Livingston Reporting - page 355

How Do You Choose The Right Swimming Pool Fence For Your Particular Pool?

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If you have a swimming pool in your back yard, it is essential that you have a good swimming pool fence around your pool. This is very important for safety of your family and anyone else that could happen upon your pool. There are many different types of fencing available that it can be hard to choose the right one for your particular fence.

In order to choose the right pool fence, there are some important things that you need to do and look for before making your final decision. Here is the most important thing to do and look for to help you make the most informed decision possible about the fencing that should enclose your pool.

One: Research – You have to take time to do your homework. There are many different types of fences that you can get these days that you have to know what these are. Some of the different types are: metal, wood, mesh, glass and even plastic fences.

Be sure to find a fence that is durable and reliable for keeping people out of the pool area when you are not around. The metal fences are very popular because they last for a very long time.

The wood fences are also popular for safety and because they look good with any home. With this type, every few years’ repairs will be needed. The mesh fence is popular since it is removable. This would be a good idea if you are going to use a pool only for a short time, or if you plan on taking the fencing with you if you move in the future.

Be sure to get online and research the different types of fences that are available. It is also a good idea to take time to visit your local supply store or fencing store to check out your options closer.

Two: Decide on your options – Besides the different types of pool fences that are available, you also have other options to decide on. Fences these days come in many different styles, shapes, sizes and even designs.

Knowing what these different options are will help you make a much more informed decision about the best one for your particular pool. You also need to know about additional safety options such as pool covers.

Now that you know the most important things to do and look for, all that is left is for you to get started. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can have the right swimming pool fence around your particular pool to help keep everyone safe.

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6 Advantages To Using Aluminum Fencing Around Your Pool

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When you need to put a fence around your pool, there are many different types that you can choose to use. One of the most popular types is the aluminum fencing. There are many advantages to using this type of fence around any swimming pool.

Knowing what these advantages are will help you see why this is the most popular type of fence for nearly every pool these days and why you may want to use this type also for your pool fence. Here are the most important advantages to this type of fencing.

One: Don’t rust easily – The aluminum fencing doesn’t rust as easily as iron fencing does. These fences are given a powder coat finish that keeps the surface protected from rusting. This means that the aluminum fence will last a long time and won’t need to be replaced as often as other types will need to be.

Two: With this type of fence, the fasteners, brackets and rivets holding the fence together, along with then aluminum fence itself is strong and durable. This provides good looks and strength that is very important for good fencing.

Three: Aluminum is a very easy metal to work with and this means that there are different style choices and adornment options that allow you to get a customized fence that fits the look of your home.

Four: Little or no maintenance – This type of fence means that there is only a little maintenance or no maintenance at all. It all depends on the care that exercised during manufacturing that will determine if there is little or no maintenance. Take time to research this before choosing your fencing.

Five: Durable and easy to install – Aluminum is a durable metal that will usually come with a lifetime warranty. This is very good for anyone with a pool because it means that fence will last and won’t need to be replaced like other fences might. Plus, these fences are easy for anyone to install.

Six: Affordable pricing – Aluminum is one of the most affordable metals there is for fencing. This means that if you do your homework, you can easily find a fence that is within your budget without a lot of hassle.

Now that you know the main advantages to using aluminum fencing around your pool, you just need to take time to decide if this is the right fencing for your particular pool. Do your homework and make the most informed decision possible. Just don’t delay in making your fencing choice because safety is very important and a fence is needed immediately to ensure that safety for everyone.

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Essential Reasons Why Pool Fencing Is Imperative For Your Pool

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Having pool fencing around your swimming pool is imperative for so many different reasons. Knowing what these reasons are will help you see why you need to ensure right away that your pool has a barrier around it. If you don’t have the pool enclosed, there are all kinds of different problems that can happen.

To help you understand more about why a fence is imperative, here are the most important reasons a fence is needed around your swimming pool.

1. Safety – When you have a pool, safety is the number one most important thing to think about. You have to keep kids and animals safe from your pool when no one is around. You don’t want kids or animals getting into your pool because too many bad and dangerous things can happen.

You have an obligation as a pool owner to ensure that your pool is as protected as it can be from others. Safety is definitely the most important reason and you should never take this lightly. Always get a pool around the pool immediately or you could end up regretting it.

2. Your liability – When you have a pool, if something should happen to an animal or child in your pool, whether you are there or not, you will be held liable for it. You have to ensure that your liability is protected so that nothing like this ever happens. Protecting others and protecting your liability is a great reason to have a fence around your pool.

3. The law – In most states, it is required that a pool has a fence around it. You need to take time to check the local and state laws so you understand exactly what it required for protective fencing.

Don’t forget to do this because if your pool doesn’t follow the laws of your local city or state, you will eventually get caught and have to add a fence. It is better to do it now so you know that you are protecting everyone and not breaking any laws that could end up costing you later.

These are the most important reasons why pool fencing is so imperative for anyone that has a pool. Don’t assume that a fence is not needed because this can lead to all kinds of problems that could have been avoided. Instead, take time now to get a good fence put around your home so you know everything is safe and secure.

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Types Of Pool Fences That Are Popular For Any Swimming Pool

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When you need to get a fence around your pool, there are many different types of pool fences that you can choose from. It is important to know about the different types so you can make an informed decision about the best one for your pool.

Knowing the different types of fences will help you start thinking about the best type for your particular pool. Here are the different types of fences that are the most popular these days.

One: Timber fences – These fences are very popular because they offer privacy around your pool as well as a safety fence. They also look good around any pool, especially if it is surrounded by a garden.

These fences are popular because they are very versatile and usually come in prefabricated panels that are easy to modify so they fit your needs. You can even paint or stain them so they fit your homes current color scheme.

Two: Aluminum fences – This is the most popular type of fencing that is available these days. This type of fence will blend well with any home design, no matter how new or old the home is. It can also easily be used for a backyard or front yard fence, as well as for the pool.

When you use these fences there is very low maintenance, they look stylish and they are easy for anyone to install. One of the best reasons this type of fence is often chosen is the affordable price.

You can find this type in a range of styles, colors and even sizes. These fences also come prefabricated and can also be easily modified to fit the look of your home. Repainting the fence is even an option.

Three: Glass fences – This is the type of fencing that is usually used for pools that are in luxury homes or to give your pool the feel of being luxurious. This fencing can be expensive and is not easy to install by yourself. You can find glass fence kits these days that will make this type of fence a little more affordable for you.

These are the most popular types of pool fences that can be found today. You want to take time to research these different types before making your final decision on the best one for your home swimming pool. Don’t make your decision lightly because choosing the right type of fence is important for safety and so it looks good.

iFenceUSA

Pool Fencing – Safety and Beauty Together

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Many kids, especially those living in more temperate regions like California or Arizona, dream of living in a home with a pool in the backyard. The idea of being able to go swimming whenever they feel like it has an irresistible appeal to them, and it’s not hard to imagine why. But some parents are reluctant to put a pool in the backyard because of the safety hazard that it poses. The number one cause of death for children under the age of five is accidental drowning, after all. But you can have a pool and still keep your children safe by installing pool fencing.

Pool fencing goes around your swimming pool, leaving a few feet around the pool so that people can walk around it or lounge next to it. Most of these fences provide gates for access to the pool, and the gate latches are placed high up so that kids can’t reach them and get inside the gate unsupervised. And many of them are also designed so that the gates latch automatically, so that you don’t have to worry about double-checking whether you shut the gate all the way or not. With these innovations in pool protection, you can have a pool for the kids without the constant worrying about their safety around it.

There are also various types of pool fencing available. You can opt for a basic fence that will keep most people out, or you can add other options if you have special needs. Some people have smaller children, so they need the spaces between the fence bars to be closer together so that a child can’t squeeze through them into the pool area. Others have pets to worry about, so they need fences that are lower so that animals can’t crawl underneath and get into the pool.

And just because they’re safe doesn’t mean that they have to be ugly. Pool fencing comes in a variety of colors, materials, and styles. There is a fence style for every home. Thanks to the variety of styles available, this safety measure can also add to the charm and aesthetic of your home. So you don’t need to choose between beauty and safety when you put a fence up around your pool. You don’t need to sacrifice one for the other. As this safety measure grows in diversity and selection, you’ll be able to have it all.

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Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

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Next to your kitchen and living room, your bathroom is likely one of the most used rooms in your home. While it’s not really considered a place of rest and relaxation in most homes, though it certainly could be in yours, it is a room that serves multiple purposes. For this reason, the layout of your bathroom, and even the ‘vibe’ that it gives you can be quite important. So, here are a few ideas for you if you’re considering a bathroom remodeling project.

Replace the bathtub

If you have the space, and you’re not purely a ‘shower person’, think about replacing your bath tub. Nowadays, bathtubs can provide so much more in terms of relaxation, usability, and even visual appeal than the plain-jane, off-white oblong tubs of days past. Tubs come in different shapes, sizes, and even with new amenities — such as jets — which can turn your bathtub into a jacuzzi for your home.

Add or relocate shelving

When you purchase your home, unless you build new, things are not always setup in your home in a way that suits your needs or tastes. Adding an extra shelf or two, or maybe a cabinet, can free up some of your counter space or just give you more storage space for your toiletries, towels, or cleaning products.

Create a ‘themed’ bathroom

Many women, and some men, too, like ‘themed’ rooms where the colors and the style matches perfectly. If you have two bathrooms in your home, you might want to consider creating a dark room, preferably one with a jacuzzi or relaxing tub, and a light room that will help you wake up when you are getting ready for your day. While the dark and light themes may not coincide with interior decorating norms these days — think about the benefits of having a relaxing bathroom where you, or your significant other, can relax after a long day. It’s definitely worth the consideration.

Because your bathroom is a multi-purpose room, it’s worth thinking about ways that you can improve your bathroom’s look, feel, and functionality. While our list of bathroom remodeling ideas is hardly comprehensive, maybe these seed ideas can be a starting point for you to generate ideas on how you want your remodeled bathroom to look.

Oceanic Construction is a bathroom and kitchen remodeling company providing services to Livingston County, Michigan and Lee and Collier Counties in Florida.

Oceanic Construction

5 Ways to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger

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Whether your bathroom is small and cramped, or it just feels like it, there are ways that you can increase the size of your bathroom, at least perceptually, without having to hire a bathroom remodeling company. Here are five tips that you can use to make your small bathroom seem bigger than it really is.

Walls and flooring – keep them soft and light

The color of your bathroom’s walls and flooring can have a big impact on how you perceive your bathroom. Colors will not only affect the ‘mood’ that your bathroom conveys, but they will also affect how you see your bathroom size-wise. Lose the contrasting colors and crazy wallpaper and replace them with a simple, light-colored theme with a soft wall patten, if any. If your bathroom is too ‘busy’ or has starkly contrasting colors, this tends to make your bathroom look smaller.

Bring in the lights

Lighting isn’t just good for the eyes; illumination can also help to make your bathroom seem larger than it really is. If you can, it’s best to incorporate natural lighting, such as through a skylight or through generous use of windows. However, if those options are not available to you for budget, space, or privacy reasons, adding more light to your bathroom, specifically in low-light areas, can really open things up, especially when used with lighter colors in your bathroom.

Use mirrors to your advantage

Just like the mirror in Snow White had magical properties, mirror can work their ‘magic’ to make your bathroom seem bigger than it really is. If possible, place a mirror opposite of an outside window, or at the very least, place mirrors opposite each other to improve your bathroom’s perceptual space. If you’re an abstract thinker type with a penchant for the scientific side of life, you can even use your mirrors creatively to bounce light off from each other to brighten your bathroom up even more. Which, more light is always better when you’re trying to make a room look bigger than it actually is.

Replace your low-setting, wide cabinets with tall, skinny cabinets

Just like vertical lines on your clothing will make you look taller and slimmer, opting for tall, skinny cabinets vs. clunky, wide-based cabinets, will give your bathroom the perception of being taller than it really is.

Remove the knick-knacks and doodads

While decorating your bathroom to make it feel more ‘homey’ may appeal to you, too many decorations, ornaments, floor mats, wall-hung candles, and pictures will actually clutter up your room causing it too look and feel more restricted. If you have a small bathroom and you want to make it look bigger, you have to minimize the clutter, which can mean removing some of the excess decorations from your bathroom.

The previous ideas are available to just about anybody who is into DIY bathroom remodeling and has a bit of handyman (or handy-woman) experience. However, if you have a bit of money tucked away, you can always hire a bathroom remodeling contractor to come in and make a few changes that can have a big impact on your bathroom space perception. For instance, you can incorporate recessed lighting to free up wall space, opt for a wall-mounted toilet and sink vs. the standard floor-mounted models, and if you have a traditional bathroom door that opens inwards, you can replace that with a sliding door that hides itself within your wall.

Regardless of your budget, though, even these small and inexpensive bathroom remodeling project ideas make a big impact on how you perceive your bathroom’s available space.

Oceanic Construction provides bathroom and kitchen remodeling services to Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Meyers and Naples, Florida.

Oceanic Construction

Choosing a Kitchen Remodeling Company

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Your kitchen’s role in your home is quite important — it’s not only the culinary center for your finest home-cooked meals, but it’s the fast-food joint for microwavable dinners, the storage place for most of your food, and where you, or one of your family members spend time cleaning up between meals. In most homes, the kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in the house, so its organization, usability, and even style can have a major impact on your home’s day-to-day happenings. For this reason, and quite a few more, it’s important that you hire a reliable, and reputable, kitchen remodeling to improve your kitchen’s style and functionality.

Like most home construction tasks, it’s important to hire the right company to do your work for you. Just as you probably shouldn’t trust your vehicle’s maintenance to a random mechanic that you find in the yellow pages, you shouldn’t entrust your kitchen remodeling project to a random construction or home remodeling company. While it might seem like installing new cabinets, replacing a countertop, painting the walls, or installing a new kitchen sink would be menial jobs for somebody even with marginal home improvement skills, there’s still a lot that could go wrong.

With high-dollar projects especially, you should invest a bit of time into looking for a suitable kitchen remodeling contractor instead of picking a name from a hat, so to speak. Whether this means that you ask for references from a prospective construction crew, you ask friends or family for recommendations, or you use the internet to locate contracting companies for your kitchen remodeling project, you should incorporate a bit of judgment into your selection for which company upgrades your kitchen. After all, your kitchen is heavily trafficked and heavily used, and the last thing you need is to hire an unreliable kitchen remodeling company.

If you’re in the Brighton, Michigan or Naples, Florida areas, check out Oceanic Construction. They offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling services, and they have the years of expertise to get the job done right, the first time around.

Oceanic Construction

How to Find a Reputable Michigan Website Design Company

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Providing online services is popular these days, and when you’re looking for a website design company, there are literally thousands of choices in front of you. Everybody from Joey the high-school student to Susan the former postal worker is trying to make extra money, and because performing basic web design services requires nothing more than a can-do attitude and a bit of trial and error, many of today’s website design service providers are individuals, oftentimes disguised as bigger than they really are.

Especially in Michigan, where the economy is in a poor state, website design services abound. However, when you’re looking for a Michigan-based website design company, and one that is established at that, how do you go about finding one of these local website designers?

Verify that they are a Michigan-based company

Many business owners and individuals use classified ads, and classified ad websites, such as Craigslist.org, to locate the services they need. However, many of the advertisements for website design services, whether they targeting Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Detroit, are out-of-state website designers. While quite a few of them are near-Michigan companies, almost as many are for states on the other side of the country. When you visit the website designer’s website, check out their contact information to verify whether they are a Michigan-based company or not.

Do they have an active website?

Hiring a website designer without a website is a lot like hiring a photographer without any pictures — it doesn’t make sense. It’s ironic, actually, that a fair number of self-professed web designers don’t currently have an active website online. The story is usually the same — they’re working on it. However, if you’re looking for a reliable website design company, don’t choose one that does not have a website of their own.

Do they have a physical office?

Running a service-based business online, like website design, is nothing like running a brick and mortar company. Offices, especially if there are employees involved, require hundreds or thousands of dollars per month to maintain whereas anybody with $15 and a credit card, or bank card, can setup a website online. While some website design firms operate out of the owner’s home, and plenty of legitimate businesses operate this way, if a design company has a verifiable brick and mortar office location, there’s a good chance that they are dedicated, professional, and should at least be a serious candidate for your web design company of choice.

Michigan has a lot of website designers to choose from, if for no other reason than there are a lot of people in the state looking to make extra money. However, this short list of qualifiers should help you to narrow your choices down when you’re looking for a Michigan website design company.

CPS is a website design company offering search engine positioning services to Pinckney, Howell, Brighton, South Lyon and all of Livingston County, Michigan.

Creative Programs and Systems

What to Look For in a Home Remodeling Company

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When it’s time to remodel your home, you need to take some time to consider which home remodeling company you will use. The outcome of your home’s remodeling project is quite important — it not only can affect the value of your home, good or bad, but ultimately you have to live with the outcome of the project. With those things in mind, what traits should you look for when you hire a home improvement company?

Experience matters

When you are going over the construction estimates for your home improvement project, you’ll want to go with a company that has been in business for a while. In this business, experience is an absolute must. Some companies can offer many years of experience as proof that they know what they are doing, and experience, when it comes to comes to remodeling your home, should matter more than the bottom-line price. This is not to say that every new company is unable to pull of your project, or that a low-dollar bidder wouldn’t be the best choice for your home improvement project. The point here is that you should be looking for a company that has been around long enough to know how to handle your project’s requirements and then some.

Companies that oversee their contractors

When it’s your home we’re talking about, you want to make sure that someone is supervising each and every project. In some situations, you hire a construction company that uses contractors, only to find out that the company you hired isn’t doing a good job of supervising those contractors. Before you sign a contract with a home improvement company, you should make sure that they are going to be active in overseeing the completion of your project. The project is much more likely to stay on budget, on deadline, and be completed as agreed if the primary building company is there to oversee to the construction.

A company that takes care of your needs

Your home is likely your biggest, and most expensive asset, so you should have some say in how the project is done. Some companies will want to do it their way and they’ll be annoyed when you try to chime in. The fact of the matter is that you don’t need to work with a company that laughs off your thoughts. The lead contractors should be willing to not only listen, but also work with you to help you get what you’re looking for out of the remodeling project. If you can find a company that does great work and looks after you at the same time, you’ve got a real winner.

Choosing a home remodeling company is a big decision, and not one that should be taken lightly. Take some time, get to know the bidding construction companies and what they have to offer, check out some of their previous work, and really pay attention to how they interact with you. Anybody with some tools can build a house, but a reputable and reliable home remodeling company can help you turn the house you have into the home you want.

Paddock Builders is a Livingston County home construction company offering remodeling and renovation services to Novi, Howell, Brighton and the surrounding areas.

Oceanic Construction