Don’t be daunted by drywall: Tips for success

Posted on Aug 17, 2016

(BPT) – Whether you’re finishing a basement or adding space, many home improvement projects require you to replace or add drywall. These days, many homeowners are considering hanging and finishing drywall themselves, giving their projects a complete do-it-yourself flair and helping to cut expenses.

As you plan your summer home improvement projects, consider adding the drywall portion of the task to your to-do list. Nearly 80 percent of homeowners who remodeled their home, or built a new one in the last two years, did all or a portion of the construction themselves, according to a survey by Priority Metrics Group.

Anitra Mecadon, host of DIY Network’s Mega Dens, is working with National Gypsum, the maker of Purple drywall products, to help homeowners install and finish their drywall during this summer’s home improvement season. She provides some easy tips to ensure their projects look professionally done when finished:

1. Choose the right drywall product to ensure your walls are built to last. For example, Purple products are fire resistant, provide unparalleled resistance to moisture, mold, mildew, scratches or dents, and can even help reduce the noise heard between rooms.

2. Measure the wall and ceiling space twice to determine the amount of drywall needed. You only get one cut, so double check your measurements. Using a utility knife, score the front of the drywall deep into the core.

3. Snap the board so it’s connected only by the back paper.

4. Cut the back paper so it separates, using a utility knife or keyhole saw to cut around electrical outlets, windows and doors.

5. Trim rough edges using a rasp or utility knife until the edges are clean and smooth.

6. Hang the drywall horizontally against the framing and attach using fasteners such as screws or nails. Remember to hang and attach ceilings first. Ask a friend for help.

7. Using joint compound and paper joint tape, apply a coat of joint compound to the joints and firmly embed the tape to ensure a good bond, then let it dry.

8. Apply joint compound over the taped joints and fastener heads – feathering out further with each coat – then let dry.

9. Using sandpaper, sand excess joint compound to create a smooth surface, making sure you don’t damage the drywall face paper.

10. Make sure the finished wall or ceiling is free from dirt, grease, dust or anything that might affect your primer or finished paint.

“If I can install or finish drywall, anyone can,” says Mecadon, who has hung plenty of drywall. “Whether you’re building a new home, adding a media room or remodeling your kitchen or bath this summer, Purple products give you what you need to get the most out of your walls.”

To learn more about drywall techniques and the benefits of using high-performance Purple products, visit AskforPurple.com.

Is your drowsiness dangerous? Sleep apnea evaluation urged for those at risk

Posted on Aug 16, 2016

As many as 12 million to 18 million American adults have untreated sleep apnea, and the experts at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine are recommending the following steps for diagnosis and treatment to significantly improve overall health, mood and productivity.

Be aware of the risk factors

Your risk of sleep apnea increases between middle and older age and with the amount of excess body weight you carry. In general, men have a greater likelihood of developing the disease. However, menopause is a risk factor for sleep apnea in women. Your risk is also higher if family members have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Smoking is another significant risk factor, as well as being a detriment to your overall health.

In addition to these more commonly known risk factors, many people don’t realize that they’re in greater danger of developing sleep apnea if they already suffer from other common diseases.

“Seven in 10 Type 2 diabetics and 30 to 40 percent of adults with hypertension also have obstructive sleep apnea,” says Dr. M. Safwan Badr, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “As a result, patients with these conditions should pay close attention for potential symptoms and then seek necessary treatment.”

Watch for symptoms

While the symptom most commonly associated with sleep apnea is snoring, not everyone who snores has the disease. However, when snoring is paired with choking, gasping or pauses in breathing during sleep, it’s a more likely indicator of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea symptoms also may appear during the daytime and include morning headaches, excessive sleepiness, trouble concentrating, memory or learning problems and general moodiness, irritability or depression.

“Sleep apnea can make you wake up in the morning feeling tired, even though you believe you’ve had a full night of sleep,” says Badr. “During the day, you may feel incredibly fatigued because you’re actually waking up numerous times throughout the night and your body isn’t getting the rest it needs.”

Get evaluated and treated

If you suspect that you have the risk factors and symptoms of sleep apnea, it’s important that you are evaluated by a board-certified sleep medicine physician right away. Left untreated, sleep apnea may have a serious impact on your overall health, even increasing your risk of death.

The sleep medicine physician will have the training and expertise to diagnose your condition. He or she will conduct a thorough physical examination and sleep evaluation, asking questions like whether or not symptoms began when you gained weight or stopped exercising – and whether your partner or roommate has complained that you snore or make choking noises in your sleep. If the sleep physician determines that you are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea, then you will be scheduled for a sleep study. Objective sleep testing will provide the data that will enable the sleep physician to make an accurate diagnosis.

Once diagnosed, the recommended treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which provides a steady stream of air through a mask to gently keep your airway open throughout the night – making it easier to breathe. In patients with moderate or severe sleep apnea, it’s estimated that CPAP therapy reduces the 10-year risk of heart attack by 49 percent and stroke by 31 percent.

“Treating sleep apnea provides all the benefits of improved sleep, including increased alertness during the day and improved memory and cognitive function,” says Badr. “Clinical evidence also shows that sleep apnea treatment lowers blood pressure – decreasing your risk of cardiovascular disease – and improves nighttime glucose levels and insulin sensitivity among Type 2 diabetics.”

To find a sleep specialist or accredited sleep center in your area, visit www.sleepeducation.com.

Saltwater is the fastest growing trend in swimming pools

Posted on Aug 10, 2016

But for kids today this memory is quickly becoming a non-event thanks to the increasing popularity of saltwater pools.

Saltwater pools work by converting salt to chlorine using an electrolytic converter. This produces the same type of bacteria-killing chlorine found in a traditional pool, but in a radically different fashion. Since the salt generator is adding chlorine to the water at a constant rate, it is capable of displacing the bad smell and burning irritation we normally associate with chlorine and maintaining the right amount at all times.

As the water exits the converter and enters the pool, the sanitizing chlorine eventually reverts back to salt, and the process repeats itself, conserving salt and keeping sanitizer levels balanced. However new salt does need to be added occasionally as salt levels can drop due to splash-out, rain and filter back-washing. Pool owners still should test weekly for pH and chlorine and monthly for other water balance factors.

Saltwater pools require far less maintenance than traditional pools and are much less expensive to maintain as pool salt is far cheaper than traditional chlorine. This is a big reason why so many hotels and water parks in the United State have already made the switch. Plus when it comes to initial construction and installation, the additional cost of an electrolytic converter is very small and easily made up in maintenance savings. Even converting an existing chlorine pool to saltwater can be paid off quickly.

Saltwater pools are certainly not new. The technology started in Australia and over 80 percent of all pools there use this system. In the United States, saltwater pools have grown exponentially in popularity. According to data published in Pool & Spa News, there are more than 1.4 million saltwater pools in operation nationwide and an estimated 75 percent of all new in-ground pools are salt water.

Some may be concerned about the effect of salt on pool equipment, construction materials, decks and surrounding structures. However the actual amount of salt used is very low, less than .01 as salty as sea water. You may be able to taste the salt in the pool, but much less so than you can taste and feel the chlorine in a standard pool. When pools are properly constructed and normal maintenance is followed, salt water has no effect on pool finishes, equipment and decks.

Since the Evergreen Commons senior center in Holland, Mich., converted its 65,000-gallon pool to salt water, members have been pleased with the results. “The minute you walk into the pool area you notice a big difference,” says Jodi Owczarski, the center’s community relations director. “There is no longer that chemical smell. People also tell us that the water is much softer. In the old pool, people said they sometimes had to wash twice to get all those chemicals off, but in this pool, they only have to wash once. All in all, people have been thrilled with this new system.”

To learn more about salt water pools and other uses for salt, visit saltinstitute.org.

Seven tips for running a profitable home-based business

Posted on Aug 3, 2016

Running a home based business offers many advantages such as saving money on gas and tax breaks, among other benefits.

However, the success of a home based business is pegged on several important aspects.

1.) Website – Invest in a domain name and website for your home business. A website is just like a physical location for your business. It allows people to access your business from around the world.

2.) Target market – Carefully select a market for your products or services. The more targeted the audience the easier it will be to meet their specific needs. Besides, marketing to a very wide customer can be so overwhelming and ineffective.

3.) Goals – Set realistic goals for your home based business. These goals should be based on what you can deliver without outsourcing. Once you determine your actual production capacity, you can always improve on the numbers gradually.

4.) Marketing budget – Keep aside some cash for marketing. Every venture no matter how small requires a marketing budget. Determine the amount of money you are willing to spend on publicity materials such as business cards, flyers, classified ads and so on.

5.) Tracking – Track all your marketing campaigns and keep a log of the techniques that produce the most paying clients. For instance, if your flyers produce more paying customers than classifieds, it will be wise to cut the cost of your classifieds to apply that money toward the flyers.

6.) Search engine optimization (SEO) – SEO helps your website’s search engine ranking by associating it to keywords and links that will make the site easier to find online. Online shoppers searching for the products or services that you provide will see your website in the first pages of the website search. This has the potential to bring you more paying customers.

7.) Offline marketing – In addition to online marketing campaigns, use offline marketing to reach potential clients. Attend workshops and other networking events in your neighborhood with flyers and business cards.

If well managed, a home based business can give you immense profits while at the same time giving you the freedom to be your own boss.

However, you should be advised that running a business from home is not for the faint-hearted! A home business requires you to be very disciplined in terms of time and finance management, and this is where many people go fail especially in their first home based business ventures.

by: Peter Abrahams 

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_15985.shtml

Ask the pharmacist: How to avoid medication misfortune during a natural disaster

Posted on Jul 27, 2016

“People with health conditions such as diabetes, asthma or heart problems need to be particularly vigilant about making sure they have access to their medications when preparing for the aftermath of a natural disaster,” says Paul Reyes, Express Scripts pharmacist and host of the Ask the Pharmacist radio series. “It’s very important that you have your medications with you if you have to leave your home or at least have the appropriate information so that you can quickly get a supply of medication if necessary. There is plenty of stress and worry in an emergency situation and you want to avoid having your drug treatments add to your problems.”

Reyes provides the following tips to help avoid medication mistakes when facing a weather-related emergency.

* Pack and prepare your pills: Keep an updated list of all prescription and over-the-counter medications (including the name of the drug, the dosage and the condition being treated) with you in a waterproof container or bag. Include phone numbers for all of your doctors and pharmacies in case you or an emergency worker needs to contact them. If you are concerned about potential evacuations, consider storing your medications in one spot for quicker access.

* Carry your prescription card: It’s important to always carry your prescription drug membership card. Your pharmacy benefit provider or health plan can help you obtain an emergency supply of any lost or damaged medication.

* Develop a plan: Consider discussing your medication disaster plan with your doctor, especially if the medication you take has special handling instructions or requires electronic equipment (such as a nebulizer) or refrigeration. Make sure you have at least three days’ worth of medication and supplies with you (more if local authorities advise). Ordering a 90-day supply of medication through your plan’s mail-order pharmacy is a simple way to ensure a full stock.

If you do experience an emergency situation, it’s important to consider the following:

* Medication safety: Medications that are exposed to moisture, excessive heat or simply left at room temperature when they should be refrigerated may become contaminated. Inspect medications to see if the look or smell of it has changed. Contact a local pharmacist or health care provider to help determine if a drug is safe to use.

* Skipping doses: If you haven’t been able to take your medication, contact a pharmacist or doctor as soon as possible, even if you’re not experiencing any negative health effects. If you’ve skipped doses of your medication, never take additional doses to make up for those you’ve missed before talking to a health care practitioner.

For more resources and information, visit Express Scripts’ Healthcare Insights blog at lab.express-scripts.com.

Easy exterior projects that add lasting beauty to your home

Posted on Jul 26, 2016

Homeowners want to improve

their home’s exterior while saving time, labor, and money. You can enhance your lifestyle by choosing options that extend product performance and add beauty and enjoyment to outdoor living.

The easy patio fix that’s eco-friendly
Adding pavers to any outdoor area can transform cracked slabs or troubled grass areas into virtually instantaneous living space. But most do-it-yourselfers shy away from working with heavy concrete or brick. Andy Vander Woude of AZEK VAST Pavers says you can install a new patio, walkway or driveway with new pavers that install three times faster on a unique grid system over a traditional sub-base. At less than half the weight of concrete, they contain up to 95 percent recycled scrap tires and plastics. “There is no need for wet saws or heavy equipment,” Vander Woude said. “You can also resurface an old patio, deck or flat roof without the sub-base preparation – just assemble the grid and lay the pavers in like a big puzzle.” He added, “It’s a way to create instant living space that respects the planet.” 

Add curb appeal for lasting first impressions 


 You can increase curb appeal with stylish and functional, quality amenities that dress up an entryway, yard, patio, porch, or deck. According to the experts at Walpole Woodworkers, known for outdoor furnishings handcrafted in Maine since 1933, consider classic accents such as lantern and mailbox posts, pergolas, arbors, window boxes, deck planters, and birdhouses handcrafted from new advanced materials, with long-lasting benefits and low-maintenance. Walpole offers these and many other products handcrafted in modern cellular PVC. This advanced material looks just like natural wood, but won’t rot, split, or warp and will maintain its good looks for years, virtually maintenance free. Call 1-800-343-6948 for a free catalog. 

Light up the night

With the emergence of inspired

outdoor living spaces and new trends in materials, it only makes sense that homeowners search for a way to enjoy their deck parties well into the night. Deck rail lighting has become extremely popular, with LEDs the preferred way to create ambient lighting. Michael Gori, Director of Product Management at AZEK Building Products, makers of AZEK Deck, said lighted post caps and light strips concealed under the hand rail are in high demand. “The lighted post caps add an elegant touch, while the hand rail lighting casts a downward glow, reducing hot spots and attraction to insects,” he said. “The combination of the two light sources adds a dramatic effect for nighttime entertaining.” Gori adds, “With warm, ambient lighting, there’s no longer a need to head indoors when the sun goes down.”
Know when to paint caulk 

Did you ever poke your finger at a caulk bead to see if it’s dry and ruin your nice work? “Caulk needs to dry for about one to two hours, before it can be painted-whether you’re working indoors or out,” says Jason Ringling, marketing director at Red Devil, a company with a 140-year old history in the industry. “Painting too soon can cause sagging and cracking and then the entire job has to be re-done.” He says that there is a new technology called ColorCure sealant that turns from pink to white when it’s ready to paint, so there’s no guesswork. And if the job gets interrupted, you know exactly where you left off. “Formulations are getting smarter to help you work more efficiently,” he adds.

When fixing up or adding beautifying elements to your home exterior, be sure to investigate all the options–from new formulations in caulks and sealants to alternatives to traditional materials that offer easy installation and better performance over time.