ERHolz General Contracting

Protecting Your Family and Home From the Dangers of Lightening

As the seasons change, so do the elements and storms we are exposed to. This time of year, hurricanes and flooding rains are major problems we face. A by-product of these mysterious weather phenomenons is lightning. A lightning storm, also known as an electrical storm, can be extremely dangerous and destroy a home with a single blow. These erratic ribbons of energy seek to find refuge by kissing the earth with a tremendous force of energy and destroying anything that may be in its path.

At any particular moment, there are over 1,800 thunderstorms in progress somewhere around the globe and 25 million bolts of lightning reach out of the sky, coming in contact with the ground, annually.

Watching a good lightning storm zigzag across the sky is an awesome visual experience. The ominous ness and the electrical displays are extraordinary to watch. But, these displays of dancing energy come with a destructive power that steals more lives and causes more damage than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes – combined.

There is a way you can help to protect your home from being destroyed by these flashes of energy. Installing a lightning protection system can provide a path for the lightning to follow into the ground and help to direct it from melting the shielding in your homes electrical system and taking out the electronics and appliances plugged into your outlets. These systems do not prevent lightning from striking nor do they attract it, but help to direct its energy out of harms way.

Lightning protection systems that meet the latest standard requirements are considered to be 99% effective by Underwriters Laboratories. These systems can be partially concealed on the exterior or completely concealed during construction.

If lightning strikes the ground, it can affect whatever is within a 60 foot radius and 10 times that area, if it strikes water and can be lethal. On average, it can strike over 50 times within a quarter-mile of your home and is the leading cause of fires in suburban and rural areas.

There are several factors to determine if your home is at risk:

1.      If your home is located in an open area

2.      If lightning strikes were reported or seen within close proximity

3.      If your home is located in an elevated area, like a mountain.

4.      If you do not have a system to safely direct the path of electricity into the ground

A Few Lightning Facts

·        A lightning bolt can travel from 25 – 45 miles horizontally prior to hitting the ground and can be from 6 to 8 miles in length.

·        The size of a bolt is about 1 – 2 inches in diameter with the surrounding light making it seem a lot larger.

·        A single bolt of lightning can become up to 5 times the heat of the sun and carries with it 1 billion volts of current and up to 20,000 amperes.

·        The Empire State Building is struck by lightning over 100 times per year.

·        Most lightning strikes occurs between 12 noon and 4 PM

In homes located where sandy soil conditions are prevalent, more elaborate systems are necessary. Sand is dryer than normal soil and does not conduct electricity in the same way that moist soil does. For areas with sandy soil conditions there is a system that dissipates the energy over more of an area than the simple lightening rod, cable and clamp system.

Although the rod and cable system is easier than the more elaborate systems, for the best results and to ensure that you meet the requirements for a lower deductible and discounted premium from your insurance carrier, have a licensed professional evaluate and install the best system to protect you, your family and your home.

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Visit www.americashomeimprovementcoach.com and with

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ü     Selling Your Home In Any Market

ü     Hiring the Right Contractor For You

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ü     Looking Out For Contractor Scams

ü     What Questions Should You Ask a Potential Contractor

A recent survey shows that an increasing number of professionals are using home based offices. This is because a home based office not only allows one to save time in commuting but at the same time enables one to reduce work hours as well; thus getting to spend more time with the family. However, home based offices come with some innate problems like lack of living space as well as privacy. For professionals facing such a dilemma, therefore a garden office is the best solution.

In recent times, many employers too prefer professionals who work from home as they not only show improved productivity but at the same time allow the company to save on the cost of infrastructure. However, what worries the employer is the lack of peaceful ambience in an employee’s home that would let him complete his work peacefully. Garden lodges products are designed mainly to be used as garden offices and are the best solution in such a case. After conducting a careful detailed site survey of your garden, you can choose a garden office that will best suit your needs. When you are working from home there are many options. You can work from anywhere – right from your kitchen table to the loft. Whatever be the option for a home based office, a garden office still remains the best solution as it offers you an independent working space separate from your home. Most importantly you can have the much-needed privacy that a garden studio offers for carrying out your work more effectively and efficiently.

The best thing about a garden studio is that it combines functionality with aesthetics. If you do design your garden appropriately you can create an office that not only has convenient electrics and lighting but will also provide you with a professional environment. Being a separate construction that has been designed specifically for office work, it will provide the right ambience for your work all the year round in comfort and security.

Gardenlodges.co.uk will provide you with the best solution to your home working dilemma. The traditional garden lodges are priced at around £12,995 and use modern construction techniques that result in an elegant blending of functionality with aesthetics. The garden offices provided by gardenlodges.co.uk complement any property. What sets the company apart from its competitors is that it allows you to personalize your garden office and create your own unique design best suited for your exact requirements.

Using green building products can be a great way that you can help protect the environment and reduce land field expansion. If you are redesigning a kitchen or bathroom in your house then you need to consider using products that are designated green. These products in most cases will be recycled and then reused again. With so many people in the world and the population continuing to grow we need to find a way that everybody can go green.

Get Free: Green Materials Information

The first thing that you need to do is talk to a contractor who specializes in using only green products. You want to find a contractor that has experience doing this because you will get much better results. It is a good idea to get references from any builder or contractor you are thinking about using. You want to make sure that they know exactly what they are doing before they begin.

Save with: Great Recycling Tips

You should always educate yourself about green products so you know what is truly a good product to use. Some items claimed to be recycled but in reality they may not be. Also when you use a specialist who knows about these types of products you can feel confident that every item that is used is safe for the environment.

It is a good idea to visit your local builders store to find out what type of green products they carry. You should ask them as many questions as possible so that you understand what it means to go green. You may be shocked to find out that every item you use to build or redo your house can be a renewable product.

Remember that when you are looking for building materials you should consider using green items. The important thing to remember is that you are helping to save the environment.

Green building techniques aren’t just for new construction… they’re for every day home practice.  There are literally dozens of things the average homeowner can do to make his or her home a greener, more energy-efficient place in which to live, while at the same time saving money and helping the environment through reduced fossil fuel and electricity consumption.  And for the homeowner who’s about to undertake a new project or major appliance purchase, there are several easy green building techniques to be made aware of before getting started.

First and foremost, an energy efficient house begins with a good home building envelope.  The invisible seal between the inside and outside of a residence is also the wall between conditioned and unconditioned space, and this is where most energy loss occurs.  For every place that heating or cooling energy is escaping from a home, there’s an immediate opportunity to improve on the building’s envelope.  By sealing and caulking gaps or cracks in windows, doors, and attic structures, drafts can be reduced or eliminated.  Spray and expanding foam products are ideal for filling wall cavities between the inside and outside walls of a home.  Radiant barriers installed in an attic or home’s exterior walls can reflect thermal heat radiation, keeping heated air in during the winter and cool air in during the summer.  Foundation fabrics and waterproof membranes in the basement can keep moisture from penetrating the base of a building’s envelope.  These green building techniques are simple yet effective methods of sealing your home against energy loss, and they can be easily applied by anyone.  View dozens of other simple and immediate energy solutions at Green Building with Energy Star.

Other green building techniques are even easier, paying themselves quickly in utility savings.  Appliances purchased today all bear the Department of Energy’s yellow Energy Guide label with statistics and information about energy usage.  At the bottom of this label is usually the estimated annual energy cost for that appliance.  By comparing these figures against the features of each appliance, homeowners can educate themselves as to which models are greener and more energy efficient than others.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency created the Energy Star program to label appliances and home electronics that go above and beyond the call of duty in terms of energy savings.  Meeting the EPA’s strict guidelines for energy efficiency, models displaying the blue Energy Star logo are usually 10% to 50% more energy efficient than comparable models of the same type.  This green building technique saves the consumer money over the lifetime of the appliance, plus the reduced energy consumption saves fossil fuels and limits the greenhouse gases released into the environment.

As if that weren’t enough, the US government offers incentive programs in the form of rebates and tax reductions to consumers who purchase Energy Star model efficient appliances.  These rebates vary from region to region and state to state, but they can be checked by zip code on Energy Star’s own website.  Green building techniques in the form of choosing the right appliances for the home are a no-brainer these days.

From boilers to hot water heaters, furnaces to central air conditioning systems, refrigerators, washers, and even light fixtures, saving energy through green building techniques is good for the homeowner, good for the environment, and good for the planet in general.  Green building should always be considered before making any major appliance purchase or before beginning a new building or construction project.

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Looking for best home improvement products available in market? Here are some of them you are searching for. Have a look below:

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(1). Unger Ceiling Fan Duster

The Brand:

Unger Enterprises Inc. is the leading provider of innovative household cleaning solutions. Unger is an international company and has been manufacturing cleaning tools for more than 40 years. Unger takes pride in developing innovative and unique tools that help clean more productively, leaving you with a cleaner, healthier house. Unger has offices in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, as well as manufacturing facilities in the United States, Germany and India. Unger provides innovative cleaning solutions to more than 80 countries worldwide.

Benefits of this Product: (linked to features)

Everyday we try and clean every corner of the house. However, there are always some corners that tend to get ignored because we are not able to reach them easily. For instance, everything is clean but your ceiling fan remains dirty as you are not able to reach the height. The result of your efforts toward having a spotless house remains incomplete. However, this product ensures that you are not only able to clean the fan but also reach those corners of your house which have been ignored for a long time
This product cleans the blades of the fan from both sides, the side that faces the ceiling as well as the side that faces the floor

(2). 13 mm Drill Machine with 41 Pcs Multi-Functional Toolkit

This kit contains:

Impact Drill machine 13 mm capacity
Depth gauge with which you can fix how deep you want to drill the hole
41 pcs Multipurpose Magnetic Toolkit Screw Driver Set
Side handle
Drill chuck key

Specifications of Drill machine:

Heavy duty
Precision drill chuck of 13mm capacity with key
Easy to use switch to toggle between standard/hammer drill functions
Insulated shock proof plastic body
Easy grip swivel handle with depth gauge
Switch able Between Reverse and Forward Rotation.

Author suggests you to buy home improvements products from home shop18 online and get maximum discount.

Finding the right home improvement company to update or renovate your home doesn’t have to be a stressful and disheartening process. Yet most homeowners have no idea where to start because they are bombarded with bad press about contractors who are dishonest, inexperienced and downright unreliable. Homeowners today are wary of who they can trust.

Home Improvement Complaints and Scams:

“With lower-rate mortgages tempting homeowners to trade up to a bigger house, or to refinance and expand or repair their existing home, we’re finding that construction and home improvement activity is way up, and with it is the number of complaints in those areas,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Edwin R. Rodriguez. (Consumer Affairs, January 2006)

“Home improvement complaints rank as the top consumer complaint in Connecticut and elsewhere across the country,” Rodriguez said. “While home improvements themselves can be expensive, any problems that arise often cost consumers thousands more to fix. Unfortunately, there have been many cases where a homeowner is left with a huge problem and has no financial means of getting it repaired.” (Consumer Affairs, June 2006)

Basic scams usually do not occur with accredited companies, so make sure the company you use is licensed. “The law requires home improvement contractors to register and follow certain procedures for a reason, to protect homeowners,” Rodriguez said. “This includes complying with state laws that assure consumers a level of financial protection.” (Consumer Affairs, June 2006)

Be Wary of Certain Sales Tactic:

According to the National Consumer Law Center at consumerlaw.org, unscrupulous contractors mostly target senior citizens. Do not fall into the trap of the following sales tactics that take advantage of homeowners:

• “Bait and Switch” – offers low prices for installed items like windows and home siding, and then tells the homeowner the item is out of stock and can only be replaced with a high-priced substitute.

• Misrepresent the urgency of a needed repair.

• Claim the item is more expensive than advertised because it has to be “custom made” to fit the home.

• Misrepresent that the consumer is receiving a discount because the home is selected to model the repair when, in reality, the consumer is paying market price or more.

• Misrepresent the energy savings, health benefits and value added to the home.

• Misrepresent the terms on which financing is likely to be arranged.

Practices to Follow for Finding the Right Contractor:

If you hire a contractor with a license and a good reputation (such as the Home Remodelers Group®), you are guaranteed to avoid unfinished work, financial wrongdoing and fraud.

The National Consumer Law Center has a list of suggestions for homeowners looking for a home improvement company:

• Do not hire an unknown contractor that solicits business by knocking on your door. Deal with companies recommended by friends or reputable building supply stores.

• Before agreeing to hire any home improvement contractor, get a second estimate for the same work from another contractor.

• Get references for the contractor and speak to those references. Ask about satisfaction and any problems that arose.

• Look at other work performed by the same contractor.

• Many states require contractors to be licensed and/or bonded. Check with the state licensing body to see if the contractor you are considering is licensed.

• Get a written contract describing explicit specifications of the work, the price (including details of any financing or credit terms), the responsibility for cleaning up, and the hourly rate for any added work. Ask for guarantees and other promises to be made in writing.

• If the written documents are different from oral promises, do not sign them.

• A 3-day right-to-cancel applies to door-to-door sales and home improvement loans even after the papers have been signed.

• Do not allow a contractor to begin work until financial arrangements to pay for the work are complete.

• Do not agree to pay the final payment until the project is finished.

• Do not consolidate other debts with a home improvement loan.

• If problems with a contractor or home improvement lender arise, get help from a lawyer or housing counselor immediately.

Take Care of Your Home:

The Home Remodelers Group® has been in business since 1964 and there is a simple reason for our longevity. We take great pride in helping our customers beautify their homes, we enjoy our work and we want our customers to be happy with their homes. The Home Remodelers Goup® is licensed and insured so you can feel secure when working with us. Before you sign any contract, we provide a written estimate and detailed information on the scope of the project. You’ll know exactly what you are getting before we do anything. We do this to provide our customers with peace of mind. We have survived in this business because we focus on customer satisfaction, attention to customer service and offer quality products at a fair price.

Think of your home like a child that needs a doctor. You would take your child to a licensed and professional doctor, not someone that comes to your door. So make sure your home receives the care it deserves by hiring experienced and well-accredited home improvement professionals.

Over the last few years, buying environment friendly products for the home has become an increasingly important consideration for homeowners looking to make “green” improvements to their living space. To address this growing need, products such as flooring, lighting and paneling, as well as materials like paint and varnish are now readily available for virtually every remodeling project and every room in the house.

Numerous States have now also adopted legislation that limits the use of products that contain harmful fumes or chemicals. The good thing about this is, other than the obvious Green benefits, that many of the products that adhere to the new legislation are also becoming more affordable and are therefore more likely to be found on the shelves in our local hardware and home improvement stores.

See The Light! And Still Save on Energy Bills

It’s no secret that energy prices have soared and if you are planning a home improvement project, one of the simplest ways you can protect the environment – as well as save money – is to use less electricity.

Lighting and major appliances consume the most electricity; simply by switching to fluorescent bulbs, you can save up to 30% a year on your electricity bills. You can save a noticeable amount of money on your lighting costs by painting walls a lighter color, thus distributing light more effortlessly as well as making rooms appear brighter.

Leaking ducts can account for a surprising amount of wasted energy – up to 30%. If you are planning to caulk around ducts, vents and windows be sure to use a product that complies with recent regulations concerning the use of less VOCs in its manufacture. These are volatile organic compounds which contain pollutants that damage the ozone layer, and also contribute to producing smog.

Paint may be your biggest cause of concern if you are planning a home improvement project. Read the small print on the tin to make sure it complies with VOC standards – almost 30 brands are now readily available. Typically, lighter colors of paint tend to contain fewer VOCs.

Tip-Top Countertops

Kitchen countertops are an area where it is possible to help the environment. A recent innovation is a countertop made entirely of recycled paper and water-based resin. You can also install countertops made of paper and cement so that the production involves no quarrying that damages the land.

The bathroom is one of the most important areas where you can help protect the environment. Around 75% of all water used in the home is used by the bathroom shower, toilet and sink combined. Low flow or adjustable showerheads are easy to install and a dual flush toilet – offering a full or half-flush – can potentially lower a typical water bill by up to $75 a year. An estimated 4 trillion gallons of water would be saved every year in the United States if every household installed a dual flush toilet.

The Japanese are well known for their inventive labor-saving and technologically advanced devices. One of their latest innovations may soon be commonplace in the United States – an ingenious combination toilet/bathroom sink – you wash your hands in water that is then used to flush the toilet.

Get Floored! In The Utmost Style of Course

And one of the biggest trends in home improvement? Many people, especially those moving into a new home, consider installing a new floor covering as one of their most important projects. Cork, bamboo and reclaimed wood flooring all have a strong visual appeal as well as helping the environment, and in recent years, these alternative materials for flooring have become popular.

Cork flooring has excellent insulating qualities and can save on energy costs; it also reduces noise and can help keep a home free from allergens. What’s more, it is surprisingly tough as well as being water resistant.

And one other thing to keep in mind if you are “going green” when remodeling or improving your home. Always dispose of old or unwanted materials safely – many materials can be donated for people to reuse, or otherwise recycled. If in doubt, check with your county recycling program.

The next time you are making improvements to your living space be sure to do your bit to protect our precious planet… Go Green!

Construction of Green Building is a technology to use all resources efficiently for the creation of human habitats which improve human health, build a better environment, increase working efficiency of human beings and minimize the cost of buildings. Green buildings are also known as sustainable buildings, which are designed, built, renovated, operated and used in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.

In fact, Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment. These buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of respiratory diseases, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and enhance worker performance. The green building construction technique include following elements:-

Elements of Green Building Construction Technique

1. Proper Ventilation

Green Buildings provide adequate ventilation to all habitable rooms including bath rooms, kitchens with high-efficiency in-duct filtration system to allow proper drainage of air-conditioning coils to control humidity including heating and cooling systems which ensure indoor air quality.

2. Prevention of indoor microbial contamination

Under this technology, construction and finishing materials are selected with zero or low emissions to improve indoor air quality. Many building materials and cleaning / maintenance products emit toxic gases, such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde gases which result in a detrimental impact on occupants’ health and productivity. Such products are not to be used in building construction and their finishing.

3. Utilization of recycled material for minimizing the cost of building

Demolition and reconstruction of old buildings is a continuous phenomenon. Population and demand for buildings are increasing day by day whereas our resources are depleting in the same proportion. Building construction activities consume one-sixth of the world’s fresh water withdrawals, one-fourth of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flow. About 22 percent waste material (bricks, concrete, wood, steel, metals, steel pipes, plastic pipes, electric wires, sanitary material etc.) of demolished buildings can be reused or recycled thus prolonging our supply of natural resources and minimizing construction cost. In green buildings, about 25 % recycled material is used.

4. Installation of glass panels

Instead of wood window glass panels are installed in green buildings to allow flow of natural light inside the building during day time.

5. Installation of Rainwater Harvesting System

The green buildings are well equipped with rainwater harvesting system to preserve depleting water resource.

6. Maximizing the use of renewable natural resources

In order to maximize the use of renewable natural resources in green buildings, the energy efficient equipments such as Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Solar Water Heating Systems etc. based on non conventional energy resources are installed.

7. Minimizing The Use of depleting resources

Since, forest cover is depleting day by day in the world, therefore, use of fresh wood is minimized in green buildings. Wherever, use of wood is considered necessary, in such buildings, the wood of fast growing trees is only used so that utilization of such material may not effect the ecological balance of the earth.

8. Minimizing energy use in green buildings

The green buildings are fixed with energy censors to minimize the use of power within the building. When there is no person within a room, the lights would automatically go off.

9. Water conservation and efficiency measures in green buildings

In green buildings, water is used in most efficient way. The gray water from bath rooms is again recycled to flush toilets.

10. Proper disposal of garbage

The garbage of green buildings is properly handled, placed and disposed off as per Building Bye Laws of respective Civic Bodies by segregating it into biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.

11. Maintenance of greenery

In green buildings, the open areas are well landscaped with maintenance of maximum greenery for building healthy environment.

The final months of the year typically come with harsh weather, courtesy of the cold winter season. Large amounts of snowfall can disrupt the flow of everyday life, as some may find it difficult to go to and from work or school, or even make a task like walking a few blocks seem herculean. Individuals who live in colder areas of the country should consider getting the help of snow plowing services in Cleveland, Ohio; if only to keep their immediate surroundings free of sometimes debilitating banks of snow.

One should start looking around for snow plowing services in Cleveland, Ohio several weeks, or even a few months before winter comes. If you only shop around for a good snow plowing service a short time before the cold months, you will be likely to find that they are all booked up. It is recommended to surf the Net or go through the phonebook for contractors and start signing up for snow plowing services in Cleveland, Ohio even while the weather is fair and balmy.

If you choose not to enlist the aid of snow plowing services in Cleveland, Ohio, the options available to you may not be within your financial means. You could buy a snow blower if you wish to clear the snow yourself, get a snow plowing truck to get rid of much snowfall, or devote long hours to manually shoveling the snow from your surroundings. Installing a snow-melting system under your existing driveway or any paths around your home is another option.

What are the downsides to these options? Cost is the most significant disadvantage, and inconvenience, the second. A snow blower may prove to be expensive, as you are buying a specialized piece of equipment that you may have the opportunity to use only a few times in the entire year. If you do not have a truck already, buying one and fitting it with a snow plow is bound to place a huge dent in your finances. The hours of back-breaking shoveling can cause chronic back pains or aggravate other injuries, especially when you need to clear away a lot of snow. Installing a set of heated pipes to melt accumulated snow comes with having to excavate in areas around your home, placing specially designed pipes integrated into the electrical and plumbing systems of your home, and setting up proper drainage systems for water from the melted snow is definitely a time-consuming, arduous, and financially draining undertaking.

Do not let your holidays be dampened by the hassles of sudden snowfall – get the help of snow plowing services in Cleveland, Ohio today.