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How Often Should You Get Your Carpet Cleaning

Things you should know about carpet cleaning

Most stains should be removed in the general cleaning process.

Some stains that contain tannins, dyes, acids or caustics may not come out in the general cleaning process and may require specialized stain removal treatment. Unfortunately, some stains cannot be removed from carpet no matter what chemicals or cleaning processes are used. Not all carpet cleaning services are the same. The results of a carpet cleaning service depend on the skill of the technician, the time taken, and the chemicals and equipment used. The ‘wet-sheep’ smell that occurs when cleaning wool carpet is primarily caused by an off gas from the   natural sulphur in wool when wool gets wet. This is natural and dissipates when the carpet dries.

Stain Protection

Carpet cleaning does not remove the stain protection applied to carpets by the manufacturer or your carpet cleaner. Wear and tear is the primary reason stain protection coatings break down. It is sometimes best to have a carpet protector applied to the traffic areas on your carpet before your stain protector reaches the end of the warranty period to maintain stain protection. It’s not needed when your carpet is still relatively new. But over time and heavy use the traffic areas can benefit from an added treatment.

Final Step

Carpets should be groomed after cleaning to ensure that they dry quickly and that the pile sits in the same direction (not falling to the side).

Beware of cleaners who will not Warranty their work

Carpet cleaners are legally required to warrant their workmanship. If you are not happy with the carpet cleaning service provided, call the carpet cleaning company and they should offer to return to re-clean the carpet free of charge. If your carpet cleaner does not return to re-clean your carpet,

Regularly Clean your Carpets

Regularly cleaned carpets last longer and look better than carpets that are rarely cleaned. Cleaning helps remove the abrasive soils in your carpet pile that wear away at the carpet fibers when the carpet is walked on.

Carpet Cleaners That Will Banish All Your Spill Worries

The joy of getting new carpet can be short-lived if you have pets, children, or even a lot of visitors. Even if you manage to get everyone to remove their shoes before entering the house or forbid non-clear liquids from leaving the kitchen, accidents can — and do! — happen, leaving your once-clean carpets soiled. Luckily, with so many wonderful carpet cleaning products on the market, worrying about dirtying your carpets is a thing of the past. Your only problem now? Is deciding which of the best carpet cleaners to choose!

What’s the best way to clean carpets?

You don’t have to rent a big machine every time you want to deep-clean your carpets. There are several effective and inexpensive ways to get them sparkling with less cumbersome methods

Carpet-cleaning vacuum cleaners that use water and special detergent work magic on dirty rugs. Or, if you don’t have one of these machines, a splash of a good carpet-cleaning solvent in a bucket of water, a carpet brush, and some elbow grease will do wonders to zap dirt and grime away in no time.

For accidental spills, there are spot stain removers that are as simple as spraying on, rubbing into the carpet, and wiping up with a paper towel. Alternatively, dry powder cleaning products can work in two trouble-free steps — sprinkle on and hoover up!

There are also special carpet cleaners for pets. Did Rex do his business on the carpet again? Less-than-savory stains can be eradicated quicker than you can say “bad dog” with a great odor-eliminating product.

Cleaning Guide

UNBELIEVABLE LOW PRICE.

To some degree, all of us are attracted by low price because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as the bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price then, once they’re in your home, they pressure you into buying “add-ons”.  It’s as if you were buying a car and found that the dealer was charging you extra for the tires and the steering wheel. Carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some unethical carpet cleaners would like you to believe.

BAIT AND SWITCH.

Dual-process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing or heavy preconditioning, followed with hot water extraction cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use dual-process as a bait-and-switch technique. Here’s how it’s done: First, they “bait” you with a basic cleaning (single process) at an unbelievably low price. Then, when you call, they try to “switch” you to more expensive dual-process cleaning. If you don’t fall for their switch and choose their basic service, you’ll likely receive poor workmanship using little or no chemical and they will not guarantee their work.

UNSUPPORTED CLAIMS. “THIS CLEANING METHOD IS BEST”.

You’ll read this in almost every ad. You’ll hear this from virtually every carpet cleaner. Remember this: the method that’s best for you is the method that achieves your goal. If you want a method that cleans thoroughly, then a method that only cleans the surface isn’t the best for you. So, before you choose a carpet cleaner, identify your objectives. Then select the method that best reaches those objectives.

OUTDATED BELIEFS. “HOT WATER DAMAGES YOUR CARPET.”

Years ago, many people believed this was true because their carpets were damaged by “operators” who didn’t know how to properly clean using hot water. But today, we know that is false. By washing and then rinsing your carpet with hot water, your carpet is thoroughly cleaned, in the same way that a person who showers and then rinses off the dirt and soap will be much cleaner than the person who takes only a sponge bath. Obviously, each carpet cleaner will be biased toward his or her own method, and each method does have advantages. So I suggest you look to what carpet manufacturers say. Shaw Industries,  the largest carpet manufacturer in the world, recommends only hot water extraction cleaning with a truck-mounted equipment, used by firms that are IICRC Certified.

YOU SHOULD WAIT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE CLEANING YOUR CARPET.

NO.  Dirt is an abrasive, like sandpaper. Every time you step on your carpet, you grind dirt into the carpet fibers. This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife. This cutting causes your carpet to wear out faster. A dirty carpet will not last as long as a clean carpet. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.

The Best Ways to Get a Spotless Carpet Without a Steam Cleaner

If your house has carpet — plus kids or pets — then you need to know how to deep clean your carpets without a steam cleaner. Because let’s face it, mud and red fruit punch are not a good combination, especially if you want to keep your floors looking clean.

But the tricks behind knowing how to deep clean carpet stains are not necessarily common knowledge. That’s why we asked the experts to answer one very important concern people commonly have: how do you deep clean your carpet the best way possible?

How to Deep Clean a Carpet Without a Steam Cleaner

chief hygiene officer at Pro Housekeepers, knows a thing or two about deep cleaning a carpet. She offers up this method that uses a vacuum cleaner plus baking soda or dish soap.

Here are the steps for how to clean your carpet without a steam cleaner:

Get a bucket of warm water and your preferred cleaning tool ready.

Vacuum the entire area you wish to clean to get rid of dirt and dust.

If using baking soda, sprinkle the stain until completely covered. If using dish soap, measure the stain’s size, and use 1 tablespoon per 6 to 8 inches of stain.

Swoosh it around until you see bubbles.

Using an old brush, toothbrush, rag, or towel, gently scrub the stain with warm water.

Do not completely soak the floor, just make it wet enough to scrub away the dirt/stain.

Turn on any fans, or open nearby windows to allow carpet to air dry.

Once dry, vacuum again.

How to Deep Clean Your Carpet Without a Machine

Buying or renting a machine to steam clean your carpet is not the only way to get the stubborn stains out. If you have a mess to clean up but you don’t want to run to the store for a steam cleaner, you can definitely deep clean your carpet without a machine. The good news is, if you have a vacuum, you can get the job done.

What Is the Best Method of Cleaning Carpets?

Homeowners often don’t realize that shampooing isn’t necessarily the best method of cleaning carpets in their home, and that they have more options for rug cleaning than ever before. Some carpet cleaning methods involve a light and affordable rug cleaning, whereas other methods are a better choice for removing tough stains and ground-in dirt and debris.

The best method of cleaning carpets is usually steam cleaning, which removes over 90% of dirt and bacteria from carpeting. Dry cleaning carpeting is also effective for ensuring carpets are ready for foot traffic as quickly as possible.

To ensure that you keep your home’s carpets and area rugs as well as all other flooring materials in good condition and looking their best, note a few important differences between carpet cleaning methods as well as some tips for keeping floors as clean as possible. You can then discuss your choices with a carpet cleaning company near you when it’s time to have your carpeting and floors cleaned by a pro!

Note the most popular carpet cleaning services you might choose for your home so you can better understand the pros and cons of each choice:

Hot water extraction or steam cleaning uses hot water applied to carpet fibers with a high-pressure wand. The hot water and pressure both work to dissolve thick dirt, mud, dust, and other debris from carpeting, allowing it to be extracted easily. Steam also “fluffs up” matted carpet fibers so that your home’s carpeting looks fresher and feels softer underfoot.

Carpet shampooing uses specialty detergents applied with lots of water, just like shampooing your hair! Rotating brushes might scrub the shampoo into the carpeting and help loosen dirt and debris. Clean water is used to extract the shampoo, until the carpets are clean and free of residues.

Carpet dry cleaning uses a special powder detergent or similar chemicals, applied with a small amount of water. A rotating brush pushes the powder into the fibers and a specialty extraction tool then removes the detergent along with trapped dirt and debris.

Foam cleaning carpeting or encapsulation is often used for especially filthy carpets. A specialty foam is applied to carpeting where it then begins to bubble and expand; this expanding foam traps dirt and debris, bringing it to the carpet’s surface. Steam extraction then removes the foam and trapped dirt.

Bonnet cleaning uses a specialty carpet cleaning machine with a type of thick towel or bonnet over the front. This bonnet rubs rug shampoo along the surface of carpet fibers, and the shampoo is then extracted along with trapped dirt and debris.

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What You Need To Know Before Hiring A Home Builder

Things that Best Home Builders Understand. And So Should You!

Here are a few factors best home builders keep in mind when planning and building a home– and things you should consider as you plan your dream home, and seek out a builder that can make it happen.

Rain

Rain is one of the most significant challenges facing Vancouver homeowners — and home builders. The problem isn’t just building a home in wet weather. Moving water safely and effectively away from a completed home is also challenging task

Sunshine

A good builder knows how to harness the sun’s rays, effectively and efficiently. With sun-friendly exposure, a home and yard benefit from solar rays during most of the day

For gardeners and those who like to spend time in their backyards, southern exposure is especially significant. Those who wish to create a landscape display in front of their home will need to trade backyard sun and have their front door facing south instead.

Interiors

Let’s face it, has days, weeks, even months, when sunshine is in short supply. Well-placed windows and skylights will stream in precious sunlight. But here’s another area where a talented home builder can shine.

WHATEVER GOOD THINGS WE BUILD, END UP BUILDING US

A HOME IS THE CENTER OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY’S UNIVERSE.

How and where you live, impacts nearly every facet of your life.  We always start the new home selection journey with a simple question – what is truly important?

As both residents of and business owners in Metropolist, we know how fortunate we are to be surrounded by great people and culture, with mature, yet growing businesses and economy, as well as events, activities and arts to occupy anyone’s social calendar!  While there are a million reasons to build a home in our area, there’s really one clear choice in who to build with

INNOVATION

Our team is constantly innovating and bringing new concepts to our region, and there are many things we’re proud of and feel that bring our advantage to life.

Not only are we a passionate and committed team of trend scouts, innovators, design enthusiasts and sustainable construction experts, but we personally invite you to bring your own ideas as well. You won’t find a team more committed to you and tailoring the entire experience around your goals.

than creating strong communities. We aren’t a builder for the sake of doing so; we don’t measure our success solely on homes sold, square footage or revenue. Everyday our people come together to improve the way our communities live, to positively impact our small corner of the world and ultimately, to ensure that anyone who comes through our doors is treated like family.

often overlooked considerations when building a new home

There is so much to consider and act on when building a new home. Budgeting is crucial, as is overall design and functionality. Amidst the chaos of outlining and building a new home, homeowners have the tendency to overlook some seemingly minor details. However, these seemingly minor details can really haunt a homeowner down the road if not considered. We hope you don’t fall victim to this trap.

Which direction will your home face?

Again, this may seem like a rather ho-hum detail, but wait until you are awakened much earlier in the morning than you intended because sunlight is beaming into your room. Or maybe the sun shines on your back porch at the times that you like to chill out there.

The annoyances caused by untimely sunlight can drive a homeowner insane! The good news is the sun rises and sets in the same direction every single day; therefore, the issue can be so easily avoided. Just be sure your new home is being built in your ideal direction.

Are you floors functionally capable?

Often times, flooring is considered only for its looks and not for its functionality. If you do not consider your floors’ capabilities then you will be living dangerously. “Dangerously” may not be the right word; however, you certainly don’t want one of your biggest investments to be ruined in the first few years after building a new home.

A few flooring tips:

Avoid hardwood in bathrooms and laundry rooms (and kitchens if you are an aggressive cooker).

There is nothing wrong with installing laminate hardwood or vinyl plank flooring in your living area, especially if you are on a budget. They take on wear and tear as well as any floor type.

If your budget is rather loose, natural stone floors (granite, marble, travertine) are luxurious options. Just be sure you seal a natural stone floor as most types are porous (susceptible to moisture).

Don’t exclude less common floor types. For example, cork flooring can be great for a kitchen, as can concrete in some circumstances. One is soft and one is hard; however, they both stand up well over time.

If you have pets, laminate, vinyl and engineered hardwood are wise choices. True hardwood will scratch, but you can have it refinished if the scratching gets out of hand.

Things to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Home Builder

Building a home is an experience like no other. Ensuring you get it right is essential to the home building process. The design is based on your own unique lifestyle needs and is meant to showcase your style and personality. With that in mind, selecting a home builder is a crucial step. Every project is different after all! When building your dream home, you need to make sure your builder has the skillset to bring your vision to life. Trusting the wrong builder can lead to disaster, so knowing how to select one that’s qualified is important. To help you get started, we’ve gathered a list of helpful tips and questions to ask while meeting with potential builders.

Building a Home is a Service, Not a Product

Yes, you’ll end up with a beautiful home when it’s all said and done. However, your builder is providing a service to you. This includes acting as a consultant or guide throughout the design and construction process.

Get an Up-Close Look at Their Work

Every builder has a different set of skills and some may be more qualified than others. One way to ensure a potential builder’s skills match your project is to see their work in person. Visit any available spec homes or models before selecting a home builder. Doing so will give you a better idea of their design and craftsmanship style.

The Initial Design Matters

Your finished home is only as good as the design that inspired it. Most builders offer a library of floor plans and designs to help you get started. However, your best bet is to work with a builder that offers “Design/Build” services.

Do Your Homework

Don’t be afraid to check a potential builder’s references. Getting a first-hand account from other homeowners lets you know what it’s like to work with that builder and their trade partners. For a thorough account, visit the Better Business Bureau website to see if any complaints have been filed against the builder. Before selecting a home builder, check their references.

Should You Buy or Build a Home?

Most homebuyers end up spending lots of time and energy either searching for or designing “the perfect home” before signing any contracts or laying down funds.

Location, price, market trends, property taxes, homeowners association fees, and the condition of the property are usually factored into a house hunt. Also, each buyer typically has a wish list that includes specific needs (the things the buyer has to have) and wants (the features the buyer would like but could do without if necessary).

Buying an Existing Home

There are two primary advantages to buying an existing home: convenience and cost. Once you are pre-approved by your lender, you can shop around, pick out a home, and make an offer.

A qualified real estate agent can streamline the process by helping you find appropriate properties, guiding you through negotiations, and assisting with the paperwork. Once your offer is accepted, you may be able to close on the deal, and then move in within a month or two, depending on the circumstances.

Schedules and Cost

The need to buy a move-in ready home may be especially true for buyers on a tight schedule, such as those relocating for a new job or whose children will be starting at a new school.

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Hunting Racoon A Change Of Pace

How Do You Get Rid of Raccoons? Tips and Tales on Raccoons and Cats

Raccoons Are Smarter Than You Might Think

How smart are raccoons? Extremely smart. Much of my childhood involved a cat-and-mouse-like game between my family and raccoons—they found increasingly clever ways to sneak into our house and steal our cat Pumpkin’s food, and we found increasingly drastic ways to stave them off

Though you might think that humans are savvy enough to have everything under control, raccoons are clever creatures that are surprisingly difficult to thwart. Below I’ll share my personal raccoon experiences with you, as well as share some tips on raccoons and how to get rid of them

Learning From Experience

As I mentioned above, I’ve had enough personal experience with raccoons to know just how difficult it is to get rid of them.

As they might say in some of our local regions, raccoons “are HELLA smart!” Though I live in a fairly urban area, we’ve always had raccoons. Typically, they’ll slink around and poke around trash cans, but at one point during my childhood, the family of raccoons on my block decided that that wasn’t enough. They wanted the good stuff, and the good stuff was inside.

They took to sneaking in through our cat door. We could always tell they had been in our home the morning after a visit (yes, we slept through a lot of these) because they left muddy footprints around the house. That never really got creepy until I woke up one morning to find them around my bed, which is on the second floor on the opposite side of the house. There’s no food there, so that had all of us rather perplexed!

Raccoon

The raccoon is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in) and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb). Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur which insulates it against cold weather. Three of the raccoon’s most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are themes in the mythologies of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Raccoons are noted for their intelligence, with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. They are usually nocturnal and omnivorous, eating about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.

The original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and urban areas, where some homeowners consider them to be pests. As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed across much of mainland Europe, Caucasus, and Japan.

Though previously thought to be generally solitary, there is now evidence that raccoons engage in sex-specific social behavior. Related females often share a common area, while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four raccoons to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season, and other potential invaders. Home range sizes vary anywhere from 3 hectares (7.4 acres) for females in cities to 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) for males in prairies. After a gestation period of about 65 days, two to five young, known as “kits”, are born in spring. The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersal in late fall. Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, their life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. In many areas, hunting and vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death.

Etymology

Names for the species include the common raccoon, North American raccoon, and northern raccoon, The word “raccoon” was adopted into English from the native Powhatan term, as used in the Colony. It was recorded on John Smith’s list of Powhatan words as aroughcun, and on that of William Strachey as arathkone. It has also been identified as a reflex of a Proto-Algonquian root ahrah-koon-em, meaning “[the] one who rubs, scrubs and scratches with its hands”. The word is sometimes spelled as racoon

Things you think you know about raccoons

They are regularly spotted nearly everywhere in the state. However, a great deal of myth and misconception has grown around the species.

Do raccoons wash their food before eating?

The short answer is no. The longer, and more interesting, answer is raccoons spend a lot of time around water, where they search for food by probing the nooks and crannies among the pebbles and debris on the stream, river or lake. When they find something that might be food, they roll it around in their front paws to determine exactly what it is.

The front paws of a raccoon are extremely sensitive and they use that sensitivity to identify potential food items. If a raccoon encounters a likely item at a distance from water, they will roll it around in their paws right there, without involving any water. It also will often rub its paws together when holding nothing. However, researchers have determined that wetting the paws increases their sensitivity

Where can I get a pet raccoon?

you can’t. The raccoon is among the species that you may not “import, possess, sell, offer for sale or release” under state law

Are raccoons major carriers of rabies?

Raccoons are the No. 1 species documented with rabies in Pennsylvania, with a couple hundred cases or more each year. Skunks are No. 2, usually with less than a hundred per year. Foxes and bats are Nos. 3 and 4, each with a few dozen cases in an average year.

Raccoons

Raccoons are a common sight in much of Washington, often drawn to urban areas by food supplied by humans. As long as raccoons are kept out of human homes, not cornered, and not treated as pets, they are not dangerous

Physical description

The raccoon is a native mammal, measuring about 3 feet long, including its 12-inch, bushy, ringed tail. Because their hind legs are longer than the front legs, raccoons have a hunched appearance when they walk or run. Each of their front feet has five dexterous toes, allowing raccoons to grasp and manipulate food and other items.

Adult raccoons weigh 15 to 40 pounds, their weight being a result of genetics, age, available food, and habitat location. Males have weighed in at over 60 pounds. A raccoon in the wild will probably weigh less than the urbanized raccoon that has learned to live on handouts, pet food, and garbage-can leftovers.

Geographic range

Raccoons prefer forest areas near a stream or water source, but have adapted to various environments throughout Washington. Raccoon populations can get quite large in urban areas, owing to hunting and trapping restrictions, few predators, and human-supplied food.

Food and feeding habitats

Raccoons will eat almost anything, but are particularly fond of creatures found in water—clams, crayfish, frogs, fish, and snails. Raccoons also eat insects, slugs, dead animals, birds and bird eggs, as well as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Around humans, raccoons often eat garbage and pet food. Although not great hunters, raccoons can catch young gophers, squirrels, mice, and rats. Except during the breeding season and for females with young, raccoons are solitary. Individuals will eat together if a large amount of food is available in an area

Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Raccoon

Management of Problem Raccoons: Because of their ability to coexist with humans, raccoons can become a nuisance when they damage gardens, raid garbage cans, or inhabit human structures. They can be especially destructive on farms, where they feed heavily on crops and sometimes kill poultry by raiding chicken coops. Many raccoon problems can be controlled using preventive measures. For example, to deter raccoons from raiding garbage cans, several modifications can be made. Snaps can be attached to the lid and the handle can be secured to a stake driven into the ground to prevent opening and tip-over. Placing cans in wooden bins or in the garage may also eliminate raccoon raiding problems. Some people have had success with placing ammonia directly in the can to repel raccoons.

Pet or livestock food should not be left outside where it is available to raccoons. Bird feeders should be placed away from trees or other structures that can be climbed by raccoons. Predator guards can be purchased or made and installed on the feeder poles to prevent climbing.

Raccoons can easily access roofs by climbing trees, downspouts, vines, or a trellis located near the house. Therefore, to prevent raccoons from entering houses, roofs and chimneys should be well-maintained. Repair any holes near the eaves of the roof and securely place a chimney cap over the chimney. Limiting the access to the roof by trimming trees and shrubs may also be helpful.

Raccoons that have already gained access into attics, flues, or storage buildings are often females seeking safe den sites to whelp and raise their young during their lengthy breeding season that runs from late March-May (whelping) into June-July (weaning and pup rearing). Some denning females with young may be able to be tolerated until the young are old enough to leave the den at around 8 weeks of age. When raccoons cannot be tolerated, evicting raccoons by harassment or use of repellents, such as vinegar or ammonia, combined with light and noise from a portable radio, can be effective. After confirming that the raccoons have departed, cap the chimney or repair openings to prevent recurring problems.

Cage trapping of raccoons occupying buildings, damaging gardens and fruit trees, or causing a disease or safety threat may be successfully done by homeowners, BUT it requires considerable knowledge of state trapping laws and legal options for handling trapped raccoons. Connecticut trapping laws require all persons setting traps to check those traps once per day and tag all traps with their name. Properly-set, raccoon-sized cage traps (10” x 12” x 32”) must be set as close to an opening or damage site as possible. The most effective baits include fishy or fruity smelling items, sunflower seeds, and marshmallows. Trapped raccoons, including females with young, may be released on-site, following capping of chimneys and closing openings. The young should be carefully removed from the nest following the female’s capture, making sure that you use bite proof gloves or a capture pole. Place the young in a warm, secure cardboard box near the den opening. Females released on-site will generally return that night for her young.

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Electrical Installation Contractor Duties And Responsibilities

About Lighting & Electrical

Unless you’re a licensed electrician, chances are most of your electrical encounters around the home will focus around testing, replacing and preventing — testing to ensure electrical equipment and connections are working properly, replacing worn or outdated electrical accessories (outlets, surge protectors and cords), and preventing your home from electrical hazards.

Walk through your home at least twice a year to inspect worn wiring, test all ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), particularly after electrical storms, and reorganize overloaded outlets. Then, make a list of the electric supplies necessary to make the proper updates and head to your local Ace. We can help provide the electrical products, electrical supplies and advice to get the job done right. We even stock flashlights and portable lighting to help you prepare for or get through emergency situations.

Check out our Tips & Advice section for guides to electrical maintenance and updates around the home as well as helpful do-it-yourself electrical project directions like how to install outdoor lighting. If you still have questions or have a more extensive update to make, be sure to consult a licensed professional.

Safety Tips and Tools for Working with Electrical Equipment

The Importance of Working Safely with Electrical Equipment

While working with or around electrical equipment, it is very import to work with caution and in a safe and smart manner. The voltage and electrical currents in businesses and homes has enough power to cause serious injury and even death. People working with electrical equipment are faced with this safety hazard on a daily basis, it is very important to wear the proper apparel and to follow some simple safety guidelines to avoid any possible injuries. By following these safety guidelines below you and your fellow workers will greatly reduce the risk for serious injury or even death.

Safety Guidelines To Avoid Injury or Even Death

Avoid contact with all energized electrical circuits. This may be an unwritten rule, but not following this rule just once could be fatal. A good way to avoid this is to assume all electrical devices and circuits are live. Never assume equipment is safe until you have confirmed it yourself, your life may depend on it.

Be sure to unplug the power source of all electrical equipment before working on it. Always pull from the plug, not the cord.

Always wear proper non conductive clothing – insulated gloves, non conductive protective apparel and shoes with insulated soles. Avoid loose clothing or ties.

Keep all water and liquids away from electrical equipment! If a spill does occur, immediately shut the power off at the circuit breaker or main power source and unplug the equipment.

If electrical equipment is producing a “tingle” or feels like it is overheating, immediately turn the power off. Repair if possible, if unrepairable dispose of the faulty equipment. Never take the risk of working with compromised equipment.

Enclose all electrical contacts and conductors to avoid accidental contact with them. Never leave exposed electrical contacts or conductors unattended.

When possible, work with only one hand, with your other hand at your side and away from all conductive material. This precaution will lessen the likelihood of an electrical current passing through the chest cavity.

Use only tools and equipment with non conductive handles. Tanner offers a full line of Electrician’s Insulated Hand Tools, learn more below.

Electrician’s Insulated Hand Tools Offered at Tanner

Tanner offers an extensive line of Electrician’s Insulated Hand Tools. The insulated hand tools have color coded handles with a bi-color warning system, when a tool’s insulation has been compromised the handle will change from orange to yellow. These hand tool have been wrapped with a thick layer of plastic insulation and have been individually tested to 1,000 volts AC and 1,500 volts DC

Periodic Inspection Explained

All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should therefore be inspected and tested at regular intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as ‘periodic inspection and testing’

From June 2020, private landlords in England are required to have a periodic inspection carried out on the installations in their rental properties every five years. This has been a legal requirement in since 2015.

A periodic inspection will:

Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded.

Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.

Identify any defective electrical work.

Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.

Your electrics should be inspected and tested every:

10 years for an owner-occupied home.

5 years for a rented home.

3 years for a caravan

1 year for a swimming pool.

Other times when a periodic inspection should be carried out are:

When a property is being prepared for letting.

Before selling a property or buying a previously-occupied property.

Who should carry out the periodic inspection and what happens?

Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as registered electricians. They will check the condition of the electrics against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations).

Most Common Causes of Electrical Accidents

When it comes to electrical hazards, prevention depends on safe equipment, safe environment and safe work practices. Read the details on each below.

Today’s employee’s work with or uses electricity directly or indirectly throughout the workday. Since it has become such a familiar part of our daily lives, we tend to overlook the hazards electricity poses.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards cover many electrical hazards in a variety of industries. OSHA’s General Industry standards found in Title 29 CFR Part 1910.302-308, Design of Safety Standard for Electrical Systems; Part 1910.331 through 1910.335, Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices; and Part 1910.147, Lockout/Tagout. All three of these parts have appeared in OSHA’s top most cited sections for the past several years.

Safe Equipment

All electrical workplace conductors and equipment must be deemed “acceptable” by OSHA. To be deemed acceptable, equipment must be marked as tested by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM). OSHA will look for these markings on the equipment to deem it safe. The equipment must be installed and used within its labeled capacity so as to not exceed the limitations of the equipment (e.g., putting the wrong switch for too much load, causing it to overheat).

Matching the equipment specifications to the load expectations of the installation will help prevent unsafe conditions. Always use a qualified electrician to perform all electrical work.

Where to start with design of electrical installation?

Design / redesign of electrical installation

The power analysis must be always the at the very top of your tasks in design of an electrical installation. It will enable the source(s) to be sized according to the purpose of the installation, the intended use of the circuits and the receivers to be supplied.

Based on this knowledge of the power consumed, the chosen service requirements and the chosen source, the following can then be carried out:

Determination of the conditions for protection of people,

Calculation of the conductor cross-sections,

Protection for each level in the installation, and

Selection of the appropriate electrical devices and equipment.

Analysis of the loads

The loads supplied by the electrical installation can be of various types depending on the business: motive power, variable control units, lighting, IT, heating, etc.

Depending on the individual case, the electrical operating parameters (phase shift, efficiency, inrush transients, harmonics, etc.) will be different. The power to be considered is not limited to the simple reading of a value in watts.

All electrical receivers consume a total or apparent power S (expressed in volt-amperes or VA) equal to the product U × I. The same unit is used to express the power that the generator or transformer must be able to supply.

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Essentials To Look For In The Residential Painting You Hire

What to Expect When You Hire Professional House Painters

What to expect when hiring professional house paintersWhen hiring Loveland professional house painters like Colortrends, you can expect to get customized, quality service and a worthwhile paint job for your buck. Before the painters arrive at your house, there are a number of things you should be prepared to ask and a few expectations you should have.

If you’ve hired professional painters for an interior painting job, they will be in your home disrupting your routine for as long as it takes them to complete the work. You should make your home as prepared as possible for the workers, and make sure to get the right information from your painting crew before they start to break out their brushes and rollers.

Why should I hire a professional residential painter?

Guaranteed Satisfaction & More

Any professional painter knows that there is more to a paint job than the actual painting. For example, Pro Painters offers a five-year guarantee on all residential work performed and a one -year guarantee on all commercial work. A trustworthy business will always aim to please the customer, and a satisfaction guarantee shows that a company cares about the quality of service that they provide. This also should ease the customer’s mind when on the hunt for a professional painter.

Business’s Longevity

A well-established and experienced business is going to be able to better handle any job that comes their way. While a newer company may come across problems that they don’t know how to deal with, a business that has been around for decades will know exactly how to handle even the toughest of jobs.

Professional Residential Painters Have the Expertise in Choosing the Right Products

Interior painting and exterior painting can differ significantly. Besides, different painting surfaces require different products. Some will require a specialist’s application, such as elastomeric coatings. If paint is not exactly your forte, you will not know how to avoid common mistakes. If you hire a professional residential painter to do the job for you, you will not have to worry about any of that. They will choose the right products for you and know how to use them properly to achieve the best outcome.

Professional Painting Contractors Mitigate Risks and Are Insured

  • Incidences occasionally happen during any construction-based project. Painting companies put up several measures to mitigate risks.
  • Using the gear to minimize levels of risk.
  • Investing in training and regular refresher drills
  • Using adequate insurance to shield you from any liability

If you choose to do it yourself, you will need a significant outlay to get all the protective gear. The temptation to ignore some necessary protective equipment such as eyeglasses is real. You will be at risk, and the worst thing about it is that you are not insured.

Professional Painters Offer Years of Experience

Quality and experience come hand-in-hand with any home renovation project, and this is especially true when it comes to interior and exterior painting. Paying your local handyman to paint your home may help save some money, but the quality is going to quickly show.

A professional painter has had years of experience in painting all types of homes, making them an expert when it comes to suggesting paints that will work best for your home’s style, siding materials, and other considerations. Most paint jobs from professional companies will also come with a warranty as well, which can cover things like fade, application defects, and other issues should they come up.

Don’t accept substitutes

Make sure the painter uses the paint and colour specified – don’t accept less expensive colour ‘matches’. It is easy for a painter to try to substitute a cheaper paint, but this will result in a poorer finish. Check that the brand stated on the paint containers they bring to the job match the brand stated on the quote. Colours can be checked in the same way. Resene testpots are also useful as standard colour references

Remember, the painter has quoted on using a specific product, so make sure that’s what is actually used on the project. Some painters may offer colour matches in cheaper products – they will use different tinters and formulations to the original colour and the colour will not perform or look the same as the authentic colour. While two products may initially look identical, higher quality paint is more durable and will last longer. You will regret a moment of weakness in a few years’ time when the inferior paint breaks down faster.

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The Golden Rules Of Hiring A Party Bus

Channel your inner party animal on a Party Bus

If you are a party animal by nature, the daily grind can leave you feeling a little blue by the end of the work week. So many of us do the same thing day in and day out that come the weekend, our inner party animals are itching to get out. You are probably used

You’ve decided to gather your friends together and have a 30th birthday party that will be remembered by everyone as one of the best they have attended.. And… just because your 20s are over, that doesn’t mean you can’t still party! In fact, being a little bit older means being a lot wiser. Those black-out

How can a Party Bus help you channel your inner party animal?

Hop from bar to bar with a drink in hand, or use the bus as the venue itself. The fact that there is no waiting in lines, no walking between bars, and no splitting up from your friends, groups often find they don’t want to get off a Party Bus at all.

And who better to be around than your friends when you let your inner party animal loose? Let go of your inhibitions and make use of the dance floor. With LED lighting and a sweet sound system, your dancing shoes will be put to good use. What a great way to unwind after a busy week at work.

There is so much to do on a Party Bus

These are not your run-of-the-mill buses you see transporting the public from A to B. Party Buses are designed to be used as a party venue. They offer plenty of features to ensure you have a great time. Sound systems, party lights, personal hosts and on-board bars are just some of the many ways Party Bus has transformed a mundane vehicle to a night club on wheels.

Where To Go On A Party Bus

Prom Party Bus

Every year we have the pleasure of providing prom party bus rentals to so many young people celebrating their school dance! We love providing safe, fun, memorable rides to and from prom!

Quinceanera  Party Bus

A party bus for Quinceanera really sets the tone for the celebration! We offer low Quinceanera party bus special rates! So why would we do that? Simple answer is…. We want to add to your celebration

Party Bus Destination Ideas!  Wondering where to go on a party bus? Here are some FUN places to go and things to do!! Our party bus destination ideas will give you some clues to make your event a memorable occasion.

Party Bus Rentals

Party Bus Rentals Are For All Occasions

Are you about to attend a wedding and you prefer something different from a limo? Are you going to your prom and you need to make a great impression while having fun during the trip to the venue? Then, a party bus (also known as a limo bus) is the vehicle you need to get to your destination in style. If you are about to celebrate that birthday or graduation party, then you should be aware that the latest trend is to rent a party bus.

A party bus is a large vehicle modified from a conventional vehicle and used for recreational purposes. It can carry 15-32 passengers. Party Bus Rentals are currently trending and their use can be seen in the latest weddings, proms/homecoming and other celebrations. They offer a different experience compared to limos.

How Are Party Bus Rentals Different From Limos?

Generally, limos are used for transporting  2-20 passengers, and the purpose is often more ‘serious’ than when a party bus is used. Party buses, on the other hand, are usually for groups of up to 32 people traveling to an event. The idea of the party bus is to enable a fun atmosphere for recreational activities between groups of people. The atmosphere is more of ‘fun’ than business. These party buses are great for bachelor and bachelorette parties!

Which of these options should you choose as transport to your event? This would come down to individual choice. However, it would be better to take a party bus for certain kind of events. For example, if you and your friends have planned Friday night as ‘’girls’ night out’’, the best transport option would be a Party Bus Rentals. If you rent a party bus, the bus would usually be fitted with several amenities: a CD/music/theater system, stripper poles, laser lights, dance floors, luggage partitions, toilet, disco lights etc. These amenities would ensure you get a great party bus experience.

In order to add a bit of spice to their transportation, more people prefer Party Bus Rentals. Also, party buses are more spacious than limos, allowing groups of people to dance while the bus is in transit. The sound system is also better.

A Sample Party Bus Rental Business Plan Template

Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a party bus rental business. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample party bus rental business marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for party bus rental companies. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Why Start a Party Bus Rental Business?

If you are endeared to the entertainment industry cum party planning business, one of your options when it comes to starting a business is to start a party bus business

In the united states, most states and even some local governments require specific types of permits and licenses in order to operate a party bus business. You are expected to purchase insurance policy cover for your vehicles, business and employees, purchase a standard party bus, hire employees and then promote your business.

One good thing about a party bus business is that most often than not, your presence may not be needed as long as you have a competent team running the business for you. Besides, a good number of bus parties are done during weekends and if you are lucky to keep a 9 to 5 job that you only work Mondays to Fridays, you can successfully run a party bus business.

The truth is that most of the basic skills needed to effectively run a party bus business are some of the soft skills you are likely going to acquire in your work place.

PARTY BUS

Party Bus deliver’s the highest quality group transportation services in Nashville. We specialize in providing your small to large group transportation needs anywhere in Tennesee. We have the right vehicle to take your group to their destination in

Party Bus will show all graduates that with an education come finer things in life. And nothing is finer than a graduation Party Bus. Graduation nights are nights that signify college students moving on to bigger and better events. Start early by

It’s your wedding day and the last thing you want to worry about is transportation. When it comes to wedding transportation, Topshelf Party Bus is with you start to finish.

For the bride and groom, we have a selection of limousines and of course you can have your very own private party bus. Cherish these special moments as you travel in style.

Need transportation to and from the wedding or reception for a group of out of town guests? For a fun pre-or post-wedding experience, having a party bus on your special day is the ultimate experience for family and friends. We’ve got you covered with a selection of party buses that will have your guests traveling in comfort and style.