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Ks Toh

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Everything posted by Ks Toh

  1. Ks Toh
    My opinion: Downlights - These look more suitable for commercial use. Depending of course on your design, may not be suitable for your hall or bedrooms. Maybe can use in your toilets etc., and have balance as spares. Door locks - Can re-use but again look more suitable for office doors or our bomb shelter door, unless you want that look. If re-use, can buy and change the lock cylinder. Door closer - Definitely not for the majority of homes. Only suitable for doors which you want closed all the time, which is not the norm for homes.
  2. Ks Toh
    Hi WCCommander I am not sure how your water feature looks like and where your pump and power source is located. If the power source and pump is located behind your water feature, I guess the wiring can be hidden. If not, it is inevitable that you will see the wiring, at least from the power source to the pump, as in my case. Wiring that runs along the base of the pond can be laid over and hidden by gravel.
  3. Ks Toh
    Hi WCCommander You can get water pumps from Mainland Tropical Fish Farm at Pasir Ris Farmway 1 or Qian Hu Fish Farm at Jalan Lekar (Lim Chu Kang area). You can also get them from water feature shops but I think it will be more expensive. These pumps will pump water from the pond and push the water out through an outlet. From the outlet, you just connect PVC pipes or rubber hose all the way to where you want the water to splurge out e.g. a simple pvc pipe end, statute of fish shooting out water or boy peeing. In my case, the water travels through a PVC pipe through the base of my vase and out the top. (Sidenote: If you are interested in my vase, I have two more spares to sell to recover my cost of importing them from Burma. See my advert somewhere on page 2 or 3 of my blog).
  4. Ks Toh
    Hi xaleysan Electrolux is good. I previously had an Electrolux vacuum ceaner and that lasted a long time. I am currently using Electrolux washer and dryer (photos in my blog). a basic Karcher vacuum cleaner and Leifeit mop set. I wonder if iRobot is suitable where there are many stairs and one pond with no barriers? Karcher service centre is indeed friendly. My only complaint is that it is quite far away at Toh Guan Road. My experience with Philips service centre was average. Other than the ridiculous warranty coverage (at that time, now not sure), Osim service centre was very pleasant. Osim is very famous for its marketing of its massage chairs and iGallop. But what is little known is that Panasonic Japan already produced massage chairs 40 years ago, and their Core Muscle Trainer was launched years ago, but little known outside of Japan. That is why I bought a Panasonic Made in Japan massage chair. Very good quality. http://youtu.be/eziflF3ahF4
  5. Ks Toh
    Hi xaleysan Nice to know that you find your steam cleaner useful. Some years ago, I bought an Osim iEcology steam vacuum cleaner (the new model seems to be called uEco Genius) for around $1,500. The concept was brilliant. You could mop (and sanitise too) and vacuum at one go. But after some time, the initial excitement fizzled out rather quickly. (Note: my experience is with the previous model and not the present model). 1. Fully loaded with water, the machine is very, very heavy. If you need to carry the machine up stairs, it is a serious problem, unless you incorporate the house cleaning as part of your weights training routine. 2. Just two months into the purchase, the steam gun handle (where all the controls are) broke down, rendering the machine completely unusable. Both at the service centre as well as online, I encountered others with the same problem. To me, the quality was simply unacceptable. 3. At the service centre, I was told that the warranty covered only "manufacturing defects" and furthermore it did not cover accessories like the steam gun handle. What a load of rubbish, I told Osim. If the machine was already defective from the manufacturer, the consumer would be entitled to a free repair or refund, without the need to purchase a warranty. And the word "accessory" surely refers to a desirable but non-essential item? Can the iEcology work without the steam gun handle? And what is the point of paying 10% of the purchase price every year for the extended warranty? The amount I pay just for the extended warranty could buy me a new decent vacuum cleaner every year! 4. Finally, I discovered that the iEcology was simply an OEM product. I think the original (or maybe the first company to sell this) was Polti (first picture below). Almost identical models are being sold by Karcher and at one time, Akira. In the end, when the carrying handle broke and made carrying the machine difficult, I threw away the machine. Now I just use a simple mop and vacuum cleaner.
  6. Ks Toh
    Hi It's purely coincidental that they turned out to be Bosch and Karcher. For the vacuum cleaner, I thought that Karcher might be more "pro" and powerful. For water jet, there was also Black & Decker but it did not seem as good. For consumables like screws, cutters, silicon etc (the stuff that contractors use), you can buy from neighbourhood hardware stores. But for more expensive items like these toys, it is best to buy from establishments like Home-Fix or Selfix. I made a mistake with the grass cutter. Bought it from a hardware store. It was the only piece, dusty, old. Box shows sign of being opened before. I thought I got a good deal until I saw Home-Fix selling it at a significantly cheaper price. The price difference was simply too great and I had to question the hardware store owner. Initially he said this is impossible. Later he said that Bosch will give Home-FIX special prices which he cannot match.
  7. Ks Toh
    [back to Table of Contents] Maybe you can call Karcher Singapore?
  8. Ks Toh
    Your questions are too vague for anyone to help. You need to be more precise. For your first question, what OK button are you referring to? On this forum, after you enter your text, there is only a "Post" button. Other than the page itself, there is no Window to close or exit. For your second question, what normal text are you referring to, since you seem able to enter text and post. Seems to be your problem lies with the other page you are copying from or your PC.
  9. Ks Toh
    Based on my understanding of how laminate floors are constructed, it is best to ensure as little water as possible gets in between the gaps. Again, based on how my Osim iEcology used to work, the steam vacuum cleaner shoots out hot steam. Therefore, my conclusion is that it is not advisable to use steam vacuum cleaner on laminate flooring. I asked Google, and the general consensus was: But if you really want to use a steam cleaner, it seems that one of my toy makers, Karcher, claims that their model can be used, albeit with the lowest setting and four layers of cloth. http://www.karcher.sg/sg/Products/Home__Garden/Applicationtips/Get_it_cleaner_with_steam/applications/Cleaning_laminate_floors.htm [back to Table of Contents]
  10. Ks Toh
    Next, some Karcher toys. Karcher Vacuum Cleaner Karcher High Pressure Water Jet
  11. Ks Toh
    All the nice furniture and fittings were bought by my better half. But the unseen part is that many of these were installed or maintained by "toys" bought by me. First, a number of Bosch toys. Bosch Impact Drill Bosch Cordless Screwdriver Bosch Grass Trimmer
  12. Ks Toh
    My only contribution is to say that ideally the arm rests should be adjustable so that the chair can be tucked under the table. Those I have, from Ergoworks, can do that.
  13. Ks Toh
    This sounds like a complaints forum! i think the problem is you guys engaged an ID who is simply too popular. You know those small eateries that become famous? Like Le Chasseur along New Bridge Road. Food was good, service was excellent. Owner/chef took pride in the food and even came out to chat with us. Patiently taught us how tau suan must be eaten with two bowls. Showed us how he fries the pork knuckles. I even had a photo taken with him. But as he became more famous and more people flocked to his shop, standards dropped. Now he has moved to much, much bigger premises in Eunos. I went there the other day. Service was average. Maybe business at this new location is not too good, but certainly he owner/chef now has a "cannot be bothered' attitude. I tried to get him to chat with my friends like he used to do, but he said too much trouble. He was sitting at a corner. His specialty dish, tau suan, was served normally in one bowl. Don't even bother to do it the way he used to. I think it is probably better to engage an ID who is not too bad, but better not be so good that he is simply too busy for you. Might be a good idea to engage a young ID who is hungry for work and eager to please you. Might not be as experienced but hopefully his sub contractors will be more experienced. You must also supervise, supervise, supervise. The day you are not there, something will go wrong. If you need to change, insist on changing. Do it so that the ID or contractor knows better to check with you, and you are not the sort who will just accept it. In your contract, best to split the works into different phases different payment, and have provision for you to add or delete works. This allows you to delete entire scope of works if you are not happy with your ID. This was exactly what my wife did. After some unhappiness over the wet works, she took out practically everything else (painting, kitchen, wardrobe, hall etc) and decided to engage contractors directly. Renovation is not rocket science. You just need to ask around, read Renotalk and use your common sense. When all else fails, Google it. You will get there!
  14. Ks Toh
    Hi Asking4Help and alfredt Good that you find the info useful. Hi OceanEleven Quite shy after you guys remarked about my "toys" in the other thread. Not sure whether appropriate to post such toys or not, as they are useful only to some home owners. Maybe better stick to things like furniture, floor, walls, lights, fans, plants, ladder etc.
  15. Ks Toh
    You should buy your ladder only after the renovations have completed. If you buy it during renovations, make sure you do not leave your ladder on site. I actually had two other ladders, a small A-frame ladder and a 5 step ladder. I left both thinking that it would help the workers. Both disappeared during the initial renovation works. After that, I made sure I brought home my 6 step ladder every time I bring to site.
  16. Ks Toh
    If you are getting a ladder for your home, I recommend that you get either a 5 to 6 step Family Ladder. It should be as high as possible to allow you to reach the highest point of your house, possibly your cove or ceiling lights. But it should also not be so tall that you cannot fit it into your bomb shelter, store or tall cupboard. In my case, the 6 step ladder was the first ladder I bought. One ladder should be sufficient for most homes though in my case, i accumulated two more ladders over the years. My baby 3 step ladder was bought for the sole purpose of allowing my helper (do you notice they are normally not so tall?) to reach the top of my kitchen cabinets and wardrobes easily. I did not want her to lug around my 6 step ladder, and accidentally hit something. Originally, I wanted to buy one of those stools but in the end, I thought s baby ladder was more versatile. Most of the time, we find ourselves using this ladder. My giant 10 step ladder was bought recently for my new place. I use it when I need to clean my hall fan, trim the plants on my vertical garden or reach various high places to apply silicon to stop water leaks etc. When I step on the last step, I can just about touch the fan blades. I have to tip-toe slightly just to clean the blades, one hand on the blade and the other holding the cloth. It is very unsatisfactory. Due to its length, the ladder flexes as I climb up. It does not feel stable, and I do not feel secure, even with my helper below holding onto the ladder. If I have to buy a tall ladder again, I think I will go for the Little Giant Ladder. http://youtu.be/N0J2KG7GG5o P.s. Could not resist it. I eventually bought the Little Giant Ladder. Read about it here.
  17. Ks Toh
    In Singapore, the hardware shops sell two main types of ladders. A-Frame Ladder This is the ladder of choice for almost all contractors. I am not sure why this is the case. Most likely, it is due to the fact that you can extract maximum height from this ladder. Almost all the workers I see stand up to the highest level, the last step. But this is also the reason why many accidents happen, as you are not supposed to stand on the last two steps of this type of ladder (see the chart above). This ladder is heavier and more stable but cheaper than the Family Ladder. Family Ladder For our homes, the family ladder is more suitable. It is lighter and slimmer, being made of aluminium alloy. More importantly, it has a safety platform for you to stand at the top, and a safety handrail for you to hold. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot extract maximum height from this ladder. The highest platform is typically about 0.5 m lower than the top of the ladder, the handrail.
  18. Ks Toh
    Ladders I don't know how many of you have a ladder in your house, such that you can check the top of your doors. A ladder is very useful to have in the house. You need it to reach places that are otherwise out of reach, such as your ceiling lights, highest shelves in your kitchen cabinet or wardrobe. And it last a very, very long time. My 6 step ladder has been with me from my first home. Worth every cent. Although it is a simple piece of equipment, I actually did some research on it. I read that falling from heights is the number one cause of workplace fatalities, and falling from roofs and ladders is the number one reason for that. So, the next time you attempt to reach that high shelf by standing on your study chair with wheels, even with someone holding on to the chair, think again. Maybe you should just buy a ladder? Here are some safety tips:
  19. Ks Toh
    Whatever the case, if you paint them now, the paint may drop over the side. Best to leave them as they are unless you intend to repaint the whole door again.
  20. Ks Toh
    After reading that many of you found the top of your doors unpainted, I just had to take out my ladder and check out mine. And this is what I found: My door has been repainted. From what I can see, it seems that the top was never painted at all, not even on the first occasion. Somehow I feel much better knowing that all of us are in the same boat. Perhaps there is a good reason why the top is unpainted.
  21. Ks Toh
    HI xaleysan Thanks for your compliments. By the way, you have a pretty cool baking blog.I noticed that you have your own domain name. I have my own too! So, instead of using your old yahoo email address, why not me@[yourdomain].com?
  22. Ks Toh
    I went to check my doors and they are the same!
  23. Ks Toh
    Hi I posted the close up pictures of the wood wall tiles here. Last two pictures.
  24. Ks Toh
    How come you know I have a water jet spray?
  25. Ks Toh
    During heavy rain, use water hose with the nozzle gun and shoot. This should be ok. I was going to suggest the water jet spray but for that, you have to be very careful. If not careful, quite apart from the debris flying everywhere, the paint may come off! If too close, even the concrete can come off!
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