One of the most common ways a house can get damaged is because of water. Whether because of bad plumbing, burst pipes, flooding, excessive rain or snow, humidity or anything else, water damage is something you need to be prepared for. On top of that, the basement of your home is typically the most vulnerable to water damage because it’s below ground and water will find it’s way into cracks in the foundation. Nearly every basement experiences some form of water damage at some point.

Because of the basement’s vulnerability to water, it’s important to be proactive about your home safety. The best way you can do that is through basement waterproofing Toronto. Read on to find out some of the major benefits of waterproofing your basement.

Prevents Flooding

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s also the most important. If seepage gets through cracks in your basement, it can lead to structural damage, mold growth or worse. Performing simple waterproofing techniques like sealing foundational cracks and installing a drainage system and sump pump can be the difference in avoiding basement floods.

Can Reduce Insurance Costs

Nearly 20% of all insurance claims on homes arise because of water damage. When water damages more than just the foundation and seeps into the wood, drywall and other materials, the price of the claim can go way, way up. This water damage can occur because of torrential rains and storms or it could just be from a slow, unassuming leak. Despite how it occurs, waterproofing your basement will help to prevent flooding in either instance and will save you a heap of money when it comes to insurance claims.

Can Reduce Cooling and Heating Costs

When humidity gets into your home air, your HVAC system has to work double-time in order to cool or heat your home. When more energy is expelled in performing the same actions, you can expect the cost of your energy bill to rise sharply. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy says humidity can raise the bill by as much as 10-15%. When you’ve waterproofed your basement, humidity stays low and cooling and heating stay efficient.

Prevents Structural Damage

When edges of walls where flooring and wall materials meet get wet, significant structural damage can occur. This could even be so bad as to buckle walls or threaten the integrity of your home. Rather than taking a chance on potentially life-threatening structural damage, it can be beneficial to take preventative measures and waterproof your basement instead.

When it comes to childcare, you have several options. You can place your kids in after-school programs or let them stay with friends or family members. Another popular option is to hire a nanny. This person will babysit your kids while you are at work and may even perform light cleaning duties so you don’t have to do it when you get home. Although this option may be expensive, it is often preferable because it provides your kids with stability. However, it is also important to choose the right person since you will need to trust the nanny you hire. Here are three ways you can find a good nanny.

Use a Hiring Service

There are many services available that match you with good candidates for your nannying position. Many of these platforms allow you to input your preferences and match you with candidates that meet your criteria. As a bonus, all candidates on these platforms have already undergone extensive vetting and comprehensive background checks so you know they are trustworthy.

Ask for Recommendations

If you have friends that use nannies or have employed them in the past, you should start asking for references. Your friends may know of a good nanny looking for work. They may even know of a nanny they have worked with in the past so they can give you a personal recommendation. While most nannies can provide you with references when they interview for the position, you may be more comfortable hiring someone with a personal connection to someone you know.

Hire Someone You Know

You may not be comfortable allowing a stranger into your home to care for your children. While you may not know any nannies, you may know of people who would be great babysitters and are looking for work. You may have some friends who are stay-at-home moms and are willing to bring your kids into their homes every day. If you’re searching for childcare during the summer, you may know of some college students who are out of school and would love to make some extra money. If you look hard enough, you can probably find someone you already know who would take great care of your kids.

There are several ways to find a nanny. While you still need to make sure your chosen candidate is on board with your job expectations and gets along well with your kids, you can probably find the perfect person for the job in one of these three ways.

If you’ve signed up for a craft coffee subscription, you’re most likely a coffee connoisseur. You don’t settle for basic beans; instead, you’ve opened your pallet up to the richest, most diverse drinks coffee has to offer. If you’re looking to stay up with what’s trending in the coffee world, here are the top three drinks taking the world by storm in 2020.

1. Snapchilled Coffee

If you’re a fan of iced coffee and cold brew, get ready for something new to add to your menu. Snapchilled coffee takes the best features from each of these beverages and combines it to create something contemporary. The coffee is brewed hot but immediately snaps into a chilled beverage with certain technology. It creates a flavor profile that’s more mature. It doesn’t take as long to steep like cold brew and isn’t diluted from ice that has to go in iced coffee. It’s pretty much the best of both worlds when it comes to chilled coffee creations.

2. Coffee-Cola Coffee

Some people prefer to get caffeine from soda, and coffee and cola lovers soon won’t have to choose where they get their energy boost. Coffee-cola is just what it sounds like: coffee mixed with soda. It’s going to have double the caffeine of a regular soda and comes in traditional and vanilla flavors. If you’re looking to supplement your coffee with something different, this seems to fit the bill.

3. Coffee Spritzers

Hard alcoholic spritzers have popped up everywhere, and coffee is looking to jump on this trend minus the alcohol. A coffee spritzer is a regular coffee with a splash of seltzer water to give it that fizzy experience so many people love. Don’t be surprised if you burp during your morning meeting if you opt for this unique version of coffee.

Coffee is already one of the most trending items in culture today, but it’s still finding ways to adapt and maintain its relevancy. These three variations of your traditional cup of Joe show just how far black coffee has come and where it still can go.

Many people don’t realize how the decisions that they make within their businesses can create environments that have barriers for others. While accessibility for people with disabilities may not be an issue that is at the top of mind for everyone, you should create accessible spaces because it is the right thing to do, not to mention that they are also afforded federally mandated legal protection. If you want to create a more accessible environment for all, here are some places you should check.

Repairs

Even when your business is accessible, when accessible options fall to disrepair, you can find yourself with an issue. If you find yourself dealing with broken points of entry, make sure that you hire someone to address your automatic door repair New York or other entrances as soon as possible to ensure that everyone can come inside.

Desks and Furniture

Your office furniture is often made for those without disabilities, but think about how the level and height of a desk or reception area can impact someone’s ability to interact. Make sure that you have varied levels of interaction so that your space is open to everyone regardless.

Digital Presence

Many people realize the importance of making physical spaces accessible; however, not everyone considers how digital spaces can also have barriers. Whether users navigate webpages differently, process information in another way or input information in ways dissimilar from yourself, they need to have access to the same information.

Exterior Barriers

While you need to consider the aspects of your company that you can control, you also need to consider how people navigate the space outside of your building. Everything from removing physical blockages, curb cuts and easily navigable spaces can create an inaccessible environment for people with disabilities.

If you truly want to ensure that you have created an environment for all, make sure that you address the barriers that can keep people out and remove those. It is not just your responsibility, but it is the right thing to do.

Anyone who has the desire to create new and impressive items that can be useful to other people can try to invent things. Before rushing off to impress potential investors or customers with the idea, make sure that enough preliminary work has been done first.

1. Build Prototypes

While plenty of ideas look great on paper, in reality, they can be difficult to construct. Materials may not always act in the desired way, things that were supposed to move can freeze, while things that need to remain stationary may bend. Talk to experts and see about having parts built for a prototype. Places that specialize in welding, injection molding services, punching or laser cutting can be invaluable assets during the prototyping process.

2. Investigate Market

Not all inventions are successful, and even those that are may not be practical to sell to customers. Think critically about what sort of people make up the target market for the item being sold. There is a big difference between something that can attract a large group of people and a product that will only appeal to a small niche. No matter how wonderful the invention may be, if there is no market for it then it will not be a profitable item.

3. Consult a Lawyer

Securing a patent can be a lengthy process. It is a good idea to speak with an experienced patent lawyer that specializes in the industry the invention belongs to. Laws differ depending on the product, so do not use a lawyer that is trained in mechanical patents to help with something that is better served by a microbiology patent attorney.

Creating an invention can be exciting and occasionally frustrating, but in the end, it can be very rewarding. Keep trying and do not give up on a good idea just because it did not work out the first time.

The longer your business has operated out of the same commercial space, the easier it is for you to feel bored by your surroundings. While it might not always be in the budget, there is going to come a time when you absolutely need to invest in your space and give it a bit of a refresh. Thankfully, there are several ways to go about this that don’t cost you a small fortune. Take a look at these suggestions and see how you can breathe new life into your commercial space in no time.

Let in More Light

A business that allows natural light to flow in is one that has a wonderful appeal. Studies show that natural light has a way of boosting morale and making people feel happy. Think about your space and where the natural light enters from. If there are few windows, determine whether it is possible to create new points of entry for light. A bit of restructuring can really help flood the space with the maximum amount of light. Painting the walls white or lighter colors when there’s not much natural light can also help make a room feel spacious and airy.

Consider the Floors

The floors in your commercial space take more of a beating than any other feature. A successful company sees countless people pass through its doors in a given week. This means that you have people walking over the floor, scuffing it up with shoes, dropping heavy items, and generally taking away the sparkle. If your floors are made from a quality stone material, then you want to make sure you are properly caring for them. Look into commercial stone care Queens NY and discover how you can add a bit of luster back to your floors.

Change the Overall Flow

Sometimes, moving a few things around a space can work wonders for totally transforming a room’s look and feel. If you don’t have a lot of expendable cash in the budget for renovations, try working with what you’ve already got. Move around the furniture and see if there’s a way to encourage a better flow of operations. Depending on the space, your options might be limited. Still, this can be a wonderful way to encourage a sense of change without committing to a large-scale project.

When it comes to breathing new life into your commercial space, there are several ways to approach the task. Take time to think about your options and see what can be done to invigorate your office.

No matter what industry you work in, safety must be paramount for both employees and customers. As the administrator of your business or facility, there are several important boxes to check in your routine safety assessment, including updating security systems and ensuring automated door safety compliance. However, company-wide safety also stretches beyond these obvious things. Here are some guidelines for creating an effective safety culture in any business.

Find Out What Your Employees Already Know

Even if you have plenty of safety plans in place, do you know how well your employees know how to execute them? Communication is key to building a safety culture, and it’s never a bad thing to do some sort of assessment or drill to find out how well you’ve taught your emergency protocols to the people who will need them most. Even sending out a quick survey can be helpful in pinpointing areas where you can do more. 

Post Important Protocols in Intuitive Areas

Some safety plans are simple and intuitive. Others are not. It’s important to make sure your employees have access to a concise, easy-to-understand outline of a safety protocol right at hand in the areas where they might need them. Some things, like fire escape plans, can be posted in common areas where there is a lot of traffic. Others, such as protocols for dealing with chemical fires, should be available immediately near a work station where this event might occur.

Be the Example

If you are lax about wearing safety gear or following company safety rules, your employees will follow suit. The best way to instill an effective safety culture in your team is to be an example of how to stick to the plan. Encourage employees to practice or review protocols regularly, and be the first to do it yourself.

Listen With an Ear To Improve

One of the best ways to make sure your team is being safe is to build a relationship with the people on the front lines of the work. Help them feel comfortable enough to come to you with concerns or ideas on how to improve safety protocols. Help them know that their perspectives or opinions are important to you, and follow through on any promises to address the issues they present.

Make Safety Your First Concern

The safety of everyone who works in or visits your business is essential. Not only does it prevent damage to equipment or injuries to the people involved, it may also help keep you safe from litigation, bad press, and sleepless nights. Build a culture of safety, starting from the top down.

Whether you’re traveling for summer vacation or winter holidays, road construction can put a damper on the drive. Unfortunately, construction may occur anywhere in the country, in urban and rural areas, during the day or night, when it’s warm or cold, and on busy or quiet roads. You may never welcome construction, but there are some things you can do to ease your experience.

Merge Early or Wait and Accept Both Options

Many people prefer to merge as soon as they see the “construction ahead” sign, but there are some good reasons to wait until the last minute. Today, some traffic engineers are encouraging drivers to zipper in at the last moment. This move keeps two lanes of traffic moving rather than condensing all drivers into one lane. When you approach a construction zone and notice that some drivers merge right away while others wait, take a deep breath and recognize that both options are appropriate.

Follow the Speed Limit and the Crew Flaggers

There are many road construction Boston MA situations, and you may feel tempted to ignore the reduced speed limit or the crew flaggers who seem to be everywhere. However, in addition to legal and financial penalties, the likelihood of injuring another person or damaging your vehicle increases with as congestion increases and tempers flare. Protect yourself and the drivers and passengers around you by slowing down and paying attention to flaggers.

Focus on Your Driving, Not the Construction

Did you know that rear-end collisions are the most common crash to happen in a construction zone? As traffic slows, you may find your attention wandering to the crews working around you. However, in stop-and-go traffic, it only takes a moment of inattention to roll into the back of the car ahead of you. Maintain an appropriate distance between you and the car ahead and avoid distractions. (These distractions may also include changing the radio dial, fiddling with your phone, or talking to your passengers.

Use Calming Techniques

The delays in construction zones are often frustrating, but they are necessary for an efficient transportation system. Whether you use deep breathing or listen to soothing music, find a calming technique that works for you. When you can get through a construction zone without losing your cool, your day will certainly be better, and you just might avoid accidents and injuries along the way.

What are some great tips you’ve found for getting through road construction? Have you ever found the good in a construction zone?

Teaching your teen to drive can be a scary, daunting responsibility before you want him or her to be a safe driver. You can’t rely solely upon a driver’s education book or class to teach your teen because practice is an essential part of learning to drive. Here are three tips to make you more comfortable when teaching from the passenger’s seat.

Start With the Basics

Make sure your teen understands the basics of driving. He or she may already be familiar with traditional traffic safety signs, but make sure he or she is also aware of what different dashboard icons mean. Teens can’t be safe drivers if they don’t know what indicates the vehicle has low tire pressure or an engine problem. Make sure your kids have a thorough understanding of how their vehicles operate so they know what to do if something goes wrong.

Offer Plenty of Practice Time

As with any skill, practice makes perfect when it comes to driving. Your teens probably won’t be great drivers the first time they get behind the wheel, but instead of restricting them because of this, you need to provide them with numerous opportunities to improve their skills. If you aren’t confident letting them drive on the open road, take your teens to a rural area or empty parking lot to let them practice without the fear of running into anything. Take a few traffic cones with you and set them up to designate parking spaces so you can teach your teen to maneuver the care correctly. As he or she becomes more confident behind the wheel, you can start traveling short distances on busy streets so he or she gets used to traffic. The goal is to have a completely comfortable driver when he or she turns sixteen and attempts to get a license.

Teach in Different Weather Conditions

You may be tempted to only let your teen drive during favorable weather conditions but this practice only sets him or her up for failure. Once teens get their licenses, they drive in all types of weather conditions so you need to make sure they stay comfortable behind the wheel whether it is snowing, raining or sunny.

You have a responsibility to teach your teen to be a good driver. Although the process can be scary, you will feel more confident in your teen’s ability to drive if you use these three tips as part of your teaching method.