Choosing a gas water heater is perhaps the wisest choice when installing or replacing a hot water heater in your home because they are much more economical than their electric counterparts. In fact, most gas water heaters operate on less than half of the cost associated with conventional electric water heaters. Considering that hot water heaters are the second largest user of energy in the home, finding a more economical solution is very wise indeed.

Natural gas hot water heaters are also very popular among homeowners because they reach their set temperature more than twice as fast as an electric water heater does. That means that you could probably run the dishwasher after your morning shower and still have hot water, not lukewarm water. And are you always the one having to wait around for more hot water after a shower hog has carelessly used it all for himself? A gas water heater may not make him more considerate, but it would cut your wait time in half.

While gas water heaters heat water faster and cheaper than electric heaters, it is still very important to purchase the right size tank for your household needs. A gas water heater that is too small can still leave you showering in lukewarm water.

Most homes will require a 40 gallon gas hot water heater. This heater will take care of a moderate sized home with 3 to 4 occupants, two bathrooms, and a washing machine. Of course, if you live alone and only have one bathroom, you can get by with a smaller water heater. On the other hand, you may need a larger heater if there are more family members, especially teenagers, in the home and a dishwasher or whirlpool baths.

Even once you have figured out which gas water heater is the right size for your home, you may want to purchase a size larger for a few reasons. Most of these reasons will center on your family’s lifestyle. For example: If you have a family member who is notorious for taking long, extremely hot showers, or if you have to run the dishwasher, washing machine and take a shower at the same time and in the few hours that you get to spend at home, you may want to purchase a larger gas water heater than is recommended for your family size.

No matter what size gas water heater you choose, you can rest assured that you are heating water for a fraction of the cost associated with electric heaters. Now that’s smart.

It doesn’t matter how big or how small your breasts are, most women are not entirely happy with them. For small breasted women, having a little more volume is often the most important while larger breasted women are always looking for ways to increase lift. Natural breast enhancement techniques can include creams, pills, herbs and exercise, but there are other less known techniques that will also improve the overall appearance of your breasts.

Increasing Breast Size

The most effective methods for increasing your breast size will include herbal supplements and exercise. Many women also use creams that contain certain compounds that have been known to increase the size of the breast by influencing breast tissue. Exercise may not increase the volume of the breasts, but is known to improve the contours and with firmer muscle tone, very often an appearance of larger breasts is attained.

Many of the herbal supplements that are used and certified by the FDA are more effective when used in conjunction with exercise or massage. The exercise or massage is often a catalyst for cell tissue promotion, so taking the supplement by themselves doesn’t always result in larger breasts. The more techniques you implement, the better your chances of achieving the results you are looking for.

Increasing Breast Firmness

While many women with larger breasts find that gravity and child rearing have resulted in a loss of elasticity in the skin around the breasts, these are not the only reasons for having sagging breasts and women with smaller breasts are also known to feel the negative impact of less perky breasts due to dieting and loss of muscle tone.

The most effective method of improving the tone and contours of your breasts is through exercise and massage. Many of the creams available on the market will also help to improve lift as they contain some of the herbal compounds found in the breast enhancement supplements. Some of the herbs help to stimulate hormone production which mimics puberty encouraging a growth burst, while other affect the cells allowing for growth and development.

Massage and Exercise not only beneficial for the breast tissue but you will notice excellent improvement in the texture of the skin of your breasts. Women who do regular breast exercises or breast massage have far better breast health and are more aware of changes that take place in their breast tissue.

Satellite antennas are heavily used in telecommunication, military, broadcasting, finance, public security, energy resources and a host of many other areas. To the everyday person, the units are used at home where they allow you to view more TV stations. While the antennas look similar, they are of different types. Here are the most common types:

Motorized antenna

From its name, this is a unit that has a motor that allows it to rotate in different directions. Most of these units are controlled using a remote. This enables them to pick up many stations. In most cases, the units are larger than other satellites. They are recommended for people that are limited of space.

Prime feed satellite

This is the most common unit that you will find in most homes. It’s basically a parabolic dish with a diameter of 1.4 meters and usually has an LNC mounted at the center facing outside. While it looks beautiful, the dish doesn’t receive many radio signals. This is because the LNC blocks plenty of incoming signals.

Stationary satellite

This is a unit that doesn’t have a motor thus you have to rotate physically when you want it to face a particular direction. They come in different sizes where the larger dishes pick a larger number of signals. Since the units are stationary, they pick up signals located close together.

Offset antenna

This one has the LNC located to the side of the satellite dish. Due to the location, it doesn’t interfere with the signal path. This means that the unit picks plenty of signals. The picture quality also tends to be of high quality. In most cases, these units are smaller than prime feed satellites.

Dual offset antenna

The units are simply an improvement of the normal offset antenna. They are characterized by two dishes. One antenna receives the signal while the smaller antenna picks the signal and transfers it to the LNC. Since it has two dishes, this antenna is said to have 80% efficiency.

Flat antenna

It’s the most compact type of antenna as the LNC is located inside the antenna dish. Due to the location of the LNC, these units are ideal for people living near the center of the satellite footprint area.

Conclusion

These are some of the satellite antennas that you can go for. When making the purchase, ensure that the units you buy are the right ones for your zone.

ABC analysis is methodology that gives us quickly and simple review of our assortments of products in retail, wholesale or manufacturing businesses. But, this analysis is possible to use in all areas of your business when you as an entrepreneur must take decisions about inventories, product assortments, marketing techniques, business processes, costs… ABC analysis gives us mechanism for identifying the products that have high influence on the overall costs of inventory and identifying the category of inventory that requires different management and control.

Similar or the same as ABC analysis is 80/20 rule that is also known as Pareto Principle. This rule tells us that 80% from effects come from 20% of our activity, or 80% of our sell come from 20% of our customers.

In every business exists products that are not equal in their value. Some products are more required from customers, for some products you have larger margin, some you must have in inventory for completing the assortment. Because of that, all products are different in sales volume, value, meaning etc. You must tend to have a lower level of inventory or optimal level because inventory has very negative impact of overall business activities. With these method entrepreneurs may to have clearly view of whole assortment of products and meaning of this assortment to whole selling and whole income.

You must differentiate two things, firstly, how much income you have from every product line? Secondly, how much is required these products that mean what is the turnover of that particular products? Some products may to have higher turnover but in the same time have lower income and because of that larger turnover we have larger earnings from that product. Maybe customers in most cases will come in the store because of that particular product and will buy something else or another product. Because of that you must make two tables.

In first you will analyze assortment of products (number of products) versus whole income, and in second table you will analyze assortment of product versus overall turnover. In this way, you may to combine this 2 analysis and to view real situations and to choose variants that maximizing results and give us better results in working.

You can make classification of articles with ABC analysis when we divide assortment (whole articles) in 3 segments.

• First segment is segment A where belong in products that are minimum obtained, for example, about 20% from overall turnover and this article give us great income, for example, 70% from overall income.
• Second segment is segment B, where we have much more articles in quantity, for example, about 30-50% of all products that we have, but they give us only 20% from overall income.
• Third segment is segment C, where we may to have about 50% of all articles that we have, but they give us only 10% from overall income.

This percents was taking randomly and serve only as example. All analysis may to have different numbers in percentage. When you finish with this analysis, you may to take decisions about products or assortments that you must provide to your customers and that will increase your business potential energy.

This analysis is similar to 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule or Pareto principle is suggested from expert for business and management Joseph Juran and he name this rule by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who observed that 80% of income in Italy goes to 20% of people. This rule tells us that:

• 20% from your activity give you 80% of your income. Must you have the rest 80% of activities?
• 20% from your customers give you 80% of your income.
• 20% from your products give you 80% of your income. You must eliminate products that don’t give you income and to invest in products that give you large proportion of income.
• 20% from your staff give you 80% of success of your business. Must you have the rest 80% of your staff and why you need it?
• 20% from your marketing activities give you 80% of your customers. Eliminate activities that not give you additional customers.
• 20% from your spend money give you 80% of your income. The rest 80% of yours spend money maybe is costs.

The 80/20 ratio is crucial for development and increasing business potential energy of your business and also overall performances of your business. This rule also may to use in personal life to make yours life with better quality.

When using upholstery cleaners and carpet washer systems for relatively small cleaning tasks, the filling and dumping process does not feel like a very tough job. In fact, an operator may be able to finish quite a bit of cleaning before the solution tanks need to be filled and the recovery tanks need to be emptied. In case, an operator needs to clean a larger area, the process of filling and dumping can become very time consuming.

This is a problem that is associated with many conventional carpet washing systems and upholstery cleaners. The user has to stop frequently to empty and fill the tanks while using these upholstery cleaners. This problem is actually two fold. One problem is that the solution and recovery tanks are often too small. Another problem is the manual refilling and dumping, which can increase the average cleaning time considerably.

An automatic solution!

For larger cleaning tasks, carpet washer systems with automatic refill and dumping capabilities can provide a faster and more efficient cleaning. These units generally have larger recovery and solution tanks. The larger tanks ensure that the operator can clean for a longer time, without any interruptions.

The solution tank of such carpet wash machines will be attached to a water source through a hose. When the levels in the solution tank fall below a certain level, it automatically starts the refilling process. The user can continue with the job in the meantime.

The recovery tanks work on a similar principle. These tanks are attached to a drain through a hose. When the liquid in the recovery tank reaches a certain level, the auto-dump feature kicks in and starts emptying the tank into the drain. The user does not get interrupted at all, and can finish the task much faster.

A world of features!

Apart from having auto-dump and auto-fill features, there are upholstery cleaners and carpet cleaning machines with a number of other helpful features as well. Some of the best carpet cleaners and carpet cleaner extractors on the market come with a special low water flow technology. Contrary to what many people may think, portable carpet cleaners do not need to use large amounts of water to clean a carpet. Excessive water usage can actually make it difficult for the carpet to dry.

The best carpet cleaners and upholstery cleaners rely less on water and more on suction power to get the carpets clean. Such carpet cleaning machines and portable carpet cleaners allow carpets to dry out faster. This feature is extremely useful in humid climates, or in areas that have little or no ventilation.

Using portable carpet cleaners with faster drying times also mean that there is a reduced risk of fungus, germs, and bacteria taking root and growing in the damp material. Some of the bacteria commonly found in damp carpets include Norovirus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. These bacteria can cause asthma, frequent colds, and many other health issues. Faster drying times also reduce the risk of the carpets emitting a foul odor due to dampness. Choose your carpet cleaner extractors wisely!

Utilizing some type of household security measure, such as a locked storage container can be a great way to protect some of your valuable or difficult to replace belongings without having to go to the trouble of using a safety deposit box that you might not have routine access to.

Buying locked storage containers are a fairly inexpensive option that can help you keep some of your difficult to replace items close by and easy to utilize, while still keeping them secure from different types of elements or theft. Before you purchase any type of container, there are few things that you should decide before you commit to any particular type.

The first thing that you need to decide about what types are going to work best for securing your belongings is what size you are going to need. These can come in many different sizes to accommodate a large variety of personal belongings.

When you are deciding on the best sizes, first consider what type of belongings you want to store. If you are planning on storing smaller items, such as family photos or important documents, a smaller variety will do nicely to keep these papers and photos secure.

If you are planning on storing larger items, such as guns or other larger items, obviously you are going to need a larger box. Once you’ve determined what type of things you are planning to secure, you can start looking at different types that are large enough to accommodate your belongings.

Different types of containers are designed to protect your belongings against different things. Some types are designed to protect from fire damage and are made from specific material that is fire resistant, and can even be insulated to keep the temperature inside cool enough to protect any contents that you might have inside.

Other types are designed to protect from water damage, and offer water-tight interiors that will protect any of your family photos or important paperwork from water damage. Other kinds are designed to protect from burglaries, and these types often come with hardware that you can use to bolt these down to the floor, making it impossible for a burglar to grab your locked storage container and take off with it.

Other types of home safes are designed to keep you protected, such as a gun container that is designed to store guns safely away from your children or other people who might be in your household. Gun containers usually have some type of security key or pass code for entrance.

Air conditioning systems are one of the most popular lifestyle gadgets all over the world. These products are widely used at both homes and workplaces. If you’re planning to purchase air con units for your home, there’re certain factors that you should take into consideration to make a better decision. Specially, if you’re under a budget constraint, go for portable air conditioners. Considering the greater convenience of customers, various models of portable AC units have been introduced to the market by the manufacturing brands. Now, you may ask how the portable variety is better than the rest?

Portable air cons are ideal for homes because of their unparallelled flexibility. Moreover, the cost is another positive aspect of the range of products. As compared to the conventional variety, portable HVAC systems cost almost half. However, the non-portable air conditioners are also a good choice, provided you take into account certain factors:

While installing an AC, consider the following factors to ensure safety in your home and the running efficiency of the system.

Dimension of a room: Determine the physical dimension of the room, where you plan to install the AC. You can choose the air con with the adequate capacity, once you know the length and the breadth of the room. The bigger the room is, an AC with larger the capacity you need. Else, if you go for an AC with smaller capacity in a larger room, it won’t be able to provide with the necessary cooling.

HVAC Kilowatt rating: Kilowatt rating is another vital factor to consider, when it comes to choosing an air conditioner, irrespective of its make or model. The higher this rating is, the greater amount of heat it will be able to remove from the room where it’s installed.

The number of windows: The number of windows also play a role in this aspect. The more rooms you’ve in a room, more heat enters inside. Thus, an AC requires more time to drive away the heat from the room to facilitate effective cooling. On the other hand, the bigger your room is, the cost of running the system will be more.

EER or energy efficiency rating factor: While making the purchase, you also need to check the EER or energy efficiency rating of the product. Ideally, you should go for the product having the highest EER number. This ensures, your domestic air conditioning system runs with greater efficiency on a minimal cost.

Properly insulated home: It’s important to ensure, your home has the proper insulation system in place to support safe running of the HVAC unit. If your home is properly insulated to trap the cold air in summers and hot air in winters, the running cost of the HVAC unit will further be reduced.

Installing an HVAC at home is really not that easy. You’ve to make sure, there’s no loophole anywhere, else it may take a toll on your life and property. Follow the tips discussed above and all the risk factors will automatically be resolved.

How can I remove the musty smell from old books? While you can probably not completely remove the smell, there are ways to minimize it. On way is to create a deodorizing chamber. Take two garbage cans, one large and one smaller. The smaller must be able to contain the book(s) to be deodorized, the larger must be able to contain the smaller with some room about the sides. The book to be deodorized should be placed in the smaller can, which is then placed inside the larger can. Placed odor-absorbing materials (such as baking soda, cedar chips, coffee grounds, charcoal briquettes(without lighter fluid), or kitty litter), in the bottom of the larger can. The lid should be placed on the larger can only and the whole should be left alone for some time (days, at least). Monitor the set-up periodically by sniffing the book(s).

A second option is the use of MicroChamber products. These remove by-products of deterioration and pollutants, such as the smell from mold and mildew. They are like pieces of paper, which can be placed between the pages of the book. Place a sheet of the fine, 100% cotton interleaving tissue between the front board and the endpaper, every 50 pages throughout the volume, and again between the back board and the endpaper. Close the book and set it aside until the odor is reduced.

Our basement flooded and the pages of my high school yearbook are stuck together, what can I do? Unfortunately, not much. Yearbooks, pamphlets, magazines, and art books are often composed from glossy coated paper. If this paper becomes wet and then begins to dry, the coating on one page sticks to the coating on the next. It can’t be reversed. For institutions which suffer water damage to books, freezing within 6 hours, followed by vacuum freeze drying, can be successful in saving this type of material. The vacuum freeze drying is carried out by a commercial service such as AFD.

If the pages are only partially stuck together, you can try to gently separate the pages with a micro spatula. Going slowly and carefully may salvage some of the pages. There will be some loss in the areas where the pages were stuck.

Rain came in the window and my book was soaked. Anyway to make it readable again? Although it will never look as good as it once did, it can be made readable again. Using blotter paper or paper towels, blot as much water from the book as possible. DO NOT rub either the cover or the wet pages. Stand the book on its tail and fan open the pages. You don’t want a direct heat source for drying, but a warm dry one. If possible dry the book in this position in the sunlight or with the use of a fan. The more quickly the book dries the less the pages will ripple. If cover is warped, you can place the book between two press boards and place in a book press for several days (or under several heavy books!).

I opened one of my books and saw a tiny bug crawling in it, what should I do? They are most likely booklice (also known as psocids) or silverfish. Booklice are extremely small, about 1-2mm long. Silverfish are larger(up to 12.5mm) and over time can eat holes in paper. Often they show up when humidity is a problem in a storage area. If it a book or two, place them in an airtight plastic bag and put them in your freezer a couple of days. That will kill the insects. If more books are involved but only a few insects are seen, reduce the humidity in the space and vacuum the materials well. If you still see insects after a few days, or if the problem is widespread, you will have to resort to killing them. While non-chemical measures are preferable to chemical treatments, “bug bombing” the room will take care of the infestation. Just remember to address the cause of the insects – temperature and humidity problems. Keep them both low. It is best to contact a preservation professional to discuss appropriate options is valuable books are involved.

We have some old wooden bookcases. Are they safe and appropriate for valuable book storage? From the perspective of preservation, valuable books should be stored on metal shelving, as wood shelving can give off damaging pollutants. To make the wood shelving a “safe” as possible, seal all the wood with a moisture-borne polyurethane. Avoid oil-based paints and stains because of the oil and latex because of its inability to completely adhere. Shelves can be lined with glass, Plexiglas, or an inert metallic laminate material to prevent materials from coming into direct contact with the wood. If the bookcases are closed wooden cabinets or shelving which are not usually accessed, they should be aired out several times per year to minimize the buildup of damaging fumes.

I have some old leather books whose bindings are dried and cracked, should I put leather dressing on them? No. The use of leather dressings (neatsfoot oil, lanolin, etc.) is no longer recommended by conservators and preservationists. They tend to have undesirable effects such as discoloration, staining, and stickiness; wicking of oil into adjoining materials; and increased danger of mold growth on treated materials; among other problems. If flaking or cracked leather covers are a problem, they can be wrapped in paper or polyester jackets. This will keep the fragments and dirt from flaking off further and onto hands and other books. Leather dressing can be appropriate for some objects, but advice should be sought from a conservator before using it.

There are grease-like marks in my book! Absorbing the marks by interleaving the book with paper towels and closing the book. If that doesn’t work, you can sprinkle the contents of a dry cleaning pad on the marks. Using your finger tips, very gently and lightly rub the pad dust over the page in a circular manner (DO NOT RUB WITH FINGERS IF PAGES ARE BRITTLE!). Let it sit for awhile, then brush dust away (Always brush away from the gutter of the book to the edge). If the marks are from a pencil, erase them using a gum or plastic eraser. Stroke with the eraser in a forward motion towards the page edge. Brush away eraser dust and dirt very lightly with a soft brush.

A page in my favorite book is torn. Can I just tape it together? Yes and No… Scotch tape is not appropriate for a book you want to keep. You will need archival document repair tape. To repair, first determine the correct position for the two sides of the tear to overlap. All paper has a grain and you will be able to tell how the repair would “sit”. If the tear is long and changes direction, mend only one direction at a time. Use only as much tape as is necessary to cover the tear. This is a quick repair but often the tape does not adhere well. You may need to use a warm tacking iron covered by a light blotter paper to set the repair tape. Other book repairs can be found at A Simple Book Repair Manual.

How do I clean the page edges of my books? Try a Document Cleaning Pad available from Lineco Archival Products. It’s like a bag of eraser crumbs and works wonders.

How do I clean vellum binding? Use milk and cotton wool. Moisten the cotton wool in the milk and rub the vellum gently but firmly.

How do I remove a label? For a homemade remedy, use a mixture of flour and water. Just mix enough flour into the water to keep it from flowing when it is poured onto a surface. Then use a small paint brush to generously coat the paper that is being removed. Usually, within 15-20 mins, the water soluble glue will soften and the unwanted paper can be peeled off.(Practice on a cheap book your first attempt!).

Or, in a well-ventilated place, spray it with lighter fluid (Ronsonal), wait five seconds, gently rub with a cloth or cotton ball (or cotton flat, which I find works best). I’ve used this technique literally hundreds of times without a problem: the excess fluid evaporates in a few minutes and leaves no residue.

How do I remove a label from a dust jacket? Apply a hot iron for a moment to heat the label. This loosens the glue and often the label can be removed very cleanly. To supplement the iron, try using cigarette lighter fluid (naphta), which helps get rid of any sticky residue. Mineral spirits will also work. You can also try to remove a sticker with an X-acto knife (broad, rounded blade), getting gently under it with the blade until peeling up, then peel slooooowly off with fingers. To loosen a really stubborn sticker, oak it with a q-tip saturated with spirits, wait a minute, then remove. I clean up any residual stickiness with a paper towel wetted in mineral spirits.

My child wrote in crayon… any hope? Unlike ink, which penetrates the paper, crayon marks are at the surface.Try very fine steel wool (0000 grade). Gentle rubbing will usually remove, or minimize, the crayon marks without causing harm to the paper. (As with any cleaning method, practice on a book you don’t care about.)

Mold is growing on my book! R.L. Shep in his “Cleaning and Repairing Books… a Practical Home Manual” mentions using hydrogen peroxide, carefully applied to the area with an eyedropper; lemon juice applied the same, and placed in the sun for a “short time only”; denatured alcohol, applied with a soft rag or cotton swap; thymol in a solution of alcohol. As with all “blot up any excess”. If mildew is between the pages of the book, he suggest diatomaceous earth, sprinkled between the pages and brushed or vacuumed out several days later. If the book is spotted from a previous “infestation”, using lemon juice or a weak solution of peroxide, applied in small amounts with an eyedropper and wiped off quickly, followed by a good coat of “Renaissance Wax” (available from McCune, Inc., San Francisco) or some other good wax.

Even if you think it could be removed with a stiff brush, DO NOT remove it that way, as that will almost certainly damage the surrounding cloth. Instead, take a sharp-pointed, scalpel-type blade and/or a pair of tweezers, and a high-powered magnifying glass and work carefully at scraping/prising away the gunk without damaging the cloth itself. Some moderately light brushing towards the end may help to get rid of traces. If the stains can not be removed in this way, water is probably the next thing to try. Use wet tissue to dampen the whole surface of the board (otherwise damp stain marks are likely to appear). Then draw a blunt edge (like a bone folder) smoothly across the board. Don’t use anything sharp or you risk damaging the cloth. Don’t rub the damp board with tissue or cloth or anything, as this will probably remove the dye in the cloth. Depending on the type of dye used, you are likely to lose some of the color anyway, but do it carefully and the loss will be negligible and pretty much unnoticeable. Work very carefully round the title/gilt stamping or similar, drawing the bone folder away from such areas towards the edge of the board.

Basically, you’re teasing the dirt out of the fabric; don’t dump it on top of the title, etc., just work it towards the edges of the board, where it can be wiped gently off. You may be able to remove much of the the stain this way but the stain (or parts of it) may simply mix in with the water and the dye on the cloth. Even so, the resulting gunk, when distributed smoothly across the boards with a bone folder or similar, will be an improvement! Don’t use chemicals. They may improve the immediate appearance of the book, but within a year or two their corrosive effects will begin to become apparent.

Killing off the spores. The spores (if they are such) are probably best killed off by sunshine, which apparently works just as well (or even better) behind glass as in the open air. Leave it on the windowsill on a sunny day for an hour or so. Ideally, if you are going to dampen the board to clean it, do it on a sunny day and put the book in the sun to dry. Don’t do any of the above on anything that’s really valuable; leave it in the hands of a professional.

How do I get rid of foxing? Simple answer… you don’t. This needs to be done by a professional conservator. The only thing you might try is to take a slice of white bread and remove the crust. Spread a newspaper to catch the crumbs. Remember white bread is made with bleached flour and is moist. Gently rub the bread on the page in a circular motion and it will soon crumble, ball up, and if you’re lucky, start to darken. The light abrasion applied will not harm the paper, the bleach will help whiten and the moist bread will remove some soiling and lighten stains. Don’t expect perfection but look for improvement.

It looks like the leather binding on one of my books is rotting – what to do? First of all, you need immediate climate control. Get the humidity and temperature down and keep them there. Weird book rot (in spots and not all over) may indeed be a literal “bug”. Carefully daubed the open rotted place and edges with Lysol on a q-tip and see if that stops the spread. If your leather is overall dry and powdery, nothing will really help.

Can I fix a cocked or slanted spine?

1. Put book on flat surface.

2. Open to 2nd page and run finger along left inside edge near spine from top of book to bottom.

3. Open to last page – 2 and run finger along right inside edge near spine from top of book to bottom (as above).

4. Repeat from front of book page 4.

5. Repeat from back of book page [last – 4]

6. Repeat pattern until you meet in the middle.

Or simply turn the book upside down and “read” it backwards. Paperbacks can be microwaved gently to warm the glue inside the spine. This process will usually correct off kilter or rolled spines.

Suggested: 30 seconds on low setting.

Should I remove rusted staples from a pamphlet? Under most circumstances, any piece will retain more of its value if left as close to original as possible. Trying to replace the staples could possibly lead to accidental damage. On the other hand, since the staples threaten the integrity and longevity of the main part of the original some would say they should be removed if possible. As the paper expands and contracts over the years due to humidity and temperature it works against the inflexible staples and tears itself. The rust itself can be corrosive. So, try to remove the staples carefully and either leave the pamphlet unstitched or possibly restitch it with soft thread.

The pages in my book are deteriorating! Nearly all books between about 1870 and almost the present time used acidic paper. After about 100 years, most of them are so brittle they will disintegrate the first time you read them. One treatment that will extend paper life is Bookkeeper or Wei T’o de acidification sprays. This will not restore the strength of your brittle paper — it will just slow down the deterioration. Some ink, especially some colored ink, will get smeary — test this before you treat a whole book.

Low temperatures and humidity are a big help. 20 or 30% humidity is fairly good, and consistency of both temperature and humidity is much more important than the exact numbers. Just remember that every time your book warms up in an environment where there’s also increasing moisture, it’s as though you were dipping it into a dilute acid bath.

How do I stop binding glue from becoming brittle? There’s not too much you can do. Most glues are either hydroscopic or thermoplastic, but you are taking a risk to use water or heat around a book. Taking the book to a binder and having it reglued is the best bet.

I’m moving. How do I pack my books? Flat with edges out, so the books are spine to spine in the box. Stuff any space with crumpled bubble wrap or the like so the books don’t rattle around. If you hear anything when you shake the box, open it up and redo. A box dropped on a corner can cause a lot of damage to the books inside. If at all possible, do not store the boxes on a cement floor (ie garage) for any extended period of time. Cement has a lot of moisture which can be drawn up into the dry cardboard box and dry paper books. Water destroys books faster than fire.

Should I rebind an old book? Unless there’s something really wrong with the original binding, you could significantly lower the value by rebinding. Also, do not bind it with string or rubber bands. This will cause the pages to warp or crimp and will leave marks. Temporarily, you can use white cotton twill tape. The best way is to put the book into an archival box. These can be custom made to the exact size (ideal) or you can use a retail one which is a close match in size.

Thousands of visitors flock to the Frio River each year to enjoy the rugged and beautiful Texas hill country. For a lot of those vacationers, they choose to stay in a Frio River cabin to enhance their experience. A cabin on the river is a great option for those planning on taking advantage of the many water activities available. Cabins are convenient and certainly more comfortable than camping. If you are a first time cabin user, though, consider the following five tips to make the most of your trip:

1. Consider your location.

The Frio River runs through several counties, including Uvalde County, and makes its way through Leakey, Concan, Utopia and also Garner State Park. The state park is better for those who like crowds, while areas like Utopia and Concan are less crowded. More rural areas offer more rugged beauty and privacy while more popular areas can afford more activity. Consider Concan for a smaller town that offers access to tubes and kayak rentals but is still less crowded than other, larger areas.

2. Know which amenities are important to you.

There are cabins available for most needs. Consider whether you are looking for a more rugged experience or in the market for a more luxurious stay. There are cabins that come furnished while others require the user to bring linens, etc. Frio River cabins come in different states and are rented privately by families and also by larger companies. Privately owned cabins can offer unique and personal experiences while others owned by larger entities can save you time and money. Just evaluate your needs first to know which type of cabin you are searching.

3. Travel during the off-season to save money.

Summertime and the weeks of Spring Break are probably the busiest times of the year for the Frio River. When the sun is shining and the Texas heat is reigning, the Frio River offers visitors a chance to enjoy the outdoors while staying cool – a rarity for a Hill County summer. However, the Frio River is a great option during the cooler months, as well, for those enjoy hiking, kayaking and fishing. A bonus for the off-season months includes deals and specials. Take a look online to find these coupons and special offers or contact the visitors’ bureau.

4. Plan to plan ahead.

If you are looking to stay during the busy season, make sure you make your reservations early. Many places, like the local state park, fill quickly. As an added perk for reserving early, you may encounter specials. Sometimes discounts are available for rentals, including tubes, kayaks, coolers, etc. Take a look in the area, as well, for special festivals and local attractions.

5. Use the resources available!

Today’s technology enables vacationers to plan early and thoroughly. Don’t forget the local visitors’ bureaus as well as the Chamber of Commerce centers and tourist centers. Local residents who know the area well and can offer great tips and suggestions for finding a Frio River cabin often work in these offices.

Pashmina shawls come in various shapes and sizes today. The wide selection provides us with so many different options. These shawls used to follow a certain measurement. What women wear around their necks was always thought of as scarves. A slightly larger scarf would then be stoles. But the largest would be the shawl, which is famous for different uses such as using it above the head on a hot day. One standard sized shawl measures around thirty six inches long and twelve inches thick. Cloth larger than that measurement and it is not a scarf you are wearing anymore. Evaluating what you are going to consider wearing today will determine which size of scarf you should use. Numerous popular artists and their designers gave this quite a thought. Surely there would not be a single person in the world who wants to be regarded as badly clothed! It helps to know the right size whether it is made from authentic animal skin or man-made. Bear in mind that not everything can match a single scarf making it even more crucial to be acquainted with assorted size options.

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The large size of a regular Pashmina shawl can bring doubt to women who are unsure of how to use it. Loads of people wonder why these scarves are too long. Another bit of history is that these were first completed by Tibetans. You can just imagine the ruthless cold they have there that a lot of people can suffer from hypothermia. Naturally, to survive, one must wear extremely thick clothes. The right warmth is achieved my wearing lots and lots of clothes. This is where these shawls were first considered. The great demand of having something to keep them warm made them decide to manufacture pashmina shawls in long lengths. The people have adapted with its long feature and they were happier with it. It proved to be very effective in keeping the warm in and the cold out. To save you the money and space of layered clothes, these shawls are made in several feet long in order to have it wrapped around your body more than one time.

This little bit of record reveals that pashmina shawls are indeed more than a fashion accessory. The ideal size is large and long but short ones are good too. If there is someone you like to give a gift to, a standard sized Pashmina shawl is one of the greatest choices. Still do not know what size to get? First look at the kind of clothes you wear and from there observe how celebrities use pashmina scarves in their wardrobe. Knowing more about these handy shawls will help you make your mind up about which kind looks good on you.