Security Car Alarms For Peace Of Mind

By David Faulkner

While many add-on purchases for automobiles are quite popular, the most significant addition for any vehicle is a security car alarm. With more than a million vehicles stolen each year, taking proactive steps to work against the possibility of theft is just common sense for all car owners. It stands to reason that a car owner will want to protect such a huge financial investment. Other than your home, your car is probably the most expensive thing you own. Doesn't it make sense to take care of it? Taking care of your car goes beyond changing the oil and keeping it clean. Really taking care of your car involves doing everything you can to keep it from being stolen.

Security car alarms serve as an affordable and effective way to keep you and your car from becoming the next car theft victims.

As a car owner, it is in your best interest to investigate security car alarms to find the best protection system for both your vehicle and your budget. If you think you can't afford a car alarm system, ask yourself if you can afford for your car to be stolen. That important question can put the minimal cost of a good alarm system in perspective.

What Are The Options?

There is a tremendous variety of choices when it comes to choosing a great car alarm. There are many different manufacturers, models and technological features for security car alarms. Virtually any budget can be accomodated with a security car alarm. The most economical model is not always the best choice for your vehicle's protection, though. Often just investing a few more dollars to get a higher quality system can have a huge impact on the overall effectiveness of the security car alarm system you choose.

Directed Electronics is an Industry Leader

Directed Electronics is one of the most established and best known names in security car alarms. This highly regarded and respected company is responsible for the two top security alarm brands, Python and Viper. The company's product mix also includes products from other major brands that have become a part of their organization, including Avital, Clifford, Autostart and AutoCommand. With more than twenty years in the security car alarm industry, the company's experience is clearly depicted by its impressive portfolio of vehicle security products.

Choose a Top Brand

Whether you choose a Directed Electronics product, or one from a different firm, it is a good idea to choose your unit from among the industry's top brands. Working with industry leaders helps to ensure the highest quality and most advanced electronics technologies for your security car alarm. You only want to buy a car alarm from a reputable company that specializes in vehicle security to ensure that your system has the latest technology. Developing the ability to discern the major brands of vehicle security products can help you make the best possible choices in automotive protection.

One of the most highly regarded security car alarm brands is Viper. Viper tends to be the system of choice for discerning expert drivers. Such discriminating consumers understand the value of a top notch alarm system because of the superior technologies employed to keep your vehicle constantly protected. Python is another great name in car security alarms, well-known for its unique technologies that include recognized names like Revenger, Failsafe, Stinger, Starter Kill and DoubleGuard. Both the Phython and Viper security alarm systems are focused on user convenience paired with extreme vehicle protection systems. It doesn't get much better than that.

Clifford is another respected brand. It has been protecting vehicles for more than twenty years, and has kept up with with technological advances like the MATRIX and G5 Technologies. These systems have the ability to instantly intimidate potential car thieves, which is crucial for maximum protection of our car.

Avital has also been around more than two decades with security car alarm products that are trusted by many, many consumers. Avital has a reputation for providing both outstanding security and remote starter systems.

These are not the only top notch choices for alarm systems. There are number of other reputable products that can meet your needs. Other top brands for security car alarms include Hornet, Valet, Ready Remote and AutoCommand, Astroflex, Automate Securit, and Autostart. Also, Merlin systems is a strong choice for motorcycle protection options. The benefits of security car alarm systems are greatly enhanced when you select yous from among these leading industry brands. It only makes sense to stick with recognized experts in security when protecting your own vehicle. The experience and expertise of top brand car alarm systems is the best tool for keeping your vehicle best protected against the threat of robbery.

Garage Flooring - A Whole New Ball Game

By Nathan Young

Now once upon a time in the world of garage flooring it used to be pretty simple, if you wanted to have something other than the bare concrete then you either got some clear coat protectant or you painted it. Today that is no longer the case, as with everything else in the world, people have found ways to "pimp out" their garage floors. Two of the most popular ways that have come around as of late are epoxy coating and garage flooring tiles. Within each category there are several styles and colors available and the install times can vary, but here is the breakdown of the pros and cons of each.

When it comes to garage floor epoxy coatings there are several options. Rustoleum is one of the better known manufacturers of this type of coating. If you are sitting on the edge as to which kind of garage flooring you should use, you should make note that one of the very first things that Rustoleum says on their Info page is that you should not do epoxy coating if you have Sealed Concrete, Poorly Bonded Previous Paint or Loose or Poorly Cured Concrete or Concrete Dust you can take yourself out of the running for this option right now. What you will see as you shop around for garage floor coverings is that epoxy coating is a good less expensive option for preferably newer homes with newer garages going in some of the downfalls of the epoxy coating are first, the almost toxic process of applying it to your garage floor, the majority of epoxy coatings require a multistage process with very strong smelling chemicals and sometimes acid etching is involved. Also, if you live in climates where your garage is going to be wet, epoxy coating doesn't offer that traction that other garage flooring materials do. My recommendation is that if you are looking to flip a house and looking for a quick way to make the garage look a lot better but you are not going to have to deal with the usability side of it then epoxy coating is the way to go.

My research and experience has shown that there is a better, cleaner, healthier alternative to epoxy coating when it comes to garage floor covering and that is garage floor tile. The best Garage floor tile that I have found in my searching is made by a company out of Salt Lake City, Utah called RaceDeck. Their flooring is designed so that really anyone can just snap them together, almost like the linkin logs of garage flooring. You can buy either 12"x12" or 18"x18" these can go down on any concrete surface just as long as it is flat so you don't have to worry about whether it is sealed or purely cured etc.. Another nice thing about products like RaceDeck is the fact that there are no harmful chemicals that you have to work with and inhale; it’s just a matter of snapping the tiles together.

So if you are in the market for new garage flooring I would recommend something like RaceDeck flooring that is simple, clean and can just snap together within a matter of hours.

Online Street Maps Could Help Cure You Of Your Driving Fears

By Adam Singleton

SUMMARY: If you're planning a long journey, using an online street map to plan out your route in detail can ensure that your trip takes as little time as possible.

When it comes to planning your summer holidays, making decisions can be difficult. Whether you're travelling with a large family, a big group of friends or you're simply taking a peaceful holiday for two, it can be just as hard to decide how you're going to get to your destination as it is to decide where you're going! If you're travelling within the UK or USA, then driving could be your easiest option in the way of transport. For starters, driving will ensure that you avoid any crowded trains and coaches, as well as making sure that you'll always have space to stack your luggage!

However, many UK or USA travellers are put off the idea of a driving holiday for a number of reasons: as well as the forbidding spectre of traffic jams, many drivers are wary of taking wrong turns and getting lost. A simple drive from Newcastle to Edinburgh, for instance, could well turn into an aimless excursion to the Scottish Highlands if you don't follow the right directions. What's more, many drivers may be reluctant to let their partner or designated right-hand man read out directions from a road atlas during the journey.

But, while these worrying factors can cause some significant concern to drivers - especially those that are prone to stress - the internet has made it much easier for people to take a successful driving holiday. Today, drivers will find a variety of UK or USA street maps services online - each of which offers a range of services to make planning your journey easier. You'll be able to find simple directions from A to B, and some online street maps will even offer a specific journey planner service so drivers will be able to plan out their journey for every twist and turn. Online street maps eliminate the element of unpredictability that many ordinary road atlases may throw up. For instance, if you're planning a long journey - say, from London to Penzance - mapping out your journey in detail using an online street map can ensure that your trip takes as little time as possible. Many online street map facilities will even tell you how long it takes to get from your home to your holiday destination, so you'll be able to accurately estimate the appropriate departure and arrival times on your journey.

What's more, many online street maps include clear aerial photographs of locations - which means that drivers will be able to familiarise themselves with images of their destination before they arrive. Plus, online street maps are more likely to carry up-to-date details of road-works or changes to a road’s layout – something your atlas won’t be able to help you with!
Utilise an online street map service effectively, and you might even discover alternative routes to your holiday destination. For example, if you're driving from Leeds to Blackpool and you anticipate getting stuck in rush hour traffic near Manchester, you'll be able to figure out an alternative route. And if you’re using online street maps that are integrated with aerial photography, you can even find more scenic routes before you leave the house.

So whether you're taking a seaside holiday in Cornwall, visiting Mount Snowdon in Wales or exploring the Western Isles of Scotland, consult an online street map to ensure that the drive to your holiday destination is as efficient - and enjoyable - as possible.

Things To Know About Water Damaged Vehicles

You might not know it, but if a vehicle is caught in a flood and is partially or even entirely submerged, it is not always taken off to the junk yard for scrap. Many times these card are sold through salvage auctions, taken to far off locations, and cleaned up for re-sale. It is not often the case that these cars that are being re-sold are identified as having been flooded before. There are a lot of things you should know about water damaged vehicles. Any vehicle that has sustained water damaged is susceptible to mold growth in the vehicles interior, especially if the vehicle was allowed to sit untreated in warm temperatures and dry naturally. If the doors to the car or truck have been left shut and its been let to try naturally, the musty odor inside will be very prevalent and you will not have to have any kind of training to detect it. Some dishonest car dealers (or private owners trying to get rid of the car) will try to mask the smell of the water damage with all manner of air fresheners and if you smell anything pleasant while looking inside a car that obviously is not brand new, you should probably walk away because they are hiding something. Look for any kind of rust in the interior of the car and the trunk, especially near the taillights and check the carpeting for signs of damage. Carpet that has soaked up water and has not been properly treated will most likely stink, especially if it has been submerged in the sewer water thats often brought to the surface by flooding. You might think that if the water dries out, the engine of the vehicle will be just fine, but this probably is not the case if it has not been restored by a professional. Sewage, sand, and other debris could have seeped into it and cause misfirings and blown gaskets. Water damaged vehicles can also suffer electrical problems, especially in newer models where most things are monitored electrically like timing on headlights, the radio, when the oil needs to be changed, and all the way down to how many miles are on the car. Unless the carpet and its padding were removed and the interior cleaned by a professional and the car was submerged in sewer water, high levels of bacteria and mold are very possible, too. Paying for a vehicle history from Carfax.com could be beneficial if you get the cars VIN, but please be aware that the car will only show up as having been flood damaged if an insurance agent has looked at the car and it was recorded. If the vehicle history report does not show it was flooded, but it appears to be water damaged, back away. You are likely to find a better deal somewhere else.