Stay Safe While Renovating Your Home

 

by Brian Turner

Repost from mesothelioma.com

Renovating a home can be an exciting time, but there are also potential health risks that are involved with these types of projects. This is certainly the case when it comes to older homes. With a few simple precautions, the renovation can be completed without any problems.

One of the main safety concerns would be the dust and any fumes that can be released into the air. This can occur when cutting wood, ripping out carpet, and applying glues, sealants, and paints. Dust and fumes can be limited in a few ways. The use of masks and eye protection is a must for anyone in the house. Opening windows and having proper ventilation will help in this matter as well. When painting, there should be adequate ventilation as well. The use of low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paint is one way to limit the exposure to harmful vapors.

In older homes, two main concerns would be asbestos and lead based paint. Both can be removed safely, but extreme care should be taken. Both can cause serious respiratory health problems. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is specifically caused by exposure to asbestos.

For the removal of lead paint, care should be taken in regards to the creation of dust. During renovation, it is sometimes best to move out while the work is being done. Items should be moved out of the room being worked on. Furniture and larger things should be wrapped in plastic. Ventilation systems should be turned off and the room being renovated needs to be sealed off and isolated from other areas of the home. Proper breathing protecting should be worn at all times as well. When the work is completed, a proper and thorough cleaning will ensure there is no lead dust remaining. The cleaning is one of the most important steps, so care should be taken to do this thoroughly.

If there is asbestos in the home, a homeowner should not take on the task of removing this toxic material. Asbestos removal should only be done by a company that is specifically licensed in asbestos abatement.

By taking a few precautions, home renovations can be done safely. If in doubt about how to proceed safely, it is always best to seek out the assistance of a professional.

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5 Shocking Places to Find Asbestos

 

by Brian Turner

 Repost from mesothelioma.com

With the rise of people being diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, it has sounded an alarm with the general public. People everywhere are beginning to wonder if they, or their families, have been exposed to asbestos in their homes or somewhere else in their day-to-day life. A lot of people are under the impression that asbestos only lies in certain building materials, like siding. However, these deadly fibers can be present in a lot of other places as well.

1. Inside the Home

One of the shocking places that asbestos can be found is actually on the inside of the home. Take a close look at the ceiling because some of the materials that were used several years ago to add texture to ceilings may contain asbestos. While this cannot be seen with the naked eye, if your ceiling appears to have the famous popcorn texture or is made up of tiles, it is possible that it may contain asbestos.

2. Flame Resistant Material

When you are looking for asbestos, do not rule out everyday items that you may use on a daily basis. Flame resistant materials are one of the most common items that often contain asbestos.

3. Antique Appliances

It is possible for you to be exposed to asbestos by certain antique appliances that you have in your home. People are often shocked to hear that the heating elements that are contained within their hair dryers and popcorn poppers often have asbestos in the insulators. This is especially true in older appliances.

4. Cigarette Filters

If you are a smoker, you may be shocked to learn that you have been readily placing asbestos fibers right up to your mouth. It is a little known fact that some cigarette filters have been found to contain small amounts of asbestos. This is just another reason to quit smoking.

5. Baby Powder Containing Talc

One of the most shocking asbestos harboring materials is something that you may have even used for your child. Many of the older baby powders contain talc. It has been proven that some talcum powder contains asbestos fibers. You should always look for alternative baby powder that contains cornstarch as an active ingredient.

Now that you know that asbestos could be lurking in many surprising places, you will be more equipped to protect yourself from the dangers of diseases that asbestos exposure can cause. When it comes time to do some spring cleaning or any home renovations, be sure to take extra caution to prevent you and your loved ones from coming into contact with asbestos.

Read more: http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/brian/5-shocking-places-to-find-asbestos.htm#ixzz2Ib68bWr3

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What to Look Out for When Buying a Washing Machine

 

 Here are some pointers to watch out for when buying a washing machine. :)


1) Capacity

The bigger the washing machine capacity, the more laundry you can load per wash. The capacity of a washing machine is measured in kilograms.

To summarize from appliancesonline, the washing machine capacity recommended for a family is as follows:
5kg - couples

7-8kg - small family of four

9-10kg onwards - bigger or extended family

2) Price and user friendliness
Top Loaders are generally cheaper and more user friendly since you do not need to squat down when using it. It is easier to operate too since it uses regular detergent.

Front Loaders are more expensive and not very user friendly since you need to squat down when using it. Thus not recommended for elderly. It is more expensive to use since you need to buy a special detergent known as the HE (High Efficiency) detergent. Otherwise, the clothes will not be clean. Using regular detergent will cause the front loader mechanical problems in the long run.


3) Noise and space

Top Loaders are generally noisier during operation and due to its design, cannot be stacked with dryers. Therefore, it takes up more space.

Front Loaders are quieter during operation and compact in design and thus, dryers can be stacked on top to save space.



4) Delicate clothes
Front Loaders are gentler on clothes and suitable for delicate clothing.


5) Water And Energy Efficient
Although Front Loaders is more expensive, it is more energy efficiency and on average use one-third to one-half times the amount of water used by a Top Loader.

The Water Efficiency Labeling Scheme (WELS) helps to reflect how water efficient an appliance is. The more ticks the label has, the more water-efficient the washing machine model is.


6) Material and built

Stainless-steel washing tub lasts the longest as compared to a porcelain-coated steel or high-grade plastic tub. A steel tub can withstand heavy duty usage and faster spinning power.

7) Product Reviews
Sites such as CNET provides honest product reviews from consumers and thus very useful in helping you to make your purchase.

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Modern Living 2013

Modern Living 2013 is the 1st furniture and appliance exhibition in Singapore Expo in the month of Feburary.

Such exhibitions are excellent places to source for furniture and furnishings for your dream home, but do not succumb to some pressure tactics of the salesmen and to purchase on the spot. Take your time to consider and also conduct a background check on the Company to make sure that the Company has a good standing and track record before making any committment.

Make this event down in your calendar! Details of the exhibition is below! :)

Here are the details of the exhibition:

Exhibition Content: Furniture & Appliances

Location: Singapore Expo, Hall7

Date: 16 Feb to 24 Feb  2013

Time: 12 noon to 10 pm

Cost: Free Admission, open to Public

Refer to here for directions and accessibility.

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Happy Lunar New Year

Image credited to irum

新年快樂 !

恭喜發財 !

Wishing you a prosperous and happy 2013!

:)

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Singapore White Paper - 6.9 million by 2030

  Picture from theglobalist.com

Singapore White Paper - 6.9 million by 2030 

The white paper recently released detailed the need for Singapore to increase the population to 6.9 million. I must say that the plan is indeed a very ambitious one.

The paper recited the need for us to import more foreign labor in order to sustain our economy growth. However I wonder if this is really the ONLY way for us to embark on. 

A quite fix

Honestly, to me it is a quick fix - and not a sustainable solution. It largely focus on the benefits to the country in terms of economic terms. 

Interestingly, there is actually an article which cautioned us the danger of such quick fix.

"Ponzi Demographics" - "Ponzi demography is essentially a pyramid scheme that attempts to make more money for some by adding on more and more people through population growth...The underlying strategy of Ponzi demography is to privatize the profits and socialize the costs incurred from increased population growth. "

 

More questions than it solves

But I wonder what about the social cost - the cost of integrating the influx of foreign workers within such a short period of time?

Will our social fabric be further weakened? 

Will crime rate go up?

Will this make us spiral into a vicious cycle by further exacerbating our declining birth rate?

What if these immigrates do not reproduce too? What happens to them when they age?

Aren't we just artificially bumping up our numbers while side stepping our REAL problem? 

Doesn't this further  aggravate our existing housing and transport problem? And magnify loopholes in our silly systems such as the COE?

And the MOST important question is WHAT IF THEY ARE WRONG? IT IS A POINT OF NO RETURN ISN'T IT? You can't simply ask people to come live our land to leave when things do not work out they way they envisioned!

John Calhoun´s overcrowding experiment with rats comes to mind. Does our government want our future to be like that?!

Exiting problem is still unresolved

Our government has NOT solved the pressing problems that still plague our country - ridiculous soaring property prices and COEs. Transport infrastructure that has been stained beyond its capacity. 

Yet they are ambitiously announcing their next grand plan. O_o!

Actual ground sediments

I wonder...

How many of them actually take our overcrowded public transport system or need to pinch just to save for their next meal?

How many understand that we are increasingly frustrated at the more and more crowded Singapore? 

How many of them know that MOST OF US (except for the very rich) do not care about whatever economic gains they are talking about since for the past 5 years...

• Housing prices have soared;
• Private property have inflated beyond most of our reach and;
• Car prices have skyrocketed!

To put in layman's terms - commodities have already outpaced our wages. Thus, so what if we are earning more right now?  

My thoughts

When Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan promised us "high quality of life" even with such population increase, I wonder what was his definition of "high quality of life"?

For me, my definition is simply a less stressful life and less crowded road with lots of greenery. 

Historic places do not have to be removed to make space for roads or more flats. Forrest areas are preserved.

People do not rush and packed like sardines in the MRT trains.

Car drivers do not dangerously overtake each other since they are rushing to elsewhere?

Perhaps the lifestyle that we had when it was it in the 1990s and early 2000s fits my ideal pace of life. The future they painted is definitely NOT what I have in mind!

I want to end this post with Lesson for men? Overcrowding of mice leads to extinction.

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