Handyman Salaries - Home Repairs

A handyman is a person who does odd jobs related to electrical fittings, plumbing, house cleaning, and garden upkeep. Salaries paid to handymen depend on whether they are self-employed or work for a contractor or franchisee. Self-employed handymen are paid on an hourly basis whereas handy men that work for an organization are paid monthly salaries.

Handymen salaries vary from state to state and are usually higher in big cities such as New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, and others. Handymen salaries also depend on the experience and skills of a handyman, which means that a handyman with more experience and skills will be paid more than a handyman who has lesser experience.

Based on independent salary surveys, the median pay range for self-employed handymen ranges from fifteen to twenty-five dollars an hour. The median salaries are however less than average salaries, which range from twenty to thirty dollars per hour. Handymen that are employed in an organization can get salaries ranging from thirty-five to forty-five thousand dollars, depending on the remuneration policies of the organization. Handyman services firms also pay commission to their employees in case they bring new work opportunities through their own contacts. They may also get bonuses if they complete their work before time.

Handymen normally prefer working for a contractor or other firms as they have plenty of resources for generating work opportunities. Working in an organization is better then being self-employed, as handymen do not have to use their salaries for purchasing tools and equipment, which is provided by the organization.

Individuals who cannot afford the services of a handyman due to their service rates can perform all the tasks done by handymen with the help of do it yourself (DIY) handyman guides available in the market. They can also take help from friends and acquaintances that have done similar type of work.

Handyman provides detailed information on Handyman, Handyman Services, Starting A Handyman Business, Handyman Tips and more. Handyman is affiliated with Home Remodeling

Rusted Electrical Box Exterior

Asphalt Shingle Roofing - Poway Home Remodeling

Is it any wonder why almost 80% of homes in North America use asphalt shingles as the roofing material of choice. The prevalence of asphalt shingles has created a vast assortment of fittings and fixtures designed to work with them. Items such as a multitude of flashing configurations, edge products, and almost every skylight manufactured has an appropriate base configuration for a weatherproof connection with asphalt shingles. All of the material that you need for a proper installation, such as the shingles, tarpaper, nails, vent boots and chimney flashing are available at any home improvement retailer.

The primary attributes of asphalt tiles are:

• reasonably priced (economical),
• require very little maintenance,
• versatile,
• provide excellent protection on steep sloped roofs,
• are weather and sunlight resistant,
• easy to cut,
• can be nailed by hand or with powered nailers.

There are two different types of asphalt shingle base material construction - composition and fiberglass. Composition shingles use a base material termed organic felt, which is a blend of paper and wood fibers. Fiberglass, on the other hand, uses a base that is comprised of a fiberglass mat. In both cases, once the base material is produced it is soaked in an asphalt compound. In numbers sold, fiberglass leads the market. They are less expensive, weigh less because they are thinner, have a longer wear life and have a better fire rating than the composition base shingles.

Average cost of a shingle roof is $50 to $150 per square, installed. Removal of old shingles will cost between $30 and $50 per square.

Both types of asphalt shingles are manufactured with embedded mineral granules. Seeing the granules in your eaves trough (after the initial installation) is a sure sign that you need to repair or replace the shingles.

Where just a few years ago asphalt shingles were only available in simple tab configurations in blacks, grays and browns, the manufacturers have expanded their product lines to include a vast array of colors, profiles and with the use of laminate coatings have created as assortment of eye pleasing textures. Special chemicals are also being blended into the shingles to make them mold and algae resistant. Although these additional features do increase the price per square, asphalt shingles are still the most economical roofing material available.

Drawbacks:

The serviceable life of asphalt shingles is the lowest of all the roofing materials. Although they are available in numerous grades designated by the expected life, from 15 to 50 years they often need repair or replacement long before their supposed life has expired. The hotter the climate, the shorter the life of asphalt shingles. Many of the asphalt shingle problems that are encountered by homeowners are a direct result of two factors:

• poor initial installation
• damage due to sever weather

Poor installation usually occurs in the area of deck preparation, and not providing adequate flashing around items that are protruding through the roof such as vent pipes and chimneys. Other poor installation methods are not using the required amount of nails per shingle and nailing in the wrong area of the shingle. There are many fly-by-night roofing companies that will quote low prices, because they won't be around to stand behind the workmanship. Choose a roofing contractor carefully.

Roof Repairs:

You should inspect your shingled roof and all the flashing at least once a year and after any major storm such as a hurricane. Hurricane winds will remove entire shingles and lift others. Sun and rain can cause asphalt shingles to crack. You should also go into the attic and look up, any sign of daylight means that there is a hole. When inspecting the roof look for shingles that have lost the granule minerals - bald spots, cracked and/or curled.

If you have to make a roof repair, choose a warm day so that the shingles will be flexible and unlikely to crack when lifted. The roofing cements also spread easier in warmer temperatures.

You will know when you have a roofing problem when you see beige spots appearing on ceilings and walls close to the ceiling. Beige spots are a sign of water damage.

Maintenance:

Roofing cement is the equivalent of duct tape for roofs. It will repair most leaks, cracked or torn shingles, patch flashing around vent pipes and chimneys. You can also use the roofing cement to cover nail heads that have been exposed.

Shingles fade with age so any replacement shingles used will most likely be visually obvious. Shingle over damaged ridge shingles, by nailing down all the corners of the old shingle first - do not remove them.

If you have to replace an entire shingle, lift each of the tabs and pry the nails out of the shingle of the one that needs to be replaced. Remove the top corners of the replacement shingle and very carefully, without damaging the tarpaper, slip it under the existing shingles.

Use roofing nails (large head, galvanized) to fix the new shingle to the roof decking. Use roofing cement to cover the nail heads.

Planning and knowledge are the keys to any successful home improvement, remodel or landscaping project!

For additional information on roofing materials for your home or other renovation projects, including landscaping, visit Renovation Headquarters

Home Buyer Beware - Who's Watching the Construction of Your Home?

In 2005, over 1.2 million new single family homes were built and sold in the U.S. Thats new houses being built by thousands of large and small contractors. And the number one complaint is that the quality of the work was less than satisfactory.

In fact, if you bring up the word contractor at any cocktail party, everyone has a horror story to tell. If youre having a home built, you start to wonder, Whos watching the construction of my home? Who makes sure its built right?

Most new homeowners I talk to say, Well, isnt the local building inspector taking care of that? Yes, to some extent they make sure the house is built right - but only from a building code standpoint.

Remember that the building codes are minimum standards your builder must follow. For example, the code says that a bathroom exhaust fan must provide a given number of air changes per hour for a given size of bathroom. The code doesnt care how noisy the exhaust fan is.

The codes cover design criteria that are intended to keep your house from failing structurally. Codes also emphasize life safety issues, to protect you if you are not smart enough to know that you shouldnt use your hair dryer in the bathtub.

Its what the building inspector does NOT inspect that you should be concerned about. Rarely do they climb onto your roof to see that the roofing shingles are installed properly to prevent them from blowing off in the first wind storm. I dont recall ever seeing any local code inspector check to see that the tile around your shower has a moisture barrier to prevent mold problems later.

If the building inspector is not watching your house construction, then your builder must take responsibility for the other 10,000 opportunities to build things right (or wrong). Many of the biggest builders in the country have internal inspection systems to ensure their homes are built right, but many do not. Some builders use third-party inspection organizations to check some of the structural items that the code inspector does not check.

Chances are, your new house was not inspected to the extent that you will be satisfied. What can you do?

The number one solution is to educate yourself and dont be afraid to ask questions if it looks like something is not right. One of the easiest ways to do this is to get copies of the installation instructions from the manufacturer of the products being installed on your house. Many are available on the Internet at the manufacturers Web site.

Another way you can protect your investment is to hire an independent inspector to periodically check the work in progress. This can be expensive, but its a bargain compared to what lawyers working on the problems that occur later may have to charge per hour. Check out the inspectors qualifications; some home inspectors may be knowledgeable about new construction but may lack the experience needed to do a thorough examination.

People often hire inspectors after the house is built, just before they close on the sale. Houses must be inspected as they are built. Most inspection people are hired too late in the process, when the most important things are covered up or are difficult to fix.

Ask your builder if he uses an independent inspector. How often and at what milestones does he inspect the home? Are there inspection reports available for you to see?

Homeowner beware: dont assume that your home is being built right. Take control of the outcome by educating yourself about construction practices and making sure your new home gets the quality focus you paid for.

Gary is an independent construction quality advisor. He visits hundreds of housing job sites a year, coaching, auditing and generally raising the bar on quality. Gary is also the primary author and producer of the website at http://qcfocus.com

Harvesting Rainwater - Home Advice

The so-called "green" harvesting of roof-shed rainwater with above-ground rain barrels or catch tanks reduces the watershed that currently overloads some of our municipal sewer and storm-water drainage systems. Still, could we do the same thing by installing underground cisterns similar to those used during the 1800's and early 1900's?

Description of theearlier cisterns

Many older homes and estates today still have the remnants of their early underground rainwater cisterns. These fairly large round, water-tight, root-free, 500-to-5000-gallon cisterns were madefrom brick, stone, rock, plaster,concrete, or combinations of these materials. They were each capped withan above-ground manhole-typeof openinglarge enough totake a big bucket. Thisopeningallowed the cisternto be periodically cleaned-out and repaired by the owner or by a third-party service.

The tin or zinc-plated guttering used on the house eaves then, whichcarriedthe rainwaterdown to the cisterns, were open and not covered. So,quite a bitofwind-blown tree leaves andseeds,and other debriscould maketheir into the cisterns. For that reason, the suction end of theiron plumbingwas located above the cistern floor, where the debris would eventually settle.

This relatively clean, soft,outsidewater supplywas plumbed directly tothe long-handle hand-pumps installed at the kitchen and bathroom sinks and thebathtubin the main house. Itwas also plumbed to the hand-pump in a small building behind the house that served as a summer kitchen and a place to wash laundry, to can garden produce, and to butcher chickens and hogs. This water supply remained relatively cool and unfrozen the year around. Generally, it was used for cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, canning, butchering, and bathing. But it could be drunk, too, after boiling it.

Modern cisterns

Modern cisterns operate much like the ones described above. However,instead of being built into the ground from scratch, they are buried prefabricated ones instead. That is, these cisternscould beprefabricated concrete receptacles, orthey could be large prefabricated heavy-duty plastic tanks capped withfairly large screw-on tops, similar to the ones seen on certain lawn-treatment trucks.

Also,today'saluminum, steel, plastic, or coppereave gutterswill haveporous or solidcoverings. Thus, the amount of debris entering the cisterns from the rooftops will be minimal. Yet, the fine sand-like material shed by asphalt or composite shingles willneed to be filtered out earlyduring the harvesting process; else, it will eventually have to be removed from the buried cistern. Theplumbing for the moderncisternwill beheavy plastic pipe. Of course, the pump itself will probably be an electric one, its size and accessories will depend on how the harvested water is used.

More-than-likely, becausemost of us alreadyhavereliable purified municipal indoor drinking and bathing water supplies, this cistern water will be used for outdoor purposes, like, for the sprinkling of lawns and gardens, for filling fish ponds and small treated swimming pools,for watering trees and animals, and for washing vehicles, driveways, patios, decks,andhouses.The following three advantages ofthe modernburied cistern system suggest this technology will work well today: 1) theyare hidden from view and out-of-the-way by being underground, 2) theydo not foster the production ofalgae or mosquitoes in the summer time, and 3) theyhelp conserve themunicipal storm-drainage systemsand drinking water supplies.

Further information on cisterns

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Cistern http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistern

Author contact: j__l__d@sbcglobal.net

Realistic Rustic Looking Vinyl Log Siding

Thanks to innovative new advancements in vinyl siding, a house can look like a show place. Vinyl siding was first introduced in the 1950's, and the improvements made over the years are simply amazing. Vinyl siding offers a wonderful way to give a home a beautiful face lift.

For those who like the log cabin look, there is the very popular vinyl log siding. The biggest advantage in choosing to use log siding is the fact that it is maintenance free, and easy to install. Traditional real wooden log homes, while quite appealing require a lot of exterior maintenance as well as take quite some time to construct.

Unlike the vinyl siding from the past, today's siding is realistic looking, and requires no maintenance. Log siding gives a home the look of a real log home, at a much lower price, and saves time over traditional log home construction.

Traditional real wooden log homes require a lot of routine maintenance such as staining, sealing, and insect protection in order to preserve the wood. With that in mind,vinyl logsiding is the more attractive choice. This makes that charming rustic look much easier to achieve today than it has been in the past.

Another advantage to using vinyl siding is the weather-proofing factor. Yes, siding is a great way to weather proof a home. It provides total protection from various climates and weather conditions.

While the afore mentioned advantages are all valid and appealing reasons to choose vinyl log siding, there is more! The many choices of wood styles like cedar, cypress, and redwood just to name the most popular choices available, is yet another great reason to consider vinyl log siding.

I personally prefer the rustic log cabin look. The fact that that look can be produced by vinyl log siding that is maintenance free, and can also save me on energy bills, is a big plus. Until I saw that this siding was being used in areas where one would expect to see real traditional log homes, I would not have believed it could look so real.

It looks real because it is embossed with rich natural looking grain textures. The advancements in recent years to vinyl siding, especially vinyl log siding, is astounding. If this is the look you would like to have for your home, consider this option as an alternative to real wood log construction and save time and money.

Learn More about Vinyl Log Siding

How to Improve Your Web Forms

As you settle down to create a web form, chances are this is your first attempt - meaning there will be room for improvement. In your experience on the Web, you will have probably come across a poorly designed web form before, but never stopped to think how it became that way. When you start to generate your own, you may soon see how it is easy to fall victim to some of the most common web form blunders. In order to create a web form that is not distracting or difficult to use, try considering the following suggestions:

Avoid Large Drop-Downs

Sprawling drop downs are distracting and annoying, meaning it isn't necessary to list every possibility of a state, country, or other information included the world. The scroll bars of large drop down lists are inconvenient and most people would rather type in the information rather than waste time scanning a long list. It is not uncommon to lose interest or potential clients when filling out web forms because they are too tedious.

Offer Suggestions

A popular way to make life easier for a website user is to assist them in their decision-making regarding usernames, domain names, or passwords. Sometimes, people choose selections that are not available (taken by another user). Instead of alerting them to "please try again," try offering a few suggestions or alternatives for them to consider. For example, when "surfergirl" is taken, make recommendations, such as "beachgirl," "surferlover," "beachbum," or "surfergal" - anything to lend a helping hand.

Help Double Submitters

For some, it is a natural reaction to double-click on buttons, especially the ones marked "submit." Websites that allow this blunder in advance offer a much better reception than those who "punish" users for this mistake. Some sites use Javascript to gray out the submit button once it has been selected the first time, which avoids this common problem in the long run.

Scrap Confusing Formats

With the many different kinds of web forms, one of the most annoying formats deals with the birth date. The "dd/mm/yyyy" format is quite confusing for many and when it isn't entered correctly, the form spits back the information and requests changes. Too many confusing formats in a form will frustrate users.

Limit Display Warnings

The display warnings that appear on a page are quite annoying. These pop-up alert boxes may decorate a computer screen, telling a user they need to fix something in their form. The best way to deal with incorrect form responses is to place the warning within the page and not throw out a distracting pop-up. Sometimes, using the color red (as in a red border) is the best way to call attention to users. Dialog boxes that require an "OK" click wastes time.

International Respect

When creating a web form, know that you will reach a wide range of visitors, who live in many different places about the world. A web form that ignores the rest of the world will only limit the response and communication from worldwide visitors who do not fit into the scope of acceptable cities, states, or zip codes. This is why it is important to leave room for users to designate their country, postal code, or other identifying information.

Short Web Forms

To make a web form more attractive to the public, you should keep the questioning short and sweet. It is suggested to stick with the information required to complete the form, forgoing extra requirements that simply wastes the time of users. Some people ease in "optional" questions in hopes to gain details without using force.

In the end, following these suggestions will find you with less frustrated visitors, who won't mind filling out one of your forms in the future.

For more website tips and to see my XSite Pro Bonus Pack, please visit my webiste.

Build Your Own Generator From Scratch

There is no better feeling in the world than becoming 100% energy independent, especially if you've set up your home energy system by yourself from scratch. It's definitely worth making a choice to convert now, as electricity prices and dependence is only going upwards. This article gives you an overview home made electricity, and how to start to build your own generator from materials available at your local hardware store.

First things first, you need to understand just how much better life can be after converting to self generated power. You won't be affected my fluctuations in the energy market, you won't be affected by blackouts during storms, you won't have to pay energy bills (or at least they'll be significantly reduced), and best of all, if you build your own system, you won't have to fork out thousands for installation!

In my experience, the best 2 systems are solar and wind generators. Depending on the climate where you live, you can focus mainly on one of these systems, or both. I'd recommend both. Despite what you might be lead to believe, building and installing one or more of these babies is relatively simple if you've got the motivation, and/or some good help.

Projects can naturally start small, but grow quickly. After one weekend you can realistically expect to be running one household appliance off a solar panel that costs less than US$200 to build. That means that you can be saving money and emissions in only one weekend! You can save even more money faster if you get the help of a friend.

Like all Do-It-Yourself projects, you want to make sure that you have the best blueprints and advice. You can buy appropriate books and material at your local hardware store, or even easier yet (and cheaper), you can get a full home energy blueprint from the internet, instantly. These packages often come with all the knowledge and schematics on how to build a generator, and also constant updates on new technologies. This makes it even better value.

To see the best way to set up a free energy generator in your home, go to this Renewable Energy Systems website now for more information about how to build your own generator

Decorative Mirrors - What's More to Mirrors Than Its Face Value?

Every homeowner aspires to improve the look and feel of their homes. The main motive of this is the need to make our homes stylish, more appealing to us and enticing to our guests who visit our humble abode.

One of things that you might want to consider to add more flare to your home is to make use of decorative mirrors. "Why use mirrors you may ask; is there really more to it than its face value?" The answer to that is a definite yes! More than mirroring image, they too can be used to jazz up your home and add that stylish touch to it. More and more people nowadays have been looking into and making use of decorative mirrors in augmenting the aura in the room and that splash of fashion to their interior design. Most people would even tell about how decorative mirrors as pieces can be also useful in different ways.

Decorative mirrors may just be that extra piece that you need to spice up that room. Their affordability and simplicity fits your pocket and addresses that need to decorate. There are two basic uses of the mirror which you may consider -- usefulness and its decorative function. Mirrors serve vanity purposes and they may also create the illusion of spaciousness. Another thing to consider is where the decorative mirror will be placed. Identifying the spot it will be occupying in your home is essential in helping you figure out the right move and the ideal positioning it would take there.

Matching may come as challenge most especially for existing fixtures which are painted or stained. Mirrors from different produces come in different varieties posing difficulties in getting the best fit to it. Instead of matching, mixing by trying a different color is rather suggested instead. Going for an unusual overall finish allows more room in achieving a fixed and focused look. Smaller rooms work best with decorative mirrors which are mounted on walls or placed on table tops. With the right positioning, they can open up the room and help create that feeling of a larger space or bring in some affinity with nature by reflecting the outdoors. It is important though that in mixing, one should be cautious about blending that of the modernist from that of conventionalist as you may not achieve the look you are aiming for and would end up confusing the patterns.

The next question to ask yourself though is, how much are you willing to spend for this fixture? Price ranges of mirrors may vary anywhere from $100 to $1000. Once you've made up your mind on the features and specifics of what you are looking for, the hunt for the perfect item will come easy. To all its essence, decorative mirrors definitely have a way of giving that added touch to your dwelling.

Allison Ayson writes for Jump2top.com - SEO Company

Exterior Wood Beams

Getting the Right Contractor For Constructing Your Deck

When planning to build a deck, most people find it difficult to select a reliable contractor, more so when they have no past experience in this area. To overcome this hurdle, what you can do is to look around at the decks that seem attractive to you and then find out who the contractor of these decks are. In this way, it will be possible to build a list of contractors about whom you can be confident as to their expertise in the deck building arena. Another way to select a good contractor is to apply to your local chamber of commerce for suggestions. Whichever way you obtain a list, make sure to interview the potential candidates personally before you arrive at a decision. During the interview process, give a correct idea to the contractor of all the things you want him to build on the deck so that he can provide you an accurate estimate of the cost that you will incur for constructing your deck.

Hiring an experienced person is always a wise course to pursue. You should look for a minimum of three years' experience in your contractor as this will have provided him all the skills needed to do a satisfactory job with your deck. Apart from this, it is essential that you work with a licensed contractor to avoid legal problems that may occur later. It is also crucial that the firm you hire has a good insurance coverage which can come in very handy in case of accidents caused to the workers during construction or any harm to your property. Taking precautionary measures like checking up with the insurance company after having taken a copy of the insurance policy of the firm will further help you avoid future complications.

Another thing that will help you choose the right contractor is to ask for references and personally ensure that other people who have hired your contractor have a good opinion of him. In this way, you can also verify whether the contractor has a reputation of meeting deadlines and staying within the prescribed budget. When formulating the contract, make sure that the contractor specifies every aspect of the deck like the materials that will be used, how the payment will be made etc.

After having finalized on the correct person for the job, you should arrange a place in your yard for storing the lumber required for the job. You should also see to it that utilitarian aspects of your house like the gas lines, water lines, electrical wiring, drains etc. do not come to any harm when constructing the deck. Obtaining all the necessary permits that are required for the job so that the work can be carried out smoothly without any hindrances is a must. Finally, you should take care to periodically inspect the progress of work so that you end up having the deck that you have always dreamt of.

Adam Peters is an online entrepreneur and writes for many consumer magazines. Gather more information and resources on starburst deck railing at http://www.deck-porch-railings.com/starburst.html

Rusting Ceiling Sprinkler

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

The first question you need to ask yourself when remodeling a bathroom is can you actually do the work yourself or do you have someone that can help you with the remodeling. If you don't know anyone and can't do the work yourself, I would suggest hiring a contractor with experience remodeling bathrooms.

If you can do the work yourself or think you could do the work yourself, why not give it a shot. Any experience you have in construction or home remodeling, is going to be beneficial to your bathroom remodeling project. There is plenty of information on the internet or in your local libraries on bathroom remodeling and these often prove to be great resources for do it yourselfers.

As an experienced contractor I have gathered a great deal of information through books, at work and watching local home improvement shows. The biggest problem with the show's and quite a few of these books, is they don't provide enough information. Most of the time they provide you with the basics of bathroom remodeling and you could soon find yourself in trouble or seeking the advice from a home improvement professional.

The largest benefit for doing the bathroom remodeling project yourself, could be the money you save, along with the satisfaction of completing the project. It makes homeowners feel good when they've completed a large home remodeling project, like a bathroom remodel.

If you don't have the time, lack the experience or a combination of both, I would suggest hiring a contractor to relieve you from the stress and frustration of your bath remodeling project. The more complex your bathroom remodeling project is, the greater the degree of difficulty, the longer it will take to complete the project. Some of these projects can take up a lot of your time.

If you're working on galvanized water supply pipes or old cast iron waste pipes, you could find yourself hiring a plumber to install your bathtub and fixtures. These old pipes create problems for most do it yourselfers and I would suggest hiring a professional, whenever you run into a problem you don't feel comfortable with.

Choosing to tackle some of these difficult problems yourself, could lead to water leaks and more damage to the home eventually costing you even more money than the original cost of hiring an experienced plumber in the first place. When it comes to water, structural framing and electricity, think twice, especially if you're not experienced in these areas.

My advice to do it yourselfers is to hire a professional if you're not comfortable or seek the advice from a contractor or someone with considerable experience bathroom remodeling.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Under Side Of Entry Roof Framing

Bathroom Faucet Leaks

Faucet leaks can waste more water than you think. Have you ever put a cup or bowl underneath a leaky faucet and actually seen how much water is wasted. Leaky faucets should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent the waste of water in your home. Water is a precious resource and should be used wisely.

One slow drip from the faucet can waste over 5 gallons of water per day. If you think that's not a big deal, let me put it in perspective for you. 5 gallons of water per day equals 35 gallons per week, times 52 weeks in a year, that equals over 1800 gallons of water, and that's a lot of water.

The problem with a faucet leak isn't just the amount of water it waste, it will soon start to deteriorate your sinks, bathtubs and showers and could damage other sections of the home, like the wood framing. I've seen a water drip in a steel kitchen sink, in just a few years, wear a hole right through it. Keep in mind water and wind formed the Grand Canyon, water can be extremely erosive.

Faucet leaks can attract house pests, like mice, flies, ants and a wide variety of other insects.

Most faucets can usually be repaired for under $20. Most of the time the problem will be in the valves or handles that turn the water on and on. If you're not familiar with plumbing parts, you could pick up a do-it-yourself home repair manual or go online and look up the manufacturer of your faucet, for more information.

Usually the manufacturer has a diagram of the faucet, broken down into sections and you could get a pretty good idea, what parts you will need to remove, in order to replace the damaged part or parts that are creating the water leak.

Calling a plumber seems to be most homeowners last resort. They only do it if they absolutely have to. If you don't understand how a faucet works and have no desire to learn how, I would suggest you call a plumber or contact someone who can help you with your faucet leak, but get the faucet leak fixed and quit wasting water.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.
If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Start Liking Yourself First

Feng Shui and Symbols - What You Have in Your House Says a Lot About You

What does a broken statue of a rooster have to do with Feng Shui? Feng Shui teaches us that everything in our house is a reflection of what is in our mind. Symbolically speaking, your house and the things in it reflects your thoughts, feelings, and spirit.

So let's get back to that rooster. One of my clients had recently separated from her husband. I noticed that a statue of a large bird was directly facing her bed, so it was probably the first thing she saw when getting up in the morning. Upon closer examination, I noticed two things; first, one of the legs had previously been broken and was wrapped in what appeared to be a cast. Second, I realized that it was not a chicken; it was a rooster. Unfortunately, the coxcomb on the top of the head had broken off, probably in the same fall that broke the leg of the statue.

I examined this unfortunate art piece for a moment and then said to my client, "Do you realize that the first thing you see in the morning is a broken cock?"

After I picked her up from the floor (she was laughing so much she just collapsed), she gasped out, "You have no idea of how perfect that observation is." Not wanting to really know much more, I suggested we send out the broken rooster for repair. We then talked about what she really wanted to see first thing in the morning; it was her flute and music and a picture of her daughter.

Another client was having a hard time keeping relationships with men going. Visiting her apartment was like seeing a shrine to her daughter. Everywhere was a mother/daughter photograph. It felt like she was already in a relationship and there was no room for any other one to grow.

Everything that you choose to surround yourself with has symbolic meaning and reflects something about your life. Whether intentional or not, all those objects, pictures, photographs, and pieces of furniture resonate with information about you. Take a look around at your house. What is the first thing you see when you enter your home? When you get up in the morning? When you sit down to eat? Do those objects support you in living your best life? Observe what you have around you and then experiment. See how you feel swapping out the images that surround you for other ones that are a better reflection of who you are and where you want to go. I've seen this simple action do amazing things to improve people's lives.

Interested in learning more about Feng Shui and ways to improve the energy in your home or office? Get great tips and motivating messages by subscribing to the Empty Your Nest newsletter at http://www.emptyyournest.com

How To Perform Roof Repair

If you are a person who has ever considered performing roof repair, please read this article. You can rest easy knowing that it takes just a little experience and some tools and an average house can be done without any problem.

To learn how to perform roof repair on an asphalt or metal roof takes just a few common tools and a pair of shoes with flat soles. The flat soles will do less damage than those that have heels after you walk on your roof. Make sure before you get on the roof that it is safe to walk on. If you have rotten wood because of a leaky roof, it is possible a rotten board or joist could break when you put your weight on it. Also if you see that the damage is extensive you may want to consider full replacement, because at that point it would be cheaper to replace than to repair.

To learn how to perform repair on an asphalt roof it takes a few tools you probably have already. A shovel is used to remove the shingles, a hammer is used for the roofing nails, and roofing cement can be used to glue bent shingles down and secure them. When you replace a broken or damaged shingle you will remove the row of shingles above it so you can get to the damaged one. One tip is to use the roofing cement to bond a torn shingle down to the roof and secure it with a roofing nail. Completely damaged shingles will need to be replaced. Try to use the same holes that the old shingle used when installing the new shingle in its place.

To learn how to repair a metal roofing is not quite as easy. You will need to identify what type of metal your roof is made of. Once you do, you will need to get a patch made of the same metal. The surface of the metal roof will need cleaning before you start your repair. You will need roofing cement, wire brushes, pliers, sandpaper, solder, soldering guns, flux, tin snips and gloves to handle sharp metal edges. After locating the damaged area you want to repair, you will need to cut a piece of new metal that is two inches larger than the area you are repairing. Then cut off the corners of this new patch with the tin snips. Bend the outer edges of the new metal under. Fold it under one half inch. Sand the folded parts and make them shiny. Now use the flux on the shiny areas of your new patch and the damaged area. Now, put the new patch down on the damaged area and hold it down with a weight, perhaps a brick or block. Use the solder and soldering gun and go along the edges of the new patch and seal down the new patch to the roof. The solder must melt and fill in the gaps between the new patch and the damaged roof. Go all the way around the new patch until you are done. Now, cut another patch larger than the damaged area. Coat the entire area of the soldered patch and press this second patch down on it. Apply another coat of cement over this. Do another patch like the last one if you want to make sure it does not leak. Cover it all again with roofing cement or roof coating and you are done.

One tip on how to perform roof repair on an aluminum roof is to use fiberglass patches instead of metal. Aluminum is not a metal to be soldered, so the fiberglass will have to be used instead. Do not worry, it works well on the aluminum roof and is probably easier than on other metals.

All of our articles are originals, if you liked this, check out How to Perform Roof Repair for similar information. Get more free information here http://www.roofrepairhelp.com/

New Wall Under Roof Rafters

Auto Body Repair Business Marketing For Less Than $100 a Year

There are ups and downs in any sort of business, follow these five marketing strategies to keep a steady flow of business. I have been in the auto body repair business for over 16 years, and have done countless studies on the marketing of this type of business. I have formulated five steps plan that costs less than $100 a year to run.

Step one, build a website. Have a functioning website. I hope that a majority of shop owners have completed this step years ago. But if not, do not worry, technology costs have dropped. You can use a simple premade template site, add photos, contact information, and have it up and running in less than a few hours. You can buy a domain (example.com) from numerous providers. I would recommend GoDaddy.com; they offer great customer service and numerous website templates. You can buy a domain for as little as $7.00. Please, refrain from any domain not a dot com; avoid .net, .us, etc. These tried hard to work, but dot com is the easiest and most recognized. You can host a simple site for as little as $4.00 a month. Studies show that consumers are not using the phone book anymore that is history. People go onto the internet and type in a search engine what they are looking for. An example is as follows, I need some auto body repair work done, I am new to this area, go to www.google.com and type "auto body repair"; it would pop up numerous ads in the surrounding area. If your ad is not there, you are not going to get that call. So step one, get a good looking website.

Step two, list with major search engines. Now that you have your auto body repair site up and running, list it with some major search engines. This is free, takes less than a minute, and will get you great results. I would list with Google, Yahoo, MSN; these are probably all you need. Just type in the search box, list url on Google, Yahoo, and MSN. That should bring up the submission pages. Submit your site and wait. It can take up to three months for your site to be indexed. No need to be disappointed, it all takes time.

Step three, list with directories or classifieds. Every heard of CraigsList.com ? This is one of the highest traffic sites on the internet. Will work wonders for your shop, and is free. Takes less than three minutes to post an add. You obviously would post your shop information under, services - automotive. Cragislist is meant for local areas, so best to only list in your areas, if you attempt to list all over the country, your account will be deleted. Another great local site is www.LaborTrader.com This site has numerous areas for your listings, listings are by county. You could list all of your services, auto glass, body repair, towing, mechanical, etc. Labortrader.com also has a great contract system, you are able to get all your work in writing, and a rating system, LaborTrader.com also is completely free. Make sure when you list on these sites to also list your website, it will be linked to your listing page. This will direct interested customers to your site if they desire more information.

Step four, get connected via message boards. There are message boards and forums for pretty much every industry. CrashChat.com was just started and is strictly for the networking and discussion of the auto body repair industry. Get talking and connect with others in the auto body repair field. Keep in mind; we are all in this together. Let's help each other out. Spread our knowledge. There will also be a directory soon, to where you will be able to list your body shop, towing facility, etc. When using forums and message boards, make sure to list your website address. Let your address get spread around, get people interested.

Step five, start an email campaign. This is not nearly as hard as it sounds. What you need to do is start collecting customer's emails. If the customer or user gives you permission, that is called "opt in" and you will be able to send them information pertaining to your business. You could collect emails from customers visiting your shop, or put a sign up list on your website. Again, as long as the email addresses you are sending information to are "opt in" this is not considered spam, and you have a great marketing tool. I would not bombard customers with random information, but send them a monthly email with all your specials, changes, updates, etc. A great email marketing campaign is offered through GoDaddy. Again, Godaddy is easy to use and there customer service is stellar.

Please follow these five steps, see if it can help your auto body repair business advertising campaign. Consistent marketing is needed to stay afloat in any business. Rome was not built in one day, give a try and do not give up.

Please also share your stories and anything to do with the auto body repair industry at http://www.CrashChat.com

CrashChat - Networking and discussion for the auto body repair industry. Body shops, technicians, appraisers, estimators, adjusters, and anyone involved in the industry is welcome.

http://www.CrashChat.com

Damaged Roof Plywood

Go Green in the City Part 1 - Eco-Friendly Remodeling For Residential and Commercial Real Estate

As gas prices increase more homebuyers are moving closer to the city, their jobs and hubs of activity to decrease travel costs for themselves and the whole family. As more people embrace urban environments green building and eco-friendly renovations that work for existing houses, town homes, condos and apartments are in higher demand. Whether you have a large budget or almost no budget, there are ways to reduce your carbon footprint and energy costs. Green home remodeling can benefit you, the environment and the future of our entire world.

The Truth About Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

There is a lot of controversy these days about the green value of compact fluorescent light bulbs, better known as those spiral light bulbs that only use a small percentage of the wattage traditional light bulbs. As a positive, these light bulbs do not use nearly as much electricity as traditional bulbs and often last for years at a time. Then it was reported that if these bulbs are broken a small amount of mercury is released. Despite the harmful impact mercury has on the environment the positives of these bulbs outweigh the negatives. Although these bulbs contain a small amount of mercury the amount of electricity they save greatly reduces the amount of mercury released by electrical plants. When using compact fluorescent bulbs take extra care not to break them and dispose of them carefully. Recycling of compact fluorescents has started in various parts of the US. If possible find a recycling center near you

Make the Most Out of Your Surge Protectors and Power Strips

Many appliances, including computer equipment, stereos, TVs and cell phone chargers all draw electrical energy even when turned off. If they sit plugged in all the time electricity is wasted. In order to avoid this waste purchase surge protector power strips for various areas and plug multiple items into the strips. Make sure the power strips are easy to reach and when printers, speakers, computers, radios, cell phone chargers, toasters, coffee makers, etc are not in use unplug the power strip and electricity will be conserved. This may seem like a simple tactic, but imagine if everyone became aware of this small electrical drain and took action. Our carbon footprint as a country would decrease dramatically. When it comes to energy conservation every lit bit counts.

The Best Ways to Heat Your Water

If you own your condo, apartment or home in the city one of the best ways to save energy and money is to purchase a tankless water heater. Energy efficient water heaters save thousands of dollars during the first three to five years. This kind of feature will also work as an excellent incentive for buyers if you sell in the future. If a new water heater isn't in the budget consider turning off your water heater when you are out of town or purchase and install a timer. Most often even older water heaters maintain hot water for approximately 24-48 hours after they have been turned off. Why pay for hot water when you are not using it? Another simple idea is to lower the temperature on your existing water heater. Many older water heaters are set at a scalding 140 degrees. Lowering the thermostat will conserve energy and its totally free.

Low Flow Toilets and Tricks to Conserve Water

Leaky toilets and the water waste caused by older toilets is common in existing homes and commercial properties. Older toilets often use between 3 and 5 gallons per flush. To check and see if your toilet is leaking place food coloring in the back of the tank, after an hour without flushing if the bowl turns color you have found a leak. If you have the money a low flow toilet is your best bet. Made specifically for energy efficiency, low flow toilets are another excellent selling point. If you have a small budget or no budget consider this well-known trick. Take any weighted, solid object, like a glass jar, and place it in your toilet tank. This object will take up space so your tank fills with less water than usual. Instead of 3 to 5 gallons each flush you will now use less.

Stay tuned for Green in the City Part 2 for more great green tips on how to conserve energy and save money.

Elaine VonCannon is an award winning REALTOR with RE/Max Capital in Williamsburg, Virginia. She specializes in retirement and relocation in the Williamsburg, South Eastern Virginia area and in Virginia Estate properties. To learn more visit http://www.voncannonrealestate.com or http://www.estatesinvirginia.com

Bed Bugs Eradication From the Home

the splendor of residences that have central heating, of which they can take full advantage regardless of the season. They shun light and hide in and on furniture, on bed frames, in and behind skirting boards and wall sockets, on curtain rods, in back of hanging paintings or photos, inside of couches, and on mattresses and headboards. Bed bugs are classified as parasites and feed on a diet of blood, usually that of human beings. The pests crawl over their human hosts at night, applying the piercing structures of their mouths to the penetration of the skin for extraction of blood.

Bed bugs treatment is essential if you find small brownish or reddish dots on bed lines; these are droppings or spots of fecal matter. There is a chance that you may notice swelling where you were bitten. This will not cause harm. Having an infestation of bed bugs is NOT stating your are unclean or having unsanitary living areas. Knockout Pest Control inc offers treatments for bed bug pests that hide in small crevices.

It begins with an inspection to locate these annoying yet harmless insects. Our subsequent bedbugs treatment for the infestation includes light pesticide spray treatment of bed tufts, seams, and buttons on the mattress and box spring.Spray or dusting of cracks around baseboards, bedside furniture and window frames.Use of silica gel dusts to treat infested wall voids and attics.Treatment of the entire residence to remove nests of birds, bats, squirrels or other rodents.

The first step to take is to thoroughly vacuum the bedroom, and don't forget the mattress. You should replace the vacuum bag when you are done. Treat the mattress and let it dry before replacing the sheets, using a mattress pad. Bed linens should be professionally cleaned.

For a successful bedbug eradication from your home, it is essential that you know how to find and kill them appropriately. Tillman Scientific offers a Complete Control Kit that allows easy and quick elimination of bed bugs and their eggs to prevent them from infesting again. The first step is to prepare the area with a thorough, complete cleaning.

You will need to thoroughly cleanse anywhere that has even the smallest hiding place. This might be along the edges of your floors, inside drawers, underneath mattress folds, or under couch or chair cushions. Bed bugs are so microscopic and flat that they can fit into even the smallest of places, so search carefully.

Next, you will find information in our kit about using a harmless and effective pesticide to eliminate pests. Included are spray, powder, duster and mattress that safely kill bed bugs gradually. These products can be left indefinitely without creating any harmful effect to your bed or box spring.

If you see small brownish or reddish dots on bed linens, you need to treat your bed for bed bugs. Your bedbugs treatment might include a spray of light pesticide. You should spray anywhere that these awful bugs like to hide, including: all of your bed linens; your mattress; your box spring; cracks near the baseboards of your walls; window frames; and furniture. For achieving complete bedbug eradication from your home, it is essential that you know how to find and kill them appropriately. You must clean and vacuum out any place that has cracks or crevices.

How to Repair Windows XP and Vista Registry Corruption

There is an old article floating around online that claims registry cleaners are unneeded and in fact, a useless tool for computer repair and maintenance. As far as I am concerned, nothing could be further from the truth. It is my position no PC owner should be without one good registry cleaner!

In this article, I will argue in favor of registry cleaners and show how I use them to overcome registry corruption. This registry corruption will slow a computer's operating capabilities and possibly make a PC not only very slow and error prone, but sometimes inoperable.

Normal Computer Use Will Cause Registry Corruption

Registry corruption exists and registry cleaners fix this corruption. I know this because I make a living repairing broken computers and I have seen corruption bring a computer to its knees. I have used registry cleaners many times to remove corruption and get these badly performing computers back up and speeding down the information highway again.

I seen more cases than I can count where a computer started to crash frequently or become very slow and when this happened it was caused by corruption in the registry. When this happens, there is no other viable plan of action other than to use a registry cleaner so this computer will once again operate normally.

New OS's Need To Be Corruption Free

It is true, registry corruption wasn't very much of a consideration a few years back. However, now with the huge file systems Windows XP and Vista operate under, it takes a long times for one operation to take place when it has to work through corruption. I know this may not make sense, but one piece of corruption will probably only affect a small area of a small operating system. However, the same amount of corruption will affect many areas in a large operating system. That is just the way it is.

Registry corruption will cause a computer to slow down. Sometimes this slowing down can be quite significant. Registry corruption will also cause errors and crashes. These things seem to mock the presence of spyware or viruses. Still, corruption must be dealt with when it is present.

You Have to Get Rid of Corruption Somehow!

I'd like to know what anybody who doesn't use registry cleaners does when they run into problems with their computers that are caused by registry corruption, because I've seen a good registry cleaner solve problems with poorly functioning computers 100's of times!

So when a computer is not performing properly and it is shown to be free of viruses and spyware, the next thing you should do is scan the registry. Many times I have seen cases where a computer is operating very poorly and there are no incidents of spyware or viruses and turns it out the registry is full of corruption.

Of course, if there is no registry corruption, you will have to bring the computer to a professional. However, I have fixed many a sick computer with a registry cleaning, so I suggest you make sure you have no corruption before you bring your computer to somebody like me.

You've learned a lot about registry cleaners and why to avoid free ones. Now see how all the top registry cleaners rate against one another at Hiel Strassman's: Registry Fix Reviews. Also, get more inside information on registry cleaners at: Registry Cleaner.

Marble Floor Tiles As The Decorative Choice For Bathrooms

One of the natural stone materials that is best for homes, is marble. Marble is famous for standing out as an elegant decorative element and flooring solution, that cannot easily be matched aesthetically by others.

This natural stone has been sought after for centuries, by architects, builders, artists and artisans, is deeply rooted in the annals of architecture, art, and in the development of modern civilizations. Marble was used to create lasting and famous monumental landmarks,and stands as a material with built-in reputations of artistry, durability and uniqueness, for use with any exterior or interior application.

Marble Is Well-Suited For Bathrooms

Seeing marble tiles on the bathroom floor is quite common these days,and is seen as a necessity if your goal is to create an elegant bath. These tiles are available either honed or polished.

Honed tiles are designed to provide more traction, while polished tiles provide a more elegant look, although they can be very slippery when wet, so bath mats need to be installed at critical points in a bathroom.Most modern-day home interior experts and decorators know the key to a truly tasteful bathroom is to utilize marble around the walls and the tub. Roman and Jacuzzi tubs look truly more elegant when wrapped in this type of stone.

This stone material is also popular on shower walls and in steam showers, however again, traction is an aspect that must be taken into full consideration. Marble mosaic tiles are often utilized in shower floors, and the grout lines are there to help provide the adequate footing to prevent slipping. Hand-carved marble trim pieces are available for use as frame bath mirrors, and a lot of marble accent designs will help to create your ultimate dream bathroom.

Marble Is a Versatile Material

Marble floor tiles are historically famous for their versatility. This type of natural stone is ideal for structures, and sculptures, and it can be easily used as wall tiles. The sculptures made up of marble look extremely beautiful. When you plan to use marble flooring and wall tiles for your interiors, particularly for your bathrooms, you need to consider asking for professional advice. You also need to take some effort in maintaining the beauty and shine of this natural stone.

Taking good care of this material, will help in keeping it shiny and elegant for years. You should never ever leave spills for a longer period of time. You require cleaning it right away in order to prevent it from staining. If you want to enhance the artistic value to your home, you need to use these tiles. The elegance and durability provided by these materials help for as worthy application.

However, you can enjoy the elegance only if you take some time out to care for this stone. Marble tiles for the bathroom can be created to provide a unique shine to this part of the house. This enhances the overall appearance of a particular room where it is installed. If you make extra effort towards installing this stone in the proper manner, you need to pay only little attention to maintaining the beauty of this stone.

To find a natural stone dealer in your area, check out the local yellow pages under Marble -- Natural stone, or you could also see Marble -- Cultured. You should see the stone descriptions first, because different manufacturers and dealers use many terms for essentially the same stone. Even if the marble comes from the same quarry or source or dealer, the colors and markings may vary.

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Foundation Repair Choices

This day and age homeowners have many choices when faced with a structural foundation problem. The choices include helical piles, push piers, helical tie-back anchors and plate anchors. Each one of these solutions should only be implemented under the supervision of a qualified engineer and foundation repair contractor. Foundation repair is not a do-it-yourself home improvement project. Intimate knowledge of structures, soils and available products are necessary requirements before repair design can be implemented.

Homeowners must educate themselves to keep ignorant or slick talking salespeople from selling them a bill of goods. Many times the salesman does not represent all of the products that your structure may need to completely solve your foundation repair needs. If he only does waterproofing he will, at best, only slow down or prevent further problems. If he is only a pier guy, he may not have the knowledge of what caused the problem (i.e. water). This is why contacting a qualified foundation engineer is a form of checks and balances to allow for the best possible solution.

Foundation engineers will give you a written assessment of your structure including a recommended procedure to solve your homes issues. This evaluation is conducted on site and usually takes over an hour to complete. The written assessment involves an examination of the interior and exterior of the home, interior floor elevations, load calculations and recommendations on repair methods. The written report should include an imprint of his seal with the date and signature across the seal. Many times the engineer will recommend a foundation repair specialist, that he has worked with before, in his report.

You first must understand what different foundation repair methods can and cannot do to determine if they are the correct method of repair for your home. There is no such thing as one size fits all in foundation repair. Each has their place and their benefits, so make sure that the tool that you pick is the correct one for your job.

Resistance piers, also known as push piers, steel piers and Micropiles. This type of pier is an end-bearing pier that does not rely upon, nor requires, skin friction to produce support. Each pier is field load tested after it is installed. The piers are able to develop a factor of safety because the piers are installed and load tested individually using the weight of the structure as the reaction force. Unlimited lifting capability is offered in continuous lift systems. These lifts should only be performed with a manifolded hydraulic system using single or double acting hydraulic cylinders.

Steel push piers are best suited to any structural problem that requires a large lift. No other system is as suited for these large lifts. Due to the fact that these resistance piers are an end bearing pier, thus developing their support from solid contact on a load bearing stratum. Continuous lift type steel piers are the best of the steel resistance piers due to the fact that they can support and lift a structure to unlimited heights.

Helical piers are an ideal choice when you are supporting or lifting a light structure. They are the ideal choice for light structures due to the fact that they do not need the structures weight to advance into the soil. Helical anchors are screwed in the soil with a hydraulic torque motor as opposed to be pressed into the soil like steel push piers. Like the resistance piers you should only lift the structure with a manifolded hydraulic system using single or double acting hydraulic cylinders.

Helical piers consist of a shaft fabricated from either solid square steel bar or tubular steel. Welded to the shaft are one or more helical plates. Typically the plate diameters increase from the bottom of the shaft upward and vary in thickness from 3/8" to ". The torque required to install the anchor correlates to their capacity. When used to support or lift light weight structures, helical piers are an excellent choice, due to their many benefits. These benefits include the ability to be quickly installed with little or no disturbance to the site and soil removal is unnecessary, they don't require a reaction force and are extremely versatile in their applications.

While steel resistance piers and helical torque anchors are excellent choices for supporting sinking foundation elements, helical tie-back anchors and plate anchors are just as able to support or straighten concrete or block walls. When a basement wall or retaining wall bows inward one must resist this inward movement to maintain the integrity of the structure. If such a system is not installed catastrophic consequences are forthcoming.

Tie-back anchors and plate anchors resist the lateral soil and water forces exerted on basement and retaining walls. While both systems have different advantages they both provide the same function. They use the surrounding stable soils to resist the pressures of unstable consolidating soils near the foundation.

While one or more of these systems my be needed to fix your foundation problem, understanding each method is the key to determining the solution that best fits your situation. The hiring of a foundation engineer is the most effective method of making this determination.

About the Author:

Jeff Tully invites you to view his website http://www.myfoundationrepairs.com if you are having any foundation issues including bowing walls, cracks in your foundation or any type of settlement issue. On this website you will find the truth about foundation repair methods and what you should expect. There are many misconceptions about foundation piers or tie backs, get the straight answers here.

This site was designed and built with the homeowner in mind is the only true source for foundation repair and waterproofing information. From determining if you really have a structural issue to hiring an engineer or foundation expert, you will find the answers on my site.

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