Wednesday 31 October 2012

Finding the Right Interior Designer

Do you want to redo the entire decor of your living room or a bedroom, a dining arrangement, rearrange spaces or redo your bathroom or your kitchen? Entrust the work to an interior decorator to avoid design errors, ensure the timeliness and guarantee you a result according to your plans, so that you can impress your guests by arranging unique spaces.

Here's how to find and hire a good interior decorator.

1. Fix budget:
Many people think that the interior designers are only for the rich, but this is not at all true. It can come as a surprise to many, but the remuneration charged by the decorators for their services varies due to a number of factors. The charges will depend on whether it is a large and well established firm, a beginner or an individual. Before you begin, you must determine your needs, your desires and evaluate your budget. It is very important to keep a firm grip on the budget so that there enough money left with you to order splendid stuff like expensive carpets or wallpaper after giving the interior decorator's fee.

2. Determine your style:
Find the style that suits you. Visit deco lounges, check on the Internet, in magazines, books or borrow design or architecture books from your library. You might see a story about a house that was decorated by someone based in the vicinity. There will be a lot of publicity as well as tips and hints for decorating. Ask around and talk to friends, family and colleagues to see if they have any recommendations about an interior decorator who can suitably decorate your house in your style.

3. Carry out a search:
Search on the internet to find interior decorators. Also look on the websites of professional associations and with the chamber of commerce. There is a possibility that you may find somebody whose services suit your budget and style.

4. Shortlist:
Look at the websites and previous achievements of the designers to find those designers who suit your style. Check their experience, customer feedback and the way they work in the office or independent. Reduce the list of decorators to a maximum of 3-4 persons.

5. Meet the prospective designers:
Make an appointment with the 3 or 4 shortlisted designers and expose them to your project, listen to their comments and advice and do not hesitate to take ideas. Talk quickly about the budget and ask for a quote before you commit. Check whether the quote includes design, materials and workmanship. Reread the designer's commitments point by point and the list of work to be done. Make sure the turnaround is guaranteed and that the professional you hire is properly insured in case of problem.

Of course, decorating your home can be made easier by hiring an interior decorator. Remember, an interior decorator is only a partner, not a contractor. It is important for the success of the work, and absolutely vital for your satisfaction with the end result that you work together with the designer at all stages of the decoration of your house. After all, you do not want someone else's taste in decoration of your house other than yours, would you?

Friday 26 October 2012

How to Maintain the Safety of Wholesale Electrical Supplies

Your household uses electricity every day. In fact, you are accustomed to using several appliances simultaneously throughout your home and you probably don't pay much attention to them. This is despite the fact that electricity usage poses many risks and our homes and families are exposed to them every time electricity is in use. You must be careful with all your wholesale electrical supplies as they are a ticking time bomb. With proper care and maintenance, safety in your home will be increased and you will never have to worry about any harm that may happen to you and your loved one.

You need to ensure there is minimum exposure to safety hazards within your house. Wholesale electrical supplies must therefore be maintained in proper working conditions and regular safety checks must be performed on them regularly. Wholesale electrical supplies include light bulbs, heaters, extension cords and other regularly used appliances. Injury or fire may result from the least of errors you can imagine when using these appliances. Extra caution is therefore necessary to ensure your household is always safe.

The refrigerator, the washer, the oven, the hairdryer and even the alarm clock are all appliances that we rarely think pose any dangers. Any fault carries a safety hazard but some of these faults may be almost impossible to note. This is why you must be careful when you are purchasing your wholesale electrical supplies in order to buy only the verified appliances of the highest quality. Always check for safety seals by reputable consumer labs and underwriter laboratories.

Every time you are not using an electrical appliance, unplug it. If you are using it frequently, you should turn the socket switch off instead. While sleeping or going for a vacation for several days, unplug all the appliances and switch the mains off. If kids will be home alone, ensure the cords are somewhere where they can't tamper with them. They should also be kept in a place where no one can trip over them.

Some appliances generate heat when working and they therefore need proper ventilation and air circulation. These include computers, televisions, microwaves and ovens. Ensure the house is ventilated and that all ventilations are not blocks. Do not store items such as clothes, toys and books on these appliances.

An invaluable way of always ensuring that your wholesale electrical supplies do not pose danger is by following the manufacturer's instruction. Go though the manual of every appliance you buy and strive to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. This will ensure there is minimal risk of an accident happening. It will also ensure that in case of any breakage, you can be compensated as per the warranty agreement.

Take your time to perform routine checks on your wholesale electrical supplies. You can hire a technician to do it on your behalf at a small fee just to ensure everything is working properly. Any time you note any faults, have them repaired as soon as possible. Ignore nothing. It is a small price to pay to guarantee the safety of your family, house and everything you have worked for all your life.

Tips on Mains Cable Mounting Safety


A mains cable can be described as a cable connecting an electrical appliance to the mains supply which is usually in form of a wall socket. The mains cable is perhaps the most visible part of the electrical structure in a household and by virtue of this, proper safety measures should be taken when it comes to it. In view of this, the following are some safety tips for running the mains cable within a home.

Electrical appliances should be located near a wall

This is the first rule when it comes to a mains supply. Positioning electrical appliances in the middle of a room is considered as being dangerous since this brings about the need for a cable to be stretched across the room in order to access a wall socket. This will bring the cable directly into human contact increasing the chances of an individual tripping over the cable.

To avoid such a scenario, electrical appliance should be placed within close proximity to a wall preferably near a socket.

Clip the mains cable to a wall

Clipping a cable onto a wall is also another safety measure that should be put in place when it comes to mains cable. However, it is recommended that this be done for appliances that are permanently located and chances of them being shifted are minimal. Some of these appliances include fridges, TVs and hi-fi systems. Appliances that are being constantly moved around such as hair dryers and iron boxes should not have their cables clipped to a wall. When clipping a cable to a wall, care should be taken not to damage the insulating material of the cable.

Use supply extensions

The use of supply extensions is highly recommended. Extensions are basically electrical sockets that contain a number of plug-ins for use by the male plugs. An extension is highly recommended for use in areas that have electrical appliance within close proximity to each other, one such area is the living room. The extension should be positioned in an out of the way location.

Run the mains cable under the carpet

Running of cables under the carpet is a great idea when it comes to electrical safety within a household. The carpet acts as a form of insulation for the mains cable and also hides the cable from curious children. An extension cable can also be run underneath the carpet.

Cabling for appliances within wet areas

There is a wide range of appliances used in areas with a lot of water such as bathrooms, kitchens and toilets. These appliances include shavers, dryers and even iron boxes. As a rule, these appliances should be plugged in only when being used and unplugged immediately after use. The mains cable for these appliances should be regularly checked for defects that might emerge due to constant handling.

Mains supply in children's bedroom

The mains supply for appliances such as night lamps within child's bedroom should be wired in such a way that the cable is not visible.

By taking the above mentioned tips on mains supply safety into consideration, an individual is assured of relative electrical safety within a home.