Muhammad Mukarram Technical Services L.L.C

Category Blog

Knowing About Air Conditioner Installation

You have decided that you want to air condition your home, but are uncertain if it is a job you want to tackle or one that is best left to a professional. Make sure that you check the warranty that came with the air conditioner because if the air conditioner is self-installed the warranty may be invalid. In most jurisdictions, the only person who is allowed to install the refrigerant in the air conditioner is a licensed air conditioner professional, known as an AC contractor.

It is important to know that AC installation is not a job for a weekend handyman. Installing an air conditioner is a lot of work along with needing to have some acquired skills working with ductwork, carpentry, copper pipes, and plumbing. Before you even purchase your air conditioner you will need to know the total area of your home that is to be cooled where you are going to put both parts of your air conditioner, and what size unit you will need in order to cool the area that you want cooled. You should also find an online air conditioner capacity calculator to help you determine what is needed for a specific AC installation.

Some of the tools you will need include a vacuum pump, hose set, pipe cutter, and a refrigerant manifold gauge. You will also need a solid stable pad on which you will position the outside unit. This pad is made from concrete, wood that is weather-resistant or any other composite material that will be suitable for long-term use outdoors. It should also be placed away from the exterior wall so the vibration will not be transmitted back into your home and give you easy access for maintenance.

You will also need to select a central location for the air conditioning unit that comes inside. The best location will allow for air distribution throughout your home. It will also provide easy access to the external wall where the drainage pipe, electrical wiring, and copper pies to the unit outside are installed. You have to make sure that close attention is pay to where the drainage pipe is installed because it needs to drain where the water will not pool. If you have little or no experience bending and flaring cooper pipes you will have to learn how to do this before the pipe can be installed or cut.

As you can see, AC installation requires experience and many different tools that a homeowner handyman would not generally have in their toolbox or have experience with so you should hire an AC contractor install the AC.

Source by Lora Davis

Bed Bug Management in Four Steps

Bed bug management is labour intensive, time-consuming and it requires lots of knowledge and expertise to eliminate the pests. It is important that you visually and thoroughly inspect the site, correctly identify the pest and determine the source and extent of the infestation.

The integrated approach to bed bug management has four steps: visual inspection, prepare the room for treatment, treatment and follow-up procedures.

Visual inspection: Step 1 in Bed Bug Management

Inspection tools

a. A strong flashlight

b. Magnifying glass

c. Plastic zipper bag

d. Crevice tool

e. Compressed air

f. Screwdriver

g. Small tool kit

h. Alcohol, cotton swabs/baby wipes

i. Sticky traps

j. Gloves, soapy water, cloth and sponge

k. Mirror with handle

l. A notepad

m. A camera

n. Adjustable spanner

o. Hammer

What to look for

a. Blood stains

b. Dark faecal spots

c. Eggs, eggs shells, cast off skin

d. Bed bugs (adult and nymphs)

e. A pungent mouldy shoes or sickening sweet odour from an oily liquid discharged from the glands in the thorax

Where to look

a. Inspect the areas where you spend most of your resting (e.g. the bed, couch and chair).

b. Inspect the bedding, pillows and pillow cases.

c. Inspect along the seam and in tufts and folds of the mattress and underneath labels.

d. Inspect the box spring and bed frame.

e. Inspect the perimeter of the room including floor boards, walls, baseboards, windows, doors and carpet edges.

f. Inspect all furniture inside the room.

g. Inspect magazines, books, files and newspapers on shelves and on the floor.

h. Inspect all wall hangings (paintings, pictures frames, mirrors etc.)

i. Inspect cracks and crevices in furniture, in the box spring, bed frame and on the floor and in screw holes.

j. Inspect wall voids and outlets, electrical switch plates, wall sockets, ceiling light fixtures and ducts.

Prepare the room for treatment: Step 2 in Bed Bug Management

a. Remove bedding, pillow cases and pillows from the bed and store them in seal plastic bags for laundering and drying.

b. Store all other personal items in sealed plastic bin bags.

c. Dismantle headboard and bed frame to examine cracks and crevices.

d. Empty all drawers in closets, desks, tables, chest and cabinets inside the room and store contents in sealed plastic bin bags.

e. Use a screwdriver to remove electrical switch plates, outlet covers and wall sockets.

f. Remove all clutter from off the floor and underneath the bed.

Application of Treatment: Step 3 in Bed Bug Management

a. Vacuum the mattress, carpet, drawers, closets and all surfaces infested with bed bugs.

b. Read and follow instructions on labels before the application of insecticide.

c. Remove the vacuum bag, seal it in a plastic bag and discard it in the outside garbage bin.

d. Treat the mattress with appropriate treatments (e.g. steam treatment) and use mattress encasement.

e. Apply appropriate treatment to furniture, closets, dresser, wall hangings and all other infested items.

f. Apply residual dust chemical to cracks and crevices in furniture, the floor, windows, outlets and other harbourages.

Types of treatments

Desiccant dust, insecticide sprays, heat treatment, steam treatment, freezing with Cryonite, fumigation or insect growth regulator

Surface applications

a. Liquid insecticide is used to treat carpet edges, mouldings and sometime cracks and crevices to flush bed bugs from the harbourage.

b. Treat flat surfaces of upholstered furniture with dust pesticide. Read instructions on pesticide labels before applying it to other furniture.

c. Dismantle guide tracks in wardrobe and treat it with liquid pesticide.

d. Apply spray insecticide to walls, carpet edges, underneath baseboard and where the carpet meets the baseboard.

e. Treat the bed frame and headboard including joints, grooves and screw holes with direct contact spray. Use dust insecticide in cracks and crevices.

f. Use mattress encasement after treating the mattress.

Follow-up procedures: Step 4 in Bed Bug Management

After about 10 days, use monitoring devices to observe bed bug activity. Inspect and treat all the harbourages once more. Repeat the process until all the pests are eliminated.

Bed bug management requires focus, patience and time. It is best to hire a pest management firm to do the job if you are not willing to dedicate yourself to the task. If the harbourages are not treated thoroughly you won’t get rid of the pests.

Source by Prudence Williams

A Misunderstood Profession: Interior Design

Define your career. If you are a doctor, you diagnose and treat peoples’ ailments. If you are a hairdresser, you cut, colour, perm, and style hair. If you are a police officer, you uphold the law, investigate crimes, and in general protect the citizens of the district in which you work. Most careers can be at least briefly described by almost anyone. If you have one of those careers, you are very lucky.

Before I entered the work force and opened my own design firm, I never would have imagined that I would be getting calls to mend curtains, remove stains from carpets, find out why one bulb in a chandelier will not work… I am an interior designer — I design interiors; but I can recommend a seamstress, carpet cleaning company, electrician… Then the dreaded question comes, “What do you mean you design interiors?”

Once-upon-a-time-ago I thought that to be an easy question to answer. Somehow, I now find it easier to explain to a child why the grass is green.

Rather than trying to define interior design, I have taken to explaining the process of designing an interior.

I analyze, ask questions, draw, review the budget, draw some more while asking more questions. Slowly, what started off as sketches develop into floor plans and other technical drawings. Some of the drawings get coloured in. I help my clients make informed decisions regarding the use of space, materials, products, colour, lighting, layout, construction methods, other professionals… The drawings/plans then go to contractors and specialty contractors. I review the submitted process with my clients — one submission is higher, but that is not necessarily bad because the others are each missing things. A contractor is selected, the contract signed and the work begins; I’ll be there routinely while the work is in progress. I basically act as a representative on my clients’ behalf, as well as a protector to my own design. Time schedules are reviewed frequently, problems that arise are handled in such a way that my clients may later know the solution but not the headache involved to understand and work out the problem. The work is wrapping up, only the finishing touches are left but I am already preparing a list of things that have to be finished, repaired or touched-up.

What had been a noisy, dirty, smelly construction site has now fallen quiet and already been cleaned. I walk around looking at and examining the full-size, real thing of all the drawings I had done weeks, if not months, ago. Back at the office, I edit the deficiency list started a few days before and send it to the contractor and clients. The job is soon completely finished, but my work is still not done.

My clients call, happy with the finished space. There are some last minute questions concerning maintenance of some of the new items, where to find certain decorative things and accessories that suddenly have importance, placement of these things, and so on.

About two months later those clients are likely to call again. The voice on the other end sounds either a bit annoyed or even slightly panicked. The tile grout is crack in one area on one wall. It’s probably just because everything has had the time to settle; I’ll come by to see it, then contact the contractor.

Define my career. I am an interior designer. I am an analyst, an artist, an educator, an interrogator, a project manager, a site supervisor, a purchaser, a space planner, a specifier, a decorator, a technician, a draftsperson, a troubleshooter…

But can I help a client plan an outdoor project? Can I design a cabana or gazebo for a client’s yard? Can I design custom furniture or lighting? Work with other professionals to provide technical drawings for things that do not fall into the scope of work of an interior designer? Work with clients and their real estate agent to help in the selection of the perfect home or commercial space to meet their needs? Provide consultation services to do-it-yourselfers? Handle the enlargement of a building? Work on new constructions as well as renovations? Plan the enlargement or relocation of a kitchen or washroom? Do I know the building code? Can I help obtain renovation permits from the municipality? Design spaces for use by people with physical disabilities?… Yes, and more.

In a rush, I sometimes describe interior design as the career that fills the gap between architect and decorator, but the accuracy in that statement is something even I have debated. So I am still left without a solid definition of my own career.

Source by Karen S. Weiner

Affordable Garage Door Repair Services

The garage door is practically the largest moving object in a home. It therefore calls for proper care and maintenance if at all it is to serve its intended purpose effectively. The maintenance will also add longevity and reliability to the doors. There are very good companies that offer repair services. The companies will simply take care of any repairs that are needed. These companies also offer other garage door services such as new door installation and installation of garage door openers. When you find a good company, you can enjoy all the services that you need with your door without moving from one company to another.

Garage door problems can result from different reasons. The spring and rollers for instance, can break or snap as a result of age. The doors can also get squeaky and unstable over a period of frequent use hence requiring repairs. It is also common to run into the door by accident or incidents where the doors get stuck and won’t move. The repairs will therefore accommodate different needs, including he repairs and replacements of door essentials such as cables, rollers and springs.

How are the repairs done?

The professionals will start by examining the garage door to really identify the source of the problem that you are facing. They then will recommend the best solutions since there might be need to replace some parts. If you are working with a good repair company, you will be provided the hardware options that you need to have the problem solved. The door issues are usually not that extensive unless you are having the entire door replaced. You therefore can expect the repairs to be completed in a couple of hours depending on the extent of the damage and the labor that is needed to have it running.

When going for new garage door installations, the options are numerous. The companies offer anything from traditional overhead doors to powder coated doors and steel or wood carriage door styles. These are options for residential settings. For commercial settings, they will offer rolling steel, sectional doors, dock equipment, counter shutters and access systems. During the repairs, therefore, you can have any other garage door enhancements done to make your life much easier. You can for instance, have door openers installed to offer you keyless entry through transmitters and receivers.

Finding the Best Repair Services

The simplest way of choosing a good repair company is by looking at the services that it has for you. A good and professional company will not offer the repairs alone. With the knowledge it is supposed to have on garage doors, it should be in a position to offer you other services including installing new doors or installation of openers and other services associated with doors. Through the services, you can tell how much of the company knows hence you will find it easy to trust it in delivering quality services relating to your specific needs.

Source by Shalini Mittal

Is Nikken a Real Opportunity? An Ex Distributor Tells the Real Truth

The big uncertainty that is on everyone’s mind is Nikken a scam or not. Now I have read other reviews on this company and some of them are a little off base. One truth they do have in common with this review from an ex distributor is that Nikken is not a scam in any way shape or form.

Nikken is one of the oldest companies in the industry that began in Japan more than 35 years ago with the philosophy of the 5-pillars of health. A healthy body, mind, family, society and finances. The accepted wisdom and reality behind this philosophy, is that everything must be in balance to live a fulfilled life.

This philosophy of balance is revealed through every aspect of the company and the major area that Nikken excels is their product line. While many other companies they put together a good comp plan and search out a distinctive product with the exact price-point to make their plan work effectively. Nikken started with their products first and then chose the network marketing business model to move them into the hands of consumers.

The leadership team has a great combination of individuals such a CEO Kurt Fulle and President Douglas Braun. Kurt Fulle has 21 yeas of manufacturing and 7 years of public accounting experience. Douglas Braun has more than 20-years of extensive global brand development and international business experience in sales, marketing and executive management.

Nikken also has a full team of some of the top scientific minds in the world that are dedicated to manufacturing the best and most unique quality of product possible to benefit the end user. They spend millions of dollars in research and development before a product is released with a full-scale quality control department.

Nikken initially began with magnetic products and then expanded into other areas of health, wellness and prevention. They are now billed to be the only total wellness company in the world providing air and water filtration systems, magnetic mattresses, weighted fitness shoes, nutritionals and a full suit of magnetic energy device. In my personal experience with the majority of the products, they are the best quality products a person could find for maintaining optimal well being. As strange as some of the products may seem they really do work, at least for myself and many people I know.

The compensation plan is a stair-step break away, which is a great plan for long-standing growth over a period of time. You can grow your business quickly and the majority of the successful people were able to create momentum with personally sponsoring on average between 30 and 60 people within their first 90 days.

There are many aspects to the compensation plan that are generous from retail sale commissions, overrides, leadership bonuses, and an auto/home program.

To this day Nikken has created more than 100 millionaires and has paid out more as a percentage than any other company in the industry. And their products have changed countless lives in their 35+ year history.

Is Nikken a good business opportunity? I would say without a doubt, yes Nikken is a great opportunity for anyone to join. However to be successful you have to know how to market in these modern times. Since Nikken is an older company, all of the leaders still rely on marketing strategies that worked decades ago.

Source by Scott Zlateff

How to Clean Attic Mold, Kill It, Or Maybe Forget Attic Mold Remediation – It Could Be Cheaper

House attic mold is one of the most “popular” items in my property inspection reports. And now is time for an explanation of how to kill mold and / or how to clean mold in the attic. But before I do that, let me give you a little advice, something to consider before you sign a few (if you’re lucky) thousand dollars contract agreement with a mold remediation company.

Attic mold remediation TIP – an alternative (to consider):

Let us assume that you are in the middle of a real-estate transaction, and the home inspector just revealed to you, that your entire house attic is contaminated with mold.

If you have a brand new roof, you can only blame yourself or try to blame the roofing contractor for not checking the attic before replacing the roof (he will laugh at you unless you’ve actually asked the guy to check the attic before the roof replacement). If you have an older roof, the importance of this advice is even greater.

Call at least 2-3 mold remediation companies for an estimate – specify to the representatives, that you not only want to have the mold removed, but also attic ventilation system corrected / installed if necessary / ask if the attic insulation requires replacement.

With the numbers from the mold remediation contractors, call 2-3 roofing contractors, and ask them for a quote on the roof replacement cost including decking boards / plywood (ask the roofer to check the attic area), attic ventilation improvement, and insulation if necessary.

Be cautious if they only suggest humidistat controlled power vent installation – without properly functioning soffit vents or any type of vents along the lower portion of the roof this might not be an adequate solution.

If the attic insulation replacement is not required (it most cases it will not be possible to tell without laboratory testing), make sure it’s sealed with plastic foil before the roof and its decking replacement. Fold the foil sealing its contents after the contaminated decking has been removed, and dispose of as a regular waste (EPA recommendation).

If you only have a small area of attic contaminated with mold, the roof replacement option would be more expensive. But with an entire attic that needs mold remediation, it might be cheaper (or even much cheaper) to remove all contaminated decking, install completely new roof and correct ventilation issues.

I have seen $3,000.00 – $10,000.00 invoices for the attic mold remediation process in approximately 1000 square feet of attic area.

Benefits of the roof / decking replacement over the mold removal:

  • roof and decking replacement might be cheaper than cleaning of an entire attic contaminated with mold
  • the real-estate transaction killing mold is gone
  • attic ventilation improvement is much easier during the roof replacement and often handled with no significant / additional cost
  • the buyer gets a brand new roof

Even if the roof replacement price is slightly higher than the mold remediation process, it is still worth to take it under the consideration because you are gaining a valuable house update (new roof), that will be disclosed on a real-estate listing.

In some cases, the roof decking and framing are contaminated, and replacement of the decking only would not entirely solve the problem. In such case, you’d have to clean contaminated joist or trusses.

How to kill mold and how to clean mold in the attic.

This is not a mold killing or mold cleaning case study, it is just an explanation based on my observations and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommendations.

Even if you are dealing with a small contaminated attic area – 10′ x 10′ is the maximum area recommended by the EPA to be treated by non-professionals, forget about killing mold with spraying it with bleach or other disinfectants. It ‘s been confirmed by laboratory testing that it does not kill all of the spores and in most cases you’ll be just making a mess.

The best way to kill the attic mold (just like any other mold) is to remove it from the surface it’s growing on, or remove the contaminated surface!

EPA recommends four mold cleanup methods and all of them can be applied in the attic, assuming that it is a small area (up to 10 sq. feet).

  1. You can clean the surface by using a wet vacuum – the type you can fill its tank partially with water to contain mold residue from the contaminated surface
  2. Wipe the surface with a damp sponge or rag – use clean water or wood cleaner
  3. Use high efficiency HEPA vacuum cleaner on thoroughly dried surfaces, and dispose of the picked-up contents in well-sealed plastic bags
  4. Remove all contaminated material, seal it in plastic and dispose of as a regular waste. They recommend using HEPA vacuum after this, but in the attic you’d most likely have to remove the floor insulation (if contaminated). You can also cover the insulation with plastic foil, and fold the foil sealing its contents after the cleaning process.

You may or may not have any allergic reactions to mold. However, always use protective equipment, especially in the attic area where you are exposed to the insulation fibers and dust.

As a minimum protection during the mold removing procedure EPA recommends: Gloves, N-95 respirator and eye protection (preferably fully enclosed goggles). As an additional protection you can add half face respirator or full face respirator with HEPA filter, disposable full body clothing, head gear, and foot coverings.

How to clean mold if large section or an entire attic is contaminated

I personally wouldn’t even attempt to do it myself, so my suggestion is:

Use a professional mold remediation company:

  • check their background and check it manually by calling their clients
  • ask for clients who had their attic mold remediated approximately 1 year ago – it usually takes a winter for the mold to start growing again if the job wasn’t fully completed
  • Insist on removing the mold completely instead of encapsulating it (Media Blasting methods give the best results).
  • Encapsulation is simply a process of covering the mold contaminated surface with paint (paint like product) that contains (or at least some of them do) mold killing chemicals

If your attic mold is properly removed and all of the issues responsible for its growth corrected, which is even more important than mold removing, it will not re-grow / no need for encapsulating.

  • Hire a different contractor for mold testing and mold remediation to eliminate conflict of interest.
  • Make sure that you perform an independent clearance test after the mold remediation process completion.
  • Clearance test is to determine if there are any mold spores remaining in the previously contaminated area

Extremely important – examine the attic (or have somebody do it for you) after the mold cleaning procedure is finished.

All wood (framing and decking) surfaces should be perfectly clean (like brand new), unless there was some rotting that resulted from leaking roof or extremely humid conditions in the attic – those sections of wood should be either replaced or reinforced from underneath. You don’t want anyone to fall through the roof while servicing it or just inspecting.

Source by Dariusz Rudnicki

The Advantages Of Using HVAC Filter Media As Your Air Conditioner Filter

About HVAC Filter Media

Air filters have but one common goal which is to maximize functionality of either the heating or air conditioning system, regardless of brands and types, while achieving distinctive indoor air quality.

These filters all help to make the heating or air conditioning system work efficiently, made possible by removing or avoiding accumulation of dust, dirt, and other tiny air particles. Air particles are captured in these air filters therefore clogging is reduced, if not avoided. Consequently, clogging may result for possible damage on the equipment, which can result to work inefficiently, time-consuming, or labor- and cost-intensive repairs.

Replacing or cleaning of filters is significantly emphasized. It is not surprising since having failed to do any of these tasks can result to losing of the equipment?s functional efficacy. HVAC filter media are available in various types depending on the medium used for production. These HVAC filter media include fiberglass filter media, polyester filter media, dog hair filter media, blue/green filter media, charcoal filter media, and others more. Although many are less expensive, most of these are not much efficient.

For instance, most of the designed induct filters specifically for home forced heating and air conditioning systems are completed from sloppily -spun fiberglass. Such filters happen to be come in a range of sizes and densities, are disposable, and less expensive. Unfortunately, filters that are less-dense may allow higher airflow but do not efficiently remove as much dust. In contrast, filters with higher density are able to take out further air particles may be more restraining with airflow. Higher dense filters also can be that instantly loaded with dust and other particles.

However, over time, production and design of these filters were improved making them more efficient requiring low maintenance even at an affordable price.

Some helpful tips

Since keeping the filters is crucial, following tips can be useful in maintaining your HVAC filter media.

* Make sure that relative humidity does not reach dewpoint in the ductwork, otherwise an environment conducive for molds and bacteria growth is created. Change immediately filters when they become wet as this also attracts for microbial growth. Also, replace filters at the sight of slight damage or major one.

* Do not allow dust to accumulate in this ductwork to avoid clogging. Having it unclogged by a technician can be time-consuming as it may require a lot of labor, and therefore, can cost you more from getting the repair or cleaning done.

* Make changing filters an easy task for everyone. You can do this by strategically placing labels that include essential information, especially the type of filters, pressure drop, and date changed. In this way you are making everyone aware resulting to a further strengthened maintenance.

Concluding, HVAC filter media has gone a long way in terms of benefits and improved functionalists. These filters have become more efficient and affordable requiring less amount of effort in maintaining. It doesn?t get any better than this.

Source by Sarah Connor

KVM Switches, How to Choose Them, What to Look For, Advantages and Disadvantages

When choosing a KVM switch, the task can become difficult if you do not know exactly what you need. When you are shopping around, you will need to know how many different computers or servers you are trying to control. Keep the future in mind. This will allow you to get a KVM switch that has enough room for your current needs and expansion. Typically KVMs come in 4 port KVM switches, 8 port KVM switches, and enterprise switches can have upwards of 64 server ports or more.

If you think you are going to expand your data center, a KVM switch with the ability to be cascaded can give you the ability to control 10s of thousands of servers from one location! Another important factor is whether or not you have USB or PS2 connections. If you have purely USB, a USB KVM switch may be your best option. If you have a mixture of PS2 and USB keyboard and mouse connections, you will want to make sure that you have a KVM switch that can do the conversion. So now you have your correct sizing needs covered, your peripheral needs covered, and next thing would be what platform your servers are.

KVM switches are most typically PC based in their more basic forms, but multi-platform KVM switches can handle SUN, UNIX, and MAC platforms. When the KVM switch is emulating the keyboard and mouse to the system, it is dependent on the platform to provide the correct type of emulation. Also as with USB KVM switches and PS2 KVMs you can mix and match, and a very good KVM switch will be able to handle all of these. Also another key area of choosing a KVM switch is knowing how many users will need to have independent access to the KVM switch. If you need four people controlling your sixteen servers, then you will need a KVM switch that can handle 4 users. If you would like for a user to be able to view the server from anywhere in the world you will need a KVM over IP solution, as described in detail on my blog which can be found in the link below.

KVM over IP solutions can be very versatile in many applications, and can cut down labor costs of having to pay someone to be on site with your equipment. Outside of the KVM realm there is a whole line of different data center products that you can control over IP. With a very sophisticated setup you could control servers, power, and even monitor all of your server rooms environmental factors all through an IP address.

A less common KVM solution, but one that I still get asked about is secure KVM switching. Secure KVM switches isolate electrical paths on the ports of the KVM switch and leave no traces of interference for snoopers to pick up on. A secure KVM switch can be very useful for a computer switching between secure and unsecure networks. These are usually only recovered by the government. For more KVM education please check my blog.

Source by Clayton Boss

7 Ways to Prepare Your Motor Home for Sale

Be it a brick and mortar building or a wheeled home; preparation is the key to a quick and lucrative deal. If you are wondering how to sell your motor home, you will find the following seven tips useful:

Clean Your Vehicle

Clean your coach. Thoroughly. Remember, it is the simplest thing you can do to prepare the unit for sale. Proper cleaning goes way beyond mere dusting, scrubbing, polishing, and waxing. Give the interior an organized, tip-top look so that it inspires your buyers to imagine a life inside it.

Get the Service History in Place

You know that you have taken great care of your rig, but how do you prove that to your prospects? Your RV’s service records say it all. So, get all the maintenance papers in place. Also, check whether the factory warranty document is still valid. If yes, it will be an added advantage for your buyers, and a reason for you to ask for a higher price.

Include All Paperwork in Your Offering

Your customers will appreciate if you show them that you have preserved all manuals, handbooks, and other relevant papers that you have received at the time of the purchase. These documents are valuable because they would help the new owner to understand the vehicle better and carry on with its future maintenance needs. Also, keep the Monroney sticker intact that was affixed by the manufacturer at the time of purchase, and contains retail price information. This item would make your future customer very happy as it provides detailed information about the vehicle equipment.

Organize Documents That Matter

Make sure you have these three documents in place- the vehicle’s title, registration certificate, and insurance card. If you are still repaying the loan, contact the lender to learn about the procedure for prepayment. You will have to clear the payment and get a clean title to conclude the sale.

Set a Price

Consult resources like Kelley Blue Book to determine the current value of your RV. Also, research the many online listing sites to get an idea about the price that similar vehicles command.

Get a Second Opinion

Visit a couple of dealerships in your vicinity and request them to offer a quote for your rig. You can use this offer as the starting point for negotiation with your prospects. If you want to avoid physical visits, get in touch with any online dealership. These organizations make an offer based solely on your rig’s description and photos.

Prepare the Deed in Advance

Besides providing necessary information like name, address, contact number, and email ID mention that you are selling the coach ‘as is’ without an express warranty. Download your state-specific Bill of Sale online, or collect a form from your local DMV office.

Selling a vehicle is by no means easy. However, we feel that staying prepared does make things simple. If you are thinking of how to sell your motor home without going through the hassles of dealing with buyers directly, you may contact a reliable broker who will buy your rig against instant cash.

Source by John Bell Carey

Comparing the Cost of Asphalt and Concrete

The most common materials for paving streets, sidewalks, and roadways are concrete and asphalt. Both are paving materials that come with a long list of pros and cons, depending on the application. But one of the first questions that comes to mind when deciding between an asphalt lot and a concrete one has to do with cost. Property owners are interested to know which paving material is a more cost-effective investment, and how much their initial price tags might be. Continue reading to learn some helpful cost comparisons for asphalt and concrete.

Asphalt and Concrete Pavements

With proper maintenance and minor repairs, asphalt and concrete pavements can last for decades; asphalt can last 10 to 30 years, while concrete up to 60 years. Both options are strong and durable, standing up well to inclement weather and natural wear and tear. The material you choose for your property will depend on several factors; one of the most influential being price.

Square Footage

Asphalt is one of the cheapest materials for paving, which is why so many streets and highways are paved with this material. For the same kinds of applications, concrete can be more expensive than asphalt. On average, concrete will cost between $3 and $10 per square foot. Asphalt on the other hand will set you back only $1 and $5 per square foot. The size of your lot or space that is being paved is one of the most influential factors in terms of total cost. The larger the scope of the project, the more money it will cost to purchase the materials, pay for the labor, and continue to maintain it year after year. Larger projects require more supplies, equipment, manpower, and time, all of which will also add to the cost regardless if you use asphalt or concrete.

Maintenance

When evaluating the price of pavement, maintenance is something to take into consideration. Although asphalt is cheaper to purchase and install, it requires more routine maintenance than concrete. For instance, asphalt pavements have to be resealed every few years to maintain a protective layer and support proper water runoff. Sealants vary in price depending on the quality and brand. A 5 gallon bucket of a low-grade sealant will cost an average of $6, while a higher-end sealant will run an average of $20 per gallon. These buckets only cover around 400 square feet of pavement, so the math is easy to estimate here. Concrete, on the other hand, can cost more to repair when cracks begin to form. Concrete crack repair can cost anywhere from a few dollar to a few hundred dollars, depending on several factors.

Conclusion

You can conclude that asphalt and concrete are similar in total cost if you consider initial purchase, maintenance, and possible repairs. The best choice for your property will depend on several factors, including soil conditions, location, average climates, intended usage, water drainage, and much more. For this reason, it is vital to consult a licensed, bonded, and insured paving company in your area before making any final decisions. They have the skills and knowledge necessary to guide you in the most cost-effective direction.

Source by Sarahbeth Kluzinski