Akron News
Make Your Basement a Sports Bar
Your Akron home probably has a boring basement with a bit of mildew and a bunch of boxes and dusty things you are not using. However, it does not have to be that way. You can transform your Akron basement into a sports bar and have friends over all the time. The first thing you want to do is check the foundation and dampness of the basement before you start doing any Akron basement finishing work.
If you notice water in your basement, contact an Akron basement waterproofing company to have them look at it. Likewise, if your basement wall is deteriorating or you notice cracks or bowed basement walls, contact a professional to repair your Akron basement foundation. You do not want to invest time and money into finishing the basement until that is done.
When setting up a basement bar there are some must-have items you must have around or your basement bar won’t really be a bar but just a basement pretending to be. Of course, there are some extras like a jukebox and pool table that will really set the bar off. However, consider the following 5 must-haves in order to set up your very own basement bar to enjoy a night with your friends, parties, game days, and then add the extras when you can afford to.
Must-Have #1 – A Basement
This might seem obvious, but to have the best basement bar ever you really need a traditional basement. There are many benefits to this that include being on a completely different level than the rest of the house so noise wont be transmitted and bother those above you. Of course, you can make a basement bar in whatever space you call the basement, but a true basement bar needs a basement.
Must-Have #2 – A Bar
Ok, obvious requirement number two is a bar. A basement bar (see images there) needs a bar that is set up to serve beer and give the appearance that your basement bar is really authentic. You can buy a ready-made bar, hire a carpenter to build you one, or give it a go yourself by buying the lumber and downloading step-by-step instructions from the Internet. As long as you have a basement and a bar your basement bar just needs some accessories.
Must-Have #3 – A Kegerator
A kegerator is a refrigerated keg that will keep your beer cold at all times and be ready to serve anytime the basement bar is open. You don’t want to have to buy six-packs and litter your bar with bottled beer when you can serve beer straight from the keg. Keg beer is special and will make your basement bar even more so.
Must-Have #4 – A Big TV
No, you don’t have to have the biggest screen television on the market, but it will help. Buy the largest screen television you can afford for your basement bar or one that fits the space well if your basement is really small. This will allow for a great game watching like the Superbowl, Basketball National Championship, and other great games.
Must-Have #5 – Comfortable Seating
This might seem generic, but it really is a must-have for your basement bar. If your friends are joining you for a night of poker or Monday night Football they need a place to sit back and relax while drinking some of your keg beer. So, be sure to have some bar stools around the bar as well as comfy couches and chairs surrounding the TV, with your poker table nearby so there is plenty of seating wherever the action is taking place.
Choosing the Right Kind of Deck for Your Backyard
Backyard decks are an amazing space for grilling during the summer, and they enhance the appearance of your yard. However, there are different materials that are used to create decks, and thus, you should determine the best material for you. Choosing the most suitable material for your deck is more significant than the shape itself. In addition to different kinds of materials, the decks that are available differ in color, texture, installation, and cost. Below are the most common categories of materials used to make decks that you can choose from.
- Wood decks
Decks created from wood are strong and comfortable; however, you will have to put a lot of effort into maintaining it compared to other kinds of deck materials. Wood decks require annual cleaning and also re-cleaning some years. Despite these maintenance and cleaning activities, your wood deck is likely to experience breakdowns as a result of rotting, warping and splintering, especially older decks. Therefore, you should apply a colored protectant to your old deck so that it can last for more years.
There are three common types of wood that you can select from:
a) Pressure Treated wood
These are the least expensive deck woods; however, you should perform the installation process carefully because they contain dangerous chemicals. You can choose from many shades, and they last for a very long period of time.
b) Redwood and Cedar
These kinds of decks are very common because they contain a good visual appeal and resistance to bugs. Whereas they are soft and wear out quickly, they can last for many years with suitable maintenance.
c) IPE hardwood
This kind of deck wood is found in South America and does not wear out easily. It is costly, but it can last for more than 25 years.
While wood material for your deck is a good choice as you will save a lot of money, in the long run, it requires a lot of maintenance. Also, you will spend some money after a couple of years to clean your deck so that it can remain in good condition. You will find a lot of information that is available in the various ways to clean your wood deck.
Similarly, it is simple to build a wood deck using simple tools and hardware compared to composite and PVC decks that need advanced tools. Ensure that you choose certified wood for your deck so that you can be certain of high quality and durable deck for your backyard. Also remember you are most likely required to have a building permit to add a deck to your [city1] home.
- Composite Decks
These types of decks are built using a combination of plastic and waste woods fibers that increase its resistance to rot. They have the same appearance as the wood decks, and you will simply choose your most preferred color. Generally, composite decks are more costly compared to wood decks but the advantage is they require little maintenance.
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride) Decks
PVC decks are completely recyclable, and they do not rot. They are more expensive but resist fading. They are available in a wide range of colors.
When searching for the right deck, you should take into consideration the appearance and materials that you want. If you are interested in the appearance of a wood deck but still desire a low maintenance deck, then you should choose the composite deck. Composite decks do not shrink or split, and if you are interested in a colorful and durable deck, then your best choice is the vinyl deck.
Determine your purpose of the deck that you want so that you can easily pick the right material that will enhance the value of your home.
An outdoor deck is a big investment, and thus, you should begin by determining your budget and do your homework on the different types of decks that are available. Choose a deck material on the grounds of quality and affordability.
Additionally, make sure that you ask for a warranty for the materials that you will buy. In the case of maintenance, it is important that you read the specifications provided by your deck manufacturer so that you can determine if you can manage and be sure to pick a reliable builder.
Zinc and your Health
With the current virus scare in 2020, we see people looking for more quick solutions for how to deal with preventing illnesses. A recent email from a doctor to his family and friends got out to the public and, while not specific to Coronavirus, was just solid advice based on science.
Wash your hands, avoid crowds, use hand sanitizer, don’t shake hands, etc. Near the end, he mentioned increasing zinc. This got blown out of proportion as people started rumors that zinc prevented viral illnesses.
Evidence suggests that having good levels of zinc helps shorten the length and severity of things like the common cold. At the time of this writing, there is no evidence that zinc prevents illnesses, especially the Coronavirus.
However, generally speaking, having healthy levels of zinc is good for you and might help you with some illnesses. It seems to boost the immune system and many foods that are high in zinc are also good for you.
A recent article about boosting zinc naturally is available and discusses which sources of zinc are higher AND have a positive health benefit. For example, red meat is very high in zinc, as is dark chocolate, but too much of either will most likely not have a positive outcome.
Instead, eating regular helpings of beans, lentils, seeds, and nuts will boost your immune system. Keeping in mind we are neither expert dieticians nor doctors, this seems like basic good advice that leads to healthier habits that might protect you from more serious viruses when they are spreading in your community.
Getting Your Home Ready To Sell
If you are thinking about selling your home and are wondering when it’s the best time to do so, it depends on where you live in the country. There are specific times of the year to put your home in the market if you want to have good results.
An article by Zillow puts the month of May as the best time to put your home in the market. But, other articles, put April as the best time for the Northeast part of the country to list the home. Regardless of what research tells you, you will list your home when you are ready and are comfortable dealing with everything that comes from putting a home for sale.
If you are thinking about selling a home and are wondering about the best home improvements or steps to take to get the best price, here is a list:
- Staging – Believe it or not, this is an industry that has many companies making a great living out of staging homes to sell. A realtor can also give you great advice about your home if you want to go that route, and they can give you some advice about what you need to do to make it a better sell.
- Home improvements that you can do yourself are the best way to get the best return on your investment. Painting the rooms of your house yourself can save a few hundred dollars that can be recouped when the sale is closed. Decluttering the home can be a great selling point that you and your family can do by yourselves.
- Fixing up your kitchen or the bathroom of the home can be expensive, but remember you do not have to replace everything to make it look nice. Painting the walls of the bathroom or kitchen can make your rooms look new, without going to the extra expense. If you can replace old appliances, and a new faucet in the bathroom, go ahead, those are expenses that you can recoup at the end of the sale.
- Curb Appeal – Dead plants, overgrown bushes, and branches falling are some of the curb appeals prospective homeowners do not want to see. A nice spring garden can be a very welcoming sight for many people. Clean up all dead leaves and branches from the year before to make sure the flower beds are nice and clean.
- Basement Waterproofing – even if you have a beautiful kitchen, painted bathroom with new faucets and a spotless yard when prospective homeowners go to check the basement and find water, the deal can be off right then and there. Basement waterproofing is not very attractive for many homeowners, and the expense can be too much for them. But, if you are considering putting the home for sale, waterproofing the basement of your home can be the difference between selling the home or not. Water running through the basement will send potential buyers running for the door.
Saving Tips For The American Family
Many companies try to entice the consumer into buying their particular brands over those of the competition regardless of the value or the quality of their products. A pretty product that is packaged well and looks pretty may perform worse than the simple packaged one. As a consumer, you may fall for the marketing and buy the pretty package over the better one, but hopefully, you will make the mistake only once.
Many Americans are struggling with mortgage payments, car payments, insurance payments etc, to worry about other things like comparing prices, weight or performance of the products they are buying, but being savvy about the products they are using should save a buck or two, and in the long run, make us better consumers.
What are some of the items we use daily that can save us some money?
Gas and Electricity: Comparing prices for gas and electricity can save hundreds of dollars every year for the average American family. There are many companies one can choose for gas and electricity, and even if entering into a contract with a particular company, it will save you money. Be choosy when signing a contract, and make sure the penalty for canceling it early is not too much.
Car Insurance: If you want to save in car insurance, you need to shop around. If you have a good history of no accidents or other claims within your company and you do not get any discounts with them, you need to shop around with other companies.
Dishwashing Soaps: According to a Consumer Report test, all dishwashing soaps perform equally well and according to them you should really buy what’s on sale because all dishwashing soaps perform equally well.
I can personally tell you that I do not agree with their results. I can tell you for example that for me Palmolive, does not perform better or equally well than Dawn. And some generic brands that you find on the shelves at the grocery stores, pharmacies or Wal-Marts require almost double the amount that you would need for Dawn.
Very recently, I tried a brand called “simply done” a registered trademark of Topco Associates LLC. By simply looking at the bottle, it reminds you of the generic brands you see at the store. I expected the same results as well. The truth is that you do not see a difference between “simply done” and Dawn. Is there a difference? There may be a difference between the dishwashing soaps, but the price does not warrant buying the most expensive brand.
Restaurants: Despite having issues with money, Americans are spending over $3,000 eating out according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The convenience of having food readily available without having to cook it is very enticing, but the convenience of having no dirty dishes or cooking chores come with a steep price. Eating out should not be abandoned by families but should be treated as a treat instead of a necessity.
Saving is very smart, try to practice the habit.
Flooring For Every Room In Your House
Many people make New Year resolutions to begin the year with a bang. Many of us do not stick to them, and some of us make resolutions that are bound to fail from day one. If you made a resolution this year to spruce your home and declutter, that’s a resolution that makes sense and that you might be able to accomplish. If you are replacing the flooring of a room in your house and don’t know where to begin, read ahead.
Depending on the room in your home, flooring can be an easy decision to make but also it can present itself with questions about what it’s best for your family.
Kitchen and bathrooms: These wet areas require flooring that is sturdy, and won’t be damaged by water spills. Some flooring can become slippery when wet and can be very dangerous for your family. The best flooring for these type of rooms are:
- Vinyl
- Laminate
- Tile
Keep in mind that there is some specific laminate flooring you can use in these rooms. Normal laminate flooring can become very slippery and warps rather easily with small amounts of water on it. You need to find the laminate flooring that can withstand water or other types of liquid spills without damaging it.
Living Room, Dining Room, and First Floor Rooms: These high traffic area rooms need a more sturdy, high-quality flooring that will not only be durable for your home but can make your home look beautiful as well. These are some of the types of flooring that are most commonly used for these rooms in your home:
- Hardwood
- Bamboo
- Laminate
- Vinyl
- Carpet
For many environmentally conscious homeowners, hardwood does not seem like a very likable option. Many of these homeowners have chosen to opt for the more environmentally friendly bamboo flooring. If you are thinking about vinyl flooring for some of these rooms – especially for dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and the main entrance of the home- vinyl has come a long way from the one sheet vinyl flooring our parents and grandparents grew up with. The look of vinyl is not what it used to be, so choosing it over other types of flooring is not outdated.
Carpet for the bedrooms of the home has been the main choice for many homeowners though out the years, but if you have children with allergies or other respiratory problems, laminate or bamboo flooring can be a very nice second option for you.
There are many pros and cons you have to consider with every choice of flooring there is. Price, durability, ease of installation, look. But, remember, buy what you love for your home.
Is Your Car Heater Not Working?
There can be several reasons why your car’s heater could be broken or simply just not working. The following reasons may help you to understand why it is not working and why you need to take it directly to a mechanic to have it fixed.
It could be as simple as the engine thermostat, the fan motor, or simply a fuse that is out or simply not working properly. You will need to take the vehicle to a car repair shop right away to have them diagnose the problem and get your heat flowing properly once again. If you decide to fix the problem yourself you may be doing more damage to the vehicle by not knowing the correct diagnosis. Car repair shops can easily diagnose the problem. So take the vehicle to a mechanic and save yourself the headache and money of making it worse off.
Many people think that they may just be low on coolant in the radiator and try to fix it themselves. By doing so you can cause yourself and your car some serious damage. The cap could release and intense amount of steam that has been built up by pressure and burn you very badly.
So the best remedy if your car heater is not working properly is to take it to a car repair shop and let a real mechanic fix it.
Towpath Trails High School
Today we are highlighting an alternative school system. Towpath Trails High School in Akron, Ohio has 3 branches and is an alternative high school that is a leader in helping students graduate with an alternative career path focus that can lead students straight into good-paying jobs.
Towpath Trail High School is a free, public charter school that has been providing school choice to Akron’s youth since 2012. Towpath Trail High School has been so successful that it now has two satellite locations-one on Canton Road in East Akron and another location opening soon in Barberton. The students of Towpath Trail are provided with the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and an industry-recognized credential in a safe and flexible learning environment. Career pathways that are currently offered to Towpath students are Construction, Phlebotomy, State Tested Nursing Assistant, and Patient Care Technician. Business and Entrepreneurship and Manufacturing will be offered as well.
An exciting development in the career tech programming offered at Towpath is that the school was recently awarded a YouthBuild grant through the United States Department of Labor. YouthBuild is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational opportunities for teens and young adults. YouthBuild students split their time between the vocational training work site and the classroom, where they earn their high school diploma, learn to be community leaders, and prepare for postsecondary training opportunities, including college, apprenticeships, and employment. YouthBuild includes significant support systems, such as mentoring, follow-up education, employment, and personal counseling services; and participation in community service and civic engagement.
Towpath Trail High School also provides exceptional academic instruction. Towpath exceeds standards overall on the state report card for community schools, which includes measures such as test passage and graduation rate. Class sizes are small, and students are encouraged to work at their own pace. Teachers tailor their instruction to each individual student, meeting them where they are and providing they need to progress through the curriculum. Towpath Trail High School also has a strong culture of safety and belonging for both its students and staff. Throughout the last ten years, Towpath has developed and maintained partnerships with community entities to provide on-site counseling services and mental health services to any student who needs them.
If you are looking for a school that is career-focused and places the safety of staff and students at the forefront of a quality education, Towpath Trail High School has a place for you. All three locations are currently accepting students ages 15-21. Call 234-542-0102 for more information or to schedule a tour.
Jobless But Earning – Three Ways To Earn Money Online Without Actually Being Employed
Intriguing title, isn’t it? After all, a lot of us would want to earn money without having to work, but hold up. Don’t get me wrong here. This is not one of those posts that say you can earn money just by lying in your bed all day. Don’t confuse the phrase “not being employed” to being lazy because I’m pretty sure those two are not the same. And just to be clear, I do not know of any way that you can earn money just by doing nothing.
This post, however, will provide you three ideas where you can possibly make money online without actually being employed. By employed, I mean that you have your own employer with definite working hours throughout the day. I would also like to clarify that this is not for everyone and not every person who will read this post and try out these ideas will be successful at it. This will still take some effort on your part and perhaps, a little bit of luck. Are you ready to hear out these ideas? Let’s begin then.
- Set-up an online business. I know, very original, but seriously, consider the perks of this. You are your own boss. The success of your business, however, will depend on how much you work for it, but if it’s something that you love doing, it’s not work at all. If you love baking, you can set up a small cupcake business. Cupcakes are so in these days, so you may have a lot of competition, but if your products taste absolutely amazing, word will spread. Don’t be shy. Ask your friends for help, they can recommend prospective clients to you. You don’t even have to own a bakery to do this. In fact, I would suggest starting a homebased business. It will cut your initial costs while you’re still starting up. Another great online business would be selling knick-knacks, especially if you love visiting thrift stores for collectibles. You can set it up in an online marketplace like eBay and start earning.
- Sell gigs. What are gigs, you ask? Gigs are simply things you offer to people who need to outsource work online. There are many websites where you can sell gigs, like Fiverr and Gigbucks. Are you a writer? Offer to write a 1000-word story for a gig then. Do you like making crafts? Great, you can offer to make a scented candle for a fixed price. You don’t have any talent except that you look cute and quirky on cam? Not a problem! Gigs can be serious or wacky, it doesn’t matter. If you’re good at something (wholesome, please), offer your services in the site. Who knows? Someone might find the video of you singing Happy Birthday adorable and will hire you to make one for him.
- Sell items at an online consignment shop. Are you one of those people who like to buy designer bags or shoes, but get bored after wearing them twice? Well, there are a number of online consignment shops that offer to sell your gently-used clothing or bags. The shop will have to take a percentage off the sale, but that’s normal. Besides, you can get rid of you stuff to make room for more and earn money to pay for your next designer item.
So, there you have it. While these ideas will work, success will not be possible without some effort on your part. These may not be actual jobs, but it requires hard work and ability to make it possible for you to earn some money from it.
Do you have other ideas on how to earn money online? Share them with the other readers by commenting below.