YOUR NOSE KNOWS - WEIRD ODORS ANYONE?

Recently I diagnosed a potentially dangerous issue with a dryer. The customer complained of an odor from the dryer. I discovered the plug and receptacle were corroded and the resulting arcing on one terminal had caused overheating at the point of contact, leading to melting of the plug base which was where the odor originated.

An electrician replaced the faulty parts.

CHECK YOUR DRYER  & STOVE  PLUGS: TURN OFF THE POWER TO THE DRYER/STOVE AND PULL THE PLUG OUT OF THE RECEPTACLE. IF ALL IS GOOD, THE PINS SHOULD LOOK SHINY. IF ANY SIGNS OF CORROSION OR BLACKNESS, HAVE  A PROFESSIONAL INSPECT IT.

REUSE & RECYCLE = GREEN

Recently I did a demolition in  a restaurant and the cabinets were too good to throw away so I found a home for most of them at a customer's whose garage I had just finished painting. They were thrilled to have them and hired me to install them. So it was a win-win for everyone and the environment.

I always try to reuse or recycle whenever I can. It doesn't always make economic sense to do so however. This is why so much goes to the dump.

If you would like to follow my lead and do good for the environment, consider buying used items at the Habitat ReStore in Langford (NOW ALSO ON OAK STREET, Victoria)

The cabinets here were make of high quality maple veneer plywood. The hardware alone was worth about $100!  

LATEST PROJECT

The original tub was longer than today's "standard" so the end wall had to be restructured. Roxul was used to insulate the walls and GPs DensShied backer board was used for it's excellent waterproof properties. Parts of the floor had to be repaired using spare and salvaged tiles. 

All tiles were set in mortar for strength, mold resistance and longevity.

The window was replaced with a custom sized unit from Van Isle Windows. The window sill was fitted with a one-piece custom cultured marble slab, pitched to shed water. 

 

 

 

 

 

ASBESTOS The Deadly Fiber

Many older homes have asbestos in many of the building materials used in the day. Asbestos is a natural fiber which was used for it's fireproof properties which has been proven to be harmful to health. Nowadays many renovators will assess a dwelling for possible asbestos materials, and have those materials tested for asbestos.

A finding of positive for asbestos is a concern. Depending on the situation, it may or may not be a hazard. If renovationg it is best to leave asbestos abatement to the pros as they have the training and credentials to safly remove and dispose of it.

If you suspect asbestos in your property, do not disturb the offending material. Usually if the material isn't disturbed, it's relatively safe. It's when you disturb the material that fibers can be dislodged and become airborne.

Please see the article from the CRD here. Also, look at the photo of proven asbestos containing materials common in older homes.

DO A HOME SAFETY AUDIT NOW

In light of a recent fire reported in the news, here are some tips to keep you and your property safe.

Clear away anything from around electric heaters. This includes clothing, draperies, papers etc. There should be enough space around such devices to aid air circulation.

Avoid laying electrical cords over a heater and use extension cords only temporarily. Do not over load electrical outlets. Make sure electrical outlets are grounded  and in kitchens and bathrooms, make sure any electrical outlets near sinks/shower are GFCI equipped. 

DO NOT STORE GASOLINE or any other combustible liquids in the home. Keep them outside in a shed or the like. Make sure the caps/seals are tight.

Make sure any lights do not come into contact with combustibles (clothing, draperies etc.). Do not over load a lamp socket. Excessive heat from a high wattage light bulb will damage the wires and could lead to failure.

Test your smoke alarms once a month. replace smoke alarms every five years.

Install a carbon monoxide detector in the basement or on the same level as any appliance that emits exhaust (furnace, water heater, stove).

IKEA FANS READ THIS

I recently discovered an IKEA distributor here in Victoria (View Royal). Add2Cart (www.add2cart.ca) will pick up your order from Vancouver and deliver it to Victoria. Call 250 888-2988 for more information.

Once you have your IKEA products, call me to assemble them. I know the products and am a fast assembler plus, on request, I will add construction adhesive to critical points to add strength and durability.

HOME THEATER ANYONE?

You’ve just bought a giant screen high definition TV and a blueray player but there are so many connection ports to deal with and different types of wires to contend with…what do you do?

If you are having difficulty understanding this high tech gear, fear no more I can help.

For the best performance from all your new toys here are some things to keep in mind.

Match your gear. If you have a high definition (HD) TV (1080p), you will want a HD dvd player or BluRay player. The latter provides the best picture and sound quality for HD TVs. A regular DVD player will still look good but why use an older technology with your new HD TV?

There are several ways to connect your devices. In the old days it was simply a matter of connecting the cable to the back of the TV but with HD signals now so common, there are different types of connections to get the HD signal you pay for. HDMI is the most common and best cable to connect your gear…. It’s one cable - just plug it in to the port on the back of the TV and the PVR/bluray/DVD player and you’re good to go.

The second best method to connect gear is using COMPONENT cabling, which has three wires marked Red, Blue, Green. These provide only the PICTURE for your gear. Sound is handled with the AUDIO OUT jacks (Red and White) or, for the best sound, a digital tosslink (fiber optic) or digital coaxial audio output. If you are connecting to a sound system with Surround Sound capabilities, use the tosslink digital output not the red/white output. This will provide all the detail in the audio track for the systems’ electronics to provide the theatre sound you want.

Many of today’s TVs will automatically resize the picture depending on the original size/aspect ratio of the signal. HD TV provides the highest quality image and most TVs now have an aspect ratio of 16x9 which is a wider format than the 4:3 or older TVs and a lot of TV shows made prior to the advent of the HD format…

Many movies are produced with a wide aspect ratio but may not be 16x9. In the case where the aspect ration isn’t the same as your TV (16x9), you will see black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. This indicates the image is being displayed in its NATIVE SIZE and will vary depending on the aspect ratio the movie was shot in.

Another point to keep in mind with your new TV is that there are a few choices to consider regarding the picture itself. Terms will vary depending on the manufacturer, but there may be a MOVIE setting, a DYNAMIC setting,  a STANDARD setting and a CUSTOM setting. The first three are PRESETS and provide a convenient way to change the appearance of the image without having to fiddle with more complicated controls like brightness and contrast. The CUSTOM setting is for calibration by you or a technician for your preferences and the type of light in the room. Use this if you intend to have the TV calibrated, otherwise use the other three presets.

One reason people buy big screen TVs and bluray players is the SOUND. If you connect an HD signal to a decent surround sound receiver with an array of good quality speakers, you’ll never want to visit a theater again! Surround sound beats stereo or any quasi-surround sound system built into a TV.  So, when shopping for your new big screen TV, consider the sound system too. Then call me to connect it all.