Turning Showers Inside-Out
An outdoor copper shower can make a great addition for the summer months
As the weather gets warmer, it’s time to start prepping your house for the pool parties and BBQs that accompany the welcomed summer months. While you may think you have every backyard addition that makes your home the ultimate summer destination, there is one renovation that is quick, easy, inexpensive and will separate your house from the others on the block — an outdoor shower.
Whether you get your hands dirty from gardening, want to rinse off the chlorine from floating in the pool all day, or need to spray down the dog after a day of rolling around in the grass, an outdoor shower is practical and can make a unique home addition.
While it may seem like a complicated project, if you have the time and are handy around the house, follow these quick and simple steps to install a copper shower on your next free Saturday afternoon:
Step 1: Get the proper tools and material for the project.
Copper tubing is a good choice for an outdoor shower. It’s a durable option that is easy to work with, with an incomparable look and style. When using copper, you’ll need tubing cutters and a propane or other handheld torch, flux and solder for soldering the joints for the shower.
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Man’s Oldest Metal is Ideal for Giving Kitchens & Baths a New Twist
The two rooms in every home that are the most popular targets for
Copper Double Vanity (courtesy of Frigo Design)
makeovers are the kitchen and bathroom. These are also the rooms in which copper and copper alloys, like brass and bronze, can make a big difference in both the décor and cleanliness. Copper brass and bronze can not only add a warm aesthetic to a room, but they are also antimicrobial and have been found to effectively kill bacteria*.
Alfredo Cortes, president of Fine Crafts & Imports, says that in the eight years the company has been in business, he has noticed an increase in both the demand for copper products and in the number of companies that supply copper products to customers.
“Copper is a very beautiful metal,” Cortes said. “It adds a lot of style to kitchens, especially those in Spanish-mission style houses.”
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Copper continues to be the standard for residential wiring needs
On any given Sunday, why would anyone brave sub-zero degree temperatures at a football game when they could watch it in the comfort of home on a giant plasma flat screen with Dolby surround sound?
Why drive to the mall to buy your favorite artist’s new album when, in seconds, it can be legally downloaded on your home computer?
Why wake up and log on to your desktop when you could stay in bed and surf the Web wirelessly on your laptop?
Advances in technology are enabling us to create new routines and cast off the old ones. Each is anchored in convenience, can be performed with a mouse click, and completed while still in PJs.
Even as power and prevalence of internet connections, home theater and entertainment systems grow, one constant remains the bridge to newer technology: copper.
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Preparing Your Commercial Property for Winter:
Tips to protect and ensure longevity of the building
As winter approaches, property owners, facility managers and building maintenance supervisors should take precautionary steps to ensure their buildings are prepared for whatever weather conditions Mother Nature may bring.
RCI, Inc., the leading international association of professional consultants, architects, and engineers who specialize in the specification and design of roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall systems, recommends a few simple, proactive steps to help endure winter’s harshest weather conditions, including sleet, hail, snow and high winds.
Inspect the roof annually at a minimum:
Before the cold weather arrives, inspect the roof for potential weak spots, leak points and loose building envelope components. Roofs subject to routine traffic should be fitted with walkway protection mats and inspections increased to twice yearly. Roofs that become covered with autumn leaves should be inspected three times annually.
Ensure the roof and drains are clear of obstruction and fully functioning:
Remove any debris or vegetation growing on the roof and cut back tree limbs that may touch it. Branches that brush a roof can abrade or even puncture its surface. Clear gutters of fallen leaves to prevent drain overflowing as they can cause a roof to collapse.
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Copper Puts the “Power” in Power Tools
Today’s do-it-yourselfers have a bottomless toolbox of technology to help 
with any and every project. Air compressors, circular saws, biscuit joiners, jigsaws, impact wrenches – no matter which power tool you reach for, technology makes the job easier.
With most power tools, improvements in technology usually start at the motor, and virtually all electric tool motors, both cordless and plug-in, depend heavily on copper for power. As it turns out, “heavily” is not an understatement.
“Generally speaking, the more copper mass in the motor, the more powerful the motor is,” explains Deborah Brown, the component design manager for Bosch Tool Corporation. “To increase the power of our motors, manufacturing is challenged to fit more copper wire into the motor.”
A motor’s expected service lifetime is also strongly influenced by the size and number of copper components it contains, says Brown. Power tools now include sophisticated electronics – all requiring copper circuitry – to monitor tool performance and optimize tool usage and life.
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Keep Out the Cold with Warm Home Safety Tips
With temperatures still frosty in many regions, family activities often continue to be conducted indoors. With more time spent inside the home, child safety experts say it’s important for parents to winterize the household and keep it safe for kids. Here are a few insulation tips to help keep out the cold.
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Hot-Applied Asphalt Roofing Withstands Severe Weather
An unusually severe pattern of storms, hurricanes and other extreme weather over the past decade has wreaked havoc on the nation’s commercial building infrastructure, especially in coastal areas and the Midwest.
Experts who have investigated the damage report that among the most common commercial roof systems in use today, hot-applied asphalt built up roof (BUR) systems offer better protection than synthetic roof membranes in severe weather.
“The reason is obvious – built up systems have substantially greater mass than single-ply systems,” says Reed Hitchcock, executive director of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) and the Quality Asphalt Roofing Council (QARC). “A four-ply BUR system provides about 280 mils of waterproofing thickness, whereas most single-ply systems average 60 mils or less. The multiple layers of a BUR system result in a thick, heavy membrane that provides solid protection against wind uplift and penetration by wind-blown objects.”
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Shed Some (Sun) Light on Window-Cord Safety!
Temperatures are rising, the school year is almost through, and you and your family are finally ready to relax and enjoy springtime. But whether you’re rolling up the shades to let the light inside or basking in the sunshine outdoors, don’t overlook the safety of your family. The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) is alerting parents and homeowners to the potential risks posed by outdated window coverings.
Time off means more time in the home, so take the necessary steps to ensure that your window coverings are as safe as possible.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 175 infants and young children have died from accidental window-cord strangulation since 1991.
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Spring Has Sprung: Is Your Backyard Kid-Friendly?
With the winter season finally behind us, families are heading straight for the outdoors. Kids with cabin fever are anxious for some fun in the sun. But before planning your next barbeque, take the time to check for potential safety hazards that may be lurking in your own backyard. These helpful tips are a good starting point for keeping your family safe this summer.
Outdoor Wiring
Outdoor parties often include indoor appliances like radios and blenders that require electricity. This can present risks for adults and children alike. Basic indoor electrical safety rules apply outside the home as well. It’s important to remember to always install plastic safety covers in unused outlets to prevent little fingers from getting inside them, and replace any cracked or frayed electrical cords. In addition, the National Fire Protection Association recommends the following precautions for dealing with outdoor power:
• Make sure outdoor electrical fixtures are weatherproof
• Don’t use electrical appliances outdoors when the ground is wet unless they have been rated for that kind of use
• Never run extension cords across lawns, walks or driveways and only use extension cords rated for outdoor use
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Top Ten Wiring Hazards Threaten Life and Property
Electric power can be a friend … or a foe. Power outages and blackouts remind us how everyday life suddenly becomes primitive without electricity. If not properly handled, electrical power also poses a threat to individual lives and property. It can deliver a lethal jolt to a human body, or burn a home to the ground. It is called electric “power” for a reason.
If electricity is to be our friend then it is necessary to safeguard against certain hazards. Correction of these hazards could prevent many deaths, injuries and cases of property damage. In the interest of assuring that electric power remains our friend, the Copper Development Association (CDA) has developed its own “Top Ten List of Electrical Hazards in the Home.”
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