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Do you want eye-catching landscaping that increases your home’s value? You can have it. Before you search “landscaping services Jacksonville FL,” consider the following tips for creating your dream landscape.

Write Down What You Want

You should have a general idea of what you want to see in your outdoor space. For example, do you want a secret garden, an outdoor kitchen or flower gardens? Identify your hardscape features, such as firepits, a pool and patios or decks. Then, consider what type of plants you want. For example, are you looking for a privacy screen, which may require large evergreen trees and smaller evergreen shrubs, or do you want fruiting trees and plants? Don’t forget to determine your budget.

Plan for Year-Round Coverage

Buildings, including homes, and sidewalks have harsh vertical and horizontal lines. Proper landscaping softens these lines, but remember to plan the winter. Evergreen trees and plants provide year-round curb appeal. Choose plants that thrive in your USDA Hardiness Zone.

Create Focal Points

Your landscape should have at least one significant focal point, such as a water, sculptures or fire feature. It should draw the eye across the yard. Build your landscaping plan around these focal points. Make sure you don’t mask them with plants or other features, but don’t crowd too many focal points into your space.

Design for Comfort

Design for comfort. For example, don’t forget your outdoor living and dining rooms or seating areas. Consider positioning these outdoor rooms in close proximity to your home, near patio or back doors. Also, create paths that connect your spaces.

Berms and Beds

After you position your main trees and shrubs. You may have some blank spaces. If you don’t want to have extensive grass areas, consider including berms and flower beds. These can be as expansive as you wish, but they should have soft corners. Don’t forget to vary the plants.

Whether you are reworking an existing landscape or starting from scratch, consider working with a landscaping professional.…

With some predicting an approximately 3% spike in energy prices, many individuals are left worrying about the impact on his or her home’s climate. Whether heating a house in the winter or cooling it in summer, it’s the HVAC system to which many turn to regulate the temperature. It’s an effective tool for making a home more comfortable, but its impact on the electric bill is another matter. If you are burdened by rising costs, try these low-cost hacks to reduce reliance on the HVAC unit.

Start Stripping

Much of a home’s heat gain or loss is the result of air leaks around movable components. Installing door and window weather stripping is an efficient way at sealing a house and preventing treated air from escaping. These foam strips form a barrier that also helps prevent moisture from seeping in. Weather stripping should be checked every spring and fall and replaced as necessary.

Foiled Again

If you’ve ever used an emergency foil blanket, you’ve witnessed how effectively foil can trap heat. It’s that same principle that makes it so effective at keeping a house warm. Just tack up strips of aluminum foil along the wall behind a radiator. Instead of escaping outside through the wall, the heat will now bounce off the foil and be pushed into the home.

Curtain Call

The simple act of opening and closing curtains can have a big impact on interior temperature. On sunny days, keep curtains open for the natural heat that sunlight provides. Once the sun sets, however, quickly close them to keep warm air inside.

Fan Favorite

Understanding your ceiling fan is another no-cost way to heat or cool a home. In winter, set the blades to turn clockwise to help redistribute the rising warm air throughout a room. Be sure to reverse the motion to counterclockwise in the warm weather months so the fan can push air downward and create a cooling effect.

Whether you like it hot or cold, you don’t always have to pay to be comfortable. Try these tips to keep energy costs down.…

Backyards are a perfect place for playing with kids or pets, relaxing and entertaining guests. To make your backyard a little bit more aesthetically pleasing and pleasant to spend time in, consider one or more of the following upgrades.

Simple Patio

If you spend a lot of time in your backyard, it can be nice to have a defined patio area. You might not be able to fund a full wrap-around deck, but a simple patio space can be created with some pea gravel or concrete pavers. This creates a clean space for gatherings without being expensive or obtrusive. The stone can even be chosen to match existing natural features in your backyard for a really peaceful feel.

Fire Pit

An in-ground concrete fire pit may not be in the books for you, but a prefabricated fire pit or DIY fire pit solution may be possible. A simple metal pit will look right at home in nearly any backyard, while still being compact and even portable. DIY fire pits can be a simple as a stacked ring of retaining wall blocks to form a gorgeous stone pit that will be ready in time for your next backyard s’more party or hot dog roast.

Outdoor Furniture

A simple selection of outdoor furniture will help make your backyard feel super cozy. Barbecues and bonfires will become much more relaxed events if everyone has a comfy place to sit. Full patio sets with tables and umbrellas are great, but even a few wooden folding chairs and cushions can set the tone. You may even be able to repurpose existing furniture for this purpose; a simple coat of weatherproof paint can turn old pieces into the perfect outdoor set.

Backyards are a fantastic gathering place for nearly any occasion. With a few simple upgrades, you can make your outdoor space feel like a true oasis.…

There are over 1.3 million fires in the United States annually. Many of these fires start in commercial buildings. Lots of damage and destruction will be left in the wake of a commercial fire. Rather than dealing with the damage and stress that a commercial fire can cause, your main goal as a business owner should be to avoid this force of nature.

Failing to take fire protection and prevention seriously can be disastrous. Working with a fire protection agency can help you figure out how to fully protect your business from the destruction fire can cause. Here are some things you can do to prevent fires from occurring in your commercial building.

Keep Your Fire Extinguishers Maintained

One of the first things you need to invest in when trying to keep yourself and your employees safe is a fire extinguisher. Depending on the size of your commercial building, you might need multiple fire extinguishers. Consulting with reputable fire protection services Elk Grove CA is crucial when trying to figure out how many extinguishers you need.

Once you have these extinguishers in place, you need to have them inspected and maintained when needed. Over time, the powder in a fire extinguisher will begin to clump up. These clumps can prevent the powder from coming out. This is why hiring a fire protection company to perform this type of maintenance is so important.

Develop An Exit Strategy

Another important thing you need to do when trying to protect your team from fire is to develop an exit strategy. When a fire starts, you and your employees need to get out of the building immediately. Having an exit strategy in place can help you avoid injuries in the event of a fire.

With the help of a fire protection service, you can keep your extinguishers and sprinkler system in good working order.…

Wood Floors – How to Look After Your Wood Floors and Prevent Damage

Real wood floors give a sense of timeless elegance and class to any home or office. Read the essential dos and don’ts of how to look after your wood floor, prevent damage and make it last for a lifetime.

WHY DO WOOD FLOORS CRACK?

Wood expands and contracts depending on the humidity and this causes a solid wood flooring to either shrink or over expand and crack. So try to keep the humidity in the house at 45 to 50 percent. Even a small change of 4 percent in the relative humidity can cause a ten-foot area to expand by as much as one inch which may cause cracks or buckling. An engineered hard wood floor has a three-layered flooring system designed to reduce contracting. You can reduce humidity by using a dehumidifier or humidifier and by controlling the temperature within your room with blinds, curtains or transparent window films.

MAKE SURE YOU PICK A SUITABLE HARDWOOD FLOOR IN THE FIRST PLACE

You should think twice before installing hardwood flooring in an area that might be exposed to excessive moisture or get wet frequently e.g. a bathroom or basement.

And if you are unable to maintain the humidity all year long e.g. in a summer cottage, then your wooden floor is at more risk of damage.

Plus, pick a professional, experienced floor installer to make sure the floor has been properly laid in the first place. A floor specialist will allow your wood to ‘acclimatize’ or settle before installation and will pick an appropriate finish and moisture barrier.

WIPE UP SPILLS IMMEDIATELY

Wipe up spills immediately with a dry mop, paper towel or cloth. If the stain is stubborn, you might have to use a damp cloth but let the floor dry as soon as possible.

DON’T USE A WET MOP OR EXCESSIVE WATER WHEN CLEANING

Use a dry mop, cloth or vacuum cleaner to clean your floor. You do not need to invest in any specialist floor cleaners and do not use detergents or wax-based cleaners.

PROTECT YOUR FLOOR FROM HARSH SUNLIGHT

Excessive sunlight may cause colors to fade or finishes to tarnish. Keep your curtains closed during the summer afternoons or consider window tinting or laying down rugs in appropriate places.

KEEP FREE FROM GRIT OR DIRT

Keep dirt, especially gritty soil or sand out of the house. Lay down a welcome mat outside the door and add a throw rug just inside to catch out any dirt.

If you have pets with sharp nails, think about laying rugs in areas where they tend to hang out. Try not to walk on the floor with sharp stiletto heels or spiky sports shoes.

STICK FABRIC GLIDES AND PROTECTORS ON YOUR FURNITURE

Put fabric glides (protective padding) on chairs, tables, ottomans, sofa and other furniture legs. Replace them once they are worn.…

Movie financing has caught up with many investors along with picture producers. The concept behind film financing is that investors come in and pump money into the movie because of its production. When the movie has been filmed and released, the amount of money produced from the film first takes care of the financiers’ debt. Next, the profit is split between the investors and the film producers. According to who was merely in charge of the project, the cast and crew are paid from the company’s or the producer’s earnings. That is how film financing works. But how does film financing help?

Picture financing helps the companies and the investors in these methods:

More Films Created and Launched

For the movie companies, the power is that the film is recorded and released to the public. Insufficient funds can stop producers from filming a movie. For producers, it’s more than the profits the movie will make. It can also be about the art, skill, and idea behind the film being brought to life and shared with the world. Thus, more shows may be produced and launched with the assistance of picture financing.

Income Earned from Gains

Film investors obtain some gains from the total amount that the movie rakes in. like every other investment, film investors can recoup the amount of money they devote and enjoy profits. In case a film does entirely, these profits are supernormal. If the movie is not too popular, at worst, it breaks even as well as gains some profit, albeit a little.

Private Screening and Red Carpet Premiers

Based on how big or famous the film is, investors get to savor some perks besides profit; read the review about red rock entertainment. Large scale investors enjoy a private screening of the movie before it’s out. When the movie premiers, the investors also get invites to the red carpet premiere events, which are exclusive, generally.

Visiting the Set

Another advantageous non-monetary asset of being truly a film investor is that you may get to go to the set and even meet with the crew and cast. They are exciting opportunities that aren’t available to every other person in the general population. This perk also depends on how large the film is and the amount of money the investor puts into the movie.

Special Promotional Merchandise

Besides distinctive trips and conferences, a few of the stars and actresses, an investor receives promotional products when you have any for the film. That product is presented for free irrespective of the undeniable fact that other general population members would have to buy it to have it.

Film financing is a new means of investing from stock markets and other traditional regions of investment. It is a non-correlated asset and thus isn’t affected by other factors like the money market. Although it is a risky venture, it bears the possibility of a high return on interest for the investor, among other benefits. When it comes to the producer, they get to help make the movie and share it with the world and never concern themselves with the amount of money needed for production.

Raise the Rate of Employment Opportunities

As people see their preferred career path into film making, this new era will retain these job opportunities for many years to come.

Film making has helped often before; several countries or cities face unemployment issues. Many areas with plenty of unemployed men and women embraced a video making that offered them to work. Professionals, artists, and a lot more may find a specialist job route inside film making.

With the appropriate funding, new work possibilities appear out of each film making. Therefore, you will find several specialties produced just from the filmmaking business, even from the filmmaking industry’s stomach muscles.

…

12 Benefits of Having Hardwood Floors in Your Home

Hardwood floors get left somewhat like a piano in a house when it is sold. It sounds a bit odd to say that but wood floors can be installed in such a way that they are easily removed for portability – this is called floating floors. Whether your floors were attached through purchase to you, are floating floors or you caused them to be installed in your home there are certain inalienable benefits that after all is said and done you merely enjoy the extended benefits that follow having new hardwood floors in your home.

This list does not span all, however, you will enjoy:

Cleaner ambient air that’s free of many allergens found in other floor types.

A high resistance to spills when removed from the surface right away.

Low-key maintenance which null and void the need for detergents or abrasives to keep your floors beautiful.

Swift and easy daily upkeep that only takes several strokes of the dust mop touch-sprayed with a wood floor cleaner.

Bold lines of beauty and elegance that mate well with any decor or style to aid in lasting comfort and enjoyment.

Increases in the value of your home when in top condition — hardwood floors are a direct indicator of the condition of the foundation below assuring that the area is sound.

Easy to sell by showing how sound and beautiful the floors are which in turn piques the approval of any appraiser or potential buyer.

Lower utility costs as a plus when compared to solar panels. Even light shown through windows bounce onto the walls and ceiling to illuminate areas surrounding wooden floors and requires little to no electric in daily/weekly maintenance.

Easy smooth surface that affords literal gliding of furniture to change your layout.

Scuffs that are easily removed merely with the swipe of a dry paper towel or dust mop.

Dust becoming visible so dust mopping can release your wood floor’s sheen.

Your wood floor sheen delivering a special glow that absorbs the color and tone of itself while at the same time bouncing/reflecting on the walls and ceiling to fill the room with a glamor that can only be endeared.

You will at a minimum enjoy having either done it yourself or designed and overseen a flooring professional while installing new hardwood floors in your home in addition to the above list of easements. Exposure to checklists and the like always lean toward creativity. So, get ready, get set… growth of these easements will favor you for installing new hardwood floors in your home.

As mature beings tend to reproduce, along with your new hardwood floors you inherit a new-born of sorts. That is the ability to swiftly change the decor of your wood floor simply by placing throw rugs at key locations of your choice to tease your comfort and add to the enjoyment while easing the care you take of your wooden floors.…