Category Archives: Home, Car, Yard, and Pets

Tips From Pros: Choosing The Right Awning For Your Home

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Providing shade for your backyard or front porch is one of the most important things during summer heats and there are several ways to do so. Planting a tree is the most cost-effective, some would even say the most elegant solution, however, it could take 15 to 20 years for a tree to fully matures and even then, it will cause a no small amount of additional maintenance on your property. As an alternative, some people decide to go with expensive wooden constructions or simple, cheap and inefficient method of using parasols. As a compromise, more and more people are turning towards the idea of awnings. Still, making a choice of the right awning for your home is not an easy one to make.

The location of the awning:

The first thing you need to consider when getting an awning is the location that it is about to take. Two most notable spots for an awning are just above the window or over your patio. The benefits of the awning in the first location are the fact that it protects the room from the direct sunlight, therefore resulting in a significant heat reduction.

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During the summer, this helps reduce the amount of energy spent by your AC unit in order to cool down the room. On the other hand, during the winter, you might want to get as much daylight as possible, which is why the above-window awning should, almost always, be a retractable one.

As for the awning above the patio, in a situation where you have a wooden outdoor furniture, having this protection from direct sun ray exposure may protect it in the long run. In the above-discussed winter scenario, however, it is always advised to move your outdoor furniture somewhere else.

The choice of the material:

The next major choice you will have in front of you is the one of material. Apart from determining the appearance of your awning, this choice also determines the maintenance and durability of the awning in question. When it comes to the appearance, this is not a choice that can be made standalone. You need to take into consideration the layout of your home, the façade on its exterior as well as the patio it hangs above.

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As far as the popular choices go, cotton, canvas, mesh and acrylic are the most popular choices. One last thing that the choice of the material determines is the price of the awning, while those determined can always get an appropriate solution from their local budget awnings Sydney retailers.

The shape and style:

While awnings are getting more and more popular solution for providing shade and covers in households, traditionally, they are most commonly used in front of stores or boutiques. This diversification of use for private households and businesses of various kinds has led to the situation where there are so many different shapes and styles of awnings. Rounded entrance canopy or gabled entrance canopy are most commonly used in hotels, traditional valances and quarter rounds is commonly used in front of stores. As for households, lateral arm or concave are styles that are used in most situations.

To retract or not to retract:

In the first section of this piece, we already went to length to address the advantages of retractable awnings, however, a lot of people prefer to go with fixed designs. Most common reasons for this are the fact that they are easier to install and much less likely to malfunction.

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No matter how quality the installation process was, a retractable awning still functions with a help of a specific mechanism. Now, this mechanism consists of numerous moving parts, each of which might malfunction at one point. In this situation, you probably won’t be able to immediately fix a problem but would have to look for a professional aid. In other words, while retractable awning is clearly superior in many aspects, the ease of maintenance is clearly not one of them.

Situational variables:

Finally, in some situations, it may not be so easy to make the right choice seeing as how there may be a number of situational variables one needs to take into consideration. For instance, you may, or may not, need some side panels or an awning that stands at a certain unorthodox angle. Furthermore, there may be a series of obstacles like tree branches you might need to either prune or work around. In any case, each of these variations will make the price of the installation a tad more expensive.

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At the end of the day, making the choice of the right awning for your home can be incredibly difficult, yet, there is one thing you must always take into consideration – it isn’t something you’re supposed to again for quite a long time. You see, this is one of those choices that will stick with you for years and decades afterward, which is why you need to be extra cautious while making it.

 

Safety Solution For Your Vehicle Save The Lives Of Children & Pets

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I am very excited to talk to you all today, as there has finally been a technical breakthrough in protecting children and pets from being run over by vehicles or equipment.

Our friends North of us in Canada have developed a revolutionary way of protecting people, environment, and assets. This Canadian company is called National Safety Solutions, and they have patented the Start Right Safety Device. Now that they have completed all their vigorous testing of the prototypes National Safety Solutions is proud to say that they have begun manufacturing in Vancouver, Canada.


The device operates like this; when the driver or operator of any type of vehicle jumps in and starts the engine an 85-decibel alarm sounds within 5 seconds, for those of you unsure of how loud this is, it is comparable to a food blender (88db) or a Vacuum Cleaner (70db). Once the alarm has sounded the driver knows immediately that they have forgotten to walk around the vehicle and ensure that kids or pets are not playing behind, around or even under the vehicle or leaving hazards such as bikes, or skateboards that are out of sight of the back up camera (if your vehicle has one).

With the alarm sounding, the driver turns the vehicle off and takes a small handheld Scanner and proceeds to pass the Scanner over each strategically place Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags usually on each corner of the vehicle. When you have completed these steps, the driver returns to the driver seat and turns the ignition on. The Scanner connects with a few quick beeps to the Data Logger inside the vehicle, and the alarm will not sound. This device has taken the complacency out of drivers that never look around the vehicle or the drivers that solely rely on their mirrors and back-up cameras. In our busy lives we all make a very common mistake, that is not making sure it is safe to move or vehicles. So many folks have done this and now live with the grief of being responsible for one of these horrific accidents. Nothing will ever replace the simple ‘feet on the ground’ approach to ensuring that your vehicle is safe to move.

If you could take a minute to check out KIDSANDCARS.org http://www.kidsandcars.org/ you will see just how often this really happens. I am sure many people have said ‘It would never happen to me’, ‘I have a back up camera’ or ‘I checked my mirrors I know it is safe to go’! How many of us really think about if it is safe to move our vehicles? I know I look for the obvious when sitting in the driver’s seat but after following up with the website of KIDSANDCARS.org, I now realize how big the blind spots really are while sitting in my vehicle. This has been a huge eye opener for me, therefore I envision this safety device to be on all types of vehicles and equipment, from personal vehicles, school buses, government cars and trucks, as well as many industrial and commercial applications.

The folks at National Safety Solutions tell me that if there is enough interest in their product within the USA then they will begin manufacturing the Start Right Safety Device right here in America. It is always nice to say, ‘Made in America’ and not somewhere offshore. When you follow up with this great product, you will contact Byron@nsslca.com and use the promo code: B2018K01T which will entitle you to a promotional discount on your purchase. The best part about this whole concept is that we can prevent so many horrific incidents for under $725.00 CND. With the Promo discount and exchange rate it will be approximately $500.00 USD or possibly less. Now that is what I call inexpensive peace of mind.

This product is an exciting and innovative resource that we all can utilize to help protect our children, grandchildren, pets, our fellow workers, and our property and assets. If you have been, or know someone that has ever been, impacted by this type of incident please share this with them as you could be that person that has helped prevent the next life changing event.

How To Choose Furniture For Small Spaces

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So you’ve scored a place to live, which is a massive achievement in today’s times, but you still need to furnish and decorate. Maybe you’ve resorted to small space living, or maybe you just have a small room you want to make use of, either way, choosing furniture for small spaces is a difficult task. Here are some tips to furnishing the space you have, no matter how small.

Use the perimeter of your room

It seems obvious, but so many people skip out on this. Mount your television to the wall, so you don’t waste floor space on a cabinet or table to hold it up. You can also find wall mounted shelves which, honestly, are lifesavers.  Another good option is to purchase tall dressers and bookshelves to make the most of your wall space.

 

Go multifunctional


Multifunctional furniture for small spaces is a great way to save room in your home. Your beds and couches are usually the most space-consuming pieces of furniture in your home. It’s an all too familiar scenario: You walk into an empty room thinking it’s reasonably big until you throw a bed into it and realise how little floor space you have. Take advantage of this and buy beds and couches with storage underneath. This way you can re-purpose otherwise wasted space, saving room elsewhere in the house.

 

Though it can be more expensive, modular furniture is also a stellar way to save room. This can be particularly exciting for parents with creative children, as you can teach them about the functionality of space and let them get creative with designing it themselves.


Small Space Solution Sunroom Corner with Built-In Beds.

Photo Source Design Folly, Flickr.

Control your light


A classy and elegant way to transform a space is with light. Unless you’re a photographer, lighting is probably something you rarely think about in your day to day life. But the truth is, we go about the day being constantly manipulated by light. It changes the way we feel. For instance, people tend to feel happy and safe in sunny and warm areas, or suspicious and uneasy in dark and shadowy areas. This is why you can completely change the way your home feels with something as simple as blinds, as you can take complete control over the lighting in your home. On top of that, you can purchase dimmable lamps and various bulbs, small furniture for small spaces that puts you in control of the room’s mood.

Re-evaluate your furniture

 

How much of your stuff do you actually need? Once you start breaking down the purpose of furniture in your home, you can really start to consider whether you need it or not. I have a cousin that always complains about how little space he has for his kids to play around in. He has a large coffee table right in the middle of the room, taking up an enormous amount of ‘playable space’ but he never actually uses the table. He’s too scared of scratching it up or getting burn marks on the wood. Once I asked him why he even needs the table and his response was so he can store his magazines. I never saw anyone in his family touch those magazines once! Instead of children using the space to play and learn, he decided to waste it on storing magazines he didn’t even read. Your scenarios may not be as ridiculous as that, but I guarantee if you go through your house and mentally break down all of the furniture you have, what it’s purpose is, and whether you really need it, you will most likely find some items you could get rid of. You could even sell them and make some money.

 

Furniture design for small spaces can seem like an almost impossible task. You need to build up, and you need to build smart. Make the most off all of the wall space you have available, and don’t let any area go to waste. Re-evaluate what you need, and if you have items that are hogging half your room, get rid of them and find something else.

How To Prepare Your Belongings For Temporary Storage

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An inevitable part of adult life is being in transition at least once at some point of it. It starts with moving away from our parents’ home, and many people experience transition periods numerous times later on – whether it’s accepting a temporary job in another city or country, moving to a new neighbourhood, or even just taking an extended holiday. There’s also another kind of transition – one where you stay in the same place, but your life and habits change completely, like having a baby or starting a business from your home, where all of a sudden you need to make more room.  All these changes result in temporarily storing your things away, and since that may seem like a dreary task, we’re here to break things down for you so you can get organized easily.

1.     Make a List

 

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Of course,  all big, messy ventures are taken on by first making a list. For the ultra-organized type of people, making lists is always the first step, because it takes the chaos away from any process, and sometimes they even turn to Excel spreadsheets for pure enjoyment. If you’re not the super-organized type, you will nevertheless feel the bliss of writing down a simple list of things you need to store away – and then checking each item off one by one as you get them packed. Feels good, right?

2.     Get Packaging Materials

Go down that neat list of everything you need to pack and write down which kind of materials you will need for packing – cardboard boxes and their approximate size, butchers paper and bubble wrap for fragile items, etc. It doesn’t have to be very precise, but jotting down some notes on the amount and kind of packaging you need will make it much easier for you.

 

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For storing items like books, clothing, and documents, it’s best to use plastic storage tubs, because, unlike cardboard, they will protect these items from moisture and mold. You can buy these materials from any self-storage business or ask some local businesses to give you the boxes they intended to recycle. Don’t forget to also buy tape, markers and labels.

3.     Get Packing!

Pack your stuff carefully so that it will not get damaged during transport or storage. Encase the fragile items in many layers of bubblewrap and butchers paper, and make sure to put in some „stuffing“ also, such as newspapers or packing peanuts. Remember that there will be a lot of extra weight once everything is stacked together. Or maybe, to stay on the safe side, you can even get help with that from the storage facility you choose. Here in Wollongong, we have the Wollongong branch of storage services that offer protective padding for free to secure items in place and ensure protection during transportation,  and there are similar options in bigger cities all over the world. Place heavier items in smaller boxes to avoid overloading and potential injury for whoever will be carrying them.

4.     Labeling

Label each box with the exact items that are in it to save yourself a lot of frustration for the time when you’re going to be unpacking again. Since these boxes are going to be placed all together somewhere, a good tip is to use colour-coded labels referencing rooms or types of items that are inside – for example, green labels for dinnerware, red ones for kitchen appliances, etc. Keeping a precise written log of all the labels is a good idea to ensure you know later what you have stored away and where exactly to find it.

5.     Choose a Storage Facility

Thankfully, most storage units are now secure, weatherproof and even monitored, so choose the right one and you won’t have to worry about damage or theft. Look for storage companies that offer advice and assistance with loading, because it doesn’t make a difference in pricing and it will be a huge help to you. Since you are essentially entrusting your possessions to somebody, be careful and make sure you are dealing with absolute professionals – see if they have a website and what it’s like, evaluate their communication with clients, and even go there to see the facility in person before you make your choice.

 

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Once everything is ready and set, get to loading, preferably with the help of professionals. With everything stacked nicely at the storage facility, take notes on where the different types of labels are. Finally, rest easy, knowing that you have accomplished quite a task. Someday further on, you will reunite with your things and give yourself a pat on the back when you realize you can find them all quite easily (yay for that written log).

Trick Or Treaters Safety On Halloween Night

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Tripping

Some giddy ghosts and ghouls will race excitedly to your door. Be prepared.

In the full light of day, inspect your lawn, driveway and front path for trip hazards like exposed tree roots, cracks in concrete or missing pavers. Make repairs where possible or, at the very least, cut off access to unsafe areas.

Meanwhile, if you’ve decorated the front yard with decorations like light-up pumpkins and animated figures, relocate the electrical cords so they’re not in anyone’s way.

Lighting

Make sure the path to your house is bright enough for trick-or-treaters to approach safely.

You don’t need to install a full suite of year-round landscape lighting simply to accommodate visitors on Halloween night. There are plenty of temporary and affordable options for illumination, from glow sticks to tea lights.

And although it may seem more in keeping with the mood of this spooky night to switch off your porch light, it’s much safer — not to mention more inviting — to keep it on.

Flammable Decorations

Whether vandals or accidents are to blame, there are many more fires on Halloween than a typical October night, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Holiday decorations are often quite flammable, involving materials such as paper, hay and dried cornstalks.

If you can’t resist adorning your home and yard with such potentially dangerous items, then be sure to keep them away from candles and other heat sources. If jack-o’-lanterns or luminaries figure into your celebrations, illuminate them using LED tea lights, not open flames.

Put Doggie Up

Chances are yours is a friendly dog. But if some Halloween costumes are so convincing as to be frightening to small children, those same getups could be equally disturbing to your pooch — particularly on such a high-energy night.

It’s good sense to contain your dog in an indoor space that’s both comfortable and secure.

A festive parade of goblins and ghouls, princesses and superheroes will soon be marching to your house. Do your part by clearing the path and lighting the way. Be safe out there, and have a Happy Halloween!