Contractor Tips Blog

May
27

Home Alarm Systems

Posted in Home Security

It is no secret that we don’t live in Mayberry. We must lock our cars and lock our homes up tight each night in order to keep out unwanted people. Home alarm systems are a popular way for people to protect their loved ones and their personal belongings from being stolen or damaged by those looking to break in and steal. Home security systems have been around for years, but with today’s advances in technology home security and alarm systems are more versatile than ever before. 

Quality home alarm systems are monitored by security companies. If something happens to set off an alarm, the home alarm monitoring company will contact the closest authorities in order to send help to the home. Home alarm systems can be used to detect strangers coming in, smoke detection, assisted living monitoring, nanny cameras, and more in order to protect the valuables inside the home. While it is true that people who have homes with an alarm system tend to set off the alarm themselves occasionally, security systems have been incredibly beneficial in providing help to people and families that are in trouble in their homes. 

There are different levels of security available with home alarm systems. Choosing one can be a big decision, but staying on budget and within the needed parameters of each family’s desires for protection can help to determine which level of security is appropriate. Each home alarm system can be customized to fit the lifestyle of each individual family. 

Posted on behalf of Callaway Security

May
27

Residential Pressure Washing

Pressure washing is when a high pressure mechanical sprayer is used to remove mold, grime, dirt, chipping paint, and such from buildings, vehicles, and concrete surfaces. Many people use pressure washing in order to clean their personal houses in residential areas. Because of the size of houses and the height of stories in homes, it is almost impossible for a house to be cleaned thoroughly with anything other than pressure washing. 

A pressure washer drives a high pressure water pump that creates a high pressure and velocity that removes unwanted particles from the house. Vinyl siding is extremely susceptible to mold and grime on houses. The vinyl clings to moisture and develops a build up that is very hard to remove. Mold also grows very quickly, and if it is not removed completely then it will continue to spread and leave a house looking very unattractive and dirty. 

Some people rent a pressure washer from a local home repair store, but many people hire a residential pressure washing company to offer professional cleaning results. A pressure washer used by a company with experience can offer fast results by using a detergent in the water stream to assist in the cleaning process. Professional washers understand the components of the pressure washing machines and how to offer the best results on residential homes. Safety is very important when using the machine because injuries can result from the pressure of the washer coming into contact with the skin. Many home owners associations have rules regarding pressure washing in order to protect their home owners, so it is important to check with your community before looking into any type of residential pressure washing.

Posted on behalf of Impact Pressure Washing

May
27

Pool Deck Renovations

Posted in Swimming Pools

It is closing in on time for summer, and for those who have a pool in their back yard or who are over their neighborhood’s home association and are interested in having their pool deck renovated, now is the time. For many, the pool deck is not something that many people take into consideration. They simply walk on it from one end of the pool to the other. However, when a pool deck becomes slippery or cracks it can be a dangerous place to be. A slippery surface can cause many falls, and cracks that continue to grow and raise can cause people to trip. In fact, many more injuries occur around pools than in them. 

A pool deck renovation includes many different options. Current trends include travertine pavers, clay brick pavers, and concrete pavers. These options are very attractive as the pavers can be laid out in different patterns and designs. Pavers are a sure fire way to enhance the appearance and value of a pool, yet they require very little maintenance once they are laid. 

There are other things to consider besides just the appearance of a pool deck. Taking into consideration the budget and the ideal function of the pool deck is also very important. For instance, if the pool deck is designed for small children, a paver or stone with a rougher surface is highly beneficial since children tend to forget not to run around the pool. Hiring a renovation company with high credentials and experience is important. Make sure to always ask for their license and insurance information in order to protect you during the pool deck renovation.

Posted on behalf of Tri-County Pavers & Design Corp.

May
27

Home Theater Design

Posted in Home Theaters

So you have decided to put in a high tech home theater in your basement. After looking through hundreds of ideas on the Internet, how do you even know know where to begin? It is a good idea to the professionals at a home theater business help you. Choosing a company that has been designing home theaters for a number of years in and around your area is highly recommended. They will understand the ins and outs of making a home theater worth your time and money in your specific area. 

When designing a home theater, it should always be done on an individual basis. One must take the room dimensions, where the room is located in the home, acoustic design, and desires of each of client into consideration when designing a home theater. An expert home theater design team will help you choose the best components for your given budget and desires in order to develop the perfect home theater for your home. Many people believe that simply purchasing high-end electronics will automatically make their home theater something special, but a professional home theater design company knows that it takes much more than a good sound system and movie projector. 

Proper design, layout, and functionality are all important when designing a home theater. With our years of experience, a quality home theater company knows how to deliver results that take their customers by surprise each and every time. If you are searching for a company to trust to help you design your home theater, call begin by interviewing recommended companies in your area. You need to find the one that can take your desired entertainment components and your personal design ideas and make them work together to create an atmosphere that will make your personal home theater worth every penny.

Posted on behalf of Callaway Home Theater

Apr
8

Mac Viruses

Apple has done an amazing job in providing cutting edge hardware in the form of the iPod, iPhone, iPad, but Apple’s roots trace back to the Mac, which one of the first personal computers widely available.  One of the things that made and continues to make the Mac unique to computers is its operating system, which is a proprietary operating system unique to Mac computers and is not Microsoft Windows® based.  Although everyone is familiar with the ongoing onslaught of viruses that infect Windows® based machines, not everyone is familiar with the increasing number of viruses that threaten Mac computers.  As Apple’s notebook and desktop computers continue to gain in popularity, rest assured that many more viruses will be developed to infect Mac based computers. 

In general, a computer that is not operating normally could be infected with a virus.  Some of the symptoms include the computer turning on and off on its own, programs running slowly, programs not loading and Web pages loading on their own.  Whenever any computer, including a Mac is not behaving like it normally does, the first thing to consider is that a virus has infected the machine. 

There are a number of steps to take to prevent a virus from infecting your Mac.  The first is to keep the operating system up to date by setting up a regular time for the computer to check for updates from Apple.  Next, if the anti-virus system gives you a warning of a potential problem with a website, DO NOT visit the website!  In the event that your Mac becomes infected with a virus, prompt removal of the virus is highly recommended to prevent any further damage. 

Posted on behalf of iDeviceMD

Apr
8

Customized Golf Carts

Posted in Golf Carts

Not every golf cart needs to look the same, when it easy to have any golf cart customized to meet both your needs and your personality.  There are a number of customized safety, performance and cosmetic available for all models of gas or electric golf carts, including those manufactured by Yamaha, E-Z-Go and Club Car.  These custom features and upgrades are affordable and in most cases can be completed quickly by a qualified technician experienced in working on these vehicles. 

One of the most popular safety customization projects available is the installation of various products to make the golf cart street legal, as well as safe to operate on roads.  These products include such things as mirrors, turn signals and seat belts.  In addition, some customers, especially those with children, want speed chips installed in the cart to limit the speed of the cart. 

There are a number of customized performance options available as well including large 10” tires, off road tires and lift kits.  Often owners who want to be able to use their custom golf carts in more rugged terrain select these customized options.  The large wheels and lift kits provide additional ground clearance, while the of road tires increase traction in off road conditions. 

A custom paint job is one of the most popular of all custom cosmetic options available for golf cars.  The cart can be painted in a wide variety of colors and finishes, in addition, car like features such as fenders can be fabricated as well.    Another option is to have the seats of the cart recovered with a variety of different fabrics and leathers.  

The only thing that limits the available custom features on a golf cart is the owner’s imagination!

Posted on behalf of Top Dog Golf Carts

Apr
8

Street Legal Golf Carts

Posted in Golf Carts

As the cost of gasoline continues to increase, many people are finding golf carts a viable means of in town transportation, where allowed by local traffic laws.  Many states across the United States have passed laws to permit and regulate the use of low speed vehicles, which how golf carts are classified, on public roads.  In general, these laws regulate these vehicles by defining the type of roads they may be used on, the required equipment and the requirements of the driver. 

Typically, the states where golf carts or low speed vehicles are allowed, limit their operation to streets and roads where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.  In general, these laws will allow a road with a higher posted speed limit to be crossed, as long as the low speed vehicle is only crossing thru an intersection. 

Most laws also dictate the required equipment for the golf cart to be equipped with to legally operate on the street.  Typically equipment includes headlights, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, tail lamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rear view mirrors, windshields, seat belts and vehicle identification numbers. 

Most jurisdictions require that the operator of the low speed vehicle have a valid driver’s license, with the license being in their possession at all times when the vehicle is being operated.  In addition, the low speed vehicle will more than likely need to be registered and insured as well. 

Each state is different, so it is advisable to look the individual requirements of each state and city, prior to committing to a low speed vehicle.  Low speed vehicles are an affordable and viable option for many people who really do not need a car for a majority of their travels.

Posted on behalf of Action Specialty Carts

Apr
8

Specialty Vehicles for Farm Use

Posted in Golf Carts

Today more and more people are choosing working small and large farms around the United States.  These farms are producing a variety of organic and non-organic food items including fruits, vegetables, daily products and various meat products.  While often farmers will utilize a large tractor for many farm functions, many farmers are seeing specialty carts as a viable and economical option for many farm functions.  In addition to the reduced operating costs, farmers find these specialty golf carts affordable and much more convenient to operate in and around barns and livestock areas. 

Typically these specialty carts are two-wheel drive and are powered with a traditional gas engine. These specialty vehicles are built around an extremely strong frame and offer high ground clearance as well as off road tires.  In addition to being able to carry two workers, many of these carts are equipped with a lightweight, yet strong, polyethylene dump bed, which allows a variety of items to be hauled around the property.  The items that the can be hauled include dirt, sand, hay, fertilizer, feed, water and produce. 

Depending upon the manufacturer, standard features include hydraulic shock absorbers, a front brush guard, rear hitch receiver and a horn.  Optional features allow the vehicle to be fully customizable depending upon the user’s needs.  Available options include optional wheels and tires, turn signals with 4-way flashers, differential guard, rear view mirrors, taillights, weather enclosure, hard cab, power dump bed, limited slip differential, floor mounted gun rack, aluminum bed, roof and windshield and a front basket.  

Many farmers are finding specialty farm vehicles to be extremely useful, while positively impacting the farm’s bottom line as a result of reduced operating costs!

Posted on behalf of Action Specialty Carts

Apr
8

Specialty Carts for Hunting

Posted in Golf Carts

Hunters love being outdoors and while most enjoy walking, often the logistics of getting into and out of the field is difficult, especially when dragging goose decoys into the field or harvested game out of the field.  Anyone that has ever dragged a hundred good decoys into the field or dragged a deer out of the woods will appreciate that this is really hard work! 

Off-Road specialty carts are an excellent alternate for those hunters desiring to get into the field further and deeper, while having the ability to easily being able to get game out of the field quickly.  In addition, those hunters with physical challenges, which prevent them from walking great distances, will appreciate a specialty cart designed for hunters. 

Specialty arts for hunters are available with a variety of power sources including traditional gasoline powered engines, as well as diesel and electrical powered engines.  While the engine type is important, what really separates specialty carts from traditional golf carts is the strong construction, increased ground clearance, off road tires and the available racks, which allow gun cases, decoy bags and game to be secured to the vehicle. 

Off road travel is tough on vehicles and a specialty golf cart will have a beefed up frame and suspension to be able to withstand off road travel, while keeping the occupants comfortable a all times.  The increased ground clearance allows the vehicle to easy hand obstacles in its path, including downed tree branches and rocks.  One of the greatest things about specialty carts is the front and rear racks available, which allow bags of decoys to be transported into the field and harvested game to be transported out of the field.  This reduces the workload on the hunter allowing more time to hunt!

Apr
8

SBR Rubber Products

SBR stands for styrene-butadiene rubber and is a widely used product used in a number of industrial, automotive and commercial applications as a cost effective replacement for natural rubber.  Common uses of SBR rubber include rubber pads, o-rings, hydraulic brake systems seals and diaphragms, grommets, gaskets, conveyor belts, isolation pads, shelf liners, workstation table liners, dishwasher drain hoses, HVAC ductwork isolation connectors, work area liners and a wide variety of industrial and production line applications. 

The main limitation to the product is its use in any application where the product is exposed to high pressure, ozone, strong acids, oils, grease and most hydrocarbons, although use in moderate chemical and hydrocarbon environments is acceptable.  

Beyond the lower cost, there are a number of benefits to SBR as a replacement to natural rubber.  One of the biggest benefits is the product’s ability to perform as designed in temperatures from -30° to over 210° without failure.  In addition, the product is versatile, flexible and strong, while also possessing above average abrasion and tensile strength characteristics. 

It also features above average water resistance qualities, with resilience up to 70 durometers, which is a means to measure the hardness of the SBR.  Another feature of SBR rubber is that it is manufactured without the use of chloroprene, which is considered to be a “Hazardous Class 3 Flammable Liquid”, with significant restrictions on its transfer..  SBR rubber is available in roll lengths that are cut to order and is available in a variety of thicknesses. 

Posted on behalf of The King Group

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