Kitchen Improvements With New Worktops
If your kitchen is looking tired and dated, you do not necessarily need to rip it all out and start again. Replacing the kitchen worktops will instantly give your kitchen a major face lift whilst saving you lots of money and hassle.There are many different types of worktop to choose from including granite, Corian (a composite of minerals and acrylic polymer, from about £400 a square metre), Raustone (similar to Corian, but less pricey), rubberwood (cubes of wood bonded together), stainless steel, Formica, real wood such as oak, beech, walnut, cheery, iroko and basic laminate. Granite, Corian, Raustone and stainless steel should be fitted by professionals.Wooden kitchen worktops including oak, beech and walnut are the simplest option for those looking for the ‘do-it-yourself’ option because they are easy to cut compared to laminate, granite and stainless steel.Oak worktops are the first choice for those looking for strength, durability and classic traditional elegance. Oak’s rich color and fine markings lend grace to any kitchen, maturing over the years to add character and warmth.Walnut is a dark wood of immense warmth, with a rich grain and strong character. Walnut wood contains natural exotic patterns that set it apart from its contemporaries.Cherry is an elegant and colorful wood, fast becoming one of the most popular choices for kitchens. Cherry worktops have a subtle autumnal red appearance that darkens gracefully over time to a rich maturity.Beech is the most popular and versatile of all the hardwoods. The light tone and soft grain produce a bright feel that complements any style of kitchen.Iroko – The dark hues of this rich African hardwood produce a stunning effect when used in the right kitchen environment. Often called ‘African Teak’, it is a most durable worktop due to its high resistance to staining.Plan AheadBefore you begin on your kitchen worktop project you will need to work out exactly how much new worktop you require to get the job done. If the existing worktop is a good fit then this job is done for you as you can simply use this as the template. If the worktop not to replace an exiting worktop or you require extra then you will need a measuring tape and cardboard to create the template. Even in new build houses, unfortunately corners are rarely at right angles so you will need to check carefully. Remember to order all trims, brackets and fittings when you order your worktop.Kitchen Worktop Saw PointsIf you are cutting laminate, kitchen fitters recommend using a circular saw with the laminate facing down. A jigsaw is fine for cutting out big holes for example, the sink but be aware of it fraying. Many people choose to hire a circular saw from a local hire shop. However, you will require very steady hands to do a professional job. The other crucial thing with laminate worktops is getting the mitered joins just right. These can be cut by a joiner with precision equipment, for a small fee.Kitchen Worktop FittingA spirit level is essential when fixing the worktops with their supporting brackets, timber battens, or KD blocks, used especially in kitchen fitting. Leave a fall of about 2 degrees away from the wall at the back to prevent spills and dirt accumulating. Do any wall tiling work after fitting the worktops, so there is a permanent level edge to work upwards from. Seal any cut laminate surface to stop damp and between joints with a compound. Use silicone sealant between tiles and worktop and put reflective aluminum tape around cooker/hob to protect from radiant heat; use waterproof seal – unless a rubber gasket is supplied – around the sink.If all this seems a little labor intensive, you might consider getting a professional company to provide the kitchen worktop, cutting and fitting as a package. You can then take advantage of their experience and workmanship to make sure the job in done to the highest standard. The worktop will be cut and finished to your own personal needs which will save you time and inconvenience.
How To Make Money Online: Do’s in Internet Marketing
The key to success in internet marketing is doing the right things so that you can achieve the success fast and move on to the next success. Below is a list of things that most successful internet marketers do in their daily job. You should apply them as well in a daily basis so that you can see desired results in the shortest possible period.Do’s #1: Learn From Real Internet Marketing MillionaireThis is very straight forward and simple: find the right role model and follow whatever he does. Sounds simple right? But the fact is not many people do this!You may argue, you have attended internet marketing workshops. Or you have read books written by successful internet marketer. You have learnt from them.Yes you are right. But after the workshop or reading the book, do you keep learning from them? Do you keep contacting them so that they can really take your hand and guide you through every single step until you reach your success?That is critical to ensuring your success. In most cases, there are two possible decisions you will make after your workshop:You take no action, thinking it is too hard to do.Or you take some actions to try it out, but along the way you are doing it you face problems that was not covered in your workshop or book. You started scratching your head and struggling to find the solution. You might spend even more money to buy other products just to solve a problem.Problems will keep coming one by one. It is very time consuming. Energy is draining out and sometimes costly to tackle every single problem. You may easily give up if you do not persevere enough.If you have a real internet marketing millionaire who knows the in and out of internet marketing, and he is committed to guide you all the way, your problems can be solved fast and you are more confident to reach your success. He can also point out how to do it in the shorter and lower cost ways. It saves you time, energy and money.Do’s #2: Build Up Your Own Internet Marketer NetworkI love this quote: “You can’t do internet marketing alone. In fact, it is the hardest way to do any business on earth.”You should have heard, to be successful in any business, you need a strong network to work together you.Internet business is one type of business as well. You need to network with other internet marketers who are like-minded with you.The best is they are working on the same niche as you. This is because you can ally with them and work hard together to achieve mutual interest. If not, they will ally with other internet marketers and become your strong competitors!Do’s #3: Build Up Your Own Client NetworkThis is another type of network that you need in your internet business. You must build a strong network with your clients so that they have trust on you.Building trust is not a one day job. It takes some time, could be a few days to a few months. You need to be patient in building relationship with your clients.There is a sayings goes: “If you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind”. Networking with your clients allows your business to have the opportunity to stand up in front of the crowd and get attention. Don’t forget to consistently add value to your clients so that they can feel your expertise in your industry.Do’s #4: Think BigBefore you want to start to market any product, you must be able to visualize how big the business can grow.We always hear the proverb: “The sky is the limit.” In an online business, there should have no limit how you are going to expand the business. The business should be big enough to bring you great fortune. You should feel the excitement of success in the business although you haven’t reached there yet.Common mistake that a normal internet marketer does repeatedly is having vague idea how to grow the business and he just jumps into the business because it looks profitable and tempting as everyone is doing it.Make sure your business is scalable, and you know there are millions of people looking for the business before you start your internet campaign.Do’s #5: Start from SmallIt looks like contradicting the forth one but actually it is not. Having a great vision is good, but usually when you are just starting the business, you have limited resources. Start with simple steps, allow yourself to make some small mistakes then learn and improve from there.Start with one strategy a time. For example, if you choose to do article marketing then you should spend quality time of a week or so to write quality articles and submit them to article directories. Focus on doing one strategy, test it until you see consistent result produced before you move to the next strategy.ConclusionIt is important to be aware what the right things are needed to be done to ensure the success in internet marketing. You must be very clear what you want to do everyday to save your time and limited resources. It could be doing simple things that take you 5 minutes to do, or a few tasks that need you to spend a few hours. Make sure you do something everyday and consistently. You can see better result gradually with your accumulated effort.