Termite Inspection

Why Regular Termite Inspections Are Important?

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Why regular termite inspections are important?

Pests, particularly termites, are always a nuisance. The damage that they can cause to your home may end up costing a ton of money on repairs, especially if you ignore termite control.

Even if your walls or furniture may look brand new from the outside, thousands of termites might be living inside them. As such, it’s advised that you have your property inspected by professionals for any looming threat or signs of termite infestation.

Here are the reasons why regular termite inspections are important:

1. Identify the problem

Perhaps the most important reason why you need to have regular termite inspections is that it allows you to identify any potential or existing problems and then take action immediately. Termite infestation poses property and health hazards that will continue to amplify if left ignored.

As you continue to shun the problem, the cost of resolving it will grow as well. So, if you want to save both time and money and avoid a potential disaster, you should have your home inspected for termites periodically.

You should never assume that you can notice termites invading your home on your own. Termites are shy and are quite good at avoiding detection. Some homeowners even mistake termites for ants. Professional termite inspectors know these pests well and can identify subtle designs of infestation. They can reliably identify whether you have a potential termite infestation on your property or not.

You can watch this video to know how professionals inspect and treat termite infestation:

2. Prevention

Even though you can’t see them, termites are surely lurking around and start to grow in numbers in obscure parts of your property. The purpose of regular termite inspections is to prevent infestations. This will allow you to take the necessary steps to eliminate the problem before it gets worse and causes major damage to your property and becomes a health hazard for you and your family.

Keep in mind that termites grow their numbers very quickly. Not to mention that they can eat a pound of wood every day. And since you can’t see the damage they can cause, they’ll continue to eat away all the wood in your home for years. This leaves you a structurally unsafe property without you realizing it.

The only way to prevent this from happening is to stay on top of termite control. Call a professional termite inspector to help you detect early signs of infestation before it’s too late.

Termite inspection

3. Ensure health and safety

Pest infestations in the property pose a serious health and safety risk that many homeowners fail to notice. They may cause detrimental effects on your family’s health. As such, you must conduct a routine inspection to detect and eliminate potential infestations. Termite infestations, for example, can cause structural damage to your property which increases the risk of injuries in your household.

Moreover, workers at termite control companies are well-equipped and experienced in dealing with these kinds of pests. Termite treatments by Pest-Ex and other pest control companies can efficiently eradicate termites without putting yourself or anyone at risk from toxic chemicals used in pest control services.

4. Peace of mind

Scheduling routine termite inspections can also give you peace of mind. Knowing that highly trained and experienced experts are inspecting your home at least twice per year, you’ll never have to worry about termites.

Just ensure that the people that you’re going to hire are licensed, experienced, and well-equipped to avoid inconveniences and disappointments. Reputable companies conduct inspections thoroughly which can help preserve the value of your property.

5. Save time and money

Performing termite inspection on your own can take a lot of time. You have to do your research about signs of termite infestation. After that, you’ll have to inspect all the nooks and crannies in your home to ensure that you don’t miss any termite colony. Now, depending on the size of your property, this may take several hours.

You can’t forget about the costs associated with termite inspections as well. Termite inspections are cost-efficient as compared to dealing with the consequences of having a well-established termite infestation on your property.

If you want to save time and money in the long run, be proactive in preventing pest infestations by scheduling routine inspections.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are plenty of different reasons why you should invest in regular termite inspections. Ensure that your home is inspected by professionals at least twice a year to keep your property and most importantly, your family safe. After all, termite problems are going to be quite difficult to solve once they get worse because of how expensive they can get. Catching these pests early on is key to saving you from a lot of headaches down the road

Safety Tips For DIY Home Projects

Top 6 Safety Tips For DIY Home Projects

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Top 6 safety tips for DIY home projects

DIY projects are fun and rewarding. They give you a sense of pleasure and achievement and offer you the opportunity to develop new skills, such as fixing a hole in the wall.

However, renovations can be dangerous if you fail to adhere to safety measures. Hence, it’s important to know what you should do and shouldn’t. Read on to learn about the top safety tips for DIY home projects.

1. Research your DIY project

Before embarking on any DIY project, it’s essential to understand how to go about it and the tools required. Study the labels on the tools and the materials you’ll be using and follow the guidelines provided. If you aren’t sure of how to use the tools, research online. For example, midrange clamps are tools you’ll need when working with wood.

2. Put on protective gear

Most accidents that occur during DIY projects result from minor issues, such as failing to wear protective gear. For instance, painting or working with power saws without safety glasses or goggles will put you at risk of blindness. Protective eyewear is necessary to keep dust and flying debris from hurting your eyes. Moreover, you need to wear gloves to protect your hands while working with wood and other hard materials. Gloves keep your hands safe from lacerations and cuts.

Aside from using protective eyewear and gloves, you need to wear proper clothing, such as workwear by Workwearhub. Avoid wearing shorts or going barefoot when doing any project. Wear jeans to protect your legs from broken glass or wood chips that might cause severe injuries. Opt for steel-toe boots if you plan to use dangerous equipment, like a weed wacker or a lawn mower. Put on a long-sleeve or an oversized shirt and an apron to protect your body from flammable liquids, cleaning agents, and caustic materials.

DIY safety tips

3. Know how to use a ladder

If you’re scared of heights, avoid climbing up a roof or doing anything that requires going up. Leave the task to a professional instead.

But if you aren’t scared of heights, make sure you know how to use a ladder safely. Use the right ladder that’s made of a sturdy material, such as metal, wood, or fiberglass. Apply the three-point anchor while working on a ladder: Always have both hands and one foot or both feet and one hand on the ladder.

Here are other tips for proper ladder usage:

  • Lock the A-frame ladder and keep it open.
  • Avoid stepping on the top two rungs.
  • Set up the ladder on a stable, level surface.
  • Don’t work with electrical tools while standing on an aluminum ladder. Since aluminum ladders are good conductors of electricity, you could get electrocuted and fall.
  • Follow the 4 to 1 rule: Position the ladder one foot away from the wall or any vertical surface for every four feet of height where the ladder rests against the surface. That means that when you climb to the roof, the ladder should extend above the edge at least three feet.
  • Don’t put a ladder in front of an open door.

4. Stay alert when working with anything electrical

When working with anything electrical, ensure that the power is switched off or the equipment is unplugged when not in use. The following are some things you should remember:

  • Keep water away from power sources.
  • If you aren’t wearing trainers, stand on a rubber mat while using electrical tools.
  • Always turn off the power before repairing a device or working on a circuit. Let a professional take over if you feel unsure or anxious to fix it yourself.
  • Don’t use tools with disabled guards or frayed cords.

5. Let professionals handle gas repairs

While gas is an efficient power source, it’s hazardous. For instance, you could create a leak unknowingly. The gas will build up in your home and may lead to an explosion that’s set off by static electricity.

So, if you want a gas repair done, contact your power company. Don’t hesitate to leave with your family if you smell gas or notice a gas leak. Seek professional assistance once you’re in a safe place.

6. Invest in fire extinguishers

Before getting to work, have fire extinguishers at hand. It will be practical to have a couple of extinguishers for your home. Buy general purpose A-B-C rated fire extinguishers, which protect you from burning electrical insulation and components, burning liquids like grease, as well as materials that include wood and paper.

You can put one fire extinguisher in the kitchen and the other close to your DIY workbench.

Conclusion

DIY projects are a wonderful opportunity to improve your home. Though they’re exciting to do, they can be dangerous. Thus, you need to take safety precautions, such as wearing protective gear.

Plumber Sydney

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring A Plumber

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These questions will help you hire the best plumber

Ideally, hiring a plumber is a decision that should be weighed carefully. In most cases, however, this is done in haste mainly because we only hire a plumber when a plumbing emergency strikes.

Even then, you should not go ahead with hiring a plumber just because that person’s name is the first name you see in a directory. Your plumbing system is an integral part of the house, and you need to know that it is going to be handled by a qualified person.

We at Tradebusters get asked all the time how we interview and select the right plumbers to join our network. As with people from other trades, we have prepared a set of questions to ask before hiring a plumber. Here are ten of those questions, with the hope that they can be of help when you hire a plumber.

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Bookkeeping System for tradies

5 Ways A Bookkeeping System Helps Trades In Business

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5 Ways a Bookkeeping System Helps Trades in Business

If you’re in upper management, or at least in the accounting and finance departments, surely, you’ll be aware of what bookkeeping systems are. Before, this system was mostly done manually, with very few automated functions. But nowadays, bookkeeping systems have shifted so as to become even more advanced and computer-based, for all the many benefits that such can bring to a business, like one in the trade profession.

With this kind of technology, bookkeepers and accountants have a lot to learn to use it effectively. And while this shift from manual to automated accounting systems means a significant change, it’s something tradesmen and professionals should consider making in their trades. After all, change is the only thing that’s ever constant, and that change also brings about the need to evolve.

In this article, you’ll come across the five ways that a bookkeeping system can help trades in business.

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Outdoor blinds

Reasons To Decorate Your Space With Outdoor Blinds

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5 Reasons To Decorate Your Space With Outdoor Blinds

Maximising the living space is a practical home trend that’s getting extremely popular worldwide. Also, taking indoor activities outside has become the norm for families who want to feel connected yet wish to exercise caution.

From creating a living room extension on the patio to building an outdoor kitchen, outdoor shading is one of the most common investments made by Australian homeowners looking to enjoy an ‘indoors-out’ lifestyle. But placing furniture outside requires protection from the elements, as well as privacy and security. This means choosing quality, durable and modern outdoor blinds is key.

Outdoor blinds can complement various home designs. If you’re planning to enhance your home exterior, consider these customisable covers and discover how to add value to your home with outdoor blinds.

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Prevent Mould Growth in your home

5 Tips For Preventing Mould Growth In Your Home

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Moulds are a type of fungi that can grow both indoors and outdoors in damp or humid environments. You can usually see them as black, white, green or brown spots on walls, ceilings or floors. Not only are they unsightly, but moulds may also have negative effects on your overall well-being.

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Renovation in Sydney Inner Wes

House Renovation in Sydney Inner West – Tips to a Successful Home Renovation for Homeowners

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House Renovation in Sydney Inner West – Tips to a Successful Home Renovation: Planning Ahead

One of the keys to successful home renovations is planning ahead. After I talked to a few homeowners and tradies in the Tradebusters network, I uncovered some great tips to help make your renovation a smashing success. Following these house renovation tips in Sydney’s Inner West will help you avoid the most common mistakes others have made. Read more

Versatile Pergola Design Ideas for Any Outdoor Space

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Versatile pergola design ideas

A pergola is a garden feature that forms a shaded walkway, passage or sitting area, often with retractable screens for added versatility. It differs from eaves or a veranda, in that it is usually a separately constructed feature with open sides.

In terms of home improvement fashion, the pergola has come a long way since it was first used described in the mid seventeenth century. A range of different frames and covering materials are now used, from highly engineered sunproof fabrics to arbour-like trained creepers including grapes, bougainvillea and ivy. Here are a few of our favourites:

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Builder

Horror Builder Stories You Need To Know About

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Looking for a builder? Read this first!

Are you planning on jumping into a relationship with a builder for your next home build or renovation?

Before you do that, have a read of these horror builder stories that we’ve come across that stress the importance of taking the time to find a good recommended builder.

The builder out to rob you

There’s nothing much worse than a builder out to rob you. As many victims will tell you, this type of builder is all about getting as much money from you upfront.

They will be super nice to you when you meet and will promise you “everything” you want – in fact it may look too good to be true and probably a lot cheaper than other quotes.

In an article from the Herald Sun, several people fell victim to a builder who aimed to get as much money from them upfront by rushing the job and doing poor quality work.

According to “Anthony” (one of the victims): “His business model is to do it fast and rough and get the progress payments for the first half of the job then to go very slow and never actually finish the job — and start another one.”

Watch out for this builder especially if he/she is asking for large upfront cash payments. You can end up with poor quality and/or unfinished work.

The builder that avoid contracts

In this article (Source: www.dreambuilder-nightmare.com), Dave shares his own horror story about coming across a builder who seems professional and principled upon first meet but turned out otherwise.

The concrete work done on his home was far from what the expert assessment suggested but the builder refuses to accept the assessment or that his work was not good.

According to Dave, it is best to: “Have everything, and I mean everything, spelled out in great detail in the contract. There are builders association and other websites that give suggestions for what to include in a contract.”

The builders that doesn’t pay his/her contractors

Many builders sub-contract parts of a renovation or building project to other trades like plumbers, tilers, landscapers etc. Bad builders may not pay their trades on time (or ever) which could result in these trades not returning to finish your job. Consequently, you, the home owner ends up suffering the consequences.

That’s why it’s important to work with a reputable builder that has been using the same team of trade subcontractors for years as it would highly likely indicate he/she is a great payer.

Need help finding tradespeople for your place?

Here at Tradebusters®, our FREE and local tradesmen concierge service can help you connect with highly recommended electricians and other trade businesses.

Simply complete our easy job request form and a member from our team will call you back shortly to help you get started.

More useful links:

Home Renovations Sydney

Melbourne Renovations

Perth Renovations

Brisbane Renovations

Meet a Top 3 Local Choice near you:

Whether you are renovating, buying, selling, or moving, The Sydney Top 3 Local Choice directory can help connect you with vetted and reputable local businesses with confidence.

From local tradies, to real estate services providers, property and finance services we have you covered.

See who got a Top 3 spot near you.

Plumbers Sydney

Builders Sydney

Carpenters Sydney

Electricians Sydney

Painters Sydney

Conveyancers Sydney

Mortgage Brokers Sydney

home loan

Self Employed Tradies: How To Get a Home Loan

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The banks are hard on tradies which is why….

Financial institutions seem to want more and more proof of income these days, which can make it tough on self-employed tradespeople who haven’t been in business by themselves for very long, or their financial records are a little out of date. Read more