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Metal Worker

Home & Commercial Construction Advice
Why You Should Leave Kitchen Renovations to the Experts

Why You Should Leave Kitchen Renovations to the Experts

As tempting as it can be to manage all parts of your kitchen renovations yourself, there are plenty of reasons why that may not be the best idea. Not only do custom cabinetmakers for kitchens have more experience with such a tremendous job, but there’s so much involved that the average person may not realise.

If you’ve contemplated tackling the kitchen yourself, the following information may convince you to change your mind.

You Can Carry On With Daily Life

Perhaps one of the most standout benefits of hiring experts to manage your kitchen renovation is being able to carry on with your daily life. Managing each day can be challenging enough with family, kids, work, and errands. Throw a time-consuming kitchen renovation, and you’ll likely burn out.

What’s more, the process will consume any free time you have. By hiring experts to manage it, you need to worry about leaving the kitchen free for them to do what they do best.

You Can Save Time

When you renovate a kitchen independently, you tend to do it between your job and other commitments. As a result, the process can drag out significantly. Kitchen renovation experts do this job for a living. They can produce the kitchen of your dreams in a far shorter space than you could.

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All You Need To Know About Choosing The Right Shower Screen For Your Bathroom

All You Need To Know About Choosing The Right Shower Screen For Your Bathroom

If you have made the same decision as millions of other homeowners who have chosen shower screens to augment their bathrooms, you have made a wise choice. However, it could be argued that this is the easy bit. More difficult, possibly, is to now think about and choose which specific shower screen you will have installed in your bathroom.

Glass shower screens are a great way to elevate your bathroom, similar to how glass balustrades around pools add a sleek element. However, unlike some items you might choose for your home, shower screens take a significant amount of careful thought, and given that you cannot simply swap one out for another if you choose the wrong one, you must make the right choice the first time.

How you can achieve that will depend on several factors and individual decisions about your shower screen. If you continue reading, we will outline a route you can follow towards making your choice the best. We hope it helps.

Learn All You Can About Shower Screens

As a first step and to make the most informed choice, we highly recommend you go on a knowledge quest to find out as much as you can about shower screens. Specifically, you should learn about the different types of shower screens, their pros and cons, and which are most suited to your bathroom and personal preferences.

Assess The Amount Of Space You Have In Your Bathroom

An essential factor in your choice of shower screen and one that will heavily influence its suitability is the size of your bathroom. Some shower screen designs are best suited to larger bathrooms, while others are ideal for smaller ones. As such, measure your bathroom and then marry those dimensions to your previous research on the types of shower screens and their characteristics. (more…)

7 Steps To Creating The Ideal Landscape Design For Your Home

7 Steps To Creating The Ideal Landscape Design For Your Home

One aspect of landscape design as it applies to homeowners is that it is not something that they will have to concern themselves with very often. We say that because once a landscape design has been installed it should be several years before it needs to be addressed again, other than if the homeowner moves to another property and has to go through the same process.

The point we wish to make from the above is that it is the case that when a homeowner wishes to have a landscape garden, they are not usually an expert on landscape design unless they hire the help of landcsape designers and thus need several pointers as to how they should proceed. To try to rectify that scenario to some degree, we have put together a guide that takes you through the seven main steps that should be followed when creating a landscape design.

It must be stressed that all that follows will be made easier, and likely to be far more effective, if you first select a landscape architect who can advise and guide you throughout the entire process, including the tasks of planning and implementing the construction of your new landscaped garden.

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7 Landscaping Techniques You Can Use To Emulate Professional Landscape Designers

7 Landscaping Techniques You Can Use To Emulate Professional Landscape Designers

If you are planning an overhaul of your garden which includes new landscaping, there are many approaches you can take concerning some of the design principles you include in your plans. This is why professional landscapers are so sought after because they have a myriad of landscaping design ideas that can be used to create the perfect garden layout.

Some of the concepts which landscapers use are not normally known by those who employ them until they start discussing some options. These conversations often start with a queried look on the face of the householder, followed by a gradual change to the realisation of the design concept and a large smile at the end when they start imagining how awesome it is going to look.

To give an insight into some of the landscaping design techniques we are talking about, we have outlined 7 of them for you.

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5 Landscaping Ideas For Small Gardens

There is an assumption that whenever the word landscaping is used, it refers to huge landscaping projects, such as those you might see around large office complexes. Even when landscaping is discussed within the context of domestic gardens, it is often thought to apply only to the sprawling gardens of large homes.

This belies that landscaping is a gardening term that relates to the actions being carried out rather than any particular location or garden. As such, landscaping is an activity that can be done in a small garden, and often with as much enjoyment as it would be in a garden 20 times the size.

Landscapers do not suggest that you can do everything in a smaller area than you could in a large area, so landscaping in a small garden will require some imagination. However, there are lots of ideas for what you can do in a small landscape garden, and here are five that we hope you might try.

Create Pathways

One goal of many who have a small garden is that they still do not want to spend as much time maintaining it. One way to achieve this is to reduce the area and the number of plants needing that maintenance.

A clever way to achieve this is to include one or two small pathways, especially across any lawn area. This can be done using shaped paving slabs, which look great and reduce the grass area that needs to be mown each time.

Build On Multiple Levels

If you wish to make your small garden appear to be bigger than it actually is, then you should create it on multiple levels.  This can be done in many ways, such as having a sunken part of your garden, having a multi-tier deck installed by Decking Sydney, having plants on different levels, or having a raised patio. It may not accurately add massively to the square feet you have available, but visually it will generate a feeling of increased space.

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The Importance of Safety Nets

The Importance of Safety Nets

Whilst netting suppliers are asked to manufacture nets for many different purposes, one in particular which is regarded as very important by many, is a safety net. Whilst it is important to use safe and reliable tools, it is also extremely important to have safety nets surrounding unsafe work areas. Safety nets have on many occasions been the difference between individuals surviving an accident and not, and as such, it means that safety nets can literally be the difference between life and death.

Safety nets are used in all kinds of scenarios and situations, with some of those being mandatory due to safety laws and regulations, and in some cases, they are used as an additional safety measure although not a legal requirement. The key to a safety net providing the maximum amount of protection is that the type of safety net chosen is the correct one.

The actual safety net you might use will be based upon several factors such as what the risk is, the area in which it is going to be used, and what specifically it is designed to ‘catch’.  The assumption is often made that a safety net is only for catching someone who has fallen from a height, however, safety nets can also be used to protect individuals from equipment or debris falling from above.

The locations in which safety nets are used also vary, although there are somewhere they are a key element of the safety precautions. A prime example of this is the construction industry with construction sites notorious for being dangerous working environments. Machinery, tools, and construction materials are just a few of the items that could potentially fall and seriously injure or even kill someone below if they were to strike them.

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Commercial Concrete Floor Coatings

7 Benefits Of Commercial Concrete Floor Coatings

If you have a concrete floor that is either in need of repair or you wish to upgrade it in some way with regards to its finish and appearance, then concrete floor coatings are one of the very best options you could choose.

However, it is not enough for us to simply say that it is a good solution to your need to improve a concrete floor. Instead, we should explain to you exactly what the benefits are of using concrete floor coatings, because there is more than one.

This is an important point because many people will choose to have a concrete floor coating installed in order to solve a single problem that they have with a concrete floor. The reality is that concrete floor coatings can provide you with several benefits, some of which you can physically see, and others, follow on from their use.

Improved Appearance

The most immediate benefit you are going to see is that the appearance of the concrete floor in question will be greatly enhanced. Options that you have to improve a concrete floor‘s appearance include using concrete floor paint, and decorative concrete floor coatings that utilize flakes throughout them to create a visually appealing finish.

Protects The Concrete Floor

In order for a concrete floor to maintain its appearance, and to remain safe, it needs to be protected and that is exactly what a concrete floor coating will do. That protection not only stops items that are dropped on to the floor from damaging the concrete underneath but applies to spillages too, especially chemicals, which can penetrate deep into unprotected concrete due to its porous nature.

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My Office Need CCTV

Does My Office Need CCTV?

In short, yes, you should always ensure your office or commercial building is protected with some form of CCTV or security cameras. Most workplaces contain thousands of dollars worth of stock and equipment which is vulnerable to theft and vandalism.

Because of this, the question shouldn’t be “does my office need CCTV?”, but something like “what sort of CCTV should I install, and what else do I need to know?”.

In the rest of this article, we’ve attempted to answer this question. We’ve also provided a range of useful information regarding the legalities of CCTV in the office and everything else you need to know.

What Sort of CCTV System Do I Need for My Office?

There are various types of CCTV systems available that are suited to different situations. In order to protect your office fully, it’s important to do your research well ahead of time so you can select the right option. Some of the more popular types of CCTV security systems include:

Dome cameras – These are designed for both indoor and outdoor surveillance and are available in a range of styles. The main benefit of these cameras is that it’s hard to tell where they’re pointing, which makes them difficult for intruders to avoid.

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Office Plumbing Maintenance

Top 5 Office Plumbing Maintenance Tips

Regular office plumbing maintenance by a professional is essential if you want to avoid problems. However, it can be difficult to know precisely what you should be doing, especially if you’re not generally a handy person.

Fortunately, a professional business plumbing contractor can help you keep your drains and pipes in good condition. It’s generally a good idea to establish a long-term relationship with a professional plumber so that you can call on them in case of an emergency.

However, you can do plenty of things in your own time to ensure your office drains remain in good condition. We’ve put together a list of our top five office plumbing tips, which include:

  1. Unblock Slow Drains Regularly

There’s nothing worse than blocked, smelly drains in your office. Even if wastewater does drain away eventually, slow drains can cause all sorts of nasty smells and unpleasant odours.

Because of this, it’s a good idea to unblock slow or poorly draining pipes regularly. You could use a commercial drain cleaner, but if so, you must be careful not to cause long-term damage. Alternatively, you can use numerous home remedies, including a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.

  1. Check for and Fix Leaks

It’s also essential to stay on top of leaky pipes and taps as much as possible. If not dealt with promptly, small leaks can turn into big problems, including taps, which just won’t turn off. It’s an excellent idea to inspect for leaks occasionally and fix them as soon as they are noticed, as you will need to hire a commercial cleaning specialist to clean flooding if one occurs.

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Pros and Cons of Customizing Your Exhaust System

If you’re into cars and want to customize your exhaust system, there are a few things that you should be aware of. For starters, customizing your exhaust can be expensive, time consuming and difficult, especially if you have to pay someone to do it for you.

However, it’s also the best way to achieve the deep, throaty sound that so many car enthusiasts love. In the rest of this article, we’ve outlined the main pros and cons of customizing your exhaust system.

Note that this information is quite general in nature, and you should always speak with your local exhaust system experts to figure out the best option for your exact situation.

What Are the Pros of Customizing Your Exhaust System?

There are numerous pros associated with customizing your exhaust system. A custom system sounds great, looks great and should improve your performance.

Improved performance – For starters, a custom exhaust system will almost always improve your vehicle’s performance. Custom systems tend to be wider, allowing faster airflow and more efficient gas escape.

More aggressive sounds – At the same time, custom exhaust systems are usually known for their ability to create aggressive, rumbling sounds. These sounds are generally found on higher-end sports cars, and tend to be popular among car enthusiasts throughout the world.

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Outdoor Heating

Outdoor Heating that Enhances Your Landscape Design

Outdoor entertaining is becoming more popular as the years go by, but not everyone is well-equipped to welcome guests. What are you supposed to do when the cold night air makes an appearance? It might be time to incorporate outdoor heating into your landscaping design. Here are a few options that might appeal.

Patio Heater

As the name suggests, a patio heater is a heater for your patio or quaint little entertainment area. It’s an ideal option for small gatherings and can heat a conservative area quite quickly. What’s more, a patio heater is portable. You can move it where you see fit and power it with bottled gas. Other fuel types might be worth your consideration too.

A Fire Pit

If you’re a massive camping fan, then why not bring that campfire ambience home with you? Thanks to fire pits, you can incorporate a classic campfire vibe into your landscape design. It can feature blocks or bricks in a circle and has a central space for firewood. A brazier or fire bowl in your courtyard can have the same effect as well. There’s nothing quite like the gentle crackling of flames in the background as you entertain your guests.

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Security Fencing

The Best Security Fencing

The 4 Best Kinds of Security Fencing You Should be Investing In

Security is an important aspect of all areas of life. Whether a property is of a residential character, or of a commercial nature, security is extremely important. Homes need to be secured against threats to property and lives, while commercial establishments require protection against loss of sensitive information in addition to safeguarding property and lives.

So, no matter what category you fall in, if you are considering the option of investing in a dependable security fencing system, it is best to learn the facts about the best kinds of fencing before you seal a deal. That way, you can make an informed decision.

Palisade Security Fencing

Palisade fencing involves barriers created from hot and cold sections of rolled steel. The metal plates come in two variations – a D and a W. This terminology refers to the pale profiles of the fences. Out of the two, the latter offers more stringent protection. The fence can also be modified to include triple pointed spikes and razor wire, thus increasing the level of protection. Palisade fencing comes in a wide range of colours and finishes, and is available in a variety of heights. Although the price may appear to be on the higher end, the impenetrable security offered is worth it. 

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Aluminium Windows

10 Reasons Why You Should Choose Premium Aluminium Windows for Your Home

Are you still stuck to wood or vinyl windows? It is time to update and switch to the better options that are available at minimal prices. Premium aluminium home windows are a current favourite among the masses.

Here are 10 reasons for their huge popularity:

    • Strength: When deciding on a window for your home one of the essential factors that everyone prioritizes is its durability. In that case, Aluminium windows last for a long period of time for its strength and its resistant feature which eliminates all signs of deformation and decay. Again, it is pretty simple to use aluminium in constructing different shapes as it is light-weight.
    • Maintenance: People often have preconceived notions that aluminium windows are tough to maintain. Not at all! All you need is water and sponge to wipe it clean within minutes. Moreover, you do not even need to paint or touch-up aluminium windows as they are pre-manufactured in a broad range of colours.
    • Energy Efficient: As compared to the other expensive window options like vinyl and fiberglass, aluminium windows can successfully meet energy efficiency standards successfully. Excellent prevention of heat gain and heat loss through the windows is a superb feature that makes aluminium windows stand out.

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Scaffolding Accidents

How to Prevent Scaffolding Accidents

Building sites are known to be one of the most hazardous places to work, but within the site, scaffolding would have to be the most dangerous area, simply due to its very nature of being up high with narrow walkways that often have to be traversed with heavy loads. It is to everyone’s benefit that scaffolding accidents be prevented. The worker will certainly benefit, while the employer will save time and costs in keeping employees accident free.

Many scaffolding accidents can be prevented by using common sense. For instance, the walkways should be kept free of debris, equipment and materials so that access is safer. Tripping over or having to step over rubbish is always going to cause problems. Cleanliness on the site is also important. If oil or grease is spilt anywhere on the building site and it gets trodden in, then it will be carried on workboots into other places such as the scaffolding. If the walkways get oil on them, they will become very slippery and dangerous to all who have to work there.
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Design a Window

Here is How to Design a Window the Right Way

And what is more generous than a window?

So goes the famous last line from the poem by Pat Schneider. Well, we believe that a window is only as generous as you allow it to be. And the manner in which you have it designed is the key aspect to be taken care of. If you are moving into a house that has already had its windows designed, you can work around it and add your own little quirks to make sure you get the design right. There is, after all, always a way.

Discussed below are some of the most important aspects that go into the making of the right window design.

  • Ensure that the window style is compatible – It would be extremely odd if you had pastel coloured wall painting and bright, neon styled windows. Or wooden windows in the midst of modern décor. Stick to the style that is already a characteristic feature of your home, and let your windows be an extension your home’s personality. The overall result will be a mix of beautiful aesthetics that complement and support each other, instead of resulting in a conflict in the décor. In fact, choosing the right kind of window design can leave an onlooker in awe of the blend.

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Electricity Safety

The Danger of Seeing Sparks when Renovating

The only times you should see sparks are if you are watching fireworks or have a campfire burning. If you see sparks in or around your home, it is time to call in the electricians, pronto. Sparks mean that the electrical wiring is shorting out and the risk of fire is great. Take the children and your important documents and stay out of the house until the electrician has arrived to deal with it.

Don’t even think about pouring or spraying water on the area. Water conducts electricity and you are likely to get a bad shock from it. Purists might claim that pure water does not conduct electricity; it is the ions in it that do. Since it is rare for tap water to be pure, the result is the same. Water and electricity do not mix.

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Renovating Compact Kitchens

Renovating Compact Kitchens

7 Ideas for Renovating Compact Kitchen

Perceptions regarding the size that define a compact kitchen vary from person to person. Normally, the standard 10′ x 10′ size is accepted for small kitchen.

Before considering various kitchen renovation ideas, the first thought that brushes past compact kitchen owners is that, their kitchen size would limit various amazing kitchen remodelling designs. On the contrary, smaller kitchens actually do have some advantages to boast about.

Kitchen renovations are expensive as there are a lot of things to consider such as additional lighting, plumbing needs, garbage removal, and so on. Furthermore, the materials like marble, granite, stock cabinets, etc. are also very costly. Since the expenses are calculated on a square foot basis and small kitchens are hardly about 100 square feet, hence the overall renovation cost is quite less.

Fundamental Ideas

  • Stick to suitable kitchen designs meant for small kitchens. An essential factor to strictly follow when remodelling kitchen is to choose befitting designs as per the available spaces. Given below are 4 layouts best suited for compact kitchens:
  • One-Wall
  • Galley or Corridor
  • U-Shaped
  • L-Shaped
  • Look out for kitchen areas you can scale down. Here are few instances to consider-
  • Huge sized appliances use up a lot of spaces. A big refrigerator might be a necessity but to save width you need to plan out spaces by eliminating big appliances.
  • Sinks like the huge double sinks and farmhouse sinks are good to get rid of when you are seriously seeking to remodel your tight kitchen spaces. Once removed, you will realize the huge space you get which can be utilized in the best possible way.
  • Depending on your need you can purchase a cost effective dishwasher.
  • Utilize your available out-of-kitchen area for seldom used item.

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Make Your Patio Sizzle

Fun Tips to Make Your Patio Sizzle

A patio is one way to enjoy the outdoors while still being comfortable. Many patios are simply a paved area in the garden with no roof or walls at all, but you can create an outdoor area with even more use, if you add a professionally designed roof with the help of Landscape Architects Sydney.

Add to your patio with a roof where you get more shade in the heat of the day and protection from sudden showers. Adding just one wall or screen on the windy side will have the same effect.  Here are some more tips to make your patio a favourite place to hang out for everyone.

  • If your patio roof has strong beams, use chains to fix your sofa or lounge to it, to create a swing-seat with charm.
  • Add a fire-pit. This may not be advisable if you have a roofed patio, but a fire-pit in the close vicinity will add light and warmth and create an ideal place for the family to gather in the evenings when it’s a bit chilly.

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3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY SPREADS INTO OTHER APPLICATIONS

FORMERO says an Australian jewellery artist is exploring Selective Laser Melting to create exquisite jewellery from metal powders.

Success within the jewellery industry can be challenging, particularly when competing against mass produced items from retail giants or cheap imports. Jewellers are often finding processes and innovative techniques that can achieve exquisite art forms and still boost profits.

Cinnamon Lee is using Formero’s SLM technology, which builds 3D models from computer designed files. Parts are produced in metals that can be used for finished products, rather than just prototypes.

While SLM was debuted to be used mainly within the manufacturing, defence and aerospace industry, Lee’s adoption of the technology indicates the technology’s applicability to other sectors.

Since Formero’s work with Lee, SLM has spread its applications into other unique, custom manufacturing areas, such as producing dental crown and medical implants.

New Welding Training and Testing Initiative launched in South Australia

ADELAIDEAQUA and SA Water together have launched the new Welding Training and Testing Initiative to secure the key skilled resources for the $1.8b Adelaide Desalination Project.

According to AdelaideAqua, the joint initiative is specific aimed to attract, train and enhance the skilled resource capacity in the area of specialised welding, welding supervision and welder qualifications.

The two training providers selected to design and deliver the training program are Australian Welding Solutions and TAFE SA (Panorama campus).

AdelaideAqua says within South Australia, the metal and engineering industry has reported a lack of available skilled workers, with many large contractors often forced to look interstate and overseas to satisfy project-based work.

The joint initiative is said to not only build essential capability and capacity to service the needs of the highly specialised area of welding for the ADP, but also build on local SA resources which can service other similar projects nationally and worldwide.

SA Water says the desalination project has a need for specialised welding tradespeople, due to the highly-technical infrastructure for its seawater reverse osmosis operations. The project’s construction incorporates well in excess of 4,000m of site run super duplex and other stainless steel pipes and fittings.