Home Improvement for Women

It’s that time of the year and as we all know, everything tastes better when it’s cooked outdoors. If your grill is looking shabby after last season, rather than replace it you can spruce it up and bring on the burgers.

MATERIALS: You will need a wire brush, shop vacuum, denatured alcohol, masking tape, high-temperature resistant spray paint, new parts, if needed (may include new grill, new burners, etc., available at supplier that carries your model grill)

Before you begin, pull out the old grill and take it apart. Determine what you can save and what you need to replace. Remove grills, ceramic briquettes, the grate under the briquettes and the burners under the grate. Check the ignition switch to see if it needs to be replaced as well.

STEP ONE: Scrape

The inside walls of a grill can be caked with years of baked-on gunk. Use your putty knife to scrap the sides and the shop-vac to quickly catch the loose debris.

STEP TWO: Scrub

Just a little more elbow grease and you’re done with the prep work: using a wire brush, scrub the outside of the grill to remove any rust that has formed there.

STEP THREE: Swipe

Because grills are greasy, use denature alcohol to wipe down outside surfaces before painting.

STEP FOUR: The Beauty Treatment

Using your special high-temperature paint, spray the outside of the grill using long, overlapping strokes. Stop at the end of each stroke and lift your finger off the button to stop the spray. This will prevent drips from forming at the edges of the grill.

STEP FIVE: Beautiful on the Inside, Too

Replace the burners, briquettes and grills, either new or freshly cleaned. If you are replacing the burners, just slip the end over the valve and push the igniter wires onto the terminals at the igniter button.

Timesaving Tip: Before painting, thoroughly cover any areas you do not want to paint–like the burner switches–with masking tapes.

We all want to keep our homes and families safe. But it’s a fact of life that dangerous events can happen withouth warning, turning a normal day into a crisis situation a matter of minutes. Worrying about potential emergencies doesn’t prevent them. You need to be confident and well prepared, so you don’t panic if the unexpected happens.

With the summer coming upon us we know there are times when we may experience power outages thanks to our electric companies so below are some tips in the event of a power outage.

Short term power outages are great excuses for curling up by candlelight or reading aloud to your family by flashlight. Longer-term or widespread outages pose more serious issues. If your power goes out these simple steps can help prevent bigger problems.

Make sure you have a good supply of batteries for flashlights and radios. Use flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire hazards.

Keep your refrigerator closed to limit food spoilage

Store perishable food outside in snow or in an unheated outside building.

Use perishable food from refrigerator before using food from freezer.

Food kept in a closed freezer should last for up to three days.

Turn off major electric appliances to protect against power surges when the power is restored.

Run water at a trickle to help keep pipes from freezing and bursting if outside temperatures are below freezing and your house has no heat for an extended period of time.

Always keep your gas tank half full, since gas stations rely on electricity to power the pumps.

Keep a corded non-electrical phone for emergency use. Keep an extra charged battery for cell phones.

If anyone in your family relies on electrical wheel chairs or breathing machines, arrange with your local fire department for priority support.

Consider a generator. A generator is a machine that can generate power. There are different types of generators you can purchase such as a portable generators, standby generators, diesel generators, solar generators, wind generators, home generators and gas generators. You can review each online to pick which generator would be best for  your home.

Keep your home safe! do it Barbara’s Way.

Early warning is essential for every fire escape plan. Installing smoke detectors thoughout your home ensures that your family will be alerted to any potential fire dangers.

Follow the simple steps below to eliminate potential fire hazards in your home:

Be sure that your smoke detector is UL certified.

Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, including the basement. Make sure there is an alarm near every sleeping area.

Because smoke rises, mount smoke detectors on high on walls, approximately 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling.

Steam from bathrooms and smoke from cooking food can trigger smoke detectors resulting in false alarms, so make sure your detectors are located away from these locations.

Do not install smoke detectors next to windows, doors, or ducts, where drafts might interfere with their operation,’

Test your smoke detector at least once a month. Change the batteries at least once a year or as needed.

Replace the smoke detectors throught out your home at least once  every 10 years.