Choosing the Best Flat Roof Windows

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

A flat roof window can add a great decorative touch to your home. There are many styles to choose from and there are a variety of types that you can install. The best flat roof windows can make your home brighter and cozier. These windows add a touch of glamour to your home without being too expensive. If you are remodeling your home, now is a great time to add a flat roof window.

Bubbles and Domes

These windows are manufactured to be readily integrated into your flat roof. They are made into a dome shape with a waterproof membrane that is sealed around the edges to prevent water from leaking through. A sealant is then applied so that the dome is sealed onto the roof. This is a great addition to a home because it looks stately and elegant.

Raised Skylight

These are rectangular structures that differ from ordinary skylights because they are raised from the roof. They are also made with a waterproof membrane that locks into place to prevent water from seeping through. These rectangular skylights allow light to pass through and are a great addition to your flat roof. However, you have to consider your roof size, because if your roof size is too small, then these additions will not work.

Clerestory

A clerestory is essentially a part of the roof that is raised but blends into the rest of the roof. They were popular in the olden days when there was no electricity because they allow light to pass through. They have opaque sides and glass tops. However, they are gaining popularity again due to concerns over energy usage.

Have You Decided Yet?

If you have decided on your perfect flat roof window, and you need a professional roofer to help you build it, contact TalkLocal today, and let us help you find a roofer near you!

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How to Maintain Snow Tire Pressure

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Why Higher Snow Tire Pressure is Better

Car manufacturers typically recommend that car owners maintain 3-5 psi higher pressure for their winter tires than their all-season tires. The reason for this is that winter tires have more aggressive tread designs than normal tires. This means that these tread designs are less responsive to drivers on roads than regular tires. The higher inflation pressure means more stability while driving, making it safer on the road.

Snow tires are necessary for the winter months because they have more traction, and the higher pressures are also necessary. Snow tire pressure, thus, should also be maintained at a higher level.

Maintaining the Pressure

However, even if the manufacturer recommends a higher maintained pressure, a pressure that is too high will be unsafe and will reduce traction. Here, we will show you how to reduce the pressure if it gets too high. The pressure itself will drop by 1 psi for every 50ᵒF drop in temperature.

1. Unscrew the valve cap. Let the air out by pushing the little rod in the valve cap of the tire. Do this little by little so that you don’t let too much air out.

2. Use the tire gauge to check the amount of air you let out using the tire gauge. Check the psi carefully so you can be sure that you are not deflating your tire. This very, very important.

3. Check the recommended PSI reading. Let the air out until you reach your manufacturer’s recommended psi reading. Repeat this process for each of your tires. Each tire should have the exact same reading or else you will have uneven tires and uneven driving.

4. Check your tires at least once a month.Your tires will deflate themselves, so make sure to inflate them periodically. Under-inflated tires will increase your chances of an accident and will cause your car to overheat.

Need Expert Advice?

Contact TalkLocal today to be connected with the right professionals near you!

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Common Burn Laws

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

While the practice of burning garbage has been around for centuries, city ordinances have rigid laws that prevent residents from burning their garbage. Common burn laws exist in almost all states, with a few exceptions.

Health Risks When Using Trash Burning Barrels

Burning garbage creates dioxins, which are harmful when inhaled. It’s better to dispose of your garbage the proper way by having it picked up and incinerated by professionals. While the cost of removing your own garbage may be higher, the health risks are less.

In fact, burning 10 pounds of trash in a burn barrel produces as much in toxic chemicals as burning 400,000 pounds of trash in an incinerator. Common burn laws are put into place for this very reason; open burning of garbage is harmful to the environment and to human health. It’s also recommended that you compost your organic waste in your garden to turn it into fertilizer instead of burning it.

When are Trash Burning Barrels Legal?

There are a few situations where burning is legal, such as when you are burning for campfires. These campfires should be no more than 3 feet in diameter by 4 feet in height. Small cooking fires are allowed, provided that you only use dry and unpainted wood as fuel.

Barbeque grills and grills burning charcoal are allowed to be used whenever there is an event. Also, agricultural burning may be carried out on farms with an area of more than than 5 acres.

Finally, common burn laws often allow the burning of tree branches. This is usually subject to restrictions on the length and diameter of the branches to be burned. Even so, there are probably better alternatives to burning, even for getting rid of those old fallen tree branches in your yard.

Need Help with Garbage Disposal?

TalkLocal can connect you with garbage disposal experts near your area within minutes! Call us today and let us help you find an expert!

Tags: burn laws
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Vinyl Windows Installation

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

A low-maintenance, energy-efficient vinyl windows installation is always an excellent idea, especially if you want to improve the curb appeal of your house and benefit from energy savings at the same time. You could choose to conduct this relatively simple home improvement on your own, or with help from a team of window replacement experts operating in your area.

Why Should I Install Vinyl Windows?

Vinyl windows are durable, versatile, incredibly resistant, low-maintenance, and among the most energy-efficient windows on the market. They also block up to 85% of UV rays. Most of these products come with a lifetime warranty and are available in a range of styles and colors; so you shouldn’t have a hard time trying to identify the right windows for your home. Moreover, vinyl windows do not rot, peel, crack, splinter, or split; they display a solid construction and represent a smart investment in the long term.

Should I Opt for Professional Services or for a DIY Project?

A DIY project can cost you up to $500. You’ll need a hammer, a utility knife, pliers, a paint scraper, a caulk gun, safety glasses, gloves, a screwdriver, and a drill bit. Measure the window opening more than once to make sure you install the right size vinyl window. Would you prefer to avoid this hassle?

By utilizing professional services, you have the certainty that each installation is conducted by experienced installers who offer you aesthetically pleasing results and an extended workmanship warranty.

How Much Should I Pay for a Professional Vinyl Windows Installation?

In theory, you could save some money by opting for a DIY approach. However, window replacement requires special tools and skills and a considerable amount of time. Specialists can complete this assignment in a matter of a few hours, to your complete satisfaction. If you’re going for a whole-house window installation project, be prepared to invest at least $10,000.

Need New Windows?

If you want to make the most of professional, cost and time-effective vinyl windows installation, take the easy way out and contact a window replacement specialist operating in your area. Choose the best one after consulting TalkLocal, your direct connection to the right professionals, right now.

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Choosing Portable Gas Heating

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Keeping your home warm and cozy is a must, especially during the winter months. Portable gas heating is a flexible and economical way to do this. There are many things to take into consideration when choosing portable gas heating for your home. However, portable gas heaters are certainly cheaper than oil furnaces, for example, and can be bought directly from a store.

Portable Gas Heater Types

Radiant heaters are the typical gas heaters that most people know. These heaters use fuel to heat ceramic tiles, which spread heat in a room. Radiant gas heaters are readily available at hardware shops and are cheaper than most other portable gas heaters.

Convection heaters are more expensive than radiant heaters but they are safer to use around children and pets. These heaters use a mechanism to spread heat evenly all throughout a room. With this type of heater, there is no direct contact with a naked flame and they spread heat more evenly. They are cheaper than gas furnaces, which tend to supply heat to just one spot in the room.

Radiant/Convection heaters, as their name suggests, combine the benefits of both radiant and convection heaters. These gas heaters provide the maximum amount of heat in a limited area.

Choosing a Portable Gas Heater

If you only need to concentrate heat in a small area of a room, a radiant gas heater should do the trick at the most affordable price. If you need to heat a bigger area, though, you may want to consider convection or radiant/convection heaters. With convection and radiant/convection heaters, you have to take into account the size of your room as well as the ceiling height. The bigger the room and the higher the ceiling, the higher the megajoule rating your heater will require.

Still Need Help?

Contact TalkLocal today and we can connect you to a professional to help you find the perfect portable gas heating system for your home!

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“Oh Sh!t” Moments Where Seva Call Can Help — Halloween Edition!

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Written by Steven D’Adamo

It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, so I decided to come back with a Halloween edition of “Oh Sh!t” moments. Halloween can be a fun-filled night of childish mischief, hilarious costumes, and chocolate overdose. However, every year, some people invariably take the mischief part a little too far, leaving the rest of us to clean up the mess come November 1st.

Here are some not-so-fun tricks you may be left dealing with the day after Halloween. And yes, Seva Call can help you out, even with these pranks.

Photo courtesy of SF Weekly: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/toilet-paper-house-and-trees.jpg

Your Yard is Covered in Toilet Paper

Isn’t it such a nice surprise to wake up in the morning to a fresh snow softly blanketing the world outside your window? Wait, no, that’s not snow. Your entire yard is covered in toilet paper, and it could take you over an hour to clean up by yourself. Why not just connect with a professional cleaning service? TP disaster clean-up may not be specifically listed in their M.O., but we can help you find someone willing to take on the clean-up while you get ready for your day.

Someone Decided to go ‘Smashing Pumpkins’ On Your Decorations

And now your front porch has a nice coating of pumpkin innards, fake spider webs, and broken plastic ghosts scattered across it. At this point, it’s probably not worth salvaging the damaged decorations, so you might as well throw them out. Then contact a garbage removal service to pick them up for you.

Some Audacious Kids Pranked Your Car

You need to get into work, but a few layers of plastic wrap or duct tape are keep you out of your car! This prank is funny when it’s done to some hapless college kid at a party; not so much when the neighborhood ghouls just want to make your life a little harder. You could spend the time unwrapping your ‘present’, or you could just call a taxi to pick you up and take you to work.

Your Kid Needs a Good Teeth Cleaning

After ingesting three pounds of processed sugar, your kid probably already has about five cavities forming, not to mention their aching tummy. Well, don’t let them stay home from school for no reason. Take them to a dentist for a satisfying “I-told-you-so” cleaning. We can help you find one without an appointment.

I certainly hope you don’t have to deal with these moments, but in case you do, Seva Call is here for you. We’ll find the right professionals for you, even for your unconventional, post-Halloween needs.

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Helping Out Tornado Alley in Oklahoma City

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Not too long ago, Oklahoma City and neighboring Moore was devastated by a terrible tornado. Unfortunately, this is neither the first nor last storm that will rack Oklahoma. Being dead center in Tornado Alley, Oklahoma City faces severe storms every spring and summer. Now Seva Call would like to do its best to help out.

Tornado Alley in Oklahoma City

Storms will cause trees to fall and damage houses and cars. Yards will be torn apart, windows broken, basements flooded, etc. When these damages occur, the first thing you’ll do (after making sure everyone is safe, of course) is go online and try to find a service professional to help clean up the mess. In fact, you’ll probably spend several hours online and on the phone trying to find the best companies in your area.

Seva Call will connect you with these companies in as little as 90 seconds. And for free, too! No more paying Angie to read customer reviews. We’ll do it for you. See how with this quick video.

Our innovative algorithm compares quality consumer metrics for hundreds of businesses in the area and will pick out the best ones for us to recommend to you. Once we’ve tracked down the best companies we will call you up and offer to put one of them directly on the phone with you. We will keep all of your contact information private and guarantee the businesses will be able to do your job at your utmost convenience.

Emergency situations demand emergency response, and Seva Call would like to join the Oklahoma City response team. What do you think, Oklahoma City?

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Snow Shoveling Alternatives

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

Clearing your driveway of snow before work can be a pain in the back. No, really — it can cause back pain and other injuries if done incorrectly or if you are predisposed to certain injuries.

Although it is an effective and reliable method of snow removal, sometimes snow shoveling is not exactly what you need to get the job done. Some of the following snow shoveling alternatives can help you clear your driveway without breaking out the shovel.

Snow Blowers

This is the most popular of the snow shoveling alternatives. A snow blower is a machine you can push over the snow drifts in your yard that then pick up the snow and throw it aside for you. Depending on the size of the snow pile and the area you need cleared, there are different types of snow blowers available for you to pick from.

If you are planning to use a snow blower over an area with gravel or rock under the snow, you can still do so. Just be sure to set your blower about an inch above the ground so it throws the snow and not rocks or gravel as well. That can be dangerous.

Snow Plows

Attaching a snow plow to your vehicle can help you clear your driveway and surrounding areas of snow rather quickly and easily. The initial attachment process might be tough, but some quick assistance from a professional can fix that. Then you will be on your way to clearing not only your own home, but also easily helping others when you can.

Brooms

Believe it or not, if the snow is light and fluffy, a broom can be considered one of the few creative snow shoveling alternatives. When the snow is light and fluffy, using a wide broom or even just a kitchen broom to sweep it away is quiet effective. Just be sure to dry it off before you try to sweep the living room.

Letting The Pros Handle It

These, and other snow shoveling alternatives, can help you avoid trying to lift the snow with your own brute strength. If you do need assistance with any aspect of snow shoveling or removal, TalkLocal can help. Through a simple search on our website, you can be connected with companies and professionals equipped to help.

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BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

What is it?

BSOD (blue screen of death) is an error screen that pops up in computers using Windows OS when a critical error occurs. They appear when some underlying problem causes the system to crash. The software issues that cause blue screen errors usually relate to hardware problems in the operating system. The term is named after the color of the screen when the error is generated. BSOD is also officially known as a “stop error”.

What does it do?

The biggest problem faced by users during a BSOD error is loss of data. All unsaved data is lost when a BSOD error occurs. Even if the program auto saves data, sometimes only partial data recovery is possible. These errors also affect the computer’s overall performance and cause lags in loading time, start up, and shut down.

Why did it show up?

– If any of the computer’s drivers are corrupt or out of date and are asked to perform a particular task, they will cause critical errors, which in turn cause BSOD.

– Registries are sets of instructions sent between programs and applications on the computer. If these are corrupted or deleted, it can cause BSOD.

– If the RAM is corrupted, it will lose information stored on it. If windows tries to access this lost information, it can result in BSOD.

How do I fix it?

When the BSOD appears, users can be in 2 situations :

1. If Windows can be started:

– Undo recent changes using System Restore.

– Use the Action Center to check for solutions to problems.

– Check Windows Update for software updates.

– Search for drivers on the manufacturer’s website.

– Use safe mode to troubleshoot problems.

– Check your computer for hard disk and memory errors.

2. If Windows cannot be started at all:

– Try to start Windows in Safe Mode.

– Use Startup Repair to fix Windows startup files.

– Undo recent changes using System Restore.

– Restore your computer using a system image backup.

– Reinstall Windows 7.

Need More Help with BSOD?

Use TalkLocal to be connected with up to three computer repair technicians in your area in just minutes. We will find the right professional to help you and send them your way, for free! Use Talk Local Today.

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Home Security Plan Development Guide

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

Living in a safe neighborhood doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be a victim of crime. Even safe neighborhoods are not entirely free of crime. That’s why a home security plan is important to keep you and your family safe, wherever you live. High-quality locks and keys should be a part of your home security plan.

Those are givens, but what else? Here we will tackle the task of making your home safer.

1. Fix a Budget

A good home security plan will probably include new purchases and upgrades that will cost you some money. You need to create a sensible budget for your expenses, even if you are planning the most basic home security measures.

2. Check Your Doors and Windows

Make sure that the hinges on your doors and windows are not broken and are secure. Make sure they are kept locked and are made of high-quality, sturdy material. Additionally, you should install strike plates correctly. Consider installing a deadbolt on your door.

3. Look at the Fences or Gates

If there are holes in your fences and gates, have them repaired. If you don’t have fences or gates, put some in place. These structures will deter animals and criminals from entering your property and will help to keep you safe. Gates and fences also offer you some privacy.

4. Decide upon Security Devices

Look at what you currently have and determine if you need more. Many people install alarms and sensors on their properties. Law enforcement agencies always recommend installation of home security systems for your protection and peace of mind.

5. Illuminate Your Home

Strategic lighting is known to deter criminals from your property because it indicates that people are awake inside. Consider putting lighting in your yard and keeping some lights on inside your home at night.

Help is on the Way

TalkLocal can help you find professionals to assist you in developing a home security plan. Give us a call today!

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