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Step in style!

The front entry steps of your home are the first things visitors see, and this will undoubtedly be used by visitors and neighbours to form an impression of the inside of your home.  There are a few simple ways you can change the look of your steps and make your home more appealing and welcoming to visitors.

 

Clean & simple – The quickest, cheapest and simplest way is to keep your front steps clean.  Sweeping, at least 3 times a week, and hosing down at least once a week will prevent build up of dirt that can cause your step to look ugly.  The use of a power-wash is quite effective in getting your step to be spotless.

 

Be decorative – Add some decorative touches to your front steps.  A decorative doormat with a fun pattern for the top step will instantly give the entryway character and personality.

 

Add some color – Whether your steps are wooden or concrete, a fresh coat of paint can instantly update a tired, worn entryway.

 

Hide the concrete – Capping concrete steps with elegant stone works will give new life to a concrete step. Using tile is also a great option. Tiles provide great design versatility.

 

Add a railing – If your front steps don’t have a railing – or the railing is showing its age – adding one can instantly change their look.

 

If you decide to give your steps a makeover, be sure to share your before and after photos with us!

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Preparing A Concrete Floor For Painting

The building was complete and the floor was painted. The owner of the building walks in later in the day and sees a well painted floor with bumps. Bumps – the concrete was not evenly spread out. The owner anticipating a well prepared, aesthetically pleasing floor needed the bumps gone. The work men brought in a grinding machine to refine the surface.

 

Now if you’ve used a grinder you will know that they produce dust. So the work men proceeded to grind down the bumps on the floor. While trying to solve that problem the other perfect areas were collecting dust. At the end of the exercise, the entire area had to be hosed down and repainted. What does this mean? Extra material and labour were used which could have been avoided.

 

Painting can bring new life to the floor surface. With the right preparations it can be done using allotted money and time.

 

A good way to prepare for painting a floor is to do appropriate repairs in advance. This includes ensuring the area is flat and smooth enough to give the desired look e.g. fill up holes, grind down bumps and repair cracks or other imperfections. You can also attend to areas on the wall that need some work, maybe there are holes to fill.

Carefully clean the surface before you begin to paint. Paint has a tendency to collect particles in its path such as dust and dirt. These particles can be very apparent under the painted surface. What could also happen is, the paint will stick to the debris instead of the floor and will soon after peel off. If you are repainting the floor, you can remove the existing paint by chisel scraping, scarifying, scabbling etc. For new concrete floors, remove any curing agent residues or laitance (the weak layer of cement and aggregate fines on the concrete surface).

 

In addition to dust and dirt particles the floor should be free from other substances like water and oil. A degreasing agent can be used to remove oil and other substances.

 

Generally, the right preparation brings the best results, and that applies to painting a floor.

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Embracing the Independence Season

As we celebrate our independence season we heartily embrace the opportunity to use this time to celebrate our unique creole culture with colourful wear, the Wob Dwiyet or colourful outfits, dishes like Fig and Codfish and events like Market Day with A Difference.

 

It is also not unusual to dress up our homes or business places in the colourful fabric that is readily available during the independence season.

 

We not only showcase our culture with the bright and flamboyant colours that we wear during this time but we also bring to light the cheerful characteristics of our local people.

 

What we also do to celebrate our independence and culture is make changes to the clothing that we wear and our environment.  There is an array of natural items and fabric that are readily available for designing outfits and lighting up our buildings.  I won’t talk about outfits because this is something I believe is well taken care of by our people.  There is however quite a few small changes that we can make to our surroundings that will reflect our culture and make use of local items whether we choose to make them ourselves or purchase them from local vendors.

 

A simple change that can be made is to place a bowl filled with seasonal fruits like tangerine and oranges on the table in lieu of the vase of flowers.  This not only has to be a decoration but we can take the opportunity to share with a friend or customer.

 

An easy and cheap way of getting into the independence is to change up the curtains.  Put a bright colour curtain, one made in madras or even a simple white curtain with spots of madras or different colour cloth.  This can be done in just the main area of the building.

 

A bright coloured or madras coloured throw pillow can also be a cool way to spice up the living room, waiting room or other appropriate areas for the season.  Putting just one or two elements can change the whole feel of a room.

 

Decorate using items with natural themes.  The independence season is one of the times we tend to be more involved in local activities, enjoy local dishes and utilizing local items.

 

Let us show off our culture in our attire as well as our buildings.

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What is sub-contracting?

A contractor awarded a construction project may hire another person or company who will report directly to him, to perform some aspects of the work listed in the construction specification.  This is similar to outsourcing, where a business hires an external party (company or individual) to perform general tasks like typing. On many projects, particularly building projects, it is common for work to be performed by subcontractors.  Common reasons for doing so are:

 

  • It costs the contractor less money than if he were to perform the work in-house
  • He requires specialist advice or expertise e.g environmental specialist
  • His team is not able to perform the job as well as a specialized workman
  • The contractor may need to focus on other crucial aspects of the project
  • He may require additional resources e.g. if he is working on a multi-site construction project
  • To avoid problems in construction – specialized workers tend to have more knowledge and training in their field and will most likely perform the work better.

 

A typical example of subcontracting is a contractor who builds a house and hires a painter to perform the painting aspect.

 

If the subcontractor finishes his part of the job as specified or better yet if he performs above expectation, the contractor can hand over the completed project within allotted time and budget.  Efficient subcontractors can also build a reputation of being reliable which means increased possibility and opportunity to be hired for other projects.

 

Once the contractor and subcontractor form a good and reliable working relationship, and recognize the importance and contribution of each other and the importance of team work, this will no doubt be beneficial to them both.  One benefit of sub-contracting is that it contributes to economic sustainability.  Subcontracting spreads work among companies and persons.  For example, revenue is generated into smaller companies if a larger company, probably dominating the market, sub-contracts one or a few smaller companies. This keeps a flow of money.

 

The influence a subcontractor has on the project may be crucial in terms of productivity. The contractor remains accountable for successful completion of the project even though he has assigned or contracted external parties to perform part.  The legal agreement between the contractor and sub-contractor and between the contractor and project owner will govern their relationships, but usually the project owner is not involved in co-operation between the contractor and subcontractor.

 

Although problems may occur, say, for faulty work or late delivery, efficient subcontractors operation will benefit all parties to the project including the project owner.  Subcontractors or subcontracting plays a vital role in the construction industry.

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Signs you Need to Move House

You’re Daydreaming about the Perfect Home—Finding yourself constantly daydreaming about features you wish your current house possessed? Is it an open-plan kitchen, triple garaging, swimming pool or master bathroom? You would be more comfortable if you upgraded to a more modern house packed with more features. You want a house that has it all. This is a sign that you are ready to move to a home with larger bathrooms, larger closets (maybe a walk-in), a home office, etc.

 

Your Family is Growing—Planning on growing your family or trying to cram your children into a shared bedroom? Then you are ready to move into a new home. Having the right amount of space is an important part of a happy household, especially as your children get older. Living with 1 bathroom might be manageable when your kids are toddlers, but just imagine 3 teenagers sharing one tiny bathroom. Mornings will get stressful really fast!

 

You Hate Your Commute—This sign that you’re ready to move into a new home sometimes has little to do with how much you love your home. It’s about your job and the amount of time it takes for you to travel from home to work. Long commutes can be mentally and   physically exhausting, not to mention financially draining with the current price of gas.  Spending more time in the car than you spend in your home is a sure sign that you need to move.

 

Your Voice Echoes in Your Home—Once your home was filled with the harmonious, melodic hum of a busy family. Now you ask your spouse where the keys to the car are and you hear your voice bounce off the walls like you’re in some sort of sanatorium. The kids are gone, and their noisy friends with them. When did that happen? Hard to say, but it happened and now your way too big house is just a haunting reminder of your kids’ absence. Time to ownsize. The space will feel more practical, and the limited square footage will discourage adult children from moving back in with you.

 

You Dread Caring for Your Yard—You might be ready to move if you are constantly frustrated with the upkeep of a huge     backyard or expensive landscaping. Consider moving to a home that has a smaller, more manageable yard.

 

Your Neighbourhood Has Changed —When you first moved into your neighbourhood, it may have been a quiet leafy street of single storey homes. However, neighbourhoods can change over time. If increased development caused by a growing population isn’t to your liking, it may be time to find somewhere away from the urban life.

 

When you come to the decision to move, be smart and seek advice from a trusted agent to get you up to speed with the market in the area in which you are looking to move.

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Say I do in the Nature Isle

I’m thinking of things we can do in Dominica and the first thing that came to my mind is GET MARRIED!  I’m already married but I can always consider renewing my vows in one of those lovely locations here.  Although Dominica is often referred to as untouched, this is an advantage because we can enjoy almost entirely free of charge, the Hot Water Springs, Waterfalls, Lakes, Rivers, Beaches, Forests, Flora and Funa, as well as the God Fearing and Loving People.

 

What comes to mind when you think of romance? PRIVACY, SECLUSION, QUIETNESS, JOY, COMFORT.  Picture yourself in a cottage surrounded by nature; birds chirping, the sound of a water fall or river flowing nearby, the smell of the forest, the cozy wooden structure, ohh the list can go on and on… and all of that with a loved one.

 

In addition to the beauty and comfort offered here in Dominica, getting married is pretty simple.

 

It basically involves obtaining and submitting to Ministry of Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs a completed marriage application form, a valid passport(s), original birth certificates and EC$7.5 postage stamps. A Non-marriage Certificate or Statutory Declaration attesting to the marriage status of applicants is also required; in cases where one or both of the applicants are divorced a Decree Absolute is needed, if one spouse died a Death Certificate is needed and in cases where an applicant changed their name a Deed Poll in required.  In cases where relevant documents are not in English, an authentic translation is needed. 

 

Once the documents are reviewed the applicant can pay relevant fees at the Accounts section.  These fees are:

  • Licence Application Fee – EC$300.00
  • Additional fee for licence granted under Section 39 (2) where applicants do not meet the two (2) day residency requirements – EC$200.00
  • Weekend or public holiday processing fee – EC$204.00

 

Additional information, details and assistance can be obtained from Ministry of Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs.

 

Ok, we’ve dealt with the serious stuff let’s ponder on the experience of honeymooning in the nature isle.

 

Some say that Dominica is one of the most exotic and romantic places in the Caribbean and although I haven’t visited sooo many places I must agree from what I’ve seen so far.  There are many locations to choose from, from Calibishie Lodges and Secret Bay in the North to Jungle Bay in the East.  If you are a town person then there is the Fort Young Hotel, Garraway Hotel and Flamboyant Hotel.  Even in the midst of our forests are cottages and eco-lodges such as cocoa cottages offering that natural, calm, snug, pleasant and romantic environment.

 

Getting married? Take advantage of nature or better yet, the Nature Isle.  Not yet ready to say I DO? A romantic weekend with the significant other is also a reason to enjoy the nature isle.

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5 Easy Ways to Makeover Your Kitchen

Some simple changes can bring your kitchen into the modern era. Here’s how:-

 

Paint. You have heard it before, but the cheapest way to change a space for the better is a gallon or two of paint. If you stick to neutral colors, you can add accessories, art, or curtains in a striking color as an accent. Neutral colors are better if you are planning to sell.

Cabinets. There are four ways to change your cabinets on a budget:-

 

  1. Change the look. If your cabinet bases are in reasonably good shape, paint the cabinets.

    2. The dark side. If you would rather not paint, consider staining the cabinets if the wood is in good shape. A dark stain in cherry or dark teak will update the look.
    But remember to clean and sand them before you stain/paint. The time spent preparing them will pay off in the professional look of the result.

  2. Open them up. After you paint the cabinets, take the doors off the top cabinets entirely to give them an open look.
  3. Add new hardware. Adding updated hardware can do wonders for the look of the kitchen. Brushed nickel or pewter knobs is a modern style can take decades off the style of your kitchen.
  4. If the budget allows the ordinary doors can be replaced with glass cabinet doors.

 

Appliances. If your appliances are in good working order, you can update their look by painting them. If you are afraid to do it yourself, take them to an automobile paint shop and have them done. It is well worth the expense, which will be much less than new appliances.

 

Countertops. New countertops are available at most home improvement stores in standard sizes. They are precut and ready to install. And they are very cost effective, especially if you chose a color or style that is on sale or clearance.

 

Floor. The new styles of press and stick vinyl tiles look surprisingly high end. And they can be quickly installed. Try the new styles that look like slate – beautiful!

 

All of these ideas will cost you much less and will be faster than a standard remodel. And most can be done yourself – reducing the cost of labor. The resulting kitchen will enhance your home – and your bottom line!

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A Remodel may be Just What Your Business Needs

Is your business in a tug of war with the struggling economy?  Are you yearning for an increase in business traffic?  What about your plans to expand the business; is that on hold? Maybe it’s time to move on to the next best alternative – remodel your store/office?

 

Remodeling efforts are increasing as business owners’ increase their efforts to outshine the competitors and improve their capital investments.  We are seeing it happening, businesses are making the move, they are improving their businesses, they are changing faces, some are even rebranding.  Just a few years ago the Fort Young Hotel, one of Dominica’s most renowned and famous hotels, remodeled their building which improved the visual appeal of some of its public areas.  We also saw the refashion of National bank of Dominica Ltd and we embrace the new look and feel.

 

Keep in mind, renovations doesn’t have to be grand. Sometimes the minor changes can catch shoppers’ attention, but you would like to maximize your potential so probably you shouldn’t hold back on the remodel.

 

If your business has been in existence for some time now and more so has been in the same location, now may be the time to brighten up the doorway.  Invite new customers with your fresh look and entice existing customers to enter to see what’s new.  That in itself is marketing for the business.

 

For some businesses remodeling is not even an option, you have been leading in the battle with the economy but you have a new micro struggle and that is space.  Your door is always clogged with customers; your reception area can barely hold waiting clients and you have no more storage space for new items in demand.  Sometimes business growth demands extra space.  Customer satisfaction and by extension customer experience may also demand some extra space.  Your business is going well? Expand. Build a larger store/office.

 

Competition may not be the reason why you may need to renovate; perhaps you’re not even reaching full potential but wear and tear, or a disaster demands renovation.  This is an opportunity to deal with existing issues with the current design and layout.  Is everything in the most strategic location?

 

Women spend quite some time in the salon or at the beauty parlor; some stores have taken advantage of this and have remodeled to include a food department.  We can well imagine how this can make existing customers happy or draw new ones in.

 

One thing to note however is that although renovations may increase sales and rekindle customers interest, it is also essential to examine other aspects of the business, like product range, prices, staff/management relationships and customer service, they too may need to be remodeled.

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Upgrade Your Stairway with Some Trendy Balusters

For ages, homeowners with interior and exterior staircases have used balusters to guard the area from accidents, provide support to people who find it difficult to climb stairs and to enhance the beauty of the home.

 

Balusters come in various materials and styles. Traditionally, wooden balusters have been a popular option for interior staircases but they take a lot of time to construct since they involve the craftsmanship of the artist. They are preferred mainly by those who want to give their home the specific appeal and appreciate the craftsmanship of wood. Another drawback is that wooden material is bound to decay in a specific span of time and may get infested with termites, thus the buyer will be forced to get new ones, which is not the case with other materials.

 

Metal balusters are a result of commercial production where industries conveniently produce a good quantity of them. Thus metal balusters have gained so much acceptance and popularity that wooden balusters have been given a back seat. The level of strength and support that metal balusters can provide is much more than the wooden counterpart’s hence, people like to get them fixed in the house to get more sturdy railings.

 

There is also the option of combining these two materials to offer more texture and dimension in your design.

 

One of the more sophisticated types are the glass balusters that provide iron railings with a unique look. These have a metal body and the spaces in between have glass panels that can be coloured or transparent as the homeowner prefers.

 

Whichever material is used, perfectly designed balusters will enhance the appeal of a home.

 

Were the above tips useful?  Share this article with family and friends.

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Cracked Walls: A Sign of Major Structural Problems

DO YOU HAVE CRACKS IN YOUR WALLS, SAGGING ROOF LINES, FOUNDATIONAL CRACKING AND UNEVEN OR TILTING FLOORS?

The cracked walls and foundations, sagging roof lines and uneven or tilting floors can be symptoms of major structural problems.

Two common causes for structural problem are Differential Settlement (when the building foundation settles unequally) and Poor Renovations (when changes are made to the structure of a building without proper support). These can put great stress on the foundation, wall, floors, ceilings and roof of a building.

If you have observed any of these symptoms, you can save yourself problems and money by calling in professionals that can help you. We suggest you start by contacting a structural engineer to conduct a building inspection.

A building inspection on your home or commercial property is a visual examination of the physical structure and system, from the roof to the foundation, which is designed to identify observed defects within specific components.

Also, if you are planning to renovate, we advise you to get professional help before you start hacking into the structure of your building.

Timely Actions Very Often Prevent Great Losses!