Sisterhood Home Interior & Design

Posts Tagged ‘WHO’

Tips For Finding and Hiring the Perfect Contractor.

Finding and hiring a contractor that you trust can be a daunting task, here are a few tips to help ease the process.

With the advancement of the web in the last 10 years and such social media applications such as Face book, Twitter and You tube. We have almost an unlimited access to information. With that said, it’s becoming much easier to find the services we’re searching for and eliminate the good from the bad.Here’s a list of sources to help find quality contractors, remember not all of them are professionals but we’ll go over the screening process in a moment.

1. The Internet
Google, Yahoo, Ask.com or any other popular search engine will work. If you type the specific type of contractor you’re looking for, followed by your region you will find a list of contractors who provide that service. I.e. “Siding Contractors Halifax Nova Scotia.” Try to be direct and use short, to the point words or phrases for best results.

Online classified ad sites, such as Craigslist or Kijiji. These sites are often gold mines, you must use your better judgment here and sift through the ads a little more carefully, as these sites are usually free and don’t require any special qualifications to place an ad. The upside is that often you’ll find a company who is new in business who will offer great, sometimes better service then most and for a cheaper price. Make sure you background check thoroughly when looking on free classified ad sites.

Your local phone directories will most likely have an online site you can search as well, Yellow pages and Canada 411 for most of us in Canada.

2. Phone Directory
Yes, underneath that inch of dust is a book. Yes, they still exist. That book is most likely the Yellow Pages and it is chock full of ads for local businesses. Quite a few pages are dedicated to local contractors, there’s an abundance of us, but that’s an entire different story.The Yellow Pages have gone through a few changes and one of those changes is that they now present you with the largest ads first, instead of alphabetically. There are many different opinions on this method of advertisement and how to choose a company from the Yellow Pages. Don’t always assume companies with larger ads will charge more or companies with smaller ads are not as good. Some companies with large ads will go into debt paying massive fees for those large ads and may be on the brink of a financial crisis, whereas a company with smaller or less advertisement has funds freed up to support other areas of their business, customer service for example. Again, it boils down to doing your homework carefully and selecting a contractor who’s qualified, can fit your needs and has a good reputation.

3. Friends/Family/Neighbors
“Hey Joe, hey Sue, know where I can get my roof serviced?” “Yeah, call (Company name). They did ours and we’re very pleased”

Word of mouth referrals is where most of our business comes from, and what better way to find a contractor then through a referral from someone you trust?. I advise you still go through the screening process because what works for some may not work for others.

Decorating a window, let alone a whole home, can often be a daunting task for many people. When faced with the enormous selection of materials, colors, products and styles, it may cause anxiety and confusion when trying to determine the best aesthetic and functional solution for a project. Initially, one should determine what a window treatment needs to do for the room. Usually, the basic functional requirements are one, or all, of the following: privacy, light/glare control, heat/draft insulation and sun damage protection.

Of course, there are applications where the aesthetic beauty of a window treatment is the primary consideration for the homeowner and functionality takes a back seat. It is important to note however, that direct sunlight will cause significant damage to upholstery, carpeting, hardwood and artwork over prolonged exposure. Sun fade and rot are two very important considerations when choosing the appropriate window treatment, even if privacy and increased insulation are not.

The next step is to determine the overall style you are looking for. There are many beautiful blind solutions available today that offer the customer an ‘all in one product’ answer. The term hard window covering is often used to group blinds under one heading, however there are several styles of blinds that look and feel like soft flowing sheer and drapery. If a more formal, elegant, or traditional window treatment is preferred a layered, more elaborate, design may be the best alternative.

With this approach you can combine the cost effective functionality of a privacy blind to the soft flowing fullness of a sheer or embroidered organza along with a drapery over treatment, such as side panels or valance. Current trends, with regard to drapery fabrics, are focused on lined side panels hung on decorative hardware. This design provides a single layer solution for north facing windows, however if direct sunlight is a concern one should always add a blind or sheer to filter the damaging UV rays of the sun. Without a sun filtering layer the room would be darkened and closed off when the drapery is drawn. A layered treatment provides not only the necessary sun control, but also allows the homeowner to maintain their view while allowing natural light into the room.

If, you have any decorating questions, or are looking for design ideas, I’d be more than happy to answer your emails in future additions of ‘The Connection’. Or simply stop by our showroom and view a comprehensive selection of fabrics and blinds.

Great tips for buying any kind of household appliance online are essential and while they might have been covered in the past, it can always be covered again. Making big purchases online is becoming more and more common, but it can really be a bit tricky if you’re new to the process. Here are some really great tips that will help you to make the right choice the first time:

- Know what you’re looking for. When you have a good idea as to what type of household appliance you’re seeking, you will be able to narrow down your search and get the products you really need. Be sure to take measurements and have a good idea of how you want your new appliance to look so that you can choose from products that exactly meet your needs.

- Consider the retailer. You’re going to want to choose an online retailer who not only sells top of the line household appliances, but also carries the really great mid-range appliances. This will help you to feel confident that you are ordering from a reputable source. Don’t go for “off brands” when it comes to your appliances or you might find out that you’re buying a new one in a year or two. When it comes to the retailer, look for great prices, but nothing so low that it feels too good to be true. You should also consider factors such as warranty, installation, and delivery as well as customer service.

- Read the product reviews. Much of the time, when you order an appliance online, you are pretty much doing so without having the benefit of physical shopping. This can save time and energy, but if you don’t make sure to read the product reviews that have been written by others who actually made the purchase, you could wind up spending lots of money on a product that really isn’t so great. Product reviews are one of the best ways to determine which appliances are going to be a good fit for you, as well as for you to find out the quality of the household appliance before you get it in your home.

- Is the online retailer recommended? Where did you hear about them? A good online retailer will work a lot like a physical retailer and will do advertising that doesn’t involve your online search, so the more you hear about it, the more reputable it likely is.

Buying household appliances online can be fun and convenient, but it’s important to choose the right retailer to ensure you get just what you need and just the way you want it.

With rising electricity prices, rolling blackouts, and decreasing supplies of fossil fuels, many people are turning to solar technology. This informative article is here to help you figure out if moving to solar power is a good choice in your case. It will do so by giving a good account of both the advantages and disadvantages of solar power, paying special attention to functionality, price, environmental impact, and energy independence.

Functionality

The most apparent disadvantage of solar energy regarding functionality is the fact that the sun only shines for half of each day. It can also be partly blocked by clouds. This means that during the night, when we need to turn on the lights, our solar panels can’t create any electricity. Needless to say, you can easily overcome this problem simply by adding a battery bank that gets charged up in the daytime and drawn down during the night.

The key advantage of solar power, when it comes to usability, is that it utilizes a power supply, the sun, that is never going to be depleted. Fossil fuels, eventually, are going to go dry. Nobody disputes that basic fact. The sun, on the other hand, well, if the sun goes out we are in big trouble.

Price

The rising cost of fossil fuels is what pushes most people to solar energy. We have to be truthful, though. While it’s a fact that the sun’s energy is completely free, there are expenses associated with getting it and turning it into electrical power that can be used to power our households. The big drawback of solar technology, with regards to price, is the up front expenditure for solar panel systems and their installation. A top-notch, professional solar installment can cost as much as $20,000, a serious disadvantage indeed. Can anything be done about these costs?

Yes, you can reduce the costs of a solar setup in a couple of ways. One, should you be a handy DIY kind of person, you can construct top quality solar panels on your own, which will lower your costs dramatically. Second, you can apply for state and federal grants that subsidize the cost of a professional installation. The value of such grants is very high, depending on which state you live in.

The major advantage of solar energy, when it comes to expense, is that after your solar panels are set up, you will never have to pay for power again, and, over time, this will more than make up for the upfront price tag of your solar panel installation.

Environmental Impact

Consumers typically think that there are no harmful environmental effects connected to solar power. There exists one problem with solar energy in this regard, however–batteries. We have to use batteries to store our energy, and these batteries don’t last forever. And when these batteries are not appropriately disposed of, their harsh chemicals can harm the planet.

The generation of electrical energy with solar technology results in zero harm to the environment. There is no smoke, no toxic waste material, no carbon output–nothing. Making electricity with power from the sun is clean and green, and that is, perhaps, the greatest overall advantage of solar energy.

Energy Independence

Having energy independence is one more thing that individuals believe is without disadvantages. What about if you suffer from a power failure, though? What happens if poor weather knocks out your solar power system? Can you fix it on your own? If not, you will definitely have to find another person who can, which is not always easy. Compare that to being on the grid–power providers always keep teams of full-time, qualified professionals to make certain you get uninterrupted power.

Needless to say, when on the grid, you are at the mercy of the power provider, which is not always pleasant. They can, and do, raise and lower prices and shut down power entirely whenever there are power shortages. Being energy independent ensures that you are just like the name suggests–independent. You manage your own personal circumstances regarding energy usage, and that can be a very liberating feeling.

Is solar energy right for you? Well, that most likely depends on whether or not you can conquer the biggest drawback of solar power–the initial expenditure of a solar set up. If you’re able to do it yourself, or if you happen to have a home in a state that has significant incentives, solar technology is probably right for you.

Daikin Flash Streamer technology incorporated in the new air purifiers can eliminate influenza virus from the environment in just 3 hours. This technology acts breaking the surface of the virus causing bird flu and lose its effectiveness.

The new line of purifiers have a filter that purifies the air in 7 stages:

1. Prefilter with catechin, which retains the dust particles and pet hair.
2. Then a bio-filter that captures antibodies and removes viruses produced in the air.
3. A plasma ionizer where dust particles are positively charged to high voltage.
4. Flash Streamer generated electrons moving at high speed to break down resistant particles (odors, formaldehyde)
5. Electrostatic filter: A filter that attracts negatively charged microscopic particles of dust (magnet effect).
6. Photocatalytic filter: causes a strong oxidation that breaks down bacteria and neutralizes the virus.
7. Finally, a titanium apatite catalyst that absorbs and destroys odors.

The new proposed air purifiers Daikin:

- Moisturizes the environment
- It purifies and cleanses the air of our home
- Prevents and soothes the effects of allergy
- Reduce the risk of spreading disease

The results have been endorsed by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), a laboratory designated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

An appliance that is worth acquiring for their usefulness.