ABSOLUTE PAINTING

Winter is coming, meaning more time indoors. When windows and doors are sealed against the cold, the chances of carbon monoxide contamination increase. This winter, learn and understand the dangers of carbon monoxide and ways to reduce the risk.

What Is CO?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is toxic to humans and animals. Therefore the real danger of CO is that it can make you ill, or even kill you, before you even realize that it’s there. Even low levels of carbon monoxide exposure can cause flu-like symptoms including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and disorientation. The effects of CO poisoning can vary depending on a person’s age, general health, how much they have been exposed to, and for how long.

Where Does CO Come From?

There are many different sources of carbon monoxide in your home: kerosene and gas space heaters that aren’t properly vented, leaking chimneys and furnaces, back draft from a furnace, gas-powered water heaters, wood stove or fireplace, gas stoves and ovens, generators and other gasoline-powered equipment, auto exhaust, and tobacco smoke are all some of the most common sources of carbon monoxide. The best way to prevent exposure would be to get rid of these things. If that’s not possible, read on for tips about reducing the risk of CO poisoning when using these devises.

What Kind of Harm Can CO Cause?

There are numerous negative health effects associated with CO exposure. At low concentration levels, carbon monoxide can cause fatigue in otherwise healthy people and chest pains in people with existing heart conditions. Higher levels of CO can lead to impaired vision, headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, diminished coordination, and flu-like symptoms. These issues usually disappear soon after you leave the contaminated area. However, very high CO concentration can be fatal, due to the formation of a toxin in the blood that can block oxygen intake.

How can I Reduce the Risk of CO Poisoning?

The very best way to cut your risk of CO exposure is to remove any gas-powered or combustion equipment (like kerosene heaters and wood stoves) from your home. However, if you must use any of these devices, always be sure to have proper ventilation and follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly. If you smoke, why not consider quitting this winter, or limit yourself to smoking outside where CO isn’t confined to your home?

Here are a few more helpful tips:

• Keep gasoline-powered appliances properly adjusted for optimum performance.
• Consider replacing an unvented space heater with a safer vented model.
• Only use appropriate fuels for combustion devices like kerosene space heaters and generators.
  Install and use an exhaust fan with your gas stove that is vented to the outdoors.
• Keep the flue open when you use your fireplace.
• Choose a wood stove that’s the proper size for your home and one that conforms to EPA emission standards. Be sure any doors or vents are tightly fitted.
• Do not idle your car inside the garage, even if the door is open.
• Hire a professional technician to inspect, clean, and tune your home’s HVAC system at least once a year.
• Never use a generator indoors.

Install Programmable Thermostats

Investing in a good quality programmable thermostat is one of the best ways to keep warm this winter without breaking the bank. Not only can they help you save on utility bills, they are also very low maintenance. Once you establish your desired settings, the thermostats will do the rest.

Seal up Windows and Doors

Prevent heat loss by ensuring that gaps around windows and doors are sealed or by using thermal curtains to hold heat in and keep cold out.

Use a Space Heater

Instead of jacking up the whole-house heating system, along with your monthly energy bill, try supplementing your HVAC system with space heaters to warm smaller rooms in the house.

Insulate Electrical Outlets and Switches

Heat can be lost through gaps and cracks around electrical outlets and switch plates. Plug holes with basic expanding foam, insulation or foam plate seals.

Make Sure Your Furnace is Ready

Do not wait until the first snowfall to have a professional out to check your furnace. Schedule a full maintenance and tune-up before the weather turns cold.

Use the Fireplace

If you are lucky enough to have a working fireplace, use it. Sitting in front of a roaring fire is a great way to spend a winter evening, but it can also provide significant heat without running up your utility bill.

Get Solar Energy When You Can

Solar heat is free and it works, so look for ways to capture warmth from the sun. Thermal curtains, metal light fixtures, even a tower of soda cans painted black can all be used to collect solar heat. You will put less strain on your HVAC system, helping you reduce your energy consumption and save money on winter heating bills.

Try a Nice Hot Drink

Hot chocolate and tea are old stand-bys, but give your taste buds something new, like Sbiten, a Russian beverage with spices and honey or a sweet chai tea. If you are feeling under the weather, you might want to try a nice,soothing honey-lemon-ginger infusion or steaming cup of broth or soup. Look up a different recipe each night of the week or invite your friends over for a tasting party.

Heat Your Clothes

You have probably got an old electric blanket lying around the house, but did you know that you could make your own heated clothing? Use Teflon and copper wire, connect it to a battery and you have your very own toasty, thermal kit. Extreme; perhaps, but strangely comforting.

Do Not Forget to Take Care of Yourself

Preparing yourself for colder weather is just as important as preparing your home’s HVAC system. Your body has different needs in the winter as you try to fight off colds and viruses, so spend more time in dry, indoor air. Start early by getting as much sun as you can, keep the hand sanitizer handy, take a multi-vitamin, drink plenty of water and always get a flu shot if you qualify for one.

Exposure to Mold : Common?

Many homes are infected with mold and the residents do not realize it and are not doing anything to prevent it.

Exposure to mold is common both inside and outside the home. Some people are more sensitive than others, especially those with allergies and asthma. Because some mold spores are very small and can be easily inhaled into the lungs, it is harmful to live in a home with high mold levels. Exposure to high spore levels can cause the development of an allergy to mold.

Molds grow on organic materials such as paper, leather, dirt and soap scum. They grow best at warm, moist temperatures, between 22 and 27 degrees Celsius.

How Do You Know if You Have Mold and What Do You Do?

The simplest way to detect a mold problem is using your own senses. A musty odor is one indication. Not only is mold smelly, but can be many different colors from black and gray to orange and green.

Watermarks on the ceiling and walls are also a telltale sign.

Most often bleach and water can be used to rid the house of mold. The problem is this does not guarantee that the mold will not come back. The only way to keep your house clean is to prevent mold from occurring.

Here are 7 helpful tips for mold prevention:

Wet materials need to be dried quickly. If not, mold will grow within approximately 2 days.

People are prone to leaving wet materials lying around in or outside the house. These things are the most common places where mold can develop.

Cleaning, disinfecting and drying surfaces prevents mold growth. Surfaces like sinks or floors should are also favorite places for mold; more so if they are wet most of the time. Mold can grow faster than you think it can. These wet surfaces pose many hazards for the residents living there.

Reduce moisture levels in the bathroom by running an exhaust fan during and after showers. If you have noticed how foggy the bathroom looks like after a shower, realize that those are moist places and a likely place for mold to develop.

Exhaust fans can help minimize the moisture level in the bathroom as well as the possibility of growing mold.

Fix plumbing leaks and seepage to prevent the buildup of moisture and prevent the growth of mold. Leaks are caused by pipes that have disintegrated already. It is important to replace old pipes as soon as they show signs of being dilapidated. No matter how much you try to keep the house clean, there are still areas that you are neglecting. There will always be a possibility of the growth of mold.

Store clothing dry and clean to prevent the growth of mold on clothes. It is best to keep used clothes dry. Better yet, wet clothes should be hung to dry. Try to put them outside or in places where there is air circulating.

Increase the flow of air within your home. Moving furniture away from walls and opening closet doors to permit air circulation limits the growth of molds.

Confined spaces and dark areas should be kept ventilated. Open windows are preferable over fans and air conditioning. There should be a stable availability of fresh air coming inside the house to prevent mold.

Prevent condensation. Insulating walls and installing storm or thermal pane windows keeps walls warm and limits condensation.

Other additional mold prevention tips: You may not realize it yet but those beautiful plants you have in your home could be harvesting unwanted friends and foes.

Plants are great for helping to keep the air in the home clean but can also be a source of mold. Molds like to grow in the soil of our housing plants and sometimes on the leaves.

One simple treatment can help keep your houseplants mold free. Taheboo tea can help to retard mold growth in your plants soil. Just adding this tea to your house plant water in a mild solution is enough to do the trick!

Original Article Source: Mold Blogger

It’s late at night, and you’re asleep in your bed. Your children fell asleep hours ago, and the house is completely quiet. Suddenly, the smoke detector goes off! You wake up, and realize that smoke is pouring into your room under your bedroom door! What should you do? Are your children able to escape on their own? Should you open the door and try to wake them up?

The last time that you want to be thinking about fire safety is during an emergency. It’s highly recommended that you teach your children about fire safety, as well as what to do in the event of a fire. However, did you know that fire safety can be fun? Here are four activities to help teach your children about what to do during a fire!

1. Stay Outside!
   There are far too many cases of a child dying because they ventured back into a building to try to save a cherished stuffed animal, rescue a beloved family pet or to search for an adult. Be sure to teach your child the phrase: “Out means out!” You can even make up a rhyme or short song to help them remember this phrase. Once your child is outside of a burning building, they should never try to go back inside. Make this an integral part of your child’s fire safety training!
2. Stop, Drop and Roll
   The phrase “Stop, Drop and Roll” has been repeated to children for years, but you can also make it into a fun activity! Cut red construction paper into small pieces, and apply double-stick tape to both sides of the paper. Stick the red paper pieces onto your child’s clothing, leaving one of the tape pieces facing out. Now, tell them to “Stop, Drop and Roll” until all of the red paper pieces have come off of their clothing!
3. Finding the Way Outside
   In a dark house filled with smoke, its easy for a child to become too scared to venture outside to safety. It’s important to teach your children how to escape from the house even if they can’t see. A great (and fun) way to do this is to set up a short obstacle course for your child, which they must navigate while blindfolded! If they are able to successfully navigate to the door (with supervision), reward them with a treat, a “treasure” or other goodies.
4. Planning a Meeting Place
   It’s important for you to arrange a “rendezvous” point outside your home where all your family members will meet in the event of a fire. The meeting spot should be far enough away from the house to be safe, but easy to find even in the dark. Teach your children to run outside to this spot, and wait there until an adult arrives. This activity should be repeated during monthly family fire drills.

For much of the United States, the winter season is often characterized by severe weather situations. Storms that bring snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain and blizzards are only some of the hazards that can occur due to winter weather. In an effort to help warn people about approaching bad weather, the NOAA National Weather Service has designed a number of winter weather safety alerts. However, many people don’t understand the meaning of these winter weather safety alerts, and how to prepare a safety plan for severe weather. What is the difference between a “Watch”, “Advisory” and “Warning”? What temperatures should you prepare for in the event of a “Wind Chill Warning”? Understanding these winter weather safety advisories can help you to be better prepared to protect your family’s safety in severe weather situations.

Winter Storm Warning

If your area is currently being affected by a “Winter Storm Warning”, you can expect that you will be dealing with ice and/or heavy snow that will create emergency conditions. Driving during a winter storm warning is not recommended. As a general description, this warning means that there is a confirmed storm that will most likely create severe wind chills, drifting snow and heavy precipitation. The conditions during a winter storm warning are considered to be life-threatening.

Winter Storm Watch

During a “Winter Storm Watch”, there is a chance that your area will be exposed to conditions expected during a severe winter storm. Blowing/drifting snow, severe wind chills, blizzard conditions, snow and ice are all weather conditions that characterize a winter storm. In a “Winter Storm Watch”, this means that weather forecasters are approximately 50% certain that a winter storm will affect your area.

Winter Weather Advisory

This alert is issued for a combination of heavy snow and ice that does not exceed or meet the criteria required for a “Warning” to be issued. The combination of weather conditions expected during a winter weather advisory are considered to be hazardous, and travel is not recommended without extreme caution.

Wind Chill Warning

When this alert is issued, weather experts are expecting that the wind chill will be less than -25F. In these conditions, extreme caution should be taken, since frostbite on any exposed skin may occur in ten minutes or less.

Wind Chill Watch

A wind chill watch is issued when there is a potential chance of wind chills dropping below -25F. This can cause conditions where frostbite or hypothermia occur in a relatively short time.

Heavy Snow Warning

During a heavy snow warning, weather forecasters are expecting that over 7 inches of snow will be falling within less than 12 hours. However, this warning may also refer to a weather system that will result in over nine inches of snow falling in a 24 hour period. During a heavy snow warning, chances are that the storm will primarily be characterized by snow, without freezing rain or sleet.

Blizzard Warning

A blizzard warning refers to a weather system that will result in blizzard conditions in a particular area. Visibility during a blizzard will usually be reduced to 1/4 mile or less, in addition to wind gusts sometimes exceeding 35mph. Other weather conditions that may occur ding a blizzard are heavy snow, blowing snow or drifting snow.

Blizzard Watch

During a blizzard watch, weather experts are around 50% confident that a weather system with blizzard conditions will affect a particular area. This may include heavy snow, high winds, drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Have you always wanted a beautifully decorated home but seem to have a hard time giving it just the right touches to make it that way? Well, decorating your home doesn’t have to be a difficult task. By implementing certain tips you can turn your ordinary home into the home of your dreams!

Although decorating tips will vary from room to room, there are a few tips that should be used in every room of your home. These things must be done before the main decorating begins.

Remove excess clutter I know that this may sound elementary, but excess clutter can really take a way from a home’s beauty. What is considered clutter? Of course, any junk laying around that is not benefiting anything, old newspapers, broken or unsightly furniture, stray items from other rooms, and decorations.

Decorations? Yes. The wrong decorations or too many decorations can become clutter. Pick out a few of your favorites and get rid of the rest. If you’re a collector, than more than likely you have clutter. Ask yourself, “Is this collection really benefiting me?” If the answer is no, then get rid of it.

If you just can’t part with the collection, consider designating one room to be your collection room. I went to someone’s house about a few months ago and the lady who lived there had about 200-300 pairs of salt and pepper shakers. It didn’t really benefit her, but it was a hobby and it made her happy. So she took the two rooms of her home that she used least and set her collection up in them. The key is to display them in an orderly fashion. Use bookcases or curios to help contain the items and eliminate a cluttered look.

Once the clutter is gone, many people will already begin to see a dramatic difference in their home.You will be amazed at how you will instantly become more relaxed and you’ll be eager to continue to the next step.

Give Each Room A Thorough Cleaning Now that the clutter is gone, cleaning will be easier and maybe even enjoyable. Go through each room and clean them completely and thoroughly. Vacuum the carpets, dust and shine the furniture, wash curtains, blinds and windows and even wipe down walls. You may find more clutter in this process in which you should get rid of promptly.

With everything sparkling clean and clutter free, you will now have a new perspective on your home. What was once the old drab thing that caused you despair is now a bright happy place that is full of potential.

Find a Focal Point Now it’s almost time to decorate but first choose a point of focus in each room. This will be the main place that you focus on during your decorating and all the other decorating in the room will complement this area.

The focal point is usually the first area that you see as you enter the room. This should display your best picture, your most lovely figurine, etc. The focal point is what sets the mood for the room and if it’s the first thing that you see, it will obviously be the first impression of the room.

If you feel that the first thing that you see would not make a good focal point, such as a coat closet, then pick another area that you feel would make a great focal point and start here. A fireplace, a bay window, or a wide empty wall are some examples of some good focal points.

Let’s Start Decorating!

Now it’s time to begin the fun part. However, decorating is still a lot of work and requires a lot of planning.

Themes

Each room should have a theme to guide you. Whether it’s a color scheme, a certain style, (such as Victorian or contemporary), or a fun upbeat theme. Walls Once the theme is chosen, you should decide if you will paint or wallpaper your walls. New paint and/or wallpaper makes everything look fresh. If you have a large room, darker hues tend to draw the room in more and give it a cozy feel. If the room is small, use lighter colors that will reflect more light giving the illusion of a larger room. If you choose to hang wallpaper, add stripes for height, florals for romance or femininity, or solids or marbles if you don’t want to paint but want a painted look. If you have an entire wall that you think would make a great focal point, consider a wall mural. When hanging wall decor, be careful not to over-clutter walls. Hang pictures at eye level. TIP: If you live in an older home or a mobile home, your walls may not be completely straight due to settling. Avoid wallpaper with stripes in this case as uneven walls will become more noticeable.

Windows

If you are lucky enough to have decorative windows such as an octagon or a large bay window, you may just want to leave these alone since they are beautiful on their own. However, adding real or artificial greenery around these windows will really add to the beauty. Not only will real plants flourish in the light, but artificial plants will also look stunning and natural in the sunlight. Decorative seating such as a Queen Anne settee or a wicker rocking chair (depending on what theme you choose) may add to the scene. This may also be a spot where you may want to add a magazine rack or table for reading by day and a pole lamp for night reading. When considering windows where you’ll be adding curtains, keep each room’s theme and colors in mind. Choose lace or ruffles for femininity or romance; this works best in bathrooms and bedrooms. Drapes are more likely to be found in living rooms, dens, and home offices. Valances are great for kitchens and children’s rooms. If you don’t want to spend money on buying new curtains, you may be able completely transform the look of ordinary curtains by just adding a few decorative touches. Floral garland or ivy may be draped along the tops of curtains, mini bouquets can be assembled and hot glued to ordinary tie backs, (this is lovely and instantly transforming), tassels or scrolled metal may also replace ordinary tie backs. TIP: If you have a room without windows, hang several mirrors and use mirrored accessories. This helps reflect light in the room without adding extra lights and gives the room depth. Use lots of mirrors in small rooms even if they have windows to give the illusion of a larger room.

Floors

When it comes to floors, a little can go a long way. Make sure unnecessary items (even decorative items) are limited or removed. Decorative rugs can be a life saver in every room and can instantly brighten things up. Large tapestry looking rugs are lovely in living rooms, dining rooms, and hardwood floors. Rugs in front of the sink and appliances in the kitchen can serve a dual purpose. They help to keep the rest of your floor cleaner and can be purchased in a variety of colors and patterns to complement your theme. The same goes for the bathrooms. When purchasing rugs, it’s better to spend a little extra for better quality. Rugs will always have traffic and if you buy low quality you’ll find yourself replacing often which gets expensive in the long run. Also, the higher quality will look nice longer. Just by keeping flooring well cleaned will make a world of difference to the room. Go beyond vacuuming, sweeping and mopping. Shampoo carpets and rugs regularly (about every three months, more or less due to traffic), clean corners and nooks, shine and polish linoleum, and thoroughly clean tile grout. You’ll be amazed how your room will sparkle!

Decorating Tips Room By Room

Living Rooms and Dens Do you have a lot of family photos that you want to display but limited room? Purchase bookcases and display photos in them. Add decorative figurines or florals among the pictures for a polished look.

Bathrooms

Pay attention to shower curtains, rugs, and window treatments. Add candles to master baths, and fun decorative accessories to children’s baths.

Dining Room

This is the room for elegance! Pick a rich wallpaper and fancy light or chandelier. Display a floral centerpiece.

Kitchen

Concentrate on the cabinets! If they don’t reach the ceiling, add decorative vases, baskets, or China on the roof of the cabinets or drape floral garland or ivy around the top. If your cabinets reach the ceiling, concentrate on the countertops or appliances. Display decorative canisters, or pretty stove burner covers.

Bedroom

Add decor that will enhance relaxation and romance. Place candles, misting fountains, mirrors and theme related comfortable bedding.

Children’s Bedrooms

Display their best toys and store others out of sight. Set the theme for fun by adding wall paper cut-outs and displaying their name in wood letters. For something really original, let your children help paint by placing their hands in paint and stamping the walls!

Advanced Decorating

If you implement the tips above and just can’t get the right look or you just don’t want to deal with all the hassle but still desire a beautiful interior, contact us to see why our Portland Oregon Interior Designer is right for you.