By Maid Sailors Construction • General Information 0 Comments

How to Build a Temporary Wall in an Apartment

It’s not an uncommon practice, especially in urban apartment rentals, for tenants to add temporary walls to their living spaces. A temporary wall is most often used to “split” one bedroom into two smaller bedrooms, but there are many other potential uses for a temporary wall as well.

If you’re interested in adding a temporary wall in your living space, you may be wondering whether this is a project you can take on yourself. Depending on your level of skill with carpentry and the availability of tools/supplies, you may be able to build your own wall. In other cases, it may make more sense to hire a professional.

Benefits of Temporary Walls

There are many advantages to adding a temporary wall to your living space. If you’re like most people living in a big city, you’re a renter. This means you cannot make permanent structural changes to your living space. A temporary wall allows you the freedom to change up the layout of your apartment without making permanent structural changes in the process. In most cases, a temporary wall can be easily dismantled without damage when you move out.

If you have roommates, adding a temporary wall can provide you and others with more privacy. For example, you could add a temporary wall between your shared bathroom shower and the sink/vanity, which would allow one person to shower privately while another person uses the remainder of the bathroom to get ready.

In some cases, a temporary wall could even add an extra bedroom to your living space. This can be done by sectioning off a part of the existing common area or even dividing a large bedroom into two smaller ones. The end result here is that more people are able to comfortably live inside the apartment and have their own space. And when you consider high rental prices in big city markets, the ability to create your own two-bedroom apartment with the rent of a one-bedroom can save you (and your roommates) a lot of money.

Before You Build…

Excited to add a temporary wall to your rental? Before you do, there are a couple things you need to prioritize.

Check Your Lease Agreement

Start by checking your rental agreement to see if there are any rules against adding temporary walls to your dwelling. You may need to get explicit permission from your landlord or property manager to add even temporary walls; if this is the case, be sure to get that permission in writing (either in the form of an e-mail you can save and print or a physical letter). The last thing you want is to violate the terms of your lease by adding a wall that is not permitted, which could result in the termination of your lease or inability to recoup your security deposit.

Decide on What You Need

As you explore possibilities for adding a temporary wall in your apartment, you’ll need to make some decisions regarding not only the placement of the wall, but other components as well. For example, if your temporary wall will be used to create an additional bedroom, then you’ll probably need to factor in space for a separate door/entrance.

What about creating a multi-purpose wall? Some temporary walls can be built with shelving so that you can enjoy added storage space in addition to creating a separate room in your rental. Take some time to consider just how extravagant you want to get with your wall design before moving forward.

Temporary Wall Options

When it comes to adding a temporary wall to your existing living space, you can either build the wall yourself or hire a professional for help.

Build One Yourself

This option is only recommended if you have some experience with carpentry and working with power tools. This method is also best if you’re only looking to add a wall and don’t need additional accessories, such as doors or shelving. It’s also important, again, that you get written permission from your landlord before completing this project because it does involve some drilling into joists.

To build your own wall, you’ll need:

  • a power drill and circular saw
  • a stud finder
  • wood screws
  • two-by-fours and corkboard sheets
  • a tape measure

Begin by measuring the distance from the floor of your apartment to the ceiling; this will tell you how long you’ll need your two-by-fours to be cut. Subtract a couple of inches from this measurement to account for the horizontal support you will install on the ceiling. You can cut these yourself or have them cut to size at your local home improvement store for added convenience.

Next, cut and drill the horizontal supports into the ceiling; these are where you will drill your vertical two-by-fours into place using wood screws every two feet. When installing horizontal supports, make sure you’re drilling into the joists and not directly into the ceiling drywall.

Once the framing of the wall is complete, drill individual pieces of corkboard into the studs to complete your wall. You can use drywall if you’d prefer, but this will be more costly and difficult to remove. You can spruce up the appearance of a corkboard wall by hanging stylish wallpaper, artwork, or even using inexpensive contact paper to create a unique design.

Hire a Professional

If you’re not so comfortable with the idea of building your own wall, consider hiring a professional to do the work for you. There are a number of temporary wall installation companies that will not only build a temporary wall for you but remove it free-of-charge when your lease is up. These companies can often accommodate special requests, such as adding windows, doors, and even soundproofing as needed.

Some companies even offer temporary wall solutions that can be installed without nails or screws, which may be easier to get your landlord on-board with. These are known as non-pressurized walls and typically don’t run entirely from the floor to the ceiling, but can still be effective at separating space for an additional bedroom or another purpose.

Enjoying Your Refreshed Space

Adding a temporary wall to your apartment or office can be a great way to enhance privacy and even increase the potential to bring in more roommates (and cut down on your share of rent!). Just be sure to always get permission from your landlord or property manager before moving forward with a wall project.

Once your new wall is up, you can further enjoy your new space by hiring a professional cleaning service to handle everything from dusting and vacuuming to mopping and sanitizing. Contact Maid Sailors today to book your first apartment cleaning or office cleaning with our certified professionals!

By Maid Sailors Cleaning Tips • Construction • New York City • NYC 5 Comments

How Do I Throw Out A Mattress In NYC?

You and your mattress have had a good, long run. A lot of dreams and memories. But, now it’s lumpy. Maybe it’s got a few weird stains that you can’t even identify, or a sunken spot you can’t stop rolling into. Maybe you haven’t been sleeping so well on it lately. Or, maybe it’s just old and you know you need to let it go before some of these developments occur. But, who even knows the best way to dispose of a mattress in NYC? That’s pretty random knowledge. So, now what?

Why Is It Necessary To Throw Out a Mattress?

You can’t keep it forever. The mattress has been through a lot. It’s got to go. For one thing, think of the weight a mattress gains over the year, from mites, mite droppings, human dead skin particles, body oil and moisture. An Ohio State University study has published findings that indicate a shockingly hefty amount of poundage is added to a mattress over a ten-year period. Yuck!

There are also increasingly significant sleep-quality issues that can develop from a mattress that’s lost its integrity. Those can lead to quality-of-life consequences, making updating your mattress gradually a higher priority.

Benefits of Throwing Out an Old Mattress — Stuffing in an old, worn mattress can lose its elasticity, causing back, neck and hip pain, and sleep difficulties that can lead to reduced energy, irritability, loss of focus and poor performance. Throwing away and replacing an old mattress:

  • Improves sleep quality
  • Contributes to improved efficiency and mood
  • Helps protect overall health

Disadvantages of Throwing Out Your Mattress — People in the city who find themselves faced with disposing of an old mattress and replacing it with a new one discover that it’s not the quick and simple task they had once naively assumed it would be. Plus, a new mattress isn’t cheap. Disposing of a mattress means:

  • A time-consuming and laborious disposal process
  • Learning all the rules and protocols for mattress disposal in NYC
  • Parting with a lot of money for a new mattress

Throwing Out Your Mattress In The Big Apple

Getting rid of a mattress in New York City is a little more involved than just dragging it out to the curb. The rules for NYC garbage disposal of such big objects are stricter than you might expect, especially for mattresses. Rules for getting rid of used mattresses in the city aren’t just about loading large items onto the sidewalks. There are also regulations set up to help prevent widespread bedbug infestations. Yikes! Who would have thought about that! Compliance can actually be kind of challenging.

Rules About Throwing Out Mattresses In NYC

Mattress disposal is governed by the City of New York Department of Sanitation ( DSNY), and they have some strict rules about it. They’ll come and collect the old mattress for you when you leave it on the curb. But, you’re responsible for making sure that it’s sealed up properly in special mattress bag or covering. That’s to help prevent the spread of bedbugs throughout the densely populated NYC boroughs.

The DSNY doesn’t provide the bags or covers you’ll need, so you’re on your own finding a bag acceptable for the purpose. They’re available at some moving supply businesses, and home improvement and department stores.

What’s Involved in Throwing Out A Mattress In NYC?

If your mattress is under 4 ft. x 3 ft. in size, you can simply bag it and put it out on the curb for collection. You don’t need an appointment. However, if it’s larger than that, you need to schedule with the DSNY to have it picked up.

Next, you bag up the big unwieldy mattress, and the box springs too, if that’s your plan, and lug them both down to the curb, only after 4pm on the evening prior to the scheduled pickup date.

You must also ensure that the mattress is not placed in a way that impedes sidewalk pedestrian traffic, or that allows it to stick out into the street, or that imposes on neighbors’ properties. Failing to comply with one of the requirements, whether it’s improperly bagging the mattress, or placing it on the curb wrong, can cause you to get multiple citations and fines from the city.

Scheduling Mattress Disposal

Trying to work with the DSNY to set a pickup date can create real complications for people on tight schedules. Appointments may have to be scheduled 3 or 4 weeks in advance. That can leave you stuck paying an extra month of extra rent, if you can’t dispose of the mattress in time to meet your move-out date. Not a small price to pay at NYC rent rates.

Appointments are not available on City holidays. If collection is suspended during snow operations, appointments for pickup are also not possible. For a next-day pickup appointment, you must schedule with the DNSY before midnight on the previous day.

Don’t Accidentally Commit Mattress Disposal Crime

The City does not like bedbugs. In its mission to keep them from spreading, people are fined for improperly disposing of mattresses and box springs. To avoid a $100 fine, you must seal your mattress and/or box springs in a plastic cover or bag, before you put it on the curb for collection. You can get large plastic bags at department stores, home improvement stores, and moving supply centers.

Painless Option For Getting Rid Of A Mattress

As you can see, Option A—doing all the work yourself to get rid of a mattress—is not looking very good. It’s long. It’s laborious. It’s predictably frustrating. There’s even risk of unintentionally committing mattress crime, by making a mistake that results in citations. Ugh. So much time and money, tracking down the approved bagging materials, struggling to seal and carry a huge, hard-to-manage mattress, and trying to get a reasonable curbside pickup date, and making sure every rule is obeyed. It’s a lot.

Take heart. There’s a better way to get rid of a mattress in New York. You don’t have to go through all of the researching, shopping, bagging, scheduling, using brute force and worrying about the law. Instead, you can dispose of your mattress with just one quick phone call.

At Maid Sailors, we know how inconvenient it is for city residents to have to turn your attention to dealing with the whole affair of getting rid of an unwanted mattress. We recommend hiring well-trained technicians that provide white-glove removal service for mattresses or pretty much any other large waste items you need to have hauled away. Maid Sailors can then help to sweep and clean up the area afterward too.

To save yourself a pain in your back and risk to your wallet from fines, just call a mattress removal specialist to come and get your old mattress out of your life in a hurry! Completely painless and drama-free.

Reporting A Mattress Violation

If you see uncovered mattresses or box springs that’s been dumped somewhere in the city, you can call to have it picked up. If it has been illegally dumped, you are not required to seal it in an approved plastic cover or bag for collection. But, you’ll need to call 311 to request to have it picked up.

Why You Need A Cleaning Company

Maid Sailors is one of NYC’s premier cleaning services. We provide residents throughout all five boroughs with the full range of NYC cleaning services that you need to live your best life in the city. We offer regular cleaning, deep cleaning, organizing, laundry service, green/eco-friendly cleaning, move-out cleaning, Air BNB turn-around cleaning, and office cleaning. Call Maid Sailors NYC at (212) 299-5170 anytime, to discuss your cleaning service needs.

By Sam Simon Construction • Do It Yourself 0 Comments

5 Ways to Upgrade Your Home (Like A Pro)

It’s safe to say that homeowners are more conscious of the look and ambiance of their living spaces than ever before. Maybe this new enthusiasm about interior and exterior design is a result of the assortment of television shows featuring families renovating homes or all the beautiful homes you can see on Instagram ( probably the latter). Achieving perfection is easier than ever in this hi-tech age in which we live. Additionally, you don’t even need a large budget to achieve the desired results. An upgrade can be as simple as installing glass doors between the patio or planting a tree. There are endless ways to give your home a dream makeover. Read ahead for Maid Sailors’ 5 best ways to upgrade your home while preserving your budget.

1. Transparency

Accentuating space and openness will save your common areas from feeling gloomy and confining. One simple way to facilitate this effect is to use doors and screens that roll along tracks to divide rooms. Better than walls, they can be adjusted to accommodate interactions between guests or allow more light. You can also energize a room by installing a window in the ceiling to get the “heaven” effect.

2. Stainless Steel

Nothing communicates our contemporary love affair with functionality better than kitchens full of stainless steel. They’re smooth, slick and luminous. They epitomize luxury. You don’t have to have a luxury budget, however, to incorporate this expensive material. Stainless steel surfaces come with adhesive backing that you can peel off and stick to counters and old appliances. They give your home an instant facelift. They upgrade your kitchen in more ways than just visually: sponges glide over stainless steel, so having steel helps you to keep your cooking areas free of ketchup stains and greasy fingerprints.

3. Radiant Heating

A common feature of traditional Asian home design, heated floors are holistic. They provide ample warmth and comfort during the frosty months of winter that radiators and baseboard heaters cannot. Furthermore, you can say goodbye to cold feet. The principle is simple. Install pipes flowing with hot water below the floors of your home. Unless you have a plumbing background, you’ll have to watch videos that provide instruction on how to do it yourself. Another way to avoid the cost of hiring a company to do the work is to buy a system at your local home improvement store that comes with an in-depth manual written for non-heating specialists. In any case, have no fear! There are a growing number of these DIY products on the market.

4. Lighting

Motion sensors respond to body heat. When they detect someone, the lights come on. When no one’s there, the lights go off, creating a solution to those rooms of your home where forgetful family members leave lights on needlessly. Having motion sensors also lowers the costs of your monthly electricity bills. There’s definitely a cool factor to lights that come on and go off by themselves, but energy friendly homes are considerably more attractive to buyers, so they’re a sound investment. Dimmers put another spin on having further lighting control. They enable you to lower or raise light at degrees that fit your mood. They create subtlety. They also allow you to adjust your lights to match color and design schemes. The best interior decorators believe that creatively applied lighting is as essential to your home as furniture.

5. Terra Cotta Tiles

They’re the essence of rustic. They personalize a bathroom, kitchen, patio or even driveway. They evoke classic French and Italian country homes and bring to mind earthy ranches in Santa Fe. They’re simple, yet romantic. Because they come in so many textures and designs, they showcase your home’s uniqueness and workmanship. You don’t have to go all the way out and landscape an entire area with them. Use them to Border a window or fill in a wall section. Mix and match the colors to create an exotic effect.

By now, you’ve probably realized that there’s no single definition of upgrading a home. Making both structural and design changes can offer an array of benefits. Renovating kitchens and bathrooms usually comes to mind first because these rooms are the most heavily used and undergo a lot of wear and tear, but it’s important not to underestimate the benefits of doing more nuanced home improvement work in other areas of your home. The upgrades discussed here are not only affordable but will also increase the value of your home. In any case, it’s always a good idea to book a cleaning with Maid Sailors, so we can leave your home looking brand new ( even if it isn’t).

By Guest Contributor Construction • Do It Yourself 0 Comments

6 Easy Home Investments You Can Make Right Now

A home upgrade is one of the best investments you can make. Not only can an investment complement your home’s architectural style and make your living conditions more favorable but also raises your home’s market value. However, not all home investments have the Midas touch; Maid Sailors believes you should consider the following six, time tested investment strategies.

1. Home Warranty

Home warranty companies provide coverage for various household items and appliances, including: heating and air conditioning systems, appliances, and plumbing and electrical systems. If you want a more advanced coverage for underlying items, you can pay an extra fee for optional, additional coverage. It’s paramount to obtain home warranty coverage for your appliances (especially if they’re new) ; additionally, if you’re planning on making other upgrades ( which you should), opting for a home warranty can save you thousands of dollars down the road.

2. Front Door

A new front door, depending on the design you choose, can increase the value of your home. Do you have a bulky, wooden front door? Opt for a beautiful glass door instead. Not only can a glass entrance make an irresistible, beautiful first impression, but it can also permit ample natural lighting. If you’re feeling extra frugal, all this natural light might even help you save a few dollars on your next electricity bill.

You have plenty of options when it comes to glass doors: full pane glass, half pane glass, or side glass panels. Arched windows on top of the door can also be a good choice (especially if you’re turning your house into a cathedral).

3. Laminate Flooring

If you want to elevate your floor to the next level, consider obtaining laminate flooring. Laminate flooringis self-sufficient since it doesn’t require glue to adhere to the ground. The assembly process is straightforward: the planks have basic tongues and grooves that you just slide, snap and lock together.

Laminate flooring has several advantages. First, apart from the ease of installation, it’s the installation cost itself is, on average, half as much as other types of flooring. It is durable, resists moisture, scratches, and wear and tear. Laminate flooring is easier to maintain and clean on a routine basis. If you’ve always been longing for a wooden floor but have been unable to afford it, you can “fake it ‘till you make it” by going with a faux wood laminate flooring (no one has to know!).

4. Remodel Your Bathroom

Recently, bathrooms have become a more important consideration for homeowners when considering a purchase. Given its central importance, the bathroom is probably the first place that will show signs of wear and tear in your home. This is going to sound counterintuitive, but bear with us: make your small bathroom bigger. Substitute your bathtub for a shower so that you maximize space and make your bathroom easier to clean and maintain.

According to the professionals at the National Association of Home Builders, a bathroom upgrade adds significant value to your home. Consider replacing your simple shower head with a modern shower system such as an Octo 7 shower system. The Octo 7 shower system has the following features:

• A large shower head with adjustable ball joint
• A deluxe rain head shower with a handheld spray
• A stationary shower head with six spray arms and a center spray
• A high shower arm, increasing your showering space

5. Framed Mirrors

Framed mirrors are great decorative accessories that enhance the look and feel of your house. While they are mostly hung up in dressing rooms and bathroom spaces, hanging them in your dining area or living space can be a creative solution for a stale open area. Install one that matches your style and your space and see the room transform before your eyes.

6. Toilet Seat Lifter

Sanitation issues are the biggest threats to your lifestyle. Lifting a dirty toilet seat with your hands can (theoretically) cause diseases and other infections. Stop living like this. Improve your restroom hygiene by installing a modern toilet seat lifter such as a Toilet Tabby.

Concluding Remarks

Increase the value of your home with these easy upgrades. They will give you not only a favorable environment but also a good return on investment when you decide to sell your house. Until then, let Maid Sailors maintain your handsome abode.

By Guest Contributor Construction • Do It Yourself • Home Improvement 0 Comments

5 Easy Holiday Renovation Projects

There are plenty of simple home renovation projects you can do that will improve the decor in your home and the value of your property. Imagine if you didn’t watch the game this week and took your own shot? All you need is a little motivation to tackle quick home renovation projects that will impress your visitors, and give your home the look you have always wanted it to have. Let Maid Sailors walk you through five easy slam dunk projects.

1. Sprucing Up The Kitchen 

Are you putting off kitchen renovations because you’re afraid of the costs? Here’s are a project you can easily do that’ll transform your kitchen and preserve your bank account.

Your wooden cabinets are probably begging for a replacement. Instead of speeding to the Home Depot, here’s what you can do: sand them down and paint them. Additionally, you can replace the cabinet hardware and put off the big replacement project for a better (more profitable) day. A laminate floor for your kitchen can also be successfully installed in a couple of days. Despite their simplicity, these projects will completely change the look of your kitchen, for the better.

2. Painting A Display Wall 

Let’s be honest, your living room walls have been the same color for years. You’d love to refresh them, but you just can’t commit to a replacement color. Here’s an idea: instead of painting all four walls the same color, paint three walls one color and paint the fourth wall a different color, effectively making it a display wall. You can take a little risk and hang family pictures, set up small shelves or put up anything else to add much need liveliness to your “living room” (e.g. that Picasso you bought last auction).

Choose your display wall’s color wisely. You can choose a color that will either complement the other three walls, or a contrasting color for a unique, bold look. You can consider other options such as getting a rug with the same color as the display wall and painting the ceiling the display wall color as well. To you, it’s just a display wall; to your friends, it’ll be an exclusive art exhibit.

3. Installing Patio Doors 

If you have a standard backdoor to access your backyard, then consider installing glass doors instead. With a glass door kit and some sliding door hardware, you can open up your room to more light and more access to your backyard.

While this could be the type of renovation project that requires the services of a professional contractor, but you should consider trying it yourself. With some help from online tutorial videos and experts at your local home improvement store, you can successfully install your own sliding patio door ( and thus, propelling your home into the future).

4. Adding Light And Color To Your Landscaping 

If you can dig holes, you can add luminosity to your landscaping. Solar-powered landscaping lights can be strategically placed throughout your yard to create a powerful effect that showcases your landscaping prowess. You can light up the trees in your front yard, or you can show everyone how well you trim the hedges in front of the house by lighting them at night.

To add color to your landscaping, you can plant colorful flowers along your walkways and let them bloom into beautiful landscape accents. You can also line the front of your house with colorful flowers while encircling the bases of the trees in your yard for an added effect.

5. Building Pine Closets 

Walk through the pine section in Home Depot. Close your eyes; what do you picture? What do you hear? The gentle trickle of a nearby freshwater stream? A young deer surveying the pond for fish before noticing you and subsequently speeding away? Stop putting off building pine closets right now and begin this manageable task.

All you need to do is line the insides of your current closets with pine planks to get the full effect (SURPRISE!). The look and the aroma of pine planks lining all your closets will be something that will completely change the look of your entire home. Each time you open a closet, those bright and colorful planks will make you glad you took on this quick and easy project.

Get started and watch the Instagram likes to roll on in!
You put off home renovation projects because you think they will cost too much or take too long. The truth is that there are plenty of projects you can do that will cost relatively little, take only a weekend to complete and have a significant impact on the decor of your home. These are the renovation projects you cannot put off any longer, and they are the projects that will completely change the look of your home for the better.