Are you hiding your jewelries inside your closet? If so, burglars might get your most valued possessions easily as they know that this is one common place where homeowners hide their precious stash. In this article, we will list down the most uncommon places where you should hide your valuables.

1. Underwear Closet or Underwear Pieces

The master bedroom is one of the places where thieves know homeowners hide their jewelries and money in the personal vault. However, the underwear closet must not be part of their thinking. Commonly, they would access the bedside drawers first, then dresser drawers and then the main closet where clothes are contained. They could probably think of the underwear closet for small pieces of jewelry and gold, so the way to do it is to designate some underwear pieces which you don’t wear and stack in whatever you fancy.

2. Shoe Boxes

There are plenty of places to search for valuables but the least common is the shoe box. Who would want to smell awful odor coming from used and worn-out shoes? Even burglars would not dare to hunt gold in those steep places. So you are safe to slide your expensive stuff inside a pair of shoes, put a sock to block it, and don’t worry about the smell later on. What matters more is that they are safe in there.

3. Kid’s Playroom

The kid’s playroom is usually one area in the house that is full of toys and large colorful decorations. Burglars would get lost as if they were dreaming when they hunt for expensive items worth to rob inside. Also, they would not assume that kids would have the money and valued items since adults take charge of their placement. If ever they still attempt to break in the kid’s playroom, make sure that you have arranged the search spots in a way that would bring chaos and confusion to their finding.

4. Old Kitchen Appliance

You may not have any home security systems installed, but another sneaky tip is to hide your bills and important stuff in old kitchen appliances. Have a coffeemaker that you’re not using for long? Hollow them there and make use of screw drivers and wire snips to secure. You can also use the freezer, if the thing you’re hiding is not sensitive to cold temperatures. Wrap a plastic around it or place it in a plastic bowl for burglars to view it as food. It can also be at the bottom of a kitchen counter or shelf.

5. Mounted Lighting or Lamp

Who could have thought that your jewelries and money are located on your lighting? There is no one who can ever think of that, except your dear family members who live inside your home that are informed. Robbers are practical and they know that their actions must be quick. They would not have the time and patience to find a ladder and use it to get to your mounted chandeliers nearing the ceiling. If you don’t have those types of lights, opt to insert your belonging in a lamp which has a hole.

Conclusion

These five unusual places can be your best bets when it comes to practically hiding away your valuables. Play a game of hide and seek with the thief, and you can be successful at hiding only when there’s more time spent in his finding. You can then take your chance to call the police for help and bring the criminal where he’s supposed to go—to jail.

Author Bio:

+Lara Chamley is head of security at one of Melbourne’s luxury apartment villages. She conducts a yearly talk on home security and has recently started a business training.

from www.supercircuits.com

Home security is a big issue these days and more and more people are beginning to take it a lot more seriously than they have ever done before. In these tough financial times, the crime rate often soars as more people struggle to survive and that is why burglary and home intrusion rates often peak during periods of austerity.

There are however, some simple and fairly inexpensive ways in which you can protect your property as well as the safety of yourself and your family, without the expense of installing pricey alarms and CCTV equipment.

Pets, and especially dogs, are great at detecting and alerting you to possible intruders, however, not everyone wants to keep a dog in their home, so for that reason you can purchase an electronic guard dog. This neat little box of tricks is basically a motion sensor that you can place or install either inside or outside of your home. When it detects movement, it will emit a realistic barking sound that will hopefully scare away potential burglars.

Another relatively new device to have emerged onto the home security market is the fake TV. This little device tricks people into thinking that you are at home watching television, when in fact you are out or away on vacation. The device emits a glow that is meant to mimic the glow of an LCD TV, fooling prowlers into believing you are in fact at home. The device can be set to come on at a certain time each night or when it gets dark, so if any burglars have been making note of your routine, they will be tricked also.

To prevent your windows being smashed and broken during a burglary or an earthquake, you can install window film which is shatter resistant, making it harder for burglars to smash their way into your home. They are easy to install and all you need to do is to stick them to the inside of the window, plus they can help you to heat your home during the colder months as they stop cold air currents entering through your windows.

Many home intrusions happen when burglars force their way into a property when the door is opened, so in order to prevent this from happening, why not install the latest in high-tech security peep-holes to your front door. Instead of a standard peep-hole which can give a restricted view of what is going on outside your front door, the high-tech version allows you to monitor the outside of your home at a touch of a button. Giving you a panoramic view of the outside of your property, and some even come with a zoom function.

Motion sensors that are fitted to floodlights outside of your home are another good design feature that you can install to make your home safer. Burglars love the dark, it helps them to hide and remain undetected whilst carrying out their illegal activity that is why you need to have a system that floods your garden with light whenever motion is detected.

Temperature sensors are an excellent way to protect your property as they can have a dual function. Although, they are primarily used to detect the heat of a fire, the more expensive models can also be used to detect the rise of temperature in a room caused by body heat. These systems can be expensive however, and for those people on a tighter budget, pressure sensitive mats are an ideal alternative. These work by setting of an alarm whenever anybody steps on to them, of course this means that they will need to be placed somewhere where you might think a burglar may head to, such as near an expensive piece of electrical equipment or a safe.

Shutters and security grills are another good way of securing your property, especially if you have a garage of other outbuildings on your premises, these can make the task of breaking into your property very difficult indeed for any burglar.

Home security need not end with burglar alarms and cctv cameras. There are plenty of alternative or additional devices which can be put into use in order to improve your home’s security and help lower the risk of a break in.

Jim Dalton has many years of hands on experience in the safety and security industry. His particular area of expertise lies in home surveillance systems. Jim’s writing has been featured in many online publications and blogs.

A dining room is a personal space, radiating warmth, intimacy and positive vibes, especially at mealtimes. Lighting design plays a major role in transforming a normal room with a dining table, sideboard and cabinets into an elegant environment that balances function with aesthetics.

The modern-day dining room is a multifunctional space; the lighting therefore, must be well-planned to suit the specific requirements of each function. A layered lighting plan that combines task lighting, accent lighting, decorative lighting and ambient lighting with appropriate controls, is most suitable for a dining room.

Here are seven lighting design ideas that can help you create the dining room of your dreams.

Begin with the chandelier

A chandelier is the focal point of the dining room lighting plan with all the other lighting fixtures playing their respective roles relative to it. Size, style, positioning and number of lights are all factors you will need to consider when investing in a chandelier. Sizing a chandelier for dining room is pretty simple with the general rule of thumb being to select a chandelier width not exceeding two-thirds of the width of the dining table.

Position the chandelier centered to the table to get a symmetrical effect in the dining room. It may not be possible due to factors such as the shape of the room or the placement of cabinets and sideboards to place the dining table right in the center of the room. Alternatively, instead of a single large chandelier, you can install three mini-chandeliers in a row along the length of the table to achieve a distinctive appearance while also serving a functional role by providing illumination.

The chandelier style has to complement your chosen decor theme in the dining room. Heavy, ornate chandeliers with antique finishes will go well with traditionally-styled dining rooms featuring timber floors and wall paneling.

Contemporary dining room decors can be matched with AF lighting 9 light contemporary chandelier featuring clean and simple lines.

Task lighting

One should aim for pleasant and comfortable glare-free illumination at the dining table. Chandeliers with uplights usually serve an ambient lighting function, while those integrated with downlights can provide suitable lighting on the table. Pendant lamps hung on either side of the chandelier will ensure that guests along the entire length of the table have sufficient lighting. Recessed ceiling lights can also be considered to provide additional light.

Accent lighting

The main function of accent lighting is to highlight specific features of the dining room decor such as wall art, buffet or sideboard, glass cabinets and planters. Recessed or track lighting can be used for the purpose. Wall sconces can highlight both the artwork as well as the wall color. Uplighting and downlighting techniques can also be applied for wall art while backlighting is effective for objects and plants. Recessed downlights on the ceiling can be used to accent the dining table and other furniture in the room.

Ambient lighting

Ambient lighting sets the mood for the occasion and by its very definition should not be bright. The dining room chandelier with an uplighting design is perfect for mood lighting. However, fixtures such as low voltage recessed lights, cove lights and wall sconces can also play this role suitably.

Cabinet lighting

While designing the dining room lighting plan, it is important not to leave the perimeter of the room in the shadows. Glass cabinets in the dining room can add to the overall charm when fitted with linear lighting along the underside of the shelves to light up collections.

Table lamps

A lamp placed on either side of the buffet or sideboard in the dining room serves to illuminate the serving area. Table lamp shades can be matched to the furnishing color theme used in the dining room. The size of the lamp is an important factor, and must be scaled to the dimensions of the sidebar.

Dimmer

A dimmer switch allows you to adjust the brightness of any lighting fixture to suit the purpose of the occasion, going from bright and functional for everyday dining to soft and intimate dinners in a trice. Smart dimmers allow illumination levels to be programmed for different ambiences, helping to set appropriate lighting at the press of a button.

GoldenAgeUSA.com stocks a comprehensive range of dining room chandeliers along with a wide selection of wall sconces, pendant lights, table lamps, under-cabinet lights and track lights to create the ultimate dining room lighting design plan.

From GoldenAgeUSA.com

Chandeliers signify elegance and create an incredible sense of style in the room where they are hung. The surroundings are instantly beautified in their presence and the decorations also look more stunning. Chandeliers are also capable of throwing pleasant light effects in the entire room, which seem to soothe the eye and pleasantly affect the mind.

However, if you do not choose a chandelier carefully, then it will probably fail in creating the effect that you require. For instance, if it is your entry way that you want to light up, then choose a foyer chandelier. Or if you want to beautify your bedroom or kitchen, then a mini chandelier should do the job pretty well. In case you want to transform the look of your living room, then go for a large chandelier which should be just the perfect choice for your massive den.

Modest Styles or Sophisticated Ones
Large chandeliers are available in many styles that vary in their design, color and shape. Designs such as glass arm, cascading chains and ornate metal are a favorite among people. If your living room has an extremely high ceiling, then a glass arm design is a good choice. Just make sure that the structure is divided into several levels and is equipped with enough bulbs to create the required amount of light.

Three layers are a popular choice with the topmost lay comprising of 6 bulbs, the middle layer comprising of 8 bulbs and the base layer comprising of 12 bulbs.

You can also go for basket-shaped chandeliers if you do not fancy layers very much. Another alternative is the waterfall design that features several overlapping rows of crystals, one below the other. This many crystals give off a sparkly light and are capable of taking the limelight in your living room.

Less Crystals or More
The crystals that are hanging off the chandelier structure can both enhance and spoil the look. True, this may seem surprising because many people are up for too many crystals so that the sparkles are prominent. But the fact is that the number of crystals which a chandelier should have depends a lot on the design it features.

The antique brass styles that comprise of several arms look best when they are adorned with the fewest possible crystals. On the other hand, the waterfall design should have as many crystals as possible.

Bright Glow or Subtle Lights
The number of lights which you need in a large chandelier is actually related to how much light you need in the room. Obviously, if you need a dim light, then a few lights would be enough, but if you need a radiant glow, then your chandelier should be such that many bulbs can be fixed on to it.

Other than the number of lights, the types of bulbs which you use also play their part. Crystal bulbs that bear a clear glass covering add more sparkles to the chandelier. Bulbs with frosted coverings give off a somewhat dimmer but pleasant light that does not create shadows in the room.

From GoldenageUSA.com

The dining room is one of the most important rooms in the house. Every time you have guests over, they are likely to be seated there. The beauty of the dining room matters a lot. It shows that you are modern and sophisticated.  Creating a good first impression is vital for maintaining a positive image in society. It also gives your home a refreshing feel. But how do you select the perfect chandelier? One that is just right fits perfectly and dazzles the onlookers. In order to select the best chandelier for your dining room, you need to follow some simple instructions.

Here are a few tips to guide you in this regard…

Consider your Home’s Architecture
The first thing that you need to consider is your home’s styling. Is it modernly designed or is it a classic style? This will have an impact on the type of chandelier you choose. But remember that in order to keep up with the latest trends, you will have to redecorate every couple of years.

Size Matters
Don’t forget about the importance of sizing. Consider your dining room space before you go look at chandelier collections for dining room.  The width of a dining room chandelier should be about a foot less than the width of your table at its widest point. A perfectly placed chandelier ensures the beauty of your dining room.

Look for Perfect Illumination
The lighting should be powerful enough that it illuminates the entire room. However the light should not be too bright or too dim, it has to be perfect. If your chandelier is not working up to its optimum levels then consider maintenance. A good idea for a chandelier would be a Maria Theresa chandelier or a crystal chandelier.

Positioning is Key
The positioning of the chandelier is very important. It could make all the difference when it comes to making an impression. Place the chandelier over the centre of the table and not the centre of the room. It will look much nicer and create a vibrant look.

Decorations are Important
Before decorating your dining room, you should know that often the most expensive or best chandelier won’t suit your house. So don’t just choose one that is popular, have a look at the interior of your house and then decide. Even the lighting options have a lot of variety. They range from frou-frou to austere, from whimsical to ornate. Remember that chandeliers are very affordable and you just definitely consider redecorating every now and then.

Ask Expert Advice
You may also talk to lighting experts with regards to your home’s decorations. They will be able to give you a better idea of which chandelier is most suitable for your home. You will be surprised to know that you can still make your dining room dazzle without spending too much money.

Conclusion
A chandelier is more than a lighting fixture. It is a work of art and a fashion statement. Every homeowner should proudly decorate his dining room by selecting the perfect chandelier.

From GoldenageUSA.com

Bathroom design has come of age, transforming from a room that served a purely utilitarian function to a personal space that has atmosphere, luxury, class and soul. Regardless of whether you are designing a new bathroom or remodeling an existing one, having a clear plan for the lighting design is critical. Lighting is what turns a standard bathroom into a luxurious environment, one that you can retreat to, and one that you can flaunt to the world.

Similar to any room in the home, a layered lighting plan that combines ambient lighting, accent lighting and task lighting is recommended for the bathroom. Vanity lights mostly serve a task lighting function and work to help you look your best, day or night. Positioning, size, type, wattage and style are some of the important factors that you will need to consider before buying them.

8 tips to getting your vanity lighting right

Types of vanity lights

Light bars, pendant lights and wall sconces are some of the popular choices for vanity lighting. You could experiment with some recess lighting on the ceiling, especially if your mirror covers the wall all the way to the top. Hanging pendant lights on either side of the vanity, 3’-4’ apart will fully illuminate the face. An overhead flush-mount ceiling light in the vanity area will serve well as ambient lighting for simple tasks such as washing hands.

Sizing your vanity lighting

Light bars are the most basic of vanity lighting options and usually come in two, three, four or five-bulb versions. When selecting a light bar, make sure the length does not exceed the vanity’s width. Oversized vanity lights can throw the balance out of sync. However, a light bar can extend beyond a mirror without causing any imbalance. For wider vanities, it is best to use multiple light bar fixtures to ensure even lighting throughout while also breaking the visual monotony. Strip lights such as light bars evenly illuminate the space in front of the vanity while also reducing shadows on the face. Mirrors up to four feet in width are best flanked by a pair of wall sconces or pendants. Lighting for wider mirrors can be supplemented by overhead light bars.

Position them right

Where you place the vanity lights is an important part of sensible lighting design. The first rule of effective vanity lighting is that the lights must not cast shadows. Place a single light vanity fixture on either side of the mirror at eye level to eliminate shadows on your face as you go about your everyday tasks. A horizontal light bar placed a few inches above the mirror can shed additional light from above. The light should shine directly on your face and not reflect off the mirror.

Style check

Most modern bathrooms have sleek, contemporary layouts that have swapped the clutter for a minimalist look. Vanity lights should therefore complement the style with simple, elegant and functional designs that are easy on the eye. Heavy ornate fixtures on the other hand, are suitable for more traditional bathroom designs that spell luxury, warmth and vintage.

Finish

Go with the flow. Match the finish of your vanity light fittings with the other bathroom fixtures and accessories as well as the hinges, handles and knobs. So if you have chosen chrome bath and shower fittings, try chrome-finish light fixtures. Chrome also works best with mirrors. Brass, bronze and gold are some of the other finishes you can experiment with in your bathroom. Satin nickel finishes are in vogue too. If you prefer colored light fixtures for your vanity, please consider the color theme used in the bathroom. Whatever you choose, maintain the continuity – and check for their ability to withstand high humidity and moisture.

Light bulbs for vanity illumination

Vanity lights must be bright enough to let you do your job and soft enough to compliment your appearance. Exposed bulb fittings are best avoided anywhere in the bathroom, especially in your vanity area where they can be harsh. Lights with frosted glass covers will flatter your appearance and also reduce glare. Compact fluorescent bulbs with a CRI of 80+ are recommended for vanity light fixtures for advantages such as less heat, more life and greater energy-efficiency. Colored or coated bulbs also enhance facial features. Wattage of at least 150W is recommended. Neodymium light bulbs give out light that falls within the daylight spectrum, which means that the face you see in the mirror or the color of your clothes is what would be seen when you step out. Keep in mind however, that warm lighting is most flattering to the face.

Vanity night lighting

Serving a purely practical role, a night light in the vanity area can help one find their way into and around the bathroom at night without turning on all the lights. A vanity night light also consumes very little energy.

Dimmer

Consider an electronic dimmer for absolute control over all the light fixtures in the bathroom including the vanity lights.

Bonus Tip: Choose your bulbs carefully. Vanity lighting should aim to be closest to daylight or natural lighting.

Shop Over 2400 bath vanity lights collections at Goldenageusa.com. Free shipping and no questions asked return policy. Enter Coupon code MAXIM10 (expires on April 2013) and save 10% on all maxim bath vanity lights.

Plumbing tips aren’t hard to come by, but plumbing tips from the experts are. Mr. Rooter^® Plumbing has dedicated the space below to answering your questions with knowledge that comes from years of experience.

Trenchless Technology 101
Trenchless technology varies depending on who you direct your plumbing questions to, but trenchless pipe replacement technology has three basic steps. The first is the dig itself. The two small holes may be dug out using a backhoe or other mechanized gear. Once the pipe system is exposed on either end of the damaged section, part two of the work begins, with an installation head inserted into the original pipe.

This installation head is the key to trenchless pipe repair; the cone clears a path through the original pipe, pulling the replacement pipe along with it. This “pipe-inside-a-pipe” system uses the old pipe as an installation guide so the replacement can be properly connected to your plumbing. These replacement pipes are fully code-compliant and last a century. Once the pipe repair is complete, the installation head is removed, and the plumbers will begin putting the finishing touches on the job.

Plumbing tips aren’t hard to come by, but plumbing tips from the experts are. Mr. Rooter^® Plumbing has dedicated the space below to answering your questions with knowledge that comes from years of experience.

Tankless Water Heaters: Gas Vs. Electric
Tankless water heaters come in electric, natural gas, and propane models. Electric tankless water heaters don’t have the carbon monoxide issues that gas-fired water heaters do, but electric models are often smaller and may require multiple units for a larger house to serve all hot water needs. Gas or propane tankless water heaters require additional care to deal with carbon monoxide issues, but often have larger capacity. You may also require a gas meter if you aren’t using one currently. If you aren’t sure what your capacity needs are; ask the advice of a Mr. Rooter^® plumber; find out how many gallons per day your current household may require and ask the plumber what unit he or she would install in a home of your size.