Why Safety Third?
The Ultimate Safety Tool?
A Visual Guide for Deck Inspections
We are proud to join NADRA & many deck professionals across the country in recognizing May as National Deck Safety Month. One of the tools we have promoted is a 10 point Safety check for homeowners. This year we thought we would bring it to life with some...Read More »
Safety Sunday: 10 Reminders for safe mowing
While Punxsutawney Phil may have been wrong about when this winter was supposed to come to an end, for many of us in the south we are starting to see the first signs that it is time to dust off those lawnmowers. For our friends further up north, this next...Read More »
Common Sense Building: Dryer Venting
I have seen a lot of things in my time, but seeing a gutter downspout in the attic, which was being used as a dryer vent was definitely worth a double take. As you can tell from the pics, there wasn’t too much lint that ever made it out of...Read More »
Green Ways To Deal With Pest Problems
Many individuals don’t like or simply can’t use chemicals in their houses do to chemical sensitivity issues. While there are numerous ways for cleaning ones house, what happens if despite your best interests some problem pests decides your place looks like a great home? This week we have...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Asbestos & DIY Projects
This Sunday we have a guest post from Brian Turner who is a Toxic Substance Safety Advocate for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Brian has been involved with them since 2007 & when he is not doing that he is either found playing or watching sports with his...Read More »
Shelter in Place: Surviving freezing temps with no power
While living without power isn’t fun, it’s doable. When you start coupling that with other issues… well, things start looking a lot bleaker. If that’s not enough, add in all the news reports talking about “You can die from being cold,” or “Thousands of New Yorkers who survived...Read More »
Keep your generator humming smoothly & safely for weeks
From a lowly mouse to the spectacular explosion of a transformer, from ice storms to tornados, or as seen this week with Hurricane Sandy; from flooded power stations to trees strewn everywhere, there is no shortage of issues that can knock ones power out. In most cases power...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Food Allergies & Halloween – yes you can
I love Halloween time with all the costumes, kids having fun, and being able to raid the trick or treat bags when the kids were younger. Fortunately none of my kids had any allergies so I never really thought twice about it. A couple of weeks ago I...Read More »
A Look across the Pond: Basic safety rules while working on-site
This Safety Sunday we have an interesting look at the safety rules from across the pond mainly addressed to the employee. This piece comes from us courtesy of Alan Murfee, an Industrial Engineer by profession and “writer by heart”. Alan works for SFM-Tusker based in the...Read More »
Safety Sunday: You’re Feet
No matter if you work in the trades, have a job where you are always on your feet, or just out having a good time with your family; issues with your feet can turn a great day into one of pure misery. Whether it is athlete’s foot, blisters,...Read More »
Safety Sunday: A look at Occupational Fatalities
A little over a week ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their preliminary National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for 2011. On the good news front the rate of fatalities is still dropping, but there were still 4609 individuals who lost their...Read More »
Securing Equipment & Deterring Theft on the Job Site
Equipment theft is big business with estimates topping a billion dollars a year which doesn’t even begin to include small tools or material theft. Most understandably, the most common time is after a site closes down on Friday & before everyone shows up on Monday. For smaller jobs...Read More »
Safety Sunday: To Toss or Keep the Food?
Bam, the power goes out & and you just passed the 4 / 24 hour rule of thumb before it clicked back on… so does that mean that all the food is bad or might some be good? What about the food in the pantry if lord forbid...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Disaster Supply Kits - Food Options
This Sunday we are turning the blog over to Alexandra Williams whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for a few years on Twitter. She has an MA and has been teaching, mentoring, presenting, emceeing, writing and editing about fitness for over 25 years. She...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Disaster Supply Checklist
In case of a natural disaster the government has long stated you should have an emergency disaster supply kit. The kit is supposed to be able to tide you over for 72 hours which by then help should have hopefully arrived. In some cases you may not be...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Job Site Safety Setup Checklist
Another day & another job site; while no one plans on anything bad happening, stuff does happen occasionally. In most cases “lives saved” are generally credited to quick thinking, fast response, & good training. Some that have been injured just shake their heads at such a fluke event...Read More »
20 Point Quick “Firewise” Building Checklist
This has been a bad year for fires across North America which hasn’t been helped by what many are calling the worst drought in 50 years. As of Friday there have been 5,612 fires in Canada & another 38,436 here in the US. This has resulted...Read More »
Safety Sunday: End of the Day Job Site Safety Checklist
One of the most dangerous times on a job site is when it starts getting close to quitting time as everyone is hurrying to get things wrapped, cleaned, & packed up so they can call it a day. One of the ways I like to minimize this issue...Read More »
Safety Sunday: 10 ways to keep your home safe while you’re away
While many like to think of their homes as their castles, it can come as a shock when someone gets past the ramparts and simply leave you feeling violated. As we mentioned in the “Locks are meant to keep honest people honest” there isn’t much one...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Fall Protection
“If you fall, you are fired before you hit the ground. If you are ok and can climb back up the ladder you are rehired.” Thus started another day working for a roofing contractor who loved to use this line to basically say – think about what you...Read More »
25 ways to keep you’re cool during a heat wave & beyond
Welcome to the dog days of summer with what appears to be a bumper crop of “Excessive Heat Warnings” this year. In just this last week, I got to enjoy a nice balmy 105° in St Louis as I was heading home, Vermont hit 97°, and Norton Dam...Read More »
Safety Sunday: How not to do Electrical
Drywall is well known for covering a multitude of sins, which is one reason why electricians are fond of saying; be forewarned, if you see something wrong, you know there is going to be a lot more you can’t see. While many may think that the fuse box...Read More »
Safety Sunday – 20 reminders for grilling
In 2009 alone, over 16 million new grills were sold and a study showed that 82% of the US owns a grill with 97% of those owners admit that they use said grill at least once a year. The biggest day for barbequing or grilling outside should be...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Building Safety Month – Backyard Safety
As we close out the month of May, we get to look forward to the start of summer vacations & travel. As we sit on our back decks enjoying a three day Memorial Day weekend, we start looking forward to many more barbeques, backyard parties, & relaxing in...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Building Safety Month - Fire Safety and Awareness
This week for the International Building Safety month the ICC (International Code Council) turns its focus to Fire Safety and Awareness. For this let me just say a simple Amen, as we have seen way to many fires & they are generally caused by...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Building Safety Month - Disaster Safety & Mitigation
As mentioned in last week’s Safety Sunday article the ICC (International Code Council) which is promoting this year’s International Building Safety month broke it into 4 distinct topics. This week’s topic is focused on Disaster Safety & Mitigation which I highly recommend you check out as it...Read More »
May is National Deck Safety Month - Infographic
In conjunction with NADRA, Fiberon & many other fine organizations & companies, we at AlaGBS ~ SLS Construction would like to remind you that May is National Deck Safety Month & encourage you to check your deck. This year Fiberon...Read More »
Checklist: Preventing slips & falls inside & outside your home
Wow, that picture sure does bring back some memories & even a few chuckles at some of the antics that the commercial garnered. While the jokes or the over the top re-enactments might be funny (to most some) the reason that the company was founded & still continues...Read More »
Mosquitos – 5 key checks for keeping the blood suckers at bay
What a wacky start to this year, we had maybe one weeks’ worth of winter weather, a ton of spring like weather and that has quickly morphed into an almost summer like feeling. While this has been a boon for many, one of the unfortunate side effect is the mosquitos...Read More »
Severe Weather Awareness Week: NOAA Radio’s
Continuing with this Alabama’s Severe Weather Awareness week, we have now reached the last official day which is dedicated to NOAA radios. The last four days we covered Tornado’s, Severe Thunderstorms, Lightning & Flooding which included which alerts are issued by NOAA/NWS & what they mean.
In times of old, one...Read More »
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Flooding
Continuing with this Alabama’s Severe Weather Awareness week, we are now on Thursday which is dedicated to Flooding. A Flood can take several hours to days to develop and can occur even where it hasn’t been raining. Flash Floods used to be a major concern of mine when hiking in...Read More »
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Tornado’s
This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week & today is dedicated to tornados. Unlike hurricanes where one generally has at least a days’ notice if not a week or more to prepare, a tornado can strike with little to no warning at all. While today’s technology is getting better,...Read More »
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Lightning
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared Feb. 19-24 as Severe Weather Awareness Week to encourage people to make their own personal preparations long before severe weather strikes. On average each year in the US there are 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,000 tornadoes, and an average of 2 hurricanes...Read More »
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Thunderstorms
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared Feb. 19-24 as Severe Weather Awareness Week to encourage people to make their own personal preparations long before severe weather strikes. On average each year in the US there are 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,000 tornadoes, and an average of 2 hurricanes...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Happy Holidays – Top 5 Safety Tips & Reminders
Ahhh Christmas, it is just around the corner & many are scrambling to get everything done, so they can hopefully find some time to relax. Fortunately this year, both Christmas & New Year’s happen to fall on a Sunday which eases some of the pressure many maybe feeling and leaving...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Legionella, Water Heaters & Your Home?
Recently in a forum I frequent, an energy auditor basically went on a tirade that we were essentially harming & possibly killing people by encouraging individuals to turn their water heaters down to 120°. The reason for this concern; old studies found online about Legionella possibly being spread via water...Read More »
Let’s Blog Off: Dog Shoots Man?
Ahhh hunting season, you can forget Christmas, as this is the best time of year for many. Shoot, there are still some schools & business that close down for a few days to a week just because it is hunting season. With over 12 million plus hunters going...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top Ten Hunting & Shooting Reminders
With over 12 million plus hunters going out every year you know there is bound to be some issues. Fortunately the issues resulting in death or injury from a firearm or bow are pretty low, but the last thing someone wants to be is that 1 in a...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Water Heaters, the Combustion Process & the Draft Hood
In last week’s article on Gas Water Heaters we covered the issue of knowledge or should I say lack thereof, of individuals giving advice or doing work that they are not really qualified to give or do. While...Read More »
Let’s Blog Off: Thanksgiving Leftover’s
Gee’s it Thanksgiving, I wonder what this week’s Let’s Blog Off topic might be about? And wow, I have never seen Rufus (aka @DogWalkBlog) so excited; his tail & ears have been perked up like you wouldn’t believe, so it is must either be...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Gas Hot Water Heaters, Energy Auditors, and You
It seemed like Combustion Safety was the hot topic this week, especially as it concerned Hot Water Heaters. One in particular caught my eye and it went along the lines of… I am new at Home Performance and I am looking for some advice. I did a test...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Smart Phones
This week McAfee released there 12 scams for Christmas, which is really a misnomer as it only deals with hardware and online issues and for the most is a rehash of ongoing issues. The most interesting part of the list though was that the smart phones actually took...Read More »
Safety Sunday: 5 Tips for Staying Healthy During Changing Seasons & Wild Temperature Swings
In the last few weeks, it sure has been interesting – here in Alabama we would go from freezing temps in the morning with highs in the 70’s later that day. In Denver, they had the opposite issue when they went from T-Shirt weather in the morning to a blizzard...Read More »
Safety Sunday: It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With snow falling in the Rockies & in parts of New England, who couldn’t help but think of that song. Ok, maybe after a few thoughts of so much for global warming & isn’t this October still? With this early wake up call, Daylight Savings Time coming to an end,...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Preventing Food Poisoning in conjunction with #BAD11 & World Food Day
What a trifecta; Safety Sunday, World Food Day & Blog Action Day 2011 all happen to fall on this Sunday, with the main focus being on Food. While we have addressed the issue of preventing food poisoning in some previous articles; Picnic Safety,
Safety Sunday: Locks are meant to keep the Honest people Honest
From a safety & security standpoint, this was a pretty quiet but yet an interesting week. My favorite comment this week was – I thought keys were just keys… (Sorry, but we can’t rekey your new Kwikset locks to use your old Schlage key) Then yesterday...Read More »
Safety Sunday: 5 Common Sense Tips for Driving in the Rain
Ahhh Monday’s, so there I am trying to get a wall dried in on a day it wasn’t supposed to rain, and then trying to avoid getting creamed on the way home, what could be better? A little later on, and after participating in the following tweet stream “ Before stepping back into the construction arena full time, my main day job for almost 10 years was working for the State of Arizona in the Information Technology field; where the bulk of the later years was focused mainly on data & information security. During this 10 year...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top Ten Safety Tips for Air / Pneumatic Nailer
This last week, the alphabet soup of worker safety (NIOSH, OSHA, CDC, DOL, & DHHS) put out a new brochure on Nail Gun Safety . Overall they did a real nice job, especially describing the difference between the firing mechanisms, and an extensive list of do’s & don’ts....Read More »
Safety Sunday: Those Pesky Spiders
In our next group of unwanted critters (Raccoons, Squirrels, and Mice to Snakes and Scorpions) we are going to introduce the next item which is those pesky spiders. For the most part, spiders are beneficial to keeping flying insects under control, but not all of them. In our...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top Ten Table Saw Safety Tips
Ahhh the table saw; a woodworker’s bread & butter, a carpenters best-friend (ok maybe 2nd), and a way for DIYers to show that they have made it and are serious… Ok I am slightly kidding on the last one, but one can’t argue with how popular the tool is. Of...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Don’t be that Guy… & 4 tips for venturing out after the storm
Sorry but I need to rant for a second… What is up with some reporters – now folks don’t do this, if you see X do Y, and most importantly do as I say, not as I do…
Standing in knee deep water with storm surge coming...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Another senseless death while others live… (Carbon Monoxide)
Generally, one doesn’t start seeing news reports like this until late into October or early November…
August 8th Raleigh, NC — A woman died Sunday and her husband was in an area hospital Monday after police say someone accidentally left a vehicle running in the closed garage at their...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Heat Stress
From one contractor “We’ve had too many injuries lately…” to it “has been in the hundreds for about 3 weeks now. I collapsed on the jobsite… I always thought it was dudes being babies, but when you can’t lift a hammer out of your pouch and your legs...Read More »
The 4th of July, the BarBie, Smoked Lemonade & BBQ Etiquette?
July 4th, 1776 — We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the Perfect Barbeque… err Happiness… In all seriousness,...Read More »
Safety Sunday: The Right Steps for Ladder Safety
For this week’s Safety Sunday Article, I am turning the reigns over to Paul Hamtil of Hamtil Construction located in St. Louis. Hamtil Construction is also a family owned business that believes “Building a Tradition of Quality“and it shows (Portfolio)....Read More »
Safety Sunday: SkillsUSA & Safety
Your mission should you choose to accept it is to allow 5400+ students access to power tools, (that many can’t use per OSHA or State laws till they turn 18) hand tools, and to compete in timed events without having any injuries…. Welcome to the SkillsUSA National Championships...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Fire Extinguisher Primer
Ahhh, the bright red fire extinguisher, you can hardly go throughout a day without hardly seeing one; but how much do you know about them, how will you REACT, and why does everyone want you to PASS the extinguisher (don’t they realize you got it)?
The 5 Classes &...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Only You… You’re House & Wildfires
When we wrote our last Safety Sunday article on campfire and outdoor fire safety, there were 33 large wildfires burning across the US which has since dropped down to 31. Both Alaska & Arizona have dropped down...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Only You… Camping & Outdoor Fire Safety
Summer time, camping & a camp fire – what could be better? Unfortunately, in many locations summer time & camp fires are not a great mix and the consequences can get bad, really fast. Just this week – Hundreds flee as fire rages in eastern Arizona,...Read More »
Safety Sunday: The Sun and You
Ahhh, Memorial Day is generally seen as the start of Summer Break & Vacations. For many that means plenty of hiking, kayaking, cycling, tubing down the river, going to the beach, visiting new places, and lots of travel. This also generally means a lot of sunburns which to...Read More »
Safety Sunday: You’re Business
With the numerous disasters that have impacted many locations like Japan, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Memphis, Oklahoma… many business owners are looking around & wondering – What If, Am I Ready, Are We Ready? In reality I have to say, there is no way of knowing until after the...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Visualization & Role Playing
STOP – DROP – ROLL; In case of emergency, stand and move in an orderly fashion to the nearest exit; In case of smoke, touch the door with the back of your handbeforeopening it… I am pretty sure most everyone reading those words will automatically picture where they...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Boil Water Notices & Advisories FAQ’s
Fortunately for many individuals affected by the tornados, the local water utilities were able to keep everything up to snuff eliminating the need to issue to a Boil Water Notice or Advisory. I only recall hearing about three communities / regions affected were they were issued. One of...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top Ten Do's & Dont's for Portable Generators
As many of you know the South was hit by a wave of tornados that devastated some communities, and left many of us feeling either really lucky, blessed, or in a complete state of shock (or all three). At this moment as I write this, I am sitting...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Staying Lead Safe in Your Home
In the last three Safety Sunday articles, we covered how Homeowners can perform Lead Safe Renovations on older houses utilizing the 3 C’s. While the EPA & many others would have you believe that renovations on houses built before 1978 is the main cause of lead...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Lead Safe Work Practices for Home Owner’s – The Final C
In our last few articles we outlined what the principles of the 3 C’s of prevention, followed up with two articles on the first two principles are as they relate to homeowners who might be working on their home with lead in it....Read More »
Safety Sunday: Lead Safe Work Practices for Home Owner’s – Containment
In our last few Safety Sunday articles, we introduces the 3 C’s concept as it relates to Safety and Prevention and specifically focused on how one can use this concept when doing renovations in any home, especially older ones that may contain lead. In...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Lead Safe Work Practices for Home Owner’s – The First C
In last week’s Safety Sunday Article we introduced the concept of the 3 C’s as they apply to Safety and Prevention. As we mentioned in that article, we are going to delve into each one of those & see how it applies...Read More »
Safety Sunday: The 3 C’s of Prevention
In many ways, the art or science of building or remodeling ones house is built around one action – Prevention. Prevention is quite simply an action or actions one uses to stop or hinder something from happening. For one quick example, we flash & detail windows properly to...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Combustion Appliances
In two of our most recent articles, we stated, “Each year all gas-fired appliances and the venting associated with it, should undergo a yearly inspection and be tuned up by a licensed and knowledgeable HVAC contractor certified by NCI or a similar organization. While...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Flood Safety Awareness Week
As shown by the title, this upcoming week is Flood Safety Awareness week. Based on recent events not only here in Alabama, but around the world I think that serves as a great reminder of why being prepared or knowing what to do is so important....Read More »
Safety Sunday: Dig safely
Last Sunday as I was driving into town – there sat the water company fixing a water main break on one of the back roads. At the time I didn’t think much about it (except for feeling a little sorry for them), until this ad ran in the...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Snakes & Scorpions
Wow, has it only been three months since we addressed the issues with the wintertime & everyone’s beloved Raccoons, Squirrels, and Mice? Well as the temperatures start rising, we are going to introduce our next two unwanted guests that will be making a comeback, namely snakes...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top Ten Tips for Using Power Tools to Trim Shrubs & Trees
As we mentioned in our February Homeowner Maintenance article, “Many plants are now dormant which makes this the best time to plant new ones or trim existing ones.” While it appeared that no one in the country would be doing that this earlier this month, Read More »
Safety Sunday: Real men do wear gloves
Growing up, one of my dad’s favorite sayings was that; “Real men don’t wear gloves.” Of course, when I went off logging with my grandpa, splitting wood, etc… the first thing he handed me were a pair of leather / cowhide gloves. Well as the saying goes –...Read More »
Safety Sunday: The Ultimate Safety Tool
Approximately a month ago, on one of the forums I frequent, I got a great compliment on our RRP series of articles. The catch with this compliment was he also mentioned that he did not agree with all the points made, and he left it at...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Hotel Motel Safety
So there I was sitting in another hotel, in another city, for another class, and another Safety Sunday idea was born. While many people lock the doors at their houses, in their vehicles, and pay attention when leaving their office, they seemingly forget some of these...Read More »
Safety Sunday: 10 Safety Tips for Working in the Attic
Recently we restarted our Air Sealing & Insulation articles again, and in the most recent article on Hot-Roofs we mentioned that now is a good time to work in your attic (at least if you live in the South). One of the main reasons...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Space Heaters & Smoke Detectors
Let me simply start this one off with a personal plea – please folks, can we just stop the madness? Jan 13th Chickasaw, AL – 1 injured – Jan 13th Montgomery, AL – 1 dead, 1 injured, 1 firefighter injured – Jan...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top 10 Winter Driving Tips
We are sorry to interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast…
WINTER STORM WARNING: TRAVEL WILL DETERIORATE QUICKLY SUNDAY EVENING…WITH MANY ROADWAYS LIKELY BECOMING SNOW COVERED OVERNIGHT. TRAVEL ON MONDAY WILL LIKELY BE DIFFICULT AT BEST.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE...Read More »
Safety Sunday: A New Year and Safety Third
First off, let me wish you all a Happy New Year. This is generally the time of year that many look back fondly (or not so fondly) on the past year, make resolutions, and move forward to making the coming new-year a safe and better one. In this...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Ahhh, bye-bye Christmas
First, we hope that everyone had a great Christmas and was able to enjoy a nice & safe day with family. Now that Christmas is over, it is time to start thinking about cleanup. For a great list of items to start with, we would recommend you check...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Top Ten Holiday Pet Safety Reminders
This week’s Safety Sunday article is brought to you courtesy of our newest dog – Jasper. Jasper is about a year and half-old Collie mix, and was a rescued dog that we got about 4 months ago. Yes, that is him on the right, while Ziva is the...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Five Quick Christmas Tree Safety Tips
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, oh no… As most everyone knows, there are generally three types of Christmas trees available on the market; the artificial tree, the “Fresh-Cut” tree, and my favorite a Live tree that I can plant later. No matter what type of tree you...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Traveling the Interstates & the Information Superhighway
Needless to say, as the Holidays fast approach, many parents are out cruising the stores, or flying through the mystical Ethernet searching for the newest toys or gadgets which leads us to this week’s topic on travelling. While the two may appear completely different, in many ways the...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Toys and your kid’s safety
It’s that time of year again, where everyone is out seemingly shopping for those perfect gifts for Christmas. Unfortunately, for some parents, those seemingly innocent toys can & have turned into a nightmare. So before you wrap up those toys with the required batteries (you did remember the batteries right?),...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Raccoons, Squirrels & Mice, oh my…
In our latest article, we were reviewing the EPA’s “Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades” and a section came up on pests. Seeing we are now nearing the wintertime, many animals are now searching for areas to hibernate, nest, stash their nuts, and even...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Dust Masks vs. Respirators
In last week’s Safety Sunday article, we covered how to properly care and maintain a respirator, but did not get into how to choose the necessary filter, or when a dust mask might be sufficient. We plan to rectify part of that in this article, but first we...Read More »
Organizing the Refrigerator & Freezer
In our last article, we started discussing one of the items in the Holiday Planning Checklist about “inventorying your pantry, refrigerator and freezer and stocking up on non-perishables.” In our last article, we mainly focused on your pantry and organizing it. As promised, in this article...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Respirator Care & Maintenance
In this article, we are not going to delve into which filter is for what, when you should use one or when a dust mask may be sufficient (we will get to that in a future article) , but one of the most overlooked facets of them –...Read More »
Cleaning out & organizing the pantry
Wow, is it really November already, with only 20 days to go till Thanksgiving? Ouch, time to break out the Holiday Planning Checklist & get going. In that checklist, we included a point about “inventorying your pantry, refrigerator and freezer and stocking up on non-perishables”, which...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Halloween - 10 tips for Trick & Treaters
Would it really be Halloween without all those ghosts, goblins, and witches running around going Trick or Treat? From our great friend Nick @ Cupboards Kitchen & Bath 19 Interesting Facts on Halloween we can see that it has been going on since the 1800’s in...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Halloween – having a shockingly good time
Ahhh Halloween, with all the trick and treaters, haunted houses, costume parties and balls; easily turns a regular night into and oh so fun night. Quite a few of my friends actually spend more time planning for Halloween & decorating than they do for Christmas & it appears...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Bag your gear
For today’s Safety Sunday tip, I am going to turn it over to a good friend of mine – John D. Poole* of Birmingham Point.
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That’s right: Bag your safety gear! No, I don’t mean discard it. A practice I’ve...Read More »
Safety Sunday: Protect your hearing
Have you ever heard a slight ringing in your ears, maybe after mowing, shooting, or attending a concert? That is the first sign that you may have damaged your hearing, or are about to – hopefully it is just limited to the ringing sound, and is not permanent. Unfortunately for me, I...Read More »
Guest Post: A tale of two cities - stopping a killer
Since my last guest post on BMoxieBMore, it has gone through a slight rebranding and is now known as BuildingMoxie. While at the Remodeling show, I actually met with JB from Building Moxie & he reminded me that I have an open invitation to post...Read More »
Safety Sunday - Safety Glasses
For our inaugural Safety Sunday quick tip, I thought we would start with one of the most important tips brought up in our Labor Day Safety article. In the immortal words of Norm Abrahm, “there is no more important safety rule than to wear...Read More »
Working Safely – In the Heat
Well here, we are in July & it’s not only the Southern states lately that are baking in the sun. From DC up to New York, & even here in Alabama many contractors and others found out that a dry heat can quite simply kick your butt. Unlike...Read More »
Independence Day Safety - Fireworks
July 4th, 1776 — We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their...Read More »
Hurricane Season - 5 Steps to being prepared
Today is the start of Hurricane Season that has been predicted to be busier than usual. Based on the ocean temperatures and the changing weather conditions, they might just be right this year. With that in mind, below is our 5 steps to being prepared. If you happen to own...Read More »
Day 2: BPI Building Analyst Training
Oops, did we forget some equipment? Today was supposed to be split ½ in the classroom & ½ doing the field training, but without a manometer, there goes any chance of doing any field training. Overall, that was probably a fortunate thing, seeing it was raining all day here in...Read More »
May is National Deck Safety Month
Ahhh, May – the days are getting longer, when it’s not to hot or to cool to go outside and spend some nice time reading a book, firing up the grill, or having a party. For many of us, this time is generally spent out on our decks....Read More »
Wires - isn’t wireless the wave of the future?
In our Remodeling Right: A Hedge against Changing Technology article we mentioned a great product for running low voltage cabling in your walls. This wiring is used for everything from alarm systems, to your telephone, from your internet connection, to your television. Some people have questioned this by...Read More »
Smoke Detectors - A primer on Placement & Location
In the prior articles, we covered the proper maintenance of smoke detectors and many of the options available. In this article we will be discussing where smoke detectors should be located, and even how to prevent false alarms.
The Starting Point – Current Codes
In order to...Read More »
Smoke Detectors - A primer on the Options Available
In the prior article, we covered the proper maintenance of smoke detectors. One item that we mentioned was that they should be replaced after 5 years. In this article, we will be discussing the different types of alarms and options that are available, including those for the deaf...Read More »
Smoke Detectors – A primer on Maintenance
“Where there’s smoke there’s fire”; while this statement is not fully factually correct we can tell you that most “fire related” deaths actually occur from smoke inhalation. I can honestly say I have yet to see a house that did not have a smoke detector in it, but I sure...Read More »
January is National Radon Month
In case you missed it – January happens to be National Radon Month. Radon (Rn) is a chemical element found on the periodic chart, with an atomic number of 86 found all over the world. Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive, colorless, and tasteless gas that is produced from decaying...Read More »
Warning; this book may shock you or possibly start a fire
To be fully honest, I laughed when I first saw this, but now I am getting more and more upset as I keep looking into this and the more I think about it. Before we go into what has gotten my blood boiling, let me start from the beginning. I...Read More »
Ten Tips to quickly and safely install Christmas Lights
We hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and are looking forward to Christmas. Thanksgiving weekend is the typical time to start planning on getting those Christmas Lights put up, so we offer you our top ten tips for hanging your Christmas lights quickly and safely. If you...Read More »
Thanksgiving Day – A quick moment for safety & to say thanks
Less than a week to go & most of us will be sitting down and enjoying a nice meal with family and friends. On this day of thanks, let us all hope that at the end of the day were not thanking our lucky stars that it was...Read More »
NADRA - the Who, the What, and Why it matters
The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) is a non-profit association whose mission is to is to provide a unified source for the professional development, promotion, growth, and sustenance of the Deck and Railing building industry in North America so that members can exceed the...Read More »
A quick, easy, and safe way to clean your gutters
Ahhh autumn time, the leaves are changing colors, it is getting cooler, and the Holidays are just around the corner. While that all sounds nice, the flip side is – it’s cold, the leaves are everywhere including in the gutters which I just cleaned out last month, it’s...Read More »
Everything we owned...
“Everything we own…” was lost during a simple trip to a grocery store for a Vinemont family this last Tuesday. The culprit? The fire appears to have been started by an electric heater located in their living room.
Unfortunately, we will be hearing or seeing more of these types of stories as winter starts...Read More »
Granite - Maintenance, Upkeep and a Geiger Counter?
Besides laminates, granite is one of the most popular materials around for countertops. What isn’t there to love about it? It is a durable product that can last for centuries. It can easily handle a hot pan being placed on it. It does not chip or scratch easily, and no...Read More »
Utilizing Universal Design Principles to create an Accessible Deck
I don’t know about you but I like to be able to sit outside on my deck or porch and enjoy the weather while my wife likes to work outside in the garden. I do not foresee that changing anytime in the future, nor do most individuals with disabilities want...Read More »
Labor Day Safety
On September 5, 1882, some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City to participate in America’s first Labor Day parade. Originally, it was viewed by many not only as a means to celebrate their accomplishments, but also as a day to air their grievances, discuss strategies for securing not only better but also safer...Read More »
Disaster Preparation for small business owners
Even though Hurricane season started back in June – it has been a very quite year so far. Now we have three named storms within just a couple of days. Granted two are still out in the Atlantic and the third one is basically nothing more than a rainstorm now,...Read More »
When should you call a professional deck builder?
Back in March I wrote an article about “Why should you call a professional deck builder“. Well after the site I visited yesterday, I thought it might be a good idea to have an article on when should you call a
Review your Policy now; before you need to file a claim
Before the need arises to file a claim you should review your current insurance policy to make sure it covers your needs. Below is a quick list of insurance coverage’s shown on the Declaration Page and what it means in plain English. We recommend that you review your policy each year...Read More »
Why should you hire a professional deck builder?
While most maintenance & even some repairs can easily be handled by a typical homeowner, building a new deck or performing major repairs should generally be left to a professional deck builder. At SLS Construction, we insist on building everything to meet or exceed the most recent building...Read More »
