Category: Post Notes

Pillar To Post Newsletter March 2012

Posted on March 9, 2012 by oi_admin - Post Notes

People procrastinate for a swarm of reasons. Some say it’s simply habit, a product of how we were brought up, while others think it’s a clear sign of mental health issues.
Here is a short, fun quiz to see what kind of procrastinator you might be.

When confronted with a large, complex task you:
A. Get on it immediately - too much on your plate makes you anxious.
B. Start thinking about ways to tackle the project by making lists.
C. Put it out of your head completely - due date is a month away.

Your in-laws are coming to dinner. You want to impress them so you:
A. Paint the living room two weeks before the big day.
B. The day before, you clean house, buy fresh flowers and a prime roast.
C. Order in.

At work, colleagues describe your work style as:
A. Diligent but uptight.
B. Conscientious and fair.
C. Reasonable but a little flaky and unreliable.

Here’s the interpretation of your answers:
If you pick A’s: You need to procrastinate more or at least relax a bit.
If you pick B’s: You’re well balanced in the procrastination department.
If you pick C’s: It’s time to curb your procrastinating because it’s annoying others.

Here are some helpful suggestions to stop you from your delay tactics.

• Time to jump in - literally.
Your mantra should be stop thinking and start doing. By over thinking and attempting to dream up the perfect plan you put off the inevitable. Get on with it.

• Do something, anything.
If you tend to magnify and blow things out of proportion, you end up imagining that it’s much worse than it is. Take the big first step.

• Make deadlines.
To help yourself set a manageable pace other than breakneck, set deadlines or mini deadlines for the completion of something.

• Large complex tasks.
Need to be broken down into smaller more manageable segments. Attempt each separately. Break four hours of dreaded paperwork into one-hour slots. Start with the easiest. Take a break after each block of time and perhaps even treat yourself to a latte.

• Be accountable.
Use the friends and family approach by making yourself accountable to them for completing a project. Look to a trusted friend for encouragement and support.

• Turn down the volume.
Because we are so hyper-connected these days this can be hard to do, but it’s a must if you’re a diehard procrastinator who gets easily distracted. No TVs, radios, iPods because their job is to divert your attention.

• Finish.
As difficult as it is to start a project, remember also to finish it. There is nothing like completing a task, no matter how small, to earn you a sense of accomplishment.

Whatever your procrastination tendencies may be, here’s to overcoming them and making your life a real success.

When it comes to deciding which wood floor would suit your needs in the best way, consider the room’s use, what subfloor or existing floor that is there now, budget and your preferable design.

Solid hardwood floor. might outlast your house since it can go through several refinishing cycles. Installation needs underlayment, but it could be installed on existing subfloor. Hardwood provides an excellent design solution as it comes in many kinds of wood: oak, maple and ash.

Engineered floor. provides all the benefits of hardwood, it can be refinished as well but is easier to install and does not require underlayment subfloor and can be installed on any surface. Engineered hardwood flooring is made of wood, but it’s not solid. Instead it is a laminated product like plywood, with a thin but tough veneer of real wood on top laminated to three to five layers of less expensive wood (or fiberboard) and bonded under pressure with strong glues.

Laminate. is completely synthetic with a tough melamine wear coat over a paper or fiberboard core. The beauty of laminate flooring is that it can be made to look like any material; stone, ceramic tile, wood, and more - at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. The effect is achieved in the second layer, which contains a photographic representation of the real flooring material. It is easy to install and water resistant.

Bamboo plank floor. is an environmentally friendly material. Not only is bamboo a fast-growing and renewable crop, the companies that make bamboo flooring use binders with low emissions. Bamboo flooring is made by shredding stalks of the raw material, then pressing them together with a resin that holds the shreds in their finished shape.

Feel greater serenity and clarity in your home and be able to welcome guests in your home with the joy-boosting principles of feng shui.

Clear Clutter. Disorder can stop “chi” or positive energy in its tracks, so your entryway should be kept as tidy as possible.

Hang a mirror. Mirrors symbolically enlarge tight spaces - such as entryways - and are an excellent feng shui tool to “expand” positive energy.

Use the right accents. Bright reds, warm pinks and shiny metallic will encourage good fortune, and make guests feel good about entering your home.

Pick the perfect mat. Your interior mat or area rug should be as wide as your door’s width. Anything smaller can make people feel uncomfortable upon entering your home

Hanging a mirror? Make sure it’s high enough to show 8” of space over your head, so as not to “cut off” your potential success

Splatters and baked on foods inside the microwave are a nasty task to clean up. Here are some simple easy ways to get it done.

1. Freshen with lemon.
Poke a few holes in a lemon with a fork and microwave for 30 seconds. That will release the citrus oil and make it easy to wipe away dirt while freshly scenting the microwave.2. Remove Odors.
Fill a bowl with water and add 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Microwave at 30 second intervals until the smells are gone.

3. Steam away stains.
Microwave a glass bowl filled with water for 2 minutes. Add a wooden toothpick to prevent overheating. The steam will loosen debris, making it a cinch to wipe clean.

4. Clean the window glass.
To de-grease the glass in an instant, wipe it down with equal parts water and vinegar.

5. Tame it with tea.
Get rid of smells in your microwave by boiling tea! Place two tea bags in a mug with water. Microwave for 30 seconds to remove odors.

Radon is a radioactive gas that exists naturally in the environment in very low concentrations.Radon comes from uranium in the soil. While uranium is not present in significant quantities in most geographical areas, traces of uranium in the soil exist everywhere. As uranium breaks down, it produces radon gas.

Radon is classified as a human carcinogen. Breathing radon gas is associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer. The risk increases with increased concentration of radon in the air and exposure time. The concern is around radon levels that can build up inside a house. Even if you live in an area with fairly low environmental radon, you could still have significant levels in your home.

Radon Testing
You can get a relatively inexpensive test to determine the radon levels in your home. Testing strategies fall into two general categories: short term testing, which may take only a few days; or long term testing, which could take several months. While long term testing gives you a better indication of the radon exposure, people often choose short term testing for faster results.

Understanding Radon Levels
Radon levels are reported in one of three different units of measure:

• The most common unit of measure in the United States is pico Curies per Liter (pCi/L)
• The most common unit of measure in Canada is Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3)
• You may also see the term working levels (WL), common in scientific literature

Fixing a Radon Problem
If you have radon levels at or above the action level, you should take action. The most common remedial technique involves depressurizing the soil under your home. If your home has a basement or slab-ongrade, a suction pipe is inserted through the slab into the gravel below. Then suction is applied to the pipe to draw radon in the soil towards the pipe, effectively sucking the radon out of the home. Cost for a sub-slab suction system ranges from about $1,000 to $3,000.

In the past, remediation involved a trial-and-error approach. A technician might try sealing all of the cracks in the basement, such as a gap between the floor slab and the foundation, and then conduct a re-test. If the re-test shows acceptable levels, you may get away with paying only a few hundred dollars for the fix. But if sealing the cracks does not solve the problem you will have to go to the next level of remediation. Most people feel that it is better to do a proper, comprehensive fix the first time.You can also dilute radon by increasing the ventilation rate in your home. Adding a heat-recovery ventilator brings fresh air into the home, discharges stale air outside, and swaps heat in the process to prevent heat-energy loss. But this approach does not sit well with everyone since it effectively lets in radon in order to deal with it.

Everyone knows that snacks and movies make a blockbuster combination.

But did you know the food you buy at the concession stand also says a lot about what kind of friend you are? Research by physicians shows that there is a real connection between how we treat ourselves and how we treat others.

So pick your favorite movie munchie and unwrap the secrets to your popularity.

NACHOS: You are the life of the party.

POPCORN: You are loyal.

TWIZZLERS: You are a kid at heart.

JUNIOR MINTS: You are super generous.

MILKY WAY: You are full of surprises.

Here are a few environmentally-friendly solutions to remove soap scum in the shower or tub.

1. Bye-bye, buildup. Put vinegar in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour into a spray bottle and mist the shower. Let sit a few minutes, then rub away.

2. Re-use dryer sheets. Rubbing shower doors and tiles with fabric softener sheets after bathing will prevent soap scum.

3. Lemony fresh. Apply lemon oil with a cloth to tiles to remove film and protect against future stains.

4. Squeaky clean. Combine a cup of baking soda and water to make a paste. Coat your tiles, leave 15 minutes, rinse. Want to get rid of soap scum from now on? Just switch from bar soap, which contains soap-scum-forming talc, to liquid shower gel.

The following numbers will give you an idea what to expect to see:

• Average outdoor level is 0.3 pCi/L or 10 Bq/m3
• Average indoor level is 1.2 pCi/L or 45 Bq/m3
• Indoor action level in the United States is 4 pCi/L or 150 Bq/m3
• Indoor action level in Canada is 22 pCi/L or 800 Bq/m3
(the level at the time of writing of this article, expected to change soon to 200 Bq/m3 )

Action level is the level at which you should take steps to reduce the radon gas entering your home.

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Pillar To Post Newsletter January 2012

Posted on January 9, 2012 by oi_admin - Post Notes

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Some people do spring cleaning in, well, spring. I prefer to do it before I start a new endeavor. In preparation for the New Year, you will need to make room for your new adventures and opportunities in your life.

Clean Up Your Schedule
Start with freeing up your time. Do you find yourself on the computer or in front of the television only to look up and see that 2 hours have passed?

Time is a unique gift in that it passes whether you are using it consciously or not, and you can’t get it back.

If you want to know if you have any extra hours in the day, record how you spend your time for the next 14 days. Do so diligently in 15 minute increments.

I realized that it takes me 30 minutes in the morning to begin doing anything. When I figured this out, I tried to squeeze my morning time in order to exercise and meditate before I head out to work. I set the alarm for a half hour earlier.

For the New Year you might want to develop new habits like exercising, but you may think, “I don’t have the time.” Find out where you are spending your time, and take steps to cut the fat from your schedule.

Clean Up Your Living Space
Make physical space in your life. Get rid of knick-knacks. File the pile of bills on your desk. You might have bought new clothes, but left the unworn clothes in the closet. Get organized, and create some physical space in your world.

It may seem irrelevant to do this in order to achieve your goals for the coming year. However, having space in your physical surroundings translates into calm, openness, and peace of mind. It will become a place where you sprout fresh ideas.

Prune Your Circle
Ask yourself the question: “Who supports my genius and purpose, and who must be left behind?”

Sometimes old friends fall away without deliberate action when they become out of step with you. On the other hand, sometimes we cling to relationships that drain our energy rather than infuse us with zeal. Rather than do anything drastic like never calling back or confronting a friend, try just shifting your social time and energy to people who are fueling you. When you do this your circle of friends will morph into one that supports your goals.

Make room for the New Year; it is here!

More minor accidents occur in the bathroom than in any other room. The good news is they are mostly preventable with these easy steps.

Make it a fall-free zone. Swap cloth bath mats for a rug with a non-slip backing or liner. Also make your tub slip-free with a non-skid mat or adhesive strips.

Prevent shock. Shock is typically caused when hair dryers and electric razors touch water. The solution would be to replace your wall outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter, which automatically cuts off power when appliances get wet.

Set your hot water heater. Eliminate the potential for scalding by setting your hot water temperature to 120 degrees F or 48 degrees C. Replace your tub spout with a Hot Stop spout that reduces water to a trickle if it reaches dangerous temperatures.

Splash some colour on the walls. A white tub and toilet along with white walls can lead to falls for children or for people that do not have good vision. Adding bright trim or decals will prevent mishaps since the edges can be identified easily.

BONUS TIP: The best way to dry tub toys is in a net or mesh basket. It allows for even drying so that germs can’t grow and spread. And wash toys that trap water, like rubber ducks, with a diluted bleach solution, then rinse.

Once a child moves away from home it might be time to consider updating their kid-friendly room to make it more guest appropriate. The main focus of any bedroom is the bed, so why not make it stand out with a unique and interesting headboard.

• A D-I-Y headboard is a great way to add class to any room without breaking the bank.

• Experiment with one of these fun projects

• Create a focal point by painting grid boxes in bright colors on the wall, aligned above the bed.

• Get an illusion of a headboard by painting the wall area over the bed a different color and lining it with wallpaper trim.

• Create rustic ambiance by repurposing vintage doors or window frames and hanging them above the bed.

• Design a custom fabric headboard with bed linens that have matching sheets, comforters and drapes. Once the headboard is complete, extend the project by adding a new coat of paint, a glamorous chandelier and a new area rug to create the ultimate retreat for your guest.

The extra living space that a finished basement can provide is a real bonus. Here are some key points to consider to provide the best situation for your family.

1. CREATE GOOD HEADROOM.
a minimum of 6 ft. 8 in., but 7 ft. 6 in. or more is ideal.

2. THE NEXT ISSUE IS WARMTH.
Insulate walls, upgrade windows and address the issue of cold concrete floors.

3. ADD LIGHTING.
with dimmer switches and arrange in small well lit areas.

4. PAINT COLORS.
should be warm but not dark. Trim should be painted white or off-white, semi-gloss.

5. STORAGE.
can be added at a relatively low cost. Combine areas that are hidden behind doors with some open shelving to make the space seem bigger.

The electrical outlet not only provides vital access to the electrical current that makes your house hum, but it also warrants deeper consideration for reasons of comfort and safety. Our Pillar To Post® inspectors have seen it all when it comes to incorrect outlet wiring, a safety hazard if left unattended. But before we discuss safety measures, let’s start with a quick tour of this component and its mate, the plug. Hidden behind the outlet is a series of wires that must be properly connected for the outlet’s safe functioning. On a modern electrical outlet that accommodates a three-pronged plug, each hole serves a specific purpose: the round hole is for the ground pin on the plug; the small slot takes the small blade on the plug and connects to the “hot” wire in the outlet (the wire that can cause a shock); the large slot takes the large blade and connects to the “neutral” wire in the outlet. Specific wires have to be connected to the proper terminals for an outlet’s safe function. Pillar To Post® inspectors spot-check outlets with a tester during every inspection.

Reverse Polarity
The large slot and small slot on an electrical outlet, and the different-sized blades on a plug, designate their respective polarizations, and ensure that the plug goes in the outlet only one way, a safety feature that reduces the chances of shock. A light-bulb socket has exposed electrical connections, the threads being the most exposed part. But polarized socket threads are attached to the neutral wire to prevent someone from getting a shock when changing a light bulb. If the electrical outlet itself is mis-wired with reverse polarity, the lamp socket threads described above will become “hot”. Touching the threads in the socket, or on the bulb as you screw it into the socket, may give you a shock.

Outlet Not Grounded
In older homes, sometimes the cable leading to the outlet does not have a ground wire, yet the outlet has nonetheless been upgraded to a modern grounded type. Some plug-in electrical devices need this ground connection for their built-in safety features. If the outlet appears to be grounded but is not, the device’s safety features will not work.

Old Outlets
In older homes outlets may have no ground slot at all. This does not represent a defect or safety concern, but you will not be able to plug in an electrical appliance that has a ground pin on the plug. Today, most plug-in appliances are not the grounded style and, therefore, do not use or have a ground pin on the plug because they are a double insulated design. the old ungrounded outlet will work fine. If you think it might be a good idea to simply cut off the ground pin to accommodate an outlet without a ground hole, think again. This procedure is doubly unsafe because it not only bypasses the grounding safety feature, but also it bypasses the polarizing feature since a de-pinned plug can be inserted into the outlet either way.

Experts say that key numbers reveal insights into what makes you tick.

1. Leadership. You are a go-getter. You have no problem taking action.

2. Harmony. You are diplomatic - kind, sensitive and fair, you sometimes seem indecisive.

3. Intuition. You are creative - transform different elements into something new.

4. Stability. You are grounded - dependable, down-to-earth and wonderfully supportive.

5. Expansion. You are adventurous - always looking for the next big adventure.

6. Compassion. You are nurturing - with an instinctive understanding of others and a big picture outlook.

7. Mystery. You are a searcher - deeply curious and a great inventor.

8. Success. You are dynamic - with virtually endless energy and determination.

9. Completion. You are enlightened - graduated from the school of hard knocks and experience.

Here are some great uses for the mouthwash that usually sits on your bathroom counter.

• KILL KITCHEN GERMS. Wipe down your sink handles and basin with a rag dipped in mouthwash. It will instantly kill germs and add shine to your sink.

• CLEAN THE TOILET. Pour in mouthwash and let it sit for half an hour, then swish it around with a toilet brush for a clean bowl.

• GOODBYE ODORS. To get rid of strong odors left on your hands after cooking with garlic and onions, dip a cotton ball in mouthwash and rub it over your hands.

• STOP MOLD GROWTH. Use an old toothbrush dipped in mouthwash to clean and sanitize the grout in your bathrooms.

While it should go without saying that the relevant circuit breaker should be shut off prior to working on any electrical device - let us state this here as a safety precaution.

Outlet is Warm or Gives Off Sparks
Not good. Unplug all cords. Get inside and make sure that wire ends are all firmly connected. If there is any doubt about the condition of the receptacle, simply replace it.

Circuit Breaker Tripping or Fuse Burning Out
The most common reason for circuit breaker tripping is an overloaded system. Turn off appliances that consume a lot of electricity, flip the breaker, and try again.

A Light or Appliance Doesn’t Turn On
If the circuit breaker trips or fuse burns out, then lights and appliances will not work. But this usually affects a series of lights or series of appliances.

Cord Falls Out of Outlet
Bend out prongs to make the wire stay in the outlet or easily replace wires for lamps. Be careful about appliance cords, though - given the high power draws. Finally, the outlet may simply need to be replaced if it is old enough.