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Some Fix-Ups To Make Your Home Safer For Kids

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Although your home may seem like the safest place for you, it can be a dangerous place for small children. There are some spots around the house that may appear perfectly fine, but can actually be a hazard for kids. In fact, it has been found that a lot of child-related injuries and deaths happen at home.

The good news is that, you can take some simple precautions to prevent accidents at home. If you are staying with little tots, here are some fix-ups you can do that will help keep the space safer for young ones and will give you a peace of mind.

Integrate window guards

In the US alone, an average of 12 children are killed each year due to falls from windows and several thousands are injured. These falls usually happen in urban apartments, but can also take place in suburban homes with second floors. To avoid this, experts recommend that you install guards on windows, especially those that are above the first floor. These additions will ensure that kids younger than 10 years old will not be able to access open windows.

Add a gate on the staircase

Since small children are naturally curious about their surroundings, they may be encouraged to climb stairs, making them vulnerable against slips and falls. Hence, your best defense against this is to install a staircase gate. This will keep young children from accessing the stairs, but be sure to pick a gate that they cannot easily open.

Install locks in ovens and kitchen drawers

Special locks as well as knob covers should be added on your oven to prevent toddlers from activating the burners on the stove. Likewise, you should secure the cabinets and drawers in your kitchen, especially those that hold pans, pots and sharp and heavy utensils as these things can injure them. You may choose to leave one of the drawers unlatched for the kids to explore, but be sure that it contains kid-friendly items.

Secure large furniture in place

When kids play at home, they tend to climb and grab on furnishings, making large and heavy furniture like bookcases, dressers and television stands particularly dangerous. If left unattended and the children managed to remove the items at the two bottom drawers or shelves of a bookcase that make it bottom heavy, the furniture can easily topple.

To secure heavy furnishings in place and prevent them from toppling, purchase straps and hook the furnishings to the wall. It is also a good idea to place heavier items at the bottom shelves or place the stuff that kids usually play with at the bottom so that they won’t have to climb to reach for the objects.

Keep sharp edges safe with bumpers

Coffee tables and other hard furnishings usually have sharp corners that kids may bump onto while playing which, in turn, could puncture them. Keep these furnishings safer by adding soft protectors or foam bumpers on their corners or edges. These pieces will only cost you a few dollars but they are definitely a worthy investment.

Keep cords out of reach

Kids are especially susceptible to strangulation and suffocation around the house, especially if there are low-lying window blind cords. In such case, your best bet is to resort to cordless window treatments. If that is impossible, however, be sure that the pull cords are tied high enough for children not to reach them or hook them up on cleats that are beyond children’s reach.

This guest post was contributed by Ericka, a freelance writer who loves to write helpful articles about home improvement and gardening. She also regularly writes content for Ace Blocks a company who specialice in Driveways in West Lothian






Luxury Style Trends For Your Bathroom In 2013

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All bathroom trends seem to point to one thing, a more natural and simple useable bathroom. Fashion designers are constantly coming up with new ways for you to make the most out of your bathroom space. Designers in 2013 have decided to go back a little in time and choose to make the most out of using materials like natural wood, and use bright natural colours such as creams, browns and whites to emphasise natural light in the bathroom.

Eco-Friendly Designs

2013 is going to be the year that home owners embrace eco-friendly designs within the home. If you are considering totally remodelling your bathroom, then it is worth taking a look at your current plumbing system. The government are encouraging homeowners to switch their plumbing system to a more eco-friendly system, known as a low-flow flush toilet.  These environmentally friendly toilets have been designed to fit in with the modern sleek designs of bathrooms, and are known for being extremely cost effective, reducing the amount of water used per flush. Not only will you be making a huge difference to the environment, but you will also save yourself a fortune.

An additional design feature of the bathroom that is going to be a hit in 2013 is the tankless water heaters. These heaters will provide hot warm on demand all around your home; you will find that these heaters will significantly reduce the cost of your home heating bill.

Natural, Sleek Design

Everyone knows that the bathroom should be the room that is a place of relaxation and meditation; this is the place that you should retreat to after a hard long day at work. Designers have been working hard to come up with features that can represent the outdoors, indoors. To keep up with latest fashion trends in the bathroom, you should only use natural materials such as wood, stone, granite or even a textured tile that represents one of these materials.

You should try and attempt to create a minimalistic look in your bathroom, to achieve this look you should fit a variety of different cabinets and cupboard in the bathroom where you can keep all your private belongings. A great cabinet idea for bathrooms in 2013 is a gorgeous mirrored cabinet, not only will it hide all your belongings, but it will also add to the natural look within your home, reflecting natural light all around the bathroom.

Some designers have suggested that you should remove old bath tubs from the bathroom and instead install a gorgeous sleek, walk in shower. Most people have a bath tub, which takes up half the bathroom and you will probably only use it around once a year.

Kerry loves sharing advice on interior design trends of 2013; she loves the gorgeous mirrored cabinets available on http://www.primroseandplum.co.uk

How To Take Care Of A Granite Countertop

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A granite countertop can be a thing of beauty. The great thing about granite is; granite can last for a long time as long as the owner treats the granite with care. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners are too lazy, and they end up with a damaged counter. Here are a few tips to take care of granite countertops.

A homeowner should clean their counters as they are cooking. If wine or food sits on the counter overnight, it will be more difficult to keep the counter looking clean. If there is a spill on the counter, it would be prudent to use a paper towel to remove the substance in a quick manner. By cleaning the countertop while cooking, a homeowner will avoid a lot of problems.

Next, a homeowner should develop a daily cleaning plan. One should clean their counter with warm water and dishwashing detergent. A homeowner should not use too much soap, in fact, just a few drops should work well. All that a homeowner should do is, lightly clean down the countertop with a soapy sponge. Next use a small towel to dry the counter. This should be done on a daily basis.

Stick to A Plan

A homeowner should also develop a heavy duty cleaning plan. Do not worry, heavy duty cleaning is not too difficult. One must purchase a basic degreaser and a heavy duty stone. Usually, the degreaser will have instructions on how to clean granite. Luckily, it is not too hard to clean granite, though one must take care and not scrub too hard. Sometimes, it is necessary to clean a little deeper in the case of large stains.

When a homeowner has large stains, they must work a little harder to remove the stains. The best course of action to clean stains is to purchase poultice. Poultice is a cleaning powder that can remove tough stains. Sometimes, the poultice will dull the shine of the granite. If this happens, it would be prudent to buy a marble polish to regain the natural shine.

Sealants

A lot of smart homeowners like to use sealants. When using a sealant, a homeowner can help prevent future problems from arising. Ideally, a homeowner should re-seal their granite countertop every six months. When doing this, a homeowner will extend the life of their granite.

Extend The Life Of Your Countertop

A homeowner that takes time out of their life to clean a countertop will have a beautiful countertop for a long time. A homeowner must develop both a short term and long term cleaning schedule to ensure the granite will look good for years to come.

M.J. is a home improvement blogger.  Sharing useful information about cleaning and home upkeep is something she enjoys very much, including about granite countertops Sacramento CA.

Neighborhood break ins

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A year or so ago my husband signed up for a community watch newsletter at our local police station. Time went by and he never got any notices. Until this week. It seems there’s been a rash of break in in the neighborhood. cars and houses are being broken into and if we see any suspicious people in the area or if someone tries to gain access to our house by knocking on the door handing out flyers etc we’re supposed to call the police at a specific number. Well I suppose we’d call 911 if it were something serious but if it were just something hinky or suspicious we’d call the hotline number.

I’m actually thinking of contacting the officer in charge of the investigation because someone tried to break in to our house in mid-December when I was home. I thought it was my husband coming home extremely early from work as it sounded like the person was using a key in the door but it wasn’t Chris and when my dog started barking and growling like crazy the rattling at the door stopped. I was scared seeing my dogs reaction. Her hackles were up and the sounds at the door hadn’t been normal but by the time I went to look who ever it had been was gone. I am certain someone was trying to get in though as there was signs someone had been on the porch and our outer door was open.

I’ve actually thought of getting one of those home security systems. I could get a professional one or the kind you can buy from a place like Costco where you set up your own Cameras etc. Probably the professional one is best but having a camera or two wouldn’t be bad .. I live on a busy street and there’s lots of activity and sometimes some strange stuff goes on close by even though I think my neighborhood is basically safe.

I guess I’ll look into home security tomorrow when I’m more awake! While I’m at it I’m going to make a note to look at workflow management software at eoncode.com too. A friend of mine was looking for some print management software and I think that might work for his company.

Anyway – how is your neighborhood? Is it safe? Any break ins or scary stuff going on? Do you feel safe, do you have home security and if you do what kind do you think is best?

4 Things to Consider when Buying Curtains

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Whether it’s time for a change or you have moved into a new place, you want to make the right choice when it comes to your curtains. The right window treatments will make your room look welcoming and beautiful, and the wrong choices can make it seem cramped and dull. Before you head out to look at curtain options, consider these aspects to ensure that you buy the perfect ones.

Up to the Ceiling or the Top of the Window?

The first question you have to ask yourself is where the curtains will hang from. Conventional wisdom says that the curtains should be mounted a few inches above the window frame, but you don’t have to go conventional. If you have 8-foot ceilings, mounting the curtains near the ceiling will make your room feel taller and more luxurious. It’s an easy way to give even a small window more importance and make it feel larger. It’s an optical illusion that works wonders, so take a moment to consider how taller curtains would look in your space.

Make them Wider

Windows have historically been an expensive sign of wealth and success. Over the centuries, the poor couldn’t afford fancy glass windows, and they certainly couldn’t buy windows that covered vast areas of the wall. While windows are larger and more affordable now, the feeling that large windows belong to the wealthy lingers in our subconscious. You don’t have to invest in new windows and major construction to create the same feel. Use ready made curtains to make it look like a window is larger than it is. Take the curtains out several feet past the window, and you will find that your room instantly feels more luxurious and sophisticated than it does when the curtains stop just past the frame. This technique is so effective that you can even use it to cover an entire wall with beautiful curtains.

Pool them on the Floor

If you are creating the illusion of a larger window by taking the curtains further out than necessary, then you need to carry the fabric to the floor. Otherwise, the illusion will be ruined. Ready made curtains can stop right at the floor for a crisp, clean look, but they will look rich and elegant when you buy longer drapes and allow the extra fabric to drape onto the floor.

Limited Coverings for the Window

Of course, there are times when you just want to cover the window without trying to make the window look larger. This is often the case in functional rooms like kitchens and mudrooms and when the window is on a door. Anytime you want the curtains to closely match the exact window size, consider using beautiful shades instead. Elegant Roman or casual balloon shades create a clean look you will love. You can also use upper and lower curtain rods to keep traditional curtains close to the window and out of the way.

Once you know how larger or small your curtains will be, you are ready to start taking measurements. Don’t take measurements of your window, but focus on measuring the larger area your curtains will ultimately cover. Multiply the width by 1.5 or double it to allow plenty of space for the curtains to fall into attractive folds. With these measurements in hand, you are ready to head to the store and start shopping for your beautiful new curtains.

Aaron Edwards is an experience home improvement and renewable energy author.

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