FLOORING
Picking The Perfect Floor
Choosing the right flooring for a particular room in your home may seem like a daunting decision. It's a process that combines your personal taste with careful thinking about practicality. After all, it's a surface you, your family and friends will walk, stand and sit on, your kids will spill, play and grow up on. But asking yourself a few key questions at the beginning of the process should help reduce your worry, ease your choice and increase your long-term satisfaction with your new floor.
Questions On The FloorWhat's the size of the family that will regularly use the room, and how much traffic will the floor receive? Children definitely make a difference. Any pets? Will the floor be exposed to moisture regularly? How often is the floor likely to need cleaning? How long do you hope and expect your new floor to last?
KitchensFor kitchen flooring, durability and ease of cleaning are top criteria. Good choices are linoleum, ceramic tile--both very common--and wood. Linoleum is inexpensive and provides an easy-to-clean surface and comes in countless designs. Ceramic tiles are even better. Also easy to maintain and available in a huge range, they offer superior durability, resisting most dents, dings and scratches. There are a couple of things to bear in mind about tiles, however. One is that if installed over a floor that has structural movement, ceramic tiles are prone to crack. So if your house is very old, it's probably a good idea to replace your subfloor while you're at it. A second point that's worth thinking about, particularly if your family includes children or anyone with special safety needs, is that smooth tiles can be very slippery when they get wet, so you may want to consider ones with a textured surface.
Then there's wood. While some feel it's an unusual choice now that there are so many different flooring options, I personally think hardwood is an excellent choice for the kitchen. Everybody ends up spending a lot of time there, and wood floors can add a great deal of "homeyness" to the kitchen. At the same time, wood is also good at coping with the high traffic volume. One important reminder: When installing wood flooring in a kitchen, do make sure you apply a good protective finish, such as a polyurethane, to guard against the many kinds of moisture that inevitably make their way onto the kitchen floor.
Bathrooms
Even more so than kitchens, bathrooms obviously see a lot of moisture. Linoleum, ceramic tile, limestone, marble and granite are all popular and functional flooring choices, coming with a range of different price tags and requiring various levels of expertise to install. Working with ceramic or even vinyl tiles is relatively easy, and many homeowners should be able to successfully do it themselves. Ceramic tiles look great and provide superb durability, but they aren't cheap. And if you should elect to go with an even more challenging and higher-end material such as marble.
Living Areas
Flooring for the rest of your home's living space really comes down to a matter of personal choice. Some people like tile in their living areas, some wood, others carpet, perhaps all three. Tile offers a nearly unlimited variety of patterns and styles, from the simple to the exotic, which make it possible for tiles to give a room a very creative or exotic feel. On the other hand, tiles can feel cold and hard underfoot, so they may not be the best choice if you're looking for something a bit more cozy.
Wood flooring has a natural beauty and elegance, feels warmer and is easier on your feet and back. It is stain-resistant, easy-to-clean and offers long-term versatility because it can be sanded and refinished. You have a number of options when it comes to both hard and soft flooring woods. Oak is the most popular, while maple, birch, and pine are also widely used. These woods all come in a few different quality grades, which allows some control over both the cost and appearance of wood floors, ranging from boards with plenty of irregularities ("character marks") right up to boards that are almost totally uniform--with prices to match. Another choice that will affect your floor's overall look is the actual width of the boards. The term strip flooring refers to the narrower cuts of woods, usually about 2 3/4 inches in width or less, while plank flooring refers to wider boards, up to about 7 inches.
Keep in mind that one place to avoid wood flooring is below ground, where constant humidity can cause you some problems. If you want the look of wood floors in a finished basement, for instance, you're better off with a wood laminate. This material is made with a multi-ply core layered over with hardwood, which resists expansion and contraction much better than solid wood.
And finally, there's carpet. In terms of sheer warmth and intimacy, carpet is probably tops. It's especially great for bedrooms and anywhere you may like to spend a lot of time barefoot. Carpet also provides a certain amount of sound-proofing, as well as some insulation. So it's a good choice for rooms that have no heat below them, such as over a garage. Carpet is available in a wide array of styles, piles and costs. Whether your preference is for classic wool or resilient nylon, just do your homework beforehand. And remember that the quality and thickness of the pad you use underneath is nearly equal in importance to the carpet itself in determining what its life span will be in your home.
Choosing a floor is a big decision, but it doesn't have to be overly stressful. Plan ahead, asking yourself all the important questions beforehand, including who will use the room, what atmosphere you hope to create, how much effort you want to expend installing and maintaining it, and of course, what you're willing to spend.
Having done that, you'll be well on your way to picking the perfect floor!
Best Way To Clean Laminate Flooring
When you have laminate flooring it is important to know the proper ways to clean and maintain the floors. When you properly take care of your laminate flooring it will last for many years to come and you will be surprised how long it maintains the new and beautiful look.
Laminate flooring is very low maintenance and long-lasting. There are only a few simple things that you need to do to ensure your floors stay clean. You can dust mop and vacuum your laminate floors with a soft brush to remove dust, dirt, or grit. A damp cloth will not damage the laminate flooring panels. However, when you use anything damp on the laminate flooring, do not use too much water and be sure to dry the floor thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth. If you do have a spill on your laminate floors then you should immediately blot them up with a clean, dry cloth, sponge, or paper towels. Excess liquid tracked in by feet or spills should not remain on the flooring for long periods of time and be cleaned immediately.
To prevent damage to your laminate flooring while you are cleaning you should not use soap-based detergents, abrasive cleaners, or any other type of cleaners on laminate flooring. There is no need for it and chemical products will only damage the flooring. You also should not use steel wool or scratchy scouring pads when you are cleaning because you will damage the laminate panels. These panels do not need wax or polish as these products will also cause damage. You should also never steam clean laminate panels.
There are also other ways you can maintain your flooring to ensure a longer life, such as:
- Placing a doormat outside so any sand and grit picked up is not bought inside.
- Using only colourfast carpeting and pads on your floor surfaces.
- If you wear high heels then you should avoid walking on the surface. High heels and other sharp objects are the biggest problems for scratching the laminate panels.
- Furniture legs can also be damaging and you can avoid this by putting pads underneath the legs of furniture to avoid scratching.
- When you move furniture you should also lift it entirely and never drag it across the surface of the floor.
The less you arrange the flooring in the home, the less you have to worry about scratching. However, you must rearrange the furniture occasionally because furniture will cause indentations if sitting in the same place for too long.
There is no reason to treat your floors with a sealant after you install them because the panels already have sealant on them. You don't need to use lacquer or any type of refinishing product on your floors. These products will only cause damage.
When you clean and maintain your laminate flooring if you practice just a few simple things, then you can ensure a longer lifetime of your floors and they will maintain the beautiful look for many years.
AIR CONDITIONER
Air Con Knowledge/Queries? You will get whatever you need here:
http://singapore-aircon.blogspot.com/
WATER HEATER
Instant/Storage Heater
Storage Heater (Tank)Pros- lowest up front costs
- easiest installation & replacement
- some models don't require electricity to operate
- uses a wide variety of available fuels
- can be located anywhere in a home
- works well with recirculating system
Cons- standby heat loss
- can run out of hot water
- tanks are large and heavy
- higher life-cycle costs
- temperature control might not be precise
Instant Heater (Tankless)Pros- lower life cycle costs
- endless hot water
- runs only when needed
- offering the potential to save energy
- accurate temperature control
- small & space saving - typically wall hung
Cons- higher up front costs
- complicated installation, larger fuel lines often required
- electricity required for most models to operate
- untreated water can lead to scaling and reduce or halt flow
- can suffer freeze damage if improperly installed
- minimum hot water flow required
- recirculation is more difficult, with potential to compromise warranty
Size Matters: Get It Right, Do The Math1 bath home for 1 or 2 peopleA 30-gal tank might work, but a 40-gal tank style water heater is less expensive to purchase. A tankless unit should have a 140,000 BTU input if the energy factor is 0.82 or greater
2 bath home for 2 or 3 peopleA 40-gal to 50-gal tank should be efficient, depending on lifestyle. Tankless models should have 190,000 BTU imput if the energy factor is 0.l82 or greater
3 bath home for 3 to 5 peopleOne 80-gal tank style water heater or two 50-gal tanks with one dedicated to the master bathroom are the best option. Twin tankless water heaters located close to point of use might be the best value (one large tankless model for two baths, and one smaller unit for the third bath). However, one large tankless unit could also be sufficient (min 190,000 BTU imput, if flow rates remain within boundaries).
Brands available in market:
Joven, Ariston, Rheem, Bosch
As a conclusion, size your needs and choose the right options for your home!
Choose Energy Efficient Appliances and LightingsEnergy efficient appliances and lighting can help you to save energy and money. One household study by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) shows 35% monthly energy savings when energy efficient air-conditioner, refrigerator and lighting was used.
Energy LabelIf you’re planning to buy a new air-conditioner, refrigerator or clothes dryer, remember to choose an energy efficient appliance with the Energy Label. The Energy Label is issued by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and it is mandatory for registered suppliers of air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryers to affix the Energy Label on the units that they supply in Singapore.
The Energy Label shows the energy efficiency rating and the energy consumption of the appliance. The energy efficiency rating is expressed in green ticks:
- 1 tick – Fair
- 2 ticks – Good
- 3 ticks – Very Good
- 4 ticks – Excellent
The appliance with more ticks is more energy efficient. You can compare the green ticks for different brands and types of appliances from this database of registered goods. Remember to look out for the Energy Label when you’re buying a new appliance at the retail store.
LightingIf you’re buying lightbulbs, choose energy efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). CFLs last up to 10 times longer and use up to 80% less energy than incandescent lightbulbs. You should also choose the lowest wattage lightbulb needed for your specific lighting purpose.
Besides CFLs, you can choose LED lighting that are more efficient and last longer than CFLs.
Energy StarFor other appliances that are not under the Energy Label scheme (such as computers, dishwashers, ceiling fans, televisions and lighting), you can check whether they are ENERGY STAR qualified. The Energy Star is a US labeling program to identify and promote energy efficient products.
