Abaragil

Hi, Water and electrical supply is needed before renovation starts...the workers need electricity for their power tools and water to clean up.....if you are concerned about the aircon, take out the fuse from the plug, or just cut off the plug from the aircon supply cord. That's what I did.

Hi, Try Choo Chiang......but only if you are looking for downlights and not other types of lighting.

Hi, Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AISI_steel_grades http://www.nickelinstitute.org/index.cfm/ci_id/11021.htm

If you engage a contractor, be prepared to be ripped off. Best you directly contact laminate manufacturers.

Use Lemon Pledge or similar product with magic sponge.

Hi, There's nothing you can do about it. I would normally use a heavy duty glove and reach into the floortrap, into the pipe bend and take out whatever rubbish that has been deposited there. If it is cement, I would use a scraper or sharp metal object and try to break it up into smaller pieces and take them out.

Hi, You are referring to the waste pipe that empties into the main stack. You have to go to HDB and tell them this is the problem. It could be a hairline crack along the pipe. But I'm puzzled as to the extend of the problem as only repetitive hard knocking with a sharp object could do that kind of damage. Or, have you check your water supply pipes? cos water leaks can travel far within walls before emerging into the open. Just my two cents worth of opinion.

Hi, I'm using Inovar laminate for my new home. I was quoted by Kronotex but was not too impressed by them nor Supreme. For equatorial climate like Singapore it is best to use hardwood laminate instead of traditional laminates made from softwood like oak, pine or beech as they are most suitable for our warm and humid environment. Most laminate companies offer several grades of laminate flooring but I've check their websites and found out that most of them are just vendors, not manufacturers. Which means, they source their laminates from manufacturers and get them to stamp their companies' name or logo on it. So you would not get direct manufacturer's warranty. Check out on the Net which companies are manufacturers and which are not, and you would be surprise that most big and leading laminate companies are not.

Hi, I got my switches and sockets at Choo Chiang too (Woodlands). The prices for almost all items (these are the same for all branches, I think) are cheaper than elsewhere (even at Sim Lim Tower). I choose Legrand Malia series because of its clean looks and nice and sturdy feel after comparing them with MK and Clipsal. The switches for the downlights in my living, dining, balcony and study has been installed, but the others will be installed during the National Day holidays.

Hi, Re-wiring: 1. Remove old wiring and supply/install new electrical cables (1.5mm for lighting, 2.5mm for appliances) 2. Remove and supply/install sockets ( 13Amp for normal appliances, 15Amp for Instant Heaters, 20Amp for Aircon) 3. Remove and supply/install lighting switches Things to take note: Aircon and Instant Heaters cannot share circuit breakers with others. They must have their own circuit. For whole house lighting you would need at least 3 rolls ('m not very sure, depending on your needs) of each of the 1.5mm and 2.5mm three colour cables - Black or Brown, Blue and Green/Yellow. If your electrician bring along only 1 roll each of the colour cables, you have to raise the alarm. Best is if you could be there when they do the works. Cos I think most, if not some, electricians will only change the sockets. They can move lighting points and socket points without replacing the wiring. You cannot tell whether they really replace the wiring because all are encased within the trunking, and you may not be able to tell the difference between old and new wiring.

Hi, Here's 2 interesting articles about energy saving bulbs: http://www.lifeenergysolutions.com/blog/2/...y-saving-bulbs/ http://www.dirtyelectricity.ca/electrical_...sensitivity.htm hmm.....

Hi, There are some homogenous tiles with rough/matt surfaces which is ideal for kitchens. And the price is about $2.50 to $4.00 per square foot, which is cheaper than LF. Try Ceramic World - White Horse Tiles at Sungei Kadut.

Hi, Stainless steel floortraps available here are manufactured by Showy. You can get them at most hardware shops. But there is a model where the grating is sunken from the perimeter. Is there any more of this model around?

Hi, From my personal experience, HDB supplied tiles is not of good quality. It has a tendency to stain easily and sometimes, flaking. But you should check with HDB whether you can replace them. I think it is better to hack away and replace rather than overlay because if your HDB tiling has problems, it may cause problems after overlaying. At the same time, your flooring level will be higher if you overlay, and this is quite critical in the toilets if you do not want water easily splashing out of them.

True stainless steel does not rust. If it does, then it is low quality stainless steel that has high iron content that was used. Usually the steel specs are printed along the pipes. Mine does not have such problems. Copper oxidises over time, creating greenish copper oxide which is not advisable to be ingested. That is why HDB water piping coming into our homes is of stainless steel.

Hi, I' starting my home reno very soon. At first I was planning to install l-box and downllights all over my living, dining and study. But then the lighting will be more concentrated near the walls only. So I opted for false ceiling for all. I will cluster downlights between the walls and the centre so that the light will be disperse uniformly across, and I will not need much lighting to install. For my living room I intend to use 6 x 13watt single, my dining 4 x 13watt single and my study 4 x 13watt single CFLs. My passageway will be lighted up by two 7-watt Megaman lights. Bedrooms and the others will be decided later as I will fix them myself.

Just asking. Did you overlay your new tiles over the old ones? If so, you can ask your contractor to seal the location where you think air from underneath can escape through to the surface. I think usually this would be around the floortrap area, as my current home also has this problem but I have since sealed the hole.

Hi, just a personal opinion. There could be bacteria-accumulating residues at the bottom the floortrap. I would usually dig. Use heavy duty gloves as there could be glass shards or sharp objects. Usually the main cause is residual cement dumped into the floortrap by contractors harden up and block the water flow. You have to use a sharp object to prise them bit by bit. After that, flush with water mixed with bleach. The smell would go away. But you need to maintain the cleanliness of your floor too as my recent experience shows that it is not the floortrap but the flooring was not scrubbed properly when my son puke on the floor.

Hi, You need to have some electrical background. At least know which is Earth, Neutral and Live wires. Also you need to know whether the wiring is in parallel or series. Current standard is Brown for Live, Blue for Neutral and Green/Yellow for Earth. Take note never to let the bare ends of the Neutral and Live wires touch. Cheers!

Hi, Just my personal opinion. Stainless steel does not stain the water. Copper pipes, if subjected to high water pressure, may develop leaks, especially at the bends and joints. Prolonged exposure to oxygen will convert it into Copper Oxide, the green substance sticking on the pipes. I have been using stainless steel in my two previous homes without any water discolouration. Leakages are usually caused by substantial knocks to the joints, otherwise the pipes should remain in excellent condition for many many years.As to cost, my IDs charge the same price for both. It is advisable to install water hammer arrester, an apparatus that will absorb water surge and hammering, thus reducing the possibility of leakages.

Hi, I have used Mistral before cos the salesman said they use copper storage tanks not plastic. But the temperture control mechanism is not very durable that I cannot control the temperature cos its loose after only 2 years. So I'm bypassing Mistral and currently using Prime but looking at 707 or Joven for my new home. I've checked and most shops sell 707 above $200 and the cheapest is $190 at IMM and AMK. Any suggested retailers to recommend?

Hi, I'm new new here but I've following the postings here for quite sometime. I'm getting my keys very soon and engaged an ID for the reno works. I'm getting a system 3 Panasonic non-inverter at a heavily discounted price of $1500 with installation. Dont think it's the Envio series. Current home using Starmex system 3. I agree that Starmex is amazingly quiet but current prices would bust my already inflated budget. As for leaking, this usually happens at the bends or connectors of the pipes, so it's not the aircon issue but installation. Just my opinion. Will post further when my reno starts.