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Paving & Driveways Tips & Tricks

Archives March 2020

SLAS I Swear By The Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning System

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I have worked as a carpet cleaning technician in Rochester, New York for the past 6 years and absolutely swear by the Dry Foam Extraction cleaning system. Experience has taught me that it is far superior to the steam cleaning method. It is a very effective low moisture and rapid drying carpet cleaning method. The Von Schrader Company in Racine, Wisconsin manufactures the equipment. Theyve been in business since 1935.

How does it work?

The portable machine generates an…


carpet cleaning rochester new york,rochester new york carpet cleaning, dry foam extraction

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I have worked as a carpet cleaning technician in Rochester, New York for the past 6 years and absolutely swear by the Dry Foam Extraction cleaning system. Experience has taught me that it is far superior to the steam cleaning method. It is a very effective low moisture and rapid drying carpet cleaning method. The Von Schrader Company in Racine, Wisconsin manufactures the equipment. Theyve been in business since 1935.

How does it work?

The portable machine generates an even layer of dry foam just ahead of the brush. The dry foam emulsifies (separates) the dirt from the rug fibers. A soft cylindrical brush combs and lifts the pile all the way to the base of the carpet. The emulsified soil is then immediately extracted with a powerful built-in vacuumall in one forward pass.

Some Advantages of the Dry Foam Extraction System:

 The carpet is cleaned right down to the base .The full bristle  brush lifts the dirt in an upward motion to the surface.
This loosens any deeply embedded soil. The carpet is Deep Cleaned and the pile looks revived.

 There is a simultaneous dry foam cleaning and vacuum pick-up all in one easy step. There is no need for separate machines.

 The low moisture-cleaning agent uses only a 10 % water mixture. This prevents the over wetting of the carpet and backing.
No need to worry about carpet damage such as browning, shrinkage, buckling, delaminating, and mildew.

 Carpets dry quickly due to low moisture retention.

 Dry Foam cleaning systems usually clean faster than hot water cleaning systems.

 The detergent is environmentally safe and leaves carpets feeling soft to the touch. It has a popular fragrance.

 The equipment is very gentle on rugs.

Some observations I have made regarding Hot Water or Steam Cleaning systems:

 Excessive amounts of water are applied by steam cleaning systems. Rugs become soaked.

 Hot water can damage some carpet fibers. It could also cause color bleeding, shrinkage, and browning. Stain resist carpets can lose their resistance.

 The detergent used in hot water cleaning systems seems to leave a residue that can attract dirt.

 Carpets require more time to dry.

Conclusion:

I have cleaned carpets professionally for several years using the Dry Foam Cleaning System. I have received hundreds of compliments from many satisfied customers. Everyone loves it. Its simply the best!

SLAS I’m Killing My Back Taking My Hot Tub Cover Off!

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For the best Patios Dublin company, call Sandyford Landscaping Dublin.

A hot tub cover is heavy and bulky. Just ask anyone who has tried to remove one by themselves. Even if you are physically strong a stiff breeze can catch the large flat surface and the hot tub cover can easily get away from you. Removing a normal hot tub cover is best handled by two people.


hot tub cover, hot tub covers, cover lift, spa, spa cover, spa covers

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A hot tub cover is heavy and bulky. Just ask anyone who has tried to remove one by themselves. Even if you are physically strong a stiff breeze can catch the large flat surface and the hot tub cover can easily get away from you. Removing a normal hot tub cover is best handled by two people. If you use your tub alone or are not physically strong enough to wrestle it off your spa, you need to consider a Hot Tub Cover Lift.

A cover lift is a mechanical device that attaches to the spa cabinet body or deck and is designed to help you remove your hot tub cover. There can be different methods of operation but they all allow one person to easily and safely remove the cover from their spa.

Cover lifts are known by various other names, and you will see them referred to as lifters, caddies, slides and removers. There are three basic types.

The simplest is a “slide”, which is a platform made of two metal or wooden rails. You flip back your cover and slide it straight back onto the arms. Simple and quick, with nothing to wear out – except for maybe that expensive new hot tub cover you’ve just bought. The friction of sliding the spa cover back and forth might eventually damage the vinyl covering so this is something you have to watch carefully.

Another variety stores the folded hot tub cover in a vertical position so that it blocks the view on one side. This is useful if your neighbor’s are getting too interested in your hot tub activities, but is a disadvantage in that it can limit your view as well. This type of lift sometimes relies on a hydraulic arm or springs, which are parts which might break or deteriorate over time. Make sure that the cover can be locked in the up position so there is no danger it can fall back down, injuring someone.

A third type of lift helps you to remove the hot tub cover and holds the folded cover behind the spa. It sometimes takes a little more effort to operate this kind, and you do need to have about a foot of clearance behind the spa for the cover. But the lower profile eliminates the issue of an obstructed view.

One item to research carefully is whether the lift you are considering places stress on center hinge of your hot tub cover. This hinge is normally not designed to carry the full weight of the cover in a hanging position, and some type of lifts can place a real strain on it. Just so there are no surprises it would be smart to ask this question before making your purchase. There are some after market kits that can prevent this problem, but that is at an extra cost. Some lifts are designed to transfer to weight to the outer edge of the tub and eliminate the stress to the hinge.

Lifts are engineered to fit many different spa sizes and most hot tub cover lifts can be installed by the homeowner using tools you would normally have around the house.

Cover lifts can also serve one other function, and that’s of storage while you are using your hot tub. When you remove the top you have to put it somewhere. If you don’t have a deck, that frequently means putting it on the ground. Even if you do have a deck, you might not want a huge hot tub cover blocking the way.

After spending thousands of dollars on a hot tub, cover, chemicals, and operation costs, spending a few hundred dollars more for a cover lift will make your hot tub experience and the strain on your back much less stressful.

SCMC Keep A House Cleaning Schedule

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A house cleaning schedule is your first step towards an effortless cleaning of your home. Although each person has his or her own idea as to what a house cleaning schedule should be like, it is generally agreed that a systematic and coordinated approach will produce the best results.

There have been much advice from various professionals as to how a house cleaning exercise should go about but it will be best if you keep to your own ways of doing things. Decide which plan w…


house cleaning, house cleaning tips

For the best Paver Contractors Toronto company, call Stonecraft Masonry & Construction.

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SLAS I Discovered Leather Furniture

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I have been decorating homes and helping other people decorate their homes for as long as I can remember. I have always had a visual eye and a knack for putting colors and fabrics and pieces together to create beautiful rooms. I had been against using leather furniture at all costs up until recently. I discovered, however, just how great using leather furniture can be in a home after I helped a client place leather furniture in their cabin.

I’m not sure why I was so agains…


leather furniture

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I have been decorating homes and helping other people decorate their homes for as long as I can remember. I have always had a visual eye and a knack for putting colors and fabrics and pieces together to create beautiful rooms. I had been against using leather furniture at all costs up until recently. I discovered, however, just how great using leather furniture can be in a home after I helped a client place leather furniture in their cabin.

I’m not sure why I was so against using leather furniture in homes. I think I remember my mother, also and interior designer, telling me that leather furniture was not meant to be in homes. She would allow her clients to place leather furniture in medical or law offices. So I guess I came by my distaste for leather furniture honestly. I think the fact that I have been an interior designer for nearly twenty years and that I have yet to put leather furniture into a home has also helped grow the feeling I have that homes can be done and done beautifully without leather.

My turnaround came a few months ago when a client hired me on to decorate a cabin they had just purchased for a summer home. They suggested leather furniture early on in our meetings and each time I would shake my head kindly and attempt to change the subject. They finally confronted the issue as I was bringing out photographs and samples of the kinds of furniture I saw for their cabin. They asked me why I didn’t encourage people to use leather furniture and I realized for the first time that I didn’t have a great answer for them.

After a few hours of looking at samples of leather furniture online I became slowly convinced that maybe it was a good option for this particular project. So I broke my twenty year pattern and helped my clients place the right kinds of leather furniture at different places throughout their cabin. The project turned out amazingly well and I even began to reconsider the plans I had made for my own lakehouse.

I have since become so fond of using leather furniture in some projects that I have led clients to that option at least five or six times. I have even purchased two pieces of great leather furniture for my own lakehouse. I’m forever glad that I finally discovered leather furniture.

SCMC Jupiter Microlite – the facts you need to know

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Why is there so much talk as to why the Jupiter Microlite is such an important appliance to have? We giving you the answers to all your questions.


water ionizers, water ionizer, water, ionizer, water purification

For the best Paver Contractors Toronto company, call Stonecraft Masonry & Construction.

To find the best Paver Contractors Toronto company, click here for Stonecraft Masonry & Construction.

SLAS Hurricane Shutters

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For the best Patios Dublin company, call Sandyford Landscaping Dublin.

Hurricane Shutters are something very serious these days, if you read the news recently you probably know that the world climate is changing, as a result we are expecting more tropical storms in our region in the next few years, and the forecast for the hurricane shutters is that its going to be a much needed tool to protect your home.

A hurricane shutter is most common in the Southern states that often see bad weather a couple of months during the year. If you do not have…


Hurricane Shutters, shutters, hurricane shutter

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Hurricane Shutters are something very serious these days, if you read the news recently you probably know that the world climate is changing, as a result we are expecting more tropical storms in our region in the next few years, and the forecast for the hurricane shutters is that its going to be a much needed tool to protect your home.

A hurricane shutter is most common in the Southern states that often see bad weather a couple of months during the year. If you do not have these, you will risk a lot of damage to your house. Today more and more people are looking into buying hurricane shutters as a result of the last year storms and because some insurance companies has started recommending the use of hurricane shutters.

Hurricane or storm panel shutters are often constructed out of a solid steel or aluminum frame and provide protection superior to that of Bahamas, Colonial, wooden, or vinyl shutters. This shutter is also considerably less expensive than decorative shutters. You should think about the exterior of your house because those shutters are considerably less attractiveand you may want to put them in storage at the end of the hurricane season.

The reason that these shutters look less attractive should not deter you from considering them for protection of your home, although these hurricane shutters do not look so nice they can protect your windows, balcony, or storefront from bad weather. During a storm, these areas may be pounded with heavy rain, hail, and wind. If you have a hurricane shutter in place, you do not have to worry about a lot of damage. The great thing about the hurricane shutters is that they also give you some peace of mind while a storm is raging outside. The hurricane shutters can also help to protect the people inside of your house, and help to protect a little more then material positions. A hurricane shutter will go a long way in ensuring that your windows do not get busted out by bad weather.

Most hurricane shutters are designed for the use and maintenance of one person up and down operation. One person can operate the hurricane shutters and do it relatively fast so that the chances that you will not be prepared when a storm is on its way it relatively low. A great advantage if a storm sneaks up on you by surprise. This way, all you have to do is pull this shutter down and lock it into position; a simple five second job. While everyone else is boarding up their windows in the rain, you will be inside your house, protected from the elements.

The advice of most hurricane shutters companies is to set them up when the hurricane season starts and to take them off for the rest of the year, thus avoiding their looks and enjoying the protection the shutters offer. This is not a joke, and a lot of people use this advice, it makes sense that you want to keep your property protected when its hurricane season and once the danger is off to return to your normal look.

SLAS Hurricane Preparedness Begins At The Foundation

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While the National Hurricane Center projects storms during the 2006 hurricane season will mirror the intensity of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricans in the history of the U.S., and one which caused more than $50 billion in damages to the Gulf Coast region, there are measures homeowners can take to better prepare their new-construction homes during the building phase.


Hurricane Preparedness Begins At The Foundation

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While the National Hurricane Center projects storms during the 2006 hurricane season will mirror the intensity of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the U.S., and one which caused more than $50 billion in damages to the Gulf Coast region, there are measures homeowners can take to better prepare their new-construction homes during the building phase.

The National Weather Service (NWS), the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings in the U.S., recommends homeowners verify that their homes meet current building code requirements for high winds, one of the many components associated with vicious Category 3+ hurricanes. The NWS says structures built to meet or exceed current building code high-wind provisions have a much better chance of surviving violent windstorms.

“Florida has some of the most stringent building codes in the U.S., led by Miami Dade County in South Florida,” says Dr. Ronald Zollo, professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Miami and a licensed professional engineer. “Homeowners and builders need to move away from the traditional structures that cannot withstand the type of lateral forces that extreme weather, such as hurricanes, can place on a home.”

Another concern for homeowners is flooding. Common with hurricanes, flooding can lead to extensive mold and structural damage. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) states that more than half of the nation’s population lives and works within 50 miles of a coast, areas typically more prone to hurricane flooding.

Preparing For The Future

Dr. Zollo encourages prospective new homeowners to think proactively. He urges those considering a new home purchase or a rebuild in coastal regions to talk with their builder or architects to understand local building codes and the effects of hurricane-force winds on their homes.

Dr. Zollo led a team from the University of Miami to survey damage from 1992’s Hurricane Andrew in Florida. He believes that concrete materials, by virtue of their mass, rigidity and physical properties, are generally expected to outperform other construction materials when subjected to extreme environmental conditions, if constructed according to proper building codes.

A proven solution to reduce the structural damage from hurricanes is installing insulating concrete forms (ICFs)-hollow foam forms or panels that hold concrete in place.

“Homes built with ICFs using reinforced concrete provide homeowners with sustainable structures capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions,” says Dr. Zollo. “They’re easier to clean up after hurricane weather or flooding, and they provide the homeowner with moisture resistance in the walls themselves when combined with appropriate interior finishes. Those utilizing ICFs can also expect greater energy efficiency due to added thermal protection.”

Owens Corning, a leader in building science technologies, produces the ICF option Fold-Form. Solid concrete-reinforced walls built with Fold-Form have been proven to provide superior protection against flying debris from winds as high as 200 miles per hour, when compared to conventional framed walls or hollow concrete block walls. By comparison, FEMA states that Hurricane Katrina achieved landfall wind speeds of 140 mph in southeast Louisiana.

According to Dr. Zollo, “In the future, I think we’ll see faster recovery times for communities built with ICFs than those that are built without.”

“While ICFs meet some of the U.S.’s most strict building codes and are up to nine times stronger than traditional wood frames, they’re not just for hurricane protection,” says Janet Albright, accessories manager, Residential & Commercial Insulation for Owens Corning. “We’re seeing a dramatic increase in consumer demand throughout the entire U.S. for building products that are greener, offer greater energy efficiencies, air and moisture management and contribute to greater comfort levels by reducing noise in the home.”

SCMC Jazz Up Your Basement Ceiling – You Can Do That

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I helped a friend of mine finish his basement but he was not sure what type of ceiling he wanted to put in. There are several options like traditional drywall, tongue and groove boards, acoustic ceiling tiles and drop ceiling, so we analyzed each option.


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For the best Paver Contractors Toronto company, call Stonecraft Masonry & Construction.

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SLAS Huff and Puff  Power Your Home with the Wind

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The fastest growing alternative energy platform in the United States is the wind. No, Im not blowing hot air.


wind, wind systems, power, energy, alternative energy, renewable energy, utility, energy

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The fastest growing alternative energy platform in the United States is the wind. No, Im not blowing hot air.

Cheap and Productive

Manipulating the wind to generate electricity for your home is cheap, easy and very misunderstood. First, you dont have to live in the middle of tornado alley to generate electricity from the wind. Second, you dont need tulips and windmill like youve seen in pictures of Holland. Third, smaller wind systems are so simply, you can do it yourself.

Okay, lets generate some enthusiasm on your part for improving your home with wind power.

1. Small wind platforms can cut your utility bill by more than half.

2. Wind systems can work with barely any wind at all.

3. Most wind systems are so small, nobody will even notice them.

4. You can install a small wind system yourself.

5. A small wind system will run you around $1,000 and pay for itself in a year depending on your current utility bill.

6. Wind power is the fastest growing energy producer in the world.

7. You can get financial incentives for improving your home with wind power.

When talking about wind power, understand that technological advances have dramatically changed the systems. Forget windmills, turbines and large structures. Unless you own a city, you will not be dealing with those. Instead, modern residential wind systems essentially look like weathervanes on top of 30 foot poles. They are no bigger than a couple of feet long, have three blades and are very thin. It is no different than having a flag pole in your backyard, except this one saves you a ton of money.

The wind system works in a very compact an efficient manner. The wind hits the blades and turns them. Directly behind the blades is a small generator, which converts the turning blades into power. The power is then transferred to the ground through basic wiring where you can either store it in a battery or feed it directly back into the utility grid if allowed. If the utility option is available, I recommend you take it since batteries can be the most expensive part of the system.

Thats it. The worlds simplest energy producing system is wind. As long as it exists, you will always be able to tap it for power.

SLAS How Your Light Fitting Could Save You Money!

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Most people know that the increase in energy that we are consuming, coupled with the many other activities we enjoy daily, are starting to take their toll on the Earths environment. However, making your home more environmentally friendly can be costly and can mean making drastic changes to your lifestyle. BUT it doesnt have to be that way.

The average light fitting in the home contains a bulb which runs off your electricity supply. These vary in brightness and strength, …


home improvement, light fixtures, ligts

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Most people know that the increase in energy that we are consuming, coupled with the many other activities we enjoy daily, are starting to take their toll on the Earths environment. However, making your home more environmentally friendly can be costly and can mean making drastic changes to your lifestyle. BUT it doesnt have to be that way.

The average light fitting in the home contains a bulb which runs off your electricity supply. These vary in brightness and strength, and this is shown in the wattage of the bulb. Generally these bulbs are fixed into the light fitting either with a bayonet or a screw cap. These can be different in diameter dependent on the lamp but a wide range is available in most supermarkets, department or hardware stores. Bulbs start off quite cheaply and get more expensive the more specialised they are, but a standard 60 watt light bulb can cost only a matter of pence.

Energy saving light bulbs have become more widely recognised over the past decade. However, traditionally they have been expensive to purchase and so have put many people off fitting them in their homes. The good news is that the price of these light bulbs has reduced significantly over the years and that even more is now known about the benefits of using them. In addition, the energy saving bulbs used to be large, bulky and an odd shape. They are now available in more shapes and sizes than they were originally and although they are still slightly bigger than standard bulbs, the difference is minimal.

Energy saving light bulbs are initially more costly to buy than standard bulbs. This is an unavoidable fact. However, they use approximately one fifth of the electricity that a standard bulb costs, meaning that they last eight to ten times longer than a standard bulb. The energy saving bulbs don’t cost as much to buy as 8 standard bulbs and so you are saving yourself money as soon as you make the initial investment. Couple this with the fact that where you would need a 60 watt standard bulb you will only require a 12 watt energy saving one, meaning that you will also benefit from a reduction in the amount of electricity you use, therefore cutting your bills.

If the financial aspects of suing energy saving bills are not enough alone to convince you to buy them then bear in mind that by doing something as small as changing your bulb you are also having a positive effect on the environment of the world in which you live.