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Signs Of A Faulty Septic System

I thought I had a septic problem when my toilet and sink wasn't draining properly. This suspicion was confirmed when sewer water started backing up in my bathtub. I figured that this was a job for a professional, so I called a local sewer service company. Sure enough, my septic tank was full and this was causing the problem. After having my tank pumped out, my drains run freely and my toilet flushes better than it has in a long time. My name is Wesley Hammond and the experience that I had with my septic system is the reason that I'm writing this blog. Since sewage backup in the house is very unhealthy, everyone should be aware of the signs of a faulty septic system. As you read these articles, you'll learn about the different types of septic system problems and how you can keep them from happening.

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Signs Of A Faulty Septic System

5 Mistakes People Make When Refacing Country Kitchens

by Jacob Reed

Country kitchens remain popular with many Canadian homeowners. Some of these kitchen styles are highly durable, but a fresh look can inject new life in a tired, worn kitchen. If you can't afford to replace the entire kitchen, refacing is a simpler, more cost-effective option, but if you don't do the work properly, you could just make your traditional kitchen look worse. Before you decide to reface your country kitchen, consider the five following mistakes other renovators have made.

Poor measurements

Many country kitchens use cabinets and work areas that are unusual sizes or shapes, especially in older properties. In some cases, the original builders used some creative carpentry to install the cabinets in oddly-shaped rooms. While this probably adds charm to your kitchen, it can also make life harder.

To get a precise, professional look, it's important to carefully measure every section of the kitchen. Approximate measurements and guesswork will result in a poor finish that can spoil the kitchen. In a typical refacing project, you will need to remove and replace drawer fronts, valances, doors and countertops. Every new item must fit the kitchen perfectly, and if you don't take the time to measure up every section, the chances are that something won't fit.

Failure to consider the impact of a refacing project

Refacing a kitchen doesn't necessarily save time over a new installation. In fact, a new installation is often quicker. If you decide to rip out and replace everything in your kitchen, you often don't need to work so precisely, so a refacing project will often take longer, especially when working with the eccentricities of an old country kitchen. For example, a lot of country kitchens feature old appliances and wiring, and you'll often need to think carefully about how to work around features like this.

As such, you need to consider the timing of your project before you start. You cannot expect a fully working kitchen until your refacing project is complete, so make sure you have contingency arrangements in place. Simply refacing your cabinets probably won't stop food preparation and cooking, but if you also decide to replace your countertops, you should expect to shut down your kitchen for a fixed period.

Misuse of colour

Country kitchens use traditional colours and wood finishes, so it's important to adhere to these style principles in a refacing project. If you want bold, contemporary colours, a country kitchen probably isn't the right style choice for you, and you should consider replacing the entire kitchen with something new.

Where possible, match the colours you use in the kitchen to the undertones of the wood finish in your country kitchen. For example, pale yellow coordinates well with the undertones in walnut. It's also often a good idea to paint a test patch in the kitchen and then wait a few days before painting larger areas. This can help you take the time to decide if the color combination really works.

Unwelcome contemporary flourishes

You need to think about every visible part of the cabinets when you decide to reface your kitchen, and it's often the small details that can make a big difference. For example, the handles on the doors and drawers are small compared to the rest of the cabinet, but the wrong choice of accessories could ruin the look.

Carefully consider any accessories with a highly contemporary design. While these may attract your eye, they can also look out of place in a country kitchen. Of course, your upgraded kitchen doesn't need to completely ignore new technology. You can install soft-closing doors and drawers and other gadgets that make the kitchen easier to use, without spoiling the overall look.

Missed opportunities to improve odd features

While the aim of a refacing project is often to save money over a new installation, this type of work is a good opportunity to fix some of the improvement opportunities in a kitchen. Older country kitchens often have annoying little eccentricities that the original fitters couldn't avoid. For example, corner cupboards are often small and unwieldy to use.

You don't need to just reface every cabinet. In some cases, it's worth replacing single cabinets where a more practical design could work. For example, in the case of those corner cupboards, you may want to invest in a new cabinet that incorporates sliding shelves or racks that make better use of the space.

Refacing a country kitchen is a great way to get a clean, fresh look without spending a fortune. Talk to a kitchen refacing specialist, like those from Canlik Kitchens Inc Kitchen refacing Toronto, for more information and advice.

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