This is what can happen when the HOA's lawn crew are not careful. This backflow line has been hit in the past, but today it ruptured. If this happened to you and you were a thousand miles away, would you have someone to call? Let me be that person! Aloha Home Watch Services......live your dream!
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Construction to redesign the interchange at I-75 and SR 64 is planned to begin during the summer of 2017 and is expected to take 2.2 years to complete.
In addition to rebuilding the interchange from its existing partial cloverleaf design, other interchange improvements include the replacement of entrance and exit ramps and adding emergency stopping sites on these ramps. Safety enhancements as part of the project include eliminating the loop ramp in the northeast quadrant and combining all I-75 northbound traffic onto a single ramp in the southeast quadrant, providing left and right turns under a traffic light control. These enhancements eliminate the existing weave condition and provides safer traffic movement. Sidewalks and buffered bike lanes will also be added as part of project's safety plan. So get ready, this construction begins just months before the completion of the diverging diamond at I-75 and University Parkway. News source: The Bradenton Herald.
Aloha Home Watch Services
We take the worry out of being away! Future expansion at the UTC Mall will include hotels, movie theater and an entertainment district.
Click the link below to watch the video for more details. http://www.snntv.com/2015/10/07/mall-at-utc-looks-ahead-to-future-development/ Florida’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange is coming to Sarasota where we have one of the Bay area’s busiest stretches of roadway. Engineers believe the innovative design will help ease congestion and reduce crashes at I-75 and University Parkway.
Read the full article and view the animation of the traffic pattern in the video below: http://wfla.com/2015/09/02/floridas-first-diverging-diamond-interchange-coming-to-sarasota/ See you later alligator. I recently spotted this gator crossing the street in Lakewood Ranch Country Club. He was moving between lakes right along the golf course. He didn't seem to be bothered at all by the cars slowing down to catch a glimpse. I didn't mind him crossing in front of me, I just thought it would have been safer if he would have used the crosswalk. Welcome home returning snowbirds! It's late summer and prime time for hurricanes to threaten the Florida Gulf Coast. Who will help prepare your seasonal home for a major storm? At Aloha Home Watch Services, we can:
Call us and live with peace of mind, even when there's a storm on the horizon. Can you always trust the safety of the food in your freezer? What if while on vacation your home suffered a power outage that allowed your freezer foods to thaw and then refreeze when the power returned. If you're not home, how would you even know? Is your food safe now? According to the FDA, your frozen food may be hazardous to your health if left at room temperature for just two hours. Scary thought! Power outages are a real possibility in Florida, especially during the hurricane and tropical storm season when many residents are vacationing or living in their summer homes. The good news is that with the FREEZER METER, you'll know if your freezer compartment has reached a potentially harmful temperature during your absence. Here's how it works. STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 Fill to the line and freeze Place the ball on top of the ice Hang the meter in the freezer WHEN YOU RETURN FROM YOUR TRIP Inspect your meter when you return. If it looks exactly the way you left it in step three, your food has remained safely frozen. But if the ice in the meter thawed or partially thawed, the ball will move to a position similar to one in the last two pictures shown below. At this point, your food may be at risk. SAFE CAUTION WARNING No need to worry Harmful temperature Consider discarding encountered food This is a very simple, inexpensive product that may prove helpful if you ever find yourself wondering if your freezer lost power for a significant period of time. To find out more about the FREEZER METER, go to their website at http://freezermeter.com/
Here is a great product for securing patio sliders! This is good news because your patio doors can be one of the most vulnerable access points jeopardizing your home security. The CAL Double-Bolt Lock works by securing the door to the frame at two security points and preventing any movement of the door. With its double locking action, the CAL Double-Bolt Lock makes it virtually impossible to remove the door by lifting it off its track. If you have a swimming pool and want to limit outside access to young children, the lock can be mounted high enough on the door to be well out of the reach of children. To learn more about this lock visit their website at http://www.caldoubleboltlock.com/ Did you know that pineapples can be grown in Florida by just planting the top? They grow easily and require very little care. Here are some growing tips.
You can expect fruit between 18 – 36 months after planting. When the fruit ripens, it turns from green to yellow from the base to the top. A sweet aroma can be smelled when ripening which also attracts animals who may try to eat it, so watch them carefully when they begin to ripen. Happy pineapple gardening! Going away and want to hide some valuables in a safe place that is in plain sight? Try a salt container. I saw this trick and thought it was a great. Now the real challenge will be to remember where you hid your valuables when you return! Here is another great idea for hiding your cash. I think the more appropriate brand to use for this deception would be "SECRET". No need to "sweat it" thinking about someone stealing your cash when you hide it in this antiperspirant container. Are you at risk for having 500 gallons of water per hour flood your home? You may be if you're not regularly inspecting and replacing your washing machine hoses. Bursting hoses are notorious for causing millions of dollars in water damage in US homes each year. While no hose is completely immune from suffering a failure, there are key steps you can take to minimize your risk of a flooded home.
If you have decided to replace your hoses, the process is simple. If you can change a garden hose, you can do the job. Here are couple installation tips.
For those that are very preventive minded, there are systems like FLOODSTOP which actually incorporate a water sensor that will detect any water leak. If a leak is detected, it will sound an alarm and automatically shut off the water valve. The reviews on this product are mixed, but many people are very pleased with its performance. SO DON'T NEGLECT THOSE HOSES. DILIGENT INSPECTIONS MAY SOME DAY SAVE YOU THOUSANDS IN REPAIR COSTS. Ever find yourself needing to fill a bucket with water but the sink is too small to put the bucket under the faucet? In the past I usually resorted to slowly transferring large cups of water until I filled the bucket. This process was usually so slow that I stopped before the bucket was full. Here's an idea that will save you time and only requires a bucket and dustpan. Make sure the dustpan is clean and simply place it under the faucet with the handle extending over the edge of the sink. The dustpan handle will channel the water and act as a funnel allowing you to fill the bucket. If the water splashes out of the bucket because the drop from the dustpan is too high, use a chair to raise the height of the bucket. ONE WORD OF CAUTION. Once you start filling the bucket, don't get distracted and walk away with the water running! I hope this idea works for you next time you are in a "big bucket, small sink" pinch. Does your ribbon box look like a depressing, tangled mess of twisted colors? Well, when looking for ideas to store Christmas paper and wrapping supplies, I came across one of the best ribbon organizing ideas. No chance your ribbons will unravel on their own with this tangle-free organizer. For this project you will need:
I received a call from one of my customers asking me to make an emergency check on his condo. He was concerned because he had just received a call from a neighbor who believed one of his smoke detectors had been activated. Since his fire detection system was not monitored by an alarm company, my customer had no way of knowing what was going on inside his home. The alarm came to the attention of the neighbor late in the evening of the previous day. His neighbor, whose condo shares a common wall with my customer, heard a faint sound which he believed to be some type of alarm coming from his unit. After walking around the unit the following morning, he confirmed the alarm was coming from inside. When I arrived to investigate the alarm was still blaring. A quick walk through the condo confirmed that everything was in order so I silenced the alarm. As I thought about what could be the cause for a false alarm, I recalled the owner telling me that after having the condo recently renovated and having new detectors installed, he himself had experienced an unexplained false alarm. I noticed the microwave and oven clocks were flashing and concluded that on the previous day the power had briefly gone out. Wondering if the false alarm was somehow connected to a drop in power, I searched the internet for a possible solution. In less than 60 seconds, I had my answer. His condo wasn't the only one experiencing a problem. This particular smoke detector was being recalled by the manufacturer for the exact problem we were experiencing - signaling false alarms immediately following power drops or power surges. PROBLEM SOLVED! After making a quick call to the manufacturer, the replacement units were on their way. Now the homeowner and his neighbor can rest peacefully at night. If you didn't have a HOME WATCH SERVICE to check your home, what would you have done? Who would you have called? Would you and maybe your neighbors feel better knowing someone was checking your home? ALOHA HOME WATCH SERVICES, LLC WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED. Have you ever had one of those doors that just wouldn't stay open? It seemed that no matter what you tried, it always managed to swing shut. For the longest time the only solution I ever found to solve this problem was to use a bulky doorstop. The doorstop worked but it was inconvenient to always be moving it when opening or closing the door. When I discovered the magnetic doorstop, I wasn't sure how I ever lived without it. This doorstop is a two-piece device that is simple to install. One piece is a magnetic base while the other is a metal arm. When the two parts come in close proximity, the magnetic base attracts the metal arm thereby holding the door in place. No more swinging door now that it is held in place until physically moved. The magnetic doorstop comes in many different designs to fit the style of any home. Have you ever found yourself struggling to hammer a short nail into the wall while hanging a picture or decoration? Holding the nail and hitting it at the same time is no easy task. Sometimes I either drop the nail or I end up whacking my fingers with the hammer because the nail is so short. That hurts, but this pain can be easily avoided. Here is a DIY tip that will help you complete the job without dropping the nail or whacking your fingers. Simply put the nail between the teeth of a comb, then place it over the correct spot and hammer away. The comb will hold the nail in place until the job is completed. For larger nails, use a comb that has wider spacing between the teeth. It’s just that simple! Adding a key to your key ring is not only frustrating, but it can be a painful, “nail ripping” experience. I group the keys for my home watch visits by neighborhood, so moving keys from one ring to another is a regular occurrence. Now I protect my nails from damage and avoid a painful experience with this ingenious key moving tip. Using a common staple remover, slide the thin metal teeth between the rings of the key ring and squeeze. The teeth will separate the rings allowing you to easily slide the key in place. It’s quick, simple and will never result in damaging your nails. Try it out next time you need to add a key to your key ring. While you were away, have you ever wondered if the lawn of your seasonal home is being irrigated as planned? If this was your home, it would be disheartening to know that the water intended for your lawn is landing in the street. This is the front yard of an empty rental property whose neighbors have no way of contacting the owner to notify them of the broken sprinkler. So right on cue, at the same time each week, "Old Faithful” spouts into the sky. Not only does this broken sprinkler not water its assigned zone, it also reduces the water pressure to other sprinklers. And did I mention, they just resodded their lawn six months earlier? MONEY down the drain! THIS DOESN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN TO YOU! With Aloha Home Watch Services, LLC watching your home, this broken sprinkler would be quickly discovered and replaced before you wasted water, money and risked a dried out lawn. Checking the condition of your lawn is just one of the services we offer with our regular home watch service. Call today to receive your free Home Watch estimate. Ever wonder how to get rid of chewing gum tracked onto your carpet? With a little effort and patience, you can successfully resolve this problem. Begin by filling a small plastic bag or the “finger” of a rubber glove with ice and place it directly on the gum. Wait several minutes or until the gum freezes. Take a spoon or butter knife and carefully chip the gum away from the carpet fibers while being very careful not to pull on any of the fibers. Working patiently is the key. If the gum begins to warm and becomes soft, refreeze it and continue the chipping process. Once the gum has been removed, there may still be a residual of sugar left on the carpet fibers. Over time if it is not removed, the sugar will attract soil and lead to staining. To ensure the sugar is removed, dab carpet cleaning solution (one that is approved for your carpet type) onto a rag and begin blotting the area. The carpet cleaner will break down the sugar allowing it to be absorbed onto the rag helping to eliminate the chance of staining. This ice-method also works well for shoes. To remove gum from the bottom of your shoe, place your shoe in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Let the gum freeze and using a blunt edged object, begin chipping the gum away. Your shoe should be gum free in no time. Now…what's this cord connected to? Have you ever asked yourself that question as you trace a power cord from the power strip back to the device it powers? Seems like identifying which plug belongs to what device would be a simple task. But if your power strips are like most, they are located in tight, restricted spaces with similar looking cords running in all directions. But now you can end this power strip mystery. By using this simple organizational trick, you can quickly identify each power cord connected to your power strip. It’s simple, quick and won’t cost you a dime. Start by saving the bread bag clips from your empty bread bags. Pair each clip to a specific device and using a permanent marker identify that device by writing its name on the clip. Make sure the clip is attached to the plug of that device at the power strip. It’s just that simple! Now when you look at the cord the clip will say what device it powers. No more following cords until you find the right device. Now, get started by saving those bread bag clips! I shared in an earlier blog how useful newspaper is for cleaning windows, but did you know that it also makes a natural weed barrier when mulching your flower beds? In fact, it is proven to make a much better weed inhibitor than using just mulch alone. Here’s how it is done.
The combination of newspaper and mulch block the sunlight from getting to the soil. This prevents the weeds from producing food (through the process of photosynthesis) that all plants need for life. Any small, existing weeds trapped under the paper will die while new weeds are prevented from sprouting. Water is able to pass right through the paper allowing your plants to receive needed moisture, while the paper acts as a barrier keeping the soil cool and retaining moisture for longer periods of time. The newspaper is biodegradable and healthy for the environment. As it decomposes, worms and other organisms feed on it adding nutrients to the soil via their waste products. A "win-win" for the environment and the garden. Using 5-7 layers of newspapers, I usually get one year of weed protection. So this is “Good News” if you’re like me and dislike pulling weeds. Give it a try and see how it works for you. |
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January 2024
AuthorBill Medred is the founder and owner of Aloha Home Watch Services, LLC |