Cleveland News

Most homeowners are shocked to find out that red bricks do fade in time. Exposure to direct sunlight and the elements often speed up the aging process of the bricks. When first installed, brick looks bold and beautiful, but as time marches on, you will see subtle changes in color and less vibrancy remaining from the original color. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the road for your bricks as you can prevent bricks from fading and also repair any potential damage caused.

UV rays are primarily responsible for exposing the aggregate found in brick. Color pigments actually take on a white tone and actual color begins to fade the longer it is exposed to the sun. Fortunately, you can restore your brick pavers and ensure that they look as good as the day they were installed!

3 Step Restoration Process

You can hire professionals to restore your brick for you, but this is something that you can do on your own as well. Though these steps are recommended as a way to remedy faded bricks, they can also help repair and protect bricks from the start

Step 1: Brush away the dirt and grime from your bricks. This is something you should actively do on a regular basis as dirt can discolor your brick as it is abrasive. Some people may opt to use a vacuum cleaner, but a broom or brush can also achieve the desired results.

Step 2: You need to scrub your bricks clean. Your bricks have been exposed to inclement weather for a long time, and on an ongoing basis making sure that they are clean will help improve their vibrancy tenfold. Use a solution of dish soap, salt and water to make sure that your bricks are clean. It helps to really get in there and scrub with plenty of elbow grease. Bear in mind that you should stay away from any abrasive cleaners that may permanently mar the surface of your bricks.

Step 3: The key to ensuring that your brick remains a bright color is to seal it off with a sealant. You will need a siloxane or silane based sealant to seal off the surface. Make sure that you coat your bricks evenly and spray from a safe distance. This is something that should only be attempted outdoors in a highly ventilated area. Never do this indoors as the fumes are toxic! You should also spray a water repellant on your bricks if you live in a wet or humid climate as it can help prevent further damage.

Does this sound like a lot of work? There are plenty of professional contractors that can help you with stone sealing as well. A simple phone call is all it takes to ensure that the vibrancy is repaired and you prevent bricks from fading in the near future. Years of damage and sun exposure often contribute to the need to replace bricks and brick pavers, but with the right care and attention, this won’t become a costly problem.

If you’re a homeowner, one challenging decision you’d have to make is when to replace your AC unit. Even though buying a brand new air conditioner can be a huge investment, so does the maintenance costs. The big question is, how do you know when to replace AC unit? We’ve put down a few indicators to guide you make your decision.

Signs of When To Replace AC unit

1. When your air conditioner is more than a decade old

Usually, a well-maintained air conditioner can stay as long as 15 years. However, if it so happens that you require to make expensive repairs to an air conditioner that’s more than a decade old, it would be wiser to replace it instead. This is particularly true keeping in mind the major advancements in efficiency that have been made to air conditioners in the last ten years alone.

2. When you’re incurring expensive repairs

Every time you have to make an expensive repair, it’s crucial to first weigh the repair costs against the costs of purchasing a brand new unit. If you find out that the repair costs can cover a huge section of a brand new system, and your air conditioner happens to show any of the other signs highlighted, you’d be financially wiser to replace it instead.

3. AC has reduced efficiency

When your AC shows a low SEER rating, you’d have to cough more cash to operate it. Today, newly manufactured AC units should have a SEER rating ranging above 13. When the SEER rating on your AC goes below 13, you can minimize your energy costs by simply replacing it with a more efficient unit.

4. When your AC uses R 22 Freon

The federal government is phasing out Freon to conserve energy throughout the state. This has resulted in the Freon costs escalating. If somehow your AC uses Freon, then you’ll be forced to replace it, in the long run, to shift to (R410A) the new refrigerant. For those experiencing serious issues with their air conditioner, particularly if they involve the use of more Freon, it’s possibly the right time to consider replacing your unit.

5. Frequent breakdowns

If your air conditioner seems to constantly break down and you have to keep involving the professionals because of a new issue with your unit, it wouldn’t make any sense to continue making repair costs on older units. It would be wiser if you saved yourself the money and the hassle by investing in a new air conditioner unit.

6. When your home is no longer comfortable

Are you facing problems of ensuring your home stays cool? This could indicate that your air conditioner is aging or probably a wrongly sized system. Irrespective of the reason, you’d prefer when your air conditioner is properly functioning! If it fails to do its job, then you’ll have to bring a unit that will.

If you have more inquiries about when to replace your AC unit, or if you need a cooling system installed or serviced in your home, feel free to contact a respectable and reliable air conditioner installation and repair company.

Summer’s coming, and that means that millions of Americans in colder climates will rediscover the joys of the outdoors after months of snow and layer after layer of clothing. For many, warmer temperatures and vibrant roadside greenery mean leisurely weekend rides or pleasant weekday commutes on their motorcycle.

As nice as it can be to feel the wind on your face, motorcycles carry the inherent risk of a high-speed collision without the protective features of an automobile. This can lead not only to injury, but to expensive property damage, namely the motorcycle itself.

It’s a fact of American life that, when there are high-dollar losses, you need to reach out to an attorney. Whether you ultimately decide you need a lawyer or not, here’s a checklist of things you can do in the immediate aftermath of a motorcycle accident to ensure that you have the strongest claim, whether to an insurance company or in a courtroom.

First, check yourself and anyone else involved in the crash for injuries. Whether it’s other riders or drivers, before you do anything else, ensure that emergency services aren’t needed. If they are, call 911 right away to request an ambulance. Otherwise, call 911 and ask for police to respond to the scene so you can make a report.

Get people and property clear of the roadway. If possible, photograph the scene and any damage to your property. Note the time of day, weather, road conditions, speed limit, and other relevant details. Your smartphone is a great tool for capturing notes like this, or even voice memos that describe the scene.

 Get contact information for others involved in the wreck, as well as things like license plate numbers, makes and models of vehicles, and insurance information. It’s normal to assume that the police will collect all of this for their report, but it’s all too common for police reports to miss key elements, or include incorrect information through human error.  This may leave you high and dry if you need to track down a crucial witness or another party from the accident.

 Speaking of the police, you’ll make things a lot easier on yourself if you make sure to write down the name and badge number of the police officer, and depending on how far from home you are, the police department they work for. You can also ask for a business card from the responding officer and the police report number.

 One key thing to keep in mind in the immediate aftermath of an accident of any kind is that you should not apologize for a wreck, or admit fault. This is true when you contact your insurance company later, as well. Be very cautious in how you talk about the crash to your insurer, because the agent you speak to will specifically be looking for reasons to deny any claims you make related to it.

 If you’re not sure how to talk to the insurance company, or if the insurance company is giving you the run-around after a motorcycle crash, contact an experienced motorcycle accident attorney right away. If you’ve followed the steps above, you’ll have good documentary evidence describing the events of the day.  And the professional local attorney you retain will have a lot to go on in getting you the best payout outcome.

Louis Gertler is a Partner with the Gertler Law Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. The law firm represents plaintiffs in personal injury matters and focuses on succession planning as well. The information above is not legal advice and we urge you to consult with a local attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.

Gertler Law Firm
935 Gravier Street,
Suite 1900
New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 581-6411
www.neworleanspersonalinjury.com