Tips to Secure the Doors in Your Home

Intruders usually enter through doors and windows of the home. Since burglars tend to identify unsecured homes for break-ins, it’s important to reinforce and secure these entry ways. Doors should also be secured against extreme weather, such as hurricanes or tornadoes. A bit of planning and these tips can help you prevent unauthorized break-ins and protect your home from catastrophic weather events.

Cost-effective lighting at entrances

Lights at the entry door, garage(s), or side/back doors are important. Make sure you’ve installed bright lights at these entrances. Install motion sensor lights if you’re concerned about remembering to turn the lights on at dusk. These lights are stimulated when an individual walks past them. Solar powered lighting is another cost-effective strategy for securing these entrances.

Peepholes and deadbolts

Small changes, such as peepholes at front or frequently used side and back doors, can add security to your entrance points. Deadbolts are also a low-cost and effective strategy for protecting the home from the inside out.

Secure sliding glass doors and adjacent windows

Sliding doors with glass are beautiful, but easily broken by intruders seeking access to the home. Install horizontally fitted bar locks on these doors, and make sure to add window locks adjacent to the door. Don’t install bars with keys because, in an emergency, these might not be handy.

Extreme weather

Keep doors closed and locked at all times, and close windows, shades, blinds, and curtains when you’re away from home. Make sure that all inner and outer doors are locked. If you live in an area where storms frequently occur, storm shutters should be available for use prior to the arrival of a hurricane or other extreme storm. Alternatively, use wooden boards and nails to keep windows protected and sealed shut before the storm hits.

 

Tips on Buying Outdoor Artificial Grass

Do you need outdoor artificial grass? Outdoor artificial grass is a beautiful, water-wise alternative to natural grass lawns and landscaping. It can be used to enhance your home or business. It can be used to landscape pools, gardens, and even roof tops. So how do you know you’re buying the right stuff? Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division offers the following tips on how to purchase outdoor artificial grass.

UV-Resilient

Harsh UV rays can damage the fibers of synthetic turf, especially if the product is not made for the outdoors. However, one of most important features of outdoor-ready fake grass is its protective coating against UV rays. Look for synthetic turf that is UV-resilient so that you can install fake grass anywhere in your home or business without worrying about it getting damaged by the sun.

High-Traffic Turf

Today’s advanced synthetic turf comes in various traffic levels ranging from low to high. Depending on where you plan to install the turf, you might need to purchase high-traffic synthetic turf. High-traffic turf is better suited for outdoor projects such as lawns and dog runs and will last longer than the lower levels.

Natural Colors

Outdoor synthetic turf should look like natural grass, which means it should be more than just one color. Some of the best synthetic turf on the market comes in a variety of hues such as a few different greens and some brown. Look for tri-color turf, ideal for landscaping projects such as lawns.

Artificial Turf Supply Commercial & Residential Division provides synthetic lawns for homeowners and businesses. Visit the website to learn more about synthetic turf solutions that are right for you.

Storing nuclear waste and politics in the US

Since 1950s, nuclear waste is filing up at the source in the US. It is estimated that the United States has over 70,000 metric tons of nuclear waste stored at more than 130 sites all around the country. More than two thirds of it stored in pools of water and the reminder in thickly lined casks. Storing nuclear waste safely and environmentally sensitive manner in the United States appears to be caught up in politics.

The Federal government is building an underground, 1,000 feet below the surface, nuclear waste storage facility in Yucca Mountain near Las Vegas, Nevada since 1982. So far the government spent billions of dollars on the project. Land acquisition cost more than $10 billion and another $19 billion or so spent on legal settlements all of which over the construction cost. Originally the project was to go into operation by mid-1990s but most recent estimates indicate that the facility will not be ready until 2020s. The latest is politics that enter into the picture that will delay the project even further. In the meantime nuclear waste is getting accumulated all over the country and the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan reminds everybody the danger of dealing with nuclear technology.