Managing Home Maintenance Costs

The Toyota Prius has been around since the year 2000, while the first generation Chevrolet Volt has only been around since 2007. There are various categories of electric cars. Some you can plug in to charge, some that only run on electricity. There are cars that run on a combination of electric systems and gas powered engines.

The Chevrolet Volt is somewhere in between all of these and may just hit the right combination. You can plug it in to recharge the battery, you can drive up to 61 kilometers or just over 30 miles on battery alone, or over 300 miles with a combination battery and gas engine. But the gas engine does not drive the vehicle, rather it powers a generator which provides electricity to recharge the battery and run the electric motors. This combination provides independence as well as gas savings especially in stop and go traffic situations in the city.

Chevrolet Volt – Regenerative braking System

In addition, when you apply the brakes the regenerative system will also recharge the battery. Recharging can also be accomplished by the standard 110 volt system or a specialized 220 volt recharger in much shorter time. This is one area that the Toyota Prius cannot claim as a feature at the present time.

While the Chevrolet Volt outsells all other plugin cars, it has a ways to go yet to catch up to the Toyota Prius. GM is making major changes for their 2016 models. There are updates to the battery systems, distance that can be traveled along with other features. GM allowed reporters to look at the new model at CES. However they were short on details preferring to wait until the Detroit Auto show to really take advantage of the press associated with the show.

GM has sold 70,000 of these cars and results from consumers ranked the car number 12 in affordable small cars with an MSRP price of $34,345. The volt gets poor marks for a cramped rear seat area and a small cargo area. However it did well in terms of nimble handling, seamless transition from battery to gas power. What will the 2016 model bring? What are the rumors for the latest model upgrade for the Chevrolet Volt from GM? Will it finally overtake the Toyota Prius? Stay tuned for our next post!

It has been a few years since the stain on your deck was applied and now it is beginning to crack and chip away. In addition the sun as begun to change the color causing fading. You also may want to change the color as well to fit with your new lawn furniture and other decor. It is time to remove the old stain and apply new stain to improve the overall look of your home. This is an easy do it yourself project and does not require many tools. In fact many people will already have what is needed and if not the money you are saving by doing this work yourself will more than pay for the tools you need. For example a garden hose with a high pressure nozzle will do the trick, but you may want to use a pressure sprayer instead. A pressure sprayer can be used for all kinds of little jobs so why not purchase one with the money you are saving on this job! They also help with stain removal from fences as well.

Steps for Stain Removal from Fences & Decks

Here are the steps to follow and we will add a few comments at the end to emphasize some of the steps in more detail.

• Move furniture away from the work area
• Remove debris such as leaves and dirt
• Remove all loose paint or stain
• Protect any areas such as walls and shrubbery
• Apply stain remover
• Allow to soak for 5 to 45 minutes
• Remove old stain by washing with a garden hose or pressure washer
• Scrape any remaining loose stain
• Re-apply stain remover and wash again if needed
• Allow to dry for at least 24 hours
• Sand exposed wood to remove any roughness, splinters etc
• Apply new stain as needed.

If you decide to use a pressure washer, hold the end of the nozzle at least one foot away and adjust the sprayer to its widest setting to avoid gauging the wood and causing more damage. A pressure washer can do a lot of damage quickly so experiment on a test piece first if this is the first time you are using one.

Allow the deck to dry at least 24 hours after cleaning. You want the wood nice and dry prior to sanding. Sand all of the rough edges and the flooring to ensure that it is smooth and there is no chance of slivers for anyone walking across it on bare feet. Once you have competed this stop you are ready to apply the new stain. Ensure that you have dry weather for another 24 hours to allow the new stain to dry properly.

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