josephsbs

Received some PM so tot I'll share the information here... Some things to consider when choosing a home safe: (a) First question must be... what do you want to protect? This will affect the size of the suitable safe; consider both internal volume and external dimensions if you've got the space for your items. If you want to put A4 sized documents such as educational/professional certificates (don't forget the size of files they're in), you'll need a safe with a reasonably large internal dimensions. If for only passports and some smallish valuables like watches and jewellery, that'll require something much smaller. (b) What level of protection you want? Need to be fire and water resistant? Or just from hands will do? All depends on your needs/wants. If you want your documents to be intact even after a house fire (touch wood), then you'll have to get those with fire/water ratings, whose internal dimensions are usually much smaller that its external size due to the thick protective walls. Fire safes are usually tested and certified to withstand a certain amount of time, such as 1/2 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, etc. at a specified temperature. In the UK the BS EN-1047 standard is set aside for data and document safes to determine their ability to withstand prolonged intense heat and impact damage. E.g. fire safes are designed to maintain an internal temperature no greater than 177 °C while in a constantly heated environment in excess of 1,000 °C. Water protection? Many fire rated safes are also rated as water resistant (not all), a benefit derived from door gaskets. These gaskets should help keep your papers from getting wet when the fire fighters douse the safe to put out the fire. For protection from hands (e.g. maids or guests), a normal security safe box would suffice. As these usually have walls of approximately 4 to 6 mm thick, they could be much smaller than a fire rated safe whose walls could easily be more than 4 cm thick, suppose if you want to put the same files and folders inside. These are of course much cheaper, less bulky but more portable than the fire rated heavy monsters. © Locking system or type of lock(s) There're many types/variations of locking systems in the market but generally, modern home safes nowadays could be summarised as follows: (i) Combination lock with key ... these are around for ages and remain one of the most secure despite their less convenient nature. I've used one of these in the past and found it a chore to "turn-n-turn turn-n-turn", sometimes wondering if I've gotten the combinations correct when safe door can't open. Another matter is, all of these come with prefixed combinations from manufacturer, and will cost a bomb if we want to customise the numbers (some manufacturers can offer that service). Good news is, many safes with these locks come with a override key (aka masterkey). But we can't possibly be using the override key all the time right? (ii) Only digital lock ... the most convenient of all as it requires only require the PIN to open, but the relatively less secure. When someone discovers your PIN (say you wrote it down somewhere like what many people do with their computer passwords), safe is no longer safe. My personal worry on such locks is, what if the digital lock unit becomes defective when we need to open the safe? No problem, says the dealers/sellers. Their technical staff can come down to open the safe and replace the defective digital lock unit, it will cost some monies and also some time. Time! How soon can they come over? One dealer even say their technical staff needs to do drilling open the door with specialised equipment, then replace the damaged door. I was like... gosh! (iii) Digital and key lock ... more secure than the "only digital" locks as these usually require both the PIN and key to open, something like the 2-factor authentication. i.e. safe can't be opened even if someone has the PIN but not the key, or found the key but doesn't know the PIN. However, we still can't open the safe when the digital lock unit becomes defective, or forgets the pin (there's a way to reset the PIN but needs to go thru a identification verification process). We need a "Lifesaver" in such situations. (iv) Digital and key locks with override key ... same as (iii) but comes with a special key that can bypass both digital and key locks. This is the "Lifesaver" when digital lock unit becomes defective, or when we forgets the PIN. Plug in the override key and we can open the door without entering the PIN. Important issue here is, the override key must be securely kept and must never be found by unauthorised persons. IMO, best to keep the override key at a secure/trusted off-site location (e.g. trusted close relative's place), in case the maid finds it while cleaning the house. That relative must not have keys to the house. (v) "Biometric" fingerprint technology ... biometric fingerprint safes uses fingerprint recognition technology to allowing easy access. Some models comes with ability to "authorise" multiple fingerprints, with variations to include a digital lock, combination lock and key, or both. Depending on security features on the safe, some could be designed for fingerprint as override access, i.e. our finger replaces the override key. Sounds really good, but this technology usually comes with a higher price tag.(d) Concealment and mounting Some people say it's very important to hide the safe and mount it securely to the wall/ground. For a smallish security safe (e.g. like those we see in hotel rooms), definitely necessary to bolt it to secured points. Else the safe becomes a portable box where someone could simply remove it, then settle to problem of opening the safe at their premises. Same applies to safe that weighs just few tens of kg, where they can be easily removed by hand and a trolley. It's probably a different story for those large sized and very heavy fire safes. Take the ESD-105K for example, it has an external dimension of 72cm x 50cm x 57cm, and weights 130kg when empty (heavier when loaded). Physically, it is too big to hid inside a normal wardrobe/closet unless we customise the furniture to fit it in. Hiding the big and heavy monster is also quite a challenge, especially in a HDB flat. Some people hide it inside the storeroom, some inside the kitchen, some in the bedroom while some simply place it at the corner of living room. But if we hide it totally out of sight, it may become very inconvenient for our own access. Furthermore, a burglar would have searched every room and open every piece of furniture when he/she breaks into a HDB flat, it isn't that big a property. It's probably much easier to hid it in a semi-detached or detached property or a bungalow where more space is available for "hide-n-seek". Weighing at least 130kg when loaded, it'll probably require at least 2-3 strong men with a heavy duty trolley to remove the safe. In such situation, mounting the safe becomes recommended but not critical. The safe could be placed on the floor, placed against and mounted to the wall if desired. (e) What's your budget? Last but not least, how much are you willing to pay for the protection you want? A simple and small safe box for small items like passports and some jewellery could cost <$50 at places like NTUC or Giant, while a larger fire for A4 sized documents safe could easily set you back by around $1000, and more depending on size, protection, locking system and brand. There's no standard or correct formula, a lot depends on your needs and how much you're willing to spend. Have fun shopping

back to share my findings over the past few weeks of search and running around... for those who are looking for the same thing Diplomat fire safe... http://www.grupp.com.sg/index.php/?product_cat=safe-diplomat-electronic-safe went down to a shop selling lots of Diplomat safe at Toa Payoh Central, claims to be part of GRUPP. quite a few safes there with a few brands (including Next and Premier). bad news is, none of their digital safes has override key feature. sales staff told me most digital fire safe don't come with override key, including all of theirs. sigh... left disappointed. Yale fire safe... http://yalesecuritypoint.sg/digital/safe-box.html went down to a few places like Mustafa, NTUC, etc. and didn't see what I wanted. called Yale seller Teck Tai Hardware and was told by their sales staff that none of Yale fire safe has override key feature. sigh... disappointed, cos i kinda like this brand. Hercules fire safe... http://www.herculesafe.com/office-digital-safes-box.html checked out their website information, don't seem to mention anywhere that their safes come with override keys. didn't call them to confirm though. SentrySafe... saw a few models at SelfFix DIY shop and also checked the internet. seems like SentrySafe has some models that fit my requirements but not brought into Singapore. Savco fire safe... http://www.savco.com.sg/ (website under construction) saw a few of these at SelfFix DIY at Jurong Point... ok, now i'm excited cos sales staff told me both savco combi and digital fire safes comes with override key. too bad there wasn't a didital model there to confirm, but that's already great news. went online to search for savco's website, it's currently down so gotta call their sales number... hooray! sales staff confirmed the good news and gave me a list of places (including Causeway Point & IMM) i could see their safes savco "in person". they're currently running a promotion till 30 Nov (tomorrow). ok, sure, will definitely go check them out. found them at IMM, their small booth is located near Burger King. heh heh... confirmed! savco's digital fire safes comes with override keys and quality is not bad too. current promo is 20% discount from RRP. think i've done enough running around so mai-tu liow... reserved one on the spot... whahahaha still contemplating whether to get the ESD680K or 105K... hmmm. must decide by tomorrow extra note: someone asked me whether I've considered buying online from Amazon or Qoo10. hmmm... personally, i'm not comfortable buying something so expensive and this huge from online shops, plus worried about aftersales service. what if lock is defective, can't possibly send it back for servicing right.

Hi All, I'm looking for a fire resistant safe with digital lock with the following qualities: Fire resistant for 1 (or more) hourInternal volume big enough to store files/folders holding my whole family's certificates and important documents, and some valuables (planning to hire a maid soon)Electronic/digital lockOverride key (some called it masterkey)Local warrantyAnyone has lobangs and recommendations? I've checked out some of the popular brands and websites, seems like most digital fire safes don't come with override keys. All their sales staff told me digital safes don't come with override keys nowadays, unlike the traditional combination lock ones. They say if digital lock spoil, can engage the vendor's technical staff to help open/replace the defective part. What I'm afraid is, what if lock sway sway spoil on the day (or day before) I'm flying out and can't get vendor to come timely? My thought is, problem solved if got override key :-) What's your views on the override key?

it depends on how you'll be using it ... do consider the following: a) how many outlets the heater will be supplying to? general rule, more outlets needs bigger tank to cater for times when multiple outlets are used at same time. imagine a tank having to supply hot water for someone bathing at both bathrooms, someone washing dishes at basin, etc. b) how many people using it? if only 2 (just husb & wife), then maybe a smallish one like 25L would do. if bigger family (e.g. 5 or 6 persons) and likely that >1 bathrooms may be drawing hot water at same time, then suggest the 35L as the water may not heat up fast enough to supply both bathrooms, may end up with uneven temp like what we experience in some small hotels. c) where and how big a space you have to mount the heater? sharing my personal experience... i started with a really small 15L Tecno water heater as it was intended to supply hot water to only the rain shower set in my HDB flat's master bathroom; common bathroom serviced by an instant heater (also as a backup) and there's only 2 of us. on hind sight, i should have paid a little more for a better and bigger heater. i sometimes find myself experiencing uneven water temp and to make things worse, the heater broke down in less than 2 years, water was leaking out badly from the body. called/emailed Tecno about the problem and was told the 5 years warranty does not cover the gasket which "broke", repairs costs about $160+. Tecno then offered a replacement unit (same model) at discounted price since it is not economical to repair the $200 heater. decided that I've had enough and turned down the offer. what's next? bought the Jovan JH25HE from Jerone at $235 and had it installed for $100; been using it for 1½ weeks. although we can't compare water capacity since they are 10L apart, the 2 heaters have a clear distinct diff... water heats up faster and is hotter from the Jovan. previously, i had to turn the mixer more towards the "hot" side (more flow from hot source) to get my desired temp. now, mixer is turned more towards the "cold" side. in fact, i'm thinking of tapping the Jovan for hot water to my common bathroom's shower. hmmm... DIY project? bottom line is, i should have paid another $35 to get the Jovan 25L instead of buying the 15L for $200 in the first place. now hoping that the Jovan will last longer, i'ld be happy at around 6-8 years.

lightings for my house are from 2 places... lightings.com.sg and Chan Huat (chanhuat.com.sg). no regrets paying a little more for philips products ^_^

could there be some misunderstanding somewhere? any supporting document of agreed price? i purchased a vacuum cleaner from them at "special" price, no issue; collected the item myself since their shop is near my workplace. item was listed on their webby at $328 but GAB quoted me $315, so i asked them to "match or lower" via email. received reply a day later and was offered $300... bought as agreed.

happen to pop into this thread... decided to put in my few cents of comments to start of, i'm a satisfied customer of country haven. over the past few months, i've bought from them (Rail Mall outlet) a tv console for slightly less than 900 bucks, a small round table for 100 bucks, ordered 2 customised bedside tables for around 400 bucks (est. delivery in Jul), and probably more to follow. as for Burmese teak, prices have skyrocketed so i wouldn't dream of getting my hands on them with my limited budget ^_^ in October 2012, the Myanmar Ministry of Forestry announced that it will ban the export of raw teak from 2014 onwards. official reasons for the ban are due to an increase in deforestation in Myanmar, which has reduced the country’s forested land from 57% in the 1960s to 24% in 2008, also an attempt to increase exports of higher-earning finished products rather than just raw wood. despite the ban starting in 2014, prices have started to rise, with suppliers stockpiling supplies in anticipation of impending shortfalls. prices are likely to go even higher when the ban kicks in because the legislation will enable Myanmar-based businesses to charge premium prices for the labour involved in milling and finishing their teak, rather than simply selling the raw log at a much lower cost. in other words, be prepared to pay much more than if you want real Burmese teak furniture... not me. imo, country haven's products can be priced at current levels becos it uses cheaper (also youngish) Indonesian teak. that's good for consumers like me who want teak furniture but at more reasonable prices. imo, finishing of their furniture are also rather decent.

PE was engaged through our reno contractor... cost $2.5k we spoke/liaised with Mr Steven Loh, HP 91836775, loh_steven@hotmail.com Civil PE (Qualified Person for structural work) is Mr Chin Chee Wai Aggies Engineering ServicesBlk 446 Hougang Ave 8 #B1-1635 Singapore 530446 Tell: 9005 6642, Fax: 6287 9853, Email: aggiesengr@yahoo.com.sg jobs covered (shown in invoice): a. Submission to BCA for structural plan approval and application of permit to commence work b. Include BCA plan processing fee c. Include part-time RE/RTO fee d. Under the new Regulations, contractor is to obtain in-principle approval from HDB (BO) before QP submission to BCA

wallpapers are from The Wall Story, got many outlets around singapore http://www.thewallstory.com.sg/ frankly, their prices are on the high side... i paid $450 nett per roll, inclusive of workmanship.

my ID/contractor settled for me... i just tell him what i want and what size http://www.m-image.biz/gallery.html

It's true that the "in colour" at the moment are black and white, with "wood" (teak, walnut, mahogany, cherry, etc) being the "classics". If you want something more modern, you'll probably have to get your carpenters to customise it. This way, you can have a wide variety of laminate designs and colours. Apart from how the thingy looks, are you particular about the material used and finishing? Personally, I'm particular, and looking mainly at solid wood construction type. My old TV console from V**** is not of solid wood and the section below the HDD recorder started to "sag" after few months. The quality of laminate used is also sub-standard. I'm also looking for a TV console now, but for something woody that fits my living room (see my other post) ... my wifey doesn't like certain shades of "wood" (e.g. walnut) so the hunt got a little more tricky... most likely settling for a teak piece. As for mounting on wall, it's really popular nowadays cos it kinda save space plus mount is usually given FOC. Personally, I don't like the idea as it restricts me from shifting the "spot" every now and then. Well, it's a personal preference too.

Here's another gadget to be added to the house... Brinno PHV1330 bought from Amazon.com and shipped via HopShopGo. According to Express shipment, package should be arriving this Friday, in time for CNY... yippie I'm not using any of the optional sensors but still chose the PHV1330 over the cheaper PHV1325 cos the screen is bigger at 3" Had dropped the idea earlier but wifey didn't like having to strain her back when using the existing normal lens peephole. Considered relocating the peehole to a higher location but have issues: (a) doorway's level is like 5" lower than our interior so having the peephole too high mean compromising the proper view of upper body of visitor standing outside. Having a wide angle lens is to allow us to see both the face and upper body, isn't it? (b) drilling another peephole means we've gotta patch up the old hole. We're only using lacquer over the wooden door and there'll be a "round mark" with a different shade. Solution: get a digital view lor

It's been a looooong day... and our pockets are bleeding badly from the day of shopping Went shopping at Vivo, Harbourfront, and finally Parkway Parade where we bought the most items, Isetan is having some sales there. Bought some WMF stuffs at Isetan, such as... WMF Quality One 4pcs set BTW, we were told by the sales staff that this set is made in China and not Germany. We're OK with it since the quality looks very decent still; gotta trust WMF's QC loh. Even iPhone I'm using also MIC mah... hahahaha WMF Spitzenklasse 6-Piece Knife Block Set There's a similar set with a bread knife instead of the scissor. We chose this set cos we thought the scissor is more useful to us than the bread knife. WMF Set 24 Cromargan cutlery set Actually wanted to get the Set 30 (difference is 6 pieces of cake forks) which I saw a few days ago but too bad, all sold out (even the display set). Wifey was initially hesitant to buy this but after comparing its prices with the set we "combine" ourselves from the rack (also 6 sets of table spoon, table fork, table knife & teaspoon) , we thought the Set 24 is a good deal at just a little more. WMF Black Line Tin Opener

The Kitchen... Simple layout... long and straight. Decided to keep it simple with only the bottom cabinet. At the end of the kitchen (service balcony), I have a LG WFT9561DD (9.5kg) top load washing machine to serve my laundry needs. Actually wanted a front load but wifey prefers a top load At this end, we have a Panasonic NR-BY602 2 door fridge; we thought the bottom freezer serves us better since we'll be using it less often. At the top right corner of the bomb shelter's door is a KDK M40CS 16" wall fan to provide some airflow when it gets warm in the kitchen. If you're also thinking of having a wall fan, my recommendation is to get your contractor to install a built-in wall switch (like those you use to switch on your lights) at a convenient spot and control the fan from there instead of using a remote; I have mine installed next to the switch for hood. 1stly, we don't have to keep the power on all the time; 2ndly don't have to worry about losing the remote control; 3rdly more cool than the normal electric socket; 4thly the fan is cheaper When I saw the kettle, immediately decided to buy it cos it has got orange color sections on it, very matching with my bottom cabinet... hahahaha. In fact, we're considering whether to buy the orange series of Meyer cookware. But quite worried that the orange color paintwork will come off in short time. Service balcony... due to its long-n-narrow layout, my bamboo sticks could only be about 2.05m long, unless if we want to hand them along with the kitchen's length... no no

The Rooms... Master Bedroom has 2 walls with wallpaper (also done this afternoon). Yup, also from The Wall Story. I've postponed the deliver for our King-sized bed so that the workers have more working space; means our bed will come only after CNY... sigh Wardrobe cum working room... we've converted a room to house a 11+ feet long built-in wardrobe and remaining space will be used as working room. Will be buying this table to add into the working room ^_^

It's been a long time since I last updated this blog... here're some photos ^_^ Main gate... I saw this gate design at my brother's block (one of his neighbors) and like it very much. After considering whether it could fit with my reno "theme", decided to snap a shot and asked my contractor to make it happen... no regrets Living room... Wallpaper installers just got the "stone walls" done up this afternoon. Those who have visited The Wall Story, you'ld probably find the stone wall familiar... cos it's from them Still looking for a suitable/matching TV console and the 5.1 sound system not up yet. Got myself a Philips HTS5583 5.1 3D Blu-ray HTS. Big clock and nostalgic wall lamp to enhance the feel I wanted Simply love the feel of the cozy corner... guess I'll be lazing around the platform quite often ^_^ Dining area: it's a real pity the mirror could not be of 1 single piece; contractor said can't make it into the lift and house... sigh

I'm shopping around for some knives for my new kitchen and my friends introduced to me some brands, including this seems to be very renown brand called 阳江十八子作. Suggested idea is to pay <$100 (including shipping) to get a high end China brand instead of a low end European/US brand. One thing about western sets is they seldom come with a cleaver (aka chopper), something I need Went to Taobao.com and saw a few interesting sets but wondered if anyone here has used them before and could provide some useful feedback on their quality. e.g. http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.286.92eGZ5&id=16565180657 http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.294.7lSxUI&id=15523455539 any reviews/feedback?

basically, you need to have an picture of what exactly you want to do and how you want your home to look like (decide on a theme), instead of leaving it the IDs. all of them will have different opinions and recommendations, thus recommending different jobs and use different materials. -It is totally impossible for me to compare apple to apple ... only if you fix the "parameters" of the renovation -Everything they said all make sense ... yup, don't forget they're salesmen too. the more items they convince you to do, the more they will earn from your project. but think deeper, are those sound nice stuffs what you want? -some advice me to hack, some ask me not to as doing budget stuff ... if on budget, don't hack. think you'll have to piece it back up when you sell the property. -1 single item can have 4 to 5 different quote ... some will tell you things like this is of higher quality, that is from more reliable brand. you'ld have to do some homework and decide on one, considering your budget constraint. -some have only 30 items for my reno, and some come out to 70 items for the same house ... you have to check whether the items are the same things; some puts more details so that they can break up the big price into smaller prices, some will simply lump up an overall price. personally, i prefer items to be clearly spelled out for less ambiguity. be careful of hidden items, later they tell you this and that not included then jialat liow. what i did was to list down clearly with details (including materials and design for some specific items), item by item, job by job in the WHOLE renovation project and ask the various contractors to quote based on that list. e.g. plastering of walls for whole room, painting whole room with Nippon easywash with teflon paint (5 coluors), quartz table top (i specified it must be caesarstone), ceramic wall tiles for toilets and kitchen (approx $3.50 psf), parquet platform, glass door for master bathroom door, etc etc. those non-standard jobs or those that needs external contractors (e.g. system 4 aircon) are classified separately so that the quotes for the common job items may be reasonably compared. if don't want to fix the parameters, then just go for the one that is within your budget and which gives you the best feel

very likely leak is due to "defective" cartridge inside... manufacturing fault, improper installation, etc. 2 possible ways to fix: (a) change the cartridge (b) change the whole faucet the faucet looks quite new... bought recently? any warranty? if bought after 1 Sep 2012, can ask vendor to change or repair under "Lemon Law" which took effect from 1 Sep 2012. do approach your vendor and see what they can do to help you fix it. if over the Lemon or warranty period, can consider buying the cartridge from vendor and DIY. do a search in YouTube and you'll see lots of "how to" guides, seems not difficult.

can consider buying from china webby... such as TaoBao.com and TMall.com http://www.taobao.com/index_global.php http://www.tmall.com/ 2 ways to buy: (1) liaise directly with seller (2) get a "rep company" located in Singapore to buy on behalf 2 of the popular rep companies are: "65 Daigou" http://www.65daigou.com "Peeka" http://buy4u.peeka.sg/

haha yalo some pp like sweet durians, some like them bitter, while some don't even dare go near... each or us have our own preferences ba how new is your unit? if your unit is handed over by HDB after 1 Jul 2007, then you can't change from casement to sliding le... new rule says change has to be of same type, design and colour scheme. i.e. casement to casement, sliding to sliding. see my post #14 and HDB website. your contractor may say can and no problem, but when things go wrong, it is the home owner that's responsible, not the contractor.

my very simple "no frills" kitchen: * long bottom cabinet with Caesarstone quartz top * Rinnai hood and hob * under mount sink master bathroom vanity: simple & functional common bathroom WC and wall/floor tiles: * the door is a simple aluminium bi-fold door on the left wash basin, there shall be a tall storage cabinet (from IKEA), but not yet decided whether it should have a mirror or not. above the wash basin, there shall be a simple, nice and cheap mirror, also from IKEA:

glass doors... entrance to kitchen: mainly to keep the living room cool when a/c is running * i'm still thinking of whether (and what) to paste on the glass panels to prevent pp from walking into the transparent glass panels. * did you notice that a/c piping is not visible? yup, the pipes run straight thru' the wall and inside the room behind it. swee swee. entrance to master bathroom: the door is of clear glass instead of frosted (heard that it is harder to maintain), with stickers pasted to provide the privacy. hey! i can change design whenever i feel like it. inside master bathroom: * the tiles... i simply love them!!! it was like "we've gotta get them" when i saw them at Sim Bee Huat; both my wifey and myself think alike on these tiles. * you don't see the pipes (for hot & cold water) to the rain shower right? that's becos they're running on the other side of the wall (in common bathroom). yes, the storage heater is also mounted in the common toilet.

it's be quite a while since i update this thread... been really busy and also becos the reno was delayed due to the lengthy procedures required by HDB for changing the full-height windows **** room btw, we had to fork out another $2.5k to engage a PE to help us do the drawings with is "chop" and get BCA's approval for the new windows's design/specs. my new windows... notice that i've made the following changes: * gotten rid of all the small top hung sections at the top (original HDB windows' design) * bedrooms 2 & 3 now have casement windows (without top hung section) instead of sliding windows (original HDB windows' design) at the kitchen & service balcony: at the master bedroom: double glazed window to keep the aircon compressor's running noise out (the other casement window not shown) notice that i've gotten the a/c piping to run at the top, skirting the ceiling (previously running below as most installers would do). they look so much nicer and do not obstruct furniture placements. at bedroom 2: sliding windows changed to casement windows i've converted this room into a study room with a huge 11+" long wardrobe at bedroom 3: sliding windows changed to casement windows