Organics to Ceramics – How to Choose the Best Brake Pad Material for Your Car

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

When it comes time to replace your brake pads, you will find that you have an almost limitless variety to choose from, and the sheer amount of options can be frankly overwhelming. However, the truth is that despite the innumerable brand options you have, there really are only four types of brake pads on the market, each categorized on the basis of the brake pad material. If you’re looking for the best brake pad material for your vehicle, this is where you need to start.

1. Organic Pads

As the name suggests, this brake pad material is purely organic and includes no metal or asbestos components. Generally considered to be low quality, organic pads do offer the benefit of being relatively noiseless and softer on the application. However, this is not the best brake pad material, as it is not very resistant and wears down very quickly. While these are the cheapest option available, there is always the downside of having to frequently replace your brake pads. The bottom line, then, is that these pads are recommended only if you cannot afford anything better, or if you do not plan on driving the car very much at all.

2. Low Metallic Pads

This brake pad material is similar to organic pads in that the primary components are organic materials such as Kevlar and carbon. However, they are a step up from organic pads because they incorporate small amounts of metals such as copper in order to increase the brake pad resistance. These types of brake pads work well, but due to their primarily organic make-up, they wear down quickly, albeit not as quickly as pure organic pads. They are also rather loud, so if that is a consideration for you, it might be best to avoid them.

3. Semi-Metallic Pads

This type of brake pad material is, as the name implies, made up primarily of metallic elements, such as steel. While they do offer a strong, dependable braking action, they are nonetheless excessively noisy, and the metal components place more pressure on the rotor. However, this is generally one of the best brake pad materials available, especially because it has a slow wear rate, allowing you to get the most from your brake pads.

4. Ceramic Pads

This is generally considered to be the best brake pad material available, and as such, the cost of ceramic pads is typically higher as well. However, ceramic pads have a lot of advantages that more than make up for the high price tag. To begin with, they are quiet and operate evenly, allowing for a smooth feel and easy brake action as opposed to a bumpy, lumbering stop. They also have the slowest wear rate of any brake pad material, meaning that you get your money’s worth with these pads. The only caveat with ceramic pads is that they do not work as well at high temperatures, so if you are planning on racing your car, you might want to look into another type of brake pad material.

Find Professional Advice

Even with a thorough understanding of brake pads and the materials you have to choose from, there are still a lot of brands and options to sift through. The best way to whittle down the choices is to ask a professional mechanic. TalkLocal can help you find a local mechanic in your area within minutes with our free service. Don’t wait – we will connect you with the right professional in just minutes.

Posted in Auto Repair | No Comments »

How to Use Pre-Emergent Herbicide

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Weeds are like spam; you don’t want them, but they keep invading your lawn or yard. For a garden they’re even worse, as they can undermine your landscaping efforts and design. But you can avoid this constant headache if you act on it early on.

What should you do?

Because prevention is better than cure, you can stop the weeds from overtaking your lawn, yard, or garden by learning how to use pre-emergent herbicide. This way, you will recover your neat and green turf.

How Does It Work?

When you use pre-emergent herbicide, the purpose is to prevent weed seeds or seedlings from germinating. After application, the herbicide creates a barrier that doesn’t allow the weed to grow. The key is to do this early in spring, a few weeks before sowing any plant seeds.

Weed Control Basics

Pre-emergent herbicide works if it is applied at the right time. When you choose your herbicide, don’t forget to read the instructions on the label carefully to make sure that you choose the right one for the weeds in your yard. To be effective, pre-emergent herbicide needs to be applied before the emergence of weeds, generally early in spring and fall. However, it is advisable to take into account the climate, which can vary from one region to another and from year to year.

The temperature of the soil determines germination; so when you decide to use pre-emergent herbicide, pay attention to this aspect as well. The weather has a say in this, too. Excessive rain or lack of it can neutralize the effect of herbicide, and weeds will start germinating. That is why you might need to apply pre-emergent herbicide repeatedly.

Click for help

TalkLocal can help you find immediate help should you need a qualified professional to assist you with your landscaping projects or lawn care. A few clicks can get you what you need, on your terms, for free.

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How To Remove Black Ice

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Black ice is one of the most dangerous features of winter. It may appear difficult to remove since it is almost invisible, but it is safer to melt it than to allow it to continue going unnoticed. Keep reading to learn how to remove black ice.

What is Black Ice?

Black ice is not black. It is a very thin, transparent layer of ice that forms on roads. It is one of the leading causes of car accidents, since drivers usually cannot see it. When any moisture comes in contact with the freezing pavement, it freezes almost instantly, forming the black ice. Black ice is commonly found on bridges or in shaded areas. It generally forms early in the morning, before the roads have had time to heat up or late at night when the sun is down.

How to Remove Black Ice

1. Ice melting products containing calcium chloride mixed with some grit, such as gravel, rock salt, and sand, are great for melting black ice while providing traction. Sweep away excess grit to spread it out and to ensure that no one will slip on the accumulation.

2. A thin coat of sand can also provide enough traction for pedestrians and vehicles. The black ice will eventually melt away.

These products can be found at your local hardware store. It is easiest to do this on your driveway or steps. Do not assume that all roads will have these precautions in place, especially early in the morning before the sand trucks are out.

Call in the Professionals

If you have too much black ice to remove, TalkLocal can help connect you with quality local snow and ice removal companies. Simply provide us with a brief description of what you need, your location, and your availability. You can expect a call within minutes from a company that wants to help you.

Posted in Snow Removal | No Comments »

How to Cure Kennel Cough in 3 Simple Steps

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Kennel cough is a common, incredibly contagious upper respiratory infection affecting dogs. It should be treated fast and effectively with help from a competent veterinarian to avoid further health risks. A persistent cough associated with a runny nose, frequent sneezing, a sudden lack of energy, and a suppressed appetite can indicate that your canine companion is suffering from this particular respiratory problem. Here are a few steps that you should follow in order to cure kennel cough in dogs and witness a fast, trouble-free recovery.

1. Spot and analyze all of the symptoms, to identify the nature of your dog’s problem

Is your dog coughing and sneezing all the time? Do you think it is apathetic and less interested in food and tasty snacks? All of these signs could point in the same direction, suggesting that your puppy is affected by this common canine respiratory infection. When in doubt, eliminate all other options.

For instance, your dog might have an object (a stick or a bone fragment, for instance) stuck in its throat, which would obviously stop it from breathing normally. Open its mouth and take a look down its esophagus. If you don’t want to handle this matter on your own, it is advisable to call your trusted veterinarian as soon as you can.

2. Take your dog to the vet

In some cases, dog owners delay the treatment, thinking that kennel cough symptoms will actually vanish into thin air after a short period of time. In fact, kennel cough is not a problem that should be taken lightly, as it could generate several unwanted complications, including pneumonia. This is why it is extremely important to follow a suitable treatment plan based on effective antibiotics like Azithromycin, recommended by a competent veterinarian who can cure kennel cough once and for all.

3. Favor a fast recovery

There are several tips, approved by your trusted vet, that you can start applying in order to witness favorable results in quick time. You can strengthen your dog’s immune system by offering it vitamin C tablets or powder dissolved in water or canine whole food supplements. You can also take your puppy inside the bathroom while you’re getting ready to enjoy a hot bath. Steam inhalation has numerous verified therapeutic benefits and can calm your dog’s cough naturally.

Find A Vet

Follow all of these simple steps to cure kennel cough fast and effectively. Rely on TalkLocal to find the best veterinarians operating in your area. We will connect you with the professionals who could help you protect the health of your dogs.

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The Cost of a Dehumidifier

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Homes that are equipped with dehumidifiers are healthier than those without. Dehumidifiers typically remove humidity from the air, rendering the atmosphere easier to breathe in.

What to Look for

Wiser shopping can bring down the cost of a dehumidifier. The price tag is not the only thing that you should look at. The energy factor (EF) is the number of liters of water removed from the air for each kilowatt-hour. Remember that, usually, the higher EF will cost you less to operate but may cost more to buy. This will bring down your electric bill. Additionally, units with high EF values emit less heat than units with lower values.

Hot Stuff

Excess heat from dehumidifiers can be undesirable in the summer or in warm places in your house. The cost of a dehumidifier is a mixture of the cost of the unit itself and the cost of operating it. For this reason, it is important for you to look at the energy factor of the unit as well as the price.

Think of it This Way

It’s the same as looking at the cost of a new washing machine. The washing machine’s initial costs should be weighed against its operating costs. You also need to consider how much the repair of the appliance will cost. Some brands of dehumidifiers, for example, have spare parts that are more expensive than the rest. It is important to consider this, and other costs, when selecting a dehumidifier.

Need HVAC Advice?

Contact TalkLocal today if you find yourself unable to cope with your dilemmas about dehumidifiers. We will connect you to the right professionals in your area. We will always be available for support, and we will make sure that you stay well informed. Give us a call today and see how we can help you!

Posted in Heating and Cooling | No Comments »

Spider Website: How to Design a Web Page That Captures Consumers

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Written by Talk Local Co-Founder, Manpreet Singh

If you’re a business owner with arachnophobia, then congratulations. You’re smart enough to appreciate the formidability of one of nature’s greatest predators. Hopefully, these web design tips will turn fear into inspiration.

Every business owner should learn from this tiny predator, because, although quality service enriches rather than ends lives, effective marketing still requires predatory thinking.

A spider web, in particular, is an especially brilliant model for corporate websites. Whereas outbound marketing relies, like most predators, on hunting/chasing, a spider’s success literally (and figuratively) hangs on brilliant web design.

Websites, like spider webs, need to be expansive, well-connected, strong, and sticky enough to capture and convert visitors into consumers. I’ll explain.

Expansiveness – Size matters in the spider world. The bigger the web, the more insects get ensnared by it. The rule applies to websites too. But, although the largest spider web is recorded at 82 feet, websites don’t need size in feet or even gigabytes.

What matters is big online presence. Data-heavy design features (ie Flash, JavaScript) are invisible to search engines, thereby diminishing visibility. So, how can people reach your website?

A well-designed website is pointless if it’s scope is too narrow to reach consumers.

Connectedness – It’s impossible to build a web without building connections, but sometimes spiders foolishly connect to the wrong things.

In such cases, webs make contact with the wrong things. A web upon a car wheel will encounter a winding country road rather than tastey insects. Likewise, business owners will reach websurfers from half a world away rather than their intended market.

To connect to the right locations and the right industry to reach the right markets, the website should list your services and communities in your service area.

Another important aspect of connectedness: the website must connect consumers to you and your business. Contact information should be visible. Otherwise it’s like building a web and severing the very thread that allows you to reach what you’ve captured.

Strength – A spider’s silk is one of the toughest biological materials found in nature. It has to stand up to wind, rain, and hits from prey. A website, too, needs to be strong. Some of the common weaknesses of small business websites are…

In general, make sure your website is strong enough to do its job on a variety of platforms and for a variety of people with various tech skill levels.

Stickiness – A spider can’t be all over their web at once, pouncing as soon as something hits. That’s why they ensure that their captures stick. Engaging and memorable content that keeps consumers on the site increases the likelihood that they will connect with you for a purchase.

For even longer lasting stickiness, include an Opt-In so that consumers can request more information, receive newsletters, and learn about promotions. Of course, an opt-out option is equally important. So, make sure your web is as “Terrific” and “Radiant” as Charlotte’s web so that consumers voluntarily come back for more since you can’t tie them up like real spiders can. That means combining form and function- just like Charlotte does on her informative, beautiful, and memorable webs!

So, when designing your company website, remember that you are like a spider laying in wait for your prey. Draw inspiration from the expansiveness, connectedness, strength, and stickiness of a well-designed web when designing your website and watch your marketing efforts stick.

Need more tips? Click here.

Posted in Small Business Advice | No Comments »

Chromebook Microsoft Word Issues

Monday, August 12th, 2013

If you are in business for yourself or currently enrolled in college, then chances are, you probably use Microsoft Word. However, if you’re thinking about buying a Chromebook, then you may be wondering if you can still download and use Microsoft Word or other Office programs with it? The answer to this question is both No and Yes. Let’s explain.

If you have a Chromebook, Microsoft Word will not be as accessible as it has been for you in the past. So to answer the question, yes, you can use it to some extent, but no you cannot download it on the Chromebook. Here’s how you can get your Chromebook to work along with your Microsoft Office programs.

Use Google Docs

First and foremost, you can use Google Docs to open and edit your office documents. If you’re already using Google Docs, then this will not be such a challenge for you. However, if you’ve never or rarely used Google Docs, then you’ll need to learn more about how to do so.

Google Docs, simply put, is Google Chrome’s version of a word processor. It is 100% free and most importantly, it has the ability to read Microsoft Word documents. Which versions of Word can it read? So far, it can read them all. Unfortunately, though, it’s not always perfect. If you have any special formatting in your Word document, then the Google Docs word processor may not translate it correctly, resulting in a distorted-looking document. This does not always happen. But oftentimes, it may.

Use Office Online

With that being said, you can also create and edit Microsoft Word documents via Microsoft’s www.office.com website. They have developed an online version of their office suite so that anyone can access and edit documents directly from the Internet. Of course, nothing is perfect. This version will require an investment. And although you can easily create new documents from your office.com account, you will still need to use a virtual storage program, such as Microsoft’s SkyDrive in order to open and edit existing office documents.

So if you choose to buy a Chromebook, this is what you’ll run into with Chromebook Microsoft Word. In fact, this will be the case for all of your Microsoft Office programs. However, for every negative, there’s a positive. And the positive here is that you can, in fact, still use Microsoft Word with Chromebook. You just can’t download it onto Chromebook, and you have to take alternative measures in order to make it work for you. Can it be frustrating? Sure, it can. But is it doable for now? You bet!

Are You in Need of Further Instruction Regarding the Use of Microsoft Word with Chromebook?

Well search no further. We can help! TalkLocal will reach out to the high-quality pros you need based on their customer ratings. No need for you to keep searching and calling around. We’ll do all the legwork for you. In only a matter of minutes, we can connect you with professional help.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

Growing Vine Fruits Indoor

Monday, August 12th, 2013

Vines That Can Be Grown Indoors

Several vines can be grown indoors. It is a good idea to grow fruits fit for small gardens. Grapes are one of the vines that can be successfully cultivated indoors and outdoors. Additionally, most grape vines do better when grown under glass. Even in warmer locations, these plants do well indoors. Growing vine fruits indoor gives you a chance to appreciate them better. They make a nice background to dinner parties and add beauty to your home.

How to Grow Vine Fruits Indoors

Grapes, the greenhouse variety, should have roots planted outside the greenhouse. Then, you guide them through pruning to grow indoors. If you plant the roots indoors, you will need more irrigation. The best soil for fruit is slightly acidic. The best time to plant these vines is November and December so that pruning them won’t lead to them bleeding out. Just before the growth starts, the plants should be fed fertilizers and dried blood at a rate of 120 grams per square meter.

Just before the growing season, these vines benefit from a sprinkling of dried blood at 30 grams per square meter. The vines should be watered every 7 to 10 days. Vines with roots outside the greenhouse should be watered more frequently, as their roots tend to dry out. Watering should be more concentrated during dry seasons and dry spells.

It is a good idea to place mulch in the summer to prevent the atmosphere from getting humid. After about 3-4 years, it is also a good idea to dig a trench and place fresh soil on the roots, along with pebbles for better irrigation.

Finding Professional Help

TalkLocal can help you find great landscapers who will suit your needs. Give us a call today to be connected with the right professionals in your area.

Posted in Landscapers | No Comments »

Thermal Stone Therapy

Monday, August 12th, 2013

Most people are familiar with body massages. In fact, there are several different types of massage therapies. But not many people are familiar with hot stone massages. This sort of massage is not common practice. However, it is usually performed more for therapeutic purposes – typically to relieve pain or tension in the muscles – rather than for mere pleasure. This is called thermal stone therapy. It consists of using heated flat stones to massage the specific problem areas of the body that are causing the muscle pain and/or tension.

How Thermal Stone Therapy Works

Typically, there are five steps to performing thermal stone therapy. You will need approximately 4-8 smooth basalt flat stones, depending on which areas of the body you are trying to treat. You will also need massaging oil, a warm pot of water, some towels, and basic knowledge of acupressure points.

Step 1: Warm the Stones in Your Pot of Water

Your stones should be as warm as you or your client can bear.

Step 2: Prepare Your Client for Treatment

Place your towels on the massage table and have your client lie down. Ensure that he/she is comfortable. You will then need to oil the area of skin that you will be treating for your client. Doing so will allow the flat stones to glide more easily along his/her body during treatment.

Step 3: Carefully Place the Stones

Locate your client’s acupressure points. Once your stones have warmed to a bearable temperature, then you may begin placing them on those points. The most common areas to treat are the back, neck, legs, and arms. The heated stones placed onto the skin will aid in relaxing the muscles and releasing harmful toxins from the body. It will also aid in increasing the blood flow.

Step 4: Begin Therapy

The stones must be left in place for several minutes – or at least until your client’s body is fully relaxed. This allows the heat from the stones to be distributed throughout the body. Once the body is fully relaxed, you may remove the stones and commence with blending other specialty massages along with your therapeutic stone massage.

Step 5: Therapy Combos.

If desired, you may continue to use the warm stones to caress the muscles. You could also mix a variety of massage techniques, including the use of cold stones as well as the use of different types of stones besides the basalt stones. For example, marble stones are known for relieving pain and inflammation. Feel free to combine various techniques in order to achieve the best results for your clients.

If you would like more information on how to perform thermal stone therapy or where to have this therapy done, then please contact TalkLocal. We can connect you with a professional massage therapist in only a few minutes.

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Chapter 12 Bankruptcy Definition

Monday, August 12th, 2013

In our ongoing effort here at Talk Local to educate our readers about the various kinds of bankruptcy and exactly what they mean, today we’re going to cover the Chapter 12 bankruptcy definition. Maybe you’re here wondering if you can file for Chapter 12, or perhaps you’re just examining all your options before you make any kind of decision. Whatever the reason, we’re here to help.

Bankruptcy for Family Farms

Chapter 12 bankruptcy isn’t one of the more common chapters, and that’s for a reason – because it’s designed for a specific need. Chapter 12 is bankruptcy for the reorganization of family farms. It’s closely modeled after Chapter 13, which is bankruptcy for wage earning individuals, but it has a higher debt ceiling than Chapter 13, so it will apply to many larger farm operations.

Who Can File?

Well, ostensibly, Chapter 12 bankruptcy is only available to people who are family farmers, according to the definition in the statute, but who exactly can file? A family farmer can be an individual, partnership, or corporation, all with different rules and requirements. As an individual, the family farm debts cannot exceed $3,544, 525, and 50% of that debt must be solely tied to the farming operation. Partnerships and corporations have the same debt ceiling qualifications, with the additional conditions that 80% of corporate assets must belong to the farm, and the farm must be at least 50% owned by members of a single family.

Filing Chapter 12

In order to file for Chapter 12 bankruptcy, the farm debtor needs to file a petition with the court, along with a complete documentation of assets and financial affairs.

Do you need to speak with an attorney about filing Chapter 12 bankruptcy? If so, TalkLocal can help you find an attorney in your local area who will be happy to help you get started.

Posted in Lawyers - Bankruptcy | No Comments »

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