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Hidden Hazards Around Your Pool

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Having a pool in your backyard gives you an oasis from the heat and a place to get away from the stress of the world. However, your pool could cause stress if you do not control the dangers around it. Everything from the pool deck to the water could cause injuries to you and your family. Knowing how to make your pool and the entire area around it safer will preserve both your mental health and your family’s physical well-being.

1. The Deck

The deck around your pool provides your family with a safe way to enter the water. If you don’t have a deck and an above-ground pool, people can only access the pool via a ladder. Excited kids can easily fall from the ladder while trying to get into the pool. Additionally, not having a deck around an above-ground pool creates a hazard if someone tries to sit on the ledge of the pool. If they fall back, they will tumble several feet backward and strike the ground.

While not having a pool deck is dangerous, you must ensure that you choose a deck with a waterproof, non-slip surface. After installation, you must maintain the deck regularly to ensure the integrity of the surface and that it will not hold water that swimmers could slip on.

2. The Fence

If you have a pool, you must have a fence around it to protect your kids and other children in the neighborhood. In fact, many municipalities require fences with locks around pools to prevent kids from sneaking in and swimming unattended, putting them at risk of drowning. Check your local requirements and make sure that your pool fence stands up to them every year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a fence that surrounds the pool on all four sides, has a latch that only an adult can open, does not allow children to climb or squeeze through, and stays locked when not using the pool.

3. The Water

Just as you need to regularly check the integrity of your pool deck and fence, you also must maintain the water throughout the swimming season. Poorly balanced pool chemicals or dirty water can cause the pool to have a strong chlorine scent that can affect those with breathing problems. People carrying dirt on their bodies into the pool or using the pool as a toilet are among the biggest offenders of germs in pool water.

To keep the water as clean as possible, have everyone rinse off before entering the pool. Plus, do not allow your children to use your pool water as a toilet. Also, regularly check the pH and chemical levels to keep germs at bay and the water clean and healthy.

A Safer Pool Starts With You

You are responsible for the pool area and its safety. Before and during the summer, check your pool deck, fence, and water quality to keep everyone happy and healthy throughout the swimming season.

Sources

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Pool-Dangers-Drowning-Prevention-When-Not-Swimming-Time.aspx

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20190701/crypto-other-dangers-abound-around-the-pool

https://www.capitaldeckandstair.com/our-services/pool-decks/

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In featured

Useful Strategies on Getting Your Foster Pet Adopted

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Fostering an animal can be a rewarding experience that can do a lot to help these fur babies find a good life and a forever home. If you ever decide to foster an animal so it can be eventually adopted, this can be a great help since there are around 70 million stray animals in America. Every helpful person can make a difference. If you want to make sure that your foster can be for adoption, invest in these procedures to give them their best chance.

  • Have the animal trained.

This step is especially essential if the animal has some trauma or still acts quite feral. In particular, dogs can have a lot of aggression and inadequate toilet training. Dog training may be a necessary thing to get so that they can be taught in an environment that isn’t harsh and still helps foster some discipline useful for a domesticated life. On top of this, having humans handle the animal can also help the animal get used to interacting with them while feeling safe.

  • Give the necessary shots.

An encouraging factor for would-be adopters is knowing that their potential pet has its important shots done. Depending on the age of the animal, you can reach out to a veterinarian and find out what you need to get done. If you’re on a budget, just getting the crucial shots to protect them from disease and prevent rabies should be a good start.

  • Address any medical issues.

Animals in the wild can sustain injuries and diseases over time, so make sure that the first thing you do is get them checked for any underlying problems that need to be addressed. That also helps you be transparent to anyone looking to care for them permanently. Of course, if you come across an animal who is blatantly suffering from injuries or disease, it’s even more critical to get it treated immediately.

  • Have the animal spayed or neutered.

Contrary to some misconceptions that they are a cruel act, spaying and neutering can extend your foster animal’s life and prevent some health and behavioral issues that would otherwise develop over time. That is a good measure of care for them that also prevents them from mating and possibly creating more strays than the community can handle. More strays lessen the probability of more animals getting adopted and can even pose dangers to the health of the animal population.

  • Reach out to trustworthy animal groups.

Now, the last important part is getting the word out there that you have a lovable friend up for adoption. Of course, you want to make sure that you won’t end up giving them to a shady character with malicious intent, so it’s best to find groups that advocate for animals. You can either reach out to local non-profits that specialize in this or look online for animal lover groups that are known to boost these types of posts and help find loving owners who won’t abuse or breed the pet.

By doing all of these, you can save a stray’s life and find them a proper home for the rest of their days.

Meta Title: Forever Home: Helping Your Foster Pet Find an Owner

Meta Description: Are you fostering an animal? There are a lot of things you can do to help them get adopted in their “fur-ever” homes. Learn more about them.

 

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In Home Improvement

Are Custom Staircase Kits Easy to Install?

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A solidly built staircase can last the lifetime of a house. Still, there are times when homeowners decide to replace their staircases with something completely new. One option is to order a custom staircase kit that comes delivered to your door and ready to install.

Customization is always an option for replacement staircases. In fact, the ability to customize is one of the things that prompts people to replace their staircases. You might have a homeowner who is just tired of the look and feel of his current staircase. He wants something new. He wants something that looks totally different.

At any rate, all of this leads to the question of how difficult it is to install a custom staircase kit. Remember that kits come with everything you need already measured and cut. All you have to do is assemble the parts in place. But wait. Kit installation isn’t extremely complicated, but it’s not simple either.

 

  • Start with a Drawing

 

The experts at The Iron Spindle in Atlanta, Georgia say that every custom staircase starts with a drawing. This could be the most crucial aspect of your job. Whoever builds your kit must come up with an accurate drawing first, so it’s best to leave this part of the process to an experienced architect or engineer.

Some kit builders insist on sending their own engineers to take measurements and create CAD drawings. Others are willing to work with local contractors to handle that aspect. In either case, drawings will have to be approved before the kit is built. You will have to approve them as the customer; local government approvals might also be necessary.

 

  • When the Kit Arrives

 

Following design approval, the kit builder sets about building your staircase in their facility. Every part is measured, cut, and installed just as it will be in your home. This includes handrails, spindles, and newel posts. The reasoning here is to guarantee that everything fits and functions properly.

Once complete, the staircase is disassembled and crated for shipping. When the kit arrives at your home, you have several options. The route you decide to take really depends on your skill level. If you are comfortable tackling major DIY projects, you might assemble and install the kit entirely on your own. If not, you might hire contractors to help.

The Iron Spindle says your typical trim contractor is capable of doing the job entirely. Likewise, you could contract with the kit builder to send its own expert crew. You can even mix-and-match – hiring professionals to do some of the work while doing the rest by yourself.

It is fairly common to have a trim contractor install the structural supports along with the treads and risers. Then the homeowner takes over to complete the balustrade. The homeowner also handles finishing. The amount of work you ultimately do on your project is entirely up to you.

 

  • Your Tools and Knowledge

 

It goes without saying that any amount of work you do is commensurate with the knowledge you possess and the tools you own. In terms of knowledge, there is plenty of helpful information online. You can find entire video collections explaining exactly how to install a new staircase.

A more pressing issue for many homeowners is the tool issue. As with any construction job, installing a staircase kit does require certain kinds of tools you might not have on hand. If you have the tools or you are willing to go buy them, you will be in good shape.

Are custom staircase kits easy to install? That depends on who is doing the installation.

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In Shopping

Healthy at Home Hair Color

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Being able to color your hair at home is even more pertinent now with the pandemic. Being stuck at home is no reason to not look good. Madison Reed’s how to color hair at home is as easy as it gets. Madison Reed has your perfect shade no matter your hair type along with simple instructions and expert tips. All hair dyes from Madison Reed are gentle and safe on all hair types.

You may ask how Madison Reed can help you find your perfect shade? Start by taking the Color Quiz provided on their website. This will pose questions relating to your hair color and what you would like to do with your hair, this helps you get the shade that is just right for you. If you have more questions, you can always reach out to their selection of professional colorists for information and assistance by phone at 1-855-742-5916. You can also visit their blog which provides various articles on hair coloring, hairstyles, tutorials, and more.

48 hours before dyeing your hair it is highly recommended you do a sensitivity test. If there is no adverse reaction you can proceed to wash your 24 hours prior to coloring. If you use any wax-based styling products, it is important to wash your hair before coloring because these products may hinder color absorption. The day after washing your hair is the best time for coloring. If using styling products, comb through the hair to remove any excess product before beginning the dyeing process.

The next step prior to coloring you should have everything you need set out in front of you. Madison Reed’s how to color hair at home recommended checklist is, a wide-tooth comb to pull the color through, clips for sectioning, an old towel for any spills, an old button-down shirt or smock or anything you don’t mind ending up stained. You can also check out their available accessories here.

When you are ready to color your hair, simply choose the instructions all available in PDF format that fit what you are doing such as all-over coloring for the first time, moving to a darker or lighter shade or touching up your roots, and refreshing your color.

When sectioning your hair for coloring, you need to first divide your hair into four sections by parting your hair down the middle and then split each half with an additional part line. Use hair clips to secure these sections in place, then you can proceed to color each section individually. The radiant cream color you will receive has a nozzle tip design that allows you to easily divide your hair into smaller segments as you color it. This method is especially helpful when you are coloring the areas of your hair you cannot see such as your hair in the back. Use the nozzle, create and color small rows a quarter-inch apart, one section at a time. It is recommended you use half of the bottle on your roots then massage the color in for total coverage before moving forward.

Then, after you color, you can protect and strengthen your new color with Madison Reed Color Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner that will nourish your hair and not strip it of the color like other shampoos might. Use cool water when shampooing and conditioning your hair as well as limiting exposure to direct sunlight and chlorinated water.

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In Auto

Renting A Van, The Benefits

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Why do people choose to rent a van? Whether it is for moving or travels, there are different benefits that come along with van rentals. If you are interested why people rent vans, this article will give you the gist of it all.

First of all, if you are interested in renting a van instead, you should choose for the right provider. You could check out professional van hire in Sydney by Gecko team if you are in the area, or you could search for a more local option instead.

Van rentals are beneficial for many reasons!

Different sizes

Did you know that vans come in different sizes? It all depends on your needs, and why you need the van in the first place. The biggest vans are perfect for moving out, as they provide enough space for you to safely pack all the necessary items and move them safely.

On the other hand, you have the smaller vans which are perfect for moving a couple of items from here to there. However, in some cases, you might want to consider renting a Ute instead, depending on how many items you want to have moved, and whether you can actually drive a van.

Transportation!

There are vans that are created for moving items from one place to the other, and they are quite spacious. However, there are also vans created for travel. You have vans with passenger seats and windows, which are created to let you travel with a group of people.

For example, if you were planning to take a trip with your family and friends, you can consider renting this type of a van. It provides a lot of space for the passengers, but it also provides enough space for the luggage. So, make sure to consider this option if that is what you are looking for!

Easy to load and unload

While trucks are very spacious and all, they are very difficult to know how to properly load your items. Since vans are a lot more approachable, you will have a much easier time packing all your necessities onto the van in the first place! Make sure that you know the art of proper packing, or you might end up with damaged goods.

However, if you do not know what you are doing, you might want to hire professionals to help you instead. You can check out the cheap moving van hire in Melbourne by Go With The Gecko or others, depending on where you are from. Most of these providers have their site with all the services listed, so you can check them out beforehand.

You could consider different vehicles

Final word

Are you ready to rent a van and just have the time of your life on a fun trip with family and friends? Or maybe you would like to rent a van and move out, doing everything by yourself? Well, it does not matter because in most cases renting the van is the right option!

 

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