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<h1> </h1><h1> </h1><h1 id="isPasted">Catching False Ceilings Before They Fall</h1><a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/we-could-have-died-says-mother-of-three-after-100kg-false-ceiling-crashes-down-onto-family-bed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Last Thursday</a>&nbsp;marks just one more, among&nbsp;<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/part-of-false-ceiling-falls-from-building-in-ntu-no-injuries-reported" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many other cases</a>&nbsp;in the past six months, of spontaneous ceiling collapses. Enough to make you think, &ldquo;Is mine next?&rdquo; The good news is that these things don&rsquo;t just happen; it&rsquo;s stress that&rsquo;s built up over time and there are usually warning signs. Here are four main signs to look out for before you call in someone to fix up your false ceiling.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1654933637005-1654933637005.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.homehow.co.uk/problems/ceiling-damage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Homehow</a> SaggingNothing good ever comes out of sagging. Saggy pants, saggy fats, saggy b&hellip; you get the idea. It&rsquo;s no different for false ceilings. A small inverted bump or &ldquo;pillow&rdquo; is the first sign of ceiling strain. Act fast &ndash; get it inspected immediately!&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1654933637024-1654933637024.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/ang-mo-kio-family-endures-leaky-ceiling-3-years-despite-numerous-repairs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asia One</a> LeaksUnless you&rsquo;ve got a habit of shooting water guns up into the air, there shouldn&rsquo;t be ANY water on the ceiling. Ever. Plaster ceilings happily drink up water. And if you&rsquo;ve ever picked up a bucket of water, you know that water is HEAVY. False ceilings and excess weight are not friends. Act fast &ndash; get it inspected immediately! Cracking SoundsHear creaking, cracking, and popping? It&rsquo;s just the building settling, you say? I COULD be the building just getting old. But never assume so. They could be signs of an imminent collapse. Act fast &ndash; get it inspected immediately!<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1654933637048-1654933637048.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:<a href="https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/34kg-limestone-falls-hdb-flat-ceiling-nearly-misses-tenant" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/34kg-limestone-falls-hdb-flat-ceiling-nearly-misses-tenant" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asia One</a> Visual CrackingThe thing that&rsquo;s worse than cracking sounds are cracks you can see. No, they aren&rsquo;t just cracked paint. They&rsquo;re a sign that something is straining the structure itself and, therefore, the ceiling. Act fast &ndash; get it inspected immediately!&nbsp;Structural issues are not something you want handled by the wrong people, especially not a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/how-to-avoid-disappearing-contractors-and-protect-your-dream-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blacklisted renovation company in Singapore</a>. I See One, So What Do I Do?If you haven&rsquo;t already got the idea, ACT FAST &ndash; GET IT INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY. The faster potential problems are identified, the faster they can be repaired &mdash; and that&rsquo;s far cheaper in the long run, even when you&rsquo;re conscious of your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation cost</a>. Found none but still concerned? Grab a measuring tape and spirit level. Measure the height where the ceiling meets the wall. Then measure the height in the middle of the room. A difference of 12mm or more could indicate the something has come loose. Using a spirit level over areas of the ceiling will confirm any unevenness in the ceiling. Either way, call in the experts. Call your contractor. And if you&rsquo;re not satisfied with their assessment and recommendation, you could call in a qualified building inspector. Just make sure the people you engage are reputable &mdash; go for the <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/best-renovation-contractor-in-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">best renovation contractor in Singapore</a>, not the cheapest. <a href="https://www.sixides.com/equote">Try our eQuote here!</a>&nbsp;Banner Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/could-have-died-mum-collapse-false-ceiling-renovated-bedroom-1920841" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Today Online</a>

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Last Thursday marks just one more, among many other cases in the past six months, of spontaneous ceiling collapses. Enough to make you think, “Is mine next?” The good news is that these things don’t just happen

4 Warning Signs Of Spontaneous False Ceiling Collapse

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1. Au NaturaleSingaporeans love their aircons. It&rsquo;s our natural go-to solution to beat the tropical heat of our sunny island. Many of us grew up with very thrifty parents, and true to their nagging, the aircon doesn&rsquo;t just jack up the electric bill, it doesn&rsquo;t do the environment any favors either. While fans may be friendlier to the climate and our wallets, the best sustainable way to keep our homes cool is to maximize natural ventilation. Having open concept plans for your communal areas will help create a cross-ventilation breeze, which is Mother Nature&rsquo;s free of charge natural cooling method for your home.&nbsp;&nbsp;With global warming being a very real and present concern, sustainable design that reduces aircon usage is becoming a core focus in <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/guide-choosing-an-interior-designer-in-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interior design &amp; renovation</a> today. Many homeowners are adopting ventilation screens to keep the sun out while letting cool air in. In our packed window-to-window urban city, these screens also serve as privacy filters. This works beautifully whether you&rsquo;re exploring <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/wabi-sabi-is-not-wasabi-design-la" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wabi sabi design</a> for a more grounded, natural aesthetic or planning how to create a smart home&nbsp;with automated ventilation and climate-friendly features.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1657854343123-1657854343123.jpeg" alt="Beautiful shot of a modern house kitchen" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 2. Cooler, Bright, CheaperOn the same note, there are homeowners on our sunny island who absolutely must have their air conditioning, and many pick the lesser of two evils, partitioning their homes with sliding panels or screens for quicker cooling and lower energy consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp;Air conditioners control both room temperature and humidity. It is crucial to pick the right cooling capacity for more efficient use and to save energy. While an oversized system costs more both in purchase price and electrical bills, it may also inefficiently dehumidify your space, cooling the air too quickly and powering down before reducing humidity sufficiently. On the flip side, an undersized aircon will not cool or humidify adequately.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here&rsquo;s where you may need a larger aircon &mdash; in rooms with higher ceilings, large windows that let the sun in, windows that face the sun, or in rooms with additional heat sources like a mini fridge or computer system that you keep running very often.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other popular sustainable designs also aim to incorporate LED lighting, which lasts longer and consumes less energy, as well as motion-sensing lights so you only use it when you need it. Picking light colors in your home for large surfaces like your walls, window fittings (blinds or drapes), and cupboards or cabinets will help bounce light better, making your room brighter with the same amount of lighting. Smart positioning of your TV and digital screens away from your windows also minimizes glare and the need for you to increase screen brightness.&nbsp;&nbsp;Smart ways to remind yourself to save energy include placing your electrical outlets in easily accessible and visible spots, so it is easy to remember to turn them off after each use. Allowing sufficient spacing around your refrigerator also makes for better ventilation, which helps with its cooling efficiency and lowers your energy usage.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1657854343141-1657854343141.jpeg" alt="Carbon footprint green environmental paper background with wind turbines trees and people" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 3. Lower Your Carbon FootprintIn Singapore, we&rsquo;re all guilty of leaving at least some form of carbon footprint, given our very urban lifestyles. To help alleviate your footprint, responsible selection of materials for your home is important. However, it is essentially impossible to have an entirely sustainable home, unless you lived in the wilderness, and even then&hellip; Anyway, given that even natural renewable resources like wood, natural stone, gypsum, and wool require appropriate use and application, sustainable design nearly always requires the professional input of a skilled designer, one that has been properly schooled in green design.&nbsp;&nbsp;Recycled steel, reclaimed wood, cork, and felt are only a few of the popular materials used in green design. Bamboo is also a great choice, given it is a completely biodegradable, anti-bacterial, plant species that grows in abundance and can regenerate within 3 to 5 years. Vetiver, a tropical grass species that can lower interior temperatures (sounds like a godsend), reduce indoor pollutants and keep air fresh, is also trending in urban homes. Knowing where your materials come from, what they can do, the length of their life cycles, and how they are disposed of when they cease to be of use helps us understand the footprint we leave behind and make responsible decisions towards sustainable design.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1657854343159-1657854343159.jpeg" alt="Closeup of young girl and woman hands with brushes slowly painting very old wooden closet drawer in blue color reuse of old things sustainable ecofriendly actions for planet future" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 4. Waste Not, Want NotNo matter how &ldquo;green&rdquo; you try to be, you will produce a certain amount of waste. While you may try to reuse whatever you can, like boxes, takeaway containers, or plastic bags, there is only so much you can do about the inevitable waste you are going to create.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sustainable design trends are seeing certain design themes like retro, rustic, or even Victorian styles that celebrate the use of vintage or old furniture so more upcycling or reusing of old furniture can be incorporated into home interiors. Old, and even broken furniture is either retouched or repurposed, and used items like tins cans, mason jars often add a whimsical flair to hipster homes. The shabby chic look is also making a comeback in the wake of sustainable design themes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another smart way of reducing wastage is to choose biodegradable synthetic raw materials in your home design and furnishing. Faux leather, for instance, often uses recyclable waste, giving old material a new lease of life. It is a wonderful method of reducing both your waste output and the carbon footprint you leave.&nbsp;Going green isn&rsquo;t just kind to the environment, it very often is also gentler on the homeowners pocket. It creates a guilt-free environment where your mental and physical well-being is optimized and increases energy-efficiency, which ultimately helps you enjoy savings on your utilities, a win-win situation all around.&nbsp;

Singaporeans love their aircons. It’s our natural go-to solution to beat the tropical heat of our sunny island. Many of us grew up with very thrifty parents, and true to their nagging,

What Can Sustainable Home Design Do For You?

&nbsp;It takes only 30 seconds for a fire at home to become life-threatening. The tragic fires at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/two-people-taken-to-hospital-after-fire-in-ang-mo-kio-flat?fbclid=IwAR3oMQvezhPVd-nR_Nie7WzHWmCyFAxO5goiwadDoE7NUV9vJEub2d6g9hI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ang Mo Kio</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/3-die-in-bedok-north-flat-fire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bedok North</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/seletar-house-fire-occupants-thought-aunt-would-not-make-it-out-alive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Seletar</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/some-50-residents-evacuated-from-telok-blangah-flat-after-raging-fire-broke-out-at-11th-floor-unit?utm_campaign=stfb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3PfbOYZLvl7pWrv0MqCEcsbvziDMuYsC8dzcusccJas-O-MS8lEHAw-Bo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Telok Blangah</a>&nbsp;should be enough to give you pause. No one expects a fire at home and, sadly, most are unfamiliar with fire prevention and what to do in the event of one. So here are 10 things you can do to prevent and prepare for a fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232720-1659521232720.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Always be ready and do not panic during a fire! 1. Plan Your EscapeWorking out how to escape a fire in your own home should be top priority. Learn to:<ul><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Stay low. Temperatures can reach 315&ordm;C in a fire. Enough to cook your lungs and melt clothing onto your skin. At ground level, temps can be as cool as 37&ordm;C.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Roll out of bed. In the event of a fire, smoke and heat rises. For reason #1, you don&rsquo;t want to be where they are.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Touch doors safely. If the door or doorknob are cool, open slowly. If there&rsquo;s fire or smoke, find another exit.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Close doors behind you. Fire feeds on oxygen. Closing doors starves it and slows fire&rsquo;s progression.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Help others. Especially those who are unable to move as easily. Infants, elderly, and the handicapped come to mind.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Make sure everyone knows 995. That rings the ambulance and fire department. No, it&rsquo;s not 911. That&rsquo;s for Americans.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Never go back inside. If someone did not make it out, inform the firefighters; they have the tools to successfully rescue folks.</li></ul>&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232739-1659521232739.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 2. Install Smoke DetectorsThese babies scream bloody murder when there&rsquo;s smoke. Often, they&rsquo;re the difference between a burnt stovetop and a giant, home-sized, ash pile. However, they&rsquo;re no better than paperweights if you don&rsquo;t maintain them. Test them every month, change the batteries as often as needed, and replace the units every ten years.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232755-1659521232755.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 3. Get Fire ExtinguishersPuts out fires faster than you can snap an Instagram of them, install these at high-risk areas like the kitchen and laundry room. Each one should last 5 to 15 years, depending on the make. Inspect them monthly and test them twice a year and you&rsquo;ll be ready when it&rsquo;s go-time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232786-1659521232786.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit: Photo via Facebook / Singapore Civil Defence Force 4. Check Your CordsHomes these days have more cords than snakes on Medusa&rsquo;s head and are just as dangerous if you&rsquo;re not paying attention. Look out for:<ul><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Overloaded power outlets. Plug too many appliances and/or devices and you&rsquo;ll have an unscheduled indoor barbecue on your hands i.e. a fire from an overheated outlet.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Exposed or frayed cords. If you&rsquo;ve ever changed a car battery, you&rsquo;ll know that these easily spark. Replace or fix as you notice them.</li></ul>&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232804-1659521232804.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 5. Deal With DryersEver cleaned up the lint filter on your dryer? No? Go look. That ball of lint is a disaster waiting to happen. It just takes too much heat to kickstart a burning inferno. And guess what creates heat? Yup. The dryer itself. Clean that filter every couple of months. 6. Smoking Safely (ahem)Smoking just multiplies the risk of burning your home down tenfold. It&rsquo;s no surprise; cigarettes are super hard to extinguish. Just try stepping on one. Takes a bit of effort to stamp out every single amber. Just remember to put them out in their entirety before throwing them away. 7. Mind The CandlesYes, they are pretty. And sometimes, it smells great too. However, they are open flames. If you&rsquo;re dead-set on having these around, remember:<ul><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Snuff them out when you leave the room</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Blow them out before you sleep</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Position them away from flammable stuff</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Always place them on an even surface</li></ul>&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232835-1659521232835.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit: Photo via Facebook / Singapore Civil Defence Force 8. Put Away FlammablesThese include things like hair spray, cosmetics, household cleaner, insecticide, fertiliser&hellip; practically anything dry, in a bottle, or spray can. Check the labels, then place these things far, far, FAR away from anything hot. Sometimes, this includes the sun.&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1659521232856-1659521232856.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 9. Clear The ClutterNo, this isn&rsquo;t a trick to get you to clean your home. Clutter is dangerous for two reasons:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">it serves as fuel to spread fire, and&nbsp;</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">it gets in the way of you either escaping or putting out a fire. Clear up that clutter.&nbsp;</li></ol> 10. Kids Fire SafetyLet&rsquo;s make this very clear: kids aren&rsquo;t little adults. Rational thinking isn&rsquo;t their best suit so be a responsible adult and teach them:<ul><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">where the smoke detectors are, and what they do and sound like. Make sure they know what to do when they hear it.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">stop, drop, and roll, so they know what to do when their clothing or hair catches fire.</li><li style="font-family: Roboto, ui-sans-serif, system-ui; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">not to hide. Many child fire deaths happen because kids try to hide by putting an obstacle, like a cupboard door, between them and the flames or even firefighters themselves, who can look scary in their firefighting gear. Teach them that no one can hide from fires and what firefighters look like.</li></ul> Last Word On Fire SafetyHaving a fire burn your home down is devastating. However, it doesn&rsquo;t have to be a tragedy. Plan ahead, prepare your home, and keep a straight head and you should make it out of an event everyone hopes will never happen to them. And if you&rsquo;re renovating, take this seriously too: work only with reputable contractors (never a <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/how-to-avoid-disappearing-contractors-and-protect-your-dream-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blacklisted renovation company in Singapore</a>), ensure all works follow <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/7-things-you-ll-need-permits-before-you-renovate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">residential renovation permit </a>requirements, and consider choosing firms with CaseTrust renovation accreditation for added peace of mind.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cover Thumbnail Credit: Photo via Facebook / Singapore Civil Defence Force

It takes only 30 seconds for a fire at home to become life-threatening. The tragic fires at Ang Mo Kio, Bedok North, Seletar and Telok Blangah should be enough to give you pause. 

10 Ways To Prevent And Prepare For A Fire

Got utility bills that rival the GDP of a small nation? Fortunately home utility expenses are far easier to manage than an entire nation&rsquo;s annual budget. Here are some simple house hacks that will save on both electricity and water bills:&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1660828760350-1660828760350.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo: Stop using fluorescents and/or incandescent bulbs! Switch to LEDs now Screw In LED BulbsHere&rsquo;s an experiment for you: leave the lights off tonight and see how much you&rsquo;ll get done. And no mooching off your neighbour&rsquo;s lights; close your curtains. By most estimates, you&rsquo;ll have done next to nothing. Ever since Edison&rsquo;s (or Tesla&rsquo;s) light bulb, humankind has had an obsession with keeping the light on. These days, most leave LED lights on for at least 6 hours daily, costing just over $100 annually. Pretty economical, unless you have a love affair with fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. Fluorescents would hike your yearly bills up by 100%, and incandescent ones by 1,000% (no, that&rsquo;s not a typo). Lesson: If you&rsquo;re still running fluorescents and/or incandescent bulbs, it&rsquo;s time to change them quick!&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1660828760370-1660828760370.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Phot: Save water by using low-flow shower heads Install Low-Flow ShowerheadsAdmit it. You&rsquo;ve indulged in long showers. No surprise really &ndash; &nbsp;mighty therapeutic especially on those hot and humid days. That said, showers dump about 5 to 8 gallons of water PER MINUTE. That&rsquo;s the daily recommended amount of water to drink for 9 to 15 persons. Save up to 40% or more with low-flow shower heads.&nbsp; Save up to 40% or more with low-flow shower heads &mdash; a small upgrade often included in <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/6-hacks-for-more-functional-modern-bathroom-designs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">modern bathroom designs</a>, and something worth considering if you&rsquo;re budgeting your <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation cost</a> or planning <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/how-to-create-a-smart-home-for-peace-of-mind-in-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how to create a smart home</a> with more efficient fixtures. Lower Water Heater Temperature&ldquo;Cold showers are for suckers!&rdquo; On the contrary, hot showers are for suckers&hellip; of power. Water heaters that make them possible actually have a lot of power &ndash; about 50% more than their typical aircon unit. The problem is worse the larger your household is. To put a number to it, the average cost of running these heaters annually is over $500. Lowering the hot water temperature, or even going cold, will save big bucks. And to save even more, swap your water heater tanks out for tankless water heaters. They typically consume about half of what their tanked cousins do. Want to save even more than that? Get one that doesn&rsquo;t include a pump.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1660876135855-article49-image.jpg" style="width: 100%;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo: <a href="https://www.sixides.com/vendors/brands/wells-singapore">Wells</a> Mini Water Purifier&nbsp; Save Both Electricity And Water With Wells Mini Water PurifierHow do you save on both electricity and water in one fell swoop? You might want to consider changing the water purifier. Most of the better water purifiers out there need power to run &ndash; and they run ALL the time. They also typically produce waste water. How much waste water? For every litre of drinking water you get, purifiers often produce four litres of&nbsp;wastewater. &nbsp;&nbsp;You can avoid wasting power, water, and money too, with the Wells Mini Water Purifier. For the environmentally conscious, this product runs passively without the need for electricity AND it requires no cleaning because there are no heating elements. No power and no waste water = lots of savings! And they&rsquo;re quite affordable where water purifiers are concerned &ndash; only $780 at: &nbsp;<ul><li style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">Takashimaya, and</li><li style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(112, 112, 112);">TANGS</li></ul>&nbsp;Want to save more, you say? Get them for $728 directly from Wells&rsquo; showroom at:Find out more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wellssingapore.com/water-dispenser/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!Wells Singapore Showroom140 Paya Lebar Road #03-06AZ @ Paya LebarSingapore 409015(Opposite Macpherson MRT)

Got utility bills that rival the GDP of a small nation? Fortunately home utility expenses are far easier to manage than an entire nation’s annual budget. Here are some simple house hacks that will save on both electricity and water bills:

Simple House Hacks To Save On Utility Bills – Legally

Are your junk drawers bursting? Is your storeroom a nightmare to behold? Are you running out of closet space? Do you wish there was a way to declutter without losing too many of the precious knick knacks you want to hold on to?&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1661235495385-1661235495385.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">&nbsp;1. Stacking HangersIf you don&rsquo;t want to shell out money for stackable hangers, you can upcycle used soda tabs to layer multiple hangers together so you take up more unused vertical space and vacate more hanging space on your closet rods for longer clothes. It&rsquo;s also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint &mdash; and a tip even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interior design firms</a>&nbsp;love recommending for small-space optimisation.&nbsp;2. Hang It!Have you seen those amazing hanging underwear or sock organisers with the little pockets for you to tuck your laundered and folded underwear or socks into? They&rsquo;re amazing for keeping random items like reusable fabric masks (because COVID, am I right?), neckties, glasses, and other little items that don&rsquo;t seem to fit into any category to qualify for a dedicated storage space. You could also repurpose hanging organisers to keep items of varying shapes and sizes that don&rsquo;t fit in a box together like crafting tools, stationery, cleaning products; the list seems endless. It&rsquo;s beautiful how all these little pockets can hold completely unrelated items that you can just hang in a closet out of sight, and voila! Decluttered cabinets and shelves in seconds. It&rsquo;s beautiful how all these little pockets can hold completely unrelated items that you can just hang in a closet out of sight. Voila! Decluttered cabinets and shelves in seconds &mdash; and all without adding to your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation cost.</a>&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1661235495411-1661235495411.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">&nbsp;3. A Case Of The SheetsFolded bed sheets taking up too much space? Especially with the tricky fitted sheets that never seem to fold into neat rectangles? Fold them the best you can, and stuff them into their matching pillowcases! Save yourself the headache of trying to get those sheets perfectly folded, and save space simultaneously.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1661235495442-1661235495442.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI9SaGPCOxQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DIY toilet rolls</a>&nbsp;4. Toilet Rolls - The Unsung Hero Of Home OrganisationWhere do I begin? From keeping your leftover Christmas wrapping paper neatly rolled up and stored away, to holding all your errant cables and wires that make cupboards look so terribly messy, the humble toilet roll has a host of repurposed roles to play after you&rsquo;re done with its main purpose. You can roll up socks in each roll and have a drawer full of neat rows of already-matched socks so you never have to go hunting for a missing twin again. You could convert them into desk organisers. You could sheath knives with them. You could use them to organise your junk drawer. You could find more uses for toilet rolls than even the hanging organisers. And you&rsquo;d be doing the environment a favour too!&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1661235495474-1661235495474.jpeg" alt="Woman placing container with frozen mixed vegetables in freezer." class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 5. Grilling The AirspaceIf you have grill shelves in your refrigerator or freezer&nbsp;&mdash; rejoice!&nbsp;With a few solid binder clips, you can hoist all your half-used package food items up in the airspace within your fridge to free up sitting shelf space. It not only maximizes fridge space, it helps make all your food items easier to find so you don&rsquo;t have to claw through a ton of other items to get to the packet you want at the back of the fridge. You can replicate this concept with under-shelf inserts in kitchen cabinets to maximum unused airspace. It also helps with visibility when looking for items within deep cupboards and cabinets.&nbsp; <img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1661235495505-1661235495505.jpeg" alt="Pans and pots in the kitchen" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> 6. Make It StandFile folders aren&rsquo;t just great for keeping your bookshelves and work desks neat and orderly. You can use these pillars of support in any shelf to store things vertically instead of stacking them. From pots, pans, chopping boards and baking trays in the kitchen cabinets, to divvying out space for your bags, purses and clutches in your wardrobe, file holders can also be used to stack items in tall spaces. Think vertical storage for produce in your pantry, organising your cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink, or stacking fruits like apples and oranges in your refrigerator!&nbsp;And while you&rsquo;re reorganising, it&rsquo;s also a good time to think about where you store important documents and valuables &mdash; investing in the <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/6-fire-proofing-ideas-for-your-next-renovation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">best fireproof home safe</a> keeps everything protected.

Are your junk drawers bursting? Is your storeroom a nightmare to behold? Are you running out of closet space? Do you wish there was a way to declutter without losing too many of the precious knick knacks you want to hold on to?

4 Warning Signs Of Spontaneous False Ceiling Collapse

Last Thursday marks just one more, among many other cases in the past six months, of spontaneous ceiling collapses. Enough to make you think, “Is mine next?” The good news is that these things don’t just happen

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