Protecting valuable works of art can be expensive business, but things get a whole lot pricier when paintings are framed improperly, becoming subject to damage and losing value. But what can you do to ensure that any valuable or sentimental pieces of art are conserved in framing that will protect them properly?

Ideally you want to invest in the highest level of framing you can afford. The top three framing levels are commended level framing, conservation level framing and museum standard framing, which is the highest level of all. Which level you choose should be determined by the worth of the work of art (whether monetary or sentimental) and the amount that can be spent.

However, you should consider how the condition of the art would affect its future value. It may well be worth spending more than you initially anticipated should it mean the arts value will be fully preserved.

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All homes should be equipped with a fire alarm system; 80% of deaths due to house fires occur in homes without functioning fire alarms. By maintaining your fire alarms correctly and installing a sufficient amount in your home, you will be able to have advance warning the moment a fire starts in your house.

Without fire alarms, you may be sleeping at the time when a fire starts, and may not wake up until it is too late and you can no longer escape your home safely. A fire alarm combined with a fire extinguisher can provide you the early warning that you need to safely extinguish the fire before it spreads and becomes too large to combat.

Make sure you regularly check the batteries in your fire alarm and keep it activated at all times. Most fire alarms come with a low-battery chirp signaling when it’s time to change out the batteries with fresh ones. You should deal with this annoying chirping noise responsibly and change out the batteries rather than simply turning it off because it’s annoying and tell yourself you’ll change the batteries later. Without batteries, a battery powered fire alarm will be unable to protect your family from house fires.

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Patio furniture adds beauty and versatility to the outdoor spaces known as patios, terraces and decks. It adds beauty because an otherwise blah space becomes attractive to the eyes and versatility because the bare space was made into a multifunctional area suitable for entertaining family and friends on many occasions. But to be able to enjoy these benefits, it is necessary to choose chairs, tables, patio umbrellas (Sunbrella umbrella, Market umbrella, etc.) with value for money in mind. Here then are the tips to achieve such a purpose that will save money on the homeowner’s part.

Consider the Environmental Conditions

The first thing to consider are the general weather conditions prevailing in the area, which is logical since patio furniture will be placed outdoors. The materials of the furniture will be based on the environment so as to ensure longevity.

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Well, it’s springtime again, and that means it’s time to start planning that yard sale you’ve been wanting to hold in order to clean out your closets. If you’ve tried your hand at yard sales before with little or no luck, here are a few tips that could help make your next one a huge success:

1  – Have your yard sale on Friday or Saturday (or both). Yes, you will be competing with all the other yard sales going on in your neighborhood, but the fact of the matter is very few people will stop at a yard sale on any other day of the week. Why? Who knows, but it’s a fact.

2 – Have everything out and be ready for business shortly after dawn. Most yard salers are early birds, and once they buy a few items they tend to head on back home with the booty.

3 – Make sure all clothing items are clean and neatly folded. Better yet, place the shirts on hangers and hang them up for easy shopping if at all possible.

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

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

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

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