Published on: 14 January 2019
Last Updated on: 08 August 2019
Kitchen countertops take a considerable amount of beating from daily use. It is vital to choose a material that is not only appealing but also durable. Two of the most popular options available today are granite and quartz. Both materials are high-quality and look quite expensive. While some say that there is not a significant difference regarding the features of each kind of kitchen countertop material, there are several differences that may help you make a decision.
Heat resistance:
Regardless of how well you take care of your kitchen countertop, it will still undergo a fair amount of abuse over time. If you love to cook, damage caused by direct contact with heat is worth considering. Granite worktops London suppliers manufacture are sourced from quarries because it is a naturally occurring stone. As such, granite has high heat resistance. Putting hot pans directly on top of granite will not cause any damage, but if your granite countertop contains any sealant, it is best to avoid putting hot pots directly on it.
In contrast, quartz is not as resistant to heat as granite. Suppliers strictly advise never to place hot objects directly on top of a quartz surface. Quartz contains a resin which binds the particles together, and this resin will melt or warp when exposed to high temperatures.
Resistance to scratching:
Scratch resistance is another factor to consider in selecting a material for kitchen countertops. The resin binding used in quartz also makes it more prone to scratching with regular use. Granite, on the other hand, is more resistant to scratching; you can even cut food directly on it. Be careful however because the ruggedness of granite may cause knives to become dull, so it is best to use a wooden cutting board instead.
Easier maintenance:
One of the weaknesses of granite is its susceptibility to staining. Some varieties of granite tend to be more porous than others; hence, the possibility of staining. Nonetheless, you can reinforce granites stain-resistance by applying sealant at least once a year. The resin binding used in quartz makes the material non-porous and less resistant to staining, but the more resin content quartz has, the higher the chances of discolouration and damage caused by heat. Before assuming that quartz is superior to granite regarding maintenance, consider the resin content of the quartz countertop you are buying.
Cheaper option:
When it comes to cost, there is no doubt that granite is more affordable. However, several factors will affect the final estimate such as the size of your kitchen, the finish you choose, and the installation charge. When you are working with a set budget, it is essential to have complete estimates to avoid surprises down the line because costs do add up when you are building a kitchen from scratch.
Eco-friendly option:
Engineered materials like quartz may appear to be an eco-friendlier option, but keep in mind that the materials used to manufacture quartz are quarried off-site as well. This means that quarrying granite and producing quartz will likely use the same amount of resources and energy. Granite is a natural stone and won’t require further engineering. If you are concerned about the environmental impact of the material you are selecting for your kitchen, ask the supplier about their processes and sources.
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Colepepper Plumbing plumber home services often get calls to fix issues that are caused by misguided beliefs and even myths on how plumbing systems work. An easily preventable plumbing problem can escalate to a full-blown emergency in no time if you believed such myths and hold on to habits that will wreak havoc both on your pipes and on your budget. Below are 10 of the most common plumbing myths and the truth behind them.
10 Plumbing Myths Debunked:
Myth 1: It’s OK to Have a Dripping Faucet:
A dripping faucet, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, can waste as many as 3,000 gallons of water a year. To give you an even clearer picture, you can take approximately 200 showers with that much water. If you have a dripping faucet, you are essentially paying for 3,000 gallons of water that you don’t use every year. That’s definitely not acceptable.
Myth 2: It’s OK to Throw Oil and Grease Down the Drain:
Some folks mistakenly believe that oil and grease will end up in the sewers even before it solidifies in the drain pipes. The truth, however, is that grease may become solid even before it gets to the main sewer line. Throwing grease down the drain is a sure way of clogging up the drain.
Myth 3: Pouring Hot Water Down the Drain Will Clear Up Blockages:
This is somehow related to the previous myth. There are those who believe that pouring hot water will cause grease blockages to melt and flow straight into the sewers. What this will do is just melt the grease a bit and then spread it down the drain further, causing an even bigger problem as it will spread the clog deeper into the pipes.
Myth 4: Drain Cleaners Do a Better Job Than Hot Water:
Although this may be true to some degree, drain cleaners do more harm than good. Drain cleaners have strong solvents that can eat away at pipes. In time, the clogged pipes will be the least of your problems.
Myth 5: Combination of a Plunger and Drain Cleaners Are Very Effective:
Slow-moving drains can lead to some of the most unwise attempts to clear out a clog. Pouring drain cleaner down the drain and then trying to work at the clog with a plunger can cause serious injuries to you. This should not even be attempted at all.
Myth 6: Toilet Tank Cleaners Help it Perform Better:
Toilet tank drop-in cleaners hardly do anything to make toilets flush better. What is even worse is that it can eat away at some of the more delicate parts of the flushing system, thus causing it to malfunction over time.
Myth 7: Placing a Brick Inside the Toilet Tank Will Help Save Water:
The brick will degrade inside the tank over time and its particles can cause blockages or may cause the flushing system to malfunction. You can just tweak the water level adjustments inside the tank if you want your toilet to use less water to flush.
Myth 8: Ice Cubes Can Sharpen Garbage Disposal Blades:
Your sink’s garbage disposal unit has no blades. However, the ice will help clean its grooves that impel the solid waste down the waste bin.
Myth 9: Flushable Baby Wipes:
These supposedly flushable wipes have been observed in too many cases of clogged toilets. Even some toilet paper brands can cause blockages. It's better to throw the wipes in the trash can instead.
Myth 10: Toilet Water Spin the Other Way Down in the Southern Hemisphere:
Even if this myth were true, which it's not, it won’t make your domestic life any better.
Rather than believing these and other myths related to plumbing, it's better to exercise caution and develops habits that will help keep your home’s plumbing system in good shape. It will also be a good idea to schedule a yearly maintenance inspection by expert plumbers to catch any potential plumbing emergency.
Read Also:
5 Best Type Of Plumbing Pipe
Guide To Choose An Authentic Plumber Service Company
Moving is a time taking process which usually stars right after the move is confirmed and often ends with the moving date flashing on the calendar. The job demands a lot of efforts and doing the same tasks over and over again. The monotonous and complicated nature of packing often intimidates homeowners, who, in return, feel demotivated to take up the job of packing efficiently for a successful move.
Considering the repetitive nature of the process and also the extended time frame, it isn’t easy to keep up your motivational spirit. But, timely pacing is important as you have your complete household belongings to be packed and move on a specific date. If you do start pacing early, you will end up messing you’re your time table and at last, leaving a lot of mess behind. If you too are feeling the lack of motivation and want to pump up your spirits to start packing, here are some amazing ways:
Make a packing list first:
Often the lack of knowledge as to where to start and what to do first makes the homeowners rather demotivated. There are a lot of things that homeowners must know in order to feel motivated to kick start the packing process. This includes what to pack when to pack, how to pack and more. If you too are dealing with these such complications, you must make a packing list first.
Make a list of all the items that you want to move with you to the new house before you end up doing nothing and lose a good amount of days. Many homeowners miss a number of days due to inactivity and end up with nothing but a lot of panics.
So, the first thing that you must do is make a packing list, have a timeline for all the items and get started.
Enjoy organized packing:
If you want to enjoy maximum efficiency in your packing process, you must know that it can only be achieved with logical progression. Organized packing is the secret of the best local moving companies and by following it, you too can attain the desired success. The first thing that you must focus on is to start the packing process as soon as possible. This will offer you enough time to follow your packing schedule and timeline. Also, start from the toughest rooms to pack to make sure you have enough challenges to make the job interesting.
Pack only what should be packed:
You must not exceed your limits by trying to pack everything on your own. Limit your packing efforts to the thing that you consider easy and possible to pack. Items like appliances, furniture, piano, and others are tricky to pack and should be packed with the help of the professionals only. However, you can always try to pack items that can be fit in the cardboard boxes as packing boxes are easier.
Ask for help:
You must always ask your friends to help you with the packing process. Your friends may have experience of packing various household items. Moreover, you can also enjoy spending some time with your friends and family in your last few days together. If you do not have friends or families to ask for help, contact the best local moving companies and enjoy their expertise.
Downsize before you pack:
Packing everything present in your home can make you bored and tired. It is always good to pack only those items that you want. This will not only reduce your packing efforts but also help you save money with reduced moving size. Downsizing is critical to a house move and by honest efforts you can reduce your moving size to more than half. The items that you sort out as unwanted can be sold or donated for a cause.
So, this is how you can make your packing interesting and get started with your moving process.
Read Also:
The Five Most Important Things To Know Before Moving
Moving Home Checklist: What You Need To Know
Moving House? Here’s The Ultimate Checklist
Our Guide To Finding The Cheapest New York City Movers
So you want to downsize to a smaller apartment?
If you’re banging your head against the wall trying to figure out how to make a move go smoothly, you’re not alone. We’ve all been guilty of having too much stuff!
Give yourself a break and start thinking of solutions. Stay inspired by focusing on the many benefits of downsizing!
Moving into a smaller apartment gives you the chance to start over and get rid of things you no longer need. It can also help you to get organized and keep only the essentials.
Even better, you won’t have to clean nearly as much space and can live as a minimalist! That in itself has some serious perks. Your stuff won’t own you and you’ll have more time to enjoy life.
Do you see where we’re going with this?
Get ready, because, in this article, we offer seven expert hacks to help make the process of moving into a smaller apartment easier.
Here are 7 Expert Hacks for Downsizing to a Smaller Apartment:
1. Analyze the space you’ll have
It’s essential to know the total space of your new apartment before you start the downsizing process.
Take a look at your new floor plan and figure out how much room in feet and inches are on each wall. That way you’ll know what will fit in your apartment.
If the measurements aren’t on the floor plan, ask the leasing office to provide you with the details.
But, the floor plan or provided measurements won’t tell you everything. You need to measure the extra spaces as well:
Closets
Space under the bed (more on this later)
Bathroom storage and cabinets
Garage storage (if your apartment includes a separate garage)
Kitchen storage and cabinets
Other spaces where you might add shelving (like the top of the fridge or in a window)
When you’re done with that, measure your current furniture and decide which pieces will fit into your place and which ones you won’t need.
2. Determine your actual needs
An excellent way to figure out what your needs are is by asking yourself if everything was gone, what would you replace?
Jot down some necessary items you can’t live without such as a bed, sofa, coffeemaker, dog bed — whatever is important to you.
You should also ask yourself the following questions:
What sentimental items will I miss the most?
Does this item serve a purpose?
Do I already have something that serves the same purpose?
Can I use this item to accomplish more than one task?
Is this object in good shape, and will it last for a while longer?
This is the point where you’ll be making some headway on knowing what you’re keeping and what you can live without.
If ever in doubt of whether you should keep or donate something, go back to asking yourself these questions.
3. Set some tangible goals
When it’s getting closer to moving time, you need to come up with a game plan.
Best get started with setting some goals before time escapes you!
We’re assuming you want to declutter and possibly redecorate your new place, and if that’s the case, it’s time to set some tangible goals.
Ask yourself these questions:
(Yes, we realize we’re telling you to do this yet again.)
What do I hope to gain by adopting a minimalist lifestyle?
Do I want to keep the furniture I have or get new furniture (#1 and #4 will help with this)
How do I plan to declutter?
How will I maximize my space? (Keep reading because we cover this in #4.)
What will I do if I can’t decide to part with some items?
Should I pay for storage elsewhere to store extra belongings?
Need some help answering those kinds of questions?
Here are some goals you could have:
I want a clutter-free apartment that will give me peace.
Not fixating on my possessions will help me feel free.
I’d like to have a clean slate and keep my belongings organized moving forward.
Being minimalistic will help me put emphasis on the most important emotional and physical items in my life.
Write down a few goals that inspire you so that when you feel like giving up, you’ll be able to remind yourself of your intentions.
4. Be a master organizer by maximizing space
Since you know how much space is in your apartment, as we recommended in #2, you should already have a plan in place as to where everything should go.
With the limited storage space in your new digs, it’ll help to store things vertically.
Vertically aligning hooks and shelves helps you take advantage of every square inch of space.
You might want to use adhesive hooks at first because most are easy to adjust.
We’ll be getting into how to simplify your wardrobe next, but for now, keep in mind that multi-use furniture can solve a lot of storage problems.
Keep reading because we’re about to reveal some killer ideas.
One idea is to maximize space by incorporating storage headboards. These are pieces of furniture such as bookshelves and a hutch that’ll fit over your bed.
Incorporating these types of units will make it easier to store a variety of items from family treasures to books and jewelry.
For example, incorporating a fitted unit in your closet can make it easier to organize.
Beyond that, think of other ways you can make use of storage. Is there any room underneath the bed you’ll be moving into your fancy new apartment?
If there isn’t and you need an upgrade, buy a bed that has drawers underneath. Trust us — those drawers will be your best friend when you need to store extra items of clothing such as blankets or sweatshirts.
Keep your bed if you like it, and it just so happens that you may be able to squeeze in some bins underneath to use as storage. For example, milk crates work well when you want to store books, tee shirts, and keepsakes.
5. Simplify your wardrobe
Seriously, how do you go about simplifying your wardrobe with you have a gazillion t-shirts?
If you think your new closet is small, just think about the people who live in tiny homes. Now those are super tiny!
Don’t worry; you can do this if they can!
Here are some steps to follow that’ll make your wardrobe functional in no time at all.
Step 1: Get all of your clothing out (ALL of it!) and put it somewhere you can sort through it. Whether that’s on the floor or on your bed is entirely up to you.
Step 2: Next, divide those clothes into three different piles and decide to donate, keep, or store them.
Step 3: Ask yourself if the clothing fits you or if it's still in wearable condition. If you haven’t worn jeans, for example, due to a weight gain or loss, donate or store those items.
Don’t keep clothing that’s falling apart. That’s just a waste of precious closet space!
Step 4: Are you done going through your clothing and separating them into three different piles?
Okay good, you’re going to do it again. This time ask yourself if this clothing fits your personality and your current lifestyle.
Step 5: Mission complete! Well, almost. Organize the clothes you’re keeping, store what you plan to wear later (such as seasonal clothing), and drop off clothes you’re donating.
6. Sell or donate what you don’t want
Now that you know how much space you have, and how to simplify your wardrobe, let's dive into why it's so essential to sell or donate belongings. It's time to stop and figure out which items you can and can't part with.
As you know, whether you're moving to a different city or relocating to a separate apartment at the same complex, moving takes a lot of work.
You should do everything in your power to simplify the moving process.
Eager to make some money to help with moving expenses?
One way to do that is by selling belongings and furniture you no longer want.
Try Craigslist, eBay, garage sales, Facebook, consignment stores, and more.
Before you even start packing, you should sell, donate, or recycle stuff you can live without. This will eliminate packing everything up only to decide later that you didn't need that item of clothing or five extra plates.
If you have problems deciding whether you want to keep, sell, or donate an item, take a hard look at everything you own.
Think about whether another person would find use out of that item.
If the item is useful, you can either donate it or sell it, depending on its value.
Who knows, your trash may turn into someone else's treasure.
7. Digitize nonessential media
Next let's dive into how you can digitize and save documents, pictures, videos, cassettes, videos, DVDs, and CDs.
While it's important to keep hard copies of documents such as your social security card and birth certificate, try to save and scan everything else.
Transfer CDs and DVDs to digital files by using free computer programs such as Freemake Video Converter, Movavi, and WinX.
Scan documents to your computer or save them as PDF files. After you're done scanning everything, use services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft One Drive.
Online storage sites are lifesavers when your goal is to digitize media.
Think of all of the space you'll free up in your new apartment by getting rid of boxes of videos, paper, and more by going paperless!
It'll take some time, but it'll totally be worth it. And boom! Suddenly you'll realize you're there.
So, do you think it’s time to move? Even though downsizing may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Moving to a smaller apartment has its perks, such as decluttering your life and organizing your new place with fewer belongings.
Simply put, downsizing to a smaller apartment means:
Enjoying lower monthly expenses and living costs
Not having to clean nearly as much since your place is smaller
Living a minimalist lifestyle without meaningless belongings getting in your way
Instead of sweating the small stuff, take the moving process step by step. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your new digs, relieved that you took the time to eliminate the clutter.
Carolina Creek is a great townhouse-style community located about a mile from Eastern Carolina University's campus. The community consists of 2x3 and 3x3 apartments and contains a full amenity suite including a fitness center, pool, business center, and game room. The community is the best value in the Greenville NC student housing market.
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Buying A House Vs Renting An Apartment: Which Is More Affordable?
