Archive for February, 2010
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Professional Moving Tips for the Do-It-Yourselfer
By Jim Carey - Go Mini’s of NY, NJ & CT
Serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Bergen, Fairfield and Litchfield
Our third in a series of professional moving tips for the do-it-yourself mover. If you have rented a portable storage container from Go Mini’s or anyone else, you are going to want to know how to best take care of your personal belongings. Refer to this blog as often as necessary to find the tips of all kinds. These are tips the pros would use too.
Tip #3 - Moving a washing machine - You must know these tips before you move one!
We chose the washing machine as a moving tip because moving a washing machine is a potential disaster. Don’t believe us? Movers move washing machines often enough and eventually get burned. And that’s why we have some very important tips for you. In this article, we will tell you the main problems and why they are so.
Problem #1 - Leaking valves
When you hook up a bran new washing machine, you connect your two water hoses from the hot and cold water valves to the hot and cold threaded stems on the back of the washing machine. Assuming this is done correctly, you open up the valves and - Voila! - your water supply is connected. You do not need to do anything with these hoses or valves. There is a good chance you will not touch them until you move or replace the washing machine with a new one. That’s fine, but understand that when you go to disconnect the hoses, the valves may not close for you and, even if they do at first, they may not stay closed. Here’s why. Your standard valve closes off the flow of water with a rubber “seat” inside. When the valve is new, the rubber is flexible and durable. But, over time, your water can corrode the “seat”. Hard mineral deposits can react with the rubber. Chlorinated water will dissolve the rubber. So when you close the valve, you may not have any rubber left to make the closed valve water tight.
Here is another warning! At first, the valves may hold water. But if the “seat” is corroded, a little bit of water pressure may break the seat and turn a drip into a steady flow. Now, if you were in the process of moving out of a house, imagine what could happen 24 or 48 hours after you left the house. The flood could start and will keep going. The problems are potentially disastrous. Imagine you are “down the road” to your new residence while the leak is beginning to reach all corners of the house; destroying carpet, walls or ceilings below. Sorry to scare anyone reading this, but the potential is very real. Bu there is a way to prevent it. Change the valve? No. The other valve is likely soldered onto a pipe and replacing the valve would require the expense of a plumber. The easiest way is to feel comfortable there will be no leak is to attach a threaded valve cap to the valve.
Just remove the hose from the valve. Put some teflon tape over the threads of the valve and firmly tighten a threaded valve cap. Now, if the valve will not hold water, the cap will.
Problem #2 - Never re-use those black hoses, which connect from the valve to the washing machine. Over time, the hoses can get brittle and crack. Solution? - Spend a few bucks and get new hoses.
Problem #3 - Another thing to think about is a conventional washing machine never fully drains all its water. So this means two things. It will be much heavier and will also leak water if you are carrying it on an angle. If possible, leave the washer open for a few days to let some of the water evaporate.
You can move a washing machine but you just need to be aware of the very real risks.
Go Mini’s portable storage containers make it easy to move and store your own items. Now you have professional advice for when you move your washing machine. Always check back to see the latest Professional Moving Tips for the do-it-yourselfer.
Go Mini’s of NY, NJ & CT is an authorized exclusive dealer for Go Mini’s Portable Storage Containers in the Metropolitan New York area serving the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster NY, Bergen NJ, Fairfield and Litchfield, CT. Call us at 866-Go Mini’s to help you move or store today.
Tags: do it yourself moving and storage, Go Mini's, mobile storage containers, moving a washing machine, moving appliances, portable storage containers, professional moving tips
Posted in Blogroll, Go Mini's Updates, Home Organization, Moving Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
By Tom Grimes - Go Mini’s of NY, NJ and CT
Serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Bergen, Fairfield and Litchfield.
During the housing boom of the 90’s/00’s, drywall manufactured in China was installed in as many as 100,000 homes around the United States. Recently, Federal Investigators have determined that there is a “strong association” between chemicals used in Chinese drywall and electrical and health problems plaguing the owners of newly built homes where the drywall was used.
Most homeowners first report a “rotten egg” odor, leading many to experience respiratory problems. Homeowners with the odor, soon began to realize that appliances and electrical systems in their homes were failing much quicker then should be expected.
The Consumer Product Safety Board (CPSB) responded to complaints by homeowners and released a series of reports on this topic. Those reports conclude that the drywall and hydrogen sulfide is causing the electrical corrosion and may be contributing to the health problems being experienced. The report also stated that temperature; humidity and air exchange rates appear to be contributing factors as well.
A homeowner who experiences a “rotten egg” smell, should contact the CPSB and area remediation companies to have their home evaluated and potentially begin the process of removing and replacing their current drywall. Steps should also be taken to protect the homeowner’s property from damage during the pack out remediation process. Go-Mini’s Portable Storage in Patterson, NY has made their storage containers available to homeowners and remediation/restoration companies involved in any residential or commercial remediation associated with Chinese Drywall problems.
Go Mini’s of NY, NJ & CT is an authorized exclusive dealer for Go Mini’s Portable Storage Containers in the Metropolitan New York area serving the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster NY, Bergen NJ, Fairfield and Litchfield, CT. Call us at 866-Go Mini’s to help you respond to any storage situation.
Tags: Chinese Drywall, containers, Go Mini's, Portable Storage, remediation, restoration, rotton egg
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Thursday, February 18th, 2010
By Dom Annunziata
The e-commerce marketplace has become the new main street of the world, providing a quick and convenient way of marketing goods and services both regionally and globally.
E-commerce has grown into a huge industry with US online retail sales generating $204B in revenues in 2008, with consumer-driven online transactions impacting industries from transportation and travel services to consumer electronics, from books and media distribution to sports & fitness. With more than 70% of Americans using the Internet on a daily basis for private and/or business use and the rest of the world also beginning to catch on, e-commerce’s growth curve is not likely to taper off anytime soon.
In the last decade, many startup e-commerce companies have rapidly stolen market share from traditional retailers and service providers, pressuring these established traditional players to deploy their own commerce websites or to alter company strategy in retaliation. This effect is most pronounced in travel services and consumer electronics. Roughly 45% of all travel bookings currently occur online. Consumer electronics, accounted for nearly $30B of worldwide e-commerce sales occurring in 2008.
As traditional brick and mortar firms continue to lose market share to e-commerce players, they will likely see continued declines in their revenues, operating margins, and profits. Company’s like Sears, Target, Wal-Mart are moving quickly toward click and mortar offerings with varying success. (Click and Mortar is a type of business model that includes both online and offline operations, which typically include a website and a physical store. A click-and-mortar company can offer customers the benefits of fast, online transactions or traditional, face to face service.)
Sears Holdings Corp. is undertaking a number of major initiatives, including consolidating Sears.com and Kmart.com onto a new IBM WebSphere platform, in order to reinvigorate its online brands and gain more market share. In August 2009 Target realized how important the multi-channel experience is to its customers and decided that bringing its e-commerce operations in-house was the best way to deliver the desired experience.
It is important to note that most e-commerce players are at a competitive advantage to retailers. They have lower operating expenses and better inventory management due to operating in a virtual commerce environment. For example, Amazon.com has revenue per employee of nearly $850k while its retail counterpart, Best Buy, generates revenue per employee of only $270k. Clearly, e-commerce vendors will have the most to gain if they successfully disrupt retail customer acquisition, and under-price retail establishments. To publicize deals they are using social networks like Facebook and Twitter to drive sales.
Though people are spending more online as they spend less offline, online shopping still accounts for only 8 percent of retail sales. As Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore stated, “Each year we have a new set of people entering the job market out of school, who are very, very comfortable online and with e-commerce.”
Go Mini’s, a leader in the portable storage industry, has embraced e-commerce from its inception. Its rise as the fastest growing transportation company outpaced the brick and mortar moving van companies and truck rental icons. Simply go to Gominis.com for a fast and easy quote from a locally owned business.
Tags: Add new tag, e-commerce, Go Mini's, Moving, protable storage
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
By Tom Grimes - Go Mini’s of NY, NJ and CT
Serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Bergen, Fairfield and Litchfield
Fire or flood, earthquake or snowstorm, hurricane or tornado, an act of nature or a man made disaster; Emergency preparedness can make all the difference. Whether the plan is for your family, your business, your city or town, how you prepare could determine if you thrive or just survive after the incident.
The Federal Department of Homeland Security offers useful information for individuals and businesses at www.ready.gov . Each state and most cities and towns offer similar information. Find it online and develop an emergency plan. Have a checklist of things to do when the power goes out, if the phones don’t work, the Internet is down or if the roads and bridges are closed.
At the 2009 Public Health Summit in San Diego, the National Association of City and County Health Officials recognized the need for secure “Points Of Distribution” (POD) that stay organized and loaded with equipment or supplies needed in an emergency. Go Mini’s Portable Storage and our all steel weatherproof portable containers were recognized as a valuable resource to be utilized during and after an emergency situation. Our storage containers are FEMA approved and are highly portable by truck or by helicopter. If you are tasked with organizing emergency response or disaster relief for a municipality or a business; begin to gather information, formulate and implement a plan, then practice it. Be prepared, be ready.
Go Mini’s of NY, NJ & CT is an authorized exclusive dealer for Go Mini’s Portable Storage Containers in the Metropolitan New York area serving the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster NY, Bergen NJ, Fairfield and Litchfield, CT. Call us at 866-Go Mini’s to help you respond to an emergency.
Tags: disaster relief, Emergency response, Moving and storage, Portable Storage
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Monday, February 8th, 2010
Professional Moving Tips for the Do-It-Yourselfer
By Jim Carey - Go Mini’s of NY, NJ & CT
Serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Bergen, Fairfield and Litchfield
Our second in a series of professional moving tips for the do-it-yourself mover. If you have rented a portable storage container from Go Mini’s or anyone else, you are going to want to know how to best take care of your personal belongings. Refer to this blog as often as necessary to find the tips of all kinds. These are tips the pros would use too.
Tip #2 - Packing fragile dishes and stemware
So you have made the decision to move yourself. Well we have some good advice for you when it comes to packing your fragile dishes and stemware. Let’s start with the first step in packing your own fragile items. Get the best boxes or plastic containers you can. If the pros were packing for you, they would use a very sturdy cardboard box to pack your fragile dishes and stemware. The box the pros use is much more sturdy than other boxes they will use. Ask Go Mini’s for a triple wall corrugated box. Movers refer to these boxes as “dish-paks” or “dish barrels”. The standard volume of this box is 5.2 cubic feet.
With the correct type of box selected, we can move on to wrapping and packing. Get clean paper. WARNING!!! - Old Newspapers can leave ink stains on fine china. Go Mini’s of NY, NJ and CT offers un-printed newspaper. Place your item to be wrapped on the corner of the paper and wrap the paper and fold in the sides. Usually you can create a double layer or more using this technique. For larger items, like dinner plates, you will not get a double layer. So start by wrapping the plate in two pieces of paper at the same time.
BEFORE YOU PUT ANYTHING IN THE BOX - Crumple up several pieces of paper and make a cushion-y layer in the bottom of your box. Now you can begin to put dishes in the box. Start by putting your larger items in like plates. If you have a set of plates, they will fit together nicely. Then surround your plates with another cushion of crumpled up paper. You are going to work your way up from the bottom building a series of layers. Crumpled up paper is the key. Keep using it between layers of dishes. Make sure to not leave any empty spaces in the box. This way, the box will not settle and neither will the dishes packed inside.
Go Mini’s portable storage containers make it easy to move and store your own items. Now you have advice to pack like the experts. Always check back to see the latest Professional Moving Tips for the do-it-yourselfer.
Go Mini’s of NY, NJ & CT is an authorized exclusive dealer for Go Mini’s Portable Storage Containers in the Metropolitan New York area serving the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster NY, Bergen NJ, Fairfield and Litchfield, CT. Call us at 866-Go Mini’s to help you move or store today.
Tags: do it yourself moving and storage, Go Mini's, packing dishes, portable storage containers, professional moving tips
Posted in Blogroll, Home Organization, Miscellaneous, Moving Tips, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Professional Moving Tips for the do-it-yourselfer
By Jim Carey - Go Mini’s of NY, NJ and CT
As previously announced, we are pleased to bring you our first in a series of professional moving tips for the do-it-yourself mover. If you have rented a portable storage container from Go Mini’s or anyone else, you are going to want to know how to best take care of your personal belongings. Refer to this blog as often as necessary to find the tips of all kinds. These are tips the pros would use too.
Tip #1 - Prevent “load shift” during transit.
We thought our very first tip should give the kind of advice every do-it-yourself mover should know. When a professional mover loads your items onto a moving truck, one of their primary objectives is to load the truck in a way that will prevent load shift. Movers know when they are driving down the road, they will encounter steep hills, sharp turns, sudden stops, large potholes etc. You as the do-it-yourself mover should know your possessions will encounter the same potential issues when they are in transit.
That’s why you need to think about load shift!
One strategy used by the pros to prevent load shift is one you can easily use too. Large flat items are the answer. Mattresses and other large flat items like plywood are perfect for helping to prevent load shift. DO NOT load mattresses or plywood into your Go Mini portable storage container first. Start by counting how many of these large flat items you have and plan to load them strategically throughout your Go Mini. It’s even more effective if you use straps or rope to tighten the mattress or plywood against the load.
Just in case this is not clear, stand the large flat item up on its end. When you are looking into the Mini, you should be face to face with the wide side of the mattress or plywood you are using to secure your load. Another benefit of this is, after you have secured the flat item with straps or rope, you have another flat wall to start building another tier of boxes and furniture.
If possible, save a flat item for the end of your load. Here’s why. After you have rolled down the door, you do not want to have something shift and then lean against the roll-up door of your portable storage container. It has happened to a few people in the past.
Loading your Go Mini’s portable storage container is easy with its translucent roof and ground level entrance. Be sure to look back for more tips on how the pro’s load furniture and boxes. We’ll make this Professional Moving Tips series a valuable resource to our customer’s.
Tags: do-it-yourself moving, Go Mini's, load shift, moving tips, Portable Moving and Storage, portable storage container, professional moving tips
Posted in Blogroll, Miscellaneous, Moving Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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