West Palm Beach homeowners with beachfront property within the 600 feet designation will need to continue to mitigate the interior lighting from their windows at night, according to the updated county ordinance changed earlier this year. The Sea Turtle Protection and Sand Preservation rule attempts to limit the coastal lighting that dramatically impacts the natural cycle of sea turtles that call Palm Beach County home. From Jupiter to Boca Raton and everywhere in between, the nesting season is fully underway. It began March 1 and runs until Oct. 31.

All windows are that visible from the beach are required to be covered in some fashion during this time. Beyond blackout draperies, which take up space and can be a bit extreme, homeowners can use window tint or window film on the beach front windows that meet the regulations outlined. A residential window tinting professional can help you select the proper shade required to meet the protective measures. Homeowners that have windows and doors within the line of sight to the beach should meet a specific level of visible light transmittance requirement stated within the county ordinance.

Other requirements include the submission of a Sea Turtle Protection Lighting Plan that identifies the home’s location, the number of windows, the wattage and number of lights used, the elevation and orientation of the home, as well as light fixture illustrations of any and all types of artificial light sources. All these preventative steps are ways to limit the damage done to the sea turtle and its habitat.

To find out more about steps to take to protect the sea turtle, contact your local Palm Beach County, FL official.

Here in Franklin Tennessee it gets HOT and a good air conditioning system can mean the difference between happiness and misery in July and August. I know that sounds a bit extreme but people can (and do) actually get heat stroke in these parts from “brown outs” and losing their AC for even just a few hours is a very bid concern.

It never really occurred to me, until I had my own old wood widows replaced with new vinyl ones, but those new vinyl windows are good as gold in Franklin TN. They really keep the cool air stay in your home when the power goes out. And, having just completed my first winter with them, I can say they help cut that oil bill too.

Of course, replacement windows can be a sizable investment so if you just need a reprieve from the sun, and you don’t want to invest a lot of money and time, you can go to a home center like Home Depot or Lowes and get some clear plastic “wrap” special made for insulating windows. This stuff is real popular in the winter, especially up north, but down here it can work great for keeping the cool air in when needed.

Another thing you might try is to call a vinyl replacement window contractor in Nashville or Franklin and see if he can take a look at your old windows and give you an estimate of how much you could save with new ones. As long as the inspection and estimate are free you have nothing to lose.

But no matter what you do, start thinking now about how to find ways to keep cool when the power goes out for hours at a time. Windows are just one consideration. Invest five dollars in some door jamb caulking and I’ll bet that helps a lot too.

I finally paid off my house this year! Some people don’t get to live to see this day, so let me tell you that it is awesome. No more interest payments will be siphoned away from my paychecks. I made the decision to go for a shorter term home loan with more aggressive monthly payments, because I just don’t like the idea of paying the bank ludicrous amounts of money that I could otherwise keep. The one downside has been that for a while now, my liquid assets have been dangerously low.

My house is beautifully renovated, and was even in good shape when I bought it from the previous owners. It has lived through a good number of years though, so while things look good, some core elements need touching up from time to time. There is a pipe in my laundry room that leaks periodically in the summertime. Just the other day, I gave a connecting piece a stronger quarter turn with a wrench to try and seal the problem. What I actually did was break it and increase the flow of water considerably. A plumber was going to cost a pretty penny, but I was running out of buckets to sit underneath the pipe rather quickly. Fortunately, the plumber came out and stopped the leak even though I couldn’t pay him on the spot. I knew getting a small Richmond VA personal loan wouldn’t be a problem. I was always on time with my bank for the home loan, and those payments were considerably larger. Once again, I hate paying interest, but this would be paid off in just a few months. Better to pay for an emergency pipe fix than to replace a floor that has been flooded.

All is right again, at least until the next surprise turns up. Owning a home is like anything else in life though, you have to take it just one problem at a time. I hope your fiscal decisions and home maintenance projects work out in your favor. Thanks for reading!

Although there’s really no such thing as organic Drano, Liquid Plumber or the like – you can use this one simple trick to not only safely unclog your slow to drain bathroom sink but also as a preventative measure to make sure your drain does not get clogged to begin with!

Before we begin I want to be clear – always act with safety first! Be sure to wear proper safety gear such as the proper gloves, eye and skin protection.

Step One: Gather the Ingredients

For this little trick all you need is some baking soda (no more than a cup) and a cup or two of white distilled vinegar. You can get a gallon of the stuff at the local grocery store for less than three dollars. Also put on a kettle or pot of hot water or get hot tap water from the nearest source. It just needs to be hot – NOT boiling.

To be safe you might also want an old washcloth and a plunger. This is for really tough clogs.

Step Two: Pour it In

First get some ventilation by opening a window if possible. Next sprinkle a couple tablespoons worth of baking soda into the open drain or just brush it in under the stopper that is likely in the way (as it is with most bathroom sinks). Now pour in about one half cup of white distilled vinegar and lean back to avoid the fumes. Personally, they don’t bother me and are far more pleasant than chemical odor, but they can still be noticeable.

You should hear some fizzing and possibly even see junk float up from the drain. Give it about 30 seconds then slowly add some hot water. This helps cut the clog once the baking soda and vinegar have had a chance to work. The water should slowly drain. Once it’s completely gone – assuming the drain is still slow – repeat the process. If you do this several times and the drain shows little improvement don’t run to the phone to call a Richmond plumber (where I live). Go on to step three.

Step Three: Plunge Away

If this has not completely done the trick add some hot water to the sink (but not hot enough to burn your skin). A few inches covering the base is fine. Now soak that old washcloth in cool water and plug up the drain overflow hole near the top of the sink basin. You might need to hold it in place while you plunge (thus using cool water). Now place the plunger directly over the drain and start plunging.

Again, you should be wearing safety gear.

Keep plunging and the clog should clear pretty quickly. Use the baking soda and distilled white vinegar again and chase it with hot water and the drain should be good and clear. IT’s also a good idea to do this every month or so just to avoid getting any of those nasty clogs in the first place. All total you will probably spend fifteen minutes and about one dollar’s worth of ingredients to do this. Sure beats $140 for a plumber!

After years of planning and months of hard work and contractors coming in and out of our house, the new addition is finally complete. My wife and I loved our neighborhood too much to move, but our family was steadily outgrowing the number of rooms we had available. Last week ago, we invited some family members over to bask in the glow of our completed remodeling project. The new dining room was set with a fancy table cloth, plates, and glasses. When we all sat down for the meal, I realized one fatal miscalculation. The window across the room let the sunlight come in at the perfect angle to blind me at the head of the table.

You would that with all the home improvement errands we were running, either my wife or I would have thought to get curtains for the new windows. Fortunately, I caught this before any VIP came over to eat and needed restorative surgery on their retinas. It wasn’t too hard to Google curtains Richmond and find a store with a number of options for us to look at. We didn’t want to try to match the shade of blue in the existing window treatments, for fear of being a shade or two off and clashing, so we settled on a light yellow that complemented the blue well. Attempt number two of family dinner went much better after I could see the sharp fork that I was repeatedly moving towards my face.

That’s just the way some building and home improvement projects go, though. Like life, you have to adapt to this situation as you learn things.

Why bother to tint your home’s windows? Let’s think about it for a minute and try to come up with a few good reasons.

Well, keeping glare off the TV is certainly one good reason, but what else? What about keeping your furniture and rugs from fading? Or, for that matter, how about keeping artwork, wallpaper and even wall paint preserved? Living in Los Angeles California, where the sun shines bright most every day, I have learned a great appreciation for all of these factors but window tint can do all of that and much more. In fact, window tinting in Los Angeles has become a regular booking business.

But back on point… More than just saving furniture and reducing glare? Definitely!

A little known fact about the film used for window tint is that it can also be made for special purposes such as security. In fact, you can have any window tinted with security film that can give even a crowbar a hard time when someone is trying to break in. It does not make the glass unbreakable, but it sure slows down the break-in process and discourages thieves looking for a quick smash and grab.

Another niche in the window tinting industry is anti-graffiti film. This is one of the best investments a storefront with large expensive glass windows and doors can make. Imagine never having to spend hours scraping off dried paint with a razor blade again. If you’ve ever worked at a store where someone “decorated” the front glass for you, you will know exactly what I mean. I worked for a grocer in LA where this took up a great deal of my time all throughout high school. Now I understand my old boss found Campbell – an LA window tinting company and the new bag boy has no such chores. Lucky stiff!

Anyway, you get the idea. Window tinting, whether you live in California, Florida or ANYWHERE bright, can be a real life-saver and well worth the investment for you, your home and your business. Good luck and enjoy life without indoor sunglasses.

A few weeks ago I was watching my favorite TV show with my wife. While we were watching the show a commercial came on for Glass Doctor. It was an interesting commercial that it caught my attention, and I thought that I would consider going to them if I ever needed a windshield replacement, I did not know of their location prior to seeing the commercial. Low and behold, a week after seeing the commercial, I ran into a little windshield trouble of my own.

I own a construction company and during a visit to one of our new developments, a brick had fallen off of an awning and onto my windshield. It was a loud crash that startled me. The brick didn’t completely go through the glass, but needless to say, the windshield did not win the battle against the brick. Luckily, I remember seeing the commercial for windshield replacement by Glass Doctor of Rock Hill and knew that they could help me in this situation. I gave Glass Doctor a call and told them about what happened to my windshield. They were extremely friendly and set up an appointment to send someone out my way to take a look at the windshield.

The glass expert from Glass Doctor then came by to my car and immediately knew that it would need to be replaced. Then the glass expert worked on replacing my window in a very meticulous and speedy manner right on the spot. Next thing I knew is the windshield looked brand new in literally no time at all. I was beyond satisfied with the work I did and will recommend them to anyone who needs any kind of glass replacement.

Chances are that sometime in your life you have run into a clogged toilet. They are a pain to deal with and can be a mess if not done right. Luckily for you, there are plenty of ways to solve the problem of a clogged toilet. First thing is first; you’re going to want to turn the water off to stop it from overflowing. You will want to wear rubber gloves to protect yourself from any unsanitary matter and germs in general. Now you will want to have a plunger that will help you unclog the toilet. Take the plunger and cover the drain hole making sure that there is at least enough water to cover the plunger cup partially.

Next you’re going to want to push the plunger up and down while still covering the drain hole on the toilet. Repeat and then release the suction of the plunger. If it is still clogged, then keep repeating these steps until it becomes unclogged. There are a few other tools or solutions you can use such as a plumbing snake or even enzyme solutions that can unclog plumbing.

If worse comes to worst then you can always call an emergency plumber in Richmond (just happens to be where I live to help you with your clogged toilet. Some clogs may just be too tough to handle. The plumbers are professionals that will be able to come out to your home and fix whatever clog you may have. They have the knowledge and experience to handle almost any situation.