Friday, June 15, 2018

5 things to consider when choosing a Front Door

Your front door is the first impression people have of your home and is usually an extension of the interior design. Whether you’re replacing your current front door, or looking for the perfect door to complete a new build, choosing this main door is an important decision that will impact the overall look of your exterior.

Although appearance is crucial, there are a number of different elements you will need to consider when choosing a front door.

Material

The most popular materials for the main door are wood, aluminum, composite, and PVCu. The material you choose will likely be affected by the style of door you want to buy, along with security and insulation options the different materials all offer.

Solid wooden doors are always a popular choice, particularly for a classic look, but if you’re choosing a wooden front door you will need to think about the long-term costs as well as the initial expense. Wooden doors are prone to warping and will need to be inspected yearly for any signs of damage and to check if they need re-varnishing.

Low-maintenance materials like composite, PVCu, and aluminum tend to be more popular options than solid wood, meaning that there is usually a wider range of styles to choose from.

Door Style

Depending on the overall finish of your home, the main door you choose should be in a style that will complement it. Modern builds will need modern doors, whilst older houses will look odd with these. For traditional looking homes, a classic look is more appropriate, and a solid wooden door with a dark varnish remains a popular choice.

It’s important to keep in mind that not all front entrances are the same size, and the style of doors available for you to choose from might be limited if you don’t have a standard size entrance.

Once you have decided on the material you would like your main door to be made of and chosen a style that suits the finish of your home, it’s time to decide what colour you would like your door to be. Muted colours like, black, white, navy, and grey are popular choices, but a bright colour like red will liven up the look of the property, and make a real statement.

red front door wooden style

Safety

Safety is one of the crucial elements you need to consider when choosing a front door. Modern doors like aluminum and steel are easily upgradable to an electric or fingerprint lock – ideal if you find yourself losing your keys a lot, or are looking to add an extra layer of security.

Aside from meeting your personal safety requirements, the front door you choose must conform to Building Regulations Part Q. This section states that all new front doors must be able to resist physical attack by a burglar. In line with Part Q, the door should also be fitted with a door viewer, a door limiter, and a letter plate that people can’t stick their hands through.

Another safety standard to look out for when choosing your front door is British Standards BS3621, relating to thief-resistant locks. When insuring your home, one of the requirements is usually to have at least one lock on your front door that conforms to this standard, so it’s a feature worth looking for when you are choosing your new front door.

Insulation

Like windows, all external doors to your home need to be properly insulated, to prevent your home from leaking heat. Construction materials alone aren’t a good indicator of a door insulating capabilities, so you will need to understand insulating values to choose a front door that will be sufficiently insulated.

The thermal efficiency of a door – referred to as it’s U-value – is calculated based on the rate and amount of heat that can pass through the door. The lower the U-value, the more efficient the door is at insulating your home and currently building regulations state that all doors must achieve a U-value of less than 1.8 W/m².

beautiful and strong front door

Price

Although you can buy a standard front door for around 300 or less, this is often a false economy and the money you save when purchasing it could end up costing you further down the line in heating bills, damage, or even a burglary if the door isn’t secure enough.

When you are shopping for a new door, you will also need to factor in additional costs like the price of delivery and installation, and the cost of the accompanying frame.

The post 5 things to consider when choosing a Front Door appeared first on Homelilys Decor.



source https://homelilys.com/home-improvement/5-things-to-consider-when-choosing-a-front-door/

5 tips for Solo Female Homeowners

Single female homeowners are increasingly common as befits a society that promotes equality and the right for people to choose their own path in life. In fact research suggests that women are more likely to buy a home by themselves than me. Living by yourself can be a blessing; After all, you are free to come and go as you please and choose your own décor. But, there are downsides and one of these is the additional safety risk that a solo female homeowner may face.

Fortunately there are steps you can take to make your home safer and more secure:

Get The Right Locks

A professional thief will be able to get past most door locks. However, unless they have a specific reason to steal from you they will generally go for the less protected home. Get yourself some high quality locks and a deadbolt. These will help.

You should also make sure that your front door has a peephole so that you can see who is there before you open it. A chain which limits the movement of the door is also a good idea.

solohomeowner security

Security System

If you click here you’ll see an array of options regarding CCTV and alarm systems for your home. The best ones are those that have a direct link to a monitoring station. You can also get some that allow you to push a panic button and alert the monitoring station of an ongoing issue.

If you select the right system you can even hook it into your smart home system. This could allow you to access your home before you walk in; using the integrated camera’s to verify the house is empty!

Test Your Alarms

You should also invest in a smoke alarm and one that detects carbon monoxide (if you have any form of combustible heating). These devices need to be tested on a regular basis to ensure they are working properly.

You should be aware that a cheap carbon monoxide detector will tell you when there is a high presence of the gas. The more expensive detectors will also tell you when there are low levels which could affect your health.

solo person home protection system

Know Your Neighbors

It is worth knowing who lives next to you and nearby. Not only will you know when someone strange is in the area but you’ll also have the comfort of knowing that your neighbors are keeping an eye out for you.

A neighborhood watch scheme can be a great idea to help back this up. It is usually an effective deterrent as a thief will not know if they are being watched or not.

Landscaping

Don’t make it easier for thieves and attackers. Take a look at your yard and get rid of anything that would be easy for an attacker to hide in or behind. You should also consider adding some sensor light to your house; this will help you to know if there is someone outside. It can also be another deterrent.

And there you go, some ideas for solo female homeowner to protect themselves.

The post 5 tips for Solo Female Homeowners appeared first on Homelilys Decor.



source https://homelilys.com/home-security-product-review/solo-women-homeowners-safety/

Saturday, June 2, 2018

9 unique bookends you would love

Update as of 2 June 2018: I have added a bonus on natural geode book stopper as I believe in its positive energy helping to bring balance to your office or home. Enjoy!

At first I did not know what a bookend is. It is only after I do some research for a decorative items for my house and after I found on housedecorsale.com, I understand what the bookend is. Well, it is a support for a row of books. It is very useful for a library as it helps to keep book upright and well organized. This is important as it gives an appearance to your home that it is well organized. Furthermore, a well arranged house will attract good feng shui and improve the health of all people living in the house. Without further ado, let’s delve into the 12 unique bookends for your house:

1- Kikkerland Leaning Men Bookends

Leaning Men Bookends by Kikkerland

The Kikkerland leaning men bookend is designed to commemorate the machine age. This unique bookend is pretty heavy and the material is similar to those of stone and can hold up to 20 books. Its height is around 7 inches. It is perfect for any office or home library.

2- Kung Fu Bookends by Yoler

Kung Fu Bookends Review

This is a stylist Kung Fu Bookends by Yoler costs just $19.99 on amazon.

Features:

  • Stainless steel zinc alloy
  • Non Skid pad base means your book will not slip easily
  • Great for books, magazine, CD and cookbooks
  • Size: 2.76 x 6.1 x 7.3 inch

People who have bought this King Fu bookends were generally happy with their purchase for several reasons: shiny and won’t show any fingerprints and its fast shipment from Amazon i.e. within just two days.
Kung Fu Bookends size

3- Portal Bookends Blue & Orange Portal by ThinkGeek

Portal bookends by ThinkGeek

This unique bookend features a portal from an orange end to a blue end. These portal bookends measure 5-inches tall x 4-inches wide x 2 1/4-inches long. To some people, these are not called portal but a quantum tunneling. Overall, people are quite happy with these bookends as they are aesthetically pleasing to the eyes can do the job well.

4- Antique White Terra Cotta Pig Bookends

TerraCotta Pig Bookends antique white

This antique white pig bookend was designed by a company called Creative Co-Op which was established 11 years a go. This book ends are cute and sturdy and has a vintage look. A perfect Christmas gift for mom.

5- White Cat Bookend Set by Danya B.

White Cat Bookend Set by Danya B

This cat bookend set is made from cement with adorable expression of the white cat. Perfect gift for feline lovers while holding books securely. This may not be good gift for a family with small children though.

6- Koehle Dragon Figurine unique bookend

Koehler dragon bookend

 

This dragon bookend is made from polyresin. It would add a powerful status for your home for better fengshui. This is one of the most unique bookend I have ever found when researching for this blog. If you want to get one, check it out here: http://housedecorsale.com/product/koehler-home-decorative-polyresin-fierce-dragon-book-ends-figurine/

7- Bombayjewel Wide Eyed Owl Bookend Pair

Bombayjewel Wide Eyed Owl Bookend Pair

This owl bookend with wide eyes open remind me of a friend from Singapore. When she visits me here, I brought her to a gift store and she could not get an eyes of any gifts with owl designed. I am pretty sure that if you have friends just like my friend, this bookend will be a perfect gift for her birthday or special occasion. You can buy it from amazon by clicking here.

8- HomArt Cast Iron Bunny Bookends

HomArt Cast Iron Bunny Bookends

I am calling all bunny lover to buy this bookends. A really unique design in the area of rabbit bookend!

9- Tour Eiffel unique design bookend

tour eiffel paris unique bookends design

This is a MUST buy. Amazing unique design that make your house like a classical museum. On Amazon alone, this bookends received 4.8 stars out of 5. It is really a best buy in the area of bookends.

Well, as a bonus, I am going to show you this awesome crystal geode bookends which you can buy at the comfort of your home.

Cheap natural geode bookends

First you need to know what are natural geodes. The short answer is that they are rock with cavity lined with crystal or other mineral elements in it. The geodes are formed through many years and they start out as a hollow bubble inside of a layer of rock mostly from volcanic rocks or chemical precipitation. The Greek and many people believe in geodes to bring harmony and creativity from a metaphysical perspective. It is undeniable that geode just like any other matter hold energy and hence people would use geodes to decor their office or home as it is considered to bring in good energy.

But that is not all…. to most believer, geode helps making the Chi to flow naturally throughout the ambiance. They consider geode to have feminine character thanks to its cavity in it. Believe it or not, geode can help to bring balance and positive mood in your office or home. That is why, I am going to share with you this one sale large geode bookends that you can buy right now.

large geode bookends

buy now in Amazon

 

That is all for now with my review of 9 unique bookends you would love! Now, go on and tell me from the comment below which design you love the most?

 

The post 9 unique bookends you would love appeared first on Homelilys Decor.



source https://homelilys.com/books-and-zines/9-unique-bookends-you-would-love/