Livingston Reporting - page 158

2018 Trends In Kitchens and Bathrooms

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

It appears that more and more homeowners are shifting the design perspective to hiring contractors that can handle the design and building all in one.  Many problems can arise when homeowners have to communicate with two different professional parties, designers and contractors, so it is a special era of home construction when one contractor does it all.

Designers often blame contractors when problems occur while contractors return the blame to designers when the job goes sideways.  It is a better situation for homeowners to get the best contractor and designer for the job from the same spot.

2018 Trends in Kitchen Design and Remodeling

Decades ago, the kitchen was hidden in the back of the house. It was a place where meals were prepared and dirty dishes were washed. Fast forward to 2018 and the kitchen has a much different role. Today, the kitchen is the focal point of the home, the place that brings everyone together at the start of the day or after a long day way.  Now instead, the kitchen is paraded in all its beauty and warmth at the very center of the house.

Kitchens have changed a lot over the decades and planning for your kitchen remodel is very important. Technology advances and changing social dynamics have contributed greatly to the rise of the modern kitchen. There is a far bigger focus on open concept homes that revolve around the kitchen so everyone can be together. As with any modern design trend, clean and simple styles have become favorites for homeowners with natural light becoming an essential aspect of the overall look and function of the kitchen space.

With advice from design experts, here are the top trends in kitchen design we expect to see in 2018:

  • Kitchen Cabinet Colors: White, Gray, and Dark Paint Colors are Elegant and Beautiful
  • Streamlined Designs, Materials, and Textures
  • Effective Storage Solutions and Additional Cabinetry
  • Kitchen Appliances: New Styles and Preferences
  • Hardwood Flooring is Popular as well as Ceramic Tiling
  • Single Level Multi-Purpose Kitchen Islands for Storage Solutions
  • Pet – Friendly Kitchen Spaces

Top Trends in Bathroom Designs and Renovations for 2018

For most people, the bathroom has become a personal sanctuary. It is not just a place to wash off the grit. It is your personal spa, where you relieve the stress of the day and relax. So, when you are renovating your bathroom, you are not just creating a practical bathing space; you are creating a place when you can get away and be yourself. Every aspect and component has to come together towards this goal while also meeting the practical needs of bathing.

If you are building a new home or planning a renovation, the following list of the hottest upcoming bathroom design trends in 2018 should get your creativity going.

  • The Bathroom Needs to Be Efficient and Comfortable
  • Toilets are More High Tech Including Seat Warmers, Automatic Lids, Slow Close Features, Adjustable Dryers and More
  • Brass and Gold Tone Fixtures are Making a Comeback
  • Lighting Style Including Light Bars and Wall Scones
  • Under-floor Heating Systems and Under the Counter Appliances
  • Unique Bathroom Flooring Such As: Hexagon, Arabesque, Diamond, Moroccan Fish Scales, and Chevron Patterns in New Colors and Textures.
  • Bold Accent Walls & Floors Including Ceramic and Porcelain Graphic Tiles

Conclusion

One common thread has been evident in all home design trends for 2018; homeowners are looking for ways to break from the mold and be unique in their styling. In the bathroom and kitchen designs, they are relying on technology, tiles, and bold accents to make the home more interesting.

JFC Remodeling, out of Howell, Michigan, offers a variety of construction services for the home including: kitchen and bath remodeling, flooring renovations, and home remodeling.  You can find out more information at http://www.jfcremodeling.com or by reaching out to our home renovation specialists at 810.923.1123.

 

 

Jason Foldenauer Construction

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Four Rules for Electrical Safety After A Flood

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Ensuring electrical safety after a flood must take precedence over salvaging any remains or inspecting the home. The reason: water and electricity do not mix! It is understandable that you are very eager to check on your belongings, to try to get things back to normal as soon as possible. However, there is always a high risk of electrocution after flooding and of course, no material belongings are worth facing any risks and hazards associated with live electricity in your apartment. Here are few practical tips that will help you ensure electrical safety after a flood.

Stay Away from A Flood-Damaged Basement

A flooded basement may have live electrical wires that you are not aware of. While it is easy to think you can really avoid meeting such wires, even the water may not be safe. It would be best to contact an electrician to ensure the home’s electrical meter is removed from the socket to ensure the house is totally disconnected from the grid. This is an ideal way to shut off all power to the house as there can still be an electrocution even if you have lost power – telephone wires, the cable wire or other wires may have electricity due to shorting and contact from outside electricity.

If there is Power Outage, Do Not Assume It Would Remain Off

After flooding, there may be widespread power outage from the municipal electricity supply. However, it is not ideal to rely on the power outage from the general supply for safety after a flood as power may be restored at any time. Never rely on the municipality utility but take steps to shut off the power from your own apartment.

Do not operate the HVAC Equipment until it is inspected

Flooding may sometimes affect the ductwork and could even flow into parts of your air conditioning system or some areas that may appear dry. The HVAC system could be a big electrical risk if powered up without inspection. Ensure a qualified HVAC specialist checks the system before power is restored.

Dispose Electrical Equipment Affected by Flood

After water in your apartment has been pumped out and recovery efforts have begun, you would need to dispose any electrical equipment affected by the flood. Items such as armored cable, fuse boxes, building wire, switches, air conditioners, heaters, circuit panels and breakers and any items that cannot be salvaged must be disposed to avoid any potential risks and dangers while they are in use.

Learn more about J & P Electrical Company and their vast line of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electrical components including: circuit breakers, bus ducts, bus plugs, disconnects, fuses, panel switches, tap boxes, and transformers at www.jpelectricalcompany.com.  To contact one of our product reconditioning specialists, call 877.844.5514 today.

 

J & P Electrical Company

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Optional Ornamental Features for Aluminum Fencing

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Aluminum fencing is a fantastic accessory to have around the perimeter of your house, business, or pool. Aluminum fences are very sturdy and can be forged into a number of different shapes because of aluminum’s great malleability. With its sturdiness and its sleek and shiny design, aluminum has become the go-to material for use in residential and commercial fencing. Garden fences and window fences are two things that look great with aluminum.

Due to its durability and its beauty, aluminum can be a great option as an optional decorative feature for your house. In fact, aluminum fencing has the qualities to add some metallic beauty to your house. There are a number of wonderful optional ornamental uses for aluminum fencing.

Perimeter Aluminum Fences

By far the most common and simplest aluminum products you can buy, aluminum fences have earned the right of being the most advised type of fencing. With their immense sturdiness, aluminum fences provide your lawn and your house with very trustworthy protection. Furthermore, not only does aluminum fencing protect your house by acting as walls, it gives it a great look as well. Aluminum fences provide your home with a sleek metallic look. It looks highly modern and very simple at the same time. To easily make your house look cool, while also bringing the best out of your lawn, simply install aluminum fences.

Aluminum Fence Panels for Swimming Pool Enclosure

Aluminum fence panels are another great method of giving your house or pool enclosure a sleek look. If you already have a fence installed in your house and are looking for an upgrade, simply install aluminum fence panels and let them do their job. These panels are big sheets of aluminum that can be easily screwed or nailed to the fence to give it a more wholesome and finished look. The sheets catch the light and reflect it on your home and pool making it look like as if light consistently dances on it. It works as a great ornament as it beautifies your home.

Aluminum Driveway Gate

Want your house to look beautiful from the very start? The best way to do that is by installing a beautiful driveway gate. An aluminum driveway gate is the best way to do so. Aluminum’s fantastic qualities makes it a highly appropriate material to use for a gate. With an aluminum driveway gate, your house catches attention right from the get go and the curiosity and attention does make it way inside as well. It is the perfect way to grab attention and show off the beauty of your home.

Aluminum is one of the most important metals in the entire world. Its fantastic qualities can also be used as a great optional ornament feature for your home. Whether you install aluminum fence panels, a driveway gate, or simple aluminum fences, you are bound to make your house look different and better than before. Install aluminum fences for the best optional ornamental features for your home, business, and pool.

iFenceUSA is an online manufacturer and distributor of wholesale aluminum fencing. With over 18 styles of aluminum fence panels and gates to choose from, we have aluminum fences that will meet your wants and need.  Choose from custom aluminum fencing options including: Commercial Grade Aluminum Fencing, Residential Grade Aluminum Fencing, Pool Grade Aluminum Fencing, and Industrial Aluminum Fencing all at https://ifenceusa.com/.  For more information contact one of our aluminum fence experts toll free 800.762.2907 or via email at info@ifenceusa.com.

 

 

iFenceUSA

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Why Roof Replacement May Be Your Best Home Improvement

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Roof repair and replacement is not a fun project and considered a hassle. Especially because its not just a quick DIY project to fix something up.  Finding a roofing contractor can be a daunting task but is necessary when your roof needs maintenance, repair, or replacement. Although there may be a lot of things you need to fix at home, the roof is your primary defense against the weather; hence, it should be a priority whenever you consider your options for home improvement. Here are a few reasons that would help you consider the importance of prioritizing roof replacement during your home repairs and improvement projects.

Cost Effective

Even if you are considering moving into a new home in the future, putting off roof repairs for too long could be catastrophic. Over time, little cracks can turn into big disasters in the near future if they are not taken care of. When you call a roofing contractor for the repairs, you would be fixing the issues at minor costs and save a whole lot in the long run.

Roofs Affect Property Value

If you are considering selling off your property in the near future, investing your time, effort, and some money into roof repairs and replacement is a great idea. No buyer will show interest in an apartment that would demand big roof repairs immediately they move in and it is easy to discover a neglected roof.  It is obvious from the inside and outside of the home. On the other hand, a roof that requires little to no repairs would allow you demand for your desired asking price.

Insurance

Fixing your roof on time is also cost effective for your insurance in the long run as your insurance adjuster will be able to tell if you took a lot of time before calling a professional. If you request the services of a roofing contractor as soon as you notice any damage, it is very likely that your insurance will cover most of the costs involved. However, if you delay in fixing an issue, you would likely only be compensated for the costs involved in a simple repair job. This will cost you a lot in the long run. A simple fix for your roof, a simple cost you incur.

Although roof repair may not be an exciting project, it is very important. No one wants to be involved in the major costs involved in a total replacement.  In fact, you would hardly engage in a roof replacement more than once or twice with proper maintenance. If you continuously put off roof repairs, you would soon be forced into a replacement which will be a lot more expensive and a lot more “no fun”. As soon as you notice an issue, go on to call a specialist and get your roof fixed immediately.  It should indeed be top of your home improvement considerations.

Learn more about Home Pro Roofing and their vast line of custom roofing options installed by professional roofing contractors including: asphalt shingle roofing, shingle roof repair, and new shingle roof installation at http://homeproroofingmi.com/residential-roofing-services-shingle-roofs.php.  To contact one of our roofing contractors, call 810.225.9080 today.

 

Home Pro Roofing MI

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Should Network Monitoring Be a Priority in Commercial IT Support

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

IT consulting services are one of the most popular services because of the importance of technology to our everyday lives and businesses. Commercial IT support relies heavily on electricity and networks. There is nothing IT consultants worry about more than a power outage or network problems that might derail their ability to hold conversations with customers and ruin their performance. Customers are not able to approach commercial IT support in such cases, and since the clock is ticking, the cost increases. Staff time, worsened customer satisfaction, and less productivity all adds up to ensure that you lose money and time.

Well-managed IT services take the risks into consideration and employ the use of network monitoring to decrease their losses. Here is why network monitoring is so helpful in managing IT service:

Preparation for Blackout

Blackouts and outages can be cause by a number of different factors. Whether it be human error or environmental factors, an outage always adversely affects IT consulting services. However, outages lie outside the scope of an IT consulting service. Since they have no influence over blackouts, the best IT consulting services are prepared for them. Network monitoring is a fantastic way to check the trends of outages and find out when one has the chance of taking place. Consequently, preparation for it can be done with efficiency.

Get ROI on the go

With immediate return on investment (ROI) you are able to manage your work better. Identifying problems and figuring out solutions becomes more efficient and the staff are able to focus on the small aspects of their work with greater efficiency. This allows them to be more active in the critical aspects of their work and focus on them more. With ROI on the go, network monitoring allows commercial IT support to produce better results.

Decreases Security Threats

Network monitoring also includes security capabilities. With its foray into security monitoring, network monitoring helps you identify security threats immediately. Since the performance is continuously visible, you are easily able to find out any fluctuations from the norm. With the efficient detection, you can deduce whether your office’s security has been breached and take steps to find the problem.

Fix Issues Faster

A service so highly dependent on technology and artificial intelligence is bound to face a number of faults. Therefore, fixing those issues as quickly as possible is essential for any commercial IT support company. With network monitoring, companies can find out issues and locate them with great efficiency. Finding the problem is the most important part of finding the solution, and with network monitoring you can find the problem very quickly. Finding the solution is therefore easier since you have ample time to do it.

IT consulting service need to install network monitoring to ensure that their work is smooth and does not face any hindrances. Network monitoring is very important and useful for such services because of the points detailed above. If you want well managed IT services, get network monitoring immediately.

Learn more about Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, and the IT solutions they provide including IT consulting, computer consulting, network consulting, networking, server installation, IT disaster recovery, computer repair, virus removal, malware removal, computer tune ups, data backup systems, computer troubleshooting, structured cabling, low voltage wiring, website design, graphic design, logo design, website hosting, search engine placement, iphone app programming, android app programming, and custom programming at www.cpsmi.com.  To contact one of our IT experts call 810.224.5252 today or via email at info@cpsmi.com.

Creative Programs and Systems

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Nine Questions to Ask Before Buying Your First Home

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Buying your first home can be as exciting as it is demanding. Home ownership is a huge part of the long-term goals of many individuals especially as it provides much needed space for growing families. However, it is important to give this plan some thought as there is no time given to “think about it” after the purchase and there is no refund policy for you too. Hence, you must ask yourself the right questions, so you do not end up making costly mistakes. Here are nine practical and important questions you must ask yourself before you buy a home.

Why am I buying a Home?

This is arguably the most crucial question you must ask yourself as it is vital before you begin considering your options. Do you wish to buy and rent it? Are you going to live in it? Finding answers to these questions will help you determine the size of house that you would purchase and the loan structure that best suits the purchase.

What are your Long-term Career Plans?

Although you may have factored in the financial implications of a home purchase and consider yourself ready to buy a home, your career path may be an obstacle. If there is a chance you could be transferred from your current office location in the next few years, it may be ideal to reconsider your options.

What Kind of Neighborhood do you desire?

While your current situation – nature of job and age could play a big factor in deciding your choice of neighborhood, you might want to consider other factors such as the ease of access to public parks, the quality of local schools, and any other relevant environmental factors if you are thinking about starting a family in few years.

What is the nature of the house?

It would be near impossible to get the perfect house upgrade. The beauty of the wood floors or the amazing nature of the bay window may seem attractive, but you must really take a hard look at how outdated the apartment is and how much time you would invest if you engage in DIY projects yourself. This will help you avoid purchasing a home you could regret in future.

How much Utility can you reasonably afford?

Although your usage will largely depend on your family size, identifying the utilities you need to pay, and all the costs associated with moving into a potentially larger home will help you in making a wise decision.

Are there any environmental issues in the neighborhood?

Look out for any polluted sites in the area that may contain hazardous materials or any other contamination that could lead to emission of unhealthy fumes. You can make use of the Environment Protection Agency website to identify such areas.

What is the Security Situation?

You may be satisfied with the nature of the house and the local schools; however, you must consider the security of the area. In many cases, realtors may not inform you about every detail concerning the crime rate and overall security situation of the area. It is recommended that you contact the local police, ask for relevant security statistics and decide.

What would your Work Commute look like?

Have you found the perfect house already? Your work commute in the morning and evening should play a big part in your decision and if you find out you cannot bear the commute; the house is not one for you.

What is the Condition of the Drainage?

It is understandable for you to fantasize about the patios and visually pleasing lawns. However, the gutters are usually expensive to take care of when there is a problem. When it rains, does water pour over the gutters? Are there functional gutter guards in place? What is the proximity of the water emptying system to your house? These factors are crucial as you take that big step.

Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.

 

C21 Lady of the Lakes

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Do Shrink Sleeve Labels Drive Consumer Buying Decisions?

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Shrink sleeve labels make some of the most popular products in the supermarket. Whether you purchase products with them or not you are bound to see them all around the supermarket. Making products stand out and look different is a great way to attract a consumer’s attention. Manufacturers need to ensure that your product looks different from the rest that are up on a supermarket shelf. Once you have made your product stand out, a customer’s attention comes gradually. If you are trying to attract attention, shrink sleeve designs are the perfect thing to utilize for your product. Here is why shrink sleeve labelling is so important:

Shrink Sleeve Labels Means More Real Estate for Your Product

Using shrink sleeve labels, brands can utilize the entire container of your product as an effective method of showing it off. This allows your product to have more displaying space on a supermarket shelf and a greater chance to attract customer attention.

How Shrink Sleeve Labelling Impacts Buying Decisions

The buying process normally consists of requiring awareness of the product, recognizing it, searching for information related to it, evaluating it, judging alternatives, making decisions, buying it, and then re-evaluating it. These steps have been well researched by professionals including marketing and sales experts. Since shrink sleeve labelling allows more space to show off as compared to normal products, marketing departments use it to the fullest. They incorporate shrink sleeve designs with intricate and dense graphics, a plethora of information concerning the product, and slogans to attract attention. Using shrink sleeve labels for products not only catches the consumer’s attention, but also provides them with knowledge about the product. This ticks most of the checkboxes on the buying process list.

Showcasing Details

Using shrink sleeve labelling, you can display the special features your product has. Displaying just what makes your product special and different from the rest is the best way to gain a consumer’s interest. With that knowledge readily available, the consumer does not need to spend extra time finding out what your product consists of. Furthermore, you can display information targeted at a specific audience. For example, “No Dairy Products Used” can be a good and effective method of attracting vegan customers.

Building Customer Relations

If your product matches the description provided on the sleeve, you can gain the trust of a consumer. This attracts the customers towards purchasing other products in your inventory and make them a brand loyal consumer. If you keep delivering to what you promised, your customers are bound to keep buying while telling other people about you as well. It is a win-win for both the company and the customers.

Shrink sleeve labels are one of the most important and effective ways to market products and ensure that you get a good audience from the customers. Because of the points detailed above, shrink sleeve labels do influence buying decisions and can be a great asset to all companies competing in retail stores.

Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://www.anchorprinting.com/shrink-sleeve.php.  To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.

Anchor Printing

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What Role does a LINAC System Play in Cancer Radiation Therapy?

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Cancer is a disease that affects people all over the world. There aren’t any guaranteed cures for the fatal disease. However, one-way cancer is treated is through radiation therapy. In this, high-energy rays are used to prevent cancer cells from dividing and spreading further in the body. The rays damage the cells which is why they lose their ability to grow and spread. Linear accelerators or LINAC systems are large scaled pieces of equipment used for radiation therapy. Therefore, a lot of companies have started servicing LINAC systems and offer medical equipment repair as well.

How is a LINAC system used?

Linear accelerators emit x-rays or electrons with high energy. The specialty of this device is that it can attack cancer cells while preventing damage to other healthy cells of the body. Therefore, the patient’s body itself is free of harm and only the cancer tumor is attacked. Treatment using a LINAC system is suitable for use on any body part, so it can treat every kind of cancer tumor. The device works with multiple techniques, for example, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT, SRS, SBRT etc.

Servicing linear accelerators is vital for the proper working of the system. Radiation therapy is the treatment option for many types of cancers. There are few precautions that can be taken when working with radiation. LINAC systems emit strong radiation beams which is why they are able to kill cancer cells. Without servicing LINAC systems, the best treatment results cannot be ensured. Repairing medical equipment like LINAC systems is extremely important in ensuring its suitability for medical treatments.

LINAC Mechanism

The equipment works like a radar in terms of its microwave technology. There is a part inside the linear accelerator where electrons are accelerated. When they meet the metal compartment, these electrons convert to high-energy x-rays. Special devices ensure that these x-rays leave the LINAC in the exact shape of the patient’s tumor so that only the specific area is treated. This is what makes servicing linear accelerators such a vital part of the whole treatment. If there is even the slightest misalignment, the radiation could attack the wrong part of the patient’s body harming valuable, healthy tissues.

In order to make sure that the radiation reaches the correct part of the patient’s body, the patient is set on a moveable couch. This couch can be repositioned in any direction to make sure the tumor is at the right angle and distance from the radiations. Alongside this, the LINAC emits the x-rays from a part called gantry. The gantry can be rotated to alter the angles of the emissions as well.

Safety

With such a powerful mechanism, there is no room for a mistake. The linear accelerator is designed to never emit a higher radiation than the oncologist’s prescription. Thus, servicing LINAC systems and repairing medical equipment becomes a point of life or death. If the device is functioning perfectly, the security of the patient is maintained.

LINAC systems play a major role in cancer therapy and so does repairing them. It is something that cannot be risked at any cost.

Acceletronics is an independent service company dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models. Learn more about Acceletronics and their selection of new and refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners today at http://www.acceletronics.com.  To contact one of our LINAC experts call 610.524.3300.

Acceletronics

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Is LASIK Safe For Seniors?

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

If you have some or a combination of the most common eye annoyances such as blurry vision, spots or night glares, then it is worth seeing an eye doctor or an optometrist who will examine your eyes for both vision and health problems. In some cases, eye doctors may provide low vision care or vision therapy, or correct refractive errors by prescribing contact lenses and or eyeglasses.

An ophthalmologist, on the other hand also specializes in vision care and will also perform eye exams, diagnose and treat disease, prescribe medications and perform eye surgery. An optician will use prescriptions authorized by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to fit and sell your eyeglasses.

Understanding LASIK

So, when is LASIK vision correction necessary, who performs the procedure, what vision problems can the surgery treat, and most importantly, is it safe especially for seniors? Short for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileuses, LASIK is an FDA approved procedure that has proven to be a very safe and effective way to treat and correct common vision problems such as astigmatism, near and farsightedness.

While LASIK may not be suitable for people with strong lens prescriptions, such as a high degree of short-sightedness, however, the eye laser surgery can also be used to correct an aging effect that makes it hard for an individual to focus on things up-close using a technique known as monovision LASIK.

What To Expect During LASIK Procedure

The most important goal of eye laser surgery is to alter the shape of the cornea, so it does a better job of focusing images onto the retina for sharper vision. An eye surgeon performs LASIK using a cool, non-thermal beam of light that is computer controlled. The procedure doesn’t hurt because the surgeon places anesthetic eye drops in your eye first, then proceeds to cut across the cornea of the eye, raises a flap of tissue and carries out reshaping to correct your vision. While the entire procedure takes approximately 15 minutes per eye, the laser treatment only takes less than a minute.

People who qualify for eye laser surgery report an immediate improvement in their vision with no complications or side effects and because there’s usually no stitches or bandages required after eye laser surgery, recovery is also very quick. Therefore, anyone over 18 years and meets the requirements can benefit from LASIK procedure, this includes seniors too.

Are You Eligible For LASIK?

An eye care specialist can help you determine your eligibility for LASIK, but the general guidelines are:

  • You must be 21 years and older and have healthy eyes, which means your eyes must not have any conditions that will affect postoperative healing, including eye infections, severe dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts, a degenerative or autoimmune disease
  • Your vision must also be stable for at least a year before surgery
  • Pregnant or nursing women are not eligible as hormonal levels can affect the shape of the eye

Therefore, consider eye laser surgery if you are tired of fumbling with contact lenses or eyeglasses and you meet the above requirements.

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/  to schedule an appointment.

 

Michigan Lasik

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How Does Water Softener Work?

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

There are two types of water, hard and soft. Hard water is the most natural type of water that hasn’t been tainted by any chemical process. It becomes hard because before it reaches your taps at home, it seeps through the ground where it’s filtered by stones and mineral deposits containing all of the natural minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, etc. Drinking hard water is not harmful and could be a major contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality as well as that of calcium and magnesium to our diet.

Difficulties Of Cleaning With Hard Water

Hard water does, however, make cleaning task from laundering, dishwashing to bathing, and personal hygiene challenging. It makes soaps and detergents lose some effectiveness, and instead of lathering or dissolving completely, soaps tend to combine with the hard minerals to form a soapy mess.

This effect is evident because it leaves insoluble soap scum in your bathtub, washing basins, your shower, dishes, laundry machines, and roughens clothes too. Water softening is the process through which calcium and magnesium ions are eliminated from the water by using a mechanical appliance that is plumbed into your home’s water supply system.

Ion Exchange Method

There are different technologies including water filtration, and water purification methods that can be used to make hard water soft. Some water softeners use a process called ion exchange, which is the most popular and commonly used methods of removing the calcium and magnesium ions from water in your water to exchange it with two sodium ions.

The ion exchange system uses a mineral tank containing zeolite beads that carry a negative charge to attract and cling to the positive charge carried by calcium and magnesium ions. This means that these minerals will adhere to the beads as the hard water passes through the tank.

A very powerful solution of sodium ion is then flushed through a tank that has beads already soaked with calcium and magnesium so as to drive the calcium and magnesium ions off, the unit then enters a 3-phase regenerating cycle to produce soft water:

  • The backwash phase flashes out dirt from the tank
  • The sodium-rich salt solution replaces the calcium and magnesium in the recharge phase
  • The final phase flushes off the excess brine then refills the brine tank

This process is very effective, but it increases the salt content in the water, which might not be favorable to everyone.

Distillation is another water purification method of effectively softening and removing impurities for small quantities of water. It entails boiling the water to produce vapor, then condensing it back into pure water.

Where To Get Started

Before installing a water softener, use a water testing kit that measures hardness from 0-1000 ppm or 0-59 grains of hardness. Values of more than 1 GPG are usually considered to be hard water. Use a water softener that either has an automatic regenerating system that flushes and recharges the system on a regular basis or the type that uses a mechanical water meter to measure water usage and initiate recharging only when necessary.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

 

Reynolds Water

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