- The best way to ensure your carpet stays looking good longer is by vacuuming it regularly. Ideally this should be at least once a week, more often for high-traffic areas. Make sure you use a good quality vacuum cleaner that is suited to your carpet.Your Andersens consultant can recommend which type of vacuum cleaner will best suit your carpet.
- Place mats at the entrance to your home or office from outside. This will minimise the amount of dust and dirt brought into the home or office. And don’t forget to regularly clean your mats. Also, try to limit bringing food and drinks in carpeted areas.
- You should also have your carpets professionally cleaned every year or so. Make sure you choose a reputable company for this, such as Andersens Carpet Cleaning Services. A poor quality clean can potentially damage your carpet.
- If your carpet gets marked or stained, make sure you try to remove the mark or stain immediately. The longer it remains, the harder it will be to remove. If you are unable to clean up a stain completely, get a professional carpet cleaner in as quickly as possible to spot-clean the affected area.
- Try not to walk bare feet on your carpet – the oils and dirt from the skin can eventually affect the carpet.
Andersens Carpet Cleaning Services is an ideal company to use. Please call 1300 664 843 or email them at accwestside@bigpond.com
Always follow the manufacturer’s care and maintenance instructions for your carpet. With the appropriate care and maintenance, you can greatly extend the life and appearance of your new carpet. However, if in any doubt, it is always advised to contact your nearest Andersens store for expert advice.
Are you stuck for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? We know. It’s tough getting the perfect prezzie that shows mum, just how much she means to you.
There’s a plethora of mumsy gifts out there from a pair of fluffy slippers and matching dressing gown to a bottle of perfume and some soap. You know she’ll look adoringly at you and the grandkids, smile and thank you profusely, but there’s always something there in her smile that says…what I’d really like is ………….?
Doh! If only she’d spill the beans a bit earlier, if only she’d give us a clue as to what would make her smile, absolutely 100 per cent genuine!
So, here’s our idea, why not get her those fluffy pink slippers but with a note to check out Andersens iDesign.com.au for her real present. Give mum the gift of some stunning new floor coverings.
With Andersens iDesign, mum can browse the catalogue and visualise how the new floors would go with her current walls, blinds and benches. Give mum something for those new fluffy slippers to walk on!
If she’s had the same floor coverings for years and years, this could be the perfect boost for mum – the thrill of the choice, the thrill of having an expert design consultation, all perfected with the thrill of fresh new floor spanning her space. Bliss!
We love our mum’s at Andersens, show yours how much you care too! Call Andersens today and pay nothing until Jan 2014. No deposit, NO INTEREST , no repayments. We also offer a 30 day carpet replacement guarantee.
Call Andersens for a free measure and quote on 1800 016 016 and we’ll bring the showroom to mum, for you.
Essential Tools Needed for Painting
House painting is a fun DIY activity that gives you the opportunity to bring a feeling of freshness and potentially some colour into your world. Whether you want to paint the whole house or simply want to put a fresh coat on your room, it is very important to have the right painting tools to help you accomplish the job. For a basic painting project, you will need the following tools:
Covering Materials- If you don’t want to mess with the flooring (especially if it’s from Andersens), you’ll require drop sheets to cover them. If you are painting a ceiling, a drop sheet is also necessary to cover the furniture and other large items or areas.
There are plenty of options available. You can use garbage bags, newspapers or tarps as alternatives to canvas or heavy duty plastic. For more delicate painting jobs, painter’s tape will help you protect small fixtures from getting messy. Tape also gives you clean and crisp paint lines. If painter’s tape is not available, you can use a masking tape instead. However, make sure that it doesn’t pull any existing paint off the surface. Be careful here as you may have more painting to do than you bargained for.
Preparation and Application Tools- Use sugar soap to prepare walls for painting. You can also use sandpaper to eliminate any surface imperfections. A paint scraper helps remove any loose paint from the walls before coating it with a new layer of paint. Paint sticks may come helpful to mix up paint before application. This ensures that the colour is even and uniform. Paint rollers are the mediums that transfer and apply the paint into the walls. It makes the job faster especially when painting large areas and ceilings. When working with small surfaces, paint brushes can help you accomplish the job. Buy the best quality rollers and brushes you can afford so you can evenly paint the walls like a pro. Roller pans should also be used when you’ve chosen to roll the paint on those walls.
Allow the paint to dry completely before removing the masking tape or the painter’s tape. Once everything has dried, don’t forget to clean up surfaces that have paint spills and be sure to appropriately dispose of paint materials.
If you’re interested in seeing how your paint choice will go with your flooring and blinds, check out the revolutionary new iDesign software from Andersens – where you’ll be able to design your dream room and save it.
Andersens is proud to be providing you with hints and tips in renovating your house. If you have any DIY activities you’d like information about, be sure to comment below or on our Facebook page.
At Andersens, we’re all about trying to help you make the most of your home and we hope you enjoy reading some of our hints and tips in our renovation series
Renovation for home improvement does not only require carpentry skills but you also need to have the right tools. If you are working on a DIY renovation, make sure that you have a well-equipped toolbox to help you do things properly and with safety top of mind.
Among the most commonly used carpentry tools is a hammer. A hammer helps in delivering an impact to an object such as driving nails and fitting up parts.
You’ll also need a selection of screwdrivers on hand. Quite obviously, a screwdriver is a tool used for driving screws by a rotating mechanism. Make sure that that size of the screwdriver matches the size and type of the screw. The two most common types of screwdrivers are the flathead and the Phillip’s head. Flatheads do have a straight tip while Phillip’s heads have a cross-shaped tip. Electric screwdrivers are also now available to save you from exerting too much physical effort in driving in and taking out screws.
Other important carpentry tools are saws. You can use a handsaw for cutting wood and a hacksaw when working with metals.
The use of a spirit level is also indispensable in carpentry. This tool helps you determine the accuracy of a particular surface in both horizontal and vertical surfaces.
For measuring great length, you will need a measuring tape. This also ensures accuracy of measurement before cutting objects. Most tape measures in carpentry can measure up to 25 feet distance.
If you are working with different sizes of nuts and bolts, a shifting spanner can be your very good friend.
In addition to the mentioned tools, you will also need: a chisel for cutting wood edges. Pliers, a combination square, a utility knife, clamping devices and a retractable blade should also come handy.
For safety purposes, you’ll need to have safety glasses, earmuffs, work gloves and dust mask. A hard hat is also necessary if you are working on the roof or anything overhead.
Read more in our blog series at http://andersensflooring.wordpress.com/
DIY Tips for Changing Old Flooring and Carpets
Changing the look of your home can be easily done by changing old flooring with new designs. But while the options for new flooring are endless, removing old carpets is rather a tedious task. Don’t despair though… flooring removal can actually be accomplished DIY with the right information and tools!
Foremost, keep in mind that removing a carpet in a dwelling built before 1978 can pose serious health risks to you and to the other residents of the house. Lead dust present in the carpet can be toxic so you will have to check with the local authorities first to determine the local rules for disposing a lead contaminated object. If all is well, it’s time to get the work done. Equip yourself with the right tools including:
- Vacuum cleaner or broom,
- Utility knife,
- Needle nose pliers,
- Hammer,
- Safety glasses,
- Pry bar
- Mineral Spirits
- Floor Scraper
- Heavy work gloves
Clean the carpet from any debris using a vacuum cleaner or a broom. Remove any molding that holds the carpet in place by jiggling a utility knife under the trim until you can readily insert a pry bar between the surfaces of the wall and the baseboards. Continue until the baseboards have been completely removed – If you intend to re-use it later, make sure to label or mark each piece so you can put it back to its original position.
Always wear gloves when working as carpet tacks and the pinheads are extremely sharp. If carpet padding is attached to the subfloor with small staples, use the needle nose pliers to remove the staples. If the carpet padding is glued on wood flooring, use mineral spirits to soften the adhesive. If it’s glued on concrete, use a floor scraper instead. Always wear safety glasses to safeguard your eyes from harmful debris.
You should now be standing on bare subfloor and should be ready to install your new carpet, hardwood floors, tiles, laminate or vinyl floors!
Andersens renovating series: Pressure washing
Does your house need a facelift? A pressure wash could be a simple solution.
As part of the Andersens renovating series, we’re giving you some hints and tips to make your home beautiful. Whether it is for sale or for you to enjoy, we’re not just looking at flooring and blinds, we’re also giving you tips on beautifying the rest of the house.
The first thing that buyers see when they’re inspecting a house they’re interested in is, of course, the exterior of the house. If your house’s exterior looks old because of the grime and the dust from pollution and natural dirt, then it loses its appeal and may affect the value of your home. The most basic facelift that you can give the exterior of your house is a good cleanse. Yes, a good wash may be all you need to make your house look brand new.
All you need is handy pressure washer much like that in use in a car wash. Prior to actually washing the exterior, you need to make the necessary preparations to protect outlets from getting wet. You don’t want to cause any short circuits in your electrical system. Don’t forget to use your protective goggles for your eyes because the pressure from the washer may dislodge small particles of dust and grime that can get into your eyes. It’s also necessary to take a few practice sessions with the pressure washer if this is the first time you’re handling one. The force of the water needs some getting used to. Now, you have to understand that though a good wash is possible for most types of exterior material, you need to be extra careful with weatherboard as the paint can chip. In this case use a low pressure when hosing.
Once the precautions and other preparations are in place, mix some mild detergents in your pressure washer if you desire, for a much better result. The nozzle of your washer needs to be about 3-4 feet away from the surface when you point it. Move it from side to side in a sort of shaking motion to extricate the deep-seated dirt. It’s important to remember to start from the top of the house so that the dirt simply drips onto the ground. If you start from the ground up, you’re only going to make the lower portion dirty again.
Remember, people choosing to use this information assume all risk of use, damage, or injury. You agree that we have no liability for any damages. The use of this information indemnifies us from all claims. You are solely responsible for the use of any information given on this blog and accept that the use of any of the information will be at your own risk.
Nothing beats bamboo – we’re loving this product right now.
Bamboo floors have a natural beauty and durability. In contrast to laminate, bamboo is a completely natural material. It is an eco-friendly, sustainable resource. Regardless of its possible vulnerability to high-heeled shoes, bamboo remains more durable than pine and a lot of vinyl floors.
Ask Andersens for some flooring samples to look at in the comfort of your own home. You’ll be amazed once you put them to the test against scratches and dents. Bamboo floors are available in a wide selection of finishes and colours, simple to install, easily cleaned and maintained.
Check out some recent shots from one of our Andersens Morayfield clients who was …’very happy’ with her bamboo selection.
The bamboo floors contrast very nicely against the crisp white of this freshly renovated kitchen
Bamboo comes in so many different shades. You’ll be sure to find one to complement your home.
Loving the nautical feel of this home – the warmth of the timber looks lovely against the navy and white Breton stripe and cool red.
Andersens Renovating Series: Renovating to make way for kids
Perhaps you’re having your first child and making a comfy nest for your new little one to come home to. Or perhaps you’re building an extension to make room for a third or fourth child. Either way, you’re craving more space, more storage and some peace of mind when it comes to making your place safe and sound for the family to enjoy.
The benefits of renovating can sometimes seem far off when you’re in the middle of what seems like a scrap heap, with hazards poking their heads out everywhere, dust from floor to ceiling (and everywhere in between) and some weather that’s looking gloomy and wet!
So as you can imagine, there are a number of elements to consider when deciding to renovate and today we’re going to give you some top tips to hopefully make this projects easier.
It’s all in the timing. Get started as early as possible. You don’t want to be home (with newborn child) while the banging and sawing and drilling is going on and disturbing little one’s slumber (not to mention YOUR pre-requisite day time naps).
If you have to move out (to keep the peace) – do so! If you can afford it, rent somewhere close by or have a relative take pity on you and move in with them for a couple of months…particularly if it’s proving to be unsafe for the kids. It’s a serious consideration and needs careful thought and planning – but unfortunately with factors such as bad weather, things don’t always go to plan – so have contingencies.
Government figures estimate that on average, 5,000 children seek medical attention because of accidents per day. Many of these accidents occur at home; therefore, it is very worthwhile to install safety features in the home. Check out Kidsafe Queensland for more information.
Are you a handy DIYer or are you going to get a builder in? Either way, you’ll need to make sure you get some good plans drawn up and check whether you need to get them approved by council. Again this can take time.
It’s a relief when you only need a couple of trades for a bedroom, but if you need a new bathroom, expect the budget to be a lot more and that it will take more time. In the long term though, the benefits of a second or newly renovated bathroom, in a growing family, far out way all the cons!
Choosing the finishing touches such as flooring and furnishings is so much fun! Make sure you enjoy this bit! If you do need new blinds or flooring, be sure to talk to Andersens Flooring, who can give you the best advice when it comes to the different types of flooring for your kids room, living areas, bathroom or deck. We also have expert interior decorators and designers in store to give you some ideas to fit in with your existing furnishings.
If you have any other ideas or advice when renovating, please be sure to let us know. We love hearing about your renovation tales.
Andersens renovating series: Cork, a revival tour
Are you one for revival tours? Do you love it when Johnny Farnham announces he’s got another tour happening and this will in fact be the very last one, for the tenth time? Well we are more than happy that this material is back for a revival tour. That’s because we love cork! It’s warm, it’s sustainable and looks great in the home.
When you’re redecorating your home or even when buying one, the flooring is one of the major considerations that homeowners decide on. There are many different types of flooring and you can utilise many of them depending on the design of your house and on the purpose of your room. For instance, you may use ceramic tiles for your kitchen but use hardwood flooring for your living room, den and bedrooms. With the demand for sustainable material, flooring is a way of upping your eco-friendly-meter in your home and thankfully there is now a renewed interest in cork as a suitable eco flooring material.
We all know cork’s uses as the stoppers in wine bottles and corkboards, but what you may not know is that cork is a great material for flooring. It is soft and it absorbs sound and was already used as such for libraries and churches in the early years. With more and more people becoming interested in doing their part in saving the environment, cork as flooring is becoming a very attractive material.
What makes cork sustainable compared to other flooring materials is that although it is harvested from the cork oak tree, you don’t need to cut down the tree to make the material. Cork is harvested only from the bark of the tree every nine years and the tree itself is left to grow back all the cork that has been harvested. Cork when processed into flooring is sound resistant, has a level of fire-resistance, insect-resistant and is anti-allergen. Since it is also a soft material when turned into flooring, you can imagine the way your foot falls on it – a cushioning effect.
In terms of care and maintenance, Cork is very easy to maintain especially with polyurethane coatings.
Cork will fade if exposed to direct sunlight. Furniture and flooring should be moved periodically to even out the fading from sun and UV exposure. It will also react to humidity and moisture. Cork floors should be swept and vacuumed often to avoid the build up of dirt. Dirt can scratch the finish.
Do not use abrasive cleaners or solvents, especially those that contain glycerin. These products can harm the finish making it impossible to refinish. A neutral PH detergent (PH of 6-8) should be used to clean cork floors either with a wrung out sponge or misted over the floor and damp mopped.
Spills should be wiped up immediately and Mats should be used under chairs with casters to protect the finish from becoming dull. Furniture or chair feet should sit on wide coasters to prevent excessive indentation.
For more info on cork visit here but to look at a quote for getting cork in your home, talk to Andersens Flooring – we’ll be more than happy to help with the revival!
Choosing the best flooring for YOUR home
Whether you’re renovating for sale or just giving your home a lift, choosing the best flooring for your home is a consideration most homeowners have an opinion on…
It may be that you grew up with a certain type of floor – so that’s what you want in your own home – or NOT!
Talking to a consultant about the pros and cons of different types of flooring is always good value. In determining which flooring is best, you need to assess your type of activities and the basic lifestyle of the people (and animals) in the home.
When you have kids, you’d expect a lot of spills and scratches, from drinks, paint, chairs, pets, shoes and bags, causing all sorts of damage to the floor. In light of this, you need flooring that is easy to clean and easy to maintain.
You also need to consider your budget – not all flooring is created equal. You can be sure you’ll find good quality and expert advice on flooring to meet your style and budget at Andersens Flooring.
If you design foot traffic in the house well enough, you can easily combine a number of flooring options to suit the flow of the house. You can even protect your flooring by strategically placing coverings, such as rugs and runners on them. We’re not advising the plastic runners of the 70’s like your granny may have had, we’re thinking more stylish options such as kilims or designer numbers to bring out the best in your home.
For a full run down on all the types of flooring options, come into Andersens Flooring and talk to one of our trained consultants about timber, tiles, carpet and laminate. There’ll be one that suits YOUR needs and bring out the best in your home – for sure!
