Painting Your Condo Unit

When you own a house or even a condo unit, it is advisable to have it repainted every five years. When it’s time to do so, you may want to consider hiring a painting company and have house painters do the task of repainting the house’s exterior and interior walls.

You might consider doing it yourself to save money, thinking hiring a painting company is only for commercial painting, but you can actually save more money, time and effort when you hire the services of a painting company.

Paint removal, for one, is hard especially if you do not use the appropriate paint remover. For example, removing paint from wood requires a specific paint remover while a soy based paint remover is specific for certain surfaces and objects. You actually need to scale the walls down or remove paint somehow before repainting especially if you are going for a new wall color.

Here are some tips on how to get the best paint remover:

1. Removing Lacquer and Shellac Finishes

Shellac and lacquer are mixed with alcohol (shellac) and thinners (lacquer). In order to remove these finishes first obtain some denatured alcohol or lacquer thinners and using steel wool, carefully rub the soaked steel wool on the item.

2. Removing Paint and Varnish Finishes

To remove paint and similar finishes you will need to get hold of standard paint stripper. Paint stripper is best applied using a brush, but don’t apply it like paint, instead ‘dollop’ it on, working it in to the paint.

3. Using Abrasives to Remove Paint

4. Using Heat to Remove Paint

You can ask for commercial help if you cannot get the appropriate paint remover or not know how to. Here are a few considerations to think about when you are torn between hiring dmci condo painters and painting the DMCI unit yourself:

1. Quality work – They are equipped with the proper tools, knowledge and skill to make sure that all the walls of your home gets a quality paint job.

2. Less stress for you – You just need to check and inspect their work at the end of each working day.
3. Affordability – It is a common misconception that hiring the services of a painting company is expensive. Some companies are willing to negotiate depending on your budget. Usually, estimate of a painting job is free too. Their advice will help you make adjustments with your budget and you can compare a few painting companies before deciding which one to get.
4. Saves time – House painters can finish the work in a specified time frame.

How To Keep Your Home Safe And Secure From Intruders

Home should be the last place you’d feel vulnerable in. Not only is it supposed to be a safe haven for you, but it should be a place of comfort and security for the people you love most – family. In order to do this, you should take ample planning in keeping your home safe and secure from intruders. Here are some ideas that are worth considering.


Keep a dog or two.

Because they are naturally protective of their space and are inclined to being noisy, dogs (especially the huge and noisy ones) serve as good deterrents of would-be thieves and intruders. However, these natural-born sentries do come with considerable maintenance cost so owning one (or more), especially huge breeds, requires a lot of thought and commitment.

Put grills outside windows or on possible entryways from above such as ceilings

Usually, when intruders break in, they do not enter through the door. They gain access through windows or ceilings. You see, doors are cumbersome, noisy, and considerably difficult to pry open. However, ceilings and windows are not. If you are familiar with how their mechanisms work, they present faster and more convenient alternatives for breaking in.

In order to eliminate this security threat, you can just simply add grills outside windows or ceilings of your DMCI home. This should be enough to discourage most intruders from even trying.

Installing CCTV cameras

If you can afford it, you can also install CCTV cameras in selected areas around your DMCI house. This will allow you to check your home, understand the pattern of strange occurrences outside the house, and capture faces of people who behave suspiciously when they are near your house.

In addition, if you can make some of them more visible from afar, these cameras can also serve as deterrents of possible intruders (even if they are not really working). You see, as soon as intruders spot these cameras, they turn tail because of the risk of getting videotaped and immediately recognized.

Install a peephole in your doors

For intruders who prefer going through the main entrance, they usually spring at you and catch you off guard as you open the door. In order to prevent this from happening, you can install peepholes in your doors, (in case you don’t have yet). This allows you to check on who’s at the door before opening it and exposing yourself unnecessarily to danger. With peepholes, intruders cannot catch you off guard. 

The Rise of Midrise Condos

Due to limited land space in urban areas, condominiums have been gaining popularity. Armed with modern features and luxurious amenities that would feel like living in a hotel, condo units are preferred choices of the career-driven single people of today.

Why the sudden popularity though?

Condo builders have the right mindset in selling – condo units are an investment. When you get married and eventually move to a house and a lot, you can still earn money from the condo you bought by renting out. Condos are also built in very strategic locations that living in the community would be convenient. Add to the convenience is the security you will get having to leave your house when travelling or entertaining guests.

There is no doubt about it, condominium living is “in”.

But there is also a new type of condominium buildings that are being met with approval – mid-rise condos. Lately, mid-rise condos have been attractive for small families as condo builders make the mid rise units like townhouses in a sprawling community, complete with the essential amenities – park, playground, gym, function hall and even swimming pool. It is like living in a village! DMCI offers mid-rise condo units along with high-rises and of course community DMCI homes.

For those who cannot afford the high-rise condominiums because of limited budget, mid-rise condos are good options.  Mid-rise condos range from five to ten stories. These condos do not have very high prices, thus more people opt for them.  The condo fees will probably be higher in high-rise condos because you're paying for full services. Some buyers are very "condo fee adverse" so clearly, mid-rise condo units certainly have such an advantage over some of the more full service, high rise condo buildings in town.

There a few disadvantages to owning mid-rise condos from the typical and popular high-rise condos but it will be more advantageous than low-rise ones. In the United States, mid-rise condos are typically built from abandoned and old warehouses so the appeal towards artists, struggling musicians and those who love big and wide open spaces is there. Locally, mid-rise condos are built like how a high-rise condo building would except for the number of floors.

Most contractors usually suggest mid-rise condos along land spaces that do not have similar high-rise units, have stunning views that a high-rise condo will only obstruct and any natural factors that would be present in the area (type of soil, fault lines if present or near, etc.).

Home Safety Checklist: Three (3) Basic Tips To Keep Your Home Safe For The Elderly

More accidents happen at homes than anywhere else. Top causes include falling, poisoning, fire and burns, drowning, and airway obstructions such as choking, suffocation and strangulation. Needless to say, safety should be a primary concern in every household.

How To Keep Your Home Safe For The Elderly

Studies show that every year, there are approximately 4000 deaths as a result of a home accident. Around 120 of these are below 15 whereas 1300 are over 75 years old. As such, it is imperative to conduct a thorough inspection to ensure that your DMCIhome is a comfortable and safe place to live in. Here are three (3) basic tips to keep it elderly-proof.

1.       Get rid of all possible hazards around your DMCI residence.

·        Furniture and fixture. Remove everything that is not needed. Give enough space for a walker or wheelchair. Once the elder person has gotten used to the arrangement, make sure that you keep it as is so he or she will no longer have a need to adjust. Put heavy ones that will not easily move when leaned on.

·        Cords and wires. Move the electrical and phone cords out of the walking pathway. Tape or tack them to the walls if necessary.

·        Floors. Eliminate clutter on the floor that may lead to tripping. If there are spills, ensure that you wipe them up immediately and finish up with a nonskid wax. Do remember that most seniors have problems with balance and eyesight so it is only sensible to maintain very neat surroundings in all rooms. Repair uneven floorings and loose hardwood or tiles.

·        Doors and windows. Adjust rapidly-closing door or windows that require complicated maneuverings.

2.       Make things simpler.

·        Lights. Light up the hallways, bedroom and bathroom. Opt for those that provide indirect or no-glare lighting. Install the switches in a way that it can be turned on prior to entering a room. Use automatic nightlights in areas where night activities are most commonly held. As for bedside lamps, go for brighter bulbs, perhaps with 100 to 150 wattages.

·        Bench. Put a bench near the room entrances for resting purposes.

·        Cabinets and shelves. Place the items that are frequently used on lower shelves to make it quickly accessible. Add cushioning to the sharp corners of chairs, cabinets and vanities.

·        Stairs. Add sturdy handrails to stairways for extra support. Paint the first and last step with different colors to guide the elder person that he or she is near the edge.

·        Emergency numbers. Have a print-out of all the people to contact in case of emergencies. Make the font huge, bold-faced and easy to read. Scatter them around the house and near the phone area. 

·        Emergency options. Setup a clear fire-escape route. Position fire extinguishers in most common places – kitchen, laundry room, basement, near bedrooms and garage. Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every floor.

   

3.       Buy products and equipment that are elderly-friendly.

·        Select phones with larger numbers, have speaker or hands-free capabilities.

·        Choose talking clocks, wristwatches and other items for those with poor vision.

·        Setup monitors and intercoms.

·        Configure an emergency response system that will summon help automatically.

·        Make the bathroom ultra-friendly – riser for toilet seats, hand-held shower head, and bath benches.

·        Create an easy cooking and dining experience – kitchen implements to easily open cans and bottles, peel, cut and dice veggies; custom dinnerware to enable eating with one hand.

Tips For Starting Your Own Herb Garden At Home

There are plenty of reasons to establish your own herb garden at home – they provide a fresh and continuous supply of spices and flavors all year round; they allow quick access to inexpensive sources of medicine; and they make your home smell really nice. However, despite all these benefits, few people do setup and successfully maintain their own herb gardens. Why?

This is because starting your own herb garden is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, those who manage their own would attest to the planning, attention, and initial expenditure that is required in setting up one. So, if you are interested in starting your own herb garden at your dmci home, here are some tips that you might want to consider.

Preparing the Soil

The chances of your backyard soil being the right type to support herbs are almost comparable to your chances of winning the lottery. You see, the ideal garden soil is, most of the time, prepared and not found. To assume your backyard contains the ideal soil is just being too optimistic. It does not matter whether your area is developed by a company such as dmci or not; sometimes it’s just a matter of pure luck.

Typically, garden soils have a 50-50 composition: 50% solid (inorganic matter such as rock particles) and 50% porous space which allow quick access to water, air, and the herb roots. However, you can vary the composition to suit the conditions needed by the specific herb you’re trying to grow.

For starters, you can add sand, some compost, or even loam to your desired garden area. Sand makes it easier to break up the soil, while compost and loam can supply the soil with the nutrients that your herbs would need. Getting the right mix, though, will take some hits and misses, so be patient.

If this is not enough, you can apply some complete fertilizers sparingly just to jump start the whole process of restoring or storing essential nutrients.

Choosing the Herbs

Although it is not necessary for your garden to be aesthetically pleasing, it would still be nice to consider how your garden would look like, before you even invest in fertilizing it.

In other words, would your herb garden be a salad farm of some sort? Or would it be nothing more than a house accessory? Think about your answers to these questions. They will guide you in your selection of herbs. 

However, if you’re a total newbie, thyme, lavender, and rosemary would be good place to start from. These herbs are some of the most popular ones in the world.

Read plenty of gardening materials

Keep on gathering as much information as you can on the plants that you chose and gardening in general. This will help you recognize problems – because there will be a lot especially in the first year – in your garden and teach you how to address these concerns so your herbs would survive.