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Simon Says its as easy as 1,2,3

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Are you looking to save your time and resources when sourcing glazing service’s in Brisbane.
We offer the best 24hr/7day glass replacement service specifically designed to support Brisbane schools, while providing the highest quality of safety and service.

fast glass service

Brisbane Glass Replacement

for more information or to schedule a job 24hr 7 days per week booking
please visit our website www.glassnow.com.au or contact us direct 07 3399 9424

All About Squeaky Shower Doors and How To Fix Them

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Queensland Shower doors sometimes get squeaky over time, and it can get annoying after a while. Fixing a squeaky shower door is relatively easy to do if you know what to look for. Let’s talk about ways to fix your squeaky shower door.

Check Your Shower Door Hinges

The first thing you should do is look at the door hinge and see if this is part of the problem. Make sure all hardware is in place and check for loose screws. Go ahead and tighten any that may be loose and this could help with the problem. You can also clean the hinges with soap and water. Using a small brush, like a toothbrush, is the best way to clean in the small crevices. Once they are clean rinse with water and move on to the next step.

shower door

Use a Lubricant

The next step after cleaning the hinges is to lubricate them well. Apply the lubricant completely around the whole hinge. Wipe away any excess and open and close the door several times, this will help the lubricant to spread completely. Your shower door should now operate without any squeaky noises. To keep your hinges from squeaking in the future you should apply a lubricant every few weeks.

What To Do If You’re Doors are Still Squeaking

If the steps above didn’t work for you, you will need to do a more thorough cleaning. Check the entire door frame for any obvious problems with any missing parts. Also, if you find any dirt and built-up grime you can use the same method as stated above, use a toothbrush with mild soap to clean the door frame.

You can also remove built-up corrosion to help aid in fixing your squeaky door. Place a few towels under the door in and outside of the shower door frame. You can then use the shower spray to go over all hinges and areas around it as well. The water pressure from the spray will penetrate inside of the small crevices and loosen up any corrosion.

GlassNow sell new showerscreens throughout SEQld we service from Tweed heads to Northern Brisbane Glass Showerscreens

Kitchen Trends for 2014

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Our kitchens are the heart beat of our homes and the design of kitchens is always advancing. So what is hot in 2014?

kitchen trend

  1. Buying smart: with the economy being slow we need to buy for longevity. So neutral finishes are a big trend this season in cabinetry, countertops and flooring.
  2. Gourmet cooking features are important: such as induction cooktops and quality grills.
  3. Open floor plan kitchens are the way to go: as are built in and concealed appliances which give clean, sleek lines.
  4. Convenience is a main reasons for kitchen renovation: Cabinets and storage needs to be convenient, allowing you to store and access items easily.
  5. Multi-purpose: a kitchen is more than a place to cook. It needs to be a room for cooking, dining, socializing and for family use.
  6. Good quality cabinetry: this is essential to the longevity and aesthetics. Cabinetry that is well built will last, perform well and look great for years to come. In cabinetry, you get what you pay for.
  7. A great quality cooking appliance: be it a stovetop and oven or a range, depending on your style and space. Go for an appliance that is flexible, allowing you to simmer or power boost, and one that is easy to adapt and clean.
  8. Built in appliances: allow for a great look and are one area where you can go for the middle of the road price point.
  9. Lighting: this affects the ambience of your kitchen and allows you to set the mood. It can be an area where you can save money by choosing reasonably priced, great quality fixtures and fittings.
  10. Colour: off white, white and natural wood shades are all big this season and will last throughout the years.
  11. Dining areas: an essential in any busy kitchen, a place to eat and socialize or for children to do homework while you cook. An eating area is essential in today’s kitchen design.

Top Ten Tips for taking advantage of Smart Technology in your home

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Everywhere we look we can find the use of smart technology; in our cell phones, tablets and now in our homes.

How can you get the most from the smart technology available to you now in your home? Follow our ‘Top Ten Tips’ to discover how to take advantage of what is on offer:

smart tech

  1. Control your home through one simple smart pad: get video, data, telephone, wireless, climate, security, lighting and other factors in your home to run more efficiently through ‘on demand access’ to all of the systems in your home while you are at home or away from home.
  2. Kitchen appliances now pair with smart technology allowing you to play music or watch videos on a screen right on your fridge. Control your appliances with a smart pad, letting you turn on the oven remotely. And save water with faucets that turn on and off without touch.
  3. Smart technology is not just about remote access. It is a way to save costs, keep your family safe and make your life comfortable. For example cooktops that start only when metal comes into contact with them and shut off when the metal is removed, giving you a safer, more efficient kitchen.
  4. Consider what aspects of your home life could be made easier by having smart technology installed. Would you feel safer being able to control your alarm system, lighting and heating remotely or to be able to monitor your children via video. A professional consultant can walk through your home with you and come up with a solution to meet your needs. Being able to control your entertainment systems throughout your home, turn on lights before you pull up in the driveway and check your security system while away from home can add peace of mind and comfort to your life.
  5. Take smart technology into the bathroom and at the touch of a button select each family member’s preferences for water temperature in the shower and music to play through sound tile speakers.
  6. Save money on your water bill by using smart water fixtures that use less water while feeling totally luxurious. Choose a shower head that changes the water wave pattern to use less water. Motion sensors in faucets cut water wastage and LED lighting can show water temperature before you put your hands under it to ensure safety.
  7. Even the temperature in your home can be controlled with smart technology. A monitor that controls your home’s climate can ‘learn’ your family’s preferences and connect via Wi-Fi to control your home’s temperature from any smart device.
  8. The design of your home can be made smart, too, by careful placement of windows and doors to take advantage of the natural seasonal changes. A ‘passive’ house is one designed to heat itself in winter and cool in summer. The siting of the home takes into account the way the sun moves across the sky, the trees that surround the building and the direction of wind. Architects are using more of this technology in designing new homes.
  9. Many new ideas are being developed and will soon be in our homes; a coffee table that allows you to surf the internet while you control your home’s lighting and climate while entertaining guests is not far from reality in everyday homes. Samsung are just one of the companies working to develop these smart technologies.
  10. And, of course, automation is another smart technology we already have. The ability to open and close blinds and awning to controlling lighting and music is already part of our lives.

How to Save Money on your Electricity Bill in the Summer

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We all want to save costs when we can and by following our top tips you can reduce your electricity bill during the hot summer months.

  1. Using air conditioning units increases our energy bills, so lower costs by ensuring that your air conditioning unit is well maintained and operating at an optimum level.
  2. Consider installing energy efficient windows and doors which will keep the summer heat outdoors and the internal temperature much cooler in summer and keep the cold winter weather out and your home cozy in the colder months.
  3. Replace old appliances with more energy efficient models, keeping your running costs to a minimum.

tips summer

However, some of us can’t make these investments so we have drawn up a list of low cost ways to reduce your energy consumption in the hot summer months:

    1. Choose heavy curtains that block and reflect the heat of the sun. In the summer they will help keep your home cool, and in the cold winter they will act as a barrier to keep heat in. Think of a greenhouse to understand why windows are one of the primary ways to heat up our homes. If the cost of new curtains for every room is prohibitive choose the rooms that get most sunlight and cover them up.
    2. Some air conditioners have an energy saving mode. This keeps your home cool without using too much power. By turning it on and off you are going to use more power as the home will heat up and need more power to cool it down again. Keep your unit on low when you are out to save money.
  1. Heat rises. So, if you spend most of your time on the ground floor keep the doors upstairs closed, reducing the space that your air conditioner has to cool. Plan ahead, by opening the upstairs doors an hour or so before you will be using them.
  2. Ceiling and other fans help cool a room significantly. With the right circulation, using window fans you can keep your home cool without spending a lot on electricity costs.
  3. Turn off unnecessary lights. Lights aren’t needed during the day and even the energy efficient light bulbs use power and put out heat. Turn off lights that are not needed and replace bulbs with energy efficient CLFs or LEDs.
  4. Don’t try to cool your home more quickly by setting your air conditioner to a lower temperature than you need. It won’t cool your home more quickly and all it will achieve is a hike in your electricity usage.

By taking these steps, by turning off electronics and other appliances when they are not in use you will cut your power bill every month.

How to make all white all right in your home

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Many of us get intimidated by the idea of using white as a decorating colour, thinking that it will be too severe, too cold or too difficult to maintain, but actually all white is a great choice for a cozy, family home.

white wall

Follow our top tips to get the most out of your all white décor choices:

  1. Paint your walls white and then stand back to find out what speaks to you in your home. Do you have a great view or some architectural touches that can be highlighted and used to make your home spectacular as well as comfortable?
  2. An all white kitchen is fresh, modern and easy to maintain. All of the major appliance manufacturers and kitchen designers have a choice of all white products. Metal looks great with white so stainless steel appliances will fit in well, and a touch of copper in the lighting will highlight your white choices.
  3. Keeping white furniture clean with kids and pets isn’t a problem. Choose a fabric that you can easily clean, such as faux suede or denim and consider slip covers that can be removed to be washed when needed.
  4. Use your white background to highlight a favourite piece of art or other decorative touches. The white background will push the artwork forward, attracting the eye to it.
  5. Choose the right white. There are so many shades of white available with undertones of pink, blue, yellow, green and purple. Look at your surfaces and other choices to choose the right tone of white for your all white décor.
  6. Consider using different shades of white within the same tonal group to ‘layer’ your white décor. Upholstery in white can add texture and balance to your all white room.
  7. A base of white makes your home easily adaptable. In the autumn add some red, orange and yellow tones in throw cushions and rugs, and in the summer choose blues and greens to change up the seasonal look of your home.
  8. In an all white bathroom consider adding a wall of brightly coloured mosaic tiles in the shower or bath area to add that extra splash of style and wow factor to your elegant all white room.
  9. And remember that white isn’t just great for highlighting features such as crown molding or other aspects of your home but also is a great ‘eraser’ covering blemishes in the line of walls and ceilings.

Want to live on the beach? Here’s what you need to know before you buy

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Many of us dream of living on the beach, waking up to the sound of the waves and being able to take a walk or swim whenever we choose.

beach house

But if we don’t pay attention to some important details our dream can quickly become a nightmare.

  1. Research your location: if you are not familiar with the area consider renting first. Discover if the local area has the amenities that you and your family need to feel comfortable and happy.
  2. Location, location, location: find out about your new neighbours, do they have children or pets that will affect your enjoyment of your new home? In a remote location you may be more vulnerable to theft and in a busier location you may not get the peace and quiet you desire.
  3. Work with a local realtor: is this going to be your year round home, and if so, do the local businesses stay open all year? When was the last big storm and how much damage did it cause? Is flooding an issue? Research all of these to discover if this new house is your ideal home.
  4. As with all new homes a home inspection is key: walk away if there are signs of flooding or the potential for it. Or research the costs of raising your new house, if you are sure that it is the home you want.
  5. Hire a land surveyor: consider erosion and subsidence. Have a professional check out the land and take their advice. A good sign of well draining land is lots of trees and bushes. A newly laid lawn could raise a red flag; what is it trying to cover up?
  6. Consider buying a few blocks away from the beach: a beach front home will appreciate in value more but it could be more prone to storm damage and need repairs. A home just a few blocks from the beach will likely cost less and have more accommodation.
  7. Budget: as with all new properties buy what you can afford. But bear in mind that beach front properties will cost more to insure, will be more prone to wind, salt and sea damage and will cost more to maintain.

Beach living is a dream and not something you should discount due to the considerations it brings. Just make sure that you are wise in your choice and you should enjoy your beachfront home for many years.

Why should you consider designing your own home?

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There are many benefits to designing your own home, the foremost being that you get a living space that meets your family’s exact needs.

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But what other benefits are there to creating your own space?

  1. You get exactly what you need and not what someone else chose
  2. You get to choose all of the fixtures and fittings making the space uniquely yours
  3. Every floor will be finished in your choice of covering, and your counter tops will meet your needs and tastes, too
  4. You are sure that your home will be built properly and to the right standards, which will cut down on future repair costs
  5. You won’t need to renovate in the future to get the home you want and need
  6. You can ensure that your carbon footprint will be low in your custom designed and built home

Top Tips to Make Your Old Kitchen New

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We all know that the kitchen is the heart of every home and if your kitchen is feeling a little frayed around the edges our top tips can help you give a burst of new energy to the heart of your family home.

kitchen renovation

  1. Change out of date, worn flooring with a solid wood, stone or tile to instantly transform the appearance of your entire kitchen. We might not always think about the floor but changing the surface gives a facelift to your entire kitchen. And these products are long lasting which make them worth the investment.
  2. Replace old metal work with new modern products. Instead of the old handles, faucets, lighting and range hood you already have kick your kitchen style up a notch with some of the new metals in use in kitchens. Try brushed aluminum, nickel, copper or stainless steel to modernise your kitchen quickly and with little fuss.
  3. Most kitchens have cabinets on the walls to give more storage space, but by removing them the entire view of your kitchen instantly becomes sleeker and more modern. Consider adding floating shelves and choose a great colour to make your kitchen warm, welcoming and uber sleek.
  4. In a kitchen the countertops take up a lot of space, so don’t suffer in silence with old, cracked or peeling laminate surfaces. Choose a stone, marble, granite countertop. Or consider cork, brick or tile as an alternative to the more traditional choices. Changing the countertops changes the entire look of your kitchen.
  5. In this era of environmental awareness bringing new energy efficient appliances into your kitchen not only updates the look but allows you to lower your carbon footprint. Low flow faucets cut your water usage and you can choose ‘touch free’ technology to help keep your family healthy.
  6. Bring seating into your kitchen to allow your family to spend more time in comfort in this great room. A banquette or bench beside a window makes a great place to relax and read or do homework, while stools with a breakfast bar give space for dining, too.
  7. Even on a tight budget you can update your kitchen by painting, staining or replacing your cabinet doors. Keep the body of the cabinet and replace the fronts giving an instant facelift that makes your kitchen sparkle. Choose between distressed doors, unique glazes and paint colours or doors with details. Just adding some colour to your existing doors will make your kitchen look like new.
  8. Lighting is vital in every room for function and aesthetics, and particularly in the kitchen you need to have lighting that is adaptable and meets all of your needs. Think of recessed lighting, under cabinet lighting, or floor level lighting. An overhead pendant at a dining area adds a great look and the ambiance you want and need. And for a touch of glamour consider a great chandelier.
  9. Think about how to display your decorative items elegantly and with style. Family china or your cook books can be equally beautiful in your kitchen. Display under an island, or add floating shelves to your wall space. Remember that a bowl of fresh lemons can bring a zing to your room, too, for very little cost.
  10. If your kitchen was built years ago it could feel closed in. Consider the advantages of knocking down a wall to join your living or dining area to the kitchen space. Ensure that it is a non-loading bearing wall that won’t affect your structure and bring more light into your kitchen by opening up your living spaces. Make sure to consult a professional before taking a sledgehammer to a wall.