Home Improvement, Gardening, & Interior Design Blog

Make your loft conversion look bigger

The loft is usually a small space that isn’t all that pretty, it can be difficult to make sure your space looks as big a … Read more

7 Awesome Tips to Help You Decorate for Christmas This Year

Christmas is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about putting up your holiday decor. Although this can be seen as … Read more

Top Landscaping Trends around the World

Guest post by Emma Joyce Each year we come up with new landscaping trends that shape millions of gardens across the globe. To emphasize the outdoor … Read more

How to Select the Perfect Storage Facility

It’s remarkable how quickly personal belongings dear to our heart turn into seemingly useless items. In situations such as this one, most people stop and … Read more

Review of the Fluke 323 True-RMS Clamp Meter

The Fluke 323 True-RMS Clamp Meter is a professional-standard device that provides accurate current, voltage and resistance readings conveniently and easily. The benefits of a … Read more

5 Unique Ways to Make Your Yard More Inviting

Making your backyard comfortable in cold weather is a seemingly impossible task. It’s another thing to transform a small backyard, but this may only be … Read more

What is the Purpose of Earthing an Electrical Installation?

In almost every electrical installation made, earthing is used. The earthing system, also known as the grounding system, is a circuit connecting parts of the … Read more

How Does Remote Live Warning CCTV Work?

For many companies, security needs to be on alert 24 hours a day. Retail outlets, for example, never know when someone may be trying to … Read more

What to Do After Retiring Early

Early retirement does not generally imply that somebody is prepared to retire. Frequently time’s kin are compelled to retire early on account of the company … Read more

What Do Energy Monitoring Systems Do?

What do energy monitoring systems do for businesses and homeowners? This is a question often asked by those who want to lower overall costs by … Read more

How Often Should I Test my Portable Appliance?

Portable appliance testing commonly known as PAT is used to describe the examination of electrical appliance checking that they are still safe to use. These tests include visual examination and then on to testing which may discover possible faults that cannot be identified by just simply looking at the appliance. The methods of testing are dependent on the type of appliance being used and the environment in which it is used.

Portable appliances are appliances that can be moved. They can be connected or disconnected from a power supply. They will generally have a lead and plug. A plug is a constant source of problems for electrical appliances and needs to be visually checked and tested along with the appliance itself. Examples of portable appliances are kettles, vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, irons and toasters. It can also include larger items such as fridges, photocopiers, fax machines and desktop computers. Mains leads and extension leads are sometimes overlooked but these also fall into the portable appliance category.

What is Arc Flash

Accidents can occur in the workplace, this is acceptable, what is not acceptable is when they become a normal occurrence. Understanding different workplace related accidents … Read more

What is Microfinance and how does it work?

Microfinance is a unique way to give people money they need in denominations usually about $1000. You may not realize that microfinance is even a thing, but microfinance is something that is getting projects off the ground around the world because the loan is only a small amount of money. The microfinancing is often found through fundraising efforts around the world, and the organizations that are handing out these loans are raising enough money to provide thousands of loans in these small amounts.

What Are They For?

Microfinance is great for people working in third world countries who need just a small amount of money to get their business going. This is usually helpful with small businesses in Africa because these are local artisans who need just a little money to get going. These loans work well in other parts of the world when something like a nonprofit needs a small amount of money to incorporate or get the technology they need to operate.

How Does Paper Shredding Help Recycling?

Recycling is one of the most important things that we can do as a society, bu you may not realize that there are some things that you can do to make it much easier for people to recycle paper. You have been shredding paper to help protect your identity, but now you need to make sure that you are going to have the paper shredded all the time to make recycling easier.

Paper Gets Shredded Anyways

The paper that you are going to send out to get recycled is going to be shredded once it gets to the plant, and you can help speed up the process by simply doing it yourself or outsourcing to a company like All Star who do document destruction. You are going to make it much easier for these plants to do their work, and you are going to be able to fit more volume into a single recycling bin. These companies have to pick up all this paper if they are going to work with it, and you are making the pickup a lot simpler for everyone. You just have to consider how you are going to shred it.

Why Wireless Fire Alarm Systems Should be Used by Business Owners

Security of their property is obviously of the utmost concern for business owners so having an alarm is essential, in this article we will explore reasons why the business should use wireless versus a wired alarm system. There are so many reasons why business owners should use wireless alarm systems. Let’s explore some of those. Wireless alarm systems are flexible, portable, changeable, expandable and movable.

Less Mess and Money to Install

Wireless fire alarm systems can save businesses money on the installation. Since there are no wires having to be purchased and ran through walls which can be a hassle money and time are saved right off the bat! The wires in wired systems can be messy, get tangled with other electric wires, potentially chewed on by critters etc. There are many reasons the wires aren’t the best option. The lack of wires means no wire ties to connect it to baseboards to make it look half way presentable, no going under carpet with the wires or stripping of the wires or drilling through exterior or interior wall material. It is much simpler and sleeker to go wireless.

You’re in for a Shock without Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Electricity enables us to work in the first place, powering our homes and businesses so that we can keep connected. It powers our computers, our life-saving medical devices, our air conditioners and our refrigerators as well as many other appliances, and when there is a power failure, without a generator, all activity comes to a standstill.

While electricity is an essential part of our lives, it has also killed and injured many people, started fires and caused major damage to property. An electrical current passing through your body can cause electric shock, and this can result in burns, muscle damage as well as nervous system effects such as fibrillation. The heart can be damaged also because the organ is in the path of the most common routes that electricity takes. All systems, equipment and circuits have to be grounded to protect people from shock and injury.

Electricity is All Around Us

Look around your workspace – there is electricity all around us, and many times computers, monitors, radios, printers, heaters, lighting and other electronics are all working simultaneously in one small office and off one socket. Improper wiring is a major fire hazard with an overloaded circuit. Have an expert install additional outlets if your office has reached the maximum the outlet can take.

Should I See a Psychologist or a Therapist?

When seeking talk-based help for emotional mental issues, it is often challenging to determine which type of professional to seek. Terminology can be confusing to someone pursuing help for the first time. A great start is to understand the various types of professionals available, so to recognize the differences between a psychologist and a therapist.

What is a Therapist?

“Therapist” is a blanket term for several different types of licensed professionals who provide talk and behavioral therapy services. While licensing requirements do vary by state, in order to practice as a therapist, a provider must meet a standard of educational and professional qualifications. Therapists strive to listen and help patients make decisions, comprehend their emotions, and learn problem-solving techniques. Through guidance, therapists strive to help individuals lead more effective lives through teaching coping skills, self-awareness, recognizing underlying motivations, and by giving their patients room to come to terms with potential unresolved life issues. Some psychologists are practicing therapists, but not all therapists are psychologists.

How to Service an Oil Home Heating Boiler

Oil Boilers have temper tantrums the same way as our vehicles do when the proper maintenance is not provided. When a tune up on our … Read more

5 Uses for Toy Marbles or Glass Pebbles

Marbles are a favourite toy for children, but they can also be used in a wide range of crafts. If you love the swirling colours in glass marbles but aren’t sure how to incorporate them into your décor, then you’ll be excited to learn that the sky is truly the limit. Here are five fun and easy ways to add colour, style and texture to your home with marbles and beautiful glass pebbles.

The Fish Tank Substrate

When you start setting up a fish tank, you’ll find that there are countless options for the substrate. However, marbles are an easy and attractive choice you may not have considered. The glass can handle being submerged, and the orbs are easy to rinse off when it’s time to scrub the tank. The shape won’t work as well with an under-gravel filter, but marbles are an excellent option if you’re using a hanging filtration system. They’re also an excellent choice in very small tanks that are going to be cleaned regularly. Consider using different sizes of marbles to help eliminate gaps in the substrate, or go with glass pebbles that will nestle together nicely.

Conventional Approach to Common ENT Problems

Few children escape earache. It is usually due to an infection of the middle ear cavity, when it is known as acute otitis media. This is a frequent problem in young children and a common reason for parents requesting a house call from the doctor when their offspring are crying and distressed in the small hours of the morning, pulling at their ear and exhibiting a moderately high temperature. During daylight hours, children may not respond to their parents’ conversation because of loss of hearing, and sometimes the eardrum may even burst producing a discharge of fluid from the ear canal. Although this looks alarming as well as messy, it serves to relieve the pressure on the eardrum and represents nature’s way of relieving the problem.

Nutrition is one of the Basics for Good Healthy Living

It’s interesting to see how styles have changed over the years from the meat and two vegetables of 30 years ago to today’s recommendations that we eat less protein (especially as red meat), a greater intake of fruit and vegetables, much less fat and refined sugars. This reflects not only our change in lifestyle but also changes in the levels of pollution and the stress of a different nature that we now have to contend with on a daily basis.

Although Edgar Cayce, the famous healer and psychic, talked of air as a nutrient many years ago, and the Indian healers have always done so, we seem to have forgotten that this most fundamental of substances is the basic nutrient of life. When you start to take note of the air that you breathe and the way that you breathe it, not only will you have immediate benefits in terms of stress and anxiety reduction, but you will become more eager to ensure that the air you breathe is clean rather than polluted by cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, etc. The basis of yoga, one of the most ancient of the healing arts, is conscious breathing and we would recommend it to you as a practice that can start you on the road to better health, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Electrical Safety in the Home

According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost 48,000 house fires caused by electrical failures or malfunctions were reported annually between 2007 and 2011. There is a lot of truth behind the old saying that safety begins in the home. Here are some tips on how to ensure and make sure you implement electrical safety in your home.

Electrical Cords & Outlets

If you have any damaged or loose electrical cords in your home, either repair or replace them. Unless you absolutely have to use them, eliminate the use of extension cords in your home. Most fires during the holidays are either directly or indirectly related to the use of extension cords. Do not overload outlets.

Texting While Driving – Are You Crazy?

Mobile phones have became a very common form of communication in the entire world. These phones are used for making calls or sending short messages to other phones. It is now impossible for people to imagine life without a mobile phone.

Texting from a mobile phone is an easy and cheap way of communication. Research now shows that millions of text messages are sent from one phone to another every single day. Think of the number of text messages you send every single day from your mobile phone.

While texting is an easy way for people to keep in touch, it has become very dangerous because many drivers tend to write text messages while they are driving. That one minute of writing a simple message on a phone has led to a lot of road accidents.

What does a Thermal Imaging Camera do?

A thermal imaging camera renders infrared radiation as visible light. The cameras pick up body heat and allow people to be located in smoky, dark or extremely hot places. Firefighters use the cameras to quickly locate the source the fire in a structure or to find people who are visually obscured. Thermal imaging cameras can also be used find victims outdoors on cool, foggy nights, detect smoldering fires in a wall, look through heat-permeable barriers or even spot overheating electrical wiring before they cause a fire. These cameras have become an indispensable tool for firefighters worldwide.

Reasons for Musical Instrument Calibration

Instruments need to be calibrated constantly to ensure their proper working order, and to maintain the delicate balance that exists. There are a number of specific instruments that need to be calibrated, such as high quality pianos, accordions, and even saxophones. If proper care is not taken to ensure they are maintained, problems with the quality of the sound they produce occurs. This can be avoided though by understanding how they function, and periodically having them inspected. You can hire someone qualified to do this for you, or you can learn the ways to perform this yourself.

Understanding the Importance of Export Credit Insurance

In addition to protecting yourself against loss due to protracted default or insolvency, cover is also provided against political risk. The credit intelligence that export credit insurers provide can be invaluable to any budding exporter.

For many years export insurance was led by the government’s Export Credit & Guarantee Department (ECGD). Since privatisation of their short-term insurance cover ECGD specialises in providing insurance and guarantees for larger sales of capital goods and projects. Contracts for smaller consignments of consumer goods and raw materials are now in the hands of the private sector.

What Are Digital Multimeters?

In this day and age, one can simply expect many innovative concepts to materialize into reality. Because of the advancements made in technology, every other task or matter is made convenient to the people of today’s times. One can simply expect to make use of a device to perform a specific chore with ease, simply because technology has been greatly updated to provide much convenience. The same goes for electrical devices, which have specific uses which can benefit a variety of individuals, especially electronics experts and technicians. With these devices, they can tell whether circuits and wires are functioning properly. One of the most important devices for an electrician, however, is a digital multimeter, or a DMM. (See info on Clamp Meter)

How to Pick a New Clamp Meter

There are certainly several advancements in technology nowadays that it makes it quite easy for all sorts of professionals to perform what is expected of them.

This is something which applies even to technicians and electricians. They are provided all the latest equipment infused with up to date technology. However, there are some nifty innovations which may actually require skill and expertise. Take electrical systems for example; one cannot simply try fix any problems with electric current inside the house or in the office if that person does not have the necessary knowledge on how wires and electric cables work. There may be a chance that this person would end up injuring or even killing himself if he attempts to rectify the situation, simply because he wasn’t equipped with the proper knowledge and skills. This is where the aid of an electrician comes in. Apart from their know-how on such matters, they also possess all the right tools to prepare for any troubleshooting concerns.

Belt Sanders: What You Need To Know

Belt sanders are a mainstay in industries involving woodwork, as well as many other materials. In the case of woodwork, belt sanders are usually introduced into the production process at either the finishing stage or more commonly in the very early stages of production. This is largely due to their ability to ‘file away’ wood very quickly so they are also useful in circumstances where large amounts of wood have to be removed at a fast rate.

Cardboard Moving Boxes: Think Out Of The Box

The humble cardboard box; they have been around since the early 1800s. They have changed the world we live in completely. Almost all of us will use one in the next year or two. But for most people they are something easily overlooked and underutilised.

Invented and developed throughout the 19th century , staring out as flimsy paperboard boxes to the precut, corrugated marvels we know today, the cardboard box has changed the way businesses, charity organizations, retail giants and homes have moved and stored their goods and belongings. When you sit down and actually think about it, it would be hard to imagine a world without them. Perhaps the main reason the cardboard box is such an overlooked and neglected business or household item is due in part to our wasteful habits.

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