While we can’t control the frigid weather outside during cold winters, we can control the temperature inside our homes. We use insulation and furnaces to keep our living space warm and cozy, but what about the garage? A garage isn’t exactly outside, as it isn’t exposed to the elements, but in most cases garages aren’t heated by a furnace either. Most garage doors in Reno will keep rain and rodents out, but they won’t stop cold air from getting in. Just how cold a garage can get depends on a number of factors. 

Reasons to Care

There are a number of reasons you might be concerned about the temperature in your garage. If you spend a lot of time in your garage working on projects during winter, you’re going to want the garage to be a comfortable temperature. It’s also common to keep pets in a garage, and you want to keep them as cozy as possible. Finally, if you decide to convert your garage into extra living space, using it as an extra bedroom, game room, or exercise room, you’re going to want to keep it warm.

The Temperature

The temperature difference between outside, your garage, and your home depends on a couple of factors. If your garage is susceptible to cold air entering directly, it won’t be significantly warmer than the outside air. If all doors and windows are sealed correctly, you can expect your garage to be about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than outside. If your garage is properly insulated, which is not standard for garages, you might find that your garage stays 15 to 20 degrees warmer than outside. Another factor is the integrity of the insulation between your home and the garage. If heat is seeping through your home’s walls and into your garage, you should probably consider replacing the insulation in that wall, as it is costing you more to heat your home.

Insulating

If your garage isn’t insulated, adding insulation can help you to keep it significantly warmer. However, insulation is a big and sometimes expensive job. You likely have two walls and a garage door to insulate, which altogether can cost over $1000. You can also buy a brand new, pre-insulated garage door. If you use your garage on a regular basis, it will be worth the money.

Weather Stripping

Weather stripping won’t have the same effect as insulating, but it can still yield significant results for a fraction of the price. A lot of garage doors in Reno have gaps at the bottom that allow cold air to flow right in, so plugging up those gaps with weather stripping can make a huge difference. You won’t get your garage as warm as your house without adding a heater, but you can still keep it warmer than outside.

Are you considering renting a storage unit from a place like Army Street Storage? If so, you probably know that you have a lot of choices when it comes to facilities. What you might not know is that each storage facility offers something a bit different. Though they all might look the same on the outside, they are anything but identical. So what exactly makes one site different from another? Here are a list of features and services that most storage companies provide. If you are planning on storing some of your belongings, find a facility that has the exact features you want and nothing more.

Storage Choices for Every Need

Size: All storage facilities are going to offer units in a variety of sizes. The average facility will have 6×6 units for storing a small amount of stuff, all the way up to garage-like 30×30 units. While that size range is quite common, some units provide even more. If you need to store an RV or boat, find a facility that caters to vehicles or large loads. While they will usually cost more, it is possible to store anything you want, no matter how large or awkwardly shaped it might be.

Security: Security is always important when you want to store your belongings. However, not all facilities provide the same level of safety and security. The most basic safety feature you will find is a locked entrance and exit gate. Facilities with locked gates only allow renters with keys or access codes to gain entry. Beyond locked gates you can also find facilities with on-site managers, CCTV security cameras, and even armed guards. More security usually means a higher monthly fee. If you don’t need extra security to store your old school papers and magazines, don’t use a facility with added security measures. However, if you are looking to store valuable art or antiques, consider using a site with the most security features available.

Convenience: You might think size and convenience are two words describing the same thing. In reality, they are vastly different. Convenience means how easy it is to access your storage unit. Some facilities cram their units in narrow alleyways or around sharp corners. Others offer loading and unloading areas large enough to park a moving truck without trouble. If you don’t anticipate visiting your unit frequently, don’t pay for a facility that advertises large lanes (because it will cost more each month). However, if easy access is important, make sure to inspect the actual paths and loading areas of any facility you are interested in.

Pick a Winner

While all storage units might look the same, they are anything but. The next time you need to store some of your belongings in a place like Army Street Storage, take the time to find the site that will provide you with exactly what you need (and nothing more). Figure out what is most important to you and begin your search with those features in mind.

Has your veterinarian in Columbus mentioned that your pet may be overweight? This would not be surprising considering that more than half of all pets are overweight or obese. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to get your pet’s weight under control.

Pleasantly plump dogs and cats can seem sweeter and really enjoy each and every treat and meal. However, those few extra pounds can mean big problems down the road. Along with leading to pain and physical conditions, extra weight can also lead to diabetes, respiratory problems, and wear down your pet’s joints and ligaments, making them more susceptible to problems in their senior years. It can even shorten their lifespan by several years and make it more difficult for them to exercise and play.

Garage door openers that allow you to enter and exit your garage from the comfort of your vehicle can be a great convenience. Most garage door openers last about 10 years. To make sure that you get the most life out of your garage door opener, there are a couple of things you can do to keep it healthy and extend its life. First, you can inspect the tracking system on a regular basis and clean off any oil or dirt that may have collected on the system. Next, you can lubricate the pulleys, rollers, springs, and hinges with products that will keep them running smoothly and not gum them up. The chain would benefit from lubricant being sprayed on it to keep it running through the system like it should. Garage door repair in Fishers is potentially dangerous and should be left up to the professionals.

Next, you can check the balance of the door by disconnecting the trolley from the garage door. If a garage door is imbalanced, it will reduce the life of your garage door opener by putting extra strain on the mechanism. Once you have the trolley disconnected, you should be able to open and shut the garage door by hand. A balanced garage door will stay in place when you open the garage door about half way. If you open the door to the halfway position and it immediately falls back to the floor, then more tension needs to be added to the springs. On the other hand, if you are opening the garage door by hand and you get it to the halfway point and let it go, and it immediately is pulled up to the fully opened position, you will know that the springs are too tight and need to be unwound a bit. 

A professional should be called in to adjust the springs because, if you don’t know what you are doing, you can be injured or your garage can be damaged when the spring comes unwound. Springs can break after they have been extended and retracted over the years, and will have to be replaced. When the garage door technician comes to check or change the springs, they will bring specific tools with them to reduce the tension in the springs so they can be either adjusted or removed. Most often they will use two winding bars to take the tension out of the springs.

A bar will be inserted into one of the open spots and they will test the tension. Then, they will loosen the bolts that hold the spring in place while the winding bar keeps the spring from violently unwinding. With the other winding bar inserted into the other opening, the first winding bar is removed and the second winding bar will rotate down, which controls the unwinding of the spring. This maneuver will be repeated until the spring has lost all of its tension, making it safe to handle and replace. Garage door repair in Fishers is best left to the professionals. But maintenance can be done by the homeowner very easily.

Concrete consists of cement, aggregate, sand, water, and other materials. After mixing it and pouring it, it quickly hardens to become like stone. It is a key component in construction projects. Many people will manufacture it at one location and transport it to the construction site; however, a portable concrete batch plant can be beneficial for many reasons: it saves money, saves time, and produces high quality batches.

Save Money

With a struggling economy, it’s important to find ways to save money. The construction business is no different. This can be a great option to decrease construction costs. Since cement needs to be used with two hours of mixing it, portions of each batch can go to waste. You don’t have to waste anything when you’re mixing it on site and can use it right away. You can also reduce delivery costs. Taking out the extra step for delivery relieves you of this extra cost as well.

Save Time

When it comes to building a home or business, you have a strict schedule that you need to adhere to in order to finish the project on time. Any way that you can save time will help. If your site is far away from a plant, this will be a much better option for you. You can set it up on your site that day and have it mixed consistently. You can even readjust the settings to ensure that it will meet your needs for your project.

Produce Quality Batches

Many companies tend to water down large batches when transporting them to different sites. This helps make up for the time delays, but it leaves you with a weaker product. If you want to ensure that you will have a precise mixture to work with, this is the best option for you. You can make higher quality batches and use it right when you need it.

When your working on any construction project, you want to find ways to save money while staying on schedule and creating a quality final product. One thing that you should consider using to help you is a portable concrete batch plant. Having access to your concrete on your construction site will give you the access to it when you need it and allow you to mix it to your desired consistence and quality. If you have any questions regarding how this can benefit your project, contact your local company to help you today.

Getting called on a mission is both very exciting and intimidating. Many people call it the best two (or one and a half) years of their lives. However, a mission can also be very taxing because it asks for a lot and can be difficult to adjust. You can make it easier on yourself by preparing to be a missionary. If you begin with the basics on your own, you will be more prepared than everyone else in the MTC, helping you to be even more prepared when you actually go out into the mission field. 

Spiritual Preparation

When you go on a mission, you will be teaching the doctrine of the church to strangers who may have never heard the church before. This requires that you know a lot about the doctrine and that you have a strong testimony in the gospel. If potential converts do not see that you have a strong testimony, they will not be able to get on themselves. Begin with strong scripture study and prayer. Learn the lessons that you will be giving investigators and practice giving those lessons to family members and friends. Speak to former missionaries about what scriptures are best to share with investigators and what else you should know. 

Physical Preparation

When you go on a mission there will be a lot of changes. You can begin by changing your sleep schedule, because you will be getting up early each day. Try going to bed a little bit earlier each night and you will slowly become accustomed to waking up early. You will also be able to fall asleep each night and get the sleep that you need. This process — especially if you like to sleep in every day and stay up late each night — can take months, so get started soon. You can even start your day with scripture study as you will in the field. 

If you are going to a location that speaks a different language you should begin learning the basics of the language that you will be speaking on your mission. Many new languages are tough to learn and take a lot of practice and time to get it down. You do not want to get into the field and not know much about the language they speak; it can be the hardest part of adjustment. If you learn the basics on your own you can take the time in the MTC to perfect your knowledge of the language and be able to communicate by the time you get in the field.

Before your mission, you will go to the temple and get your endowment. You can speak to your bishop about how to best prepare for this and what it means to get your endowment. You should also prepare by getting everything you need. Look at the list of what you can get for your mission. Know whether you will be bicycling or driving or walking and what the weather there will be like. This can help you plan ahead and get everything you need for being a missionary. There are specific books you can bring on your mission, so be sure to get those as well. 

When an appliance breaks down or an auto part fails, you are left with scrap metal. While many simply toss it in the garbage bin or send it to a recycling center, they may forget about an alternate option for what to do with scrap metal. That alternative is to make the old hunk of junk into a work of art. Several artists are gathering scrap metal for sculptures. Old, discarded metal can be transformed into racks, candlesticks, umbrella stands, furniture, wall hangings, lamps, coat racks, bookshelves, and so on. California scrap metal is most typically used for creating sculptures of people and animals.

Sculpting the Statue

If you’re aiming to crate a statue sculpture, you should first come up with a design on paper. Assess what pieces of metal you have and see how they can be used for parts of the body. If you haven’t collected any scrap pieces yet, find pieces that will correspond with the design you’re going for. You’ll want the pieces to be able to connect to each other with minimal soldering. Metal chains and wire may help you attach one piece to the next. Large sheets of metal are excellent for sculpting them into your desired shapes. Once you’ve sketched your design, you can take your pieces and lay them out to get an accurate idea of the finished product. When you’re satisfied with what you got, commence welding. Tack welding should be implemented to fit pieces together; longer welds come in for creating seams along the edges. A metal grinder can be used for making a polished appearance.

Painting the Sculpture

Some artists like to leave the work as it is while others proceed to paint over the sculpture. It’s largely a matter of choice. If you choose to paint the metal surface, first prepare the area and the statue. Choose a well-ventilated area and set up drop cloths to protect the floor from paint spills. Next, clean the sculpture and remove rust. If the surface is not prepared then the paint will not stick. Then get out the oil-based paint and stir it. You can combine paints to create new colors. Be sure you use turpentine to clean paintbrushes when you swap colors. Keep in mind that the shades applied to the metal may not initially turn out how you wish them to so apply coats accordingly. If you don’t like a color and want to paint over it, let the layer dry overnight before applying a new replacement color to the California scrap metal.