Published on: 19 April 2021
Last Updated on: 21 April 2021
Stink bugs earned their name because they emit a foul smell when they are threatened. The aim is to make them less appealing to predators. However, if you are simply trying to remove the bug and they release the odor, you’re going to need to put up with it for a while. It is not pleasant!
That’s why, if you think you have a problem with stink bugs, it’s a good idea to get professional help from a local pest control company.
When They Are Likely To Visit
Stink bugs enjoy warmer weather. As such they will look for somewhere to stay over winter. The moment the temperature starts to drop the stink bugs will look for a warm winter spot. This is when they are most likely to head into your home as it is warm and there will be plenty of places for a stink bug to hide and hibernate.
Surprisingly, this is not when you will have the biggest issue with these bugs. While you may accidentally disturb them over the winter, the biggest issue is in the spring. This is when the stink bugs come out of their winter slumber and head back outside. Unfortunately, like most insects, they can’t see the glass in their way. That means they often sit on the window where you will spot them and attempt to get rid of them.
This is when they will feel most threatened and will release their obnoxious odor.
Annual Inspection
One of the most effective ways of keeping stink bugs out of your home is to click here and book an annual inspection in the winter. The experts can locate any stink bugs in your home and eradicate them before they wake up and leave you a smelly present.
This is also a good opportunity to check for other pests that can cause issues in your home.
Damp Towels
Surprisingly, a damp towel is an effective way of keeping the stink bugs out of your home. Simply drape the damp towel across a chair in your yard and the stink bugs will be attracted to it. In the morning you may find it covered with stink bugs but they won’t be inside your house.
You can then kill the stink bugs outside if you wish. The easiest technique is to drop them into a bucket of soapy water.
Squash Some Stink Bugs
Use an old shoe or a piece of wood that doesn’t matter if it has stink bug odor on it. All you have to do is squash several stink bugs outside your home. They will emit their foul odor and this warns other stink bugs of danger. They will avoid the area, effectively protecting your home.
Screening
Screening stops stink bugs from coming into your windows and doors. But, it doesn’t stop them from landing on the screens. However, if you rub the screens with dryer sheets you’ll find the stink bugs are repelled and will avoid your home. That’s easy and effective!
Among the defining factors of your kitchen’s overall look are its cabinets. After all, in kitchen design, the cabinetry often serves as an anchor, the thing that ties every other design elements together to create a seamless look. As such, beyond style, what’s more, important is to choose the right materials for your kitchen cabinet.
Reliable flat pack kitchen contractors can offer you a variety of kitchen cabinet material choices. Moreover, they can also recommend suitable materials and even combinations of materials to suit both style and practical function. Here’s a quick look into the most common materials used by cabinet makers.
How to Choose the Right Kitchen Cabinet Materials for Your Project:
Hardwood Cabinets
You could say that hardwood kitchen cabinets are the grandfather of all kitchen cabinets. One of the main draws of using hardwood is that, because it’s a natural material that varies in grain from piece to piece, every kitchen cabinet will be equally unique. There are no two trees that are exactly alike, which means that even cabinets made from the same kind of hardwood will have subtle differences. Another benefit of hardwood is that it’s not only durable. It’s also easy to repair. Even inexperienced carpenters can DIY procedures like sanding, staining, or refinishing. Finally, there’s a wealth of options to choose from. Popular hardwood species include jarrah, marri, birch, cherry, maple, and oak.
When it comes to downsides, however, the most common disadvantage people cite is that hardwoods tend to be heavy. As such, if you want pure hardwood cabinets, you have to make sure that there’s a sturdy enough structure to support them. Another drawback of hardwood kitchen cabinets is that they’re expensive, especially if you want fully customized designs. Some Perth kitchen cabinet makers will suggest combining hardwoods with other materials to help drive down the cost.
Are hardwood cabinets right for your kitchen? If budget isn’t an issue and you want beautiful, long-lasting cabinets, hardwood is the best choice. Hardwood is also great for busy kitchens since it’s a heavy-duty material.
Medium-Density Fibreboard Cabinets
Medium-density fibreboard or MDF has gained popularity in the world of cabinetry, especially since IKEA has long been using it for their own kitchen cabinets and other furniture. The material is a composite of recycled wood fibers and wax, bound together by resin. The boards are made through high-pressure CNC milling, resulting in strong and dense material.
Indeed, MDF is a versatile substrate, able to be painted, veneered, lacquered, laminated, or treated with almost any process or substance. MDF is also proven to be resistant to cracking and is considerably smoother than plywood.
The one downside of MDF is that it needs to be properly sealed. Otherwise, it has a tendency to warp. You can use carpenter’s glue for this purpose, especially if you’re going to paint over the material. For some waterproofing, you can use the wood sealant, varnish, or a coat of moisture-resistant paint.
Are MDF cabinets right for your kitchen? Those looking for more affordable yet high-quality alternatives can turn to MDF. Contemporary kitchens and those who love to DIY and customize will also benefit from MDF cabinets.
Plywood Cabinets
Plywood is made from multiple thin layers or plies of wood that are bound together by a combination of glue, heat, and pressure. The adjacent layers are rotated so that the grains are facing alternate directions. This technique, called cross-graining, enhances the material’s strength in all directions. Moreover, it helps prevent shrinkage and expansion, minimizes splitting of the layers (when nailed at the edges), and reduces warping.
Many cabinet makers consider plywood excellent material. Apart from the benefits mentioned above, plywood is also moisture-resistant, light but sturdy, flexible, and easy to install. In case the cabinets get damaged, plywood is also quite easy to repair through DIY methods. Finally, plywood is also much less expensive compared to even the most affordable hardwood.
Do remember that making plywood cabinets is all about choosing the right thickness. You’d want to use a thicker material on drawer bottoms, for example, or you risk it cracking or splitting if you put heavier items in it. Your kitchen cabinet maker likely already knows this, of course, but just make sure that you tell them what you need so they use the correct types of material. Also, ask where they source their plywood. Note that some lower-quality products may have gaps between the individual plies.
Are our plywood cabinets right for your kitchen? Plywood is ideal if you’re working with a stricter budget but don’t want to compromise on quality. You may also want to consider plywood if you’re making your own cabinets since it’s an easy material to work with.
Particleboard Cabinets
Particleboard is often compared to plywood. Also called low-density fibreboard (LDF) or chipboard, particleboard is engineered from various recycled wood products like wood chips, sawdust, and wood shavings. These materials are glued together, then pressed and extruded to create sheets. As a final touch, particleboard is laminated or given a wood veneer for a better-looking appearance (as plain particleboard can be, well, plain-looking).
The primary advantage of using particleboard for kitchen cabinets is that because it’s made from scrap materials, it’s very cheap. It’s also very lightweight. However, particleboard also tends to be on the lower end of the durability scale, especially when subjected to tension. Moreover, the material is prone to moisture damage and is not built to withstand sagging. Nonetheless, you can still find high-quality particleboards that are quite sturdy. Ask your kitchen cabinet maker to help you find the best ones.
Are particleboard cabinets right for your kitchen? If your kitchen doesn’t see too much action and you don’t have any heavy equipment, particleboard cabinets and shelves will more than suffice.
Stainless Steel Cabinets
Finally, there’s stainless steel. Not many households opt for this material for kitchen cabinets. In fact, these are often seen only in industrial, professional-level kitchens. Nonetheless, stainless steel is an ideal material in the kitchen, both for cabinets and general usages like shelving and racks. It’s durable, doesn’t expand or contract, and resistant to most kinds of damage. Stainless steel can be difficult to clean, however, but it’s very hardy so it can withstand a lot of scrubbing and even harsh chemicals. This makes sterilizing a breeze. Nonetheless, you should also note that stainless steel cabinets tend to be expensive, sometimes costing even more than hardwood.
Are stainless cabinets right for your kitchen? Do you consider yourself a chef in your own right? Do you often cook, not just for yourself but also for your family and friends? If you do, then stainless steel kitchen cabinets are perfect for you.
Many of these materials, except perhaps for stainless steel, can be customized and combined with plenty of other materials, so the style isn’t the biggest issue. Therefore, in the end, choosing the right kitchen cabinet materials all boils down to two primary considerations: your budget and how often you’re going to use your kitchen. When you focus on these two, the decision will become simpler.
Contact kitchens now for quality flat pack kitchens
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Obviously, mirrors are a necessity in every modern bathroom, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for the plain, unfashionable medicine cabinet mirror that probably came with your house. So get rid of that rinky-dink mirror collecting hard water stains, it’s time to design.
Why You Should Use Mirrors To Decorate
Mirrors are actually a great opportunity to add some personality and stylistic flair to any bathroom, and they’re not limited to just by your sink. Because mirrors are affordable and come in such a wide variety of designs, its easy to make your bathroom look like it was decorated by a professional interior designer at an incredibly low cost.
The best thing about mirrors is that they make a room look twice as big. A large, bold mirror above a pedestal sink will make the entire bathroom look cleaner and brighter, and a mirror above the bathtub or inside the shower will give you convenient places to make sure you’re thoroughly clean. Then, placing a wide full-length mirror where most of the light comes from can make your bathroom look bigger.
[caption id="attachment_3474" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Home Mirror Bathroom[/caption]
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Some decorators have even taken the biggest plunge of all and made their entire bathroom ceiling one big mirror. Now, there’s no need to go that crazy, in fact, when it comes to mirrors less is more. A few simple guidelines is all you need to give your bathroom the personality you want.
Design Elements of Bathroom Mirror
Most of the design elements of a mirror aren’t directly on the mirror itself (it couldn’t be, otherwise it wouldn’t be a useful mirror). Rather, some or even all of the design will be on the shape of the mirror itself and the border that surrounds it. These two design elements are what you’ll be looking at when decorating your bathroom.
First, think about what you want to express with your decoration. Do you want your bathroom to be elegant and sophisticate or breezy and carefree? What you want will depend entirely on your own tastes and personality so there’s no such thing as a wrong answer. Don’t be afraid to be bold, and remember that you’re the one that will be using this bathroom day in and day out, so above all else you are the one that has to like it the most.
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Next, consider existing design elements in your bathroom. What paint color is your bathroom walls? What tile patterns are there? What color are your cabinets and other fixtures? You’ll want to pick a mirror that complements these already existing elements, otherwise your mirror will look out of place. With that said, make sure you don’t do the opposite either. Don’t get a mirror that exactly matches a paint, tile, or cabinet color, or else your mirror will disappear into the background, becoming part of a boring and homogenous design.
Bathroom Mirror For Your Own Style
Keep the shapes visible in your bathroom in mind as well. If you have square tiles throughout your bathroom, an oval shaped mirror will clash, and your eyes won’t know where to focus on. For square and rectangular tiles, mirrors that are themselves square or rectangular are best. If you simply must have a circular mirror, then get a mirror that’s laid into a square or rectangular frame or border.
If you’re looking for a more elegant, bold, and sophisticated book, then large, rectangular mirrors with sleek and simple borders made of metal would be best. The wider the border around the mirror the greater the impact. In fact, sometimes mirror borders are too big, and they accidentally become the center point of the entire bathroom. There nothing inherently wrong with that, so long as you intended for that to happen. Remember, accidental design is not design. It’s just happy coincidence. Of course if you happen to stumble upon the perfect design, then there’s no harm in taking all the credit. I won’t tell.
If you’re looking for a more casual and breezy look, then instead of one large mirror, you would be better suited to two or three smaller mirrors . These mirrors can be rectangular, but don’t be afraid to experiment with circular and even triangular mirrors. As for borders, any material will do so long as it’s brightly colored. Light teals and blues are wonderful colors for creating an airy space.
No matter what your design aesthetic is, fully embrace it. Don’t be afraid to come off a bit weird in your design. Designing and decorating are very personal and unique acts. No two people will design the same space identically.
The presence of mice and roaches in your home demands urgent attention. They’re nuisances that make living in your space uncomfortable and spread infections. Since they’re capable of reproducing in shorter periods and en masse, their infestations are soon uncontainable if neglected.
Thankfully, there are many pest control methods designed mainly to fix rodents' and cockroaches’ problems. While those are quite reliable, there are also preventive efforts required of you.
1. Keep Your Apartment Clean
Cleaning up your space is primary to overcoming any pest issue. That’s because most of them are often attracted to floor litter. They find crumbs edible to feed on and stick around afterward in case there are more.
Avoid stacking up unused papers, old fabrics, and cardboard.Vacuum your kitchen floor, especially cabinet and fridge areas.Empty leftovers in plastic bags and dispose of them appropriately.Use soap to remove oil and grease films on sinks after washing dishes.Declutter your entire home until it’s evident that no dirt or grime is inviting for mice and rodents.
2. Watch For Pest Signs
One thing is certain about pests; they often leave trails. If you haven’t been observant, look for these signs once you suspect them around.
For mice, you’ll likely see different gnaw marks on objects and walls. You can also find their nests made from shredded paper, fabrics, strings, hays, etc. Often, their brown pellet-shaped droppings and urine pillars, appearing as small vertical mounds, are easily sighted. While the most confirmatory is seeing them scurry around your place at different hours of the day, but majorly night time.
Likewise, for cockroaches, noticing their activities is significant proof. And aside from their droppings, they produce dark and irregularly-shaped smear stains in moist locations. Their cylindrical egg cases are indications that they’re sprawling in numbers already. While sighting their nymphs and adults validates that fact. Occasionally, they leave their shed brittle-looking skins behind during molting.
While you embark on your home’s inspection, vital places to check are your kitchen, pantry, bathrooms, closet, and dining. Look carefully around your furniture and appliances. These critters frequent your drawers and food packages, so be thorough in these areas. Use a flashlight in dimly lit or dark places to intensify your search in difficult-to-reach corners.
3. Seal Pest Entry Areas
The small sizes of pests make them fit the tiny passages easily. Mice, for example, can nibble their way through your wall, pipeline, hole, etc. However, some basic repairs can seal these openings to deter them from your home. With materials like caulks, copper mesh, stainless steel wool, wire mesh screen, etc., you can get the job done to perfection.
Focus on holes and cracks around plumbing works, vents, kitchen appliances, fireplace, basement, drains, and cabinets. Openings near your door and window frames can be fixed with water-based latex paint. Escutcheon plates are equally excellent sealants around pipes.
4. Use Pest Control Products
Commercial pest products are often the last resort when it seems out of hand. With numerous manufacturers, you have an array of options to choose from. But while you try your hands on some of these products, you must ensure that you follow the user directives.
Glue and snap traps work best for mice, while bait stations, insect dust, and traps are appropriate for roaches.
If you’re unsure how to handle the infestation with these chemicals, reach out to a pest control service near you immediately.
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