TIG Mugs Available Online!

By popular demand the TIG Property Maintenance ‘Big Tea Mug’ is now available online. Definitely a must for all those guys who like their tea or coffee in large quantities in the morning! Our ‘Mug Makers’ have provided an easy online store to allow you to order your own.

Remember that every sip should be followed by the phrase : “That IS Good!”.

Visit Mug Store

Top 10 Window Cleaning Tips

Many people put off cleaning windows or struggle through it because they make the same mistakes I have made for 47 years. I had it all wrong! Do you want crystal clear windows – just like you see at businesses and commercial buildings? Here is how to achieve it!

1. Use the Right Tools – You must use the professional squeegees, soap and applicators I have already spoken of. If you don’t, your windows will look like they do now!

2. A Clean Scrubber – Always start the job with a clean scrubber or lambs wool applicator, sponge and/or porcupine cleaner. A dirty applicator can leave dirt behind. Rinse the scrubber frequently if you are cleaning many windows, especially dirty windows.

3. Watch the Sun – NEVER wash windows in direct sunlight. The sun can superheat the glass and cause all sorts of streaking problems.

4. Holding the Squeegee – Hold the squeegee at an angle so the water runs down the glass. In other words, mimic the motion or setting of a snow plow. The blade on a plow aims towards where the snow ends up. If a plow simply aims straight ahead, snow flows out of the plow at both ends. You don’t want water flowing from both ends of the squeegee.

5. Wipe the Blade – After each squeegee stroke, you must wipe the rubber blade with your lint free cloth. Placing a wet squeegee on the glass will leave a blade mark. You will get good at quickly wiping the blade.

6. Don’t Cut it Close – Overlap squeegee strokes by about one and one half inches. Remember to angle the squeegee so water flows towards the wet window surface, NOT the area that is clean and dry.

7. Lots of Water – When first washing the window with the scrubber, use a liberal amount of cleaning water. You want the dirt to come off the window with this solution. Use a decent amount on interior glass surfaces, but not so much as to cause a flood or standing water on woodwork.

8. Go Sideways – Horizontal squeegee strokes are recommended when at all possible. If you are right handed, the left side of the window pane will have triangles of water left behind with each stroke. You will wipe these at the end with a final vertical stroke going from the top of the pane to the bottom of the pane.

9. Wipe the Edges – There will always be water marks or spots at the edge of the window pane. After all squeegee action is complete, wipe the entire window edge with the lint free cloth.

10. Practice First – Practice with the squeegee when you first get it. It may be hard to control. Professionals often use an 18 inch model. You might want to start with a 12 inch squeegee and work your way up to a larger model once you develop good hand/eye coordination.

How to find a good electrician

There are a lot of different sub contractors out there. There are some that you can get away with using because they are cheap even though they are not experienced. But then there are others that you will want to make sure that they are experienced and know what they are doing so that your house will be safe and you will be able to pass code. For example one sub contractor that you want to make sure is experienced is your electrician. If you don’t even know where to begin finding a good electrician here are some tips that will help you.

The first tip is to ask around to your friends and family and see what electricians they have had experiences with. This will help you to get to know good and bad electricians. Some people will have bad experiences to tell you about while others will have really good experiences to share. You will want to make sure that you stay away from the electricians that you do not hear good things about.

The second tip is to call different electrical stores that sale strictly to electricians and see who they would recommend. You will want to make sure that if you check out electricians this way that you ask for references when you meet with the electrician. You will also want to find out how long they have been in business and what type of projects they have done. This will help you to get a feel for what they are experienced in and what they are not.

The third tip is to look electricians up in the phone book. You will want to first call at least four or five and then get bids from everyone of them. You will want to make sure that when you get bids do not just look at the final number but also look at everything that is included in each bid. You might get higher allowances for fixtures with one electrician than you do with another which is going to cause your bid to be hire. Once you have picked two or three electricians from the ones that you have called then you will want to do a little interview with each one of them. Find out information about the different projects they have going on right now. Ask them how far their schedule is out and the most important thing is to make sure that you find out how much experience they have. The reason that this is so important is because there are so many different things that can go wrong that can cause serious damage if things are not hooked up right. You could even have a house fire start if the wires are not connected correctly. So make sure you really get to know who your electrician is. Also you will want to ask for references so that you can call and ask about the electricians work but also ask about how close their final invoice was to their first original bid. You will want to make sure that you get an honest electrician that is going to do the best job for you.

These are just a few of the tips on finding a good electrician. There are a lot of other things that you can ask and look at when you are shopping around for an electrician. You just want to make sure that you hire an electrician that you trust and that you can work with. If you do this you won’t have as many problems as you would if you just picked a name out of the phone book without doing any research.

Avoid Plumbing Disasters

Plumbing emergencies can occur at any time, and often occur at inconvenient times. Even if you have new plumbing installed in your home, broken or cracked pipes, internal clogs and other issues can develop and are invariably expensive to fix. While you can’t prevent every emergency, there are ways to protect and maintain home plumbing to minimise complicated repairs down the road.

Investigate Any Leaks
Leaky faucets and fixtures may indicate internal problems such as broken or missing o-rings or loose pipes. Taking care of minor leaks before they become worse is recommended to avoid future problems. By removing the faucet spout, you will be able to check the o-rings and replace them if necessary. If your sink still leaks, you may want to call a plumber to do a routine inspection. Repairing minor damage quickly may save a lot of money later on. Fixing leaks can also save money in annual water costs and help save litres of scarce water in the process.

Look After Your Drains
Plumbers commonly remove hair, grease and a wide range of unexpected items from drains. To prevent blocked drains, it is important not to put fat and grease down your kitchen drain, to avoid allowing excessive hair down your bathroom and shower drains, and make sure items like children’s toys aren’t flushed down toilets.

Tree roots are a major cause of blocked drains, and will cause significant damage that often leads to recurring blockages. This should be kept in mind when choosing where to plant trees, and what species of tree to plant. A little planning will often prevent needing to call a plumber to attend to a plumbing emergency.

Test Your Main Water Valve
The main water valve controls water flow throughout your entire home. If a pipe bursts, you can turn off the water to prevent further leakage until a plumber arrives. The valve will located near the main water supply pipes, and should be kept in working condition at all times. To test the main water valve, turn on the water in a sink or bathtub. Turn off the main valve. The water should turn off completely. If the valve isn’t working, you should consider engaging a professional plumbing company to replace the control valve.

By maintaining the plumbing in your home, you will be able to prevent major plumbing emergencies that could end up costing a significant amount. Engaging a plumber to fix minor leaks and other issues before they get worse is a great way to invest in your home and increase your peace of mind.

Mould Removal Tips

Did You Know…

• Mold spores remain allergenic and toxic even when dead.
• Porous materials (e.g., carpet, sheetrock) from which microbial growth cannot be adequately cleaned must be removed from the building.
• Boric acid (borax) or hydrogen peroxide is very effective at killing molds. They do not have an odor and are recommended for people with chemical sensitivities. However, small minorities of people have reported sensitivities to boric acid.
• Vacuuming may temporarily increase exposure to mold spores. The spores can pass through ordinary vacuum bags and remain suspended in the air for hours or days. Central vacuums that vent outside are recommended, or vacuums fitted with HEPA filters and micro-filtration vacuum bags to help minimize this exposure.
• Carpet cleaning should be performed by trained professionals that utilize hot water extraction. Ensure that the cleaned carpets dry out in less than 24 hours. Chemical cleaning methods can leave a residue that attracts soil and other contaminants.
• A HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) air cleaner, with or without a charcoal filter, can be utilized in addition to source removal and ventilation to remove unwanted airborne contaminants. Relying on an air cleaner alone to solve a significant mold problem is insufficient.

Safety Precautions

• Spores are easily released into the air when moldy material is dried out. Mold counts are typically 10 to 1000 times higher than background levels during the cleaning of mold damaged materials. Take steps to protect your health during cleanup. When working on mold patches, always protect yourself with an appropriate facemask. For small localized areas, use an inexpensive disposable face mask (N95), which you can buy at a hardware store; for larger areas, use a full-face respirator with an approved, disposable HEPA filter, which you can obtain from a safety supply store. (See New York City’s Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments )
• Never mix ammonia detergent with bleach, as it can release dangerous chlorine gas.
• Always ventilate your work area when using bleach (Clorox). If possible, open two opposite outside doors or windows. A fan will increase airflow. Position it (the fan) so that the Clorox fumes are directed away from the breathing zone.
• Never use a gasoline engine indoors (e.g. pressure washer, generator, etc.)—You could expose yourself and your family to carbon monoxide.
• If you see moisture condensation on the windows or walls, it is also possible that you have a combustion problem in your home. It is important to have sufficient fresh air available for fuel burning appliances, such as the furnace, water heater, stove/range, clothes dryer, as well as a fireplace. A shortage of air for these appliances can result in back drafting of dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide into the home. To prevent back drafting of air, you need either open vents or a ventilation system that brings fresh air into the home to replace air that is exhausted out. Have your local utility company or a professional heating contractor inspect your fuel-burning appliances annually.

Hidden Mold

In some cases, indoor mold growth may not be obvious. It is possible that mold may be growing on hidden surfaces, such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Investigating hidden mold problems may be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth—make sure to use personal protective equipment or consult an environmental professional for help (e.g., an industrial hygienist or indoor air quality consultant).