Month: June 2020

Electrician Qualifications And How To Get Them

Choosing an electrician

Choosing an electrician can be a difficult process and it can even be hard to know where to start. For your convenience, we’ve prepared a guide of tips on how to choose an electrician that will match well with your home or business and the particular project you’re looking to hire for.

Often times, asking your friends and family members is a great way to find a professional you need. Because you have a close relationship with those offering a referral, they will likely give you an honest perspective on the company or individual they’ve hired for electrical work in the past.

It is imperative to make sure the electrician you choose has the necessary legal documents assuring you that they are able to complete the job. Many companies will have this indicated on their website or you can ask them directly to see their credentials.

Online testimonials are a major influence on most people looking for a product or service in any industry. Visit their pages on Google, Facebook or other listing websites that will offer insight into how past customers feel about their experience with the company in question

Once you reach a point where you are have narrowed down your candidates, give them a call to get a better feel for the company and who you will be entrusting this work in. Often times, this step can be very telling and it will make reaching a decision an easy choice at this point!

 

How Do I Choose an Electrician?

“With great power comes great responsibility.” The thought behind this famous quote may not have been related to the dangers facing electricians. Nonetheless, it sums things up well. When it comes to electrics, don’t risk it.

You need a professional to get the job done safely. Selecting the right person for the job is crucial. We’re here to shed light on what you should look for so that you don’t get a nasty shock.

Check the License and Insurance

It’s vital that your electrician is licensed. This ensures they have had the required training to carry out the job safely and in the right way. All qualified electricians should be able to produce their current state license.

Competitive Quotes

It’s always wise to get about three different quotes. That gives you plenty of prices to compare. Be sure to explain exactly what work you need doing.

Check out Qualifications and Experience

As in any other profession, some electricians will have more experience and qualifications than others. Your electrician should be able to offer a year’s warranty on their workmanship.

 

What to Look for When Choosing an Electrician

Have been noticing that the lights in your home have been flickering lately? It may be time to call in a professional to check your electrical system. Older homes may still have outdated knob and tube or aluminum wiring, and replacing outdated wiring is a job that should be completed by a licensed electrician.

How long have you been working in this field? It’s important to find someone who knows the codebook, but also has practical experience. You also want to work with someone who understands the value of providing good customer service

Are you licensed, bonded and insured? The contractor should hold a valid electrician’s license. This means they’ve completed the required education and training. The contractor should also carry liability insurance in the event he/she or one of his/her employees is injured while working on your property. Ask for the contractor’s bond number and certificate to confirm proper bonding is in place

Who will be performing the work on my property? If the business owner will not be doing the work personally, ask about the credentials of whoever will be completing the project. Employees should be fully trained electricians, and apprentices are not allowed to work on jobs unless they are supervised by a trained electrician.

Do you offer a warranty on work performed? Discover whether the parts or labor are under warranty after the job has been completed. If so, how long is the warranty in effect? You’ll want to hire an electrician who’s prepared to stand behind the work.

 

A Few Things To Look For When Hiring An Electrician

If you are looking for an electrician, it is good to avoid choosing any electrician you come across. Even though doing extensive research when looking for an electrician can be time-consuming, as there are many electricians to choose from, it is worth doing it. This is because taking your time when looking for an electrician will help you find the right electrician who offers quality services. There are some factors you need to consider when looking for an electrician to make an informed decision.

The Electrician’s Level of Experience

Choose an electrician who has experience with the service you need. This will help you avoid being an electrician’s guinea pig. An experienced electrician knows how to do their job in the best way possible. This is because such an electrician knows the ins and outs of electrical work and fully understands the safety procedures. Ask all potential electricians the kind of electrical work they specialize to help you choose an electrician who can do your electrical work in the best way possible

Licensing

It is good to make sure that the electrician you are considering has the proper licensing for your state. An electrician who is not licensed is likely to offer low-quality services. A licensed electrician has undergone training and knows how to do electrical work properly.

Insurance

Make sure that the electrician you choose is insured to avoid being held financially responsible in case something goes wrong while an electrician is working on your property. Find out if the electrician you are considering is insured. Ask the electrician to show you paperwork showing that the electrician is insured.

Customer Reviews

Customer reviews can help you know what people who have hired a certain electrician before have to say about the experience of working with the electrician. A good electrician is well-reviewed for electrical work similar to yours.

 

Tips for Choosing the Right Electrician for Your New Home

Choosing the best electrician for your new home can be daunting. But it’s essential because you need your plans to be done the right way and run smoothly. You want to choose an electrician you can trust to carry out the job as required. He or she should be knowledgeable and a professional about the job otherwise  you will be discouraged. It’s essential to have sensible plans when searching for the best electrician to do the job. Read some of the tips you can use when selecting a qualified professional to do the job well for your new home.

When looking for an electrician, it’s good to obtain at least three quotes to know if you are being overcharged. Make sure that you communicate the job you need to be done and the kind of materials and fittings you would like to use. It’s easy to compare one quote to another, and you can also request for a quote together with a breakdown of all the prices. It’s not wise to choose a contractor on price alone because there are other crucial things you need to consider.

Licensed and Insured

Secondly, choose an electrician who is licensed and insured. Most electrician contractors are registered with the energy commission. However, do take into consideration that it is also possible for electrical contractors to not have licenses but have a high degree of skills, experience, and expertise to do required electricity jobs. A licensed electrician is well trained to do the job correctly and safely. Also, you can as well check as well if the licensed electrical contractor is insured. It’s essential to protect your property and yourself from any form of accident.

Guarantees

You can also check if your electrician will give you some form of guarantee on the job. It’s good since you don’t want to choose someone who might deny correcting a mistake that they made or someone who will refuse to fix a problem that occurs after a month or a week later. So knowing whether they provide guarantees will help you to see if you can rely on and trust the electrician when upgrades are needed.

Experience and Credibility

When choosing an electrician, don’t be afraid to ask for their references from former jobs and also about their qualifications. A lot of electricians have special accreditations. These added factors about your chosen electrician can make them the best for the work you want to be done.

How To Select Vacation Rentals Cleaning

OWNER’S GUIDE TO VACATION RENTAL CLEANING

Vacation Rental Cleaning: Common Mistakes

Not hiring a trained, professional housekeeper between guests is a big mistake. You want someone who knows how to keep your house looking, smelling, and feeling great. Not providing high-end amenities for your guests is another mistake. They’re going to expect all the comforts of home, and you need to be prepared to provide those. Not hiring an independent inspector is another common mistake. You need someone who can follow a detailed vacation rental cleaning checklist. This will ensure your property meets the expectation of your guests. That checklist should be used every time the property is cleaned.

Vacation Rental Cleaning: How We Avoids Mistakes

We provides exceptional management and cleaning services. We avoid these mistakes in a number of different ways. First, we employ professional cleaning services for all our homeowners. We also provide high-end amenities in our vacation rental homes. Independent inspections are conducted after every clean, and we use a detailed vacation rental cleaning checklist, which is unique to your home and designed to meet your needs.

 

Strategies to Sustain Your Vacation Rental Business Growth

Disclaimer: These suggestions are recommended for short-term vacation rentals that are located outside of isolation zones. These statements are merely suggestions and should not be taken as official guidelines. Please pay attention to local announcements and follow the latest health and safety protocols and recommendations from the World Health Organization

As an Airbnb host, you have to understand that your business might be affected by this global pandemic, particularly by cancelations from guests traveling from severely impacted countries or cancelations due to the outbreak of the pandemic in your country, among other possible scenarios. However, it is possible that you maintain and even boost your bookings despite the pandemic.

Take the Necessary Precautions

When it comes to your short-term rental business, keep yourself informed. Educating and preparing yourself instead of panicking is imperative. Now, more than ever, it is of great importance to remain flexible and plan ahead in order to keep things under control.

Don’t Panic

The COVID-19 outbreak shouldn’t influence your decision to keep running your business. In fact, it is strongly recommended to keep your listings online since the deactivation and reactivation may do more damage to your ranking than a slow period.

Monitor Competitors’ Prices

Lowering your prices may not necessarily be the best approach. Some hosts rush to reduce their prices to attract more bookings in fear of the slow period and consequently cause harm to their business. However, what you should do is continue to monitor your local competitors’ prices and adjust yours accordingly.

 

reasons to choose a vacation rental over a traditional hotel

If you travel, you’ve probably heard of companies, in which homeowners can rent their spaces to travelers who are looking for an alternative to a standard hotel.

Home-style accommodations

A vacation rental is different from a hotel or inn because it’s typically a regular house or apartment. So, when staying in a vacation rental, you’ll get to live like a local and have access to things that you wouldn’t normally have in a hotel, such as cooking facilities. Plus, vacation rentals are decorated according to the individual taste of the owner, so the atmosphere is often homier than an impersonal hotel room.

Local insight

Many vacation rental hosts are happy to share tips with their guests about local attractions. If you’re able to chat with your hosts, you’ll get an insider’s perspective about your destination. Some hosts even offer excursions, tours or “experiences” as part of the accommodation package or for an extra fee.

A rental is likely a better option for families

If you’re traveling with family or even a big group of friends, you could stay in a hotel and worry about disturbing people in the next room, or you could have an entire house to spread out in. Many vacation rentals come with games and sporting equipment, and some come with yards for outdoor activities, so you can have plenty of fun and not be cooped up in a hotel room.

It’s more economical.

If your vacation rental has a kitchen, for example, you can save money by cooking your own food. And this doesn’t just go for bigger groups — even singles or couples might be surprised at how much less a one-bedroom apartment or small cottage costs on the vacation rental market compared to a hotel room.

 

Tips To Book Your Vacation Rentals Cleaning

Fast & Efficient Vacation Rental Cleaning Tips

Keeping a spotless vacation rental is important to impress your guests. As a vacation rental host, you want to be sure you are properly cleaning and presenting your home in the best possible light. Here are some helpful fast and efficient cleaning tips for your vacation rental.

Make a checklist

Whether you are doing the cleaning or hired a cleaner to clean your vacation rental, making a checklist ahead of time is very beneficial. With your busy schedule, it is easy to forget to take care of some important tasks for cleaning. Making a set checklist for your cleanings will solve this issue. If you have hired a vacation rental cleaner then a checklist is very important so that the cleaner knows exactly what you would like done for your property

Set time limit per room

Setting a time limit for cleaning each room of your house is a good way to ensure a fast cleaning process. You can base the time spent on each room based on what you have on your cleaning checklist for each room.

First, start high!

A smart place to start is with tall pieces of furniture. This way when you dust tall furniture, the dust does not dirty your previously cleaned floor

Vacuum

When it comes to dusting tops of drawers and dressers: We recommend you do this step before you vacuum, this way you can vacuum any dust. The cleaning tasks you wish to be completed in your home can be compiled on a checklist for your cleaner. Vacuuming does not take long but it is an important task to complete after each guest.

 

VACATION RENTAL HOSTING: HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HOME FAST

Cleaning a house requires a whole list of skills, but cleaning a house quickly, from top to bottom, is a skill that in my book approaches super-hero status. And when you’re getting a whole house ready for guests in under 4 hours, you need all the super-hero-ness you can find

If you missed the last post about getting a house ready to rent as a vacation property, definitely check that one out first. But if you’re caught up, or just wondering how to clean your home fast, roll up your sleeves, grab your gloves, and read on!

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HOME FAST FOR GUESTS

If you’ve been a reader for a while, then you know I hate cleaning house. I mean, I wrote the book (or really just the article) on Why I Quit Spring Cleaning as well as my latest one on 9 Genius Cleaning Hacks. If there is a way to get out of cleaning, I will find it. However, keeping a clean rental house is essential to making guests happy and getting good reviews, so it has to be done. With cleaning, if I can’t avoid it then the next best thing is to get it over with as quickly as possible. To that end, here is how we clean our rental house super-fast in between guests.

CLEANING TIME FRAME

When cleaning a house between guests, you need to give yourself a reasonable amount of time. We set our check-out time at 11am, and check-in at 3pm. Plus, we ask guests to let us know via text if they check out early, so we can get an early start on the cleaning. To be honest, it takes the two of us almost that whole 4 hour window to clean the house from top to bottom, so every extra minute helps.

CLEANING METHOD

The key to getting your cleaning done quickly is to time a few things strategically.

Durable Epoxy Flooring Coatings For All Seasons

Seamless Epoxy Flooring Provides Durability and Aesthetics

Homeowners have several options to explore when it comes to flooring, but some are better than others. For those looking for long-lasting floors that are visually appealing, seamless epoxy floors can make for a great option. To better understand the benefits of such flooring, it’s good to learn a bit more about what makes it so special.

Those who have kids are sure to appreciate how enduring an epoxy floor is. Further proof of this is the fact that epoxy is used in industrial buildings. Even better is the fact that the material is watertight, which allows it to last even longer. In terms of maintenance, seamless epoxy floors are among the most sanitary and skid-proof, and they aren’t prone to collecting dust, which gives homeowners one less task to worry about.

One of the best things about epoxy is that there’s no need to tear up old flooring before putting it down. It can be applied as a coating to a home’s current floors or any new floors being put down in the future. Once the material is applied, floors are sure to look new for several years to come. Something else to consider with an epoxy floor is that it’s easily adaptable in terms of color. Besides selecting a color from a regular color scheme, homeowners are free to add a clear coat or specks of color for subtle visual interest.

 

Epoxy floor coating

Is a flooring surface made up of multiple layers of epoxy applied to the floor to a depth of less than two millimetres. Epoxy is made up of resins and hardeners. The resin and hardener are mixed together to chemically react. This forms a rigid plastic material that is strong, resistant to degradation, and which bonds extremely well to its substrate.

Epoxy floors are incredibly strong and can be used in the most demanding industrial environments as well as provide a beautiful addition to a regular trafficked floor. High grade epoxy resin is used to upgrade surfaces, obtain coloured effects, protect floors against corrosion, and achieve a water tight effect. All of these qualities provide longer durability of surfaces.

 

Epoxy guards against oil and contaminants

Which ensures fewer pollution from soil and dust can be brought into the home or company. Epoxy offers a moisture resistant layer and is waterproof. When elected to build an epoxy base, levels of radon gas are minimized. With several customization choices and light reflectivity, epoxy offers a special and sturdy flooring product.

Every single project on the floor is special. Coating strategies add value to the floor by having it shinier, more durable, and better covered. Applicants are dedicated to offering personalized floor covering and design solutions for increasing flooring need.

Attractive epoxy floors can render every environment attractive and bring value to the framework under which the floors are being built. Epoxy can preserve and prolong concrete life when poured on the previous concrete flooring. Epoxy floors are easy to disinfect, and are highly bacteria-resistant

 

Epoxy could breathe new life into old floors.

It is able to be put on existing floors along with brand-new ones. The finish is a wonderful technique to makes sure commercial or shop floors will certainly look their best and also the finish will certainly last for many years. Epoxy will certainly secure floorings with a plastic-like finish.

It can be found in a range of colors and styles. An easy, solid color epoxy flooring is best for industrial companies. This color could be selected from a standard color combination. There is likewise the alternative of including color flakes as well as a clear coat, giving floorings a display room look. Materials made use of to earn epoxy floorings are more powerful compared to concrete.

Covering made use of in smooth floorings is UV resistant against rain and sunshine, created to beam for several years. Epoxy finish is very simple to clean and also it does not grab dust. The installation is simple as well as fast. It can be made use of in any place where floor covering is needed and also supplies an ideal finish.

 

Tips for Maintaining Epoxy Flooring

I mop the epoxy flooring two or three times each year. Occasionally, I vacuum up debris with the shop vac, but everything else is just spot cleaning. It’s not much work to have a floor that is visually attractive and welcomes guests. Compare that to most other garages that have stains, concrete wear, dusting and other issues. You get the picture.

Whether you have professional epoxy coatings for your garage, basement, porch, sunroom or pole barn, the maintenance and usage tips are usually the same

For minor spills or vehicle drippings, simply wipe them up with a paper towel or other soft cloth.

Routine maintenance cleaning is best achieved with either a soft bristle broom or a blue commercial dust mop (available at any home improvement store).

For heavy cleaning of a soiled epoxy floor, sweep away any loose debris and then mop floor with a hard foam mop, hot water and clear ammonia. Four to five ounces of ammonia per gallon of water is all that is needed to adequately remove soiling

Some winter road “pre-treatment” compounds leave a hazy film on epoxy floor coatings after cleaning. This can normally be removed with hot water and a deck brush (found at most hardware stores). Continuous rinsing may be required to keep the compounds from drying onto new areas of the floor.

Kitchen Remodeling Tips And Suggestions For Your Home

Tips for Choosing a Kitchen Accent Color

Does your kitchen feel a little boring? Want to add some pizzazz to the design? A good kitchen accent color can turn a drab kitchen into a dramatic masterpiece, with minimal investment on your end. Here are some tips to help you choose the right accent for your kitchen.

What Is a Kitchen Accent Color?

Before we can provide tips for choosing an accent color, we need to explain what an accent color is. This is a pop of color that you can use to add personality to a kitchen. If you have an all-white kitchen or a space filled with neutrals, it can feel drab and boring. The kitchen all runs together, so there is nowhere for the eye to focus on. With the right kitchen accent color, you can direct a viewer’s eye around the room and create visual interest for the space.

Start with a Neutral Base

Having a neutral base will allow you to change your accent color over time. If you get bored with bright green, you can swap it out for a soft yellow. The neutral color pallet will remain the same, so you don’t have to completely remodel your kitchen. Greys, whites, browns and beiges can transition through many accent colors in the future. Think about that if you’re planning an upcoming kitchen remodel.

Choose a Kitchen Accent Color That Fits the Undertones of Your Neutrals

The rule is ‘neutrals go with anything,’ but that is not always the case. Most neutrals have an undertone, and that undertone can dictate which colors work well with them. Your accent color could accentuate or detract from your neutrals. For instance, a cool grey wall with a blue undertone may suddenly look blue with navy accents. A contrasting color like orange could also enhance the blue undertones.

Don’t Be Afraid to Go BOLD!

If you have a neutral base, you can go bold with your kitchen accent color. Candy apple red, bright green, cobalt blue – choose any bold color your heart desires. Your accent color is going to be the ‘pop’ in your kitchen. You can make that pop as loud or as quiet as you want it to be. Explore options on all ends of the spectrum before settling on an accent color.

 

The Step-By-Step Guide To Remodeling Your Kitchen

Since the kitchen is central to the home and commonly used by families, it’s one of the first things many house hunters look at. Whether you’re renovating your kitchen to help your home sell or to create the kitchen of your culinary dreams, there’s some planning and budgeting you’ll want to do first.

Determine Your Must-Haves

The first step when remodeling your kitchen is deciding what you really want. Similar to house hunting, this helps you narrow down the options and formulate a budget.

It can feel like the options for your kitchen are limitless, but unless you have a limitless budget, you’re going to have to pick and choose what’s actually important to you. Do you need more storage? Do you want more space for entertaining? Do you want a flow that works better for your family?

Set A Budget

Now that you know what you won’t budge on and what would just be nice to have, it’s time to create a budget.

How do you know what a realistic budget is for your kitchen renovation? A good rule of thumb is to spend 5% – 15% of your homes total value on your kitchen renovation. For example, if your house is valued at $200,000, a decent kitchen renovation budget would be 10% of that value, so about $20,000. Here are a few things you can do to get a more accurate budget and decide how much to allocate where.

 

Kitchen Remodeling: What Type Of Kitchen Cabinets Should You Choose?

Your kitchen cabinets should be the highlight of your kitchen, which means if they’re not looking their best, your kitchen could look dull and drab. If you’re thinking of undergoing a kitchen remodeling project, learn how to choose the best cabinets for your home. Knowing the difference between the styles, wood choices, stains and paints and hardware can help you choose kitchen cabinets that will look great (and keep you happy) for years to come.

Which Cabinet Style Best Fits Your Kitchen Remodeling Project

Which style fits your kitchen remodeling project? Are you looking for traditional, contemporary or mission style doors? Do you even know what that means? If you’re not an expert in kitchen cabinets, consider which types of doors you prefer.

Choosing The Right Wood For Your Kitchen Cabinets

The next choice you need to make is what type of wood that you want to use. Popular choices include cherry, maple, hickory, red oak, lyptus, rustic alder and white oak. Each wood type provides a unique look so you want to have a good idea of what you want your finished kitchen remodeling project to look like to make sure you’re choosing the right wood for your kitchen cabinets..

Selecting The Right Stain Or Paint

Choosing the right stain or paint should happen at the same time you’re choosing your wood type. Cherry stains, for instance, can range from a light stain that brings out the natural beauty of the wood, to a reddish brown, to a deep coffee color. At this time, you should decide whether you want a matte or satin finish and if you want any specialty touches, such as glazing, vintage or rustic looking finishes

Which Kitchen Cabinet Hardware?

Hardware is usually the last choice homeowners need to make. Hardware can include drawer pulls and door handles and the possibilities are nearly endless. Hardware comes in every style, from classic to modern to vintage, and it’s an affordable way update the look of your cabinets every few years. If you’re having a hard time choosing the right hardware for your kitchen remodel, consider buying one or two handles or pulls of multiple styles. This way you’ll be able to see which ones you prefer before you install them all on your kitchen cabinets and drawers.

 

KITCHEN REMODEL CHECKLIST

Whether you’re cooking, entertaining or just hanging out, kitchens attract a crowd. Remodeling your kitchen is a great way to update the most popular room in the house. Remodeling also gives you an opportunity to make a return on your investment.

Kitchen Remodel Tips

A kitchen remodel can be as simple as a fresh coat of paint and new floors, or a complete transformation with new appliances, cabinets and more. No matter the route you choose, planning helps you avoid costly, or surprising setbacks and keeps the project on time and on budget.

While you’re planning your kitchen remodel, decide what bothers you about your current kitchen and how your new space will correct these flaws. Maybe you need more storage near the oven, or you’re tired of hearing the kids slamming the cabinets shut.

Set a list of priorities and expectations.

What’s your big-picture goal: More space? Better design? Just new appliances?

When do you want the project to be finished?

Set a budget.

How much do you want to do: new appliances and more square footage, or just painted cabinets and a new fridge? Make the decision now before you start remodeling. Don’t forget budgeting for the little details, like the knobs on the new kitchen cabinets and dividers for new drawers.

 

How to Choose the Best General Contractor for Your Kitchen Remodeling Project

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR REMODELING YOUR KITCHEN

As a homeowner in Sonoma County, you have the luxury of choosing from the best General Contractor near you to consider. When it comes to kitchen remodeling, there are several things that you will want to consider when choosing among the best General Contractor that are right for you,  especially when choosing the right kitchen remodeling contractor. With that said, as one of many local kitchen remodeling contractors in Sonoma County, it’s important you find a highly experienced contractor that really understands the ins and outs of kitchen remodeling that can also work within your budget and timeline.

Your kitchen is the primary space in your home that can get you the greatest return on your investment. According to a recent article published by Remodeling Magazine, the average ROI for a kitchen remodel is between 60-80% depending on the over-all condition of the home, in addition to other deciding factors. Not only is remodeling your kitchen a great return on your investment, but it makes a tremendous impact on the quality of life in your home such as family time, preparing meals together, and hosting holiday events throughout the year. Your kitchen can be the heart of your home and the one space that can really make the most positive impact in our lives when its remodeled. With features like pullout shelves for easy access to cabinets and countertops that are easy to clean. And lets not forget those wonderful features such as instant hot water dispensers for that quick morning coffee.

GORGEOUS KITCHEN DESIGN WITH MODERN FUNCTIONALITY

One of the things we often here time and time again is that the new kitchen is more functional. With clever designs, we can often take a poorly designed kitchen and remedy the problem of these outdated designs that often result in the lack of storage space, or hard to reach places. Our custom kitchen designs go beyond great looking cabinets. We’ll create a design that not only looks amazing, but will transform your kitchen into a highly functional space. Two great examples that we’ve done in many of our kitchen remodels is to remove a wall that often separates the kitchen from the dinning or living room. By removing the wall it creates a very open space that makes the space more functional and creates a “Great Room” that is perfect for entertaining guest or large family gathering such as Thanks-Giving or Christmas dinners. Another popular feature has been to add a center island which not only adds more seating capacity but allows family and guests to visit with you while you are preparing that amazing meal. We have often put a second sink in those center Islands giving you even more flexibility.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT KITCHEN REMODELING CONTRACTOR

When it comes to remodeling your kitchen there are many kitchen remodeling contactors to choose from in Santa Rosa or the surrounding areas. The best General Contractor for your kitchen remodeling project understands the intricate construction and design processes that go into building your dream kitchen. The comments below may be some things you will want to consider when deciding on the right contractor. The first rule of thumb is it is best to work with a local contractor that is part of your local community. You know the guy or gal that has had their kids or grand kids in little league with your kids or grand kids. The guy or gal that shops at the same stores you do and pays local taxes to help with the infrastructure of this great community. The contractor that understands what it feels like to live in a community that was threatened by the recent Tubbs and Kincade fires. In other words, Sonoma County is not just where we work, it’s where we choose to live because of its beauty and the beautiful people of this community.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

It’s not easy to find the best General Contractor. We care about every little detail to make sure you get the design and functionality to create that kitchen you will be enjoying for many years to come. We start the process off with a personal on-site visit to take pictures of the current space, to take measurements down and most importantly to discuss with you the goals and vision you have to obtaining that perfect Kitchen. During our kitchen design consultation meetings, we will often discover space limitations our clients are experiencing and even uncover some issues that they didn’t know could be remedied. Then the fun begins! We point you in the right direction to begin looking at countertop options, appliances, flooring, and cabinet choices. It’s even a common practice for someone from our staff to meet you at our local stores to help you in making the right selection of products for your new kitchen. This practice has often saved a lot confusion or hassle. In short, you are not just getting a kitchen remodeling contractor in Sonoma County you are getting a design team that walks you through every step of the way.

The New Entry In The Roofing World Is The Metal Roof

Metal Roofing Facts and Myths

Metal roofs are becoming more and more of a conversation piece. What comes along with this? Many myths, but also facts.

Here are some common metal roof myths — and the facts to dispel them.

Myth: Metal roofs will prevent ice dams

False. The root cause of ice dams is improper attic ventilation and inadequate attic insulation. If your attic space doesn’t have enough insulation and ventilation, ice dams can still form on a metal roof.

Ice dams result from a problem that could exist for any attic space and roof. Heat still rises, and with lack of insulation and ventilation, the snow on the roof melts, runs down and re-freezes at the eaves — even if it is a metal roof.

Myth: Metal roofs lower heating bills

This is not necessarily true. If your home has inadequate insulation, air leaks and windows that are not energy efficient, installing a metal roof will not likely lower your heating bills. It is important to remember there are many factors that contribute to your home’s overall energy usage.

Myth: Metal roofs offer no resale value

This is not true! Metal roofs are actually highly valued. Homes renovated with standing-seam metal roofing recoup on average 85.9-percent of costs nationally and up to 95.5% for homes in the Eastern states, according to Remodeling Magazine. These gains in resale value amount to 1- and 6-percent, respectively, over homes roofed with asphalt shingles.

 

Metal Roofing – Get The Facts!

Shingles were a longstanding staple in the material business for a considerable length of time. Almost certainly, one of the houses that you experienced childhood in had a shingled rooftop. Be that as it may, as time has passed by, purchasers have started searching for different kinds of materials to utilize. The issue with shingles is that they don’t keep going for over twenty years. Taking into account how costly and included introducing a material framework can be, you need to ensure that you don’t need to do a similar venture over again inside 10 years or two. Shingles start to split and the quality debases after some time, implying that you will in all likelihood need to do some minor fixes en route too. Furthermore, on the grounds that each shingle must be set by hand, the establishment procedure can be extremely monotonous and tedious. Interestingly, a metal rooftop sets aside almost no effort to introduce. This is on the grounds that it comes in boards that you can without much of a stretch slide into place and secure.

Another reward to introducing metal material is that, in a great deal of spots, you will have the option to show signs of improvement bargain on protection. Countless insurance agencies will offer property holders a sizable rebate on their mortgage holder’s protection premium on the off chance that they decide to introduce a rooftop made of metal more than one made of shingles or tiles. This is on the grounds that metal is substantially more tough than different types of roofing materials. Metal material is comprised of steel boards that have been covered with claim to fame rust-evidence paint. Both solid and adaptable, a they can without much of a stretch keep going for more than fifty years. What’s more, however it might appear as though they are a genuinely late pattern, metal rooftops have really been around for quite a while. For quite a long time, individuals have used rooftops made of metal for the long future and toughness that they offer. There is no other structure material utilized today that can coordinate metal material.

One of the fundamental objections with the manner in which metal material used to be done was that they ingested a lot of the sun’s warmth. This, thus, would make the house a lot more smoking, which caused vitality bills to be high as it took more work to keep the home cool. In any case, on account of advances in innovation, that is not, at this point an issue. Presently, it’s exceptionally intended to mirror the warmth from the sun, which has had a gigantic effect in how individuals see the material.

 

It’s long lasting

While it depends on the material and how the roof is installed, a metal roof is so durable that it has the potential to outlive you.

It can be installed over your existing roof

In most cases, a metal roof can be installed directly on top of your existing shingle roof. This makes metal roofing construction less of a hassle (and less of an expense).

Installation is quick and easy

Because of the way metal roofs are constructed, installing them is a pretty straight-forward process. Metal roof installation requires an expert, but someone trained in the process can install your metal roof in practically no time at all.

It can be installed in any season

Unlike shingle roofs, metal roofs can be installed during winter. Especially here in Tallahassee where snow is not an issue. We are happy to come install a new metal roof any time of year.

It’s snow, wind, and rain resistant

Dare we say they are even snow, wind, and rain proof? While things can always go wrong on the rare occasion, metal roofs are the most weather-resistant roofing material available.

 

The Facts vs. Fiction about Metal Roofs

For homeowners looking to re-roof, metal is becoming an increasingly popular choice and for good reason, thanks to the exceptional durability, long-lasting value and increased protection from metal roofs. Even so, there are still some misunderstandings about metal lingering among homeowners. Here are the facts vs. fiction about metal roofs:

Fiction: “I can’t have a metal roof because we get a lot of thunderstorms in our area, including hail and strong winds”

Fact: Metal roofs are by far the preferred and most durable choice for withstanding severe storms and weather. That’s why they are exceptionally popular in hurricane-prone areas such as Florida and the southeastern United States. Quality metal roofs have been proven to stand up to hurricane-force, 140-mile per hour winds, large hailstones and flying debris much better than other types of roofs. They also have the strength to hold up under heavy snow and ice loads, making them a truly durable, long-lasting choice in all season and regions.

Fiction: “Metal doesn’t give me as many style or color options, and probably won’t work with the architectural style of my home”

Fact: More than any other type of roofing materials, metal gives homeowners the widest variety of color and style options, designed to fit with the look of just about any home. There are metal roofing styles that mimic clay tiles, slate and shakes, and a vast array of colors, from rich earth tones to bright blues and reds, to choose from. Metal also is available in raw natural hues such as copper, titanium and stainless steel. From modern to tradition, the latest metal roof designs can not only complement, but enhance the curb appeal of nearly any home.

Fiction: “It gets really hot in the summer where I live. Metal will heat up my home.”

Fact: Metal roofs reflect more solar radiation than asphalt, which typically absorbs and holds heat. Metal roofs with oven-cured, pre-painted organic coatings are called “Cool Roofs” and have proven energy efficiency performance. So much so, many are ENERGY STAR qualified. Even darker metal roof colors with “cool pigment” technology can deliver high total solar reflectance and high infrared emittance. That means your home will be cooler and you’ll save more energy, thanks to metal roofing’s ability to re-emit most of what solar radiation is absorbed.

Fiction: “It rains a lot in our region. I’m worried the sound will keep me up at night.”

Fact: A properly installed, well-insulated metal roof will be as quiet as an asphalt roof. Just like with any other type of roof, make sure your installer uses a good quality underlayment and adds/tightens fasteners securely to help manage noise. And, you’re sure to sleep even easier knowing that the long-lasting durability of metal roofs will perform well no matter what Mother Nature throws at it for many years to come.

 

Does a Metal Roof Increase Home Value?

What about non-shingle roofs? Metal roofs are often touted as a good way to boost home value, but research indicates they are not as cost-effective as laminate shingles.

The Remodeling Report for 2019 found that a metal roof, on average, cost homeowners $38,600 and increased home value by 60.9 percent. Compare this to their findings for asphalt roofs, where the average homeowner spent $22,636 and got a return of 68 percent.

Not only is metal roofing, on average, more expensive than asphalt shingles, metal roofs also add a lower percentage of their value to an appraisal. In the end, you’re spending more money on a metal roof, but getting less of your investment back. If you install a metal roof, you’ll pay $38,600 and may get a $23,507 boost to home value. Therefore, you will have paid $15,093 that you may not get back in home value. If you pay $22,603 for an asphalt shingle roof, you may get a $15,392 boost to home value. Therefore, you will have only paid $7,244, which you may not get back in home value. These numbers are only averages. You may get a full return on investment. Even if you don’t, laminate shingles are a less-risky investment than a metal roof.

You should also consider how a homeowner will view a metal roof. Few homes have metal roofs, so they may seem unpredictable to homeowners who have never owned one before. As they are less common, homeowners may have too many questions about metal roofs to feel comfortable purchasing one.

As with other home improvements, if you want to maximize your investment, it is best to stick with familiar products in familiar styles that won’t raise the eyebrows of the typical home buyer.

The Needs For Sewer Inspection To Be Done

WHO SHOULD YOU CALL FOR YOUR SEWER OR SEPTIC LINE INSPECTION?

It’s important that you work with a full service company, especially if you have a septic system or are considering buying a home with a septic system. You should make sure the company can not only inspect your lines, but can follow through on repairs to your lines or septic system, either immediately or in the years to come. Finding the right company will ensure that the inspection and any necessary repairs are done by one company and not a group of sub contractors who may not take responsibility for their work. Be sure that your inspector is ATT (Alternative Treatment Technologies) and O&M (Operations and Maintenance) certified, and that they are part of a Preferred Plumber Program. Your real estate agent may be able to refer you to a full service company that provides comprehensive inspection, maintenance and repair services, and that has all of the necessary certifications.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN SEWER LINE & SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION?

When it comes to sewer and septic line inspection, the plumbing company inserts a snake attached to a small video camera into the clean-out and snakes the camera through the sewer. You can watch the image on a monitor, and even request a recording of the inspection in the event documentation is of value. Not only will the plumbing company find out if the sewer line is clean or clogged, but the inspection will disclose the condition of the sewer. Ask the contractor to tell you what kind of material was used to construct the sewer line and whether that type of material is considered good construction today. Some sewer lines are made up of different materials, from concrete to clay to cast iron.

 

How Often Should Sewer Lines Be Cleaned?

This is an excellent question. If your home is older, the likelihood that an immediate sewer line cleaning would benefit you is very high. As a solid preventative measure, sewer lines should be cleaned once every eighteen to twenty-two months. If your home has been experiencing frequent problems with your sewer lines, it is recommended that you contact a plumber and schedule a video inspection. There are many different systems in your home that require maintenance. HVAC system maintenance is incredibly important if you live in an older home with original ductwork.

How Do You Dissolve Toilet Paper in a Sewer Line?

While toilet paper is specifically manufactured to dissolve and break up in water, if too much toilet paper has been stuffed in a tight space, such as in a pipeline, it can become a gummy mess. Most specialists recommend a closet auger to help dissolve the toilet paper in the drain. Augers are known as long pieces of wire or thinly shaped metal that is inserted into the toilet drain. These mechanisms have small hooks or barbs on the end that are designed to break up clogs and help separate the paper.

Does Toilet Paper Clog Sewer Lines?

With regard to whether or not toilet paper can clog a sewer line, homeowners should exercise caution. Any kind of debris, including toilet paper, can clog a sewer line. Over time, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, facial tissues, feminine hygiene products and more can clog the sewer line, causing a dramatic loss in the function of your plumbing. That’s why it’s crucial for homeowners to secure an appointment for sewer drain cleaning particularly if they have an older home and haven’t secured the service in recent memory.

 

What Is a Belly in a Sewer Pipe?

Sewer line bellies are sags or low spots in sewer lines. A normal sewer lateral (seen below) has a slope that uses gravity to help regulate the flow. A bellied sewer line interferes with the normal flow of waste water through the pipe, leading to backups and other problems because the water and sediment collects in the belly.

What Causes Sewer Bellies?

Poor planning and bad installations are often the root cause of sewer line bellies, as proper bedding compaction, good materials and correct slope are the most important factors needed to prevent the problem. However, natural occurrences like major tree roots, earthquakes, sun or heat, rain, and even cold weather fluctuations can lead to the shifts in the soil that eventually cause bellies.

How Can You Diagnose the Problem?

Sewer pipe bellies should be diagnosed by plumbers using the most accurate video inspecting technology. A professional sewer camera inspection will allow the service technician to push a video camera through the pipe, giving you a close look at the entire sewer lateral and allowing the plumbing team to accurately identify the issue. Even slope issues can be detected at this preliminary stage of the process.

 

Sewer Line Channeling Repair

If after reviewing this article you find that your sewer line is channeled and not bellied, then you may be a candidate for trenchless pipelining. Since a channeled pipe does not necessarily have an issue with slope, pipelining may be the solution you are looking for. Pipelining is a non-destructive, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method of repairing a damaged pipe from the inside by means of inserting an epoxy saturated felt liner into the pipe and letting it cure in place. What that means for you is no digging up your floors or destruction inside your home to repair your sanitary drainage pipes. You won’t even need to leave your home during repairs. The result is a brand new, PVC quality pipe within the old one with a manufacturer’s 50 year life use expectancy.

Sewer Line Belly vs. Channeling – Why the confusion?

The issue lies with the company performing the video inspection. At first glance, both conditions may have the same symptom – the camera going underwater during a sewer video inspection. However, only after thorough investigation with a jetter can the problem be properly diagnosed.

In conclusion, a belly in a sewer line and channeling are easily confused. We have found that when our customers mention they have a belly in their sewer line, 99% of the time the line is channeled instead. Since a sewer line belly is accompanied by an issue with the pipe’s slope, conventional replacement is the only repair option.  However, channeling differs in that the pipe’s slope (in most cases) remains functional. This means that channeling may be repaired by trenchless pipelining, saving you time, money, headaches and the mess associated with conventional replacement.

 

Sewer Inspection Problem  – Tree Roots

When your sewer system was installed, chances are the vegetation wasn’t mature and no one suspected that your system could be compromised by a tree root. Roots are relentless and powerful and can crush a pipe or offset it, creating all kinds of problems with the flow of your system.

Unfortunately, most people do not think about their sewer line location when planting a tree. Often we see trees planted directly above a sewer line in front yards.

Root intrusion is very common in older clay and cast iron sewer lines. Newer PVC lines have a lower chance of having root issues.

There are several ways to handle this issue, including replacing the old line with a more structurally sound one like plastic. You can treat the line with a poison that will make the roots retreat. You can also rent a power auger which will clean out the line and will need to be done on a routine basis.

There are also hundreds of rooter companies that will come out and run a power auger down your sewer line for a low fee. We recommend that you do this often if you have a clay line.

How Can An Immigration Lawyer Help You

How to choose an immigration attorney?

Once you decide to consult with an immigration attorney, you will face a challenge of selecting an attorney who is right for you

If you are not living in a big city, there may be few immigration attorneys to choose from. You may go for a phone consultation with an immigration attorney if you just have a few questions and your case is not pending in immigration court. You may send your papers by e-mail to an immigration attorney in San Francisco for review. Immigration attorneys in San Francisco give consultations by phone or skype, accept credit card payments over the phone.

Please keep in mind that not all the people who will try to help you with immigration issues are in fact immigration attorneys. There is a lot of immigration fraud in the Russian and Hispanic communities in big cities all over the United States.

Notarios, paralegals, and translators are not immigration attorneys, they are not qualified to give immigration advice. At the very beginning ask the person if he or she is a member of the Bar, and get the immigration attorney’s Bar number. Check the status of the attorney’s license on the website of the State Bar Association that issued the license

If you care about the outcome of your case, do not want to lose your money and get a denial, avoid unqualified legal aid. You can learn about immigration fraud and how not to become a victim on the USCIS website

 

Immigration Lawyers and Top Rated Immigration Attorneys

Through the process of naturalization, foreign citizens or nationals are able to become a United States citizen, so long as they fulfill the requirements that were established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Applying for citizenship can be an exhaustive and expensive process.

The costs associated with the application process can widely vary, and hiring an attorney to assist you throughout, may end up saving you money in the long run. Even the slightest error can cause an application to be denied or postponed, and having to reapply can double or triple your costs.

Deportation occurs when the United States orders an individual to leave the country. Deportation, also known as removal, can be a frightening situation for the individual as well as their family. The laws surrounding deportation are complicated and hiring a deportation/removal attorney is highly advised.

Experienced lawyers may be able to raise arguments against deportation, including any one of the following: cancellation of an order of removal, prosecutorial discretion, requests for asylum, arguments based on the U.N. Convention Against Torture, and appeal of order or removal. Your attorney will fight to help you remain in the country, and will be your best bet at staying where you are.

Lawful permanent residents of the United States receive a photo identity card, that is green in color. As such, permanent resident cards are known informally as “Green cards”. Green card holders are immigrants who are given rights, privileges, and benefits to permanently and legally reside in the United States.

 

Selecting the Right Immigration Law Firm

Successful experience in your area of concern. Research the law firm’s reputation and the leading attorneys at the firm. Be sure that you find that their clients praise their quality of service, whether it’s employment based or individual/family based cases. If the attorney has been favorably rated by other legal professionals and by attorney rating organizations, it’s a good sign.

Personal attention and respect. Some immigration law firms are run on high volume, and turn into infamous “paper mills” where productivity is given greater value over quality. For many types of immigration cases, representation is far more than just asking for a list of documents and filling out forms. Without an active, collaborative approach, and may you risk submitting documents that haven’t been properly reviewed and which are not up to standard. If poor documentation is initially submitted, while USCIS might give you a request for additional evidence to cure some defects, the request for evidence may not necessarily cover all the bases which USCIS may use to deny your case. Lack of personal attention is often a problem experienced when retaining a large law firm. Bigger and more expensive does not mean better. It’s best to retain a boutique immigration firm that handles manageable case loads.

Attorneys with membership in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Although membership by itself does not ensure quality, an immigration attorney who is not a member of AILA lacks essential resources that no immigration attorney should be without, such as case assistance with AILA’s Liaison Department.

Licensure. Be sure that the attorneys are licensed. There are consultants who offer legal services to the unsuspecting public in violation of the law. Only a licensed attorney is lawfully permitted to provide legal advice. A consultant is only permitted to fill forms, and not assess the quality of documentation, or present legal arguments in support of your eligibility for immigration benefits. Also, unlike a consultant, an attorney is accountable to the state bar, and has a lot more to lose by being dishonest and providing false hopes

Attorneys that stay current. The attorneys at the law firm should stay on top of current developments in immigration law. For example, on June 1, 2008, the DOL changed processing from Chicago to Atlanta for PERM labor certifications. After this change took place, if an employer sponsoring a worker for a green card placed an internal notice prompting the reader to send information to the Chicago DOL address instead of Atlanta , and the DOL audited the labor certification case, there is a chance that the DOL would deny the case just for this seemingly small oversight. Staying current matters.

 

A Passion for Immigration Law

passion for immigration law is rooted in his own immigration story. Paul was born in Ecuador and later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. “My parents believed that the best chance we had for a better life was to immigrate to the United States. We wanted a chance to live the ‘American Dream’ that we had heard so much about. Therefore, my family settled in New York and we assimilated quickly. However, as assimilated as we were, we were still living unlawfully in this country. My father knew that the key to our survival was to obtain lawful status that would allow us to live freely in this country. Through an employment sponsorship, my father was able to obtain permanent resident status for our family. I knew at that moment that our life had changed because becoming a permanent resident of the United States would open so many different opportunities for my family. There and then I knew that I wanted to help other immigrants achieve the ‘American Dream’ that I was blessed to have been given.”

From that point, every educational step that Paul took was with the motivation to become someone who could help others achieve their “American Dream” as he and his family had achieved theirs. Attending SUNY Oneonta, Paul was a political science and Spanish major. He was frequently on the Dean’s List, a member of the pre-law society and President of the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. “I knew that my ultimate journey would be law school.”

After receiving his Bachelor’s degree, Paul decided to help run his family owned business, Alvarez Cleaning Service, Inc. To date, he has served as an owner, manager, and bookkeeper for the company. In 2016 he was awarded Business Person of the Year by the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce. While still working for his family business, Paul also applied for and was offered a paralegal position at Julie Mullaney Attorney at Law, a small law firm in Westchester, focusing on immigration law. “It was great experience. I was able to see what an immigration attorney did from A to Z, ranging from larger issues to day-to-day issues. And, most importantly, it re-solidified my desire to attend law school and become an immigration attorney.”

As for choosing Pace Law – “it just made sense,” and had everything Paul was looking for – from location in Westchester, but close to New York City to a top-notch immigration law program featuring practical and classroom learning. While at Pace, Paul immersed himself in as much as he was able. “I was a member of the Pace Law Advocacy Honor Board as the Director of Internal Competitions; I participated in every oral advocacy competition that I was able – from immigration, to criminal law, to sports arbitration. I was the president and one of the founding members of the Immigration Law Student Organization, Vice-President of the Public Interest Law Student Organization and the Vice President of the Latin American Law Students Association, a representative for BARBRI, and Admissions Ambassador and Mentor, part of the Faculty-Student band, and player on the Pace intramural soccer team. I looked at every opportunity as a way to broaden my perspective and meet new people. And, I was fortunate to have so many opportunities.”

Significantly, while Paul was at Pace he was a student attorney with the Pace Criminal Justice Clinic and the Pace Immigration Justice Clinic. He gained practical, hands-on, real-life, attorney experience through both of these opportunities. “I was doing things in these Clinics that most law students experience for the first time only as admitted attorneys. It was fascinating.” His three most influential professors in law school were Vanessa Merton, David Dorfman and Lou Fasulo because each one of them taught him so many important lessons on becoming a zealous attorney that he will carry on for the rest of his career.

 

Benefits of Hiring an Immigration Lawyer to Represent You

As anyone that’s gone through the process will tell you, navigating any area of immigration law is not an endeavor you’d want to go through alone. There is an extensive paperwork process that goes along with immigration that even natural-born U.S. citizens would struggle with, let alone immigrants from other countries for whom English is not their first language.

A Good Immigration Lawyer Avoids Mistakes

Filing the correct paperwork is an important part of the processes of acquiring a visa, getting a loved on residence in the United States, and finalizing your marriage to an immigrant, among other procedures. This paperwork is usually extensive and complicated, and without the help of an expert, there are lots of opportunities to make mistakes that sink your entire application permanently

They Are Seasoned by Experience

One of the most important benefits that hiring an immigration lawyer can offer is less tangible than the others. The help of an expert that has experience making immigrants’ dreams into realities cannot be understated

Immigration Attorneys Can Maneuver the Permits and Regulations

A good immigration lawyer is an expert on all the procedural maneuvers necessary to get you where you want to be. Whether that’s obtaining work permit in the United States, acquiring permanent residency or full U.S. citizenship, an expert immigration attorney is a veritable expert on what you need to make that happen

They Can Explain Your Options to You

No matter what you’re situation is, you have options. Your expert immigration attorney can lay out these options in front of you, making sure you understand the full scope of your circumstances. Whether you’re facing deportation or something else, your situation is likely very sensitive, and urgent. Isn’t it important that you understand those options that you can take moving forward?

Create More Space With A Residential Electrical Remodel Project

The Voltage Range in Your Home

It’s easy to get confused when we talk about the voltage range that a home electrical system supplies to our devices. For a long time, most people called the power from your home outlet “110 volts.” Similarly, “220 volts” was used for larger household appliances like electric ranges and clothes dryers. These designations for home AC power are actually out-of-date. They don’t accurately describe the voltage range that comes into your home from the electric utility. So, why the confusion?

These days, almost every residential customer can get 120 volts from their wall outlet. However, power is typically delivered into your home at a nominal voltage of 240 volts. Inside the transformer on the utility pole, the power is divided into a split phase system, with each line having a nominal voltage of 120 volts. Nominal voltage is the voltage that the line is designed for; however, in the real-world, the tolerance for voltage fluctuations is −5% to +5%. This leads to an actual voltage range of anywhere from 114V to 126V from your outlet and a voltage range of 228V to 252V for your full-phase appliances. Now, you might look at these voltage ranges and think that a difference that large could potentially pose a hazard to you or your electric devices. However, I can assure you that this is completely normal and is taken into consideration when the circuits are designed.

We talked briefly about the 240 volts that is supplied to your home from the power company. At the transformer, the single phase power from the utility company is split into 3 wires: 2 line wires and a ground. This is known as a single-phase three-wire or split-phase system. Normally, your lamps and other 120V devices are connected between one line wire and the grounded center, while electric stoves, dryers, and other appliances are connected to both line wires and the ground. This way, each half can balance the other when electrical loads increase. Our Quick 220® voltage converter combines these halves and produces a convenient outlet with a voltage range of 228V to 252V without the need to call an expensive electrical contractor.

 

Capacity of Main Disconnect

Most modern panels have a single main disconnect. Often times this disconnect is labeled as the “main”. The capacity of the disconnect is labeled directly on the disconnect. It will typically indicate “100A”, “150A”, or “200A”.

As you can see from the above, if you were to see that a panel is rated at 150 amperes maximum, and it is equipped with a 150 ampere main disconnect and it is fed by a 150 ampere cable, you can conclude that the service is of 150 amperes capacity.

There are instances when the three determining factors are not equal. For example, if a 100 ampere capacity cable is feeding a 150 ampere capacity panel with a 150 ampere capacity disconnect, the service would technically be considered a 100 ampere capacity service. The cable would be the limiting factor. In addition, this would be an unsafe condition since the cable would not be of great enough capacity to withstand the potential for 150 amperes of current that would be permitted by the panel and disconnect. The cable would be considered as undersized and replacement with an appropriately sized cable would be recommended for safety reasons. To the contrary, a 150 ampere cable feeding a 100 ampere capacity panel and disconnect would be considered a 100 ampere capacity service and it would also be considered safe (the cable can be oversized but it cannot be undersized).

 

HOW TO DETERMINE SIZE FOR A HOME ELECTRICAL SERVICE

When replacing an old electrical service entrance or designing an installation for a new home, one must be aware of current and future energy needs. Think about the myriad of kitchen appliances we take for granted today that hadn’t been imagined a few decades ago. Who would have thought spas and hot tubs would be common luxuries for many? Most RV’s require 50 amp 240 volt circuits to adequately power their needs. Where will you be plugging in your car in future years? Home electrical services must be sized to meet these demands. It is recommended that no residence be served with less than a 100 amp rated service entrance. This becomes a requirement when the load exceeds 10,000 watts or has 6 or more 2-wire branch circuits. Service size requirements vary according to area, so we recommend that a careful check be made before installing a minimum-sized service. Standard-sized services for residential applications are 100, 200, or 400 amps. The general rules of thumb for determining service sizes are:

  • 100 amps will service a range, water heater, general lighting, and receptacle outlets. Usually recommended for workshops, vacation cabins and larger pump systems. This amount of ampacity is really too small for a residence unless gas heat and appliances are used.
  • 200 amps will take care of range, dryer, water heater, general lighting and receptacles, and a considerable amount of electric heat, while the…
  • 400 amp services are designed for use in larger homes that require over 20kW (20,000 watts) of electric heat plus all the aforementioned items.

We have drawn out a chart to help you determine your service requirements. It is based on Articles 220 of the 2005 National Electrical Code. The chart is very liberal in that it uses a 100% demand factor on all of the heat load as well as on some of the appliances that might otherwise be figured at a lesser amperage. Minimum service size can be found by adding up the total wattage that will be used, counting the first 10 kW at 100%, and using a 40% demand factor on all the rest. Once the calculated demand is determined in terms of wattage, divide that by 240 volts to convert it into amps. This would be your required service size. Pick from the standard services the one that is just above your amperage requirement.

 

Service Switch

A disconnecting means or “disconnect switch” must be provided in the service entrance to disconnect all the wiring in the building from the electrical power supply. This may be accomplished with a separate switch called a service switch or main disconnect. Many years ago it was common to install a separate switch next to the fuse box to shut the power off. In modern residences, the service switch is actually the main breaker housed inside the breaker box which shuts off power to all the other breakers in the box.

The size of the service switch or main breaker depends on the electrical load served. Service switches come in standard sizes of 30, 60, 100, 150, 200, 400 and larger. The National Electrical Code requires a minimum 100-amp service size for all residences, although many newer houses typically use a 150 amp or larger service.

 

Fuse Box vs. Circuit Breaker Panel

In most homes, the main service panel uses circuit breakers that control and protect the individual circuits. Circuit breakers are specially designed safety switches that prevent individual branch circuits from drawing more power than the circuit wires can safely handle. Virtually all homes built since the early 1960s use circuit breakers as the power distribution method. Older homes also have circuit breaker panels if their electrical service was updated after 1960.

Where an electrical service was installed before the early 1960s and has not been updated, it may use a different style of power distribution—a fuse panel, which protects individual circuits with screw-in or cartridge fuses.

The use of fuse panels and circuit breaker panels for residential wiring follows a historical pattern:

  • 30-amp fuse panel: Installed before 1950, these service panels provide only 120-volt current. Such a service provides insufficient power for modern usage and generally needs to be updated.
  • 60-amp fuse panel: Installed from 1950 to about 1965, 60-amp fuse panels provide 240-volts of power, but are still insufficient for most homes. An update is usually needed.
  • Circuit breaker panel: Since the early 1960s, homes have generally been wired with circuit breaker panels that provide 240-volt current. Early services may provide 60-amps of power, while large houses built today may have 200 amps or more of power. Homes with 60-amp or 100-amp service often require an electrical service update during major remodeling or expansion projects.

Understanding The Dynamic Nature Of House Cleaning

HOUSE CLEANING IS MORE PROFITABLE THAN YOU THOUGHT

Starting your own business will be an amazing way to take control of your life, boost your income and find an occupation which will allow you to support yourself and your family on your own terms. A house cleaning business may be an excellent example of a potentially lucrative, extremely useful business that’s not difficult to get started and has a huge opportunity for growth. Benefits of Owning a Housecleaning Business

Every business has its own advantages. If you’re considering opening a house cleaning business, you must consider potential advantages as compared to the effort required to confirm you make the choice that’s best for you and your family.

  • A house cleaning business doesn’t need many workers. In fact, you’ll be able to start your business completely on your own. Later, once your client base grows or once the homes you’re asked to clean become more difficult, you can consider hiring a lot of people.
  • Because you’re on top of things of your hours and therefore the amount of labor you accept, you’re able to customize the business to fit your lifestyle. this implies that if you wish to only work while your kids are at school, you have this feature.
  • House cleaning is an extremely in-demand service each for people who simply need the occasional help and for those who can need regular house cleaning services.
  • You’ll be able to customize your services using your own abilities to form yourself stand out from different house cleaning services. Not only will this appeal to customers, however it makes the business a lot of interesting and fulfilling.
  • Because house cleaning needs little preparation and no necessary licensing, you’ll be able to begin a small house cleaning business quickly and easily to immediately speak to an income loss or gap.

 

Winning Potential

A house cleaning business can be an incredible method to create pay. There are a few roads that can be taken to amplify benefits and increment your client base.

The house cleaning needs of your customers can go from a one-time requirement for unique occasion or regular cleaning to a customary relationship requiring a few cleanings per month. Filling your calendar with both guarantees predictable work and, consequently, salary.

Offering particular administrations, for example, concoction free cleaning, aroma free cleaning or full range administrations including dishes and clothing can engage a more extensive scope of clients, expanding your business opportunity.

 

 

What to Know Before You Hire a Housekeeper

Finally hiring a housekeeper can bring such a sense of relief, but only if you’ve done your homework. It’s important to find someone who is trustworthy, particularly if they will be cleaning your home while you’re at work or running errands, and will take their time to do the job properly. Ask around for referrals and consider the ins and outs of using a sole proprietor or hiring a larger cleaning company before you commit to a housekeeper.

Independent Workers vs. Cleaning Companies

A number of housekeepers work as sole proprietors of their own business, but you might be more comfortable with a larger cleaning company that hires their own employees. There are pros and cons to both: A benefit to hiring a cleaning company is that they are responsible for screening the employees to ensure that a background check comes up clean. On the other hand, if you want the same person cleaning your house every week, you should choose a sole proprietor—turnover tends to be higher with cleaning companies, and they might send someone different each time.

Find a Referral

The best place to start looking for a great housekeeper is to ask your family and friends if they have a company or person that they use and love. One of the great things about using a cleaning service is that they have multiple people who might work out well for your needs. A lot of services will allow you to try out different housekeepers until you find one that is perfect for your needs.

Interview Candidates

Take some time to come up with real questions, and make sure that you’re thorough with the interview. Ask questions about what they enjoy about their work. Why did they choose housekeeping as a line of work? Check references, work history, and criminal history. A lot of services will do these things in advance, but be thorough and check out the results.

Decide on a flat fee or an hourly fee

When considering hiring a housekeeper, one of the things that you might have to decide is if you’re going to pay by the hour or pay a flat fee, though the housekeeper or company might have their own non-negotiable policies.

 

 

7 Steps to Cleaning Business Success!

If you’ve already opened your cleaning business and bought your house cleaning insurance, you’ve taken a huge step forward and that deserves a big thumbs up. But now, you might be wondering how to make your business grow to become a success in the industry. Your potential clients have plenty of house cleaners to choose from, so you want to make your business stand out from the rest! Here we’ll look at a few tips to help your house cleaning business flourish.

  1. Offer Personalized Service and Fair Prices

Spend some time giving free estimates. This will help you see a potential client’s home to work out how much time it will take to clean. Don’t charge the same price for a large house and for a small apartment. Clients will go running to a cleaner they believe is giving them a fair deal. Sit with the client to find out what they want. According to surveys, customer experience with a company has a huge impact on how likely they are to be repeat customers, and that holds true for you, too. Sitting with your clients to understand what is important to them gives them this personalized service and shows that you care about them and their needs, allowing you to develop a pricing plan that is fair to them and worthwhile for you. And when you need to raise your prices? They’re more likely to understand.

  1. Manage Your Time Carefully

To be a success, you need to fill up your schedule. Working on your time management will benefit both you and the customer, as expectations are clear and match reality. Schedule your jobs in a way that allows you to fit more than one job in each day. Slots starting around 10am won’t leave you enough time for an afternoon customer as well. On the other hand, starting at 8am will allow you to finish by lunchtime and go to another customer afterwards–or even take some much needed time off. It also means that your customer won’t have to have their entire day blocked off. Always be on time and efficient to keep to your schedule and keep your customers satisfied.

  1. Find Your Niche

In a crowded market, it can be difficult to make a place for yourself. Spend some time looking online at reviews and social media to see what clients wants and what competitors are offering. Then, create a niche for yourself. Perhaps you guarantee all of your products will be environmentally friendly. You might be able to offer flexible scheduling, such as evening or weekend time slots. Perhaps you work more on marketing with a weekly newsletter or blog posts with free cleaning tips, introductions to your cleaning staff, and product reviews. Having a niche will give you a unique place in the market.

  1. Use Quality Products

Cheap products may save you money to begin with, but using more expensive quality products will help you attract a unique clientele that will benefit your business in the long-run. Using non-toxic and ecologically friendly products is better for the furniture and doesn’t leave any irritating fumes or smells around the home. These safe and healthy alternatives are better for both your cleaner and the client. Keep learning about new products through suppliers, from industry publications or from trade organizations to stay on top of your game.

  1. Treat Your Employees Well

Your employees are key to the success of your business. To offer a cleaning service that stands out, you need to attract the best and most professional cleaners. Some ways to encourage your employees to stay with you include:

  • Spend time on training; show them how to clean windows, scrub a sink and more
  • Don’t micromanage – show trust and respect once you’ve trained them
  • Offer perks such as paid sick or vacation time to employees have shown their loyalty
  • Provide bonuses for quality work
  1. Spend Time on Marketing

Don’t become complacent once you have a solid client base. You need to spend time on marketing to ensure you always have new clients. There are many ways to advertise your business to the right markets. These include:

  • Networking – Networking may not cost money up-front, but it can lead to business opportunities immediately or down the line. Let people know what you do.
  • Contact real estate agencies or home builders – Make contact with companies who might refer you to others. This gets you right out in front of the competition with a potential client before they are even in their home.
  • Advertise around the community – This is a great way to find local jobs. Put up flyers, pay for ads in local brochures or magazines and get your name out at local community events. This will help you build brand recognition.
  1. Focus on the Business Aspect

Building a successful house cleaning business is not easy, in terms of the cleaning itself or the business aspect. Businesses need to be run professionally to be successful. For your house cleaning business to grow and expand, you need to take care of much more than just cleaning. Make sure you have a business plan in place, that you’re filing taxes as you need to and that you have the insurance you need to grow and thrive.

 

Price Your Cleaning Services for Profit

  1. Let’s talk numbers.

Most cleaning companies base their prices on the market average. They simply look at what their competitors are charging… and charge less.

DON’T DO THIS.

You’ll end up working for pennies – or robbing yourself blind. Your prices need to be based on two things:

What are Your Overheads?

Before you put a dollar-value on your services, you need to figure out what it costs to run your business.

  • Cost of supplies
  • Employee wages
  • Drive time and Fuel

Always factor in your employees – even if you don’t have any. This will help you when you grow.

Also, it’s a good idea to remind yourself that you are an employee of your business. Even the CEO of Amazon is an employee of his own business.

Example: Let’s say you have 2 employees ($22 per hour), with 15 minutes of drive time ($3 to get to the property) and your supplies amount to $3 per hour.

That means you need to charge at least $28 per hour… just to break even!

Why Do Mosquitoes Love Human Blood

How Not to Kill Mosquitoes

First, you need to understand the difference between repelling mosquitoes and killing them. Repellents make a location (like your yard or skin) less attractive to mosquitoes, but don’t kill them. So, citronella, DEET, smoke, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree oil might keep the insects at bay, but won’t control them or get rid of them in the long run. Repellents vary in effectiveness, too. For example, while citronella may deter mosquitoes from entering a small, enclosed area, it doesn’t really work in a wide open space (like your back yard).

There are a host of methods that actually do kill mosquitoes, but aren’t great solutions. A classic example is a bug zapper, which kills only a few mosquitoes, yet attracts and kills beneficial insects that keep the mozzy population down. Similarly, spraying pesticides is not an ideal solution because mosquitoes can become resistant to them, other animals get poisoned, and the toxins can cause lasting environmental damage.

 

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Inside the House

  • If you live in an area with many mosquitoes, you should use mosquito netting to protect infants less than two months old.
  • Wear clothing from head to toe if possible, as limiting skin exposure will lower the chances of mosquito bites.
  • Avoid wearing black or other dark colors, especially in warm weather, as they keep your body warm. Mosquitoes are attracted to warm bodies, and that’s not a recipe for bite-free success.
  • Avoid wearing perfumes, as mosquitoes are attracted to the scent mixed with our body sweat.
  • Use weather-stripping products to seal any door gaps. Protecting your home entry is an important step to reduce the access mosquitoes have inside.
  • Eat more garlic. If you consume a lot of it, your sweat will smell like garlic. The smell deters mosquitoes and keeps them away naturally.
  • Try using silicone caulk or screen patches to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house. Make sure that no screens have holes or tears. Turn on fans because they can break up carbon dioxide and throw mosquitoes off course.

 

How I Tested The Dish Soap Mosquito Killing Home Remedy

Using my kitchen area as a test center, (to my wife’s dismay but it was her idea), I placed a small saucer on our stove each night. The saucer was filled with water and two to three small squirts of dish soap. I did not stir or aggregate the soap in the water. I simply squirted it in and left it.

I made sure the overhead light on our vent-a-hood was left on over the stove. Although evidence of light attracting mosquitoes has been mostly debunked, it does help them to navigate. I wanted to make sure they could see the saucer of water. All the other lights in the house were turned off.

I also made sure that the sinks in the kitchen were empty and dry. I did not want to offer alternative water areas. By the same token, toilet lids were closed and bathroom doors were shut.

And so, I have a controlled test center. Let the battles begin!

 

Mosquito Predators

Mosquito Predators – what eats mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes have a number of predators that collectively can exert some influence on reducing mosquito populations. However, with a very few exceptions, predators generally have little effect on reducing the mosquito population over a large area. So, what are some animals that are mosquito predators?

Bats

While bats eat mosquitoes, they are far more effective at locating, catching and eating insects other than mosquitoes.

Birds

Many birds will eat mosquitoes. The more important among these are purple martins, swallows, waterfowl (geese, terns, ducks) and migratory songbirds. Bird predators usually eat both the adult and aquatic stages of mosquitoes.

Fish

Goldfish, guppies, bass, bluegill and catfish prey on mosquito larvae. But the most important fish predator, by far, is the Gambusia affinis, commonly known as the mosquito fish. This is probably the most effective predator of mosquito larvae and is used by many mosquito control agencies to augment their control efforts.

Frogs and Tadpoles

Most adult frogs and tadpoles do not include mosquitoes as a large part of their diet. Tadpoles infrequently feed on mosquito larvae and instead generally feed on small, suspended particles of plant-related materials. However, mosquito larvae predation is known for three species of North American tadpoles – the spade foot toad, green tree frog and giant tree frog. While not a direct act of predation, tadpoles may compete with mosquito larvae for food.

Turtles

The red-eared slider turtle is generally thought to be the most voracious turtle that feeds on mosquito larvae.

 

Plants And Animals That Cut Down On Mosquitoes

Of all the pests and bugs that can invade your yard, mosquitoes can be some of the most annoying, especially during the warm summer months. When spending time by the pool or lounging outside for a barbecue, nothing can ruin it more quickly than the constant buzzing, bites, and irritation that mosquitoes bring.

Finding a way to lower the numbers of these pests can be pretty difficult. While several chemicals and sprays have been developed to kill mosquitoes and halt their reproduction, natural solutions also exist. For the best protection, smart homeowners can use natural predators and plant-based deterrents to reduce the mosquito population in their yards without resorting to chemicals.

Here are some of the plants and animals that can help cut down your mosquito problem:

  1. Marigolds

Beyond their beautiful and vibrant coloration, the scent that marigolds release make them a great natural mosquito deterrent. They’re also known to keep away other insects that can damage your other plants, making them especially helpful for gardeners or people who like to grow some of their own food.

Plant some marigolds in your yard, either from a starter plant or from a seed, and start solving your mosquito problem and beautifying your home simultaneously.

  1. Citronella

While largely produced in Asia, the citronella plant is a well-known mosquito solution among southern homeowners. This clumping grass emits a strong scent that’s quite effective for mosquito and other insect control, and its natural properties have made it a common ingredient found in several insect repellants.

The herb has also been used in many other ways, such as a perfume or as a way to calm barking dogs. It has even had success as a spray to keep pests from destroying furniture and other household valuables, meaning that homeowners that invest in citronella plants for mosquito protection may be able to glean several additional benefits.

Citronella can be planted in a large pot, or used as an ingredient in candles or torches.

  1. Catnip

While, as the name implies, catnip is more widely-known for its effect on cats, it nevertheless serves as a potent mosquito repellant. A close relative to the mint plant, catnip, like citronella and marigolds, releases a scent that mosquitoes can’t stand, deterring them from approaching.

Unfortunately, catnip only works well as a repellant if the mosquitoes are in close proximity to the plant, meaning that you probably won’t be able to protect your entire yard with just this plant. However, the oil in catnip can work wonders when applied to the skin, acting as a natural bug spray. Catnip is also very easy to grow and maintain, making it easy to keep a steady supply.

Just remember how intense the effect of catnip is on cats, and how powerfully they are attracted to it. You don’t want to replace one pest with another in the form of unwanted felines on your property.

  1. Dragonflies

Why not use a helpful insect to fight a harmful one? In the realm of animals that help maintain mosquitoes, dragonflies are among the most unique. Dragonflies consume a lot of mosquitoes, but sometimes even with the large amount they ingest, they may not seem to to have a significant impact on the problem.

However, their real strength is less in stopping an existing mosquito infestation and more in preventing them in the future. Dragonflies do consume adult mosquitoes, but they have a much greater impact on mosquito larvae. Mosquitoes lay eggs in bodies of standing water, which dragonflies will happily eat up before they have a chance to grow into adults.