a big pain to renovate. Are bathrooms that complicated? The answer to that is a simple yes.

The Preparation
Before you start pounding your bathroom with a hammer or start moving things out from it, plan first. Remember, this is your bathroom we’re talking about. You cannot afford to go wrong and render it useless for a few days, especially if you only have one. Unlike the living room, a bathroom is one of the rooms you cannot live without.

So, plan first. You must make sure that you know everything that you need to do. You must move swiftly, and make it a point that you will be quickly done with the renovation. If you’re going to hire renovators, you need to give them a proper plan before you let them start working.

The Considerations
What should be included in the plan anyway? First of all, you must list all the essentials that you need in your renovated bathroom. Things like underfloor heating, rainshower, and storage space must be immediately declared or planned. You wouldn’t want the renovators to refloor your bathroom just to break it again, place the underfloor heating, and then redo the process of reflooring.

Considerations: Amenities
On one hand, please control yourself when listing the items you want to have in your bathroom. In an interior designer’s perspective, less is more, especially when it comes to your bathroom. Your bathroom should be the most comfortable room in your house. And having a cramped one will surely make that bathroom one of the most uncomfortable places to be in the house.

On the other hand, even though the Internet is handy for researching about products, do not rely on it. Go to a showroom, and see the materials that will be included in your bathroom yourself; nevertheless, it does not hurt to get yourself prepared before you go out. Research about the qualities that you will demand from the items you will buy.

Considerations: Pipes
Aside from the things you want to add or remove in your bathroom, you need to consider its location. You must take note all of the pipes that go in and out the bathroom. You must be wary on the things behind the its walls, ceiling, and flooring. After all, if you are going to perform an overhaul, you will surely stumble upon those fixtures and/or pipes. With just one small mistake, things might get messy — and smelly.

Considerations: Layout
The next thing you should consider is the layout of the bathroom. Why did you want to renovate it in the first place? Was it too cramped before? Were the fixtures placed awkwardly? Was the ventilation bad? Was the placement of the bathroom furniture offered little privacy? Answer all those questions, and you’ll instantly have an idea of what you want to happen in your bathroom.

Considerations: Budget
Once you have figured out and given the previous considerations some thought, everything will boil down to your budget. First, are you willing to spend quality materials for your bathroom? If you are, then do yourself a favour and visit a showroom. Are you willing to cut some corners?

Put in mind that cutting corners in renovation is like wasting money. Renovation is an investment, usually expensive, to improve your house. You renovate because you want to get the best out of your dwelling. Cutting corners will only limit the renovation and might lead to future problems, which should not happen in the first place.

Considerations: Workload
Lastly, the main reason bathrooms are a challenge to renovate is because it involves a lot of work and people. If you are going to hire contractors, you will need to get an electrician, plumber, painter, heating specialist, and carpenter.

If you plan to do it yourself, then prepare your body. It will be a lot of work. But please, save yourself from the hassle and your bathroom from amateurish mistakes. After all, you won’t be here if you already know what you’re going to do or you’re experienced enough. Let somebody do it for you or at least help you.

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