The Benefits Of Becoming A Contractor

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Being a contractor has several benefits, so why not consider venturing into this field if you think you have the skill?

1.       Contractors get more money. When we look for a job venture, the first thing we usually consider is the salary we can earn. Compared to other professions, a contractor might earn more money since the payment scheme is usually done in an hourly basis. As such, the more hours you spend working, the more money comes in plus you also get the privilege of overtime pay.

2.       Contractors have tax benefit. Another good thing about this profession is the tax benefit given to contractors. This is particularly true of you run your own business in the field.

3.       There’s a great deal of variation in the job. Since contractors change jobs frequently, contracts usually last for 6 to twelve months or one year. Depending on the project at hand, the duration and terms and conditions of the contract would vary. Nevertheless, the job provides variations so you won’t easily get bored. Each project would be an exciting and meaningful learning experience on your part.

4.       More flexible. Contracting is a more flexible job compared to other professions. When you’re a freelance contractor for instance, you have more freedom as to your work schedule as well as the terms and conditions stated in your contract. You also have more flexibility as to selecting your clients. You can even do other jobs while contracting if your schedule allows it.

5.       The job allows you to further develop your skills as a contractor. When you are in this field, you get to work with various sectors in the industry. This way, you learn new skills, work style management, as well as enhance your experience on various products and services as you work with different companies. When you’re a freelance contractor, you are not bound to only one employer which is very advantageous because you can develop your personal skills through your experience.

Becoming a contractor isn’t for everyone, but if you truly enjoy fixing things around the house or even find yourself as a handyman, you may be able to make great amounts of money just by using your talents.  So, if you’re looking to put your talents to work, have a flexible schedule or even work a job that’s never repetitive, contracting work may be something to consider!

This guest post is written specifically for www.UniqueVanities.com by the writer of MyJobApps.com,  a website that offers 1,000+ job descriptions, salaries, profiles, and much more.

A great option!

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How to Make Your Home Pet Friendly By Adria Saracino

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Children will eventually learn to avoid hazards in the home, but unfortunately pets will most likely always be curious. Thus, pet-proofing your home is essential to keeping your pets safe.

From quick fixes to remodeling projects, here are six ways you can ensure your home is pet friendly.

1. Mind Your Curtains

Make sure curtains don’t touch the ground to avoid nibbling pets. Also, make sure to secure blind strings to avoid strangulation.

2. Thoroughly Clean All Spills

Especially if you have a baby, food inevitably ends up on your floor sometimes. Carpets can trap these odors if not cleaned thoroughly, luring pets to bite the material in an attempt to get a treat. If you spill on your carpet, make sure to use carpet cleaner and allow the area to thoroughly dry.

3. Secure Your Plants

Did you know that lilies are toxic to cats? Unbeknownst to a lot of homeowners, some varieties of plants can be poisonous to pets when ingested so make sure they are out of reach. For cats, secure vases in a closet when you are not home as they can easily jump onto a table when unattended.

4. Let People Know You Have Pets

Display a sticker on your window alerting people you have pets. This not only can discourage burglary, but can let public safety officials know there are pets inside the home in the case of fire or emergency.

5. Emergency Kits Apply to Your Pets, Too

Having an emergency kit for your whole family, including pets, is important. Make sure to keep all the kits together in a secure place that is easily accessible, and make sure your whole family knows where it is. Some things to keep in the kit especially for your pets include a pet care guide book, a disposable litter can (aluminum trays, for example) and/or paper towels to clean up messes, at least 7 days’ worth of pet food, and an extra water bowl. For a more thorough list of what to make sure is in your kit for your pet, consult this disaster relief kit checklist from the ASPCA.

6. Remodeling? Keep Your Pets in Mind

If you are on the market for a remodel, consult with your contractor and/or designer to see how you can make the space both functional and exciting for your pet. For example, a built in for water and food bowls on a kitchen island is both functional and comfortable for animals, who won’t have to bend over to ground level to ingest food or water (which can be harmful to their digestion) or perhaps an extra water dish built into your 48 inch bathroom vanity. You are only limited by your own imagination!

Adria Saracino is a freelancer, blogger, and animal lover. You can find her writing for Embrace pet insurance about topics ranging from pet care to dog insurance. She is a proud owner of a German Shepherd/Australia Sheep Dog mix named Creatos.

Courtesy of: anthropologie.com

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5 Ways to Recycle Packaging Materials

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Most of us have ordered something online and been surprised at the amount of packaging that comes along with it. Often times, it begs the question “Are we paying more for the product or the packaging?” (For those of you who haven’t received something with an extraneous amount of packaging—just trust us; it’s ridiculous.) Jessica Taylor-Cassan posted in a 2007 article that about 50% of landfill waste comes from packaging. It scares us to think what that statistic is now.  And while we can’t answer the question of what we’re paying more for, there is one we can. What can we do with all of this packaging material?

Wooden Pallets

Wooden Pallets

Wooden pallets can be dropped off at your local Home Depot or Lowes for re-use. Fall is a less than a breath away now it seems; so if you’ll be looking for campfire wood, these pallets can also make for a great fire. Just be sure to remove all the nails before you get started. Also, we found an idea from this site that we loved—make them into wall mounted shelves! I personally will be doing this next month when I move into my new place! Simply a brilliant and unique idea!

Cardboard

Cardboard

Most curbside recycling accepts cardboard, but if you’ve been shipped something huge, this may not be an option for you. Consider using it as a protective mat for your kids while they are doing art projects. Or donate it to a local school’s art department. We’ve also found that larger cardboard boxes are a favorite play/sleeping grounds for cats. So if you’re an animal lover, you could convert a corner for this box to be used by the furry members of your family.

Styrofoam Peanuts

Styrofoam Peanuts

Uggghh. Just the name alone forces us to shudder. For the most part, Styrofoam packing peanuts are NOT able to be recycled—rather, re-used. Because of the necessity and the environmental concern, there are biodegradable packing peanuts now being made, and will dissolve in water. For those that aren’t—here are a few ideas. Use them to fill and line your favorite planters or stuff and fill pet pillows. Donate them to your local shipping stores to be re-used. Or very simply, reuse them yourself the next time you need to ship something out!

Bubble Wrap

Bubble Wrap

This one is simple if you have children. Unpackage the item, pop a “test” bubble, and then hand over to your younger kids. I am an older kid myself, and it seems like not long ago that I was still entertained by popping those bubbles. The end result can be recycled, so just include that in your curbside pickup. However, if a headache is pressing and you don’t want to hear a constant “Pop! Pop! Pop!” save them and use them as a great insulator in coolers before your next family picnic. Or again, very simply, use them again yourself when shipping your next item!

Foam (Polystyrene) Packaging

Foam (Polystyrene) Packaging

This you would most commonly see if you were to receive electronics or anything else that needs a molded packaging to ship. While not many places offer recycling of this type, it is available in more and more places each year. To find out more about this, visit http://www.recyclepefoam.com/ If this doesn’t help you, you can always break it down and use it as you would packing peanuts in planters or use it as the base to sculpt around in art projects.

Hillary Hansen is a featured writer for the site UniqueMirrorsOnline.com, where you can find all sorts of unique mirrors for your home—from vanity to floor mirrors—and all the types in between!

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Know How Your Air Conditioning System Works

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

With the adverse effects of the global warming, the earth is getting hotter day by day. If you look at any places from any parts of the world, you can find that people are having lots of trouble due to the increase in the global temperature. It can also be seen that our atmosphere is becoming polluted for the increase in the number of motor vehicles. These motor vehicles emit harmful particles which causes severe damage to our health. The rise in the humidity level can also be a problem for the people of some regions of the world. In order to get rid of these problems, people are now depending on the air conditioning system for their home or office environment.

Before you install your air conditioning system to comfort your senses, you can have some knowledge on how this mechanical appliance works.

At first, it takes some polluted air inside the equipment from the room environment.

It then filters the polluted air through the built in filter. There the harmful particles will be separated from the air.

It then sends the air through the metallic plates. These metallic plates have the same temperature which you must have fixed when you have switched on this appliance. While the air passes through these plates, the heat gets exchanged between the air and the metal plates. Thus the air gets cooler after it crosses these metallic plates.

After that, the air passes through a high pressure pipe which reduces the volume of the air. Thus the water particles get partially removed from the air.

At last, the air conditioning system throws the air with the high capacity motor towards your room. In this way, you can reduce the humidity level from your room environment while you can achieve an ambience with lesser harmful elements and you can enjoy a cooler and soothing environment according to your personal preferences.

Get to know your a/c!

Thanks, Kyla for this post for UniqueVanities.com, your one-stop shop for single vanities no tops!

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Funky New Furniture Piece!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

We know that remodeling a bathroom is a hard job. And often times, what’s harder still is picking out the items to go into your remodel. That’s why here at UniqueVanities.com, we add new items to our site as often as possible to give you as many choices as possible to help in your renovation. After all, the bathroom vanity is the central focal point of your bathroom—so we want you to love it! Today, we thought we’d feature a funky new modern furniture piece we added to our site. Measuring 48 inches, it’s a 48 bath vanity that offers not only storage space, but counter space as well. The furniture style of the cabinet paired with the vessel sink and single hole faucet work well to mesh the modern and the traditional styles that many people can’t decide between. We hope you like it as much as we do! And, as always, should you have any questions on any of our items—please don’t hesitate to call 866-526-1843!

48 Inch Single Vessel Sink Bathroom Vanity With Antique Brown Finish

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How Detailed Should Home Improvement Contracts Be?

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

In our last post, we highlighted the reasons a homeowner would want to end a home improvement contract. In this one, we thought we’d give you a few tips on making a contract so that, hopefully, you don’t have to end it! As with any contract, the more detailed it is, the better. You’ll want to make sure every possible scenario of the project and all its possible complexities are explained up front and in writing. It’s important to include a detailed scope of the work you want completed, materials that will be used, and allowances for materials not picked up beforehand (like the faucets and drains and counter that weren’t included when you purchased your double vanity no top.) It is also important to include a timeline that you can reasonably expect the various projects to be completed on and what happens if hidden damages occur (like termite or water damage or structural deficiencies.)  You’ll want to layout not only a detailed schedule of the projects to be handled, but also a payment schedule as well. You don’t work for free, so understand that your Contractor won’t continue to work without payment either. Finally, you should also take into consideration how your Contractor can expect to handle any extra work or a change in the work order, as well as any local laws that concern the project. Having a thorough document prepared and followed will not only make the job progress easier, but will also protect you and your investment should issues arise.

Take notes before you start to make sure every aspect is covered!

Text to appear underneath image: We thought we’d give a much needed “shout out” to the General Contractor that supplies us with all this useful information. Randy, YOU ROCK! For more information about renovations in the Dallas, TX area visit http://www.rsquaredrenovations.com/.

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Is It Possible To Get Out Of A Home Improvement Contract?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

The simple answer here is: yes. Depending on the reason you are trying to get out of the contract makes the answer more difficult. If both parties agree to end the agreement, then it is only a matter of settling up the financial part of the project. However, if the Contractor is doing poor work but doesn’t think so, then it may lead to a legal battle. Don’t shy away from this battle though. If you have proof that the job isn’t being done properly, then essentially it’s your money and your home that you’ll be fighting for. Both things are good causes. We asked our on-staff General Contractor what the biggest reasons he’s seen to end a contract are. He listed poor work, majorly behind schedule, unforeseen health issues, running out of money, and surprisingly, divorce! If you’ve got a valid reason to end a home improvement contract, begin by speaking frankly with your Contractor. In the end he/she is just a regular person too, and (hopefully) will understand your reasoning, and be able to work out an amicable end to your contract.

Home Improvement Contracts

If you’re ready to continue your home remodel project and not end it, be sure to check out our site to find options in 72 inch bath vanities for the bathroom project of your renovation!

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How To Fix A Drafty Window Or Door

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

If you’re like me, you live in an older home. While windows are one of the items on my renovations list, they’re not the first. So as I was lounging on my couch the other day and noticed a slight draft coming from my window, I figured I’d ask our handy General Contractor for some tips on how to remedy that situation and the same problem I’ve noticed with the door. Drafts are usually caused by one of two problems. The first of which could be the caulking on the outside of the window frame. Caulk can be purchased at any Home Improvement store and is easily applied. The other option is the weather stripping on the window. This is usually the more common problem, as over time, the seal on weather stripping breaks down. Hence, a draft. Weather stripping can also be purchased at any local home store and is just as easy to apply. Additionally, it’s a good idea to check your windows and doors before the cold season hits, as these areas are a major source of heat loss for your home if they’re not properly maintained. (Read: Fix the draft=help with your heating bill!)

Seal it up!

Notice a draft while you were brushing your teeth at your 72 bathroom vanity? There’s nothing worse than stepping out of a hot shower into a cold bathroom—so check your windows there too!

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Keeping It Simple with Another 5 Star vanity!

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Do you have a small bathroom you are trying to remodel? Are you looking for a simple vanity that won’t overpower the space, yet something that’s stylish enough to stand the ever-changing trends of the times? If you answered yes to these questions, this single bathroom vanity may be the choice for you. It’s another one of our popular sellers (and a 5 star rated one, at that) so we figured we’d feature it in this product spotlight. Here are some of the good things the clients had to say that purchased this item!

J. Kane said: “5 stars: all was good! Order process was great, delivery was easy and the vanity is fabulous!”

K. Leary said: “Excellent, personal customer service, fast shipping! Quality products, fair pricing.”

If this one is not up your alley, be sure to check our page for other options! We’ve got something for every style, size, and budget!

24 Inch Single sink Shaker Style Bathroom Vanity With Choice of Countertop

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Hire A Contractor Or Act As One Yourself?

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Many people who are considering doing major home renovations often wonder if it’s a better idea to hire specialists for all the areas that need to be redone and oversee the project themselves. Alternately, they wonder if hiring a General Contractor is the better idea and/or worth the expense. There are pros and cons to each side of this dilemma. What it really comes down to is time and knowledge. If the homeowner has the time to stay home all day and the knowledge to float between specialists to make sure each project is being done correctly, then by all means, hiring a Contractor is an expense that could be cut. If the homeowner doesn’t have the time or experience, however, a General Contractor is the way to go. He/She is there to ensure a quality job is done in all aspects of the renovation and that the job is done on time. This takes much of the stress s off of the homeowner as there is only one person he/she needs to have reporting to him/her.  The cost of removing this stress? Usually you can expect to pay a contractor fee of 15 to 35%.

Is your renovations list long? Hire a Contractor!

If you’ve decided that you need a Contractor to oversee your home remodel, but don’t want to be completely left out of the project, ask him to leave a few tasks for you, like installing the unique vanity mirror you picked out!

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