No vacuum cleaner is perfect. Almost every vacuum cleaner has design flaws that create problems. Maybe the biggest problem is that, as the filter bag fills with dirt, there is less airflow and suction. This problem is even shown in bagless vacuums because the filters clog up as the container fills with dirt, dust, and pet hair.

The worst feature that most vacuum cleaners have that they have bags that eventually clog up and restrict air flow. All bags and filters are porous. All bags, cloth or paper, have tiny air holes that allow the air to flow through them. When there is a dirt particle larger than the air hole, the particle clogs the hoe and restricts the free flowing of air. Eventually the entire surface of the bag or filter is coated with this dust. The airflow is slowed dramatically, and that is why your vacuum cleaner loses suction as the bag or filter clogs up.

That restricted air flow is what causes motors to overheat. The Air-Storm vacuum cleaner has an airflow system that constantly keeps the bag surface clean, allowing for constant airflow and no loss of suction. As the air is pulled into the bag chamber, the angle of the airflow actually blasts the back of the bag clean, allowing unrestricted air to reach the motor and flow out the exhaust. The Air-Storm vacuum cleaner casing is made out of a near indestructible resin material that will never warp when heated.

The metal motor in the Air-Storm is a pleasant surprise. Metal is more durable than plastic, and is a conductor of heat. As the heat is generated in the motor, it is dissipated away from the inside of the motor. This keeps the bearings from drying out. Metal motors are far more durable than plastic motors. Most vacuums made, and all that you buy in discount stores have plastic motors.

Remember that Hoover vacuum your grandmother had for 50 years? It lasted because it had a metal motor and metal parts. Most vacuum cleaners are no longer made as well.

The Air-Storm cleaning system also has two HEPA filters that prevent any dust from escaping the exhaust. One of the HEPA filters is optional, and isn’t included in the standard package.

The Air-Storm tools have air holes drilled in the, called “venturi air vents” that allow for constant airflow at the tools. This is especially useful if your upholstery is coated with Scotchguard. If your tools shut of the airflow, you won’t be able to pick up any dirt at the tool. Other vacuum cleaners also have similar air vents at the tools; Riccar, Tri-Star, and Carpet Pro also use some form of air vets at the tools.

The Air-Storm vacuum cleaner is American made in California, and it’s the most well designed vacuum cleaner we have seen. My only complaint is that the Carpet tool, or power nozzle (as it is called) is from a manufacturer that has parts unavailable to most retailers. At $1,895 retail, it’s not cheap, but. The Air-Storm gets our recommendation.

I have seen the Air-Storm sold for less online, but a local dealer would be able to provide service far more easily than an internet seller. You always want to buy from an authorized dealer to guarantee warranty service will be provided.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has been a swirling mystery for centuries–an enormous wildly whirling storm that has lingered in its planet’s sky for the past 150 years–or longer. While stargazers on Earth saw a huge strange spot, staining the top layer of Jupiter’s clouds as early as the 1600s–which is when observers first started using primitive telescopes–it is still not clear if they were observing a different storm, rather than the Great Red Spot we now see. Today, astronomers realize that Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is really there, and that it has been there for a long time, but they still struggle to understand what causes its wild whirl of crimson hues. In July 2017, images of Jupiter’s crimson storm were obtained that unveil a complex tangle of dark venous clouds weaving their weird way through a massive red oval. The JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno mission spacecraft snapped revealing pictures of the most iconic feature of the Solar System’s largest planetary denizen during its July 10, 2017 flyby above the giant planet. The newly obtained images of the mysterious swirling spot were promptly downlinked from the spacecraft’s memory on July 11, 2017 and then placed on the mission’s JunoCam website on the morning of July 12.

“For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorizing about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. Now that we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm. it will take us some time to analyze all the data from not only JunoCam, but Juno’s eight science instruments, to shed some new light on the past, present, and future of the Great Spot,” commented Dr. Scott Bolton in a July 12, 2017 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Press Release. Dr. Bolton is Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. The JPL is in Pasadena, California.

As planned by the Juno team, citizen scientists obtained the raw images of the flyby from the JunoCam site and then processed them. As a result, the images now provide a higher level of detail than when they are in their raw form.

“I have been following the Juno mission since it was launched. It is always exciting to see these new raw images of Jupiter as they arrive. But it is even more thrilling to take the raw images and turn them into something that people can appreciate. That is what I live for,” commented Jason Major in the July 12, 2017 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Press Release. Major is a JunoCam citizen scientist and a graphic designer from Warwick, Rhode Island.

Gaining a scientific understanding of the Great Red Spot has not been easy–and this is Jupiter’s own fault. This banded behemoth gas-giant is a thousand times bigger than Earth, and it is composed primarily of gas. However, many planetary scientists think that a liquid ocean of hydrogen encircles Jupiter’s well-hidden core, and its atmosphere is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. This means that there is no solid ground on this enormous world, like we have on Earth, to weaken its fierce storms. In addition, Jupiter’s clouds block clear observations of its lower atmosphere. While some investigations of Jupiter have managed to observe several regions of its lower atmosphere, telescopes and orbiting probes studying the Great Red Spot can only peer at clouds scattered high in the Jovian atmosphere.

Learning more about Jupiter and its swirling red storm can help scientists gain a better understanding of our own planet’s weather, according to Dr. Amy Simon, an expert in planetary atmospheres at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. Jupiter’s weather is subject to the same physics as Earth’s weather–but it is millions of miles farther from our Sun. Furthermore, studies of Jupiter can shed new light on the weather of alien worlds circling stars beyond our Solar System. “If you just look at reflected light from an extrasolar planet, you’re not going to be able to tell what it’s made of. Looking at as many possible different cases in our own Solar System could enable us to then apply that knowledge to extrasolar planets,” Dr. Simon continued to explain in an August 6, 2015 NASA Press Release.

Many studies predict that the Jovian upper atmosphere possesses clouds consisting of water, ammonia, and ammonium hydrosulfide. However, planetary scientists still do not know precisely how or even if these chemicals react to give crimson hues like those observed in the Great Red Spot. Furthermore, these compounds account for only a small part of the Jovian atmosphere. “We’re talking about something that only makes up a really tiny portion of the atmosphere. That’s what makes it so hard to figure out exactly what makes the colors that we see,” Dr. Simon continued to explain.

The Mysterious Realm Of The Banded Behemoth

Jupiter is approximately 89,000 miles wide at its equator, and it is so enormous that all of the other planets inhabiting our Sun’s family could fit inside of it. Indeed, 1,000 Earth’s could be contained within this gaseous banded behemoth world.

Jupiter shares its composition with the stars–and if it had been born approximately 80 times more massive, the process of nuclear fusion would have ignited its stellar furnace, and it would have become a star instead of a planet. If this had occurred, we probably would not be here, trying to understand the secret of the swirling red storm on this distant world.

Jupiter is the fifth planet from our Sun, and its mean distance from it is approximately 5.2 astronomical units (AU). One AU is equal to the average distance between our own planet and the Sun, which is about 93,000,000 miles. This means that Jupiter orbits our Star a little more than five times the distance between Earth and Sun. When Jupiter is observed from Earth, it is usually the second brightest planet in the sky at night–after Venus.

Jupiter rotates faster than any other planet in our Star’s family, and one day on Jupiter is only about 10-hours in duration The Jovian orbit is also elliptical–meaning that it is out of round. One day amounts to one rotation–or spin–of a planet. This colorfully banded giant is also about as big as a giant planet can be, and still be a planet. Jupiter is approximately 90% hydrogen and 10% helium–just like our Sun. However, Jupiter also contains relatively puny amounts of rocky material, methane, ammonia, and water. If any more material had been snared by this enormous planet, it would have been squeezed tightly by the relentless hug of its own gravity–while the entire radius would have increased by only a small amount. Stars can grow to be considerably bigger than Jupiter, and they also possess their own internal source of searing, roasting heat.

When our Solar System came into being about 4.56 billion years ago, it emerged from a very dense, relatively small blob, that was embedded within the billowing, undulating folds of one of the many cold, dark, giant molecular clouds that haunt our Milky Way Galaxy. These enormous, beautiful clouds–composed mostly of gas with only a pinch of dust–serve as the strange nurseries of brilliant newborn stars. As the dense, relatively small blob collapses, most of its material gathers at the center and then ignites as the result of nuclear fusion–and a new star is born. The left over material whirls around the flaming baby protostar, and evolves into what is termed a protoplanetary accreton disk. This rotating disk of gas and dust revolves around the new star–and just such a disk surrounded our primeval Sun. Ultimately the very small particles of “sticky” dust within the disk collide and merge, “gluing” themselves to one another, forming ever larger and larger objects. Eventually, an enormous population of planetesimals form. Planetesimals are planetary building-blocks, from which fully grown planets eventually emerge.

The newborn Jupiter had the potential to become a star–but it failed. The energy emitted by the showering material caused Jupiter’s interior to become searing-hot–and the bigger Jupiter grew, the hotter it became. Eventually, when the material stolen from the ambient, turbulent disk had been devoured, Jupiter might well have displayed an enormous diameter of more than 10 times that which it now has. It is also thought that Jupiter possessed a toasty central temperature of approximately 50,000 degrees Kelvin (the Kelvin scale is an absolute scale of temperature, in which zero equals -459.4), and a brilliant sparkling luminosity that was about 1% as great as that of our fiery Star today.

Many planetary scientists propose, that beneath Jupiter’s clouds, there is a colorless ammonium hydrosulfide layer that could be reacting with cosmic rays or UV radiation from our Star, thus producing the Red Spot’s color. However, there are many other chemicals that turn red under various situations. For the Great Red Spot, as well as other crimson regions of Jupiter, coloring may be the result of many different conditions, as opposed to only ammonium hydrosulfide.

The Great Red Spot is generally considered to be Jupiter’s most prominent feature, as it wildly whirls in the surface layer of Jupiter’s colorfully banded atmosphere. It is a twirling anti-cyclonic storm that is larger than Earth.

Juno Looks Into The Eye Of The Storm

Measuring in at 10,159 miles in width, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is about 1.3 times as wide as our planet. The swirling crimson storm has been recorded since 1830 and may well have been in existence for over 350 years. In more recent times, the Great Red Spot appeared to be shrinking.

All of the Juno mission’s science instruments and the spacecraft’s JunoCam were operating during the flyby, gathering important data that were then returned to Earth. Juno’s next flybyof Jupiter is scheduled for September 1, 2017.

Juno reached the point at which its orbit came closest to Jupiter’s center (perijove) on July 10, 2017 at 9:55 p.m. EDT, and at the time of perijove Juno was about 2,200 miles above the planet’s cloud tops. Eleven minutes and 33 seconds later, Juno had covered yet another 24,713 miles, and was passing directly above the crimson, coiling, swirling cloud tops of the Great Red Spot. The spacecraft swept about 5,600 miles above the red clouds of this mysterious storm.

Juno launched on August 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. During its mission of exploration, Juno will fly low over the Jovian cloud tops–as close as about 2,100 miles. During these flybys, Juno will be peering beneath Jupiter’s obscuring veil of cloud cover and observing its auroras in order to learn more about the enormous planet’s origins, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and structure.

Early science results derived from Juno show that this banded behemoth is an active and turbulent world, with a fascinating and mysteriously complex interior structure, enormous polar cyclones, and energetic polar aurora.

“These highly anticipated images of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot are the ‘perfect storm’ of art and science. With data from Voyager, Galileo, New Horizons, Hubble and now Juno, we have a better understanding of the composition and evolution of this iconic feature. We are pleased to share the beauty and excitement of space science with everyone,” said Dr. Jim Green in the July 12, 2017 JPL Press Release. Dr. Green is NASA’s durector of planetary science.

There is an old expression: A rising tide lifts all boats. A rising tide can also swamp them. And as signs of improvement in the economy appear on the horizon, there is a real possibility of inflation coming in with the tide. Why worry about inflation? Well, inflation is an investor’s worst nightmare. For individuals in retirement living on a fixed income, it can devastate one’s savings and lifestyle. As a bond or CD-holder, the purchasing power of regular interest income gets hit. As a stock investor, stock prices can suffer as profit margins and earnings of your equity holdings are hurt by the higher costs for inputs like energy, precious metals and labor.

Right now, Wall Street is in a good mood. For the quarter just ended, the Dow has gained about 14%, the S&P increased 14.5% and the NASDAQ was up 15%. In fact the last time the Dow saw such a large quarterly surge was back in the fourth quarter of 1998 when it rose more than 17% as the dot-com bubble was forming. This quarter’s rally continued a trajectory that began in mid-March 2009. It has been primarily propelled by glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel. A variety of positive statements from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke contributed to a more optimistic view. Residential real estate sales continued to come back mostly prompted by a first-time homebuyer tax credit. Corporate earnings have been up.

The popular “cash for clunkers” program spurred auto sales and by some measures consumer spending increased marginally even without the impact from auto sales. Despite the Wall Street rally, Main Street is still hurting: unemployment continues to rise, business and personal bankruptcies have increased, bank failures are at their highest level and the dollar continues to weaken fueling fears of inflation down the road. Signs of future higher inflation are on the radar screen: All the government economic stimulus here and abroad coupled with mounting public debt; the Fed’s projected end of a program in March 2010 that will likely lead to higher mortgage rates; a Fed interest rate policy which has no place to go but up and rumblings that foreign governments and investors may not want to continue at their current pace of supporting our debt habit. So how do you position yourself to profit whichever way the tide turns?

Now, more than ever, it is important to have a risk-controlled approach to investing.

This is centered on an age-based allocation that includes exposure to multiple assets. This is why we will continue to manage portfolios with an allocation to bonds and fixed income but there are ways to protect from the impact of inflation and still allow for growth.

1.) Include dividend-paying equities: Using either mutual funds or ETFs that have a focus on dividend-paying stocks will help boost income as well as return. Stocks that pay dividends have averaged near a 10% annual return compared to a total return less than half of that for stocks that rely solely on capital appreciation. Better yet, consider stock mutual funds or ETFs that focus on stocks that have a record of rising dividends

2.) Stay short: By owning bonds, ETFs or bond mutual funds that have a shorter average maturity, you reduce the risk of being locked into less valuable bonds when higher inflation pushes future interest rates up.

3.) Hedge your bets with inflation-linked bonds: Fixed-rate bonds offer no protection against inflation. A bond that has changes linked to an inflation index (like the Consumer Price Index) like TIPS issued by the US-government or ETFs that own TIPS (like iShares TIPS Bond ETF – symbol TIP) offer an opportunity for a bond investor to get periodically compensated for higher inflation.

4.) Float your boat with Floating-Rate Notes: These medium-term notes are issued by corporations and reset their interest rates every three or six months. So if inflation heats up, the interest rate offered will likely increase. Yields in general are higher than those offered by government bonds typically because of the higher credit risk of the issuer.

5.) Add Junk to the Trunk: Hi-yield bonds are issued by companies that have suffered down-grades – sort of like homeowners with dinged credit getting a mortgage. Yields are set higher than most other bonds because of the higher risk. Yet, as inflation heats up with a growing economy, the prospects of firms that issue junk improve and the perceived risk of default may drop. So as the yield difference narrows between these “junk” bonds and Treasuries, these bonds offer a “pop” to investors.

6.) Own Gold and Other Commodities: Whether as a store of value or hedge against inflation, precious metals have a long history with investors seeking protection from inflation. It’s usually best to focus on owning the physical gold or an ETF that is tied directly to the physical gold. Tax treatment of precious metals is higher because of its status as a “collectible” but this is a minor price to pay for some inflation protection. And because the demand for commodities in general increases with an expanding economy or a weakening dollar (in the specific case with oil), owning funds which hold these commodities will help hedge against the inflationary impact of an expanding economy.

When severe weather breaks and damage to a building structure occurs, repairs need to be made. Doors are particularly important, especially if they are the only thing securing a building from intruders. Commercial door repair services are often used after a storm to rebuild and solidify the entrances to buildings that are affected by tornadoes, hurricanes, and other heavy storms.

Commercial door repair services are used by a vast array of people, from families to small businesses, churches to large factories. It goes without saying that these services can be used by any organization, facility, and within most industries. For many of these establishments, investing in these types of services after a traumatic storm is one of the best things to do in order to rebuild the hearts and minds of a community.

Public and private Schools

All school children can be safe when schools install a storm shelter on school grounds, especially in elementary schools, where small children are the most vulnerable. New doorway structures will welcome faculty and staff back to these places once a terrible storm has passed.

Day Care Centers

Children’s’ facilities that are repaired after a storm or natural disaster definitely need sturdy doorways and structures. These need to be built not only for a child’s own safety, but for their general security from those outside of the establishment. A new, repaired door is especially important here as it will welcome children back into the place they enjoyed before the storm.

Churches

Keeping the congregation safe means keeping the spirit alive! There’s no telling when a tornado or thunderstorm will hit and pastors and priests alike can hurry the elderly back in to join the rest of the congregation once a commercial door repair is made. Like day care centers or schools, church door repairs are particularly important, as it will welcome the congregation back after a severe or traumatic natural disaster.

Camping facilities can get back to business once the debris has been cleared and customers begin to return. A commercial door repair on camping units, cabins, and rental properties will keep the business going, even after a devastating storm or natural disaster. New repairs such as these will help restore business, bringing customers back for fantastic camping excursions.

Factories and industrial plant employees working on electrical plants or natural gas factories, for example, can all benefit from the protection and re-securing from a commercial door repair. No facility is completely safe without such a service to secure staff and employees after structural compromise occurs. This alone is reason enough to look into services that can repair the exits and entrances of the building.

Repairing or restructuring the doorway is one of the best ways to revive a building beguiled by a natural occurrence. These repairs can be not only useful for structural integrity, but also as a symbolic signal that no storm, tornado, or hurricane can destroy the hearts of the people who live in work in these integral parts of our community.

The first tropical depression in the Atlantic for 2009 formed on Friday May 29, 2009 and It looked pretty solid and was thought to become the first Tropical Storm of the year. 2009 was predicted to be a rather mild Hurricane Season, but the winds are flowing and it looks pretty healthy after all. The first Tropical Storm will be Tropical Storm Ana and if it becomes Hurricane Ana, which is potentially likely, it will arrive right on time. June first is the official start of the Atlantic Tropical Hurricane Season.

According to TerraDaily; “At 1500 GMT the depression was located about 500 km (311 miles) south of Providence, Rhode Island or 1,020 kilometers (634 miles) southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia”

And since the weather experts believe this is going to become a Tropical Storm it will be the first one and usher in the 2009 season, right on time. Large Tropical type systems in that area can also back up normal air flow movement coming across the United States, causing extreme weather on top of the tropical system, so we can be ready for that potential eventuality as well.

The next named storms will be Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henry, and Ida. So, if you have any friends with those names, you might tell them that they are soon to be famous, especially if their name becomes a full blown Hurricane this year.

FEMA says it is ready and President Obama tells us that there will not be any screw-ups this year like many have perceived transpired previously. Let’s hope he’s right and let’s hope this is a mild Hurricane Season even if it is off to head start. Please consider this.

Are you at risk of big fines? There are regulatory agencies such as OSHA and the EPA that will fine businesses that don’t take precautions against polluting the groundwater. If actual pollution takes place, then you risk an even larger fine. Read on to discover how you can protect yourself.

Luckily, something as simple as a drain cover can help you avoid problems. How is this possible? Well, water going down drains has to end up somewhere and many times it ends up draining into the environment. It is true that everything ultimately finds its way into the environment anyway, but proper clean up and disposal can make a world of difference.

Here are ways you can protect the drains in your business for quality storm water pollution control:

1) Drain protector drain covers

The tacky material that these are made out of create a tight seal over any drain to prevent forbidden liquids and debris from making their way down the drain.

2) Drain filter inserts

These are inserted into the drain, but serve as a trap for debris, while allowing water to pass through. This prevents drains from becoming clogged and also keeps oils from going down the drain.

3) Floor drain plugs

These storm water pollution control products simply plug up the drain so that nothing can go down it. This keeps debris and unwanted liquid out.

4) Spill containment berm dikes

These are a bit unique in that you are able to redirect a spill to a specific area. You can direct spills away from drains and to a specific area or you can use the dikes to place around items that may potentially leak so that a spill is contained as soon as it occurs.

5) Catch basin oil skimmer

This item performs storm water pollution control in a different way. It is able to absorb oils from water so that pollution does not occur.

You are working with products that are economically feasible. The cost is nothing compared to the cost of damages caused by spills or fines by OSHA or the EPA. The fines can be in the thousands of dollars while purchasing storm water pollution control products cost just a small fraction of that.

So when you need a solution to protect yourself from regulation violations or the potential for spills, there is a storm water pollution control product that will fit your specific needs. Only you know what you truly need. Luckily, you have products that will protect drains in parking lots, warehouses, retail establishments, and much more. Perhaps one product is all you will need. Then again, you might want to get several to be prepared for all eventualities.

Experiencing the havoc that a dangerous storm can wreak on a home or business is traumatic, exhausting, and extremely frustrating. Sometimes a person can try and prepare appropriately for extreme weather events, but often their efforts end up in vain.

Anyone who is experiencing such a situation may not be sure how to respond. Handling the aftermath of a significant storm is so important, as those are the hours and days when a person can ensure their domestic or commercial property is not lost altogether.

Below is a short guide that explains how to react in the aftermath of storm damage.

Storm Damage Aftermath

The first step when anyone experiences damage from a storm at their house or business, is to get in touch with the insurance company. A homeowners’ or business insurance policy should have protection for disasters such as storms, which is why getting in touch with the relevant agent for Rye NY storm damage, or the agent in your area, is so vital. They can explain how best to proceed, in terms of filing a claim with the insurance company.

Document Everything

Even though storm damage restoration is expensive, insurance companies do cover almost all the expenses when a person’s claim goes through. If someone wants to ensure their claim processes quickly and without any issues, they must document the damage done to their home or business.

Take photographs and videos from every possible angle. Even if an area of damage appears insignificant, having the additional documentation can be very helpful when showing everything to the insurance company. They will make life a lot easier or anyone who suffers Rye, NY storm damage if they can see photos and videos of the damage hours after the storm.

Find a Quality Storm Damage Restoration Company

The challenge for many homeowners and business owners is knowing who they can trust in such moments. When there is a significant storm, a lot of damage can happen to a house or business property.

Areas that are in jeopardy include the basement and other lower areas, as a result of flooding, along with the roof. Siding and windows may also experience damage, especially if trees fell during the storm.

Such repairs and restoration cannot be done by anyone who has minor construction experience. If a homeowner or business owner wants their property back in the same condition as before the storm, they must be willing to find the very best restoration service provider in their area.

Remain Patient

Staying patient during this entire process is a real challenge. Whether a family is unable to stay at their house, or a business has to shut down for a few days, there may be a lot of tension and anxiety.

Rather than calling the insurance agent every ten minutes to get an update on the claim, or demanding the restoration company works around the clock to finish the repair work within a few days, people in such a situation must remain calm.

Provide the relevant documentation to the insurance company, allow the restoration experts to do their work, and make alternate arrangements for several days or a week, until the property is habitable again.

Just when you thought the 2006 Atlantic tropical hurricane season was a bust and the home team was winning, now we find a brand new season in play. Hurricane Florence has made a mess of Bermuda and got to first base. And now tropical storm Gordon is at-bat and considering a double or triple category hurricane as he takes the first pitch.

And Tropical Depression # 8 could turn into a Tropical Storm within a week or so and when it does it will be Tropical Storm Helen or Hurricane Helen. So has this season gets going and the game continues we have; Hurricane Florence on First, Tropical Storm Gordon At-Bat and Tropical Depression # 8 on Deck.

No one knows exactly what will happen including NOAA, The Hurricane Hunters, The Miami Hurricane Headquarters or even The Weather Channel. Although you can bet they will be watching as the bases become loaded and the game continues in the third inning of play, as the Cape Verdi Islands visiting team looks for a grand slam, homerun.

Tropical Storm Gordon is a slow base runner, but is expected to get to at least first base as a category one hurricane within the next few days. And if these last two storms are any indication that Tropical Depression # 8 may just show us a little extra team spirit. Please consider all this in 2006.

You’ve done everything that you can do to winterize your home and get ready for those winter storms: Weather-stripped your doors, caulked windows, and you’ve trimmed back your trees and got rid of dead limbs. You’ve even wrapped your pipes to make sure nothing freezes during those cold winter blizzards. But now you think you want to put storm shutters on your windows to protect your home even further from that harsh winter weather. Where do you find winter storm shutters?

Winter storm shutters are the same as those used to protect homes during hurricanes and tropical storms. They cover your windows and doors and keep you safe from the high winds, ice, and heavy snow of winter, just as they would protect you from rain, missile impacts, and high winds during tropical storms.

These shutters are wind-rated and impact missile tested, and this is to your benefit during a winter blizzard just as it would be during a hurricane. During blizzards, wind gusts can reach hurricane force, and objects thrown by the storm are just as damaging as they would be during any other storm. When a winter storm is imminent, they can be closed in a matter of minutes and the safety of your home is accomplished quickly and with minimal effort.

There are some added advantages to adding these to your home as well; heat loss is kept to a minimum when they are installed on your home. No matter how well you caulk and insulate, there is always going to be some air-flow around the windows. Storm shutters are an added barrier against the cold weather, and additional barriers equal less heat loss. This lowers your utility bills (always a plus) and makes heating your home more efficient.

Any company that sells hurricane shutters can install winter storm shutters on your home. Make sure to choose a reputable company; research them thoroughly, and read the reviews on their sites and elsewhere. There are many to choose from; storm shutters come in a variety of styles and colors, and can be custom-fit to any window or door, no matter the size or odd shape.

If you are searching for winter storm shutters to install on your home before that first big blizzard comes, look for a company that sells hurricane shutters, even if you are not on the coast or in an area that gets harsh weather from tropical storms. These companies service any area, and they know that they can be useful during winter blizzards as well as storms during warmer weather. Install storm shutters on your home before that next big blizzard hits you, and keep you and your home safe from the storm.

Baltimore, Maryland is no stranger to hurricanes and tropical storms. Since 1950 there have been one-hundred and eighteen hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions that have impacted the state of Maryland.

With these come yard clean ups with enough debris that they equal a home clean out or a spring clean out. Storm debris is more than just a normal yard clean up. It is thousands of sticks that may not have come from your trees, and regarding trees, your trees may be felled by a storm and require being cut up and thrown away. In Baltimore County just getting rid of debris from a backyard cleanup is a challenge.

Trash collection won’t pick up poison ivy, poison oak, sumac, giant hogweed, lumber, food scraps, garden hoses and the final thing on that list “etcetera” which means shingles from your roof or a neighbor’s roof, torn of gutters, or trash can lids.

They do pick up grass, leaves, vines, twigs, shrubbery trimmings, and branches or limbs. What they pick up is not simply thrown into a garbage truck as they move on to the next stop. Here are the rules for yard debris pickup in Baltimore County:

Grass and leaves must be placed in paper or plastic lawn bags.

Branches and limbs cannot be bigger than three inches in diameter and no longer than three feet and tied in bundles.

Bags and bundles can not weigh over thirty pounds.

You cannot place yard debris in waste containers or on the street.

Another consideration, as homeowners in other states have found out, is how long it takes for waste services to remove storm debris. In Florida and Texas, it took months, after hurricanes in 2017, to remove storm debris from in front of people’s homes. Their lawns were killed where the trash sat, and in some cases wildlife such as possums and rats took up residence in the waste.

To avoid complications if you experience a storm in the coming months or years in Baltimore, you should rent a dumpster and clean up your own yard waste. Let’s take a look at how you can take charge of getting rid of storm debris.

First, contact us for an affordable dumpster rental. We can provide you with waste containers or roll off dumpsters in the sizes and numbers you want. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can tell you exactly what you need and in what sizes to perform a storm clean-up. After securing the waste container you need, it is time to devise a plan of attack.

Safety should always come first with a storm cleanup. Survey the scene to make sure there are no downed power lines. Even if the power is out while you are cleaning up, you have no way of knowing when power will be restored and a downed power line can cause serious bodily harm or death.

After you have ensured there are no downed power lines near your yard, put on a thick pair of work gloves. Loose shingles may have unseen nails or staples that can cause deep gashes in your hands. Likewise, the edges can be sharp and cut just like broken pieces of glass or plastic you may find. You may want to bag shingles that have multiple nails or staples to keep from losing them in your yard or cutting yourself on them, this is also true of broken glass. Look under and around larger debris to find roofing materials, but do not climb under large limbs that are barely attached to a tree or leaning against something, these could possibly fall on you and cause serious injury.

Next, put on safety glasses or goggles before cutting up downed trees or large limbs with a chainsaw. Make sure to cut the pieces small enough so you can carry them to the dumpster without injuring yourself. Finally, use rakes and blowers to clear your yard of small storm debris and place them in the dumpster you rented.

With a little planning and common sense, you can clean up your yard so it looks like a storm never happened. Contact us for rates and availability on our roll off dumpster rentals, we look forward to serving you!