Home Plumbing System: Maintenance Considerations

Home Plumbing System: Maintenance Considerations

Plumbing can be seen as the cardio-vascular system of your household. As long as it is properly maintained, everything should run smoothly, but a single problem, no matter how small, can lead to a cascade of disasters that will sabotage your home. When compared to all the bad scenarios (and there are plenty), maintenance sessions take only little time and they have an enormous impact on the state of your home. When it comes to your home plumbing system, here are some important maintenance considerations for your peace of mind.

Bathroom and Toilet

When it comes to home-plumbing systems, there are two zones in the household that are particularly sensitive to malfunctions – the kitchen and the bathroom and/or toilet. Faucet and shower leaks can appear to be minor issues at first – a few drops here and there – but they usually grow to present truly debilitating problems that lead to costly replacements. Be on the lookout for these seemingly innocuous first symptoms and act immediately.

There is a high chance a lot of your bathroom problems are caused by limescale, so either make your own DIY limescale removal solution or purchase a more potent one if the problem is drastic. Debris cleaning is something you can largely tackle yourself, but if clogs are persistent even though you’ve cleaned up what’s visible, it is high-time to call a professional to the rescue!

Toilets are especially tricky since most people tend to avoid a “hands on” approach to fixing problems because they are repulsed by them. Still, toilets tend to go runny after a few years of use (if you are lucky) which means maintenance is inevitable at a certain point in time. Running water in the toilet actually wastes incredible amounts of clean water over the span of a single month, which means your bills will not only skyrocket, but your ecological footprint is also becoming quite destructive. If the toilet begins to run, fixing it should be your number one priority.

Kitchen

Kitchen areas can be especially tricky for checkups as they are mostly over-cluttered zones where several aspects of a household’s infrastructure meet. In order to secure a thorough investigation of the kitchen, you need to find an experienced professional, like this plumber from Canberra, who can easily detect the hotspots and perform any required repairs. Just make sure you communicate everything you know about your plumbing system to your designated plumber so they can know how to engage.

For example, there are usually parts of the wall where piping diverges at a ninety-degree angle – this is an important thing to point out, especially if you know where these areas might be located. You should also do your own checkups from time-to-time. It doesn’t take too much skill to notice kitchen sink leaks or garbage disposal jams. If the problem is beyond something you can repair, you and the plumber will save precious time if you know exactly where the issue lies.

Homemade drain cleaners can stave off a lot of malfunctions and clogs, but they are not all-powerful. The elusive and dreaded “phantom leaks” can usually be noticed through inconsistent water pressure and the appearance of water in uncommon areas. This is a red flag that should prompt you to call the plumber immediately.

When it comes to home plumbing maintenance, you can easily compare what you need to do with visits to the doctor – in order to stay healthy, you need to pay your designated clinic a visit at regular intervals and stay consistent. The same goes for plumbing, only you have to find your “home doctor” in the form of a plumber who will maintain your system and do checkups at least twice a year. One of these sessions might actually reveal a problem that could have cost you quite a dime and a whole lot of nerves.

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

Beautiful Design Ideas for Tiny Yards

Beautiful Design Ideas for Tiny Yards

Not everyone who loves gardening and relaxing outdoors is blessed with a yard the size of a soccer field. But, that shouldn’t stop you from getting the most out of your tiny yard and enjoying it with all your heart. Here’s how you can maximize the space and effect of your yard with only a few beautiful and practical design ideas.

Remove Clutter

First things first, start from the clutter. Clutter has a horrible ability to make small spaces look even smaller and uglier, so make sure to create order in your backyard. Of course, store your gardening supplies and tools away, but also pay attention to how you plant and maintain your landscaping. Opting for a few different plants or a one-color palette might help achieve a coherent look.

Create Zones

Even though it might seem contradictory, breaking a small space into different zones might make it look and feel larger. Use pathways, seating and plants to create divisions and turn it into a space full of little cozy nooks. Additionally, placing one part of your seating off the patio and near the yard border will create an illusion of space.

Go Up

If you lack square footage, utilize your vertical spaces! Plant trees and shrubs that grow upwards (dwarf varieties are recommended) and use columnar evergreens. Blooming vines are also a great way to add more greenery that takes up minimal space. These vines will grow on anything from fences to containers and even other shrubs and trees! Plus, they boost privacy and create a super romantic atmosphere!

Bring in the Accent Plants

Small yards often lack life and color, so make sure to bring your outdoor space to life with big planters. Place these containers full of blooming flowers around entrances, seating and other features to liven up the space and bring softness. Impatiens, fuchsias and begonias will all achieve a beautiful effect. However, plan well in advance. Containers require careful placement to be effective. Group them in threes or harmonize the colors of flowers (choose your main color and complement it with a secondary and even tertiary). But, too many colors will completely ruin the point of accents and nothing will dominate—there will only be a mess! If this sounds too complicated to you, it might be best to hire a landscaping expert to help you with this stage. They know just what to do to achieve an elegant and coherent look, even in your tiny space!

Skip the Lawn

If you have a green thumb and really like plants, you can skip the lawn and turn your entire yard into a garden! Divide the space with paths, layer the greenery and voila! You might have a small yard, but you’ll have a big garden!

Add a Small Water or Fire Feature

Many people think water features have to be big pools with waterfalls, but you can actually get a very small feature and achieve just the same effect. For instance, get a small reflecting pool or a Japanese trough that will shower you with relaxing sounds. Fire pits can warm up the space and give it a romantic vibe during the chilly evenings. And if you pick the right design, these fire features can easily also double as little coffee tables in the summer!

Mix It Up

If you want to achieve a dramatic visual effect, you can add interest to your yard by mixing interesting elements. For instance, mix regular stepping stones with mosaic ones, mix contemporary planters with vintage ones or mix exotic succulents with local wildflowers. This way, no one will even notice the size of your space!

As you can see, size is not everything. With these ingenious landscaping ideas, your small yard will be super functional, cozy and beautiful. 

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith