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Safety First When It Comes To Moving

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Moving house is a task which is often termed to be ‘exhausting’, ‘cumbersome’, ‘a nightmare’ etc. But a lot of people forget that moving is also a job which can lead to some serious injuries.


It involves a number of tasks that have the potential to cause injuries or hurt someone. Hence make sure you take adequate safety precautions to make sure that no one gets hurt in the process of the move. You know your house better than anyone else. Hence, if something is broken and hasn’t been fixed then it is your responsibility to inform your removalist about it.

Make a note of the following tips for a ‘Safety Check’:

  • Weigh Your Boxes: As a rule try to keep the weight of your boxes under 20 kgs. Just because your boxes have space does not mean that you go on stuffing them. This is because lifting heavy boxes has often resulted often resulted in to serious back injuries and other injuries. Also, if there are any stairs in the way try to keep the boxes light as a precautionary measure.
  • Make Use Of Carpets: In weather conditions like rain, snow or even during winter the morning dew can make the floor slippery. Make sure that you use carpets and mats where required especially on the outside to avoid any accidents and it will also ensure that the inside of the house remains dry.
  • Dressing Requirements: Make sure that you are appropriately dressed. If you observe closely, most of the removalists are dressed in proper fitting clothes and shoes. This is not just a dress code, its the requirement of the job they do. Avoid wearing flip flops, heels and baggy clothes as a safety precaution.
  • Take Care Of Children And Pets: This is a cause of concern for many. If you have small children or pets in the house, you need to take certain precautions for their safety. Have your child spend the day with the babysitter, a friend or a relative. This will keep him/her out of the danger zone. Also, pets can be really tough to take care of while moving. Have a friend or someone else take care of your pet for the day.
  • Clear The Area: You don’t want your removalist or yourself dodging your way through scattered things while moving boxes. Hence, make sure to check that the way to the door and to the rooms is clean and free from any obstacles.
  • Lifting and Carrying: It is important to consider your safety if you are lifting or carrying items, whether moving them yourself or just rearranging them for loading or after unloading. Try to maintain a proper posture- bend at your knees, and straighten your back by tucking your chin. Ensure you have a strong grip by utilizing your palms and avoiding lifting a box by its flaps with your fingertips. This will aid in securing the bottom of the box as well.
  • Preparing your Items : A rule of thumb: Heavier items should generally go in the smaller boxes. For example, avoid packing books in large boxes, as it becomes much more difficult to carry them for your movers and also for you when you arrive at your destination to unpack.

Jorge Cervantes is a research writer and a contributor with City Move. He believes in providing informative and quality content to his readers.

Keeping Your Pool Area Safe, Comfortable And Fun For All The Family!

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There’s no denying just how inviting a nice, clear swimming pool can be, especially for children, which is why it is absolutely vital to make sure the area around your pool is safe and the rules around who can use it and when are strictly imposed. Domestic pools are a worryingly high cause of death by home accidents especially in the under fives, and an unsecured pool can also lead to issues with pets and adult guests. Here are some tips for keeping your pool area safe without compromising on fun!

Don’t Even Consider a Pool Without a Fence

Even if you are a single adult or adult couple who feel relatively confident that you can avoid falling into your own pool and drowning, don’t consider having a pool without a high, secure fence. This is because other people, including neighboring children, can wander into a pool area where they don’t have permission to be and get into trouble, and if somebody is harmed on your premises you may be legally liable even if they are technically trespassing. It isn’t just people, either – dogs and other pets can come to harm if they can get to your pool, and again, you may be held to blame.

Have a Lockable, Self Latching Gate

As well as a good, strong fence that people aren’t going to be able to climb, make sure the gate to your pool area is very secure and latches shut behind people. This is especially important if you have kids or other family members and friends who are likely to be coming and going all day in summer – it can be easy for a child who is trusted to use the pool to forget to close the gate.

Keep the Area Tidy and Free of Trip Hazards

Put away all pool toys and other potential hazards every day after using the pool. A pool surrounded by fun looking noodles and inflatables is far more appealing to a young trespasser than a neat, tidy area with no toys, and you’ll also be removing anything people could potentially trip over (as well as keeping pool toys clean). Repair any damaged paving or decking around the pool, as well as pruning any plants or trees that can also present hazards.

Have Clear Rules Everyone Who Uses the Pool is Aware Of

Make a sensible list of rules, similar to the ones municipal pools use and make sure everyone knows what they are before using the pool. What you allow may vary depending on the swimming ability and ages of your guests, but you must always make sure people don’t run, don’t dive in shallow areas, and babies and toddlers are always supervised and wearing life vests. You may also consider having policies for older pool users around banning alcoholic drinks by the pool and making sure cell phones and other electrical devices are kept away from the edge.

Make Sure You Cover Your Pool Securely When Not In Use

Whenever your pool isn’t in daily use, make sure it is well covered with secure fasteners holding the pool cover in place. This will stop people and animals being able to fall in and can also keep your pool free of dangerous contaminants and normal debris.

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Marshall Stinson, the author of this post, is a blogger who likes to blog about home improvement tips and techniques. He works at a shop that plumbing and pool supplies shop. He likes sports and outdoor activities such as swimming.

7 Reasons Why You Should Buy A Swimming Pool

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When you were young and dreamt about your ideal home, the chances are that you always had a swimming pool in those images. It sets off a luxury home nicely and really comes in handy on those hot summer afternoons. In reality, the swimming pool is an incredibly useful commodity to have in your family home. If you were thinking about the pros and cons of having a pool installed, please read this article for some factual information.

Home Value

Adding value to your home is never a bad thing, but it should be considered when you are worried about the initial cost of your chosen pool. There are some home buyers that will only consider looking at houses with attached swimming pools. They tend to have more money available for their next purchase, why not include your address on their ‘must see’ list?

Beauty

If you are not thinking about moving anytime soon, you will still have the added benefit of living in a beautiful and luxurious property. Just relaxing next to the pool is enough to left your spirits on a hard day. Every time you look out of the window for some inspiration…there it is!

Fitness

Swimming is one of the best ways to keep in shape, and this has been proven many times. Instead of driving down to the busy gym, why not strip off and do a few lengths of your very own pool? You are much less likely to get injured in this ‘soft’ environment and will be able to relax without worrying about getting in someone’s way.

Family Bonding

A happy family is a healthy family, and you get the best of both worlds with your own swimming pool. As well as the exercise option, you can have a fun game of water polo and top up on your tans. You will never get bored of the pool as it can be used for so many activities.

Children’s Health And Safety

Your children’s health is one of the most important concerns in any parent’s life. With your own swimming pool, you can help them to stay fit, with the added bonus of ensuring they learn how to swim properly. Exercise can often be tiresome, but swimming is always thought of as an opportunity to have some fun with your loved ones and friends. You never know when your children may need their swimming skills in the future.

Entertainment

If you fancy inviting some friends and family over for a party, why not base it around your pool? Just fire up the barbeque and get some lively sounds blasting out, you could re-enact your last tropical holiday together! Get some decent lights installed and you could be throwing some memorable evening poolside events for the whole neighborhood.

Balance And Stress

If you add a daily swim to your daily routine, you will be adding a very healthy factor to your lives. You can de-stress after a hectic day at the office, or massage your partner in the relaxing luxury of your own swimming pool.

 

Rod Tuckers provides swimming pool service in Westport CT. A complete family man, he understands fully well the value that a swimming pool adds to family bonding. You can avail to more useful tips on home improvement and family issues on his blog.

Proper Light Placement To Better Illumine The Exterior Of Your Home

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While lighting the exterior of your house is not difficult at all, it is also easy to make mistakes when it comes to where the lighting fixtures should be affixed. Try strolling around your house after dark and you will notice that there are some areas that are cloaked in the shadows, paths that are hard to thread on in the darkness, or seating areas that are rendered useless at night. You may also find spots that are too bright that guests and passers-by have to cover their eyes from the glare of your lighting fixtures.

Fortunately, it is easy to correct these problems. With a little know-how on proper placement and what type of lights to use for certain spots, you can make the exterior of your home safer and more usable after the sun goes down and at the same time lend drama to the space. Below are some tips on how you should incorporate lights into your home’s exterior, where they should be placed, and what types of fixtures you should use.

Front door

Lighting is particularly important on the access and egress point of your house for good reasons. It shows people where to enter and where the doorbell and keyhole are positioned; prevents tripping on the steps; and allows the people inside to know who is at the front door.

The most ideal light fixtures to use on the front door are lanterns with two low-voltage compact fluorescent bulbs placed on both sides of the door (preferably mounted along the front door’s upper third portion). These fixtures provide the right amount of light without glare and at the same time enhance the appeal of the front door.

When picking wall or post lanterns, go for pieces with frosted or colored lenses instead of those with clear glass as they are easier on the eyes.

Garage and Driveway

Just like how you would light up your front door, you should also provide proper illumination on your garage and driveway entrance so that guests and vehicles will be able to find your home at night. For the driveway, it is not necessary to light up the entire strip. A few low-voltage spreadlights staggered along the edge of the pavement will suffice. Your garage, on the other hand, will benefit from the addition of some wall-mounted compact fluorescent floodlights near the door and on the sides. Also, do not forget to illuminate your house number. Guests arriving at night as well as emergency responders will definitely appreciate such addition since they will be able to know which house is yours.

Steps and walkways

To lead guests to the front door and guard them against slipping, layered lights coming from low-voltage fixtures are the most suitable choices for illuminating steps and walkways. Popular fixture selections for these locations include bollard lights, mushroom lights and path shaded tier lights. All these fixtures cast light downward so they are easy on the eyes. They also come in a wide variety of styles and different price points, allowing you to pick pieces that complement the look of your home and your budget.

For the most pleasing effect when positioning the lights and prevent the runway look, do not place all the lights on a straight line. Instead, stagger them on both sides of the steps and walkways.

Seating areas (patios, decks, porch)

To ensure you will be able to entertain guests even after dark, do not forget to light up your outdoor living areas. There is no hard or fast rules when it comes to lighting up outdoor living spaces, allowing you to take free helm on your light choices. However, do not forget to install task lighting in or near areas where they are needed and where safety might be a concern, such as benches, stair risers, deck railing and the wall near the grilling or dining area.

To avoid attracting pests to your patio, deck or porch, it will be preferable to go for compact fluorescent bulbs that are specially designed to ward off pests. You may also control the amount of light in the area if you use dimmers that will let you adjust light levels.

Landscape features

Add a touch of drama to your home’s exterior by highlighting the beautiful features in your landscape with a combination of low-voltage lighting and accent lighting. To do this, pick a focal point that you wish to emphasize, such as a specimen tree or a structure, along with secondary areas. To illuminate your primary focal point, use flood lights affixed to in-ground poles or spotlights attached on a nearby wall, fence or other elevated structure. For secondary areas like flower beds, ground covers and statuary, emphasize them with low-voltage fixtures that are recessed into the ground. Or, go for a backlit effect or hidden glow by pinning the light sources between the objects you want to highlight and the wall of your house.

Just a word of caution: be mindful where you direct the beams of your lights. At the most, they should not be pointed toward your neighbors windows.

The guest post above, which was written for www.steelbuildingsuk.co.uk, was contributed by Ericka. Ericka is a home improvement and gardening enthusiast. Her passion for these subjects inspires her to write useful posts about house repairing, decorating, cleaning and organizing.

Top 5 Tips for DIY Roofing Projects

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Undertaking a DIY project is not just about saving money. Many homeowners get involved with do-it-yourself projects because they want to play an active role in the design and upkeep of their own house. Roofing issues in particular make for the most sought after DIY projects for homeowners. Whether it is as simple as fixing a leak or completely retiling the entire roof, homeowners love to tackle roofing issues by themselves. Here are 5 top tips from roofing experts that should benefit DIY homeowners.

Cut down overhanging branches

Overhanging tree branches can cause a number of problems in a roofing project. In some cases, it is the overhanging branches that cause the problem in the first place. The best thing to do before proceeding with any work is to cut down any overhanging branches. Always check the local laws and regulations before cutting down any branches, especially if the tree is on public property; even the branch encroaches into your property, you may not have the right to cut it down and may have to call the proper authorities to do it. If the tree is in your neighbour’s backyard, seek their permission first.

Keep the gutters clean during and after

Doesn’t matter how strong and sturdy the gutters are, it is not uncommon to find damaged gutters after any roofing work has been performed. In order to minimize the chance of damaging the gutters, try to keep them clean during the project itself. Do not let dirt and debris build-up in the gutters with the aim of cleaning it all up in the end; the longer debris stays in the gutters, the greater the chance of damage. Once the project is completed, do not forget to clean out the gutters one final time; even if there is no damage, you could face the frightful prospect of blacked and clogged gutters.

Check the valleys for leaks

The part of the roof where two roof planes intersect is called the valley. As far as leaking is concerned, the valleys are the most susceptible part of the roof. It is not uncommon to find that some completely unrelated roofing project has caused some damage to the valleys and resulted in a leak. As soon as you complete any roofing work, run some water down the valleys to ensure that there are no leaks present.

Don’t get sloppy

The biggest mistake DIY enthusiasts make is to get sloppy as the project nears completion. Many homeowners find themselves pumped up and rearing to start a DIY roofing project. However, the longer the work takes, the more quickly their enthusiasm fades. At such times, it is very easy to get sloppy and goof up. Always give your full attention to the work at hand. Getting sloppy will not only result in poor quality work, but can also compromise safety.

Never compromise on safety

Many homeowners think it’s alright to skimp on safety standards since they are working in their own backyard. However, safety should never be compromised for any DIY project, including those related to roofing. Always have the necessary safety gear required, including working boots, safety glasses, hardhats and work gloves.

Follow these 5 top tips from roofing experts and your next roofing project should go off without a hitch.

Jeff Fernandes is the author of this guest post. He writes about various DIY projects and suggests Oil Boiler Servicing to maximize efficiency and reduce fuel consumption of your oil boilers.

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