Day: February 4, 2019

Last Updated on December 15, 2021 by Alarm New England

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral substance found in rock and soil and is resistant to heat and electricity. It can be pulled it into a fibrous, fluffy consistency so for many years, it was used widely in flooring, ceilings, insulation and concrete in homes and industrial buildings.

The extremely abrasive and microscopic fibrils in asbestos are invisible to the naked eye, so you could be exposed to it without ever knowing.

Why Asbestos Tests are Important

Asbestos can be deadly when inhaled, and should you find it in your home, take steps to lower the chance of it contaminating the whole house. Asbestos has been proven to cause severe lung damage and is a known carcinogen.

For this reason, it is vital that you understand how to test for asbestos before doing construction on any property. Before any demolition project can take place, you or a professional must take steps to confirm that there is no asbestos on-site.

Since asbestos cannot be detected with the naked eye and can be in a wide variety of material on the property, it is important to test for the substance before you do any work that might disturb and release it.

Who can Test for Asbestos?

Asbestos is dangerous enough to require serious protection even just for taking samples of it. Some states in the US do not also allow you to gather the material to send for testing yourself and require that EPA certified contractors conduct all tests.

Check your state’s laws on asbestos testing and removal before attempting it as your next DIY project. If it’s legal where you live, you can purchase an asbestos testing kit for around $50.

Step-by-Step Guide to Testing for Asbestos

For your safety and long-term health, take extreme caution when testing for asbestos. If you are at all unsure of your ability to carry it out testing safely, you should have an EPA-certified contractor handle it.

1. The first step in asbestos testing involves ensuring that the air in the space where you are testing is still. Making sure to close all windows and shut off all fans, heaters and air conditioning systems.

Do not attempt to clean any area or item that you wish to test as there could be asbestos particles in the dust on the surface of the area.

2. Once you have ensured that the air in the space is “dead” and all the dust has settled, you can equip all of the necessary protective gear. Make sure that you cover your body from head to toe.

Safety gear should include:

• Face mask/respirator
• Gloves
• Coveralls or full body clothing that covers all skin surfaces
• Shoe protectors
• Eye protection (mask/goggles)

All protective equipment that you wear during testing will need to be thrown away afterward.

3. Once your safety equipment is on, you can enter the testing area and begin to prep by laying down plastic sheeting on the ground that will catch any potential asbestos particles that fall.

4. Next, spray the whole testing area down with water using some misting or squirt bottle. When all of the surfaces are wet, and the air is humid, you can ensure that any dust created will quickly diminish.

5. Working as carefully as possible, use a utility knife or a chisel to carefully break away a piece of the object or material that you wish to test. Using extreme caution will help to minimize dust residue breaking off.

6. Using your same misting bottle from before, spray down the piece that you broke off to settle any dust. Make sure that the sample size that you obtain is between 5 and 100 grams in weight.

7. Using a pair of pliers, drop the sample into a Ziploc bag and immediately seal it up. On the outside of the bag, be sure to note information about the sample including; where it was taken from, when and what it is. Slip that bag inside another zipper bag and seal that one up as well to ensure it is secured.

8. Now you can start to clean up the area. Very carefully, gather up the plastic sheeting and drop it into a plastic garbage bag and seal the top of the bag with tape to securely trap any fibers on the inside.

9. Next, vacuum the area thoroughly with a vacuum that uses a bag. (A bagless vacuum will potentially leave a residue on the inside of your vacuum and contaminate it.) Be sure to throw the used vacuum bag in a plastic garbage bag when you are done and seal it up.

You can also take another wet rag and wipe down the area where you took the sample from and dispose of that rag as well. Apply a coat of heavy duty paint directly to the area where you collected the sample. The paint will help seal in any leftover particles and prevent them from flaking off.

10. Finally, remove all of your protective gear and immediately throw into a trash bag and seal it off with tape. Take a shower to rinse off anything that may have been in contact your skin.

Submitting Your Asbestos Sample

At this point, you are ready to submit your asbestos sample to an EPA-approved laboratory for testing. To find a testing center near you, you can check the EPA’s website which will also have detailed instructions for how to safely and adequately submit your sample.

An asbestos submission by a homeowner can take a month or more to process, so it is essential that you build this time into your project deadlines as you should not start any work that could disturb the interior of the building before you have the results of your test.

If you have a tighter deadline, samples collected by professionals are usually tested within 48 hours of collection, so professional services can save you a lot of time.

If your results test positive for asbestos, contact an EPA-certified contractor to begin the asbestos removal process since removing and disposing of asbestos requires a special license in most states.

Last Updated on March 4, 2022 by Alarm New England

In the quest for a cleaner, greener way of life, cycling has increased in popularity because of its minimal carbon footprint. Cities around the world have adapted by creating bike lanes, bike parks, and bike parking facilities.

But with bicycles’ smooth integration into modern-day life, another facet of life adapts to it as well—crime.

To a thief, stealing bicycles can be more tempting than stealing cars. While they don’t fetch as much money on the resell, they are smaller, more inconspicuous, and are less likely to have an alarm system, making crimes difficult to trace. Bikes are also easier to resell since they can be sold directly on the streets without going through a dealer.

While many commercial locks, chains, and security accessories are available on the market, you should know how to make the most of even the most basic safety measures.

It is also important to be mindful how and where you park and take your bike. Here are some easy tips on how to prevent bike theft that you can apply to our day-to-day habits.

Firstly, are very few things will deter a persistent thief. The below methods aren’t 100% effective. However, they will make it harder for potential thieves to steal your bike.

Keep your bike indoors whenever possible.

This tip is specifically for those who like to keep their bikes outside or in the garage overnight. It may seem obvious, but bike owners may be lulled into a false sense of security when they park their bikes behind a gate or inside a garage. The truth is, if a thief has already got eyes on your bike and observes you leaving it in the perimeter of your home, it will still be relatively easy for them to access it.

Take the extra effort to bring it inside your house at night, or if you must leave it in the garage, make sure it’s chained to something large and immovable. We’ll discuss the proper way to chain your bike in a moment.

Choose parking spots with heavy traffic.

You probably can’t avoid parking your bike outside, especially if you use it for your everyday commute. When parking your bike out in public, choose spaces that have heavy foot and/or car traffic. Thieves are less likely to steal if there are witnesses.

If a thief knows he is more likely to get caught there, he may avoid the spot. Also, opt to park your bike with other bikes. The more there are, the less likely yours will stand out.

Don’t be too flashy.

Now this one may sound like victim blaming, but a thief will always go for the biggest payoff: the most expensive—or expensive-looking—bike. It’s unfair to put this burden on the owner, but it’s a fact.

We’re not deterring you from buying high-end bikes, but we advise that you be mindful of your investment. Large brand names, bright colors, and flashy accessories draw attention to how much your bike costs.

If you know your bike is tempting, perhaps find a safer, more exclusive parking for it. Better still, if you won’t be doing extensive road racing on a daily basis, maybe save the high-end bike for the track and use a cheaper one for your daily commute.

Avoid cable chain locks.

Cable chain locks are lightweight and easy to use, but they are also the easiest to break with a standard pair of bolt cutters. This is because it’s made of small strands of tensile material woven together instead of one solid mass.

A thick chain, although more bothersome, is harder to damage. Thieves will need to have specialized equipment on hand to break the chain so that eliminates at least opportunistic ones from targeting your bike.

A U-lock is also a good option for locking your wheels to the frame. It’s made of thick, solid steel and difficult to cut or bend.

However, the U-lock isn’t as maneuverable as a regular chain. It is more advisable to use it in addition to chain locks instead of just on its own.

You can use a U-lock to secure the wheels and a chain lock to secure it to an anchor.

More on that later!

Secure removable components.

People don’t just steal bikes, they steal bike parts as well. These still have re-sell value, if not as bike parts, at least as metal. If you can replace quick release mechanisms on your bike with bolts, it makes it harder to take your bike apart.

When chaining up your bike, make sure to include and secure things like your saddle, handles, gear set, and other accessories. When you’re wrapping the chain around, loop it through the wheels and the frame instead of just around.

This isn’t just to stop mobility, it’s also so that someone won’t be able to slide off the chain by simply removing the seat, wheels, or handles. It also makes the chain tighter, harder to shake loose and slide a file or saw between it.

Chain it to something immovable.

Make sure to chain both your wheels to the frame, and then chain them to an anchor of some sort, preferably with separate sets of chain locks. This extra precaution just makes it harder for thieves since they’ll have to break several more chains.

Whatever you chain your bike, chain it to something heavy, durable, and immovable. Some designated bicycle parking lots have a row of thick steel bars specifically for this purpose.

If no bars are available, find something that is firmly cemented to the ground or building, and cannot be smashed or broken to slide the lock off. A heavy gate, pillar or pole may work well for this, but never chain your bike to a tree. Yes, it is firmly planted into the ground, but trees—especially thinner ones that you can wrap a chain around—are breakable. To an experienced thief, it isn’t as difficult as you would expect.

Check your app privacy settings.

Avid bikers, especially those who use it for sport or exercise may find it beneficial to track their progress by logging their rides on an app that uses GPS. There’s nothing wrong with this, but make sure your settings on these apps are set private.

Many of these apps display users locations on the map and it’s free and easy for other users to view this information. This may be used by thieves to observe where you usually start or end your rides, meaning where you normally park your bike.

Luckily, most apps also have the option to keep your information and location private, but not as a default. Make sure to change your settings before you go out for a ride.

Be wary of vandalism.

Small acts of vandalism aren’t always random. Some thieves will slightly damage your bike wheels in the hopes that you won’t ride it home, making it easier for them to take later in the night.

They will make sure the damage is enough to make it unrideable but not unsellable. Keep an eye out for slashed tires or bent bars. If this happens to you, don’t leave your bike. Walk it home or take it with you.

Know your own bike.

Similar to how you would take note of your car’s license plate and registration numbers, make sure you also keep records of your bike’s serial number and those of any high-end accessories it may have.

If available in your area, you may register it to a local or national database. This is so if your bike is stolen, it may be tracked down if it is ever put on public sale. This may not deter from street selling, but it will raise flags if someone else tries to register your bike. It is more of an after-the-fact fix, but in this unfortunate incident, retrieval is your best case scenario.

If it does happen to you, report it to the authorities immediately. Even if you spot your bike thief, it is not advisable to approach or confront them. Keep eyes on them and take note of their description, and then tell the nearest law enforcement officer as soon as possible.

Invest in a GPS tracker.

If you really want to be careful, you can purchase a GPS tracking device that attaches to your bike and pings back to an app on your phone. This is another after-the-fact fix in case your bike is stolen, but of course, you can also use the tracker to check up on our bike while it’s out of sight.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s about properly using the security tools at your disposal. Whether you can afford high-end locks and trackers, or simply want to work with the basics, making the most effective use of any of these safety tools can spell the difference between keeping and losing your bike.

Last Updated on March 4, 2022 by Alarm New England

If you are a homeowner with a mortgage, it is generally a requirement by lenders that you have homeowners’ insurance. While it’s not a legal requirement, it’s considered a good idea in terms of your financial plan and protection.

While most homeowners have this important insurance, very few actually know what homeowners’ insurance covers until they need to use it

Homeowners’ policies and coverage options will differ from policy to policy and state to state, here are some general coverage guidelines to help you better understand your insurance plan covers.

What Homeowners Insurance Covers

In general, a homeowners’ policy covers hazards that are specifically listed as covered events in your policy. Many homeowners experience an unfortunate accident or disaster and assume that their insurance will cover it, only to realize that a particular event is not covered by your policy.

There are four main categories of homeowners’ insurance coverage:

Coverage for the structure of your home – your policy will cover repairs or rebuilding of your home in the case of fire, hail, lightning, hurricane, or other events specifically listed in your policy.

Most insurance policies will also provide primary coverage for any detached structures you may have, such as a garage or shed.

Coverage for personal belongings – your personal belongings — clothes, furniture, appliances, electronics are covered under certain conditions. If damaged by a fire, hurricane or other disaster listed in your policy, you typically have between 50 and 70 percent of the coverage for personal belongings that you have on the structure of your home.

Expensive or valuables such as jewelry, collectibles, or artwork are usually covered in your policy, but there may be a restriction on the dollar amount. If you have a lot of these types of personal belongings, your best bet is to get the items appraised and purchase additional coverage for these valuables.

Interestingly, this coverage also includes trees and shrubs on your property. If these are damaged by a disaster that is covered under your policy, you will be covered up to a certain amount.

Liability Protection – this is coverage that protects you against potential lawsuits involving property damage or bodily injury to another person or their home.

This part of your coverage will pay for your court costs up to the amount that is stipulated in your contract. Most policies carry $100,000 of standard coverage which can be increased to meet your financial protection needs.

Your homeowners’ policy should also have no-fault coverage should a friend or neighbor get injured in your home. This is designed to reimburse them for medical bills or other injury-related expenses.

Additional Living Expenses – this coverage pays for the cost of living away from home — staying at a hotel or a relative’s home — if your property is uninhabitable due to a disaster. There are limits on this coverage, so it is essential to understand your particular policy guidelines before incurring expenses that might not be reimbursed.

What Homeowners’ Insurance Does NOT Cover

As important as it is to understand what your homeowners’ policy covers, it is equally as important to understand what it does not cover. The two big exclusions from homeowners’ policy coverage are earthquakes and floods.

Floods and Earthquakes

If you live in an area that has been deemed a floodplain, or prone to earthquakes, you are required to purchase a separate policy to cover damage from these incidents.

With some level of unpredictability when it comes to flooding and earthquakes, it may make sense to research your area and talk to a professional to consider purchasing these coverages. If you are not in a designated danger zone, the premium for these coverages should be minimal should one of these disasters ever strike.

Other Man-made and Natural Disasters

Other events that aren’t covered by your traditional homeowners’ policy include:

• Mudslides
• Landslides
• Sinkholes
• Warfare damage
• Nuclear accidents

Neglect

Another potential incident that homeowners’ insurance may not cover is damage that results from neglect. For example, if you have a failing roof that has needed replacement for years and a natural disaster exploits its structural weakness causing damage, you may not be completely covered.

Your insurance company may investigate the claim to determine the cause of the disaster. If neglect and not the storm are determined to be the cause, they may deny or reduce your claim. For this reason, it is important to maintain your property.

How Much Coverage Do I Need?

It’s not always easy to know how much coverage you should purchase for your home’s insurance. You want to make sure that you are covered for common disasters, but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg for coverage that you will never use.

Your mortgage lender will typically have minimum coverage stipulations that you must follow for your loan to be approved. But it also depends on your financial situation in terms of protecting your assets and liability levels. This is why it’s important to consult with an insurance professional who can help you determine appropriate amount of coverage based on your situation.

Insurance can be complicated but knowing the basics will prepare you to meet with an insurance professional and ask questions about what your policy covers and what is does not.

Last Updated on March 4, 2022 by Alarm New England

You ordered the perfect gift, you’ve tracked its shipping status in anticipation of its arrival, but you come home from work on delivery day to find the package mysteriously absent from your doorstep. Your package may have been stolen. Now what?

If a Package is Taken From Your Porch, Who is Responsible?

There is a dramatic increase in packages delivered to homes around the holidays thanks to the explosive rise of online retailers such as Amazon. These online retailers often deliver packages to homes when the residents are at work.

With the holiday season upon us, more and more packages are being reported as missing from front porches all around the country. According to recent survey published by Comcast, 31% of Americans have experienced package theft at some point, while a 2017 study by InsuranceQuotes found that 25.9 million Americans have had their packages stolen during the holiday season alone.

Thieves take advantage of the pile of unprotected parcels at your door by swiping them right from your front porch. Since porches often lack any security measures, criminals can get away scot-free with package theft. What can be done, then, to remedy the situation?

Read on to find out how to get reimbursed for your stolen item or have a new one shipped to you.

How to Handle a Package Theft

Verify that the package was delivered

The first step you need to take if you think someone stole your package is to track your shipment. If you haven’t been following the tracking updates closely and are only counting on the original estimated delivery date, you may have missed some important updates.

When a retailer ships your package to you, they typically send a shipping confirmation email with a tracking number. You can use that tracking number to check the status of your shipment along the way through the shipping company’s website.

Packages are often delayed for one reason or another, especially in the winter time with snow and inclement weather preventing trucks from reaching or departing fulfillment centers and post offices. Double check your tracking number to verify that your package was indeed delivered on this date.

Additionally, it is important to make sure that you didn’t inadvertently send the package to the wrong address. Maybe you just moved, and the retailer had your old address stored in their system.

After you have verified that the package was delivered and it went to the correct address, it is time to investigate further before contacting the delivery service.

First, check with your neighbors to make sure that the delivery driver didn’t mistakenly drop it off at the wrong door. This happens more often than you would think.

Also, make sure that a concerned neighbor didn’t grab it off your porch for you as a precaution because they knew you weren’t home to get it yet or they didn’t want the package sitting out in inclement weather.

Save yourself the time and trouble of calling customer service only to realize that your package was with your next door neighbor all along.

Contact the seller

If you believe that your package was taken from your porch and your neighbors have no information on the package’s whereabouts, it is time to reach out to the retailer that you bought the item from.

Every retailer has a different policy when it comes to situations like these, but most are sympathetic to the situation and will refund or replace the stolen item for you.

Amazon, for example, covers most stolen packages with their A-to-Z Protection. If your item was purchased through one of their retail partners, known as Amazon Sellers, you may have to reach out to the third party first to try to resolve the situation.

In most cases, you should be able to work it out with the seller and they will provide you with a replacement item. However, if the retailer refuses to assist you, you may need to file a claim with the shipping company.

File a claim with the shipping company

If the retailer who you purchased the item from denies any responsibility for the missing package and wants to lay blame on the shipping company, you can file a claim with the shipping company. All major delivery services provide a claims reporting service via their website or by calling their customer service department.

If all else fails, you can check with your credit card company to see if they offer purchase protection. There are many stipulations with these policies, so be sure to get clarity about your card’s policies to see if the company will cover stolen packages.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Packages

If you have ever experienced a package stolen from your porch, you know how frustrating it can be. It is especially exasperating if you have had to jump through hoops in the claims process to remedy the situation.

Consider these tips for protecting your packages this holiday season:

• Purchase package insurance for high-ticket items. For instance, if you are buying electronics like a new laptop, it is worth the extra money to purchase the optional insurance to ensure that you are covered should the laptop go missing. Insurance is usually purchased either through the retailer or the shipping company.
• Plan to be at home when the package arrives. This is the ideal scenario, although we understand it is not always possible to be home at the time of delivery.

  Perhaps ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for the delivery and secure your package until you get home, or have the package delivered somewhere where you know a person is present to accept it. If you aren’t familiar with any of your neighbors yet, send the packages to your workplace.

• Request that your package be left at the Post Office or UPS store for pick up. This way, you can securely pick up your package when you have the time. No need to worry about thieves raiding your porch while you are away.

  In major cities, Amazon also offers a number of designated package pickup locations called

  Amazon Lockers, which will hold your item safely until you arrive. To retrieve your package, you need only enter in your special code at the machine or scan your smartphone.
• Get a lockbox. These reinforced containers are protected by a lock that can only be accessed by delivery drivers if they have a package that is addressed to you and scheduled for delivery on that day. BoxLock is one of the most well-known companies that create smart padlocks for you to do just that.
• Install a security camera. Cameras alone can sometimes deter thieves from encroaching upon your property, though in many cases thieves will wear hoodies, sunglasses, or use some kind of cloth to make their face impossible to recognize. One particular camera designed to watch your porch is the Skybell Video Doorbell, a doorbell that automatically detects people who approach your door and notifies you through your smartphone so you can verify the person’s identity.

  

• Require signature on delivery. When ordering or shipping expensive items, require that the package be signed for, so that only the designated recipient can pick up the package. While this also adds on an extra fee, that extra verification step goes a long way in making sure your item doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.

We hope that we have provided some useful tips for what to do if your package is stolen, and for preventing such situations in the future.