Are you bored of your garage door? They tend to be pretty standard looking things, there’s not much differentiation in the up and over door that most homes in the UK have. But in this age of upcycling and makeovers, more and more people are ‘pimping’ their garage doors and making them look really individual.

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Paint Effects

You can transform a metal door so that it appears to be made from wood. This is quite simply done. You start by cleaning the garage door off and then apply a glaze which dries to give the look of wood. It will take less than a day to complete this look, but if you want it to really last you should finish with a coat of clear varnish.

A wood effect looks really great in period properties, or those made from dark brick. Of course, there are different glazes available so you can pick and choose which type of faux wood you want to give the look of either something dark or bright pine.

A Faux Door

If you have an up and over door, but you’d prefer the look of a carriage style door which opens outward, you can achieve the effect with a makeover. The classic look of a carriage door is a central opening (paint in a black line) with handles either side – these can still be used to open the door as it is intended to be opened. If you have a panelled garage door, pick a few to paint black and give the illusion of windows at the top which are characteristic of this style of door.

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Fantasy Doors

If you want to break with reality entirely then you could opt for a photographic decal for your garage door. These are giant stickers that cover the entire garage door, and they can be a lot of fun. Choose something like a Rolls Royce or a fighter jet parked inside, or be quirky with giant’s feet, or horses looking over the stable door. This idea was recently featured in the Telegraph.

Before you start, make sure everything is in working order by calling in someone like London garage door repairs specialist, http://garagedoorsrus.co.uk/.

It’s easier than you think to stamp your individuality on your home, with a garage door makeover.

If you’ve never hired a skip before then there are a few things to know before doing so. Hiring a skip is a fantastic, cost-effective and easy way to have a good old clear-out and make your home feel fresher and more spacious! Did you know that skip companies are charged for each run to landfill that they do? That is why, skip companies like to encourage recycling and re-using as much as the rest of us. Before you throw items in the skip, think about whether they are in good enough condition for someone else to benefit from their use. Could you reuse for a different purpose or gift to a local charity shop instead?

There are some items that you most definitely can’t dispose of in a skip and these include items like medical waste, fridges, solvents, televisions, tyres, batteries (household or vehicle), bleach, asbestos and any type of oil. You also can’t dispose of compressed gas cylinders, computers, microwaves or plasterboard. For more information about skip hire, contact Swansea Skip Hire

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It is possible to overfill a skip so make sure you get one that you feel confident will fulfil your waste disposal needs. Your skip must have a ‘level load’ or the hire company could refuse to remove it all and charge you more for it.

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Some people try to put very odd items into skips. Skip collectors have found a complete caravan perched on top of a skip, letters from the Second World War, wedding dresses, expensive ceramic vases, ashes in urns and even a coffin! Thankfully it was empty. Some people’s idea of junk can definitely be another man’s treasure but maybe not the coffin!

Some individuals even take part in an activity known as ‘skip diving’ and are able to salvage hundreds of items ranging from clothing, furniture and laptops to packaged food, shoes and toys. Just about anything might turn up in a skip and often it’s in pretty good condition. While skip diving is legal, it can be frowned on and if you want to take something from a skip, it’s always polite to ask first. It’s not stealing as the person has relinquished ownership of the item but you could still fall foul of the law for trespassing.

It’s also important to remember that skips can be dangerous and are often filled with broken glass, nails and other possibly sharp pieces of metal so it’s not wise to enter one in case of injury and infection.

If you don’t have the access required for a skip lorry to place a skip right in front of your home then you will have to place it on the road. Before doing this, you will need to obtain a skip hire permit and if it’s being placed in a controlled parking area, you will also require a parking suspension. Be aware that both of these take a few days to arrange and will cost extra.

Closely monitoring your website traffic is important for a whole variety of different reasons, but it is especially important to know how well your digital strategy is working for increasing your reach, and how successful your website is at securing those all-important conversions.

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Alexa

One of the most well-known metrics for measuring website rankings, the Alexa algorithm measures traffic using data from users who have installed the Alexa toolbar within their browsers. Fewer than 1% of Internet users currently have the toolbar installed, but although it’s arguably not the most accurate it’ll still give you a good idea of how you and your competitors are currently performing.

Ahrefs.com

Every high-quality Reading web design company knows how imperative it is to monitor a range of different metrics, and this tool allows you to do just that, quickly and easily. One of the most comprehensive tracking tools, from here you can keep an eye on search engine rankings, backlinks, traffic levels from key search terms, and competitor comparisons. Providing you with a wealth of information, these key data metrics will show you exactly which parts of your digital strategy need tweaking to ensure your website is working efficiently for your business.

Comments and video content views

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the number of comments and views each of your blog posts and videos is attracting. Not only will this ensure you’re able to reply to any questions your audience may have, but it will also give you a good idea of which forms of content are performing well and encouraging the most engagement. Experienced Reading web design teams understand how important it is to have an efficient and effective comment system in place, so make sure your audience can interact with your content easily.

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SEMRush.com

A favourite tool among marketers, SEO professionals and successful Reading web design teams, this tool breaks down a whole variety of information about your search rankings, including rankings, backlinks, paid advertising performance and competitor data. Using this information, you’ll be able to estimate how much traffic you’re getting and how well each keyword is performing.

SimilarWeb.com

Somewhat similar to Alexa but with increased accuracy, this platform breaks down everything from your daily unique visitors to the websites sending the most amount of traffic your way into easily digestible graphics.

Chinese beer brand Tsingtao is sponsoring ping-pong tournaments for businesses – no members of the public allowed. The excuse is team-building and networking, but the real reason is to drink beer and get to see the rough side of ping-pong.

Ping Pong Fight Club – Yes, Really!

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Not for nothing are these evenings called “Ping Pong Fight Club”. There’s a “fighting arena” with eight tables, just like the movie. Well, sort of like the movie anyway. The fact is that the real outrageousness is what surrounds the games – pop-up bars, DJs, MCs, various kinds of zones, robot challenges, team colour face painting and a great bragging opportunity.

Ping Pong Fight Club is really popular with media and digital companies – even the dear old BBC. Spotify, Facebook, Deliveroo, Expedia and Ticketmaster have all taken part. But it isn’t just for big corporates, as the smallest start-up is just as welcome to join in. And for once the events aren’t just London based – Manchester is a popular venue and Liverpool, Leeds and Glasgow are all involved.

Four contestants from each company will battle it out in the regional heats, and then the winners will meet each other in the overall UK final.

Competitive but Inclusive

This looks like a great way forward for team building corporate events, such as those run by https://www.armourgeddon.co.uk/team-building-corporate-events.html, because it has a competitive element that’s inclusive. Even people who don’t like, or can’t do sport, can join in. And we know that diversity helps build great companies.

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Of course, some businesses love competing, so you’ll often find business competitors battling it out in a fun and friendly environment. And the fact that staff get complimentary drinks and a range of other promotional goodies helps the evening go with a swing.

During the event, they hold an online raffle, which last year included opportunities for winning drones. The proceeds from the Manchester evening will go to victims of the Manchester bombing.

And the event isn’t dependent on the weather – extreme heat or torrential rain have ruined many a carefully planned team-building event before now.

But why stop at ping-pong? Why not extreme tiddlywinks or skittles? After all, beer and skittles have always gone together, even if Chinese beer is something new in the mix.