How to Choose the Best Stairlift for You

The time comes in every person’s life where they either have to deal with a temporary or a permanent disability. Sometimes these ailments are so bad that they render you unable to move on your own. Everyone hates to lose their independence, but luckily, now they do not have to. If you are in the market for stairlifts and are having trouble choosing the perfect one for you, then do not fret, there are many options to fit every one of your individual needs. Sometimes all it takes is just a little research and knowing where to begin your search.

Picking the perfect stairlift for you does not have to be a long involving task. Instead, with the proper knowledge before you delve right in, you can simplify your search and leave your mind at ease. When figuring out what stair lift is the perfect one for you, you have to take into consideration the layout of your home. Do you need to travel up multiple stories, is your staircase curved or straight, and what is the most convenient for your physical situation? The reason this matters is that they make stairlifts in a multitude of different configurations. If you have one long straight staircase, then a straight stairlift is allow that is necessary. On the other hand, if your staircase is circular or has a 90 degree turn at the landing, the best stair lift for you may be two straight ones, or a curved one. It is wise to compare stairlifts before deciding which to buy. Furthermore, the only downside to having two stairlifts is that they require more maintenance. Your other option are outdoor stairs lifts as well. Say you have a deck with a large set of stairs, then a weather resistant outdoor stairlift will be the perfect fit for your home.

The only two other options to consider after you choose your stairlift configuration is what will fit your physical state and what design will match your home the best. There are only two different options to change how you ride on your stairlift. They make seated stairlifts and also perch stairlifts. If your joint movements are limited, then you cannot go wrong with a stairlift that still retains all of the safety features, but just so happens to allow you to stand instead. The final question you need to answer to make your shopping experience a breeze is what color or design will fit your home best. This is totally subjective so this must be left to the future owner of their new stairlift. Hopefully, being informed of these options ahead of time will clear up any confusion you may have when you are shopping for a new stairlift. Mulling over these various options in advance will be sure to make your search for whatever stairlift fits you best an experience, rather than a battle. Be sure to take into consideration all of the different options available to you and enjoy making your life easier and more pain free.

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Getting Temperature Stable In Your Home

Heat pumps are becoming hot property in the United States, as more American households realize how efficient and effective these heating and cooling systems are. Do you want to live in a comfortable home? As winter approaches, we’re sure that’s on your mind. Heat pumps can make it happen. They heat and cool consistently, so your house stays at a steady temperature with no unpleasant hot or cold patches.



Do you want to heat and cool your home without causing undue harm to the planet? If you’re like many Americans, you’re probably looking for more sustainable and energy-efficient ways to live your life. Heat pumps are much more environmentally friendly than many other commercial heating and cooling options, so they’ve been embraced by homeowners seeking more balanced temperature control solutions. It takes very little energy to move heat from one place to another, as heat pumps do. These units also don’t burn fuel like many other home-based heating units, so they won’t release noxious gas into the atmosphere.

Do you want to save money on your utility bills? Of course you do! As the price of power soars, heat pumps yield year after year energy savings that can quickly offset their upfront costs. Since they use less energy than other heating and cooling systems, you’ll quickly notice the savings on your power bills. Most Americans don’t know a lot about heat pumps, but the infographic below, published by Griffith Energy Services, should answer any questions you have. It explains clearly how heat pumps work, why Americans just like you love them, and how much money and energy they can save.

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Alternatives To Gas Furnaces And Central Air Conditioners

Over half your home energy use goes to temperature control. It's your HVAC system's most important job, so it's equally important to find the right system.


When choosing a new heating and cooling system for your home, there are a few things to decide. What kind of system will you get? What models will you choose? What about energy efficiency? The most popular systems are gas furnaces and central air conditioners. With these two types of HVAC appliances, there are two measurements that are the most vital.

The AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is a measurement of a furnace's ability to produce heat in comparison to the amount of energy it uses. The national minimum is 78 (out of 100), with the higher the number equaling higher efficiency. This will have a direct effect your gas bill.

The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating of a central air conditioner. The federal minimum rating is 13 and the maximum is 23, with certain parts of the country having higher minimums. The higher the rating, the less money you'll pay in electricity to run your air conditioner. There are alternatives to gas furnaces and central air conditioners. The infographic below, from Davis Air Conditioning & Heating, is full of useful information about the features and benefits available with a variety of new high-efficiency systems, so you can make the best choice for your home and family.

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Design Style Tips For Your New Build Home

Are you moving into a newly built home soon? You may be wondering how you can transform an empty shell building into a beautiful contemporary home. It’s the kind of project many of us would like to get our hands on. But when you’re going to be living there, it can suddenly become quite a daunting task load.

To draw some inspiration for the decor of your new home, visit the show home of your builder. You can always check out the website of companies like Linden Homes to gain insight into the latest trends. Buying a newly built home certainly gives you options. But it would be best to stick with contemporary designs to match the age of the building.

Some builders offer you the options for some of the designs inside. They may be limited, but they can often help you get started with building up your own style. Bathroom tiles, flooring and wall colour, can often be chosen and installed before you move in. This is a huge help when you have an entire house to decorate. Have a look at the options. If you think they may complement your design ideas, then take advantage of them.

When you’re buying a brand new house, it is a nice idea to buy brand new furniture for it too. Having everything fresh and crisp and clean makes for a great start to your new life. New homes feature large open plan areas. This lends itself to furniture that is versatile in placement. But it may also require that you carefully match your colour palette across the entire range of furniture you choose.

Buying furniture from a single store isn’t essential, but it can help you match ideas when they’re all together. Alternatively, why not try stark contrasts to make each piece pop? Statement pieces and designs can make your home immediately stylish and chic with a modern look. Blacks and whites or another bold color like reds or blues can be energetic and dynamic in a brand new home.

If you have built your own home, then it is much easier to plan how you will design your interior. Buying a newly built home from a builder’s plan can actually offer you more choice. Most new homes are designed to be improved, extended or converted. Over time, you may want to alter your living areas to suit better your lifestyle as it changes. Simple things like loft conversions can be easier to do in standard design than in a home purpose built for your life right now.

One key area that can lead to disappointment without your direct intervention is the bathroom. While there may be choices in tiles and paint finish, many homes have a panel bath installed. If you want something more contemporary and stylish, you may need to speak to the company selling the home. It may be possible to negotiate a price for something else to be put in its place. It would be a shame to rip out a brand new bathroom to get what you want. Make your new build house into your dream home.

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A Simple Guide to Hiring a Handy Man

There are only so many DIY projects that we can do around the house, and sometimes we need to learn that we may need a professional to fix something that’s broken or to build something that is a bit out of our expertise level. So do you want to call your local handy man services but you have no idea how to find the right one for you? Well, this simple guide will help you through the process of finding the perfect fit for your job.

1. Write Down Everything That You Want Done

Before you go out looking for a handyman you need to know what work you want done around the house. Go around and make a list of all the things that you either want built or fixed and this will help the process enormously. Once you know what it is that you need done around the house then you can decide on the skills and expertise that your handyman need to have in order to do the jobs at an adequate level. Unfortunately sometimes a handyman simply can’t do all the work that you need around the house and in this case it is best to get hold of a licensed professional such as a plumber or electrician for particularly skilled jobs.

2. Getting a List of the Best Prospects

Chances are that someone in your immediate circle will have the name of a handyman that they have used- this could be friends, family, co-workers or sports partners. Make a list of all the names given to you and create a list of the best four or five prospects available. You could also try get names from local real estate agents or home improvement stores close by. This list is basically the beginning of the screening process.

3. Online Presence

Before actually meeting the handyman you should do an online search for them and gather whatever it is you need to know. Previous customers will leave reviews and comments on them and this is a great opportunity to weed out any of the sub-par people from your list.

4. Skills and Expertise

One of the most important aspects of hiring a handy man is ensuring that they are fit to do the jobs that you require around the house. Make sure you check what the strength of each handyman is, as there is no point in hiring someone if they specialize in the complete opposite of the work that you need done.

5. Personality

It is essential that you hire a handyman that you get along with well. This person in going to be in your space and in your house for quite a long period of time, and therefore it’s important that you click. You also need to go with your gut instincts on whether you can trust them or not, as sometimes you will be leaving them at your home unattended and there is no point in hiring someone if you have to worry about your home every time you leave.

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How to Know When to Call an Expert in For Home Repairs

With homeownership comes great responsibilities. This includes home repairs. A lot of they time they will be something minor, and if you’ve got the time, you’ll repair it yourself. A bit of DIY can be quite fun, and it will save some cash. There are times though when there is no other option but calling for an expert.

It can just be because they have the knowledge and would be able to to the repair faster. It can be because they will have the right equipment and you don’t. Whatever the reason is, there are certain things that you should call an expert for.

Roof Repairs

The average person knows little about roof repairs. Would you know where to start? The biggest reason to call someone like ELC Roofing in is for safety. They have the long ladders that would be needed for a roof repair. A professional could erect scaffolding if needed and they have the correct protective clothing. If you attempted to repair your roof alone, you could get seriously injured. Falls are a big risk in roof repairs, and the damage you could do is scary to think about. Save yourself the long term hassle, and hire a roof repair expert.

Repairing the Electrics

This is something that in my opinion, should always be carried out by an expert. The electrics in a home can be dangerous, particularly if like most people, you don't have an extensive knowledge about it.

I’m sure we all know how to replace a lightbulb. Quite a few of us might know our earth wires from our live wires in a plug. Repairing a broken circuit or a damaged plug, is a different thing. Not every electricity related issue is solved by just flicking a switch! Call an electrician for an issue with your electricity. It will be so much safer as they will have the specialised experience and equipment needed.

Plumbing & Dishwasher Repairs

This is something that would have costly effects if it was to go wrong. Imagine if you tried to pull out your dishwasher, to attempt repairing the pump but made things worse. You might tug on a pipe a bit too hard and damage it. This could lead to leaks and flooding all over your kitchen! This is much less likely to happen to a professional. If on the off chance that it did, though, they would, at least, have the right equipment and spare pipes with them to repair it. A plumber would be able to do a job much faster than us too.

Quite a lot of us will enjoy DIY and small home repairs and some things you can easily fix yourself. Projects like this can be enjoyable, and you feel like you’ve achieved something. Knowing when to call an expert is crucial, though. You’d don’t want to attempt a job yourself to save some money, and then, in the long run, be worse off. Be safe and call an expert! Good luck with your home repairs.

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5 ways of improving the exterior of your home

Within the UK are privy to a home improvement market worth a cool £14 billion (Financial Times 2014); and with more than one in three homeowners (35%) spending in excess of £2000 a year on their home improvements (Saga 2015) it’s then little wonder that we are a nation that has earned the saying of an English Man’s home being his castle. So here we take a look at five savvy tips for improving the exterior or your home in order to well and truly keep way ahead of the Jones next door.

1. Make your entrance the star of the home exterior show

Your front door likely serves as the central focus of your exterior, so why not treat it to a suitable makeover? As a starting point you should maintain the door properly (particularly if it’s wood, in which case you can make a real difference with a sand down and repaint every ten years. Beyond this however you should think about framing the entrance with suitable planting, such as climbing plants for the door that is porch free or hanging baskets for the home with a porch.

You may also want to replace your house number and invest in bright lighting to really showcase your work throughout those dark winter nights.

2. Invest in a solid set of Garage Doors

For the property that features a garage there may be few as influential a feature upon the look of their home than their Garage Doors. Neglect this feature and leave your door to rust, peel or fall apart and an otherwise well-kept home can look a decided mess. What’s more with garages often serving as a through way into the home garage doors should also be considered as a vital link within your home’s chain of security.

3. Tend to your garden or add a little colour

If your exterior features a lawn then keeping it cut and tidy is essential. You can also frame your lawn all year round with winter loving bedding plants such as pansies, Violas, Primrose, Polyanthus or Sweet Williams.

And for the frontage that is decidedly lawn free the addition of a few colourful pots and shrubs can work wonders whilst still achieving the ultimate low maintenance exterior.

Finally you may want to add a little interest to your home through climbing plants, just be sure to use a wooden trellis that is placed away from your brickwork, as plants such as ivy can cause havoc for rendering and pointing).

4. Don’t neglect your fascias

The fascias upon your home (the parts that form the protective shield under your roof) can very often make for seemingly inconspicuous items, yet with a quick clean up your entire exterior can look that little bit extra shiny. And if you don’t yet have fascias (and instead have wooden planks) replacing old for new can really lift the appearance of your home (in addition to making it all the more water proof and easily maintainable).

5. Keep your windows sparkling clean (as well as the nets, curtains or blinds that lay beyond them)

Windows can sometimes go for years without seeing so much as a squeegee, and yet window cleaning services are often so reasonably priced (and can make for a real difference for the exterior appearance of your home). So add some sparkle and don’t forget to take down your nets, curtains or blinds for a thorough clean at least every 6 months. You may also want to consider replacing any window dressing with something that is colourful both back and front and add centre ornaments to create a little interest from an outside view of your home.

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