Fix It and keep it

In these tough economic times with downsizing’s and lay-offs sometimes you are better off starting your own business instead of being at the mercy of an employer. Starting a house painting business can be one of the easiest businesses to start due to the low cost of supplies needed to get it started. Getting started in a painting business can be eased into if you just do it on weekends to make extra money, at first, and then eventually move into doing it full time.

One business that requires very little to start is a house painting business. Starting a house painting business in your area would require you to go to your local business licensing division and get the necessary permits and licenses for you to operate your painting business legally.

Starting a painting business requires very little in the way of start-up capital. Most likely you will need:

1) Paint brushes, from one inch to three inches wide and all sizes in between.
2) An airless paint sprayer
3) A vehicle that you don’t mind getting paint on
4) A business name
5) Letterhead for estimates
6) Color swatches – Sherwin Williams has a really large one with hundreds of colors
7) Business cards

Starting a painting business is a semi-recession proof business because people will rather hire someone to re-paint the indoors of their house to freshen it up than have to move. A re-paint job is much more cost-effective to the cash-strapped homeowner. If the homeowner is fixing his house up to sell a new paint job on the indoors of the house will improve the homes value and make it smell fresh to prospective buyers.

When painting the indoors of a residence you should know the type of paints typically used indoors. First a flat paint is usually used on the ceilings and walls. Don’t make a mistake and put semi-gloss on either it will look real bad. Also, indoor house painting requires that you have tarps and plastic blankets to cover the floors and furniture.

For outdoor house painting you don’t need to be as careful about the floors but you will need to cover concrete driveways and patios. Also, outdoor house painting brings with it some other challenges in the form of insects, such as bees and spiders, etc. When you start your house painting business and prepare to do any outdoor painting remember to pack insecticide to keep the insects at bay.

If you decide that starting a painting business is for you start by doing your research at Home Depot where they have painting classes to help you get started, also check out Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore stores for assistance. They often have business supplies and advice to help you make the right choice in paint and materials and help you with business tools to grow your business.

Keep your Polaris 360 operating like new by replacing bad or wearing parts as necessary. Allowing bad parts to remain in the unit will only cause other parts to wear out sooner than they other wise would.

Polaris 360 swimming pool cleaner parts can be very expensive if you buy the from a local hardware store, for example, the drive belts in the Polaris 360 can cost $26.00 in a hardware store, while online they may only cost between $15 and $16.

The Polaris 360 runs a long time without needing to have parts replaced, but if you have had one for over a year you will soon need new belts and bearings. In some cases the wheel covers may need replacing if they are worn on the sides causing the unit to circle more often than it used to. I got more use out of my wheel covers by turning them around and putting what was on the inside on the outside. That lasted for six months until I had to replace the wheel covers with new ones.

Also, the Polaris 360 debris bags, you can find all types of the debris bags online for a significant discount to what they sell for in stores. Normally the bags last for, at least, one year, but if you happen to have one with a Velcro closure it may need to be replaced sooner because the Velcro looses its hold after a while being in the water. I have had much better luck with the debris bag with the plastic zipper.

Fix your money problems-Fix your retirement income-Live better-Click Here To Learn How

At least once a week swimming pool water needs to be tested to ensure certain levels of pool chemicals are present in the water to do the necessary work of keeping the swimming pool water sanitary and clear. This is most conveniently done after backwashing the filter.

A well balanced swimming pool only needs to have the pH and chlorine levels checked and adjusted on a regular basis, the other chemical values being measured less frequently.

A good pool test kit is a must – preferably one that uses tablets rather than liquid drops. Expired tablets/ test liquids (reagents) should be thrown out as they very often give inaccurate readings, resulting in us pouring unnecessary (expensive) chemicals into our swimming pools. Always keep the test kit in a cool dry place out of the sun and out of the reach of children.

When testing the pool water, rinse the cells of your test kit thoroughly before filling them with water from at least 12 to 15 inches below the surface of the swimming pool. When you’re finished the tests, pour the test liquid down a drain. Never pour the test liquid back into the swimming pool.

On a weekly basis you need to check the:
pH
Chlorine

If there are no obvious problems in your swimming pool, the following tests need to be performed every month, or at least every three months. These tests can be performed by a professional swimming pool technician, who comes to your pool, or the tests can be done at many swimming pool supply stores. You will only need to take them a pool water sample (in a clean glass jar!).

Monthly pool water testing consists of the following tests:
Total Alkalinity
Calcium Hardness
Total Dissolved Solids
Stabilizer

If the water in your area is free from any metals and your swimming pool shows none of the symptoms of iron or copper presence, the test for these metals is unnecessary. If, however, you notice a brown/gray stain on the walls and floor of the swimming pool, you should have the levels of these metals checked.