10 benefits of using Smart home security systems

Smart home security systems are a modern security concept that allows you to control the security of your home from anywhere. With the increasing trend of burglaries, more home owners are investing in these systems.

Below are 10 benefits of using Smart home security systems.

1. Easy to use

Smart home security systems are wireless and easy to use allowing you to see what is happening at your home via your tablet, laptop or mobile phone. This is possible because of the integrated system of image sensors and cameras offering a view of the home from wherever you are.

2. Prevents burglaries

A Smart home security systems will send off an alarm in case of an attempted burglary. This not only makes it harder for the intruder to break in unnoticed but also increases the chances of them being caught in the act. Usually, when the alarm goes off, most intruders run off afraid to be caught. In these cases, crime is averted and the Smart home security system has achieved its goal.

3. Better security

Smart home security systems offer better security compared to conventional security systems. This is because they are devoid of the vulnerabilities of the earlier systems such as loss of connection when the burglar cuts the telephone band and so on. Security alerts in this system cannot be easily interrupted as in earlier cases.

4. Remote Access

The beauty of the Smart security system is that the home owner can monitor the security of their home as well as control security operations from far off using mobile apps or web portals. This makes it easier to see what is going on at home from anywhere.

5. Integration with home automation

The smart home security app can integrate functions such as the control of lights, the thermostat and other home automation functions easily. This makes it easy to control your home’s conditions even before you reach home.

6. Lower premiums

Home insurance becomes cheaper if a sound security system is installed. The Smart home security system is currently as sound as it gets assuring the home owner less premiums. This works so because the easy monitoring lowers the chances of burglaries as well as damages by water or fire and thus the chances of losses are minimized. This translates to fewer claims on the insurer and thus the price of insurance goes down translating to reduced premiums.

7. Saves time and energy

With the smart home security system, you do not have to remember each day to arm and disarm like the traditional systems. It is always on.

8. Protection of valuables

A home security system increases the chances of stopping a burglary or catching the offender. Since most intruders do so in order to steal money and other valuables, the smart system therefore increase the security of these valuables in both scenarios as the burglar may be stopped from stealing or forced to pay the value of what was stolen when caught.

9. Peace of mind

The Smart home security system provides assurance to the home owner that if an intrusion should occur, the system will signal them and the authorities thus assured safety for them and their belongings.

10. Increased independence

The smart system saves you the hassle of relying on neighbors for your home’s security each time you travel. Even on the go, you are able to monitor your home and engage the security company in case of any occurrences.
As you can see from the above 10 benefits of using Smart home security systems, when it comes to security, it does not get better than Smart home security systems. Get yours installed, protect your home.

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Choosing the right Roofing Contractors

When you are choosing  roofing contractors Toronto, it’s a good idea to follow a few steps to make sure the process is smooth.
Start of by getting several quotes from different companies. Not everyone plays the same game, you may see yellow pages ads of companies, but it doesn’t necessarily speak for their work. When you take a few quotes from various companies, you can compare the pricing and see what they offer and that way you can calibrate. Be sure to get quotes from certified contractors, as they will be working on your home and you need to protect it, licensed roofers won’t have insurance.

Consider a few contractors before you take the jump. Even though many people feel they can go with their gut and hurriedly choose , be sure to be patient and continue searching. Make sure that there are no better quotes out there that can offer a better service for the same or better price than that you jumped to conclusions on.

A certified roofing contractor will always have insurance and will have good coverage for any possible damages, injuries that may happen while they are on the job. It’s cut and dry with this one, if they don’t have insurance, stay far away from them. Be sure that whoever you do end up hiring has insurance, and follow through by calling the insurance company to validate as well. It’s good to see past work as well, find out how long the company has been in business, see if there are any claims against the company etc.

It’s important that every contractor has a safety checklist in place while on any job. a safety strategy is crucial to make sure that everyone is accounted for on every project. Make sure that before you sign any contracts, that the roofer has a security strategy in place before hand. Like not having insurance, not having a security strategy is good reason not to hire them.

Not all roofers are created equally, so it’s crucial that you take your time and choose wisely. Avoid making decisions based on expensive advertising on their part. Good old fashioned word of mouth is always a good direction. Make sure that any online reviews are positive and talk with your friends. Look into the reputation of the company,  see if you can find them in directories in your area. Choosing the wrong roofer can be very costly and cause a lot of stress.

These are just some basic steps you can take to help you decipher the good from the bad and help you end up with a proper contractor. Wether its a new installation, replacement or repairs, these  techniques can be applied to all situations and help you narrow down your options. Call each of your prospects and make your decision after you’ve met them face to face. This is a tried and tested formula that will successfully help you weed out the good from the bad.

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Why you should retrofit your home with foam insulation in Toronto

The majority of homes in North America especially Toronto are insulated with an air-use insulator,  either fiberglass, or cellulose. Dead air and the principles of convection and advection (R-factor) are how these materials are expected to insulate our homes and buildings. The issue lies in that the thermal dynamics working against the envelope of the building are more powerful and intricate than the air use insulator can control. For example, the R-30 loose fill in the majority of attics; in just a couple of hours, radiant heat can build up in your attic to 60 degrees celsius and completely pass through the R-30 and start heating up your house while jacking up the power bill, this is especially true if you have an HVAC system where the ducts and vents are in the attic. Your house should be cooling down when the sun sets, but the air-use insulator will retain the heat and not allow for the house to cool down for several hours.

Conventional insulation really becomes energy hungry in the winter time. When indoor air is heated and the house becomes like a hot air balloon. When the air is heated, it wants to rise and pass through the loose blown in insulation in your attic flooring. When this rise of air occurs, the mass of air takes with it temperature and moisture in the envelope of the house and moves it to the attic. Air mass expansion in the summer months, creates a required pressure release through bents in the attic, this pressure has to be equalized  so that it doesn’t push it into the living area. These vents allow for the heated air to be pushed through allowing for newer cooler air to replace it and start the process over again.

It’s always a good idea to have a look at where the money will be spent, and where it will be best spent before retrofitting your home. Make sure to contact the right insulation contractors Toronto has to offer. Up to %35 of energy is either lost or kept through the roof of the house. Crawl spaces of a home can contribute up to %30 in energy cost and the windows, doors and walls make up the rest. Stop all radiant energy fro entering the building by spraying open cell polyurethane foam under the or against the roof deck. In the hot and humid summer months, humidity is kept from entering the house. Without radiant energy, there is no expanding air mass. Without expanding air mass, vents aren’t needed and by not needing vents, there is a stop of temperature fluctuations in the winter months and your HVAC system doesn’t  have to work overtime.

The roof should be sprayed as it is the largest contributor of energy loss in the envelope of the whole house, followed by the crawl space. Trying to re-insulate walls is a bit tricky and has little payback. Always contact the most reliable spray foam company when you are heating or cool in the air inside of your home, it’s because you retrying to create a different climate inside your home compared to what’s going on outside. When you install open cel polyurethane foam, it eases the burden on you HVAC system which saves you money in the end. You re-coup the initial investment after 3-7 years of energy savings.

 

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When and Where to Buy Home Renovation Materials

I worked for a roofing company in college, and my boss liked to tell the story of a material mishap he suffered shortly after starting his business. He’d been working hard installing a new asphalt roof for a customer who was away on business. There he was putting down the final shingles when she pulled up to the house. “It looks nice,” she shouted from the driveway. “But it’s the wrong color.”

That lesson has stuck with me all these years, along with the implied importance of getting material orders right on a remodeling project. Recently, the Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed general contractors about the mistakes that lead to the biggest delays and cost overruns on a project. On their list of culprits, materials arriving broken or different from what was ordered was second only to existing structural damage.

When the time came to renovate my own home—a 19th-century brownstone in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn—I vowed to avoid that pitfall by ordering many of the home renovation materials myself and getting them to the site well ahead of when they would be installed, just in case there was a problem.

In addition to avoiding costly mistakes, the decision helped with budgeting because my architect agreed to lower her fee if we managed that part of the project. By building ample lead time into the process, I could also hold off on certain purchases if I knew a sale was coming—during one of the summer holiday weekends, for example, when deals abound on everything from paint to ceramic tile.

Settle on a Style

If you plan to buy your own home renovation materials, you really need to know your style. My wife and I spent hours on sites such as Houzz, Pinterest, and Remodelista, creating a digital ideabook of photos to help pinpoint our design preferences. Our tastes skew traditional, with a few modern flourishes here and there, so we fall in the so-called transitional camp of home design.

The next step was figuring out where to shop. There’s no shortage of home centers in the New York metro area, and most of them provide free or affordable design advice, as well as the names of local installers. But we already had an architect and general contractor on board, plus the volume of selection at places like Home Depot and Lowe’s felt a little overwhelming.

So we looked into dedicated kitchen and bath showrooms, which offer a more curated selection of products and knowledgeable staff. At the recommendation of our architect, as well as friends and colleagues who had recently remodeled, we ended up choosing Ferguson for the kitchen and bath fixtures, and a pair of tile showrooms, Nemo Tile and Tile Bar, for the tile work. Below is our advice for getting the most out of those visits.

Check out the full article on home renovation materials here: http://www.consumerreports.org/home-remodeling/when-and-where-to-buy-home-renovation-materials

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DIY Home Improvement Project

 Safety Equipment that you must have

Image Sourced From AllState You should never attempt any DIY home improvement project without all the required safety equipment. Without the safety equipment, you have nothing to provide protection against accidents, which are common during DIY home improvements. Some of the most common accidents that occur during such projects include the following: a)Electrical shocks b)Falling from ladders and other high distances c)Fire burns d)Spilling toxic chemicals or materials e)Power tools

Safety Equipment Is Mandatory

Safety equipment are mandatory at the site of the DIY home improvement project. You must wear protective clothing and use only safety tools and equipment. If something is off with your mood or concentration, avoid the DIY project until the situation changes later. Carelessness is a bad trait when handling work of such nature that requires maximum concentration. Take the necessary precautions that minimize mess and disturbances at the workplace. Before starting any work, prepare adequately. While preparing, remember that your safety and that
of other people you need for the DIY home improvement project is not under any threat. As part of preparing, relocate the furniture to a different room.

Reduce Dangers

Home improvement projects are messy, noisy and can be extremely dangerous. Spend time evaluating the possible risks. While evaluating the need for and importance of safety, you should determine whether you need a helping hand or not. Determine the timeframe. Determine whether the room or house will be inhabitable for the duration of the home improvement project. So, what safety equipment do you need? First Aid Kit Industrial Hand Gloves Safety Boot Knee Pads Bump Cap Dust Extractor Face Mask Impact-Resistant Goggles Full Facial Protection Ear Protector or Ear PlugsAny time your home improvement project requires using machinery, consider hiring somebody to help you. Do not begin working on the property until you confirm that your mobile phone is intact. Without the mobile phone, it becomes much harder to call for help when caught up in problem. Some of the safety equipment that you should wear or carry includes: a)Safety goggles b)Earmuffs c)Earplugs d)Work gloves e)Dust masks f)Knee Pad g)First Aid kit

Clean Workplace

Before you begin working, clean your workplace. Keep the workplace clean and organized at all times. Avoid rushing through the work. If your home improvement project revolves mostly around working indoors, keep the rooms well ventilated. Once you finish using the tools, store them away in a safe and secure place at the end of the day. It is common to use ladders during the DIY home improvement project. In such cases, you need to exercise as much caution as possible. Lock the A-frame ladders in open positions.
Ascertain that the A-frame ladders stand on level and stable ground. If you have aluminum ladders, avoid using them near electrical wires. Always look to get your workspace cleaned after the job is done as well. Especially when you are working on your home, there is no better option than getting your house cleaned. There are so many options you can go with but you want to make sure that you work with only the best house cleaners in Brisbane.

Wear Safety Gear

You should only wear the appropriate safety gear. Avoid loose clothing. Avoid wearing jewelry around the workplace considering the ease with which it can be caught, thus leading to a serious accident. Where your work involves spray painting, wear dust masks, gloves and safety goggles as much as possible. Stop the DIY home improvement task if the work involves removing old paint. Wait until a reputable painter or decorator examines the old paint for lead. Ask the reputable painter for ideas on how to dispose such types of paints. Before commencing work, check if the workplace has a well-equipped first aid kit. Avoid using tools with which you are not familiar. Use the right tool for the right job. For example, avoid using pliers to do work meant for a hammer. Your safety comes first when using electrical tools. Switch off all drills when not in use. Do not place the drills on the ground while still operating or with the power switched on, as this could lead to a serious accident. When using a knife or any other similarly sharp object, cut away from your body. You reduce your chances of suffering a serious bodily injury by cutting away from the body. Ensure that all your tools are in an excellent and usable condition. It is much safer to use sharper objects. Avoid blunt objects, as they require more effort thus increasing your chances of suffering injuries.

Avoid Dangerous Tasks

Avoid DIY projects that involve handling or resolving problems associated with the gas, electrical and plumbing systems. A fully professional and well-trained contractor is the best person to take care of such types of work. If you have no idea how to proceed with the project, hire a professional contractor or technician to minimize the chances of accidents and injuries. The professional contractor who specializes in work involving gas, electrical and plumbing is legally permitted to certify whatever he does. A DIY approach does not offer similar security. For this reason, it is not an idea worth pursuing if you plan to put the property up for sale later. The prospective buyers might scamper upon realizing that the work is not certifiable. Where your DIY project requires resolving electrical problems, do not proceed with it unless you find a chemical fire extinguisher and keep it nearby. Avoid falling into the temptation of
putting out electrical fires using water, as this will only exacerbate the already dangerous situation. Get a good chemical fire extinguisher and keep it close. Where the project requires tackling many issues affecting the gas, electrical and plumbing systems, be careful with the water supply. Turn off the water supply right at the source. This safety tip is crucial when dealing with plumbing work. Turn off the supply by switching off the isolator valve or stopcock on the appliance. Do not forget to drain the appliances down. Therefore, remember that your personal safety is not something to take lightly. Personal safety depends on your choice of the right clothing. Take time determining the need for specialist equipment. Wear sturdy safety boots. Alternatively, wear shoes reinforced with toecaps. When working around electrical installations, wear rubber-soled shoes. Finally, DIY home improvement is highly advisable, but only if it guarantees your safety.

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Upgrading Your Home with Spray in Insulation

Spray In Insulation is a cheap alternative method to traditional building insulation. It works by having an expanding form from a mixture of two components. The form is mostly made from Polyol resin and Isocynate after combining at the tip of the gun.

The method is very important in keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This is because of the rising energy bills when any source of energy is used. Thus, when building or renovating a bought house, you can improve its comfort by using this affordable method.

Where to Insulate

You should add insulation in the following areas Attic, walls, floors, basement, and crawlspace. In addition to that, this will be the cheapest way to improve your home’s energy efficiency. However, you can inquire about crawl space and basement insulation from your contractors.

 

Materials Used for Insulation

Insulation is made from a number of different materials. These come in four different types namely: loose-fill, rolls and batts, rigid foam, foam-in-place. Blankets or rolls and batts are made from mineral fibers like fiberglass and the rock wool. These flexible materials come in widths suited to standard spacing of wall studs and floor joists or attic: 2 inch by 4-inch wall can take R-13 or R-15 products; 2 inch by 6-inch walls can use R-19 and R-21 batts.

Loose-Fill insulation is mainly made as loose fibers or fiber pellets from fiberglass, rock wool, or cellulose. This material is blown into the spaces by special pneumatic equipment. The material adapts easily to odd-sized building cavities and attics with wires, ducts, and pipes. This makes it suitable for use in areas where other types of insulation fail to work well.

Rigid Foam Insulation is very effective in exterior for basement wall sheathing or other special applications like attic hatches. Foam insulation R-values have range of between R-4 to R-6.5 per inch of thickness. Moreover, this form of insulation material is 2 times greater than other insulating materials.

Foam-In-Place Insulation is mainly used to insulate and reduce air leakage. The material is blown into walls, under floors or on attic surfaces. Thus, you can use small-pressurized cans to block small holes and cracks. These can be like the ones on doors, windows frames, plumbing and electrical penetrations.

Tips to Consider before Insulation

Here are some tips given by the local insulation contractor, ecicellulose.com, about what you should consider before insulating your home. There are key factors to consider before you think of doing insulation in your home. You should first consider the climate of our home area, home design and budget. This will help you in choosing the best insulation most suitable for your home.

You should also consider using higher R-value insulation like spray foam on the exterior walls and in cathedral ceilings. This ensures you achieve more insulation with reduced thickness. You should as well consider fixing attic air barriers along the attic eave. This helps in reducing summer cooling bills as it ensures proper airflow.

You should consider whether the fixture next to where you want to place the insulation is insulation contact rated. This helps in avoiding a fire danger. You should finally follow the installation instructions from the manufacturer. In this regard, you should always wear genuine protective gear when installing.

Conclusion

You will end up saving more money in most climates when you install a combination of insulative sheathing and cavity. This can be better done if the installation is done when building a new home or addition.

Moreover, you can reduce exterior wall leaks by fastening the joints of exterior sheathing and closing the gaps on exterior walls. These helps in reducing the amount of energy lost through the wood frames.

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Equipment Needed for a DIY Home Renovation

As a homeowner, there comes a time to renovate your home in areas like plumbing, wall painting, electrical, welding etcetera. Apart from having the requisite skill to carry out the renovation, an important thing to keep in mind is that repair comes with associated risks.

The risks of carrying out a repair include accidents such as falling from a height, toxic chemical poisoning, fire burn, injury from a saw, foot injury from stepping on sharp objects, hearing due to extreme noise, eye accident from debris, and lung tract blockage from dust among other.

Apart from knowing the related accidents, knowing about different safety equipment is more important.

The Dozen Pieces Safety Equipment You Need For A DIY Home Renovation

Below is a list of essential twelve safety equipment for your DIY home renovation.

• Goggle and Glasses

Wearing impact resistance safety goggle or glasses are important, especially when using power tools for drilling to protect you from dust or other flying debris.

• Dust Extractor

Dust safety equipment protects you from possible airborne dangers, particularly your lung, from dust or fumes arising from sawing, sanding or cutting of metals. The material comes in different mask forms like simple gauze to prevent fine particles, to complete facial respirator that prevents poisoning from fumes.

• Helmet

It provides protection to the head; from falling off the ladder to bumping your head and possible objects falling from the top on your head. Using Helmet at a renovation site protects you from possible head injury.

• Face mask

Facemask keeps you safe from airborne dangers. It is used in dusty renovation site where you have to work for an extended period.

• Knee pads

If your renovation includes laying tiles, you need a good pair of quality knee pads to reduce the harsh impact of the floor on your knees. It protects your knees against accidental injuries like kneeling on sharp objects.

• Earplugs or Ear Protector:

The earplugs or protector helps to reduce the impact of extreme noise when you have to drill, scrape or file metal objects, the grinding noise can harm your ear drum.

• Voltage tester:

It protects you from electrocution. The voltage tester let you know if the wire or cable located in the area you are working is electrically charged or not.

• Safety Boot:

You need a pair of quality safety boot to wear anytime you are working to protect you from danger. For the best safety boot check out Work Boot Worx!

• First Aid Kit:

Even with all the Safety Gears in place and used on during renovation, an accident may still happen. It is in such situations that a first aid kit comes handy.

• Hand Gloves:

Although you may not need to wear them all the time, hand gloves are essential for tougher jobs like perimeter fencing or lifting heavy and rough objects. Since hands are used for most renovation tasks, you need hand gloves for adequate hand protection against cuts, bruises, burn and chemical spillage.

• Protective Clothing:

Quality protective clothing would provide protection against skin bruises, cuts or stains on your cloth or body. In accidental chemical spillage, your protective clothing takes the spill and protects your skin.

• Fire extinguishers:

Lastly, on the list is a fire extinguisher to protect sudden outbreak of fire during a renovation.

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