Home Remedies for Hangovers

home-remedies-for-hangover

Ah, hangover…the scourge of late-night celebration. There is no adult in the world, of course except teetotalers, who have not been affected by this unfortunate side effect of enjoying life. Be it partying with friends in the neighbourhood pub or attending a formal function with your business associates, alcohol has become an essential part of social gatherings in the world.

 

While we don’t think twice before gulping down glasses of our favourite wines, or beers, the next morning finds us cursing the gods for allowing the man to discover the joys of tasting alcohol. While hangovers can occur at any time of the day, or night, it is generally associated with the feeling one experiences after a night of heavy drinking since a majority of the population consume large amounts of alcohol only at night.

 

So what exactly is a hangover? Well in technical terms, hangover is “the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages which includes headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise.” In simple terms, it is nothing but the feeling that your head is just one heartbeat away from bursting while your stomach undergoes a schizophrenic effect of imagining itself as a fountain or a geyser.

 

Causes of Hangovers

A recent study suggested that around 25 percent of the world’s population is resistant to hangovers. For the rest of the unlucky souls, there are several causes for experiencing a hangover.

 

All alcoholic beverages contain ethanol. This colourless liquid produces a dehydrating effect in the body and is responsible for headaches, thirst and the constant urge to take a leak. While ethanol in itself is harmful, when it is broken down by liver enzymes, it leads to the formation of compounds known as acetaldehydes which affect the brain and are responsible for fatigue, lack of coordination and mood disturbances.

 

Home Remedies for Hangovers

Regardless of the advances made in science and medicine, hangover is a subject that is yet to be understood by scientists. Medical professionals are pleased that hangovers do occur since they act as a major deterrent against drinking alcohol in large quantities.

 

So what are the home remedies for hangovers? Hangover remedies can be divided into two categories; prevention and treatment. Some of the most common remedies for preventing hangovers are:

 

Know your limitations: The best way to prevent a hangover is to make sure that you don’t overindulge. If the quantity of alcohol consumed is low then the chance of experiencing a hangover automatically goes down.

 

Know your drink: Recent studies have shown that the severity of hangovers differs from drink to drink. For example, a recent report published in the British Medical Journal shows that drinking bourbon whiskey doubles the chances of experiencing a hangover compared to drinking the same amount of vodka.

 

Do not mix: Some drinks display different symptoms of hangovers compared to others. Mixing different drinks not only increases the alcohol content in your body, but also increases the severity of the hangover the next morning

 

Drink water: One of the best home remedies for hangovers is to drink lots of water. Since alcohol produces a dehydrating effect on the body, drinking lots of water restores the water content in the body and reduces the effects of hangovers.

 

Eat some honey: Honey is a rich source of glucose and fructose. While it does not prevent hangovers, eating honey is one of the best ways to reduce its severity.

 

Some of the best home remedies for hangovers that treat it are:

 

Do not drink more alcohol: Many believe that drinking alcohol early in the morning reduces hangover symptoms. While this does provide a short term relief, the next hangover will be more severe

Avoid coffee: While coffee indeed may clear the head (though not the headache) it increases the dehydrating effect on the body and thereby prolongs the hangover

 

Eat a big breakfast: Eating a big breakfast helps in effectively breaking down alcohol. Eggs are a great source of cysteine (which breaks down toxins) while banana replenishes the body with potassium.

 

Drink re-hydrating solutions: Consuming electrolyte solutions such as Pedialyte is an effective way of treating hangovers since they replenish the lost electrolytes

 

Vitamin B6 or B12 capsules: While studies have shown that they are only a little better than popping a placebo, many heavy drinkers say that these capsules do work in treating hangovers

 

Just sleep it off!

 

There is no medical treatment available in preventing or treating hangovers and short of staying away from a drink, home remedies for hangovers are the only way one can overcome the condition. While studies have been undertaken to check whether hangovers can be prevented medically, they have been inconclusive. The conclusion of one of the studies published in the British Medical Journal suggests that the best way to avoid a hangover is to avoid drinking.

 

One way that could be used to relieve a hangover is a self-massage of several acupuncture points. Visit AB Acupuncture for more information.

 

Surviving Our Supersized Society

junk-food

Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight sounds simple, right? All you need to do is make a commitment to eat less and exercise more. Today’s environment, however, can creep in as a barrier to success. Eating well is now quite challenging because of societal changes in the way we eat and live — especially if your goal is to manage your weight.

What are these changes that discourage us from staying healthy? The increase in the size of what is considered standard portions of food and the rapid development of technology encourage us to stay glued to our computers and televisions instead of being physically active.

Beyond Fast Food

When you think of today’s growing portions, fast food probably comes to mind: Supersizing. Extra Value Meals. Great Biggie fries. Double Gulps. If these offerings were solely responsible for the growth of portion sizes, we might be able to bite the bullet, so to speak, and avoid them.

The problem is that portions are growing across the board, in grocery stores and cookbooks, and on the family dinner table. Did you know that identical recipes for cookies and desserts in new editions of classic cookbooks such as “Joy of Cooking” now yield fewer servings? This means that individual portions are expected to be larger.

Here’s a challenge: Try to find a fresh bagel the same size as a Lender’s frozen bagel (2.3 ounces). It’s next to impossible! A honey 9-grain bagel from Au Bon Pain is 5 ounces and 360 calories, the same number of calories as in a large chocolate bar. And that’s without anything on it!

At times, you’re not even aware of the forces conspiring against you. But few more calories here and there plus the hours spent surfing the Internet translate to those extra 10 pounds that just won’t come off.

Whose Fault Is It?

When we focus on why an individual is obese, a combination of genetic and environmental reasons comes to mind. However, if we ask why an entire nation is suddenly obese, we cannot ignore the environment as being the primary cause.

New research about the genetic basis of being overweight or obese is exciting. Novel treatments are surely on the horizon. Nevertheless, we must remember that genetic susceptibility, no matter how strong, will rarely create obesity without the temptations of a challenging food environment.

 

Awareness Equals Success

How much did you have to eat today? How much did you move your body? It sounds tedious, but honestly keeping track of your daily food intake and activity output is the only way to stay on top of your healthy weight goals. No longer can you fly blind, indulging without a thought in today’s hefty food offerings and entertaining technology. It is really up to you to be accountable.

Setting up an accounting system that works for you is essential. Seeing a written record of what you ate and how much you exercised will help you to find a balance specific to your needs and goals. Be sure to keep track throughout the day. If you save this for the end of the day, you risk missing some of the small details, and it’s usually the small details that count the most!

Changing The Environment

How easy it would be to eat smaller portions if they were simply smaller, to begin with! So, why can’t we just change the environment? It’s not so easy, although some people are trying. Fast-food lawsuits are trying to mimic tobacco lawsuits. Some obesity experts are recommending taxing certain junk foods. Despite well-intentioned political efforts, changing the polluted food environment will not be easy or quick.

Meanwhile, consider the following Mom’s advice to get off the sofa and go outside to get exercise. But think twice before following her advice to clean your plate.

Anxiety and compulsive obesity

It is known that compulsive obesity is a big disease in the US, and it commonly comes with anxiety, as the portions are getting bigger in our country when anxiety hits and we want to eat, bigger and bigger portions of food and lots of calories are ingested, so our whole country starts to get obese easier. If you are feeling anxious and eager to eat, but don’t know how to control it, alternative medicine can be a good solution to help calm your anxiety, acupuncture is well known for helping with a lot of diseases including anxiety and compulsive obesity, visite AB acupuncture to get to know more about, and don’t frustrate yourself with anxiety, when the eating eager comes, try to choose healthier and less caloric options, it will help to get to your healthy weight.

 

Five Overlooked Sore Back Pain Relief Remedies, Natural Remedies For Lower Back Pain Relief at Home

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Sore Back Pain Relief Remedies: If you are like me and suffered through back pain, you understand the hardships and desperation. I searched for sore back pain natural remedies, which can be done at home. Born with a hip birth defect, I looked normal, but one leg longer than the other and used a shoe insole in my left shoe to compensate for my abnormality.

As a consequence, if I did not use my shoe insole, I would limp and after a few weeks my hip would become really sore. As time went on during my 20’s I began to feel some burn and achiness around my right hip with lower back pain.

Overlooked Sore Back Pain Relief Remedies, Natural Remedies for Lower Back Pain at Home…

In my late 20s, many Orthopedic Surgeons indicated the need for hip replacement.  These doctors stated I was a good candidate for hip replacement surgery. And If I did not get surgery my hip pain and lower back pain would get even worse. I took backache pain relief medicine, but with severe side effects and decided to seek out natural sore lower back remedies from home.

Five Sore Back Pain Relief Remedies-BAD BACK REMEDIES:

1. Restore your Sleep

One of the main causes of insomnia is caused by pain. According to a study, over 60% of people suffer from lower back pain. As a consequence, the more inadequate sleep can increase your back pain. Lack of sleep in conjunction with a bad back, can work together and make the back problem worse. If you have sleep problems such as waking up several times during the night, then you need to seek out a specialist.

Unfortunately, the less sleep you get, the worse the back pain can become. The sleeping disorder may or may not come from the back pain. Nevertheless, please consult with a physician, to discern the cause of your sleep disorder. As there are many sleeping disorders, there are many opportunities for sleeping problems.

2-Tighten up the midsection is a great bad back exercise.

Tightening up the midsection is a great bad back exercise regimen, but many times overlooked. The muscles in your abs coupled with the back muscles work together in the support of your lower back. If you sit hunched over your PC and text, then probably you have bad posture and need to stretch out.

As for bad back exercises, I recommend regimen of Pilates and working the Core section. However, you will need a coach to teach you how to breathe while doing the Pilates exercise, and believe me they are hard to do.

When my lower back became sore, I went to a Pilates professional, and after a few sessions, my stamina increased and my pain decreased. Please consult with a physician, before starting any exercise regimen

3-Provide Back Pain Relief with Cold / Hot therapy

It may be old fashioned. However, don’t underestimate the pain reduction of simply applying cold or hot packs to assist in reducing your lower back pain.

Cold therapy for Back Pain Relief

Cold therapy has two primary benefits by possibly reducing inflammation and reducing spasms.

My Favorite: Heat therapy for Back Pain Relief!

Heat therapy has two primary benefits for back pain relief: First, it stimulates blood flow.  Then brings about healing nutrients to the problem area, and it may prevent pain messages being sent to the brain. I love heat therapy for back pain relief!

Heat therapy consists of soaking in a hot tub, hat wraps, or using a heating pad,and much more!

4- Acupuncture for Back Pain Relief

Acupuncture has been used for ever for many types of chronic pain. Basically, Acupuncture works to stimulate your nervous system, and assists in pain relief. Today Acupuncture is considered an alternative to many western treatments and it should be tried out.

5-Hamstring Stretches is a great bad back exercise.

The hamstring located on the back of the thighs. If too tight, your lower back may be in pain or experience achiness. Hamstring stretches are a great bad back exercise and can be done at no cost! Like all other exercises, it should be done carefully, and please consult a physician prior to any exercise regimen.

Remember stretches should be done slowly; while not in pain. The idea consists of loosening the hamstring gently to experience relief.

How To Provide Sore Back Pain Relief, WITHOUT backache Pain Relief Medication…

 

…Then I highly recommend a Coccyx cushion for back pain relief:

Discover the freedom and joy that comes from a healthy, pain-free body bursting with vitality! Start your healing journey today by booking an appointment with AB Acupuncture.

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Health care service companies: medical virtual assistants bring more results

hiring-a-social-media-virtual-assistant-for-good-results

It seems as if more and more people are taking advantage of the power of the Internet by starting their own online businesses. They realize the many avenues available via the Internet to do some small business marketing to help ensure the success of their online business. One of the most popular avenues to take to promote and market are through the use of social media sites. Though you probably already know, social media refers to sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. These sites are a great way to not only make personal connections, but business connections as well. Marketing on these sites consistently can almost guarantee more traffic and increased revenue to your website.

 

Often times, many online business owners are aware of the power of social media sites, but just do not have the time to consistently keep up with marketing on them. If this is referring to you and your business, it would be an intelligent move to go ahead and hire what is known as a Social Media Virtual Assistant. This is a VA that has a proven track record with marketing on these kinds of sites. It is a good idea to hire a Social Media Virtual Assistant for a few reasons.

 

The most important one being that without having to Social Media manage, you are able to put time and energy into other avenues of your business without having to sacrifice marketing on your favorite social media sites. Another great reason to hire a Social Media VA is that they may have much more experience then you do in regards to this kind of marketing. Experience equals results and that is ultimately what you are striving for. Whatever the reason may be, to bring a VA onto your team that specializes in a particular area is usually a positive strategy for all involved. Good luck!

 

Save Time. Make More Money. Grow Your Practice. Let Golean Health take care of your office needs while you and your staff spend more time serving your patients.

 

Doll Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

senior-woman-with-alzheimer

Doll therapy for Alzheimer’s? A baby doll for an Alzheimer’s disease sufferers seems an unlikely gift idea, right? Think again. A ninth grader in Paris, Arkansas, founded “Dolls for Dementia,” a nonprofit organization that provides dolls and stuffed animals for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Their donations are recommended by the National Alzheimer’s Association and are made specifically for dementia patients.

The reasoning behind providing dolls for Alzheimer’s patients is based on compelling hypotheses. Study results reported by England’s Nursing Times indicate real benefits.  The introduction of dolls can increase positive behavior and decrease negative behavior.  Having a realistic “newborn” doll or a stuffed animal to care for seems to be soothing. Studies conducted at England’s University of Newcastle on Tyne even pointed to doll therapy lowering the patients’ need for anti-psychotic drugs.

While conclusive studies have not been done on doll therapy for Alzheimer’s, the conventional wisdom is that there is value. Although some see a connection between the dolls and parenting memories, dolls also benefit those who have never had children. Giving the person with dementia purpose and responsibility appeals to many.

Benefits of Providing Doll Therapy for Alzheimer’s Patients

Our own Baton Rouge Home Instead nurse believes doll therapy for dementia is beneficial for some. She has seen doll therapy for Alzheimer’s patients work in a nursing home setting. She has witnessed first-hand negative fidgety behavior replaced by care for the “baby.” The introduction of the doll also allowed the staff to redirect the patient. When she became agitated and loud, they could caution her to not wake the baby. She believes the benefit of providing doll therapy for Alzheimer’s patients varies from case to case. Doll therapy for Alzheimer’s sufferers is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Benefit simply depends on the individuals and their living situation.

Doll therapy for Alzheimer’s is controversial. Many families perceive a loved one caring for a doll or stuffed animal as demeaning. The therapy is not to be entered into lightly.  There is a slow and careful process necessary for success. It must be acknowledged that with the many benefits can come various problems.

The Difficulties of Providing Doll Therapy for Alzheimer’s Patients

The downside to doll therapy for Alzheimer’s patients can come when a senior over-invests, putting the doll’s well-being above his own. A senior may also become over-stimulated due to his or her fixation on the “baby.” In a mixed setting, other facility residents may not understand the purpose of doll therapy for Alzheimer’s patients  and tease or berate the one who cares for a doll. Forgetful patients may frequently lose their “babies” and so become agitated and distraught.

Care home staff need to monitor residents’ interactions with the dolls very carefully. Some care homes have found residents can get too attached to the dolls, putting them to sleep in their beds, for example, while they sleep in the chair. They have also led to arguments between residents.

Afterwards, however, everyone said there were clear benefits and reported a calming effect, reduction in wandering, increased communication and improved speech.

So, doll therapy for Alzheimer’s  is a decision that must focus on the person with the disease. The journeys of no two people with dementia are ever the same.   Behaviors and outcomes, and in this case, therapy success, are as individual as the person affected.

If your senior loved ones have difficulties to move around or do simple everyday things on their own, then Fawssit offers portable showers that’ll make their life a bit easier for their ease of us

Amazing Health Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar

benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar

Are you conscious about your health? Are you a vegetarian and loves to eat salad? Does your salad have an apple cider vinegar as an ingredient? And wonder what the benefits of apple cider vinegar are? Apple cider vinegar is always present in our kitchen. Always use in marinating meat, fish, chicken and even salad you use apple cider vinegar to have a great taste. Apple cider vinegar is also known as wonder vinegar. This sparkling clear apple cider vinegar placed in a bottle contains healthy benefits and can gain healing properties. What great news isn’t it?

On the other hand, the real apple cider vinegar is not as clear as you think. It is exactly opposite of the sparkling clear vinegar that you buy at any supermarket. The real apple cider vinegar contain organic and unfiltered and has brownish tinge on it. If you will look through it you may see like tiny cobweb floating. They call it “mother” meaning just one thing. This type of apple cider vinegar has its good quality of all the nutrients and giving properties together. Imagine, if manufacturers of apple cider vinegar will introduce it to the market with the tiny cobweb like floating and brown tinge on it as well as the unclear look, will you buy this? That is why manufacturers create a much more attraction to the public. They distil the vinegar and steamed to produce pure and sparkling clear vinegar. However, doing this steaming process almost destroy the healthy giving nutrients that apple cider vinegar has. Let us see the benefits of apple cider vinegar that can help you:

  • The vinegar has its vitamins, essential mineral, beta-carotene, and pectin like calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, iron, sulphur, fluorine, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Since apple cider vinegar is prepared from fresh ripe apples even it is fermented to process and have a final product.
  • Fiber contains in the vinegar also known as pectin aid and lessens the bad cholesterol and helps the blood pressure to regulate. Vinegar produces calcium and a good supplement as you grow old. Potassium is one of the benefits of apple cider vinegar. It helps to remove toxic waste to your body. And beta-carotene is another benefit of apple cider vinegar. It makes your skin firm and maintains the youthful looks to your body. And for those who lose weight, apple cider vinegar will help you to do this. It crashes the fats that help to reduce the natural weight.
  • Apple cider vinegar also helps to fight and bacterial and fungal infection because of it s malic acid.

Believe it or not, it can make all happen with the benefits of apple cider vinegar everything will count. So the next time you will be buying vinegar, make sure to have apple cider vinegar to your list. The “Wonder Drug” with sparkling clear and eye pleasing vinegar that you can have in a bottle.

Get inspiration from renowned cider companies, like Carolina Cider Company from South Carolina, to improve your recipe.

 

Healthy and delicious: Smoked Salmon Pizza Recipe

smoked-salmon-pizza

One of the few pizzas, which incorporate fish meat instead of beef or chicken, a smoked salmon pizza consists of general toppings apart from the meat. Apart from the fish, the dill cream is also a specialty of the pizza. The cream is prepared out of mixing the dill with the sour cream. Keeping aside the dough preparation, this pizza does not take too much time to prepare. A treat for lovers of seafood, the Salmon could be hot or cold smoked, depending upon the likeness and taste of the person. Ideally it should be hot smoked, as it is firmer.

 

PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour

 

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

For the dough:

  • 1 package of active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • 1 cup of warm water heated up to 115 degrees
  • 3 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

 

For the topping:

  • 1/4th cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1/4th bunch of fresh dill, minced; 4 small springs for garnish
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 16 ounces of smoked salmon
  • 4 tablespoons of domestic golden caviar
  • 4 teaspoons of black osetra caviar

 

PREPARATION:

  1. Take a small bowl and dissolve the yeast in 1/4th cup of warm water and honey.
  2. Take another bowl and combine the flour and the salt with it. Add oil, the rest of the 3/4th cup of warm water and the yeast mixture to it, and knead it using hands for about 5 minutes. It should be sticky once done.
  3. Transfer the dough onto a clean, floured surface and knead for 3 more minutes. Keep adding flour, so that it does not stick to the surface. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. When it rises to about twice its size, make 6 to 8 small pieces of dough, which are round in shape and let it rest for 15 – 20 minutes more.
  5. Preheat the oven at 500 degrees F. You can find great quality ovens at Californo.
  6. Dip the ball of dough in flour and shake off the excess flour from it. Stretch it by pressing from the centre to form 8-inch circles. One can use either hands or a rolling pin for this.
  7. Sprinkle olive oil on the pizza dough by leaving a 1-inch border. Add some red onions on it too.
  8. Put the pizza in the oven and heat it for about 8 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden brown in color.
  9. Prepare the dill cream by mixing the dill and sour cream along with freshly grounded pepper.
  10. Transfer the pizzas onto dinner plates and spread them with sour cream mixture. Divide the salmon and spread it evenly all over the pizza. Place a spoonful of golden caviar in the centre and the black caviar in the centre of the golden one.
  11. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve hot.

 

Stay healthy while eating pizza with this delicious recipe

steak-blue-chees-onion-yoghurt-pizza

Steak & Blue Cheese Onion & Yogurt Pizza Recipe

A new twist to the regular steak and blue cheese pizza, the yogurt is what makes it special. It may not be available at regular pizza outlets, but can be found at experimental pizzerias, or places where there is an option of personalizing the pizza with toppings. Nevertheless, one can definitely make this one at home, quite easily, either in a regular oven, or even in a microwave. Refer to Californo for quality oven options.

 

PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

 

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

For the dough:

  • 825 grams – White Flour
  • 500 ML – Tepid Water
  • 2 teaspoons – Salt
  • 14 grams – Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 TBSP – Brown Sugar

 

For the topping:

  • Grilled Steak – 175 grams
  • Vegetable Oil – 15 ML
  • Salt and Pepper – ¼ TSP each
  • One small onion – chopped
  • Sun-dried tomato pesto – 125 ML
  • Arugula leaves – 125 ML
  • Canadian Blue Cheese – 90g

 

PREPARATION:

  1. Mix all dry ingredients of the dough in a bowl, and add tepid water. Mix with a wooden spoon, and then knead the mixture with your hands. You can choose to knead it even on a floured surface.
  2. Leave the dough for around 1 hour. It will start rising after around 30 minutes.
  3. Once the dough is ready, take the steak and sprinkle it with half the salt and pepper. Grill it on medium, for about 8 minutes, then tent with foil on the cutting board, and let it stand for 5 minutes. Slice it thinly after that.
  4. Then brush the onion with 1 tsp of oil, and sprinkle the leftover salt and pepper. Add to grill, and close the lid. Grill it for 5 minutes, and turn it once if needed. Chop and keep aside.
  5. Then roll out the dough on a floured surface, in a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Transfer to baking tray or pizza peel, and brush with oil. Place inside the grill, with the oiled side down. Grill for 3-6 minutes, till bubbles start forming, and watch carefully to avoid burning.
  6. Then slide out the pizza peel, flip the base, and cook it for around 1 minute.
  7. Transfer again to lightly floured pizza peel or inverted baking sheet, and put the heat to medium-low. Spread the pesto, and add onion, steak and blue cheese.
  8. Put again in the grill, and cook for 3-8 minutes, depending on how the color changes, and how the cheese melts. Again, keep a close watch to avoid from burning.
  9. Sprinkle arugula on top. Slice up well, and serve hot.

 

Preparing A Base For Your Shed

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The structure that your garden shed sits on is as important, if not more important than the garden shed itself, because without a solid, level and well-shaped base, the foundations for your garden shed may fail and this may bring your shed and its contents to a state of collapse.

Which type of base is right for my shed?

You need to form a barrier between your garden shed and the ground to prevent water from rising and entering into your garden shed causing damage to your shed panels and to the contents that you store in your garden shed.

There are a number of base foundations that can be appropriate for your garden shed. You can use wood, or concrete, garden slabs or one of the new environmentally friendly selections.

None of these foundations are particularly difficult to prepare and install, but you must make sure that you get the job right.

Some of the companies that can sell you a wooden garden shed can provide you with a matching timber shed base. This is the easiest way to make sure the garden shed will fit exactly on the timber shed base. Alternatively, you can build your own timber shed base and prepare this before the garden shed kit arrives from a supplier. You will need to prepare the area to ensure that it is level before you place to the shed base down, but in most areas, this isn’t a difficult task.

Where you have chosen to build a concrete shed base, it needs to sit on a firm foundation so that it doesn’t collapse into the ground and perhaps break. A simple concrete shed base of 4 to 6 inches deep will provide sufficient foundation for almost any garden shed you’re going to place on top of it.

A new use for garden slabs

Where people have decided not to put particularly heavy items in their garden shed, a simple raking of the area and laying sand and using garden slabs, can provide a good quality base for a garden shed. It is better to place garden slabs along all the parameters for the garden shed to sit on, rather than just placing four slabs at the corners, because this will not support all of the panels of your garden shed properly.

Preparing the ground properly

To complete the groundwork of the area for a base for your shed, the preferable way to organize the area is to compact the ground where your bases to be laid and to check that the area is level; you will need a large spirit level for this or you can place a brick on either side of the area, with a plank of wood across it and the spirit level in the middle to check to see if the area is level.

It is better if there are no stones or other items that can cause an imperfect level for the base because the ground must be extremely solid and level for any of the bearers, be they wood or one of the newer environmentally friendly options, to sit on properly.

If you take the time to prepare the area properly, your choice of garden shed base will provide a barrier between the ground and your shed and keep your shed level, which will make it easier for you to work inside.

If you want to make the best first impression for potential clients, hire a good home staging companies such as RC Homestaging.

The Water System

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The plumbing in your house is made up of two systems: the clean-water supply system and the wastewater system. Both systems require periodic attention to keep in good operating condition. However, before you make any major changes in your plumbing, find out what your local plumbing codes require. Most communities have adopted some type of plumbing code.

 

Clean Water Supply

 

Water Meter

 

You have a water meter to measure water consumption for billing purposes if you are on a city water supply or if you purchase your water from a local water association.

 

You may use the meter, however, to discover how much water you are using for a particular job. First, you must learn how to read it. Locate your meter and study the dial carefully. You can usually tell how to read it. One type reads like a car odometer; a second type reads like your electric meter. Each of the five or six dials contributes one number to the total digit. All meters have a special pointer that makes a complete revolution for each cubic foot of water consumed at a given time.

 

To measure the amount of water you use for a specific task, such as sprinkling the lawn, read the water meter, perform the task, and then read the meter again.

 

Shutoff Valve

 

The most important thing to know about the plumbing in the house is the location of the main shutoff valve. If a pipe breaks or the water heater bursts, turn off the main shutoff valve fast. There also should be various “local” shutoff valves. Locate them, too. There should be one under each sink, on toilet tanks, and on the washing machine.

 

Detecting Water Leaks

 

If you want to find out if the water stain on your ceiling is caused by a water leak or a faulty roof, use your meter. Make sure all faucets are off, then watch for 20 minutes the one-foot pointer on your meter. If it moves, even slowly, there is a leak.

 

If you do not have a meter, plumbing supply stores have available amplifying devices to help determine possible leaks. If you are not confident to find the leaks by yourself, contact a professional company like AB Construction to do this work for you.

 

Water Noises

 

Water hammer” is annoying but not serious. It is a phenomenon that occurs when a valve abruptly stops the flow of incoming water.

The problem may be corrected by one of these methods:

  • Replacing an “offending” faucet that is spring-closed with one that is manually closed. The manually closed one operates more slowly.
  • Reducing the high water pressure by closing the main shutoff valve slightly.
  • Checking the temperature on the hot water heater. It should never be above 140 degrees F.
  • Installing a shock absorber to prevent the vibration. This is a job for a professional plumber rather than a do-it-yourselfer.

Repair Leaking Faucets

 

Leaks are annoying, wasteful, cost money, and stain fixtures. Most leaking faucets are caused by worn out washers.

 

Supplies Needed To Repair Faucets:

  • Box of assorted sizes of washers, unless you know the size
  • Screwdriver
  • Adjustable wrench

How To Repair:

  • First, turn off the water at the shutoff valve nearest the faucet you are going to repair, then turn on the faucet until the water stops flowing.
  • Loosen packing nuts with wrench. Most nuts loosen by turning counterclockwise. Use the handle to pull out the valve unit.
  • Remove the screw holding the old washer at the bottom of the valve unit.
  • Put in a new washer and replace the screw.
  • Put the valve unit back in the faucet and turn the handle to the proper position.
  • Tighten the packing nut.
  • Turn on the water at the shutoff valve.

Faucets may look different, but they are all built about the same. Mixing faucets used on sinks, laundry tubs, and bathtubs are two units with the same spout. You’ll need to repair each unit separately.

 

Is water leaking around the packing nut? Try tightening the nut. If it still leaks, remove the handle and loosen the packing nut. If there is a washer under it, replace the washer. If there’s no washer, you may need to wrap the spindle with “packing wicking”; replace packing nut and handle. Turn the water back on at the shutoff valve.