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Author: stephen

A Brake Transmission Repair Company Can Fix An Array Of Vehicle Issues

A Brake Transmission Repair Company Can Fix An Array Of Vehicle Issues

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How Can I Extend the Life of My Automatic Transmission?

Even though you may not be as actively shifting through gears as you would with a manual transmission, drivers with automatic transmissions need to pay attention to their transmission to ensure its longevity. One rule of thumb, according to Transmasters and A Automotive Services, is to have automatic transmission fluid changed every 15,000 miles or once a year. Here are some other tips to prolong the life of your automatic transmission:

Automatic Transmission Fluid should be changed every 15,000 miles or Once a Year

  • Transmission Filter Along with automatic transmission fluid changes, the transmission filter should be changed at the same time if the filter is easily accessible.
  • Do you do a lot of Towing or Driving through the Mountains? If so, A Automotive Services suggests having a transmission cooler installed. Towing and mountain driving puts more strain on the transmission, which causes more heat. Installing a transmission cooler can help.
  • Take it Easy when the Transmission is Cold It is OK to drive your car without taking more than 30 to 60 seconds to warm it up just be sure to take it easy the first couple of miles. It easily takes 2 to 3 miles to get your transmission up to operating temperature.
  • Come to a Complete Stop Before Changing Gears Transmasters suggests coming to a complete stop before shifting to reverse from drive or drive to reverse.

 

Transmission Maintenance tips

Automatic Transmission Maintenance

To help keep your automatic transmission working properly and dependable, we put together a list of maintenance to follow. Even if you already do a great job following recommendations for common car maintenances, you may not be familiar with the recommended maintenance for your automatic transmission. In this article, we will share a few tips on caring for your automatic transmission.

Check Transmission Fluid

Your transmission fluid is a good indication of the overall health of your transmission. Taking time to inspect your transmission fluid is well worth it. Low transmission fluid can lead to serious problems. So, be sure to be aware of leaking or low transmission fluid.

You can check your transmission fluid by removing the dipstick labeled ‘Transmission Fluid’, then reinserting to get an even more accurate reading. Examine the color of the fluid. It should be red or colored, not black. Black is an indication that the transmission fluid is burnt. The consistency should be milky, not muddy.

Transmission Flush

Just like changing transmission fluid is a must. Occasionally getting a professional flush for your transmission fluid is good maintenance too. Over time transmission fluid can build up and get old fluid gunk trapping in your transmission. A professional transmission flush helps to ensure the torque converter and cooler lines are cleaned out from the old fluid.

 

Avoid Heavy Towing

Heavy towing requires factory heavy-duty transmission parts, that includes shocks, springs, and cooling system. Heavy loads put a lot of stress on your vehicle, so if it is not made for heavy towing and can burn up your transmission fast. It is best to avoid heavy towing if your vehicle is not factory-made for heavy towing.

Cooling System Maintenance

The cooling system is vital for the health of your transmission and engine. Its main purpose is to prevent the engine from becoming too hot and to keep your transmission fluid cool. It keeps the transmission fluid at an ideal temperature when the vehicle is moving and shifting gears. To help prevent overheating, it is important to keep up with the maintenance of your cooling system.

Drive with Care

Be careful to not drive recklessly. Give your vehicle a minute or so to warm up before you drive out the parking lot or reverse from your garage. When you are quick to drive it can put unnecessary stress on your automatic transmission and engine.

The same goes for driving with your foot slightly on the brake. A small amount of pressure on your brake can strain your transmission and engine. Another helpful tip to keep your automatic transmission in good health is to bring your vehicle to a complete stop before switching from reverse to drive or from park to drive.

 

Overlooked services that can extend the life of your vehicle

Servicing your vehicle is usually the last thing on your mind. The daily grind of life tends to take all of your focus, so unless it is actively causing an issue, your vehicle’s maintenance schedule is out of sight, out of mind. The problem is that ignoring that schedule will eventually cause a failure, costing you more time and money that necessary. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

While oil changes and tire service are the most common maintenance items, list of the most overlooked services that you should keep in mind the next time you change the oil.

Power steering service

This is one of those overlooked services that rarely comes up in a situation before it is too late. Over time, the fluid in your power steering system picks up dirty and moisture, clogging the steering components, eventually causing a failure. Adding a power steering fluid additive will help maintain your system’s function, as will a periodic flushing of the system.

Wheel alignment

How your wheels are aligned not only effects how the car handles, but also the life of your tires and suspension components. The alignment can fall out of adjustment from several factors, including component wear and potholes. Hitting a curb is a sure-fire way to jar the alignment as well. When the alignment is out, the car may pull to one side or the other, steer erratically, and may even dart across the lanes with just a small move of the wheel, making driving the car a perilous adventure. Not only have that, but even a slight mis-alignment leads to uneven and premature tire worn.  An annual wheel alignment ensures that your wheels are pointed the right way.

Differential service

The differential is the component that transfers input from the transmission to the wheels. Some front wheel drive vehicles incorporate this into the transmission, but some have separate units, and all rear wheel drive vehicles have a rear differential. The rear axles an differential are housed in the rear end housing. Over time, the gear oil breaks down, reducing its viscosity and ability to properly lubricate the differential and wheel bearings. Additionally, the transfer case (for vehicles equipped with one) should be serviced at the same time as the differential. Most manufacturers have a set maintenance schedule for the differential and transfer case fluids.

 

Timing belt replacement

Not all vehicles have timing belts. DO NOT confuse this with the accessory drive belt, which drives all of the engine accessories such as the AC compressor, alternator and water pump. The timing belt connects the crankshaft to the camshaft(s). Some engines have external belts, while others use internal belts. Regardless of how they are accessed, these are incredibly important to the function of the engine. If the engine is what is known as an “interference” engine, a slipping or broken timing belt can not only keep the engine from running, but can destroy the internals of the engine itself as the valves and piston can collide. Each manufacturer has specific maintenance schedules for the timing belt, make sure you check your owner’s manual. If your odometer is showing 50-60,000 miles, you need to get your timing belt checked. This is one of the overlooked services that can really hit your wallet hard if you ignore it.

Transmission service

Leaving your transmission fluid unchecked for 100,000 miles it usually a recipe for disaster, so don’t let it go that long. Follow your manufacturer’s guidelines on transmission filter and fluid change, and be sure to check the fluid level at every oil change. Burnt or dark-colored fluid is a sign of an overheated transmission and continued use without servicing could lead to internal damage.

Modular Home Builder Lead Industry Green Building Efforts

Modular Home Builder Lead Industry Green Building Efforts

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Design Guide

What style of house are you looking for?

There are a wide range of styles available in homes, do you prefer a modern look or something more classical? Think about the materials and finishes not only on the outside but the inside of your home as well. Display homes are a great way to see how you can use these features

Take into account the amount of bedrooms and living rooms you think you will need now and in the future. Do you want a terrace for outdoor entertaining or maybe a larger kitchen because you love to cook? It is also important to take into account any landscaping features you will want in the future: barbeque areas, feature gardens, swimming pools, everything about your block is a part of your design.

Do you own any land or are you looking?

We can help you find the right block of land for you, our consultants keep up to date with the latest land releases, prices and have years of experience in finding the right land for our clients.

What is your land like?

It may be flat or have a slope, is it an irregular shape? With the right design these differences can compliment your home.

Do you have a location in mind?

Do you want to build in a new development? If so there may be encumbrances & design guidelines for that area, these are a set of rules to maintain a certain standard of design within a development and are a part of your land contract with the developer. Our consultants are experienced in knowing exactly what is needed in each development and their knowledge is helpful in knowing what is required before you start choosing designs. Our sales consultants will be able to advise you of which designs will suit certain developments, and display homes are a great way of seeing encumbrance approved plans first hand.

 

Tips to Help You Navigate the Home Building Process

“What is my budget?” “Will I have enough storage space?” These are only a few of the questions you may be asking as you begin to think about the home building process. Building a house from the ground up allows you to create the perfect space for your family’s needs—from selecting the floor plan to customizing finishes suited to your lifestyle and taste. Take into consideration these tips to help guide you through the various steps to building a house so you can create a space that is a perfect fit!

Budget for More Than You Expect

Regardless of how carefully you budget for your new construction home, there is always the chance costs may change. Whether it be an element not included in the original estimate provided by the builder or project extensions, costs can be tricky to calculate from the start. For example, your builder may not factor additions like electrical and gas meters or window coverings into an initial figure. Elements such as landscaping or fencing might also be costs not covered by the estimate. Additionally, it is wise to budget for last-minute changes like swapping out any fittings or materials that do not match your expectations. The more room you leave yourself in your budget, the better.

Choose the Right Builder

This is likely one of the most important decisions you will make during your home building process. Make sure any builders you consider are licensed and insured in the state you live in. You will also want to ensure your chosen contractor is a member of the National Association of Home Builders. Browsing a builder’s past work can help you determine whether their designs suit your style. Some home builders may specialize in constructing traditional two-story homes, for example, while others offer expertise in open-concept single-story houses. Reviews are another great resource to consider when searching for a high-quality building partner.

Understand Your Agreement

Carefully read through your builder contract to ensure you understand its contents fully. It is important to know exactly what the construction costs do and do not cover so you are not taken by surprise by any extra lines appearing on the final invoice. Additionally, check to see if the contract includes warranty and insurance information

Have Your Finances in Order

In order to start the home building process, you will need a construction home loan. This type of financing is structured so that the lender will not release all the funds at once. Instead, the lender will determine how much you need for the project and then release the funds in periodic payments, or draws, to the builder. These draws will be paid out after each stage of construction is finished.

 

Tips for Working With a Homebuilder

Many of us aspire to build custom homes. The idea of creating your own living space appeals to many people. What most people do not know is how frustrating, tedious, and time-consuming the process can be. However, there are ways to avoid most issues by working with a licensed home builder. How you communicate your desires and needs with the homebuyer will determine how much you love the final product.

Be Picky When Choosing a Builder

Before you get the ball rolling on your home building project, you need to spend time and due diligence finding the right home builder. You will be working with this person or company regularly for a significant period of time, so you want to find the right fit.

Make Construction Choices Before Breaking Ground

Once you are full-steam ahead with construction, any delays can cost significant amounts of time and money. This means you need to choose your materials, paints, appliances, finishes, textures, landscaping and other custom elements. If you have not made choices early you could also run into a situation where you cannot find the necessary materials in time.

Stay in Regular Contact With Your Builder

Communication is absolutely essential to the building process. When you regularly communicate with your builder you are tuned into the process in a way that more hands-off clients are not. If you have any questions about the process you can simply call, text or email the builder to get more information.

Be Understanding When Delays Happen

Unless you work in the construction field, you have no idea how many different things can go wrong at a job site. There are rain and bad weather delays, code enforcement issues, labor problems, vendor hassles and so many more things that can go wrong when building a home.

 

Your Building Journey

There’s something very special about building a new home. From helping you choose the perfect design through to handing over the keys to your new dream home, we’re proud to be part of the whole journey.

Steps to prepare your building site

We can’t wait to deliver your dream home. In this video we’re going to take you through the key steps needed to turn your raw block of land into a site that is ready for the build of your home to commence.

Choosing your design

After experiencing our display homes or viewing them online our Building and Design Consultants can walk you through designs that align to your lifestyle needs, block of land and budget. Should you like to modify a design they will work with you to achieve the home you desire. We’ll help you find the best home design. Once you have selected your preferred design we’ll then undertake a site inspection, complete soil tests, conduct a land survey. Once complete we’ll meet again to discuss the outcomes, present the quote, generate a Consolidated Tender and outline the next steps.

A little help from the MyChoice Experts

Once you have selected your preferred design and provided a deposit we will start to work with you to create a home that is uniquely yours. Our team of interior stylists will work with you to select your home’s colours, fixtures, features and appliances, all within a central location at one of our MyChoice Design Studios.

Building layer by layer

When all approvals are finalised and we have received Authority to Commence Construction we’ll move to the build phase. Our Construction Team will now order all materials, schedule labour and prepare your site for work to commence. During this exciting period you will see your home progress from excavation and pouring of the slab, through to seeing your home visibly take shape as the frame and roof is installed. Your Construction Supervisor will invite you to visit the site on numerous occasions throughout the build including prior to the installation of linings and the kitchen, we’ll even meet to discuss your ceramic tiling.

 

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOME ON A BUDGET

If you want to build a home on a budget, your homebuilder will be your greatest ally. Working with your goals and financial plan, a dedicated builder will develop a personalized plan to maximize your vision. If you are just starting to explore the homebuilding process, start shopping around for an experienced home builder who is committed to great communication and flexible pricing.

Find an Experienced Builder

When a tropical storm makes landfall in southwest Florida, or the summer sun beats down on your home for months on end, you’ll rest easy knowing your trusted your custom home to an experienced builder. Unlike other industries that can skate by faking expertise, for home builders, the proof of workmanship is in the product. Even before you meet with a new builder, take the time to conduct preliminary research online. Do they showcase pictures of completed projects? Are they just starting to build homes or do they have a list of satisfied customers? Most of this information will be available on their website.

Shop Around for Pricing

Since it can be difficult to gauge a competitive price, never settle with the first estimate. Multiple estimates give you a great frame of reference for negotiating the best value for your dollar. Once you gather multiple estimates, take the time to weigh the costs and benefits of each one. Although one builder may give you a better price, it may lack a make or break feature.

Communication is Key

Once you’ve shopped around for a builder, but before you sign on the dotted line, communicate all your needs and concerns with your home builder. Are there any special design features you want to include? Do you have any major pricing concerns or timelines restraining your budget? Get all of your questions answered before the build team breaks ground. If major design changes need to be made after the process begins, it will cost you time and money.

Construction Decisions Save Money

A great builder can save you money, but the price of a home is mostly determined by decisions you make during the planning process. These decisions include factors like construction materials and location. The more you know before the initial consultation, the better prepared you will be to save time and money.

You Don’t Have To Be An Expert To Choose Your Hardwood Flooring

You Don’t Have To Be An Expert To Choose Your Hardwood Flooring

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Storing Your Hardwood Flooring

For the do-it-yourself crowd, there’s a difficult balance between what you want to do, getting the materials to do it, and finding time to do the work. When you buy hardwood flooring to install later, you can store the materials indefinitely. However, without a bit of preparation you could ruin the wood before it ever leaves the box.

BUT DON’T I NEED TO ACCLIMATIZE THE WOOD?

In the past, acclimatizing your wood by leaving it for days or even weeks in its new environment was standard practice; with earlier manufacturing processes, this actually helped the wood dry out. Modern hardwood flooring is often kiln dried, however; this means that when it’s boxed it’s ready to install, and should be installed as soon as possible. Ask about the specific recommendations for your hardwood product because details can change depending on the process and type of wood. Generally speaking, if you need to store your hardwood flooring for a period of time the wood should be exposed to as little change as possible from the warehouse.

HARDWOOD FLOORING STORAGE: WHAT COULD GO WRONG

The National Wood Flooring Association recommends keeping the humidity in your home between 30 and 50 percent, and the temperature between 15C and 24C (60F and 75F). These same guidelines apply to the location where you will be storing your hardwood. Most problems that you’ll encounter with hardwood flooring are related to water. Keeping your your wood away from leaks or potential flooding is pretty straightforward, but keeping it away from humidity requires a bit more planning. Everything from poor ventilation (i.e. in a crawl space) to washing and cleaning activities can add humidity to the air or even prevent moisture from evaporating.

Going back to the old argument for acclimatizing, working with wood that’s had time to absorb extra moisture can cause a variety of problems:

The planks could become warped. Each individual piece will react to moisture independently, which could cause difficulty when it’s time to install; the wood could, for example, expand on one end but remain the same on the other.

Every piece could expand slightly. Once installed, when the seasons change and the humidity drops, each plank will shrink back; this is what causes gapping.

Other damage could occur. Staining, splitting and cracks can derail your re flooring project before you even start

ONLY UNLOAD WHEN CONDITIONS ARE GOOD

When the weather is wet due to rain or snow, or if it’s particularly humid, avoid loading or unloading hardwood flooring. As noted above, any moisture can damage wood in different ways like changing its shape or developing cracks as it dries. However, wood that actually gets wet must be allowed to thoroughly dry out or it could also develop mold or mildew. If you manage to avoid damaging the wood outright, drying wet hardwood is a slow process that can take weeks.

 

Everything You Need to Know About Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are one of the most popular flooring choices because of their durability and timelessness. Not only do they look great, but who doesn’t love sliding across a polished hardwood floor in their socks from time to time? Hardwood floors can make a house feel like home.

Thinking about installing hardwood floors in your own home? You’ve come to the right place. Our guide to hardwood flooring will tell you everything you need to know about hardwood floors before you commit to a purchase. Also, we have licensed, bonded, and insured contractors to help you with your decision at any time.

Types of Boards

There are two main types of hardwood used to make hardwood floorboards: solid and engineered. Both types are made from 100% wood, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Solid Hardwood

As you might have guessed, solid hardwood floors are made of solid wood. One board of solid hardwood is made from a single piece of wood. A solid hardwood board is typically about ¾ of an inch thick, but it can be sanded and refinished as often as needed. A solid hardwood floor is permanently affixed to a subfloor made of plywood or a similar material.

Engineered Hardwood

One board of engineered hardwood is made from several pieces of wood, typically three to five, which are bonded together into layers. The top layer of the engineered hardwood is usually hardwood with cheaper layers of plywood or other types of wood underneath. Engineered hardwood is cheaper and easier to install than solid hardwood.

 

Things You Can Do to Prevent Damaging Your Hardwood Floors

Chances are you have hardwood floors somewhere in your home. While they may seem durable and long-lasting, they will last better with proper care. Aside from sweeping, cleaning, and mopping, there are more ways you can protect those floors.

Have a welcome mat

With the front door being the heaviest traffic area, it is more prone to damage from the outdoors and weather conditions. Protect your flooring with rugs in areas around the house that receive the most foot traffic. Set up an entry mat or rug right at your entrance door to protect your hardwood floors from any dust, dirt, or grime.

Remove shoes when inside

The easiest way to take care of your hardwood floors is to remove your shoes at the entrance door. By not wearing shoes in the house you eliminate all the tracked-in dirt that can damage the wood floor’s finishing.

Clean messes right away

Spills happen, and when they do it’s important to clean them right away. Leaving liquids of any kind on a hardwood floor can cause the finish to dull over time, and leave a residue on the surface. For an effective clean, use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe the surface dry.

Polish the flooring

It’s important to give your hardwood floors some love and attention. Wipe down your floors when they start to look a little dull and it will go a long way. Pay close attention to the flooring and determine if the hardwood is covered in polyurethane or wax. For wax surfaces, use a cleaner that’s specified for wax-coated floors. For polyurethane flooring, try using good old fashioned vinegar and water to clean.

 

How to Care for Hardwood Floors

Taking proper care of hardwood floors is essential if you want them to last a long time. Routine cleaning is the key to protecting and maintaining your floor’s appearance. Particular cleaning protocols need to be followed to prevent damage to the floor’s surface. Aside from regular cleaning, damage can be minimized by observing a few maintenance and prevention measures. The longevity and durability of your hardwood floors can be preserved with routine cleaning and proper maintenance.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Dust every day with a microfiber mop or Swiffer. Microfiber cloths trap dirt, particles, pet hair and other household allergens with static electricity. Microfiber mop pads are more effective than sweeping with a broom. They’re also safer, since some broom bristles can scratch the floor’s surface.

Vacuum every week with a soft-bristled floor-brush attachment. Dust the floor with the microfiber mop before you begin. If you leave a lot of debris on the floor when you vacuum, this can scratch the floor’s surface. After using the microfiber pad, carefully vacuum the floor using a floor-brush attachment.

Damp-mop once per month with a hardwood floor cleaner. Use a damp flat mop with a microfiber head. Do not dampen it with water. Instead, mist the mop head lightly with a cleaner made specifically for hardwood. Use the minimum amount of cleaner required to get the floor clean.

Follow a regular cleaning routine to maintain your hardwood floors. Regular cleaning is the most effective thing you can do to keep your hardwood floors looking great and damage-free. Create a cleaning routine and stick to it. For best results, dust every day with a micro-fiber cloth. Vacuum biweekly with a soft-bristled floor-brush attachment. Damp-mop once per month with a hardwood floor cleaner

 

HELPFUL TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS THIS WINTER

There is no doubt about it, this winter has been one of the colder ones in recent memory, and while there are no doubt many things that need to be done around your home in order to keep your house in good shape this winter, it is important that you don’t forget about your floors when doing so. If you have hardwood floors in your home, you might be surprised to find out just how rough the winter months can be on them, and how easy it is for them to sustain damage in that time. Hardwood flooring is a major investment, and with the right care, it can be one that you and your family can continue to enjoy for many long years to come. In an effort to make sure that is the case, our team of professionals have taken the time to put together this short list going over a few helpful tips that might help you better care for your hardwood flooring this winter and keep it well protected going into the spring.

Use Protective Rugs & Covers

As anyone who has lived in the area for any length of time can tell you, during the winter months, the entryways of your home are going to get dirty. Between snow, dirt, and salt, there is going to be a wealth of that nasty slush that is going to be tracked into your home during the winter months as everyone comes and goes on a daily basis, and it can really take a toll on your hardwood floors over time if you aren’t careful. Salt in particular can leave behind a white residue that is highly abrasive and can scratch up your floors very badly. Using rugs and covers around these areas of your home will help to reduce how much of this is tracked in throughout your home, helping to spare your hardwood floors from the worst of it, as well as reducing the chances of slipping and falling.

Sweep & Clean Your Floors Regularly

As we stated above, there is no shortage of filth and debris that is going to be getting tracked into your home during the winter months, and one of the best defenses against these is just to make sure you are regularly sweeping and cleaning your floors to remove it. Puddles of water from melting snow and ice can be particularly destructive to your hardwood floors, and as such, it is important to make sure you clean them up immediately. After absorbing the moisture with a towel or cloth, it is a good idea to give your floors a good mopping to remove any abrasive debris that might still be in place before drying the floors once more. Be careful when mopping these areas, however, as if you have debris that gets mixed into the water, you could actually wind up causing damage.

Keep Your Home At The Right Temperature & Level Of Humidity

Lower temperatures and drier air can both be rough on your hardwood flooring. The lower temperatures of winter, combined with the drier air can actually cause your floorboards to shrink or otherwise warp out of shape. This makes it extremely important to ensure you are maintaining the right temperature in your home, but also the right level of humidity. As your boards shrink and dry out, it is very easy for them to warp out of shape, crack, or split, causing irreversible damage to the wood itself. Making sure that you are running your homes’ heating system will help to prevent much of this shrinking, and by running a humidifier in your home, you can ensure that your home has the right level of moisture in the air to keep your hardwood floors from drying out and becoming damaged.

Save Money On Exterior Painting And Get The Best Job Done

Save Money On Exterior Painting And Get The Best Job Done

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How to Pick the Perfect Trim Paint Color

So how do you take the guesswork out of picking trim paint colors, especially when you’re navigating the process online or even on your phone? For starters, it helps that Clare has narrowed down hundreds of options to a carefully curated 56 different trim paint colors. From there, follow Gibbon’s advice, below, on selecting the right paint finish and a choosing a hue that complements the wall color. You’ll be surprised how much the right trim color can change the entire look of the room.

Pick a paint trim color that complements the walls

“You want to keep color temperature in mind when choosing a white trim paint,” says Gibbons. “A warm white is a perpetual favorite that’s versatile and inviting, but is also the best choice to pair with other warm hues like reds, oranges or warm neutrals,” she advises. And if the walls are blues or greens? Opt for a cool white trim color. And if all else fails: “A clean, neutral white will have a fresh, modern look that pairs well with pretty much any color.” Just like you would any other color, test your trim paint to make sure you love it in your space and that it looks good with your walls,” Gibbons recommends. Never underestimate the power of the paint swatch.

Consider contrast for a bold style

Deciding between a matching or contrasting paint trim color is a matter of personal style, Gibbons says. “If you have a more classic style throughout your home, a crisp white is a no-fail choice no matter what wall color it is paired with.” And if your look is more adventurous? Try a bolder combo. “For example, black trim with white walls makes a big impact and really saturated colors like our Deep Dive would look great against a softer blue like Headspace.”

Go with a semigloss finish

When it comes to picking a finish for the trim paint, Gibbons takes out the guesswork: It’s semigloss for the win.Semi-gloss is the best finish for trim not only because it’s easier to clean and more durable, but it also helps to reflect the light in a room, creating a subtle contrast that allows your trims to pop against your walls. And for the walls? It’s eggshell all the way. “Eggshell is the best finish for walls because it’s matte enough that it won’t highlight imperfections, but it has just enough sheen that it’s more durable and easy to clean.

Keep it consistent

“The trim color doesn’t have to match throughout your entire home, but you should aim to keep the color palette throughout your home feeling cohesive,” Gibbons advises. “In common areas, keep the trim consistent and play with color in individual rooms!”

Paint the trim first

Should you paint the trim or the wall first? “This is often a hot debate,” Gibbons admits, “but after working with numerous professional painters, we believe in painting the trim before painting your walls, as the professionals do. In my experience, professional painters always painted the trim first since it is more detail oriented and it’s easy to fix any imperfections when you’re painting the walls.” Start out strong painting the detailed crown moldings, and afterwards, rolling paint on the walls will be a breeze.

 

Selecting the Perfect White

If your walls wear a color, whether soft or bold, then white trim is practically guaranteed to set them off well. In rooms with dark or intensely colored walls, white lightens and brightens, accenting the strong hue and bringing visual relief. In rooms with light or pastel walls, white trim makes the color look cleaner and clearer while introducing a mere hint of contrast.

Remember that white trim does not mean stark white — most paint manufacturers offer a range of whites that go from warm to cool. Also, the lightest shade on a paint card may function as a white when juxtaposed with your wall color.

To pick the right white, start with the paint chip of your wall color and hold it up to a variety of white or pale neutral chips to see which ones you like. Warm creamy tones pair well with warm or intense colors and warm neutrals, while clear or cool whites make good partners for cool colors, both saturated and muted.

 

Going with the same color

For a contemporary room, design experts suggest using techniques that help the trim blend with the room color. This can be achieved by painting the trim the same color as the walls or a tinted version of it. It gives the room a fresh, unified look. If the walls are warm-toned, it’s usually a good idea to stick with a warm trim. Likewise, pair cool wall tones with cool trim tones. Sticking with the same undertones keeps a room from looking disjointed and the colors from looking muddy. For open floor layouts, where rooms flow into each other or are adjoined by open entryways, keeping trim style and color consistent throughout provides a sense of cohesiveness, especially if the wall color changes from room to room.

Going lighter

For classic or traditional interiors, using a white or off-white paint can really play up the trim and bring out its historical or intricate qualities. And many design experts consider white the perfect color for any trim, regardless of interior style or wall color. With dark walls, white trim lightens and brightens the room while making the wall color really “pop.” And when walls are painted light or muted colors, white trim makes the color appear crisp and clean. Pure white, which is often thought of as cool or blue white, is ideal in a room with great natural light. It pairs well with cool-toned walls, has the most reflective quality, and is ideal for southern climates and ocean views. In northern climates, or in rooms with limited natural light, pure white may look too gray. For these conditions, use creamy whites with warm (yellow) undertones.

 

Darker Trim to Add Contrast

Light and neutral colors are popular in home interiors. Maybe your home has a lot of white on white already. It is a serene and calm look, but what if you want to add drama using existing features? A darker color of trim can go a long way in adding contrast. Darker moldings also look great with lighter brighter walls, so if you prefer lighter walls, the darker trim can be an excellent choice!

Trim as an accent color

I find that the molding in the room, is a unique place to add the accent color to your room. There is not a lot of it generally speaking. It is as if you have outlined the room with a ribbon on color.  It allows you to add color to your space, without it being a big commitment.

You do not have to paint all of your moldings a darker color to accomplish this. Black doors, for instance, look spectacular with light to medium baseboards and surrounding door molding. You could paint the trim darker in one room or the entire house. Don’t be ruled by your color choices. Experiment, make changes, and enjoy developing your own style.

 

Using Existing Dark Trim

A lot of older homes have darker stained wood trim. For those who love their historic home, painting the original stained wood is cringeworthy!

Whether or not you leave your dark trim untouched depends on its current quality. If your home is full of well-made, vintage architectural details, you might want to stick with it. If you are surrounded by 1970s orange-toned wood-paneling, however, this is likely another story. There will be times when it is worth it to keep the molding surrounding the windows and doors, and replace the wall treatment so the molding stands out, as it should.

Choosing Colors for Dark Trim

Like choosing a white for your trim, choosing a slate blue or other color is not as easy as it looks. Blacks and greys have undertones just like whites and creams. Your chosen color will have an intensity to it. A softer or dustier black is much different than a deep, pitch black.

Using muted tones is a good rule of thumb to avoid overwhelming your space. If you are only painting a door or a small area of trim, you can go deeper.

Think about the other colors in the room. Match the undertones for best results.

If you need help creating a color scheme, check out our Color911 app! You will find some great deep, dark shades, and plenty of inspiration. Create your own palettes by adding your wall color to your palette, then play with creating colors that you would consider for your moldings. You will save time and money by matching your chosen colors with your walls and furnishings before committing to purchasing or applying paint.

Find A Good Family Law Attorney

Find A Good Family Law Attorney

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How to prepare for Initial Consultation together

It can be said that the first appointment between a client and a lawyer is best described as a bit like a first date.

And, understand that this may be the first time that you have had to seek the assistance of a solicitor – let alone for something as personal as a Family Law matter. Because know this step can be quite daunting, popped together some handy tips to help the process to ease the nerves and anticipation for you, plus help the process run smoothly for both.

What to expect

Do not feel anxious about your first consultation with a lawyer. are here to help you through the process and are acting in your best interests. Everything you tell your lawyer in the first consultation (or at any time in fact) is confidential. So feel free to confide in your lawyer.

The initial consultation is usually a time to get to know your lawyer and to tell them what has brought you to them and to discuss your goals – that is, what you want to achieve at the end of the process. It is also an opportunity for you to ask the lawyer any specific questions you have (write down a list in advance so that you cover everything and you do not feel pressured in the consult to remember everything).

Being prepared on the outset will save you time and money. At Family Law have a questionnaire that send to all new clients for them to complete prior to their initial consultation. However not all solicitors provide that service, so it is recommended (however not a necessity) for you to bring along with you the following (mostly for financial matters):

A list of any specific questions you have.

A copy of your marriage certificate.

Children’s and former spouse’s names and dates of birth.

A copy of the children’s birth certificates.

The name of your former spouse’s solicitor (if they have one).

Any correspondence you have received from your former spouse or their solicitor.

A list of assets including the address of all real estate owned by you or your former spouse and any documents relating to their purchase or recent title searches.

Market appraisals of your home and any other real estate.

A list detailing all of the valuable property, such as cars, jewellery, appliances, cameras and electronic equipment and valuations.

A list of bank accounts, stocks, shares or other investments that you and your former spouse have, stating whether they are held singly or jointly and recent valuations (if any).

A list of debts including mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and charge accounts.

A list of monthly expenses.

Recent pay advice slips for you and/or your former spouse.

Copies of income tax returns for you and your former spouse for the past three years.

If you own a business or have an interest in a family company and/or trust, copies of the taxation returns and financial statements for the past three years.

Copies of medical insurance and life insurance policies for both you and your former spouse.

Copies of any superannuation documents for both you and your former spouse particularly the names of the superannuation funds in which either of you may have an interest.

If either you or your former spouse has been divorced, a copy of the divorce papers.

A list of your non-financial contribution to the household i.e. renovations, home decoration, child duties, garden work.

A list of assets owned by you and owned by your former spouse at the commencement of the relationship.

A list of any inheritances, gifts from family or friends to either you or your former spouse, windfalls such as lottery wins that you or your former spouse may have received during the relationship or following separation.

If you do not have any or all of the above, do not put off obtaining legal advice. An experienced Family Law solicitor will be able to properly advise you even if you do not have the documents, so as long as you are able to provide a rough idea of what is involved.

 

Principal Attorney

There are a lot of lawyers out there, and you might be wondering why choosing me is your best option. It’s a really good question – and one that you should ask yourself before you choose an attorney for any legal service. I’m not keen on bragging about myself, but I have a number of qualities that not only make me a good lawyer, but the right choice for a person in need.

An engaging speaker

Before I become an attorney, I worked as professional stage magician – and while I can’t make my legal opponents “disappear,” I’m exceptionally good at keeping an audience’s attention focused on what I am presenting. After more than 20 years in front of audiences, I’ve honed my communication skills to a tee, which means juries understand me and judges appreciate me, and these are the people you need to impress.

Willing to fight for you

I also hold a fourth degree black belt in American Karate, and a second degree black belt in Shotokan Karate-Do. I don’t back down from a challenge – in fact, I relish a good, clean fight. I’m not afraid to face off in the ring, and I’m not afraid to take on complex immigration, family law and criminal defense cases that other lawyers may deem unwinnable.

Am I going to work with you?

Sometimes. Sometimes, you’ll work with another attorney from the firm. Remember that part where I said I respect your time and money? I meant that. If all your case requires is the filing of some paperwork, then you’ll work with another attorney who’s overseen by me, because that will save you some bucks. If your case involves going to trial, then you best believe I’ll be right there with you.

Are you gonna be a bulldog?

Have you ever MET a bulldog? They’re the dopiest creatures on earth. They can’t even give birth without assistance because the puppies’ heads are too darn big. Trust me: you don’t want a bulldog.

 

How to Prepare for Divorce: Divorce Advice for Stay-At-Home Moms

Preparing for a divorce is a lot more than just picking up the phone and calling an attorney. There are the emotional aspects, financial, legal, and, of course, there are parenting issues. It means figuring out what life is going to look like when it’s all said and done and includes preparing your children for the transition. For the stay-at-home mom, there are additional concerns around income.

Emotional Preparation

When you realize that your marriage is over, it’s normal to feel a variety of emotions. Over time, you’ll experience all of the stages of grief. You’ll be grieving not only the loss of your relationship but also the loss of the dreams that you shared and the life that you knew. Give yourself time to process each stage of grief throughout the process.

The Emotional Stages of Divorce:

The stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Don’t rush through these stages as feeling and processing each of them is what will help you to move forward.

Denial

Have you felt like putting your head in the sand and acting like nothing is going on around you? That’s denial. Denial is your psyche’s way of protecting you from becoming emotionally overwhelmed. It’s a useful coping mechanism, as long as it doesn’t keep you from progressing onto the next stage.

Anger

When people are angry, they tend to lash out and to blame. Keep in mind that it’s completely normal. With that said, lashing out can do more damage than good. If you’re looking for productive ways to release the anger without further damaging your relationship, consider physical activity. If you don’t like to exercise, you may find writing angry letters to your spouse to get your feelings out to be helpful. You can always tear them up or burn them, but sometimes getting your emotions out of your head and down on paper can feel good. Of course, reaching out to a good friend who is willing to listen is always helpful.

 

How to Prepare for Divorce – Experts Share Their Best Tips

So if you’ve made the decision to divorce or are facing divorce proceedings because your spouse has stated their intention to end the marriage, you might be wondering what first steps you should take to get through this difficult process as quickly and amicably as you can.

We also asked a number of former clients who are now divorced what, if anything, they would have done differently to make their divorce more peaceful, fair, cost-effective and/or easier on their kids. And what divorce advice they have for others getting ready to start the divorce process with children.

“If you could offer your best tips on how to prepare for a divorce that’s peaceful, what would they be?”

Naturally, there are some differences of opinion, which we feel contribute to the authenticity of this resource.

But below are some of the most popular tips:

Get educated and do your research on how the divorce process works;

Learn about divorce mediation because it’s a peaceful divorce option;

Get organized financially;

Choose an experienced and competent professional to guide you through the proceedings;

Take responsibility and actively participate in your divorce negotiations;

Treat divorce negotiations with your spouse like a business transaction;

Get emotional support and learn how to lower your emotional reactivity;

Focus on your children and don’t badmouth your spouse in front of your kids;

Stay in your integrity;

Focus on the big picture.

 

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIGH ASSET DIVORCE: Q&A WITH FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Every divorce is emotionally and financially challenging. Cases involving high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are especially complex as there is more to be divided and therefore, greater expertise required to reach a settlement. You’ve worked hard for what you have and without solid representation, assets such as your homes, businesses, investment properties and savings are at risk.

What are the common questions that clients ask at the early stages of divorce?

There are three big questions that all clients ask: Am I going to be ok financially? What am I entitled to? What will I have to part with? Clients want to know what this process is going to look like, so I always endeavor to quell some of these feelings of uncertainty by providing a roadmap. Our first step towards answering those questions is within the documents we ask clients to bring in for their initial consultation; they serve as a starting point and help us get a clearer picture of their current state of affairs.

Why are an increasing number of HNWI’s choosing mediation over trial?

I have been a family law mediator for 24 years. When I first began as a divorce attorney, I tried 40-50 cases per year (which is a lot). Since then, the process has changed significantly. In recent years, mediation has become the preferred method of resolution; especially in high asset divorces, where privacy is of chief importance. Some individuals do not realize that as soon as a case is filed in court, it goes on the public record, leaving anyone with the ability to take a look at your situation by paying a quick trip to the courthouse

How long does the process take?

divorce can be accomplished within a minimum of 90 days, however most high-asset divorces take upwards of one year to be finalized. This is largely due to the amount of data collection and expertise required. Because HNWI have significant and complex assets, the services of appraisers, valuators and forensic accountants are frequently sought out to ensure assets are accurately valued. Apart from real properties and businesses, there are less obvious assets that also require expert valuation. From comprehensive in-the-box Barbie dolls and rare guitar collections to bank accounts, everything you’ve acquired as a couple must have a number put on it, and to do it right does take time.

What changes in lifestyle can high-net-worth clients expect?

Clients often experience the biggest financial adjustment to their lifestyles when they look at their assets and realize that they’re going to have to divide it fairly and equitably (not necessarily 50/50). Both their net worth and income stream are going to be, without a doubt, impacted.

Why Go For Bookkeeping Firms

Why Go For Bookkeeping Firms

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How do I set up bookkeeping for my small business?

The IRS requires all businesses to keep basic financial records in order to accurately track gross receipts, purchases, expenses, and other transactions. The exact nature of your record-keeping system is up to you, but a well-designed small-business bookkeeping system will keep your financial information in good order, facilitate reporting, and scale with your business as you grow.

Choose Cash or Accrual Accounting

Businesses with revenues under $5 million per year may use either cash accounting or accrual accounting to track how money flows into and out of the business.

  • Cash accounting records revenues when the money is received by the business, and expenses when they are paid by the business. This is the same kind of accounting that individuals use when balancing their checkbooks.
  • Accrual accounting records revenues when they are earned, which may be long before the customer actually pays the business. Similarly, expenses are recorded when the business incurs them, not when it pays for them.

Set Up a Business Bank Account

A separate bank account for your business is a must-have for businesses of all sizes. Make sure that all business transactions flow into and out of this account, not your personal bank accounts. Similarly, never make personal transactions using your business bank account. We’ve written before about how mixing business and personal accounts can get you into trouble.

Having a dedicated business bank account solves a lot of problems:

  • First, you’ll know every transaction in that account is a business-related transaction.
  • Second, you can automatically import transaction information from your business bank account straight into your bookkeeping software. Separating your business and personal accounts means you won’t have to waste time separating business- from non-business expenses.
  • Third, keeping your business funds siloed away from your personal funds shows the IRS and other authorities that you are serious about maintaining your financial records in a businesslike manner.

Pick a Bookkeeping Software Package for Small Businesses

Technically, a business can manage its books using Excel. Theoretically, they could even do it with pen and paper. But, practically speaking, bookkeeping software is a must for all businesses. Manually typing or writing transactions day after day is a tremendous waste of time and energy, and such a manual approach is also highly error-prone. A basic bookkeeping software package is not terribly expensive and can more than pay for itself in the time you’ll save and the capabilities you’ll gain.

Create a Chart of Accounts

The chart of accounts is a list of the accounts you have set up in your bookkeeping system to track all financial activities. This chart forms the skeletal structure that holds your entire bookkeeping system together. Most bookkeeping software packages will set up a basic chart of accounts for you, based on your entity type. But you’ll likely need to tweak this chart to better match your business’s specific needs. Each account should have an account name, a type (asset, liability, expense, and so on), a description, and a number.

Set Up an Expense Tracking System

If you want to keep accurate records, tracking your business expenses is a must. Transaction receipts generally come in either paper or electronic form. Paper receipts can be stored in something as simple as a shoebox, but it’s much better to keep those receipts organized — whether by date, in alphabetical order, or with some other system. Electronic receipts can live on your computer or in an online storage system, such as Expensify.

Prepare Your Bank Reconciliation Process

Having your transactions automatically imported from your bank is a wonderful time-saver, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for bank reconciliation. This is the process of comparing your monthly bank statement with your business’s Cash account in your chart of accounts, to confirm that both are accurate.

A typical reconciliation process goes as follows:

  • Take the bank statement and add any outstanding items, such as checks that haven’t cashed yet. Write the new total at the bottom of the statement.
  • Review the bank statement’s transactions to check for any errors. If you find an error, contact the bank immediately.
  • Adjust the Cash account within your bookkeeping software to reflect bank-generated transactions, such as service charges and interest payments.
  • Ideally, the corrected bank-statement balance and the corrected Cash account balance will now be identical. If not, you’ll need to dig into both the bank statement and the bookkeeping account transactions to figure out what’s causing the discrepancy.

Set Up Your Reporting System

Reports help you assess your business’s overall financial health. Most bookkeeping systems have dozens of reporting options, but most of them won’t be important to your particular business. There are three basic reports that you’ll definitely want to generate and review on a regular basis.

  • Balance sheet

The balance sheet takes a snapshot of what your business owns and owes at any particular time. Balance sheets list a business’s assets, liabilities, and equity.

  • Income statement

Also known as the profit and loss (P&L) statement, the income statement shows how profitable your business was over a certain period. This statement compares your business’s revenues (the money you made from selling your products or services) to your business’s expenses. If your business had more revenues than it had expenses, it was profitable; if not, it took a loss.

  • Cash-flow statement

The statement of cash flows tells you how much actual cash your business received over a certain period. This differs from the income statement because income statements are generally prepared using accrual accounting, so the revenues listed on the statement may still be unpaid. Your business might have enormous income, yet be chronically short of cash to pay the bills.

 

Determine your tax obligations

Tax obligations vary depending on the legal structure of the business. If you’re self employed (sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership), you’ll claim business income on your personal tax return. Corporations, on the other hand, are separate tax entities and are taxed independently from owners. Your income from the corporation is taxed as an employee.

Self-employed people need to withhold taxes from their income and remit them to the government in lieu of the withholding that an employer would normally conduct. For American store owners, you’ll need to pay estimated quarterly taxes if you’ll owe more than $1,000 in taxes this year. Canadians have it a little easier; if your net tax owing is more than $3,000, you’ll be required to pay your income tax in installments.

Calculate gross margin

Improving your store’s gross margin is the first step toward earning more income overall. In order to calculate gross margin, you need to know the costs incurred to produce your product. To understand this better, let’s quickly define both cost of goods sold (COGS) and gross margin.

COGS. These are the direct costs incurred in producing products sold by a company. This includes both materials and direct labor costs.

Gross margin. This number represents the total sales revenue that’s kept after the business incurs all direct costs to produce the product or service.

 

Reconciling Your Accounts

Keep ledgers for all financial accounts. You may have several business bank accounts. For example, small businesses usually have a checking account to pay bills and a savings account to save up money to pay self-employment tax. You should also create a ledger or spreadsheet for each of your major accounts.

Keeping this ledger will allow you to monitor the current state of your business. You won’t have to wait for the monthly bank statement to see if your business is insolvent or thriving.

Reconcile your books. You need to make sure that your monthly recording of expenses is the same that shows up on your bank records. This means analyzing your bank statement and your accounts to make sure the same transactions appear on each.

  • Reconciliation is a good way to catch mistakes—yours or the bank’s. If the bank makes a mistake, you can contact them. Share whatever documentation you have (receipts, cancelled checks).
  • You can also catch fraudulent activity with reconciliation. For example, an employee might have withdrawn money from the checking account without telling you.
  • Perform reconciliation monthly. If you wait too long, it will be harder to reconcile. Also, you won’t catch fraudulent transactions in a timely manner.

 

Maintaining Cash Flow & Improved Financial Management

As a responsible small business owner or bookkeeper, you should be aware of your company’s revenue streams. With accurate bookkeeping, you can tell how much your business is making in terms of income and track your spending to ensure that you have enough cash on hand to cover your business expenses. Proper financial records make it easier for you to analyze the financial state of your firm and determine areas that need improvement.

 

Be prepared for major expenses.

Even with your carefully maintained balance sheet and cash flow reports, it’s hard to predict what will happen in the future. That’s why it’s always a good idea to plan for significant or surprise—or significantly surprising—expenses with a cushion of savings.

Keep a separate emergency fund for your business. Save separate emergency funds for your business and personal life. Both should give you enough cash to cover your expenses for three to six months. For your business, that extra cash can help you cover unplanned large expenses that can’t wait. For example, if you own a copy shop, what would happen if your printer broke down and you had to wait until you saved enough for a new one? Imagine all the business you would lose! But if you had the cash on hand, you could replace the printer and be back to normal in no time.

Don’t go into debt for your business—always pay cash! You’ll have less risk and your business will be profitable faster when you operate without debt. Put whatever you make back in the business, especially in the beginning, and live lean in both your business and personal life. A future without debt is worth it!

New & Used Car Dealer

New & Used Car Dealer

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Checklist for buying a second hand car

Considering modern cars are made to last for a long time, buying a used car can be a very smart decision. However, it can be a rather intimidating experience for both, buyers as well as sellers. This iswhere the following checklist can simplify matters, reduce risk, and convert the transaction into a hassle-free affair.

Buyer’s checklist

Before it comes to the process of buying a second hand car, the challenge is selecting the car you need to buy.

Check the car’s condition

Despite being a used car, the vehicle you are considering should be in good running condition, and must be good value for money. Take the vehicle for a test drive and get all major systems such as engine, cooling, transmission, wheels, etc. checked by a trusted mechanic. These checks will help you ascertain whether the car is as well-maintained as the seller claims. Further, you can plan for unavoidable repairs and maintenance and include the s ..

Registration documents

Is the seller the real owner of the car? Is this the first or the second time it is being resold? The Owner Serial Number in the RC book or smart card indicates the number of times the car has been sold till date. Has the owner paid all dues, including road tax? Ensure the seller provides you with other papers that need to be verified, including the original invoice, NOC from the car loan provider, and road tax receipt.

Potential modifications

Can you convert the car into a dual-fuel automobile? Can you opt for upgradesfor greater comfort, safety, and value? Older vehicles may come cheap but may be impossible to upgrade. A relatively new model is preferable, especially if it comes at an affordable price.

 

things you should never tell a car salesman

Buying a new car ranks among the biggest purchases most people will ever make. The average cost to buy a new automobile is now nearly $34,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. With so much money on the line, it is natural that people get nervous about the deal they are getting.

Many shoppers hate the process of buying a new car. In most cases, shopping requires you to go to a dealership and haggle with a car dealer. Say the wrong thing, and you can give the dealership the upper hand. Then, your new car might come with an unhealthy dose of “buyer’s remorse.”

Car dealers hope you will fall in love with a vehicle. They know that if you really want a car, you will agree to pay more for it. So, never let on about how much you like the car. Instead, pretend you are in a poker game. You do not want the car salesmen to know when you are happy.

Whether the salesman is showing you a Ferrari or a Chevy, your response should always be to point out the car’s problems and flaws. Even if you are dying to buy the vehicle, tell the salesman that you might be willing to take it if you get a great price on it. But if you cannot get a good price, you are happy to keep looking.

If you can make the salesman believe you place a lower value on the car, he will lower the price to a level he perceives is in line with that reduced value. Of course, no dealership will sell you a car if it means losing money on the deal. So don’t hold out for an absurdly low price. That will only communicate that you are not a serious buyer.

 

How to Be a Good Car Salesperson

An Accenture survey of 10,000 car buyers shows the average consumer spends between 13 and 15 hours shopping before writing a check. Considering most SaaS deals valued at ~$25,000 close in an average of 90 days — that’s a fast sales cycle.

Free Download: A Guide to Inbound Selling Best Practices

Car shoppers can easily find True Market Value, competitive sticker prices, and national inventory online. That means consumer choice has become less about which dealership offers the best price and more about which salesperson they like best.

Remember names.

“There is no such thing as a good or bad memory. There is just trained memory and untrained memory.” He argues, “Your ability to remember a new name has to do with your intrinsic understanding of why it matters.”

Ask the right questions.

After you ask their name, your first question will likely be, “What brings you in today?” It’s important to qualify their answer by asking the right follow-up questions. Ask, “Do you know which car you’re interested in?” “What are your must-haves in a car?” and, “Will you be the primary driver of this car?”

Build rapport.

If you notice your prospect crossing their arms, becoming quiet, or shifting uncomfortably, stop selling and focus on rapport. If you continue to push an overwhelmed prospect with questions or selling points, you risk alienating them and losing the sale.

 

Promotional Product Ideas For Car Dealerships

Finding effective promotional Items for auto dealers is no easy task. We curated branded auto accessories for your next giveaway – from custom keychains to ice scrapers, we take a closer look.

Car dealership promotional items are a must for anyone in the car business. They can be used to promote the dealership or even individual sales reps. Throughout the industry, car dealer swag has been used for decades to help retain current customers and lure new clients.

Car dealerships can use promotional products for a number of reasons. First, they can be used to brand the dealership. Getting your name out there is important and people need to remember your name. Once you saturate the market with your logo and slogan, people will think of you first next time it comes to purchasing a vehicle.

Salespeople can also use promotional items to promote themselves. Salespeople don’t always stay at the same dealership so simply branding a dealership doesn’t benefit them in the long run. Giving out swag with a cell phone number will ensure that customers can reach you if you leave and go to another dealership.

It’s All About Your Brand

As stated above, branding is very important when it comes to selling cars. With the car industry, brand image is everything.

 

Essential tips for buying a used car

The private marketplace for used cars can be a minefield, the right tips for buying a used car are invaluable when making a second-hand purchase. For every new car bought in Ireland almost 2.5 second-hand cars are bought. The decision to purchase your used car privately as opposed to from a dealership is undoubtedly worthy of consideration. The complexity of cars themselves, with innumerable sensitive, moving parts, mean that it is not always immediately obvious what to look for when buying a used car. This is especially true when purchasing the used car outside of a trusted dealership

What to ask when buying a used car

Knowing what to ask when buying a used car is key to making an informed purchase. Run these questions past the seller and see what they have to say

Can I see the Logbook?

This is an obvious one. When buying a used car, you will need to see a Logbook. This should always be the first question you ask at a viewing, as the Logbook will quickly prove the legitimacy of ownership.

Has the car ever been in a crash?

After you’ve had a look at the logbook, ask the seller if the car has ever been in an accident. This may catch the seller somewhat off guard, but the nature of their response can be a good indicator of honesty. Establishing the truthfulness of the seller is a great tip when buying a used car.

Is this the original paintwork?

This serves the same purpose as the last question. You are looking to establish the trustworthiness of the seller in advance of our next question.

Why Photo Booth Over Film Or Digital Cameras

Why Photo Booth Over Film Or Digital Cameras

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How does a photo booth work?

When you’re organising an event that you want your guests to enjoy at the time and also remember for years to come, a photo booth is a perfect way to make those memories. Not only does the idea of taking a special photo give people the inspiration and motivation to get creative, but the pictures are the perfect keepsake from any special event.

Photo booths are becoming increasingly popular with people who want to add something special to their event. Hiring a photo booth for your wedding or your party is a great inclusion and can be a great way to create memories. They also make great additions to charity events, proms and team-building events as well.

What is a photo booth?

A photo booth is a chance for guests to take the ultimate selfie at an event. No more lopsided, blurry images were taken by people whose arms aren’t quite long enough to fit everyone in, a photo booth is a perfect way to take a picture of an individual or a group that everyone can enjoy.

You can set up your photo booth wherever you want, so you can encourage your guests to take pictures as they arrive, set up a spot where they will be able to gather in groups or catch people as they move from one area to another.

Unlike organised activities or planned entertainment, a photo booth can be used at any time during the event, so guests can wait till the mood strikes or take a moment when they are surrounded by friends to capture a special moment.

 

Size of photo booth

Pixpod photo booths are 1.87m (6’2”) long, 1.99m (6’6”) tall and 1.26m (4’1”) wide, so you will need a flat space around 3m (10ft) squared to set one up with room for a small table next to the pod and space for your guests to gather around and wait their turn.

You may think that your choice of venue rules out using a photo booth, but you might be surprised at where they can be delivered. Photo booths are transported in wheeled flight cases and boxes which can fit through any standard door, meaning that even the most intimate venue can accommodate one quite happily. So long as the ceiling is at least two meters high, and there is a spare 13 amp power socket available, you can have a photo booth almost anywhere.

Photo booths take four pictures, four seconds apart and within 20 seconds you have a high quality 6×4” image in your hand.

 

Special Effects

There are plenty of special effects available to personalise your photo booth from our library of different backdrops, or you can use your company logo or a scene specially designed for your event.

A photo booth can be set up to your specification, with props, accessories and green screens that will really add to the fun. You can have custom printing on the edge of your pictures, order additional sets of prints, view all images online after the event or even project the pictures from the booth so that the images can entertain your guests as they are taken during your event.

There are a number of different pods to choose from, including plain black or white, sparkly pink and blue and even leopard print, so you can choose a booth which will complement your event’s theme or colour scheme. You can also choose from a range of full-sized props to give your photos that little something extra.

Even with an official photographer, cameras on tables and guests taking their own pictures, it can sometimes be difficult to get the kind of pictures that you really want. A photo booth is a perfect way to ensure that you get plenty of pictures of your guests having a great time at your event so you can create lasting memories for everyone involved.

 

Why rent a photo booth?

Having a photo booth at your event will be the ultimate hit and life of the party! Our photo booth provides a very unique and entertaining experience that everyone, from young and old, will enjoy! The photo booth print your guests take home will serve as a great reminder and party favor of your event.

What are the dimensions of the photo booth?

The booth itself is adjustable. We can be as small as 6 ft x 6 ft or as large as 8 ft x 8 ft. The height is always 7 ft. Additional space is required for a table for the memory book and prop box. Generally speaking we would need 15ft x 20ft place for the booth.

How many people can fit in the photo booth?

A lot, that is why we are so popular! Five to six people can fit comfortably in the booth. We have experienced 8-10 people in the booth at one time. Our record is 21!

 

Do you use a closed booth or an open air photo booth?

Typically we use a closed booth, meaning there are four walls around the photo booth.  We have the option to do both styles, so just ask.

Does the photo booth print out photos immediately?

Yes, we always print your photos! Instant gratification is a very important part of the fun factor and DY Photobooth prints your photos every time! After your guests leave the photo booth, their pictures will be ready in about 15 seconds. Our high resolution prints are high gloss and excellent quality.

How many copies of the photo strip do we get when we take a photo?

Everyone who is in the photo, gets a photo, every time!  At DY Photobooth, we feel that a photo booth is not really a photo booth if you don’t have the photo strip to take home with out… then it would just be a photo shoot.  We offer an instant gratification with a copy of the photo strip for each person taking a photo. How fun is that?!

Tips For Smart Commercial Roofing Real Estate Investing

Tips For Smart Commercial Roofing Real Estate Investing

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Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Roof

A new roof may be the single biggest investment a homeowner makes in their property. Depending on the materials used and the skill of the roofers who install it, the project could cost tens of thousands of dollars. These tips will help extend the life of your roof by keeping current materials in good condition longer.

  1. Maintain Gutters

Clogged gutters cause roof leaks. When the water has nowhere to go, it will pool along the bottom edge of the roof and slowly deteriorate the facia and roof edge. Homeowners can clean gutters on their own. However, if there’s a lot of debris in the gutters, it could be a messy job. If you don’t feel confident on a ladder, contact a roofer to do this dirty job for you.

  1. Trim Nearby Branches

Trees provide shade, but they can also cause a roof to fail early. The problems large trees may cause to your roof can far outweigh the benefits if proper care is not taken. When leaves don’t fall off of the roof naturally, moisture gets trapped under them. These leaves could also get caught in the gutters.

Large branches may fall and damage your roof during a storm. Any branch, large of small, which contacts the roof will scratch the surface of your roof; while this damage may be small and unnoticed at first, eventually it becomes apparent. Trim them and your roof will last longer.

  1. Ventilate the Attic

Proper ventilation allows cool air to enter the attic and warm, humid air to escape. Too much moisture in the attic will result in mold that can damage the insulation as well as the roof. Ventilation also saves money on cooling bills. Hot air trapped in the attic can make the entire house warm and overwork the air conditioning system.

In order for ventilation to work properly you need both soffit vents near the lower section of the attic area and some type of roof vents near the highest part of the attic. This allows cool air to enter and the hot air to escape.

There are many different types of vents to choose. Each vent serves different types of roof styles and slopes.

  1. Insulate to Keep Heat Out

Shingle roofs absorb heat and, if the attic isn’t properly insulated, interior spaces heat up. It’s important to avoid blocking vents with insulation. Having insulation correctly installed with the right type and amount will ensure it provides the maximum amount of energy-efficiency.

  1. Get A Professional Inspection Every Year

Inspections are key to preventive roof maintenance. Expert roofers tell you if you have problems that need to be addressed immediately. They will give you more tips to help you keep the roof in good condition for many more years.

 

Why attic ventilation is key to roof longevity

Poor attic ventilation can cause a number of problems — including premature aging of the roof.

During the summer months, the temperature in an attic without proper airflow can hit 160 degrees. Such superheated air can penetrate attic insulation, making it harder to keep the home cool and even damaging wallpaper and paint on the floor directly below. Up on the roof it can “fry” your shingles, making them decay more quickly — and the rafters holding up the roof can be weakened by warping and cracking. In the winter, various household appliances, bathtubs, showers and cooking vapors can contribute to excess moisture build up. Improperly ventilated attics will allow this moisture to collect and cling to the underside of the roof.

There, it will condense and fall, soaking the attic insulation and reducing its efficiency. Air circulation in the attic is based on a balance between air intake vents in the soffits and air exhaust at or near the roof’s peak. The Federal Housing Administration recommends a minimum of at least 1 square foot of attic ventilation (both intake and exhaust) for every 300 square feet of attic space. For example, if your attic is 900 square feet, you need a total of 3 square feet of ventilation. This amount is generally divided equally between intake and exhaust ventilation to ensure proper air flow through the attic.

 

The Importance Of Roof

The roof is an essential part of every home, even the most important one. Many roof experts around the whole world know about the importance of this construction. This significant part of the house is a friend of you, and it’s your safety, it makes your life easier because with a solid roof you don’t need to be worried about extreme weather conditions. During history, every world nation realized its importance. Indians and desert people from Asia and Africa have lived in a tent, an improvised house. But, a tent or a regular brick house, every type of home is composed of a roof. Even if you give a blank paper and a pen to a child there is a high possibility that his drawing is going to be a house. The house in a child’s perception is made of walls, windows, doors and of course roof on the top. So, the importance of roof is strongly infiltrated in people’s psychology from an early age.

Roof, durable construction that visually makes 30% of your house will significantly ensure and make better your daily life. It will protect you whether it is rain, storm, wind or sun outside. People should take this into account if they already have this secure protection because once you build this construction, you are obliged to take care of its function, appearance, and endurance. Therefore, regular maintenance of your roof will help prolong the roof’s life and your life’s safety too check out Storm Pros as good quality of your roof construction is a good pointer of the roof’s endurance. If roof maintenance is regular and appropriate, it will make sure your roof last longer and achieve its purpose.

 

Extend The Life Of Your Roof In 3 Simple Steps

  1. Inspect
  • Skylights – Inspect the seals around your skylight. Often debris can get stuck or wedged around the edge of a skylight, degrading the seal. If your seal is cracked or worn, reapply sealant to prevent leaks. It is critical to keep water from penetrating a worn seal, for moisture can cause signficant damage to the roof or the roof deck.
  • Flashing – Inspect the flashing around your chimney and vents. These areas of the roof are the most prone to leaks. Again, proper sealing of this area will prevent the moisture seeping into your roof and causing further damage.
  • Roofing Material – Inspect your roof to make sure the shingles, shakes or metal decking is not cracking or lifting. If the roofing material is damaged, we would suggest these areas be repaired to avoid additional damage to the exterior and interior of the home.
  • Attic – Inspect the visible underside of your roof in the attic. Look for damage or staining on the plywood, as these indicate that the roof is leaking. Any watermarks should be assessed to determine where the leak is coming from and fix it before more extensive damage happens.
  1. Clean
  • Debris – Keeping your roof free from debris will extend its lifespan. Moisture can be trapped under debris, which will degrade the roofing material over time. In addition, debris may prevent proper water flow off your roof which can result in damage to other roof areas, overflowing of gutters and accelerated roof aging.
  • Algae and Fungus – Algae and fungus growth on roofs are a common problem for homeowners in the Northern Virginian and Maryland areas. Cleaning these growths from the roof with a bleach solution will help prevent damage and pre-mature aging as well as unsightly black streaking.
  • Gutters – Cleaning your gutters of debris, leaves and sticks will prevent any disruption in water drainage from your roof. If gutters become full or clogged, rain water will spill over the top of the gutter and onto lower areas of the roof. As the roof below is not built to handle this increased water flow, the roofing material will show wear and can develop leaks over time.
  1. Remove
  • Water – Removing water from your roof seems obvious to keeping your roof intact for many years to come. Look out for moisture pooling on the roof and eliminate the cause of the puddling. Standing water is the fastest way to ruin and shorten the life expectancy of a roof.
  • Snow – If your home is hit with a heavy snow storm, removing the weight of the snow will extend the life of your roof. Removing the snow prevents your roof from buckling due to the increased weight and keeps your roofing material in good shape by preventing long term moisture exposure as the snow melts.
  • Tree Branches – Tree branches that have a tendency to grow over a roof should be removed for two reasons. First, removal will prevent them from breaking off and damaging your roof during a storm. Second, removal will allow your roof deck to dry out completely in between storms.  Since tree branches cause shade and trap moisture, the roofing material in these areas will wear far faster than a roof that can dry out completly.

 

Here’s how preventative maintenance helps extend the life of your roof:

  1. Know what’s going on

You can’t know what’s happening up there without looking. An experienced professional will know what to look for and where, and will be able to inform you about your roof’s overall condition. Knowing your roof’s overall condition will help you create a plan for repairs and eventual reroofing in a way that’s aligned with your business objectives.

  1. Focus on known problem areas

Regular inspections include looking at all the various areas where problems are likely to happen. Flashing, penetrations, wrinkles, seams and T-joints are all common problem areas. Better to spot and deal with a problem area before it becomes a leak. Leaks lead to bigger problems and can compromise the integrity of your roofing system.

Wet insulation, for example, doesn’t do its job and it’s a lot more difficult to replace insulation than to manage a problem area before it leaks.

  1. Recognize when something has changed

When you have the same technician maintaining your roof season after season, they know when something looks different. Hopefully the technician has also taken photos and submitted maintenance reports — there’s nothing like complete maintenance records to help you make good decisions.

Preventative maintenance helps you track and respond to changes in your roof or your roof’s performance, which in turn extends its life.

  1. Complete easy repairs on the spot

A lot of roofing problems can be fixed during the inspection visit. Maybe there’s a small tear in the membrane from someone walking on it, or maybe a piece of flashing needs repair. These can be completed quickly at little or even no cost, depending on your maintenance agreement. Think of it like taking your car in for tuneups. Your mechanic can spot things that are a little off and make adjustments on the spot so when you drive home, your engine performing better. Well-performing roofs (and engines) last longer.

  1. Complete larger repairs correctly

When your maintenance technician works for a full-service roofing company and finds a problem that requires a repair crew, the technician will call in a crew with the right skill sets for the job. If you don’t have an existing relationship with a full-service roofing company, the company you call in to fix the problem may not use the best approach for your unique roofing system. It’s best for the longevity of your roof that major repairs to be completed by experts who are familiar with your roof, its history, and its idiosyncracies.

  1. Understand roof performance from a strategic perspective

Familiarity with how your roof performs over time allows you to be strategic. Each time your technician inspects your roof it adds to the knowledge bank about how it performs. And the more information you have, the better you can plan. Make sure to get a report and photos after every maintenance visit.

The Most Overlooked Fact About Mold Remediation Revealed

The Most Overlooked Fact About Mold Remediation Revealed

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Reasons for Hiring a Professional Mold Remediation Service – What to Know

Looking to hire a professional mold remediation service company? If your home is suffering from excessive moisture, chances are mold contaminations are spreading across damp areas. The first 24 to 48 hours poses a severe concern to the homeowner’s health as it is the timeframe wherein the mold multiplies into spores to infest the area.

Its health risks are the reason you should leave the problem to the hands of a professional as they have the experience, equipment, and expertise necessary to eradicate the mold problem at its root and prevent further growth. With that in mind, below explores what a professional mold remediation service can do for you:

Benefit #1: A Professional Can Conduct Proper and Thorough Cleaning

Mold contamination is a problem that you can’t just sweep under the rug. No matter how intent you are with scrubbing off mold, doing it yourself will only increase the hazard and spread the risk for other people within the household.

Not to mention, ridding your walls of any signs of mold doesn’t mean the spores are entirely gone. A professional mold remover, on the other hand, can nip the problem at its bud. With a more thorough clean-up, you can enjoy a spick-and-span space with little to no chances of inviting more spores to infect the area.

Benefit #2: A Professional Can Reduce the Spread of Mold Spores

The cleaning process can disturb the mold, which causes the spores to spread into the air and circulate the house. That’s why doing it yourself can be dangerous as it will contribute to the escalation of the mold.

If the spores find their way into your HVAC system, the situation will worsen as it is the ideal environment for mold to grow as it has warmth, moisture, and dust as their primary food source. When you leave it up to professionals, they can contain the mold within the initial infected area and are well-versed to keep it from spreading throughout the house.

Benefit #3: A Professional Can Discover the Source of the Mold Growth

There’s no point in breaking your back to scrub off the mold yourself as it will only come back with a vengeance if you don’t eradicate its source. With that in mind, a professional mold removal services can do more than remove mold in your home.

It’s part of their responsibility to find the source of the mold and help you make the next best course of action to eradicate the mold problem. Preventive measures are crucial when it comes to handling mold, which is one of the main reasons hiring a professional mold remover is necessary.

 

Benefits of Hiring a Professional for Mold Removal

Mold is a type of fungus that is developed as a direct result of humid surroundings or any sort of water leakage or sewage backup in your buildings. It should be a cause for concern as its presence can lead to serious health ailments like hay-fever symptoms, dermatitis, and asthma, to name a few. Once it gets a foothold in your home, its growth is insidious and gets highly challenging to eradicate completely. Rather, with every failed treatment, it becomes stronger!

Experience Matters

An average individual has a little experience about mold remediation, which simply means that they are not a position to solve the problem effectively. Whereas on the other hand, with years of experience, the professional mold removal companies become experts of their subjects and have got your back to get you rid of this problem in the most efficient manner. So, it is advisable to not to get caught amidst the DIY techniques or products and reach out to your nearest mold removal expert as soon as possible.

Quality Products

If you try to shop around in the market, you will find a bundle of products claiming to remove mold formation in your building, but what you don’t realize is that mold is more than a simple surface-level growth. When you attempt to get rid of the mold on your own, you are trying to get rid of only the visible portion being unaware of its roots that remain intact and continue to spread subtly. The mold removal comes with great complications and needs to be treated with really professionalized products. By hiring a professional mold removal service, you are ensuring the usage of better chemicals and formulas that are far more effective than the market products.

Health and Safety

Mold growth is highly dangerous for health and can potentially cause serious issues like allergic reactions, asthma etc. You would obviously don’t look for risking the health and well-being of your family or yourself by taking mold formation casually and giving it a blind eye. By letting a professional handle the mold removal for you, the situations turn always around for the better. The professional mold removal experts have the right tools for the task to ensure a proper elimination of mold preventing it to spread further and preserving the health of your loved ones in the long run.

 

Why You Shouldn’t Diy | Cleanfirst Restoration

Mold Removal Services Can Locate All the Mold in Your Home

The first thing that a mold removal company will do when you call on them for help is perform a mold inspection.

You might think that you know where the mold is located in your home. For example, you may have spotted it on a bathroom wall or down in a corner of your basement.

But before performing mold removal services, professionals will complete a thorough inspection to ensure that you don’t have mold growing in other places.

The mold on your bathroom wall or in the corner of your basement might just be a sign of mold elsewhere. And unless you’re able to remove all of the mold in your home, it could continue to have detrimental effects on you and your family.

You should make sure a mold inspection gets done to find any other signs of mold in your home.

 

They Can Figure Out What Caused the Mold

In addition to getting rid of mold, mold removal services will also do some digging around to find out what caused the mold to grow in the first place.

There are so many things that can cause mold inside of a home. You might get mold if:

  • You have a leaky plumbing pipe behind a wall or above a ceiling that needs to be fixed
  • You have a leaky roof that is allowing water to find its way into your home
  • You experienced a flood in your basement and didn’t have it cleaned up by professionals
  • You have a home that’s poorly ventilated, thus allowing humidity and condensation to build up in it
  • You have wet clothes or towels that are left out in your home on a regular basis

Once your mold removal company gets to the bottom of your mold problem, you’ll be able to take steps to prevent it from coming back again.

 

They Can Give Your Home a Clean Bill of Health

Before a mold removal company leaves your home, they should walk through and do a final inspection for mold.

They should also test the air in your home to make sure that you don’t have too many mold spores in it.

Mold spores are just about always in the air, so it’s going to prove to be impossible to rid your home of all of them. But the air quality of your home should be much improved by your mold removal specialists.

When they’re done with your home, they should give you a clean bill of health and tell you your home is safe again. They should also arrange to come back and test your home at some point in the future to ensure the mold problem doesn’t return.

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