Happy Halloween

Gardens Home Management Services Wishes Everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Palm Beach County Facebook Page

Gardens Home Management is now following the Palm Beach County Facebook Page.  We believe it is a great page to receive exposure and hopefully generate some business leads!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/PalmBeachCounty

Executive Club Members

Gardens Home Management Services is Proud members of the Executive Club. 

Executive Club, Boca Raton, Florida

The Executive Club has been designed as an influential networking group. The concept behind the Club is to network with successful professionals from Woodfield Country Club along with many other high level executives from the greater Boca Raton area. Each Executive Club candidate will be considered and is subject to approval by the membership committee and applications will be considered on a first come, first serve basis. Executive Club members receive maximum exposure and a chance to develop new business contacts within Woodfield and the surrounding area. Within the Club, we take great pride in the fact that all members work towards helping one another. One of the most important attributes of the club is its referral system. As business professionals, we realize that word of mouth is one of the strongest and greatest methods of reaching large groups of people. As we like to say, a referral is the greatest compliment we can receive.

Check out Chips Profile: http://www.bocaratonexecutiveclub.com/csollins.html

Matching paint means never having to say... OOPS!

Matching a color is as easy as putting a hole in the wall...

The assumption here is that you need to repair the wall, or maybe the paint has been stained somehow. Though you could borrow or buy a set of paint chips from your local paint store, I have found a quality paint store will do a better matching job than most people will... if you provide them with a small paint sample.
If your walls are drywall, simply cut out a section of the paper only with a utility knife. Cut an oval-shaped, 1"x 2" slot in the wall, piercing only through the surface of the paper... an eighth of an inch deep is plenty. Use the knife to lift a corner of the paper, and then peel it from the wall. Take this sample to the paint store for matching. The cleaner the cut, the easier the patching.
You can also cut out a small section of plaster, though it is somewhat messier.

Don't do touchups in high traffic areas or over repairs... paint the wall instead!

If the walls were painted more than a few years ago, the walls will not touch up well at all (the exception being with stock off whites from the same manufacturer... in other words an exact color match). The effective gloss or sheen of paints from different manufacturers (yes... even flat paints vary in "flatness") will make a touchup show even in the color match is perfect!
This is especially true in high traffic, fingerprints-on-the-walls type areas! Get a quart of closely matching paint, and just paint that wall, corner to corner, being careful not to get any of the new paint on an adjacent wall. You will be amazed how even slightly different colors will blend well at a corner.

Portable Generators Hazard Tips

Portable generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed, but they also can be hazardous. The primary hazards to avoid when using a generator are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, electric shock or electrocution, and fire. Every year, people die in incidents related to portable generator use. Incidents associated with portable generators reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) most commonly involve CO poisoning from generators used indoors or in partially-enclosed spaces.

Carbon Monoxide Hazard

NEVER use a generator in enclosed or partially-enclosed spaces. Generators can produce high levels of CO very quickly. When you use a portable generator, remember that you cannot smell or see CO. Even if you can’t smell exhaust fumes, you may still be exposed to CO. If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY. DO NOT DELAY. The CO from generators can rapidly lead to full incapacitation and death.
If you experience serious symptoms, get medical attention immediately. Inform medical staff that CO poisoning is suspected. If you experienced symptoms while indoors, have someone call the fire department to determine when it is safe to reenter the building.
Follow these safety tips to protect against CO poisoning:

• NEVER use a generator indoors, including in homes, garages, basements, crawl spaces, and other enclosed or partially-enclosed areas, even with ventilation. Opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent CO build-up in the home.
• Follow the instructions that come with your generator. Locate the unit outdoors and away from doors, windows, and vents that could allow CO to come indoors.
• Install battery-operated CO alarms or plug-in CO alarms with battery back-up in your home, according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. The CO alarms should be certified to the requirements of the latest safety standards for CO alarms (UL 2034, IAS 6-96, or CSA 6.19.01).
• Test your CO alarms frequently and replace dead batteries.

Mounting a Flat Panel TV Monitor on a Concrete Wall

It seems like everyone has a modern flat screen TV these days. Whether mounted on a wall, displayed on a TV stand or installed above a fireplace, these televisions can add real ambiance and décor to any room in your home. These televisions can be displayed in a variety of places to save room and create a fresh feel.
Mounting a flat screen television over a fireplace has become quite popular. However, certain precautions must be considered to ensure that the TV doesn't get damaged by the heat. Before installation, experiment with thermometers to make sure that the temperatures generated by the fireplace during normal use are within the heat guidelines in the user manual. Anchoring a flat TV above a fireplace is usually harmless with the appropriate distance and proper ventilation.



To read more about how to install a flat screen panel on a concrete wall - check out the natural handymans do-it-yourself article : http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infflatpanel/infflatpanel-concrete.html

Do It Yourself Home Soundproofing With continued urban sprawl, homes are being built closer together and space is becoming more of a commodity. Neighborhoods are now being built close to noise polluting airports, under popular flight paths, near railroad tracks and other places that are not as peaceful and quiet as we wish them to be. Dampening or eliminating the noise is now easier with do-it-yourself (DIY) kits offered by soundproof foam manufacturers. A variety of products are now on the market, including convoluted and non-convoluted foam, faced acoustical foam, polyimide foam, 100% fireproof melamine foam and closed cell acoustical foam. In addition to considering soundproofing foam for your home, you should take the following important considerations to mind: Windows are the path of least resistance for noise entering or leaving your home. In terms of windows, the most sound porous are single glass pains and wooden window frames. Using double pane glass alone can quickly reduce noise by as much as 20%, with vinyl flames reducing sound up to 50%.   If your home is older, your attic may lack insulation. Not only will adding insulation help reduce your energy bills; it can also help in your endeavor to soundproof your home. If you have an asphalt roof, adding extra layers of roofing material is an additional way to help dampen or eliminate noise, especially where aircraft is ever-present.   To prevent sound traveling within your home, your hallways should be built so that doorways are never across from one another. Since air is what enables sound to travel, drafts between rooms carries noise through open doors. In recent years, DIY soundproofing kits have become more popular as families build home theaters. For just a few hundred dollars, you can purchase all of the material necessary to complete soundproof your room, with direct results being more brilliant and better sound. With 4' X 8' sheets of foam panel, you can quickly adhere the panels to your existing walls using Velcro dots that are easily removable without damage. Some other helpful tips for soundproofing your home include: Each room in your home should have at least 25% of some type of absorbent material such as carpeting, furniture or draperies. Meeting this minimum will reduce noise generated by footsteps, televisions, instruments, stereos, pets and other noise producers. To further dampen noise in your home, you can add a second layer of drywall. For rooms racing streets, double drywall will greatly reduce the noise entering most homes. Rooms over living areas should have some form of padding or carpeting for soundproofing. In closing, there is one important thing to remember about soundproofing: you cannot overdo it! About the author:  Jesse Barron is a team member of American Micro Industries, Inc. (AMI). Since 1995, AMI has been manufacturing and globally distributing a variety of quality soundproof foams. For more information on soundproofing or to purchase, visit our online markeplace at http://www.soundprooffoam.com .