Improvements That Increase Safety In Your Home

(Photo credit: Rick Scully)

Any homeowner will tell you that owning and maintaining a home is both expansive and time consuming. On average, homeowners spend between 1 and 3 percent of their home's value on repairs and improvement. There are many ways to reduce costs and make your home more valuable thanks to home improvement: go over these tips before you start planning your next home improvement project.
Make sure to verify with your contractor's insurance company to make sure that they are actually insured. Unscrupulous contractors may try to hoodwink consumers by presenting an expired insurance card when asked for proof of insurance.

The first thing to consider is safety. If you live in an older property it is advisable to have the building assessed by professionals for both asbestos and lead based paints. Often these substances are found in older buildings and while they are fairly safe when left as they are, if they are disturbed during remodeling work they can get dangerous for everyone in the building.

When renovating, a smart homewoner will spend his money on good quality materials and fixtures instead of expensive decor and furniture. There's a simple reason for this--decorative items and furniture get moved out along with the homeowner when the house gets sold. You want to add value to your home, and by buying durable products that remain there, you do that.

Stained wood is more aesthetically pleasing than painted whenever you're replacing baseboards. The classic look of finished wood complements virtually any home decor style. Stained backboards also serve the benefit of defending against stains and marks, which can increase its longevity. There are many colors of stain to match your decor.

Things like painting or adding a deck to your home can improve your home's quality by a lot. Decks could give you a great place to entertain your guests and you could use it in a hot summer day to relax.
Check the credentials of any professional you employ for any home improvement projects. You must be sure that they have the qualifications to do the job correctly and that the job will be completed using the highest possible standards. The easiest way to verify a contractor's bona fides is by checking his credentials with the relevant licensing authority.

Making sure that your gutters are clean is a great way to improve your home. When your gutters are clogged with debris, the water is trapped and can cause leaks. This may end up causing the wood to rot. It is important to maintain clean gutters at all times!

Adding an extra bathroom can really increase the value of your home. It is easy to understand that an additional bathroom is handy, particularly when each bathroom is on a different floor of the home. It is very likely that multiple household members will need access to the bathroom simultaneously. You must ensure the bathroom is properly installed to avoid leaks which can lead to water damage and mold.

Always keep safety at the front of your mind. While it may seem silly to wear a hardhat in your own home, if a chunk of drywall were to fall, you would at least be protected. Having hardhats, goggles, and breathing apparatus can help to keep you healthy while you take care of your home.

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The Threat Posed By Sewage Spills

English: Protective Clothing. Workers in protective clothing to guard against contamination from hazardous waste. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just hearing the word 'sewage' conjures up vivid images of disgusting, sludgy matter. We all know exactly what it is and where it comes from, so it is horrifying when a burst sewage main means that you are faced with a sewage spill inside of your home. It's not just the fact that it is human excrement, it is also the smell and yet so many are still careless when it comes to cleaning it up. The fact is, sewage can pose a major health risk to us. It contains a multitude of pathogens and allergens which can transmit a variety of diseases.

Sewage is actually considered to be a bio-hazard and it must be handled very carefully. A sewage spill is not something you would attempt on your own. It requires protective clothing and specialist disposal procedures. Exposure to sewage can result in chronic respiratory illnesses and many other viral, fungal, bacterial and parasitic health conditions. Contact with raw sewage or sewage contaminated waters can cause infections on the skin and ingestion of these materials can result in serious stomach illnesses. The many bacteria and viruses which live in raw sewage are also able to enter the blood stream via the smallest break in the skin which includes any cuts or grazes. These illnesses can be severe and in many cases fatal. This is why it is important not to take any risks where sewage is involved.

I will admit to being overly cautious about my health. Whenever I have experienced flooding, which used to be fairly regularly when we lived in Georgia, I would always assume that the water was potentially contaminated with sewage. I would rather call in the professionals who have the equipment and protective clothing than risk contracting one of the many diseases that sewage contamination is linked to.

Let's Talk About Mold

Mold is found everywhere, indoors and outdoors, but is normally found indoors at levels that do not affect most healthy individuals. Mold is usually found where humidity and moisture levels are high, such as basements, kitchens and bathrooms. Mold can develop when the combination of the right temperature, mold spores, moisture and a food source are present. Mold was able to grow because it has a moisture source.

Mold is constructed from mold material surrounding temporary part material which defines the mold cavity. Mold is naturally occurring and can develop on virtually any material if the conditions which foster mold development are present. Mold spores can survive harsh environmental conditions, such as dry conditions, that do not support normal mold growth. Mold can begin to grow in as little as 48 hours in conditions of elevated temperature and relative humidity. Mold spores are in the air at all times but are dormant unless activated by elevated temperature and humidity.

Mold spores are constantly moving through the air - both indoor and outdoor. Mold spores are very tiny and lightweight, and this allows them to travel through the air. Mold is a common problem in many homes, and even conscientious homeowners can sometimes run into a mold problem. Mold has certainly made its way into people's homes as well as the headlines recently. Mold is extremely common in homes and buildings and will grow anywhere there is moisture.

Mold will not grow if moisture is absent. Mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. Mold is caused when microscopic, airborne spores land on moist surfaces and spread rapidly. Mold is an infestation caused on surfaces exposed to water.

Mold is almost everywhere, but it is not health to live where mold is growing. Mold can damage your home, possessions and health. Mold can be especially serious, since it can cause structural damage to your home, as well as health problems. Mold is dangerous and it can cause many health problems than carbon monoxide, termites, radon or asbestos. Mold may not cause health effects, or it may lead to symptoms in people who are sensitive to molds.

Mold can have harmful effects on human health. Mold may be present in a building and result in health effects without being visible. Mold is being dubbed “the new asbestos” in the building industry. Mold is the second leading cause of outdoor airborne allergies, with pollen being the first. Mold that grew in conjunction with moisture damage was the leading cause of occupational rhinitis.

Mold can also cause structural damage to your home by weakening the wood frame. Mold can grow on wood, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, paints, carpet, sheet rock, and insulation.

Lead Poisoning : The Risks

Childhood lead poisoning is by far the most avoidable environmental ailment in youngsters, but somewhere around One million young children continue to have raised bloodstream lead amounts. Lead poisoning can result in learning disabilities, behavior issues, convulsions and loss of life, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is particularly detrimental to fetuses and small children.

Most youngsters are in contact with hazardous amounts of lead if they are living in properties constructed prior to 1978 - the year during which lead based paints were banned as a result of medical problems. Federal and state governing bodies are supporting programs to scale back and eliminate the issue. To give an example, a recent $2.9 million federal government grant will soon allow the city of Indianapolis to maintain lead assessments for the local children, provide lead dust sets for many households and assist development of about 400 lead free real estate units as part of a Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration program.

The program's goal is to eliminate lead in 389 area homes, 115 of which must be rental properties. Households will be selected based on income level, risk of contamination and whether small kids or expectant mothers are on the property.

Even if your area is not currently in receipt of such grants, if you are concerned about the possibility of lead paint in your property, then you will be able to call in professional lead paint removal experts to evaluate, and if required remove lead paint from, your property.

Why Medical Aid Is NOT Just Another Variation of Health Insurance

A large number of developed/developing countries operate private healthcare systems which are largely financed by way of health insurance. In a large number of these countries, health insurance is the only hope many individuals have of being able to pay for this private healthcare. This has become a huge bug bear or many people. The huge flaw in this type of system is that insurance providers are at the most basic level money making organizations. They place their focus on turning a profit with little regard to their consumers' health. Insurers have no qualms about cutting corners to reduce costs and will often avoid risky investments, thus making some people all but uninsurable.

It's about time we looked to South Africa for guidance. A little known fact is that South Africa is actually a world leader when it comes to healthcare funding. This is due in the most part to medical aid programs. Many people assume medical aid is just another way of saying health insurance, but there are some big differences. Medical aid programs are operated by non-profit organizations, meaning they focus more on providing a great service. In this respect, medical aid is considered to be considerably superior to health insurance! Medical aid has been an important factor in building what is rapidly turning out to be one of the best private healthcare systems around the world. In fact,many medical aid providers are now starting to expand services into the Middle East and the United States.

When it comes to medical aid, everyone in that particular program pays the same monthly premium regardless of the state of their health. This is an important difference between medical aid and health insurance. Insurance providers routinely deny cover to anyone with an existing long term health problem, or else make the monthly premiums ridiculously high. This is a really big deal considering that one of the massive health concerns in South Africa is HIV and AIDS. With medical aid, those individuals diagnosed with these conditions do not have to pay anything extra.  

Knowing The Risks Of Tattooing

An increasing (and somewhat alarming) number of young people all over the world are jumping on the body modification band wagon by getting a tattoo. It became popular in the nineties and has been growing in popularity ever since. It is now estimated that around one in three Americans under the age of 25 have at least one tattoo. Now I'm not anti-tattoo I don't have one, but I don't mind other people having them. What does concern me is the lack of research people do before running to the local tattoo shop and getting a permanent body modification.

Pretty much everyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the last few years knows that they should use a reputable tattoo artist with high standards of cleanliness. However, for most people that is where the research and safety precautions end. What most people do not realise, is what exactly is being injected under their skin. Tattoos have their origins in tribal cultures where the dyes were made from natural ingredients such as plants, but modern day tattoo inks are composed of unknown combinations of metallic salts such as oxides, sulphates and selenides, and even plastics. A recent report by the European Commission revealed that up to 40% of the organic colorants used in tattoos are not approved for use on skin and around 20% of inks tested contained carcinogenics. Some chemicals were actually intended only for printing. In America, the FDA regulates cosmetics worn on the skin, like make up or sun screen, but they do not regulate the potentially toxic ink we have injected under it during tattooing. How does that make any sense?

There are many reported cases of allergic reactions to tattoo inks and there is also the added risk of the unknown effects of metal salts being injected into the body. Cases of psoriasis, dermatitis and even tumors have been linked to tattooing. I guess the bottom line is that unless you are fully aware of and prepared to deal with the worst case scenario, leave body modification alone.

The Facts About Smoke Inhalation

When it comes to deaths related to house fires, statistics show that the number one cause is smoke inhalation. It has been suggested that between 50 and 80 percent of deaths are from smoke inhalation rather than burns. Smoke inhalation occurs when individuals breath in the by-products of the fire. There is no way to identify the exact composition of this substance as every fire is different, but it is a combination of heated particles and gases. The exact components will depend on the substances which are burning and the amount of fuel and oxygen being consumed by the fire.

The reason why smoke inhalation causes so much damage to the body is that it triggers asphyxiation. Basic asphyxiation is a lack of oxygen, but smoke inhalation can also cause chemical asphyxiation, chemical irritation, or in many cases a mixture of all of them. In the case of basic asphyxiation, often the fire simply burns up all of the oxygen leaving none for the individual to breathe. Fires can also produce chemical compounds which can damage our ability to use oxygen on a cellular level. Some of the compounds produced are carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common cause of death in cases of smoke inhalation. Irritant compounds are also formed during combustion and cause injury on contact with the skin or membranes. These compounds, which include sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride and chlorine, can damage the respiratory tract causing swelling, airway collapse and other breathing difficulties when inhaled.

If you are involved in a fire, it is essential to be checked over by a medical professional even if you do not feel unwell. Some symptoms of smoke inhalation do not appear straight away. The symptoms include, but are not limited to, a cough, difficulties breathing, hoarseness, headaches, discoloration of the skin and sudden changes in mental health.