Do It Yourself Type? There’s An App For That.
Whether you’re about to commence a complex “DIY” project that will likely take many months and potentially involve significant, elaborate planning; or you’re in the middle of a quick job that should only take another few hours, here are three cool apps to help you get your work done faster, easier, and more cost effectively.
1. Green Shine
Many Bay Area homeowners and business owners want to do the “environmentally correct” thing when they clean up and remodel. Obviously, you want to protect your family from dangerous toxins contained in many commercial cleaners. Green Shine gives you a range of immediate solutions.
According to the manufacturer: “Green Shine contains environmentally friendly solutions for more than a hundred everyday housekeeping tasks, from simple window cleaning to stain removal.” Whether you have toddlers around, and you want cleaning products that won’t give them allergies; or you’re simply looking to protect the environment, GreenShine will help you.
Solutions are organized by spaces, including “outside of the house,” “bathroom and toilet,” and “everywhere.” You also get step-by-step instructions for certain tasks. For instance, if you want to clean and polish your leather sofa, the app will tell you that you need linseed oil and white distilled vinegar and will tell you how to create your own green solution. You will also get advice about what not to do – as well as warnings – in the “watch for” section at the end of each piece of advice.
2. Color Clix by Olympic Paint
This iTunes app allows you to “instantly match any color you see to an Olympic paintcolor.” This is profoundly useful. For instance, you can take a picture of a cabinet with your iPhone, then use the app to analyze shades and complements. Then simply identify the Olympic paint that best matches the color of the object you want repainted.
You can also use the app to save different projects (helpful if you’re repainting multiplerooms or multiple objects) and find the nearest Lowe’s (helpful if you just moved to a new neighborhood). You can also capture colors from images and find a paint shade to match a highlighted area. In the iPhone screenshot used to market the app, for instance, there is a clip of a red spectacular flower. A highlighted area on this flower correspondsto the Olympic paint shade of “Red Gumball B33-6.” The point is: just snap a picture on your iPhone, and then match a highlighted region to the best paint for your needs.
3. Home 3D
This app for iPhones and iPads allows you to refer to blueprints and home dimensions to make architecture decisions and interior design changes. Whether you need to measure wallpaper, refer to your dining room’s dimensions when deciding whether to buy a new farm table, or get a “20,000 foot view” of your home to make larger scale remodeling decisions, Home 3D can help.
You can literally build a floorplan for your home by rearranging rooms and layouts. You can change paint colors and wallpaper as well as add and subtract furniture. Essentially,it creates a three-dimensional doll house of your home or apartment. This mobile app is good for both hobbyists and professionals, and it comes with streaming videos that can guide you step-by-step as you fiddle with interior design and layout solutions.
For help with your construction and remodeling project, turn to the experts at B.A.Morrison. For over two decades, our general contractors have served the Bay Area. Learn more at www.bamorrison.com, or call now to get immediate help at 510-538-9817.
