RLROUSE Infoblog

When I was growing up back in the ’60s and ’70s we never even thought about locking our doors while we were at home. We could leave items such as lawnmowers, bicycles and most everything else sitting out in the yard with no fear of returning home and discovering that they had been stolen. But my, how times have changed.

Nowadays, not only is leaving valuable possessions outdoors unattended a fool’s game, so is going to bed at night with the doors unlocked. People used to break into homes quite rarely, and then only if they knew that nobody would be at home. Today however they just burst right on in and take what they want, and if you try to stop them you could get assaulted – or worse.

Security cameras can give you fair warning should someone try to break in while you’re at home, and if you’re gone they can record video footage of the break-in to aid the police in apprehending the offender and recovering your property. In short, they are a must for property owners in the dangerous world of the 21st century!

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As you probably know by now, there is a new law on the books that bans the sale of incandescent light bulbs. The ban on 100 watt incandescents will go into effect at the end of this year with 40 watt bulbs wrapping up the phase-out in 2014.

With this impending ban in mind, many consumers are buying up stockpiles of incandescent bulbs and saving them for later use when they will no longer be available for purchase in stores.

Should you join the merry band of hoarders as well? In my opinion, yes. I gave the much-hyped and grossly over-priced compact fluorescent bulbs a try, and to say the least I was underwhelmed. Besides being just plain ugly, they provide a paltry amount of light and they don’t last anywhere near as long as the claims would have you believe. I have already bought up several dozen incandescent bulbs of various wattages, enough in fact to last me and my wife the rest of our lifetimes in all likelihood.

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If you have spent any time at all driving through residential neighborhoods you have probably noticed that many new houses are being built with metal roofs instead of shingles. In addition to the obvious beauty of modern metal roofing, it also offers a number of other major advantages for the home-builder and remodeler:

1 – Metal roofs are more durable than shingles. Today’s metal roofing materials are several times stronger than composites. Layers of metallic and polymer coatings help resist rust and corrosion while the inherent strength of steel provides enhanced protection against wind, hail and other damaging natural phenomena.

2 – Metal roofing materials tend to reflect light and heat which can result in a cooler home in the summer and a warmer one in the winter.

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