Electric Hazards

There are over 10, 000 electrical related fires every year. Old, damaged wiring is one of the more insidious causes of fires in the home. The older your wiring the more susceptible it is to deterioration. One of the most dangerous electrical conditions is arc-faulting. An arc-fault occurs when loose or corroded connections make intermittent contact and causes sparking or arcing between the connections. This translates into heat, which will break down the insulation of the wire and can be the trigger for an electrical fire. It could be a nail impinging on the wires or even furniture. To suppress arc-faults, is to get an arc-fault circuit interrupter. It detects non-working electrical arc and disconnect the power before the arc starts a fire.

Falls

Some people have to wear a medical alert Canada bracelet when they have difficulty walking or are at a high risk of falling. But they aren’t the only ones who face this potential danger. We could fall down stairs, slip on rugs, fall off chairs, and slip on wet tiles. These are actually responsible for 7000 deaths each year, according to the Coalition for Consumer Health and Safety. You could apply double-faced adhesive tape to the back of rugs to keep them in place. Put non-spil mats in bathtubs.

Clogged dryer exhaust ducts

Dryer lint will catch fire very easily, which is why regular vacuuming of the dryer’s exhaust system is a must.

Air freshners

NRDC recently tested 14 different air fresheners and found that 12 contained chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thal-ates), chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems. Even air fresheners marketed as “all-natural” or “unscented” contained the hazardous chemicals. The best way to prevents these risks is to open your windows to get rid of odours.

Boiling water in the microwave

watch?v=nkM8XpY3ItA
Heating water in the microwave may cause it to superheat (reach a temperature beyond the natural boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius) and potentially explode. Leave a non-metallic object in the cup or bowl when you microwave water, and be conservative about how long you heat the water up and which settings you use.

Squirrels

Squirrels running around your attic could be very dangerous as they seem to love the taste of electrical insulation. This puts your home in risk of fire. To prevent squirrels from entering your attic you should repair open areas with a steel mesh.

Post from: Home Addicts

Hidden Hazards in Your Home

First, you need a plan. Assess the space you’ll be using taking into consideration the total amount of square footage, access to other parts of the house, current natural lighting, and the amount of construction that might be needed. Do a mock layout using a computer remodeling program, or even just on paper if you prefer the simpler way of doing things, then ask friends and family for their ideas.

When it’s time to build, consider the ambiance you’re trying to create when choosing materials. If you like dark and rich, there are plenty of gorgeous wood materials for the cabinetry, stools, wall, and the bar itself. Woods range in color and grain from dark cherries and mahoganies to lighter oaks and maples. If you can’t afford solid wood there are laminated products which don’t look as rich but are substantially less expensive.

Those with more modern tastes might like to incorporate stone or brick elements in their design. Concrete-based “faux stones”, which were quite popular in the 80s, are making a comeback in home remodeling projects, especially those centering around the fireplace or bar. Just remember, the new catchphrase for stone and brick is “minimalist”. These elements can be overpowering if you use too much or put them in the wrong place. Be careful in your application.

Probably the most important element for the perfect bar is lighting. Avoid recessed lighting as it tends to look less inviting and quite mechanical. This is a bar after all, not the Pardons Canada office. Track lighting works well because the individual lights can be moved, pointed, and rotated to give some very interesting effects. Be sure to use dimmer switches and soft bulbs for a more intimate atmosphere. If you’re looking for a little extra flair, remote control lighting systems originally designed for exterior applications can do wonders for the home bar. And of course, make sure you budget a few hundred dollars for a neon sign or two.

If you’re a sports fan, than what better place to host a game than at your very own bar. If you have a large enough space (and budget) you can really impress your friends with multi viewer screens, of course, one decent sized flat screen will do as well.

Finally, if you trick out your bar with a theme it tends to be more attractive to visitors, not to mention allowing you to display whatever turns you on. Whether it’s your favorite sports team, a hobby, a foreign country you’ve visited, or something else, your home bar is a place where you should feel right at home.

Cheers!

Post from: Home Addicts

Home Design Ideas: How to Build a Bar

1- Eliminate Clutter

If you want space, you’re going to have to do some downsizing. Start by storing only what you need and use regularly in your kitchen. Whatever you use most (plates, cutlery) should be kept anywhere between eye level and your hip in order to minimize bending and crouching. Containers to store spices etc..  are an organizing-must. You can also store things by adding hooks on the wall and inside cabinet doors.

2- Paint it White, Paint it Bright

By painting the walls and cabinets of your kitchen white, or a light bright colour, you will make the room look more airy and open. Light colors increase the sense of spaciousness whereas dark ones make it seem smaller. Warm colors like mango, pale yellow, and ivory look beautiful in kitchens. You can also add undermounted lights under your cabinets to enhance lighting.

3- Add a Counter Extension

Lack of counter space is a frequent complaint about small kitchens. You can easily solve this problem by buying a ready-made counter extension kit that comes with all the components you need. Fold-out counters or tabletops add extra workspace when you need it. If you are the do-it-yourself type, some simple carpentry can go a long way. Just sand-down a plank of wood, cover it with granite, ceramic tiles, or whatever matches your current countertop and then install your hinges.

4- Up, Up and Away

Not sure what to do with all those pots and pans? Install a hanging pot and pan rack. Pot and pan racks can be mounted from the ceiling or against a wall. This helps you save both counter and cabinet space. Depending on your taste and your budget, you can get one made of brass, chrome, copper, wrought iron or wood. If you happen to have an island in your kitchen, above it is the perfect place to put your pot rack. Also, it’s a good idea to store big things that you don’t use on a regular basis above your shelves.

5- Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

A great way to give the appearance of space is to add a kitchen backsplash mirror. Not only will it protect your walls, it also makes them easier to clean. The easiest thing to do is to purchase some mirror tiles. They are simple to install yourself and match any style of kitchen.

Post from: Home Addicts

5 Tips For Optimizing a Small Kitchen Space

Yes, colours affect our mood which is why there are basics to choosing particular colours for particular rooms. Depending on the size, how much light the room gets, there are things to consider before rolling on the paint. Colours can be described as active, passive or neutral. Active colors, also referred to as warm colors are shades that include red, orange and yellow. These colors are full of energy and are said to inspire socialization. Passive Colors (cool colors) include purple, blue and green. These colors have a calming effect on a person. Neutrals are impartial colors that include white, gray, beige and brown. Neutral shades are often what bring different rooms together and create harmony between the colors within a home. Darker neutral tones have the power to subdue colors, while white has the power to intensify them.

You can easily match every room’s colors to your personal taste. Light colors will open up a room making it seem larger and brighter. Dark colors are sophisticated and warm; they give large rooms a more intimate appearance.

Red

Red increases energy levels, but is also said to raise blood pressure, speed respiration and heart rate. Not ideal for anyone suffering a heart condition. It also may not be the best colour to use in a main room however in a bedroom it gives a certain lustful ambiance that may be fun to spice things up with your significant other. It may not be as romantic as sporadically planning one of those last-minute vacations for you and your lover, but there’s never any harm in being full of surprises.

Yellow

Yellow captures the warmth and brightness of sunshine which is why it is ideal for kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, halls, and small entries, as it can feel expansive and welcoming.

Blue

Blue brings down blood pressure and slows respiration and heart rate. It is a calming, relaxing, colour often recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. Stick to the softer shades of blue as dark blue can evoke feelings of sadness.

Green

Green will make any room in the house warm, welcoming and fresh. Green goes very well in a family room or living room. It encourages comfort and togetherness.
Orange is a great colour to use in an exercise room as it is an energetic colour that evokes excitement and enthusiasm.

Neutrals

Neutrals (black, gray, white, and brown) can be used to tie other colours together or simply on their own. Essentially, any room can benefit from a neutral color scheme.

Post from: Home Addicts

Room Colour And Your Mood

One habit which can literally transform your life is to start your morning earlier. It might be tough in the beginning, but it is completely worth it.  One hour is all you need to get your day off to a great start.  You can relax, enjoy a healthy breakfast, sip your coffee, read the newspaper, exercise, talk with your spouse, your kids, get some work done on that project you’ve been putting off.  What you’ve done by giving yourself one extra hour is you’ve taken some control of your day back.  You go into work when you’re ready, not in some sort of scramble against the clock.  You get to devote your fresh brain towards your own work and projects, giving it the focus it deserves, and when you come home after work, you can actually relax because you already got your work done in the morning.

Automate a proper wake up:

When that alarm clock goes off you start your day off stressed and alarmed. By smartening your home with technology you can wake up in a more natural fashion, feeling more refreshed and less like smashing your alarm clock with a baseball bat.  You can set both your thermostat and your lights on a timer, so that at the appropriate time, the room temperature begins to rise, as well as the lights which begin to fade up, imitating the rising of the sun, waking you up more gradually instead of yanking you out of your peaceful slumber.  You can also install speakers throughout your house, controllable from every room, and you can have your favorite music CD or the sounds of nature to gradually increase in volume as well.  But don’t forget, set all your timers one hour early!

How to maximize your mornings

Now that your up you want to make sure you maximize that hour before heading out the door to work.  If we were all Doc Browns from Back to the Future, then we’d probably all have automated breakfast machines which would crack and cook the eggs, fry the bacon, toast the toast, brew and pour the coffee for us, without having to lift a finger.  Unfortunately we’re not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t automate our mornings, but most of the work can be done the night before:

-Prepare and pack your lunch in the evenings so you can just grab and go in the morning.

-Buy yourself a coffee machine with a timer, and set in to go off when you wake up.  The smell of coffee brewing is a great start to the day and it will be ready as soon as you step out of the shower.

-Ask your significant other or your kids or train your dog to bring the morning paper to the breakfast table.

-If you’re lucky enough to have someone in your life to prepare breakfast, awesome.  If not, a few quick breakfast ideas include:

- Bowl of cereal with chopped fruit and milk
- Scrambled eggs, toast, sliced tomatoes
- Yogurt with granola and chopped fruit
- Fruit smoothie in the blender
- Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and blueberries

So now you’ve woken up naturally, you’re showered, shaved, informed and on a full stomach, and you still have that extra hour to write that novel or screenplay you’ve been neglecting; go for that morning jog (hopefully before you’ve showered and eaten!); learn a new song on the guitar; enjoy your family etc.  And best of all, you don’t feel controlled by your job.

Post from: Home Addicts

Smart Homes: How to Wake Up & Maximize Your Mornings

How To Fix Basic Toilet Problems

Clogged Toilet:

We have all been in a position where we’ve finished our business, looked down into the toilet bowl and wondered, “is that going to flush?” We take our chances, shutting our eyes with naïve hope, but as we suspected the water from the bowl rises progressively instead.  What to do? As quick as you can, shut off the valve to the toilet, located just under the toilet tank. Give the water a minute to drain. Next, grab your plunger in order to relieve the clog. Make sure you’re covering the hole completely. Pull up on the plunger to create suction in the drain, then push in to create pressure. Several pumps should do the trick.

Continuously Running Toilet:

Basically, a toilet will make that constant running sound when the float arm doesn’t raise up high enough to turn off the inlet valve inside the toilet. You can try flushing the toilet a few times without decompressing the handle completely. If this doesn’t work, take off the lid of the tank and see if the stopper is sitting squarely on the flush valve seat. It’s very possible that the chain is probably caught under the side of the stopper. You can fix the situation by ”jiggling the handle” i.e. pulling the chain out from the stopper.

Another idea is to shorten the length of the chain by loosening the link on top of the stopper that attaches the stopper to the chain, then placing the stopper squarely on the valve seat. Next, pull the chain taut to the stopper using a link that will still leave a little slack, then attach the chain to the stopper. Make sure the handle (on the outside) is up and the lift arm is down; this will place them in the proper position to pull up the chain and stopper.

Other Bathroom Repair Tips:

Clogged Sink:

There are several techniques for unclogging a sink, depending on how far gone your problem is. Most clogs in sinks and tubs are due to a combination of hair and soaps that accumulate in tepid water. If you have metal pipes, boil water and pour it down the drain. Make sure you pour the boiling water down the drain and not directly on the porcelain sink. You can also try using a plunger, particularly for plastic pipes. If the clog does not clear by using a plunger, try a sink auger designed for sink and waste lines. Extend the auger cable into the drain. Pull out about 12 inches more of the cable and tighten the set screw. Turn the crank handle of the auger with firm but gentle pressure. Extend more cable as required until you feel you’ve worked through the clog. Repeat and then flush with hot water from the faucet once the drain starts to flow.

Leaking Shower Head:

If you want to repair a dripping shower head, first unscrew the showerhead from the pipe, either by hand or with a set of pliers. Inside the showerhead you will find a small washer made of plastic or a rubber O-ring, which is likely damaged and needs to be replaced. Next, wrap the showerhead stem with some type of pipe sealer and remount the showerhead on the stem. Turn the water on and off and see if your showerhead leaks or not. If so, there may be a problem with the shower’s water-control valve and most probably require a plumber.

Post from: Home Addicts

Bathroom Maintenance & Repair Tips: Plumbing 101

When creating your baby room theme, you may favor the path of color accents and individual bits of decor. This type of nursery is bold and versatile, leaving you a lot of room to grow as the baby gets older. Try a soft muted paint on three walls and a vibrant color or wallpaper print on one wall. Picture hanging is yet another idea and you can slowly accumulate a treasured photo gallery or accent with gift items from family and friends. A color-based baby room theme leaves you plenty of open ground in which to maneuver and grow your collection of decorative arts at the appropriate time.

The centralized baby room theme is a collection of related images, usually ascribed to Winnie-the-pooh and such. This type of baby room theme allows you gather and expand while keeping in line with the central theme. Choose curtains, bedding, night lights and trash cans all flowing smoothly into your baby’s favorite character themes. When its time to retire your current theme, you can sell your centralized bundle at an online auction or yard sale and fetch a good price. Character collectibles are big business and never go out of style, so be sure to hang on to what you are not using and pass them along to someone else.

Designer bedding and accessories has taken flight, with bedtime options made by industry giants such as Jessica McClintock, Banana Fish, Cotton Tale Designs and more. This type of baby room theme is flexible with almost any decor, and works well with animal themes, angels, geometric shapes and nature. If the designer bedding is of any better quality than the department store brands is left to be seen, but the visual effects of designer bedding can be stunning. Just work within your budget to cultivate your taste in color, texture and originality, and everything will be perfect for baby’s first room.

Post from: Home Addicts

Baby Room Themes & Home Decoration Ideas

Writing. In the day of search engines, online content is everything these days. Without effective content in sufficient quantities, websites do not rank highly in search engines. Poor ranking causes a website to be practically ignored by search engines and Internet users alike. Successful online organizations are aware of this, and constantly require new content to be developed for their websites, sometimes on a daily or even hourly basis. While many companies have their own in-house staff for this, many do not. Many companies choose to outsource this to brokerage companies and freelance ghostwriters. While writing may never have been your mainline career, the Internet seems to have changed the way publishing workings, opening new venues everyday to even the most novice of writers. Do you know how to how to shop for car insurance? Do you know how to wash a dog? How about inventory management software?  You’d be surprised to see what types of articles customers online seek. You could even be paid to write an article on how to fry an egg–all from the comfort of your own home!

Personal Assistant. While the concept of part-time secretaries and temporary staff have been around for years, the ability to hire such workers online has drastically improved with the increased availability of broadband Internet. Booking appointments, online researching, and data entry are just a few of the tasks you can perform for companies from a home office.

Web Page Evaluator. Do you have basic computer skills? If so, many companies could use your help in evaluating their websites. This task much like being a mystery shopper in the real world. A company will give you a list of websites to visit and, like a mystery shopper visiting a grocery store in reality, you browse around the websites and secretly report your experience as a customer.

Computer Programming. Are you in the IT field? Do you have more than basic computer knowledge? It’s no big surprise that many IT-related tasks can be performed via a telecommuting arrangement. There are dozens and dozens of freelancing websites that allow programmers, designers, and other IT professionals to provide their services to companies worldwide. Programmers can troubleshoot existing programs, develop bespoke systems, or provide consulting advice. Designers can provide logos, website templates, and other graphic design work. Technical writers can provide requirements specifications and user manuals.

Working at home isn’t for everyone, but there are dozens of options out there that could work out for you.

Post from: Home Addicts

Working from Home: Successful Home Business Ideas

With so many jewelry choices on the market however, it is hard to tell which ones will make her happy and which ones will make you look foolish. There are techniques you can use to find out exactly what your best girl wants when it comes to jewelry and you can use these tricks to surprise and delight her.
Before a special holiday arrives like Valentine’s Day or her birthday, you should make it a point to go shopping with her even if you don’t feel like going, what you will discover about your lady’s tastes and styles will give you some clue about how to buy jewelry for her when those special occasions do come around.

A shopping venture can be very revealing. It can let you know if your girl is a simple plain Jane down to earth soul, or a high maintenance babe. Look at the style of clothing she chooses to wear, if it’s something that has a little flair, she may want some sparkle in her life to go with it. Things like diamond studded necklaces or bracelets are often favorites for those with a higher sense of style. If her style of dress is simple and everyday, you may want to play down the sparkle and get her something earthy and trendy.

If the lady is your wife you want to be a little more elaborate. You’ve hopefully already melted her heart with your engagement rings selection.  You have been with her long enough to know her style and taste if you have been married for a few years. On occasions like her birthday and Valentine’s Day, she wants something that says romance and love. You can choose according to her unique style and dress and do make sure that what you buy for her is not cheap but something that costs a pretty good amount.

Take her shopping and casually stop at the jewelry counter and notice what she likes and dislikes, this is another clue to get to know her jewelry style and will make buying a lot simpler. What you choose will send signals that can last a lifetime.

Post from: Home Addicts

A Man’s Guide to Buying Jewelry for His Lady

Like many families we began moving things into the new garage before the house even closed, and also like many families, much of that stuff was still there years later. In fact, it looked like a long neglected storage unit until one day when my wife marched into the dining room with my daughters in tow and announced that today was the day the garage was returned to its rightful occupants. She was determined to clean the place out and to my surprise, she did a great job by utilizing technology in ways I never would have thought of.

First she sat down at the computer while the girls went out and took some measurements. She created a rendering of the garage in a 3-D modeling program according to the numbers my girls gave her, then added the existing shelving, a built-in workbench, and the two cars. From there she was able to calculate how much storage capacity we had and what could reasonably go where. Then they emptied the structure completely.

My wife sent me to purchase some modular shelving units and totes, along with a hand-held thermal label printer. This nifty little gadget came in real handy in helping my wife organize the sporting equipment and label it by type. She used a laser-level to hang the brackets for the modular shelving; a task I had to do in the bedrooms with a tape measure and a plumb line when we first moved in. I must say, was blown-away by her work. I had never seen my wife do these kinds of thing with the tools she was using.

The icing on the cake had to have been taking inventory for our insurance company using a digital camera. As each item was put away in its new place, a digital picture was taken and notes made about the item’s age and condition. The notes were added to the pictures later on using image editing software on the computer. Pictures were also taken of both vehicles as they sat in the garage, providing evidence that they fit comfortably should our auto insurer ever fuss about it. Finally, when the job was complete my wife used the video feature of the camera to do a complete 360 scan of the entire garage. Awesome!

Now we have a clean and organized garage with plenty of room for our cars, it’s inventoried in case we ever have a fire or break-in, and I’m happy to say that we’ve maintained it for almost four years. Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of my lovely wife and two daughters.

Post from: Home Addicts

Use Technology to Organize Your Garage