Written by Sam on September 22, 2021. Posted in Uncategorized

Door Colour and The Property’s Value

During travel restrictions and lockdowns, updating our home’s interior has been the favourite pastime of almost everyone in the past year and a half. Right now, with things starting to go back to normal, people are starting to focus on the outside appearance of their home.

To assist those who are looking to make their homes exterior more appealing, Dulux published the Great British Exterior Trends Report. This initiative of the company aims to help consumers by gathering insight on the latest outdoor design trend in the UK.

As we all know, making improvements to our property’s exterior is one of the easiest ways to make your property more attractive and valuable. Over the last five years, the keyword “house exterior” along with other terms related to property development, has received more than 71,000 Google searches monthly.

As for the overall exterior trend search results, “outdoor wood paint” is at the top with over 12,000 monthly Google searches, followed by uPVC door paint, brick paint, white masonry paint, and more.

When it comes to choosing a paint colour, grey holds its spot as the top colour choice for property owners. White made it to the second spot on the list of the most popular choice for all regions across the country.

However, this Google search data is not in agreement with what people search on Instagram. On IG, the hashtag #pinkhouse currently tops the record with over 279,269 images showing on the app, while #greyhouse has only about 70,000 to show.

This Instagram record may have been greatly dominated by influencers who use pink houses as their background when taking pictures to upload on social media. This trend can have a positive impact on houses with pink doors, as it can generate the interest of multiple consumers, resulting in a higher bidding war that could possibly go up to £20k.

How Trends Affect Property’s Value

Instagram plays a huge role in today’s property aesthetics trend as most people find design inspiration by going through the hashtags on the app. Among the top exterior trends on Instagram is the all-white exterior – an irrefutable fact since white colour has always been visually impressive and is suitable for any type of property.

According to the data analysed by Dulux Weathershield, the colourful exterior wall trend has grown the most over the past few months and is expected to increase further over the next few years. Next to the colourful exterior wall, the garden decking trend is also growing with a 437% search increase expected in 2021. Third on the most popular trend is “front door”, as more and more people are now wanting to make their homes stand out.

Written by Sam on July 3, 2020. Posted in Uncategorized

Remove Wallpapers Correctly With These Steps

Removing wallpapers is quite a complicated and time-consuming task. We can’t use the one-size-fits-all principle, but using the right tools and right technique is necessary will make the job less daunting and overwhelming. Different types of wallpaper require different types of removal techniques.Those that are laminated coating or vinyl are the most stubborn -They are designed to be washable. Thus water can hardly penetrate them.

Traditional wallpaper

-These are the kind of wallpaper that is untreated or uncoated. It can be scraped off easily after applying water to its surface

Strippable wallpaper

-These are the easiest to remove. You can strip them down without steam or scraping Aside from the type of wallpaper, you should take into consideration the kind of wall your property has

Drywalls

– drywalls are common in homes that are built in the 1950s up to the present times. Removing wallpaper is nearly impossible without damaging the wall as the drywall surface bonds to the wallpaper. It looks thinner and more uniform.

Plaster-built wall

– Before drywalls become used widely in construction because of its durability and cost-effectivity, most walls are made with plasters. Wallpapers in this type of wall is a lot easier than that of the drywall.You can’t be so sure that you have a plaster wall. It must have been changed to drywall after the recent remodeling and renovation project. That is why it is essential to check your walls at home regardless if it is older.Wallpaper Removal Steps Prepare the wall and room by removing wall plates from light switches and outlets. Tape over the outlet and switches to prevent water and moisture from penetrating Lay down an unused cloth or sheet to prevent your floors from getting damaged from wet wallpapers Tape floorboards and wainscoting to prevent damageFor older non-treated wallpaper Fill your garden sprayer with water and wallpaper removal solution, and spray it to the wallpaper Let it soak for 15-20 minutes, then start peeling the paper using a scraper or dull putty knife.For coated wallpaper Scratch the wallpaper using a wallpaper removal tool. This process will allow the steam to work into and behind the wallpaper. Hold the wallpaper steamer against the wall for 15-20 seconds Using a scraper, quickly remove or lift the wallpaper away from the wall Remove any remnants of glue or wallpaper using a large sponge and surface cleaner Wait for your wall to dry before repairing or applying a new paint

Written by Sam on January 29, 2021. Posted in Uncategorized

School Refurbishment – What are the benefits?

Aside from the teachers and their fellow students, a good and comfortable classroom also significantly affects their mental health and academic performance which is vital this year after the mental health impact on the current COVID-19 pandemic.Knowing some of these benefits will convince you to get started with your renovation project while waiting for the in-school learning to return.

Positive impact on students’ academic performance

Most students, especially in primary schools, stay in one classroom throughout the school year. Ensuring that the room is well-designed and comfortable can help the students focus on learning, developing skills, and interacting with each other. A well-designed school can boost the students’ performance in math, writing, and reading based on a study performed. A right school environment brings happiness to students and encourages teachers and staff to stay as long as possible.

Encourages group learning

A classroom designed to promote collaboration among students can help students develop skills that can benefit them in the future, such as self-steem, self-discipline, and open-mindedness. It will also help teachers and staff to identify problems or challenges students face and provide help quickly.

Proper lighting provides physiological benefits

The classroom’s lighting plays a massive role in the student’s attention and concentration. Aside from the artificial lighting, letting natural light enter the classroom is more beneficial to students. It is the reason why most schools are designed with large windows, not to mention the benefit it brings to the utility bills.

Staff and teacher retention

In addition to the students’ performance and well-being, one of the benefits of refurbishment is that it helps retain talented teachers and staff for your school. Investing in a refurbishment will not only help you improve your school and the students, but it will also save you from the expenditures and hassle of recruitment.

It can influence parents’ discernment

One of the critical factors in deciding where to enroll their children is the parent’s impression of the school. Without a doubt, a modern and well-designed school facility can greatly influence both parents and students. Partnering with school refurbishment specialists that understand the students’ need for a conducive place for learning will help you achieve your goal of improving your school’s environment. Contact Wallace Contracts Ltd today and learn how our school refurbishment specialists can help you with your project.

Written by Sam on August 30, 2018. Posted in Uncategorized

Warehouse Office Refurbishment

The first half of 2018 was a very successful year for Wallace Contracts as we gained a number of high profile distribution centres requiring refurbishment of their office areas. With the growth of our client base within the distribution sector we have seen first-hand the positive impact a facelift can make on a workspace. Whether it’s simply decorations, new lighting and flooring or a complete reconfiguration of the office area. An office area, business, industrial or educational environment that has been refurbished and tailored to the staff and the company brand is an infinitely more productive place and can have a positive impact on your long term success. Here are just some of the reasons why a warehouse office refurbishment can help your business.

Increased Staff Productivity

The working week is usually between 35 and 40 hours, it’s important to ensure that the office space we are working in is good environment which encourages productivity. If you are happy to invest in improving your working environment then it gives a clear indication that you value your staff and your business.

Additional space

Have you ever considered how much of the space in your office could be being wasted? As your company grows you may find the need to make extra room for growth of your workforce. An office refurbishment may allow you to make the most out of existing work space without the costly expense of finding new premises.

Health & Safety

Having an out of date, and slightly worn office environment might also mean that you may have become complacent about health and safety throughout the space. General wear and tear can have an impact on the quality of a working environment and therefore create health and safety risks. Revamping your business makes it a safer and more enjoyable place to work in.

Green Thinking

Office buildings have a large impact on the environment both in their construction and operation, show your competitors and clients your environmental credentials. Buildings are the largest consumer of energy and therefore a significant contributor to the emission of greenhouse gas and waste. A good office design can minimise the impact of a building on the environment.

Create a new boardroom

The boardroom is where important ideas are debated, interviews conducted and discussions on business performance take place. This is a space that needs to be both stimulating and relaxing, create a unique space where management teams can plan the future of your business for long periods of time in comfort.
An office refurbishment for your warehouse could be the ideal solution to increase productivity and improve your overall working environment, contact Wallace Contractors today to see how we can help your business.

Written by Sam on November 3, 2020. Posted in Uncategorized

Easy Steps To Prepping Walls for Painting

Painting your walls require a little bit of preparation. But wall preparation before a painting project should not be as complicated and overwhelming as some people think. Here is a step-by-step wall prepping guide you might find useful.

Get Rid of All Adhesives

First and foremost, you need to remove any object or decorations (mirrors, stickers, etc.) you have on your walls. After that, make sure that there are no adhesive residues left. Failure to do this would result in unsightly bumps on your walls after the new paint or coat is applied. A mixture of soap and water and some scrubbing usually works great in removing these adhesives. You may also need to use a dull putty knife for those stubborn, hard to remove adhesives.

Secure outlets and switches

Protecting outlets and switch covers is one of the most critical parts of wall prepping but is often forgotten. You can do this by simply covering it with painter’s tape. This way, the paint will only land on the tape instead of the outlets and switch covers, and they will look the same as before, free of paint splatters.

Fix dents or holes on your walls

This is rather a simple step in most cases but is also very important. First, you need to make sure that all loose ends of any wallpaper tear left on the wall are cut off. Next, sand off any rough edges and then apply a plaster layer and smooth out the dents, tears, or holes.

Protect the trims

Regardless if you are planning on repainting the trims after your walls, you still need to protect it to avoid any paint splatter. Just like outlets and switch covers, you can use painter’s tape to cover it. Remember to also apply tape on the edges where your ceiling and walls meet. If your painter’s tape is trapping bubbles, smooth it out using a putty knife. It makes an excellent tool for smoothing out those annoying bubbles.

Try out the colours

Doing this important step is an excellent way to avoid disappointment upon realizing that you don’t like the colour of your walls after the painting project is completed. Paint a board with the colour you are testing out. Place it at different spots of the room so you can assess the paint in different lighting. Avoid painting a particular part of your wall for testing if you don’t want to see an uneven coating because you have decided on changing the colours later.

Wipe the dirt and dust away

While sanding smooths out surfaces and helps even out walls, it actually collects dust, grime, and dirt. So, it is crucial to have your wall cleaned out before painting it. You can use a broom or vacuum to dust off the walls. Then use a sponge and water to wipe that stubborn dirt.Prime your walls The last but not the least step is priming the walls. Primer works the same as paint but is applied before the actual paint. It helps the paint adhere to the wall effectively and prevents the old paint from seeping through the new paint.Apply an even layer of primer to cover all corners of the wall. It is also important to note that the amount of primer to apply depends on the primer itself and the previous paint colour.Now that you are done with prepping your walls, it should be much easier to start your painting project.However, if you’re not confident enough to do a DIY painting, feel free to contact Wallace Contracts Ltd to hire professional painters to do it for you.