Ten years ago, the Atlantic Coast region was struck by Hurricane Floyd, a Category 4 storm that brought record rainfall and flooding to much of the region. With Hurricane Floyd cutting a path of destruction down the East Coast, diesel generators, from Florida to the Carolinas, were at a premium for weeks on end as people looked to cope with power outages that took weeks to repair.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Floyd would have an impact on how local and federal officials would plan for such instances. In particular, one of the areas addressed was bringing in emergency generators to provide power at government buildings: many offices were closed for weeks, which was especially problematic as many residents had a need for immediate assistance in the storm’s aftermath.

Many residents along the Eastern seaboard have learned too late about the impact of not having planned for an emergency such as a hurricane by having supplies such as food, water and a power source such as John Deere generators. Hopefully, people will remember Hurricane Floyd and make sure to be prepared for any instance.

There are many types of insulation you can choose from when you decide to insulate your home. Before you decide on the type of insulation, you must determine where you want to install/add insulation and the recommended R-values for areas you want insulated.

There are four basic types of insulation: loose fill, batts and blankets, rigid board and spray foam.

Loose-fill Insulation - include loose fibres or fibre pellets blown into building cavities using special equipment. While it costs more, it is perfect to fill nooks and crannies easily, reduces air leakage and provides better sound insulation. While loose-fill insulation has an R value of 3-4 per inch, cellulose fibre has approximately 30% more insulating value than loose-fill rock wool.

Batt and Blanket Insulation - is made of mineral fibre. This being either processed fibreglass or rock wool. These are generally used to insulate below floors, above ceilings and within walls. It is the least expensive options but requires careful installation for effective performance.

Rigid Board Insulation - this too is made commonly from fibreglass as well as polystyrene or polyurethane and is available in a variety of thicknesses with a high insulation value of around R-4-8 per inch. Use mostly for reproofing work on flat roofs, basement walls and perimeter insulation at concrete slab edges.

Spray Foam Insulation - it is a two-part liquid with polymer and a foaming agent. It is sprayed through a nozzle into walls, ceilings and floor cavities and then expands into a solid cellular plastic which fills every nook and cranny. Remember, it should be applied by professionals only using special equipment.

As the number of electrical outages keep rising from storms, brownouts and other issues, more people than ever are looking to get back-up power for their homes in case of an outage. This is understandable and commendable, but it can also be confusing if you’ve never shopped for a generator before. Before you spend big money on a 100 kw generator, it’s good to know some generator basics.

No matter what generator you wind up getting, you will want to have an automatic transfer switch installed professionally into your power grid. This will automatically transfer the power to and from the power grid and your generator in case of an outage. Not only does this save you from having to manually do it, but it prevents the power “backing up” – which could cause electrical fires or electrocution to yourself or power workers.

Also, there’s no need to get a generator that is far more powerful than you need. A good rule of thumb is to add up the power usage of the various appliances and items you need to have powered during an emergency. 15 kw John Deere generators (or from another supplier) should be more than enough to do the trick to power your house.

We know that when it comes to diesel generators, Florida isn’t the only place where the technology is applied. That’s why it’s always helpful to hear ideas from around the world, as well as information about different generators, from a Perkins diesel generator to a Broadcrown generator and beyond.

To facilitate the transfer of ideas and create a dialogue among the power generation community, Caterpillar Inc. has launched a forum called the Power Generation Online Community. Billed as “an interactive forum where consulting specifying engineers and other power generation professionals can exchange ideas and best practices,” the forum is free to use and prior experience with Cat power generation equipment is not required. The forum is located at www.catelectricpowerinfo.com/connect.

According to Cat’s Electric Power Division Manager of Marketing Communications, “The goal of the online community is to provide a place where users can find answers to questions and interact with their peers. Caterpillar is hosting the forum, but the primary goal is to help people in our industry connect with each other around the clock and around the world.” Users from more than 100 countries have joined the forum so far, talking about everything from emissions requirements to emergency generators to automatic transfer switches.

As with other online forums, the Cat forum allows users to create new topic threads and give “kudos” to other users whose input is deemed valuable. In addition, users can highlight the best responses to their specific questions and tag posts with relevant keywords.

Whether you need a new barn or storage facility, you may not want to spend the time and money that it takes to build one from scratch. Instead, high-quality prefabricated metal buildings offer an affordable alternative. Today, people are using prefabricated buildings to accommodate a wide range of needs, including sport arenas, garages, and even homes. That is because a metal building can be set up quickly and easily and is extremely versatile. Metal buildings can be custom-made to meet your specific requirements. A pre-engineered metal building, such as a steel building, can incorporate a wide variety of traditional building components so that it will blend in with the surrounding buildings. Additionally, metal buildings can be built in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. Companies that specialize in designing and engineering steel frames can also create multi-level structures that are functional, economical, and aesthetically suitable. For additional storage space, you can add single level or multi-level custom mezzanines into your building design.

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