BlueFly

hi fanyong, whether u save money by getting a storage tank or instant heater depends on yr family size la. storage tank saves more if there're lots of family members showering and needs hot water. but if u live alone or with yr wife, yr electricity bill will be more with a storage tank bcoz altho' less ppl use the hot water it still takes same amt of electricity to heat up the water in the tank. with an instant heater u pay for what u use so in that sense it may be result in a lower electricity bill. another consideration is usage pattern e.g.if u heat up the storage tank, but each member takes his/her own sweet time to shower, than the water will cool down and the tank needs to be heated up again. so u pay more for electricity. but with an instant heater u pay only when u turn on the heater, isn't it? gas heaters - whether tank storage or instant - are cheaper to operate, and u can read the info at the citygas showroom. now, whether u install electric or gas heater u need to consider the piping issue. i actually wanted to install a Rinnai gas instant heater from citygas showroom but cancelled the order later bcoz it was unsightly/ugly to run the pipes from the source to the heater! in the end i got an electric instant heater since there were only 2 of us in the family - our son was studying overseas. finally tank heaters (usually $300-500) cost more than instant heaters (less than $200). in my old condo i installed a premium german storage tank heater and it served me well for 12+ yrs before it broke down. after that i installed an instant heater bcoz the same german brand unit asking price was so much higher it was not justified. nowaday every businessman just wants to empty yr pocket -- like ntuc comfort, they can simply decide to jack up fares bcoz they want to maintain good profit. no where else in the world except here can a business operate with a guaranteed proft, isn't it? but that's what we hv in tpt companies here - the govt guarantees smrt, cab operators, etc a profit by regularly reviewing and approving fare hikes. until ppl cannot tahan anymore as shown in recent election outcome. even hawkers are getting into the act - now prices are jacked up if they see big crowds in the malls where they operate. never mind the tasteless food they sell, the small portion, etc - the big crowd has no choice la. my point is u hv got to watch out for yrself, not only consider operating costs but also the initial outlay n the installation cost. also, watch out for dishonest id/contractor who quote hhigh prices and try to chop flat owners if they don't do their homework first by getting competitive quotes first. all the best,

hi fiznniz i suggest u read up on the experiences of other posters who hv had bad experience with id/contractor, despite the recommendation obtained from forummers. best is to listen carefully to the id's talk and decide how much u can trust him. ask him lots of questions, tire him out, and see how he respond, whether he is patient or has a temper. my blog offers advice and suggestions on what u can do or how to renovate yr flat. read blogs from other renotalk forummers too, but please do not simply accept recommendation, some of which can be faked. You got to use yr own best judgement as u seem to be a sensible and intelligent guy, judging from yr post! All the best and congrats on yr 5-rm flat selection!

hi edenstrauss! thanks for yr feedback. thought i would share with those keen to buy where they can get it. didn't know it's available here. wow, hats off to you, you must really really love art pieces of buddha, a connoisseur in fact! And no, i don't trade in such art pieces, neither do i hv a set. Didn't hv the $$ *sigh* to buy when my wife and i came across the lovely wall piece at an Aonang Beach outlet in Krabi. i was so taken with the piece i immediately took a shot, so now at least i can vicariously enjoy the art piece in my digital foto album once in a while. Actually from yr selection i can see u hv a good n critical eye for art pieces. i agree with yr opinions on the pieces u wished to buy, but only after u hv pointed out the good features (or bad ones) in the piece. otherwise i wld be really clueless! see'ya!

Hi All! Just some wall decor art-piece to share. It's in copper bas-relief, beautifully hand-crafted and a panoramic 3-in-1 piece! Cheers!

Hi All, For those of you who follow my Blog, especially to find info on how to choose ID, do home renovation, or avoid mistakes, etc - today marks an Important Day! That's bcoz I have implemented a new INDEX Tab for easy blog navigation! Now you will find it easier than ever to locate information on my blog. You'll notice Labels and Archive are no longer around. They've served their purpose well when the Blog first started and the number of posts was small and manageable. But as the number of posts grew over time, older posts became buried and misplaced. Locating them was quite a challenge. The new INDEX Tab solves these issues. Now when you click on the INDEX Tab, a page will open up listing all post titles. Try it now. You'll agree the new INDEX tab makes it easier to navigate and locate information. Click to visit my Blog! and learn how to renovate your home! If you've questions give your comments in the Shout-Box. See'ya !

hey, i absolutely agree with you! hahaha I installed normal ceiling lights because I didn't like false ceilings as that makes the space appear much smaller and tiny. As it is, my hdb flat already look squashed and cramped, and the term 'shoe-box' flat is getting popular with most buyers in the market. Aesthetics (false ceiling, covelighting, downlights) and the look and 'feel' of a space does not depend solely on the downlights - many other things add/subtract to the design and space. Such as the ambience and overall quality of lighting in the room. That would include table lamps, wall lights, and floor lights. Also how you choose and create a lighting plan for your home to give a nice, warm ambience that makes your home truly welcoming. Not only to yr family but also guests.

oh gosh! 20% spoiled? That is not good. Assuming you paid $100 for 5 items @$20 each, it means you're paying 20% more for the rest 80%. That is more that 50% (if you i/c shipping, etc)for each product! No-lah, cannot tahan, if i were u i would look for on-line suppliers that are more established e.g. Amazon, etc. Of course, depends on luck too, sometimes 'suay' also get lousy product from est players. Like when I ordered a high resolution 27-inch monitor on-line from Dell S'pore not long ago. Good thing was - dell was responsive and promptly exchanged for another. If I were you I would seriously consider LEDs. Three yrs ago when I renovated my flat I looked for LED lighting. But few retailers dealt in them, the only one was Lightcraft at Jln Sultan. The range of LEDS for consumers (unlike projects) was limited to a few test items to trial the market. Prices then were high. Today prices have come down a fair bit. But still more exp than normal non-leds. The range is also wider now, with higher wattage and brighter illumination (higher luminance per watt). My LEDs have served me well. No damage/spoilage yet (touch wood!), though I switched them on 24x7 for many weeks at a time. The savings in electricity is significant on an LED per se (but given that i only installed 2 wall LEDs, didn't make any impact on my monthly electricity bill). Now you can even install long LED "tubes" like your normal ceiling fluorescent tube. So why not consider? BTW has anyone installed LEDs? I would like to know how is their experience and view photos of their flat with the LEDs. Pl share.

Yes, I can affirm haijitu's claims. I bought 2 units KDK ceiling fans and 2 units Amasco ceiling fans with 4 lighting attachments. The first KDK fan was installed in the living area, the second was not installed when I changed the plan for the dining area. The Amascos were installed, one in each bedrooms. Why like that? Well, bcoz the KDK came with a remote control, very useful in a living area with guests around. Actually, I wanted to buy remotes for ALL the fans. But the Amasco model with the lighting attachments did not come with the remote control feature. What has been my experience? First, the KDK fan. The KDK still works very well after 3+ yrs today: no irritating grinding sound when the fan blade whirls, the remote control still works on the same battery since first installed!! Maybe it's time the battery should die out and be changed, hahaha ? The KDK fan blade is possibly the smallest amongst competing brands, so it does not provide as strong a wind as the others. But I tested it at the shop. And I found it was good and strong enough for me. Back home in my flat, under setting 3 - the highest speed - I could feel a strong gust on the sofa placed 6 feet away from the fan center. That is, the KDK fan has no problem cooling guests sitting within a 12-feet diameter of the fan. Under the lowset '1' setting, I could still get the wind, but this time it is a gentle breeze. Morever, as far as sound goes, the KDK fan only makes the unmistakable wind / fan whirling sound under setting 3, it doesn't give make any sound in the other 2 settings. I would have no hesitation recommending KDK. But Amasco? Forget it! Better get rid of the name in my vocab! What utter rubbish of a fan company. Let me explain: a few days before the 1-yr warranty expired, the fan gave off a rumbling spound, and soon stopped working right on the day the warranty expired! I didn't believe it, like so eerie, uncanny, and ghostly..? Well, I called for service with AMASCo. And you know what? Seemed the staff girl in the service dept knew exactly why I called. Before I could explain the reason for my call, she said: "I know, the compressor died and needs repair. Tpt $30 + spare compressor $50 = $80!. Pay the tech guy when he finishes the repair work. what's the address?" It became clear to me that AMASCo fans have some built-in faulty compressor in some models, so much so that the service staff knew exactly what was wrong whenever any customer with the particular fan model called. If that is so, then the factory should be honorable - like Toyota, Honda, or any other ethical mfr'er, etc - they should rightly and immediately make a customer/model recall to repair/replace the faulty compressor, right? Instead, customers have to shell out $80, maybe $100 today, for repair(s). But that's not the end of the story. After the technician made the repair, I asked him to take a look at the AMASCo fan in the other bedroom bcoz it was starting to make a sound, just like the fan that needed repair. And he said: "Sorry, not my business. I came here to repair, not to look at yr other AMASCo fan. Call the service staff if you have any problem." What? $%%###1!!! The only way I could show my disgust with his behavior was to snub him and not offer him any coffee/snack. Which I usually do for all and any service person who come to my flat. Don't laugh, that's just me, hahaha. Maybe I should make a rude gesture instead? hahaha. AMASCO? Every night we have to endure the click-criklity-crick irritation as the fan turns.. and I have then to get up and 'touch' certain lights to stop the sound...arrgghhh! Amasco? Forget it!

Mold is the result of dampness, especially virulent in our humid climate. You get a lot of mold around tile grouts in bathroom walls and sink/tap joints. Best method is to spray a mold remover on the mold to kill it. My method is very cheap, and is described in length on my blog.

Resist a bit, and the contractor will reduce the quote price - hahah. You should try to hold and compare with other contractors. Most will quote around 300-400, depending on how the id/cotractor perceive, whether you're the type who can be "persuaded" easily or can easily "throw" money. Please confirm beforehand the glass backsplash is in one single piece and not 2 or more smaller pieces! Also, you should double-check first how you want the backsplash to be cut and fitted on your kitchen wall, especially critical is the cut-out holes for electrical sockets and switches. Many have cried foul over ugly or uneven electrical cutouts on the backsplash. All the best, Bluefly

hdb will handle the legal doc on yr behalf, as they have in-house lawyers on their panel. the fee you pay hdb lawyer is included in the total transaction cost levied by hdb when you appear with the buyer before them to make final payment settlement and do the title transfer. the fee is minimal. hope that helps.

Yes, I agree quite a few posts in this thread look suspicious. Those who join Renotalk merely to post recommendations (after 1 or 2 posts) assume forum readers are dumb! But luckily forum readers are not dumb; many in fact are able to separate genuine posts from fake ones. Reading thru this thread shows many readers are not taking the bait, bravo *applause* Who are the id's fooling? Our forum readers are smarter than they think! So those poor but lazy IDs who get their friends or associates to post fake recommendations should wake up their idea and work harder to get genuine recommendations. Unless they deliver good performance, no client with integrity will recommend. Goodness, we've to watch out for ourselves, coz every business these days (hawkers, dept stores, electrical stores, etc) is targeting the consumer - jacking up prices at every chance and forgetting customer service and good honest work. So - yes, trust and ask forumers who have T-Blogs to show, warts and all, the reno progress of their homes. Even then, read their posts and you'll be able to tell the genuine posters from the fake ones - even if some IDs were to fake T-blogs too!

hi sng28, Sorry if my review added to yr concerns. And thanks for yr info regarding WD-40, vinegar, etc. My method is to use a stiff brush and scrub, scrub, scrub. That will keep my sink haze-free for a week, i think. So yes, I guess regular cleaning and maintenance is in order. Except I'm lazy - i like everything to be done quickly and easily! But i must say, when my sink is haze-free and uncluttered with unwashed tableware, it looks really nice and elegant! So that's the redeeming feature of blanco sink that first attracted me (and still does) to buy the sink. maximus, sorry if i'm OT. Must really compliment you on yr reno, looks excellent so far! Also, yr 3D designs are inspiring and I look fwd to yr reno photos soon!

Hi RB, sorry 4 not responding earlier, i've been away. yay, wish it's like you say - dancing, you're right, i enjoy dancing - but only with a good partner! these days, not so free.. more seriously, from my profile you'll notice i seldom post. or did so sporadically. i only post to nudge or point the way, or do research. anyway, a quick glance at what i've missed past weeks showed you've been busy helping forumers with their Q. You shld start a blog on hi-fi, i think. ok, now to get some shut eye <-- asleep already!