Curious just how far your dollar goes in Long Beach?

We've rounded up the latest places for rent via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating affordable apartments in Long Beach if you've got a budget of up to $1,300/month.

Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.)

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

Here's a studio apartment at 730 Magnolia Ave. that's going for $1,295/month.

You can expect hardwood flooring, granite countertops and a ceiling fan in the residence. The building features on-site laundry. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. Look out for a $100 processing fee.

Walk Score indicates that this location is friendly for those on foot, is convenient for biking and has good transit options.

(Take a look at the full listing here.)

Next, also listed at $1,295/month, this studio apartment is located at 32 Esperanza Ave.

Amenities offered in the building include on-site laundry. The listing also promises a mix of hardwood floors and carpeting and quartz countertops in the residence. Pet owners, take heed: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. There's no leasing fee required for this rental.

Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is friendly for those on foot, is fairly bikeable and has some transit options.

(Take a look at the complete listing here.)

Finally, here's a studio apartment at 619 Elm Ave. that's going for $1,295/month.

The building boasts secured entry and on-site laundry. In the unit, the listing promises a ceiling fan. For those with furry friends in tow, this property is pet-friendly. The listing specifies a $250 pet deposit.

According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address is a "walker's paradise," is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options.

(Take a look at the full listing here.)

Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Long Beach.

This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, read on for five marketing tips for real estate agents to showcase local market expertise.

Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

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Apartments for rent in Long Beach: What will $1300 get you? - Hoodline

(NAPSI)Cooking like a professional doesnt have to mean a kitchen full of expensive gadgets, but you do want one where prepping, cooking and cleaning is seamless and comfortable. That requires considering design details that enhance the workflow. Consider these helpful hints:

Items that are used frequently should be kept together and conveniently at hand. Use hooks, magnets and utensil holders to keep favorite knives, pot lids, spatulas and the like within easy reach. A lazy Susan can help spices stay properly sorted.

Choose lighting that maximizes cooking efficiency and comfort. Task lighting should include overhead stove lights and under-cabinet fixtures so cooking and food prep area are properly lit. For dining, overhead chandeliers may be best.

While shiny appliances, countertops and beautiful backsplashes may get all the attention, the sink and its surrounding area are the most used in the kitchen and deserve special consideration.

Position the sink with as much prep space around it as possible. For the sink itself, look for efficiency and functionality. For example, the new BLANCO IKON Apron 33 1 3/4 sink is designed with a convenient low divide that makes it easier to handle large pots and baking sheets. Another advantage of its apron front design is that its installed further forward with no countertop. This means less strain on cooks and dishwashers because they dont have to lean over as much. Whats more, its made with nonporous, easy-to-clean Silgranit composite patented material and comes in eight trending colors.

Optional accessories help enhance the workflow and include a floating grid that provides an extra level within the sink, to further ease the strain of handling heavy pots. A floating cutting board fits right on top of the sink to instantly create more workspace.

Faucets designed with a higher arc and a pulldown spray head make rinsing dishes, filling pots and cleaning the sink faster and simpler. The new BLANCO RIVANA collection includes semi-pro, high arc with pulldown and bar faucet options. A coordinating soap dispenser is also available. The convenient Solenta Senso works hands-free. Handy when your hands are fullor very dirty.

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Creating a chef-inspired kitchen - Daily Herald

Due to the pandemic, we have included a special section on the Impact of COVID 19 on the Construction StoneMarket which would mention How the Covid-19 is Affecting the Industry, Market Trends and Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape, Key Regions and Proposal for Construction Stone Market Players to battle Covid-19 Impact.

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Top Leading players covered in the Construction Stone market report: AbleGroup, Benchmark Building Supplies, Caesarstone, Cosentino Group, LSR Group, Dakota Granite, Dal-Tile, Duracite, Granite Canada Exports, Marazzi Group, Precision Countertops, RockSolid Granit USA, Silkar Mining Joint-stock, Sunrise Quartzite, US Stoneworks, Vangura and More

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Market Segment by Type covers:Construction AggregatesNatural Stones

Market Segment by Application covers:InfrastructureResidential ConstructionNon-Residential Construction

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Regions Covered in the Global Construction Stone Market: The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt) North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada) South America (Brazil etc.) Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

Years Considered to Estimate the Construction Stone Market Size:History Year: 2015-2019Base Year: 2019Estimated Year: 2020Forecast Year: 2020-2026

Highlights of the Report: Accurate market size and CAGR forecasts for the period 2019-2026 Identification and in-depth assessment of growth opportunities in key segments and regions Detailed company profiling of top players of the global Construction Stone market Exhaustive research on innovation and other trends of the global Construction Stone market Reliable industry value chain and supply chain analysis Comprehensive analysis of important growth drivers, restraints, challenges, and growth prospects

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Originally posted here:
COVID-19 Update: Construction Stone Market Competitive Strategies, Regional Analysis Forecast 2026 |AbleGroup, Benchmark Building Supplies,...

Fears about catching the coronavirus from contaminated surfaces have prompted many of us to spend the past few months wiping down groceries, leaving packages unopened and stressing about touching elevator buttons.

But whats the real risk of catching Covid-19 from a germy surface or object?

The question has been on peoples minds lately, and there was some confusion after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made some edits to its website last week. Social media sites and some news outlets suggested the agency had downgraded its warnings and that surface transmission was no longer a worry.

The C.D.C. subsequently issued a news release to clarify that indirect contact from a contaminated surface what scientists call fomite transmission remains a potential risk for catching Covid-19.

Based on data from lab studies on Covid-19 and what we know about similar respiratory diseases, it may be possible that a person can get Covid-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes, the agency wrote. But this isnt thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

So does this mean we can catch coronavirus from touching a doorknob? Catching a Frisbee? Sharing a casserole dish?

The answer, in theory, is yes, which is why you need to wash your hands often and avoid touching your face. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals.

What theyre saying is that high touch surfaces like railings and doorknobs, elevator buttons are not the primary driver of the infection in the United States, said Erin Bromage, a comparative immunologist and biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. But its still a bad idea to touch your face. If someone who is infectious coughs on their hand and shakes your hand and you rub your eyes yes, youre infected. Someones drinking from a glass, and you pick it up near the rim and later rub your eyes or mouth, youre infected.

Heres how fomite transmission works. An infected person coughs or sneezes on their hands. Some of the droplets may splash onto a nearby surface, or the person spreads the germs by touching a faucet or countertop before washing his hands. Studies show that coronavirus can last up to three days on plastic and steel, but once it lands on a surface, the amount of viable virus begins to disintegrate in a matter of hours. That means a droplet on a surface is far more infectious right after the sneeze not so much a few days later.

Next, you have to come along and touch the contaminated surface, pick up enough viable virus on your hands, and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth. If all goes well for the virus, you will get sick.

Theres a long chain of events that would need to happen for someone to become infected through contact with groceries, mail, takeout containers or other surfaces, said Julia Marcus, an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor in the department of population medicine at Harvard Medical School. The last step in that causal chain is touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hand, so the best way to make sure the chain is broken is washing your hands.

An outbreak associated with a shopping mall in Wenzhou, China, may have been fueled by fomite transmission. In January, seven workers who shared an office in a shopping mall became ill when one of their co-workers returned from Wuhan. The mall was closed, and public health officials tracked two dozen more sick people, including several women who had shopped at the mall, as well as their friends. None of them had come into contact with the original sick office workers. The researchers speculated that a womens restroom or the mall elevators had been the source of transmission.

Other studies have used invisible fluorescent tracers fake germs that glow under black light to track how germs are spread from surfaces. The findings are unnerving. In one series of experiments, 86 percent of workers were contaminated when spray or powder tracers were put on commonly touched objects in an office. When tracer powder was put on a bathroom faucet and exit doorknob, the glowing residue was found on employees hands, faces, phones and hair. From a shared phone, the tracer spread to desktop surfaces, drinking cups, keyboards, pens and doorknobs. A contaminated copy machine button added a trail of fluorescent finger prints transferred to documents and computer equipment. And just 20 minutes after arriving home from the office, the fake germs were found on backpacks, keys and purses, and on home doorknobs, light switches, countertops and kitchen appliances.

A video making rounds on the internet shows how the black light experiment works. The glow germs are put on the hands of just one diner at a buffet, but by the end of the meal, everyone at the table has come into contact with the glowing germs. The video explains why scientists discourage the sharing of food during a viral outbreak.

But while those experiments show how germs can spread on surfaces, the microbe still has to survive long enough and in a large enough dose to make you sick. Eugene M. Chudnovsky, a professor at the City University of New York, notes that surfaces are not a particularly effective means of viral transmission. With the flu, for instance, it takes millions of copies of the influenza virus to infect a person through surface-to-hand-to-nose contact, but it may take only a few thousand copies to infect a person when the flu virus goes from the air directly into the lungs.

Dr. Chudnovsky, a theoretical physicist whose research has focused on the spread of the airborne infection, said a similar pattern is likely to be true for the new coronavirus, but the exact numbers are not known.

I believe the C.D.C. is right when it says that surface transmission is not a dominant one, said Dr. Chudnovsky. Surfaces frequently touched by a large number of people, like door handles, elevator buttons, etc., may play a more significant role in spreading the infection than objects touched incidentally, like food packages delivered to homes.

The bottom line is that the best way to protect ourselves from coronavirus whether its surface transmission or close human contact is still social distancing, washing our hands, not touching our faces and wearing masks.

Hand washing is important not only for fomite transmission, but also for person-to-person transmission, said Dr. Daniel Winetsky, a postdoctoral fellow in the division of infectious diseases at Columbia University. The respiratory droplets we produce when speaking, coughing and sneezing fall mostly onto our hands, and can fall onto other peoples hands if they are within six feet from us.

Originally posted here:
Whats the Risk of Catching Coronavirus From a Surface? - The New York Times

When Valerie Hammond's countertop oven burst into flames, causing hundreds of dollars in damage to her kitchen, she figured the cost would be coveredsince the KitchenAidappliance was from a big company she trusted.

Whirlpool, which owns KitchenAid, replaced the oven,as required by the warranty.

But things got complicated when she asked for $600 to cover the smoke and fire damage. Whirlpool refused, telling Hammond she'd have to go after a third-party company she'd never heard of located in China that owns the factory that manufactured the appliance.

"I was absolutely shocked. I said, 'I don't understand it doesn't say Elec-Tech [International] on it, it said KitchenAid You're telling me you can wash your hands of it?'" the Kitchener, Ont., woman told Go Public.

Hammond's problems started in October 2018 when hercompact oven went up in flames while she was cooking a small roast.

"I went upstairs to the linen cupboard to get a couple of tea towels and smelled what wasn't meat. It smelled like metal," she said.

"Seconds later, the smoke alarms went off and I came running downstairs. The kitchen was full of thick, dense smoke and there were flames shooting out of the control panel of the oven."

The 68-year-old called and emailed Whirlpool dozens of times over more than six months but got nowhere on her claim for the damage.

Her oven was "not a Whirlpool product," a company representative told her via email, so Whirlpool wasn't liable for the damage. She was referred toElec-Tech International.

Hammond says she tried contacting the company in China using the phone number Whirlpool provided. Her calls would ring through but no one would ever pick up. Her emails also went unanswered.

"I was so frustrated with Whirlpool and didn't know what else to do This was a David-and-Goliath fight because they weren't going to listen to me," she said.

She says she won't use the replacement after the company wouldn't tell her what caused the fire.

"Basically it's a paperweight," she said.

No recalls have been issued for that oven's make and model.

After hearing from Go Public, Whirlpool apologized, calling Hammond's experience "unacceptable" and saying it would be"appropriately addressed."It eventually paid Hammond $5,000 for the damage and her trouble.

LISTEN | Valerie Hammond tries to find out from Whirlpool what went wrong with her toaster oven:

But consumer advocates say that alot of Canadians are having similar problems left on their own to deal with sometimes unco-operative companies when something goes wrong after finding government agencies set up to protect consumers are often difficult to access or ineffective.

Hammond is one of many frustrated Canadians who don't know where to turn for helpor have little faith in the federal, provincial or privateagencies set up to protect consumers when companies refuse to take responsibility for damage caused by goods, says Ken Whitehurst, executive director of the Consumers Council of Canada, a non-profit organization that advocates for consumer rights.

"It really pays to really consider who you're buying from. Don't just be dazzled by brand names," he said.

There is provincial consumer protection legislation that isintended to protect consumers like Hammond, but most consumer protection agencies don't offer help enforcing those laws in cases where damage was done by appliances, leaving consumers to take on big companies in court on their own if they want compensation, Whitehurst says.

"There are some retailers and some manufacturers who are prepared to play a game with it, to see what they can get away with."

In Hammond's case, the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Servicestold Go Public, the "legal responsibility when a product causes damage to property is not one that the ministry can address.It is suggested that the consumer consider seeking legal advice about this matter."

Many provinces say the same thing. For example, consumer protection agencies under the governmentsin B.C. and Alberta saythey don't deal with compensation for damage done by appliances, and that those kinds of disputes often end upin court.

But Robert Hawkes, a lawyer specializing in commercial litigation, says those who do go to courtneed to know they are protected beyond what's in the warranties that come with appliances. Hesays while consumer laws differ slightly across the country, they all include animplied warranty that goes beyond the one that's issued by the manufacturer or retailer.

"So there is the warranty from the company but then there is how that interacts with the consumer protection acts She's [Hammond] not just limited to getting the new toaster oven. If there was damage to her house that was caused when the toaster oven exploded, then she can claim that against KitchenAid."

A recentsurveyfound about 68 per cent of the 2,000 respondents said it was difficult to find the appropriate government or self-regulatory agency to file complaints about goods and services they felt were misrepresented, unhealthy or unsafe.

The survey conducted by Environics Research for theConsumers Council of Canadaalso found that consumers see government complaint handlers as, "only marginally effective" and have low confidence they can effectively deal with complaints.

What's needed, Whitehurst says, is a better way to protect consumers:a single, national organization that goes to bat for people fighting big companies, and wouldtrack recurring problems so they can be identified and addressed like the "super-complaints" system established in the U.K. in 2002.

Public funding for that organization, he says, would also mean consumers could get support in resolving complaints.

In their most recent campaign platform, the Liberals admitted the current consumer protection systems are "confusing" and have "disjointed rules, making it difficult to resolve" problems.

The party promised to put a consumer advocate in place:an independent, single point of contact for consumers with complaintsrelated to banking, telecomor transportation but not appliances.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is the department in charge of making that happen. In a statement, the department said it's working with the federal departments for those three areas to figure out the "mandate and scope of responsibilities" for the advocate.

Asked if the advocate's scopewill be expanded to cover other areas, the department said it recognizes the "opportunity exists."

Hammond says she contacted Go Public out of frustration with the appliance company and with the government agencies set up to protect consumers.

After hearing from Go Public, Whirlpool Canadanegotiated compensation with Hammond. In the end, it paid her $5,000, more than eight times what she asked before going public.

She says she played hardball with them, because she wanted to make a point thatthe company would have had to pay less if it had taken her concerns seriously in the first place.

"If they had been nicer, it would only have been $600."

The company says it paid that amount because itwanted to "do the right thing" after not meeting Hammond's expectations.

In itsstatementto Go Public, the companysaid customersafety is a top priority and its "appliances, like this countertop oven, are designed and tested to leading industry standards."

The company wouldn't say what caused the fire but says, after an initial investigation, it believes it was an isolated event, and hasreported the incident to Health Canada as required by law.

Hammondsays she's happy with the company's response and the compensation it offered, adding that shedonated $1,000 of Whirlpool's money to the Hospital for Sick Childrenin Toronto.

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After her toaster oven caught fire, Ontario woman was told by Whirlpool to take it up with a company in China - CBC.ca

Rhinebeck, N.Y. | $2.95 MillionAn 1892 converted carriage house with six bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms, on a 5.96-acre lot with a swimming pool

The Gilded Age architecture firm McKim, Mead & White designed this Georgian-style carriage house for George N. Miller, a doctor, as part of his inherited estate known as the Grove. Twentieth-century owners converted the slate-roofed building into a residence and gave it Asian-inflected decorative features and modern mechanical updates. The sellers added a second master suite and a guest bedroom, as well as two new bathrooms. (They also converted a downstairs half bathroom into a full one.)

The home is set back from the main road, two and a half miles northeast of the town of Rhinebeck, and four and a half miles northeast of the Amtrak station in Rhinecliff, N.Y. (The ride to New York City, about 100 miles south, is less than two hours.) It is about seven miles northwest of the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.

Size: 7,800 square feet

Price per square foot: $378

Indoors: The house has walls of plaster and exposed brick, and floors of hardwood and stone. Paneled exterior doors are gracefully arched, and high, square windows along the north side indicate the location of what once were horse stalls. Beyond the columned entry porch and vestibule is a living room with a large slate fireplace and a box-beamed ceiling that opens, atrium-like, to the second floor. (This was formerly the carriage room, where a pulley system hoisted vehicles to the attic for storage.) Three sets of French doors lead directly to the rear pool area.

The dining room also has a box-beamed ceiling and a fireplace (the surround is decorated with Asian-inspired figurative tiles). The kitchen includes nine-over-nine windows, dark-wood cabinets and double sinks, ovens and dishwashers. A central island has a built-in cooktop.

A study on the main level includes a slate fireplace with a conical copper hood. There is also a downstairs bedroom suite with direct access to the pool area and a bathroom with a separate tub and shower faced in decorative tile. The stone-topped vanity has vessel sinks with copper hardware; set above it are circular mirrors positioned in a larger reflecting glass.

Noteworthy in the upstairs master bedroom are a vaulted wood ceiling and a central partition that serves as a king-size headboard with built-in bedside tables. The large area behind the partition is lined in closets. Beyond that is an en suite bathroom with large stone tiles cladding the floor, walls and sides of the separate tub and walk-in shower.

Additional upstairs bedrooms include rectangular dormer windows as well as arched windows with tracery. A room used as a study has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves built into a quirkily shaped wall. Among the several bathrooms is one faced in mosaic tile, with a separate bathtub and glass-partitioned shower. Another has Tuscan-style tile inset with Renaissance portraits.

Outdoor space: The property has an extensive front lawn with a stone gate. The rear courtyard includes the swimming pool with a full pool bathroom converted from a potting shed, an outdoor dining area and two firepits.

Taxes: $52,540 (2019)

Contact: Rachel Hyman-Rouse, Gary DiMauro Real Estate, 917-686-4906; garydimauro.com

A modern-style rarity among the traditional architecture of the upscale River Oaks neighborhood in Houston, this home formerly consisted of a house and a separate garage. The two structures were united after the seller bought the property in 2012, enclosing the breezeway to conform with the architects original intentions and making many other improvements.

The house is about four miles southwest of downtown Houston; three-quarters of a mile southeast of the River Oaks Country Club, which abuts Memorial Park; and across the street from the River Oaks Elementary School.

Size: 6,298 square feet

Price per square foot: $476

Indoors: The front door takes you into a foyer with a 14-foot ceiling with exposed metal beams. To the left is a living room with 24-inch-square stone tile and ceilings that rise to 18.5 feet. To the right is a formal dining room with a concrete floor, a monorail light fixture and a wall of custom windows looking out to the courtyard (dual doors provide access).

The kitchen has Shiloh cabinetry with floating concrete countertops, Viking and Miele appliances and a breakfast bar with quartz accents. It flows into a family room that has a wall of built-in cabinetry, an entertainment niche and a hidden wet bar with a concrete countertop. A 70-square-foot wine room includes built-in storage.

A main-floor guest suite includes an adjacent bedroom and sitting room, both with gray-stained bamboo floors and access to the patio and interior courtyard. The en suite bathroom has an Italian porcelain walk-in shower with a rain shower head.

The main floor also has a powder room with a vessel sink on a floating concrete countertop, a toilet room and custom wallpaper designed with original photographs of Caracas, Venezuela.

The second floor includes a 21-by-19-foot master bedroom with a 14-foot-high metal barrel ceiling and a built-in king-size headboard that doubles as a room partition. The en suite bathroom is 27 by 18 feet and includes a walk-in shower with river-rock accents, a separate Victoria and Albert tub and a water closet with a Toto toilet. The walk-in closet has extensive built-ins.

A second suite includes a bedroom with a bamboo floor and a bathroom with a sauna and Vichy shower with seven shower heads. There is also an Air Bubble tub.

This level also includes an office with a metal barrel ceiling and a frosted-glass balcony that is open to the living room.

An additional bedroom suite is on the third floor. It includes a room with an elevated platform that was formerly used as a media room, an adjoining study area, a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower.

Outdoor space: The front yard is professionally landscaped with river birch trees; the interior courtyard has lacebark elm trees and a fountain with built-in planters. Parking is in a two-car attached garage with rolling automatic grates, a separate one-car carport or the double-wide driveway.

Taxes: $52,404

Contact: Clayton Katz, Compass, 832-512-2180; compass.com

This single-family home is on a tree-lined, one-way cobblestone street at the border of the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods. It is a few minutes northwest on foot to the Back Bay train station and the Copley Place shopping center. A small park is directly across the street, allowing light to penetrate the lower floors.

The house received a gut renovation in the early 2000s and has had additional upgrades since then, including a roof deck that was installed in 2016. The current owners bought the property in 2018 and remodeled the kitchen, refinished the fireplaces and added climate-controlled 600-bottle wine storage to the unfinished basement.

Size: 2,212 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,347

Indoors: Entry is on the parlor floor, into a foyer that opens to the kitchen. The original floors are maple hardwood, and the new cabinets are white and traditionally styled, with solid and glass fronts. A long work island has some room for seating, and there is an adjoining breakfast nook looking out to the street. A ceiling-high partition with additional storage divides the kitchen from a living area with a fireplace. Sliding-glass doors open to a balcony overlooking a back patio.

A second living space (and fireplace) are on the lower level. Exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling open shelving line the walls, and there is a bathroom the sellers renovated with a walk-in mosaic-tiled shower. A door provides direct access to the back patio.

Two bedrooms (one with a wall of bookshelves), plus a bathroom dating to 2015 with a combined shower and tub, are on the second floor. (There is also a laundry area on this level.) The master suite takes up the skylighted third floor; it has a bedroom with sliding translucent doors that open to a sitting room or study. The five-year-old bathroom includes a double vanity and a walk-in mosaic-tiled shower with a rain shower head.

Outdoor space: A straight set of stairs takes you to the roof deck, which has water and electricity and is wired for sound (as is the entire house). Views are of downtown Boston and the Back Bay skyline.

A spiral staircase descends from the kitchen-level balcony to the ground-level back patio.

Taxes: $25,391

The rest is here:
$3 Million Homes in New York, Texas and Massachusetts - The New York Times

Although some home improvement projects can be a fun distraction amid COVID-19, they can also be a hefty expense.

The average cost of a home renovation can fall anywhere between $18,404 and $75,968, according to Home Advisor. Kitchen renovations alone can eat up as much as $25,000 and bathrooms can force homeowners to doleout roughly $10,000.

What affectsprices and how much consumers end up spending depends on the size of the room, if there are any underlying problems, the cost of materials and the extent of the remodel, Home Advisor noted.

CORONAVIRUS DIDNT STOP HOME RENOVATION PROJECTS, SURVEY FINDS

However, if you don't have an extra $80,000 laying around, there are simple fixes from changing up some wallpaper, throwing on a fresh color of paint or changing some light fixtures can be an easy and cost-effective solution to transforming a space.

To help consumers out, experts at The Family Handyman Magazine compiled a list of home upgrades that consumers can do, all of whichcost under $500.

And although sprucing up your home may come with its financial headaches, it's also important to note that DIY projects alone eliminate one of the biggest expenses that can occur during these projects.

PAINTING PROJECTS SURGE AS CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN KEEPS RESIDENTS INSIDE

Here are five ways The Family Handyman discovered that could help soften the financial blow.

1. Bathroom makeover

Making over a bathroom can seem daunting. Luckily, it may be as simple as replacing your countertops. A new granite bathroom vanity top can be found at retailers such as Lowes and Home Depot. Their prices range from$150 to $450 depending on the size, according to the magazine. To complete the "new" look, consumers can also replace their faucet and mirror.In total, the cost of the project may average around $430and take a minimum of two to three days to complete, the magazine claimed.

2. Upgrading wallpaper

Changing up a room can be as simple as adding or changing the wallpaper on just one single wall. The project should only take one full day at most and adouble roll of paper can cost around $122. However, supplies including asacrylic primer, which will help to seal the wall surface, can run consumers another $20 to $50.

The outlet cautioned that some wallpaper may prove to be difficult to hang. In that case, they suggest hiring an expert for an additional$150 to $250.

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3. Adding halogen track lighting

Track lighting gives consumers the flexibility to put the lights exactly where they need it. According to the outlet, tiny halogen bulbs emit a "dazzling white light"which can help brighten a space. Track lighting, which has dropped in price within recent years, can also connect to any existing junction box in the ceiling. This means homeowners don't need to install a transformer, the outlet noted.

The rail system, that hangs below the ceiling, will hold both spotlights and pendants and typically runs either 4 or 8 ft. Kits for these systems can be found within lighting stores, home centers such as Home Depot or online. Their price starts out at about $150 and installation may take one to two hours.

4. Adding kitchen rollouts

Kitchen rollouts are a cost-effective solution to reorganizing the space. The rollouts, which can cost anywhere from $40 to $80, can help bring things such as pots and pans more accessible while freeing up more space. Installation is also very quick, with the outlet pegging it at about 15 minutes.

5. Trim and painting

Painting and adding trim to a room can also be a simple and creative way to spruce up an area. Two simple lines of trim can create a perfect framework for a two-color wall combination, the magazine reported.

However, consumers are urged to prepaint the trim and paint the walls before putting up the trim. After it's in place, homeowners can then touch itup with paint.

It was estimated that six gallons of paint would cost around $180 and 80 feet of chair rail and crown moldings cost roughly $200. The project should take anywhere between two to three days.

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DIY hacks to spruce up your home that will save you money - Yahoo Finance

Sherwin Williams' 2017 color of the year Poised Taupe SW 6039 covers the walls of a soothing ... [+] bedroom.

Many of us are going into a third month of lockdown, spending more time than ever getting to know every inch of our homes. Subsequently, were becoming ever more sensitive to how important it is to feel good in them. According to a Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Marvin, 92% of Americans agree that it is important they feel happy in their home right now. Nearly half (46%) plan to do renovations or projects to feel happier about their home in the next three months. The room in which we spend nearly a third of our lives, the bedroom, might be the most impactful place to start. Here are some of the easiest ways to turn your bedroom into a sanctuary.

A soothing, zen-ned out bedroom painted in Sherwin Williams' Mantra palette

Think soothing colors

According to Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin Williams, We spend about a third of our lives in our bedrooms. Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, a place you can retreat to after a long day. A warm brown like Poised Taupe SW 6039 envelops you and sets the mood for a satisfying slumber. You can create the ultimate zen bedroom by playing off of the earth tones in this color and add greenery and wood tones. For those that prefer a cooler tone for the bedroom, I really love the color Silvermist SW 7621. The color is a beautiful silvery green and harmonizes well with browns, greenery and wood tones.

The Mantra palette by Sherwin Williams, specifically, seems to be having a moment with its contemporary neutral tones. According to Wadden, Mantra was inspired by the intersection between the East and West, particularly the ongoing desire for Scandinavian simplicity and elegantly efficient Japanese design. This palette features muted neutrals like Grayish SW 6001 and Software SW 7074 that effortlessly glide from warm to cool, embracing simplicity and versatility.

In terms of what to paint where, Wadden shares that, Pure White SW7005 is always a great choice for a ceiling, but if youd like a little bit of color above, Spatial White SW 6259 and Individual White SW 6008 are soft neutrals that, when used on a celling, would make the room seem lighter and airier.

Think symmetry when it comes to relaxing lighting

Harmonious, clutter-free lighting

Lesson one in lighting, according to Lamps Plus design expert John Barnes, is to free up bedside table space. He shares that, Nothing creates stress more than a messy, cluttered bedside nightstand. Free up table space and add zen calm with space-saving, wall-mounted swing-arm lamps. Install one on the wall on each side of the headboard. You free up a tabletop and add adjustable lighting that each bed partner can control as they wish. These designs offer easy DIY installation: just mount on the wall and plug in. Other suggestions include hanging mini chandeliers or swag chandeliers that do not require hard-wiring. Instead, these swag chandeliers hang from hooks that can be screwed into the ceiling and plugged into a wall outlet.

Lesson two, Barnes instructs, is to get symmetrical. You'll get harmony in the bedroom by decorating with pairs of lamps that create a symmetrical, balanced look. There are lamp sets for every style and price range. Buying in a set of two makes life easy. Finally, Barnes recommends, Putting all your lighting on dimmers gives you control over the lighting, helping you to adjust for the time of day and the activity at hand. Use wall dimmers to control ceiling lights. Lamps and wall lights can be used with line cord tabletop dimmers that plug into an outlet.

Ripple-fold drapery adds an element of being surrounded in a comforting cocoon

Minimal, nature-inspired window treatments

When thinking about what window treatments are right for a bedroom the most common goals are room darkening and adding privacy, shares The Shade Store Co-founder Ian Gibbs. The premium window treatments organization has recently launched a virtual service to help customers find how to best achieve these goals and find something that suits personal taste. As far as where to begin, Gibbs shares that, Our window design experts start all conversations in our showrooms and through our video design consultations with the window. There are a lot of things to take into consideration around the window, from the depth of casing to wall space for stacking.

When considering which styles can create the most serene atmosphere for the most sanctuary-like bedroom, Gibbs recommends, A ripple fold drapery from ceiling to floor cocoons a space with a soft, textured layer. In a bedroom, blackout lining allows for complete room darkening for the best sleep with very limited light gaps and this product easily opens and closes. For those with a preference for some natural light to filter through, Our zen-roller is a great option for those who want natural light in their bedroom. It mimics a shoji screen with rice paper-like material and dowels and lets in softly filtered light, while providing privacy.

Adding earthier elements can ground a space and add an element of nature, and for this Gibbs suggests adding a woven wood shade. Its a beautiful style that can be left unlined in natural, open material or you can select a black-out lining to provide the ability to completely darken the room when its time to sleep.

Play with scents you find calming, delivered by candle, diffuser or hourglass

Consider a soothing scent

Some of us swear by a signature home scent to strike the right mood. What better source to ask about curating the perfect zen-inspiring bedroom scent than luxury darling Diptyque Paris? The brands director of marketing Eduardo Valadez recommends considering diffusers or room sprays in addition to candles. He shares that scent can add a, decorative touch to any room. For the bedroom, the scent you choose can help create a restful and relaxing environment. Feuille de Lavande (lavender leaf), jasmine (jasmin), Vanille (vanilla), Santal (sandalwood), Roses, Geranium Rosa (rose geranium) can help promote relaxation. Ultimately the scent choice is very personal, so any scent that makes you feel good can add calm to any space.

Valadez also recommends the scent-sensitive among us try, an alternative scent diffusion product other than a candle, such as our Hourglass diffuser, which provides a more intimate scent, simply flip to diffuse the scent. You can also choose a spritz or two of room spray, which gives you a burst of scent and slowly dissipates. Both options are subtle and not overpowering.

More here:
How To Turn Your Bedroom Into The Sanctuary You Need Right Now - Forbes

Monsters are often tagged as grotesque creatures with a cruel intent to wreak havoc on the status quo.

(Kind of like coronavirus.)

Loveland artist Kerri Sewolt has many monsters. But her monsters lurk in her vibrantly active mind, wriggling their colorful way onto canvases and gallery walls. Theyre far from doom and gloom. Its a yeti in tube socks. A bee in a Positive T-shirt. A bathing octopus donning sock puppets on two arms. A waving cyclops. Or Uncle Yeti, a take on National Lampoons Uncle Eddie, complete with a beer, cigar, trooper hat and sewage hose.

Theyre happy monsters and theyre only there for the smiles.

Jenny Sparks / Loveland Reporter-Herald

On June 12, step into Sewolts Fantastical Worlds as she hosts an exhibit at Loveland Museum, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., with an opening reception 6-8 p.m. The rescheduled exhibit, that was originally slated for May, runs through Sept. 6.

In my art I create a lot of skeletons, bugs and anything creepy and crawly, said Sewolt, who calls herself a grown-up weird kid. Creepy things need love, too. Mom always feared when Christmas came around because I always asked for weird things.

She even nurtured her own pet cemetery when she was young as she grew up with tons of animals from lizards and frogs to turtles and goats.

Many of these influences played a part in shaping her artistic style.

My artwork is not going to match your couch, Sewolt said. People buy my stuff because it makes them happy. Im fortunate theres a lot of other weird kids out there who love my work.

Sewolt works in many mediums with a simple goal: make people smile. From chalk art on the sidewalk, to putting googly eyes on inanimate objects (like bell peppers) and signs boosting positivity. As soon as Gov. Jared Polis mandated facemasks to curb the spread of coronavirus, she said she created a big yellow canvas that read Smiles are contagious too.

Its a weird time to have an opening, Sewolt said. I have a good following with my artwork, and thats a great problem to have, so I like to see people, to talk to people. These are bizarre times.

On her social media (@kerrichuckles) Sewolt often posts Night Owl Confessions and on a sleepless night a year ago in April, she had a late-night text conversation with her dad about how scary the world is. They talked about how sock puppets would be a good avenue to cheering people up. So she painted one. And it cheered her right up.

It also inspired the whimsy and joyfulness of her Fantastical Worlds exhibit.

I miss seeing people, Sewolt said. Her dad lives in Arvada, but the coronavirus crapola has hindered her spending time with loved ones. Having those little special moments with parents is what keeps me going.

Sewolt, who has been honored by BizWest for her work in the Loveland art community, said the beginning of quarantine was rough as she got laid off from her job.

I thought, well, now I have all this time for creativity, she said. But then the depression set in, and I spent a week on the couch. I had to think of ways to reinvent myself during this time.

Sewolt is represented by Independence Gallery in Loveland where she works a couple days a week. And when shes not creating her quirky creatures, shes hanging out with her goats, dogs and cats. She co-founded the Colorado State Snow Sculpture Competition in Berthoud, which she no longer does, but in December, she helped create Keystone Kidtopia Snow Fort as a snow and ice carver, incorporating her little monsters into the snow playground that was packed with slides and tunnels.

All of my monsters are happy, she said. After times like these people are going to want to see something positive in our news feeds.

Courtesy photo

Steamboat Springs artist Joel Allen hasnt had a day off since August. But hes OK with that. He chose art as a career path later in life, and much like his previous laborious jobs of construction, working on a drill rig or as a scientific researcher and many more, he toils away on his creations with pure precision and accuracy.

Ever since he was hand-picked by the president and curator of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, to display his hanging sculptures in 2014, hes hardly been able to catch his breath. People want his art in their spaces.

I must be a sadomasochist or something because I develop these labor-intensive processes to create my works, Allen said. I dont know why, Im still trying to figure that out.

His upcoming exhibit at Loveland Museum aptly titled work. opens June 6 and will run through Sept. 13.

Allens hand-wrapped fiber sculptures are like earthy flowers, upside-down dandelions, colorful feather dusters hanging from rafters, vibrant cocoons methodically wrapped in well-researched yarn. The installation at the museum will include dozens of sculptures created with everything from twine to copper to paper.The exhibit will also feature one of his signature slotted cardboard sculptures, a room-sized piece that uses the repurposed fortune cookie boxes from a 2017 exhibit at the museum by Hung Liu. Allen said the structure is designed to look like the wave created by wind in wheat fields.

Ive used all different kinds of materials, Allen said. I bring them into this weird mix of things that seems to call back on every job Ive ever had. A lot of times Im not aware of the artistic impact a job has had on me.

Allen also cited childhood fishing, with the handiwork of making flies and tying leaders, as an inspiration to his trade.

Allen went to college for geology when he was in his mid-30s and ended up taking an art class. Now he has art hanging in the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros, Mexico, and has exhibited his work in galleries across the country. He also teaches part time art classes from sculpting and painting to land art at Colorado Mountain College.

The work. exhibit will fill the gallery with some massive pieces hanging from its 23-foot ceiling. Allen said visitors will be confronted with 6-foot tall massive towers and museum-goers can step underneath one of the pieces in the installation to look at the internal structure of the sculpture.

Allen invented a process called precision wrapping where the entire sculpture is wrapped in solid yarn or tweed.

In the Embassy, I used 40 miles of yarn for 10 pieces, Allen said. Hes become quite the yarnie, too, a connoisseur of fabric that he researches extensively online for their sheens, textures and colors. He said hes also been working with steel rebar lately.

All this handiwork puts carpal tunnel at the forefront of his mind, so he layers his work and moves on when one motion starts to aggravate his tendons. Pandemic or not, as an artist who is extremely diligent at work, he said hes still in awe of the path his life took.

Its been unreal. I still pinch myself every day, Allen said. Every time its been like, are you kidding me? Ive been so lucky.

Courtesy photo

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Loveland Museum to host exhibits with Loveland and Steamboat Springs artists - Loveland Reporter-Herald

Security is one area where the rise of smart tech has been an immediate and obvious improvement the best smart security tech enables you to know whether there's a problem at home the second something happens, and even gives you the power to see what's happening from anywhere, and respond appropriately.

It's brought the cost of effective home security down massively, and removes the need to have someone come in and install products onto the building itself, so smart security tech is viable for renters as well as owners.

There are many different approaches to smart security devices, though, so you need to know which is going to work best for your situation. These range from very low-impact options such as a single standalone smart camera with motion detection, right up to multi-sensor security systems with sirens and the full works (but that can send you notifications if anything happens when you're out, as well as blaring an alarm to the neighbours).

We've outlined the key smart security device types below, what each kind of device is useful for, and our pick of the best of them.

If youre looking for a way to add comprehensive security improvements to your home in a low-touch way, smart camera systems are the way to go. By a 'smart security camera system', we mean a set that uses satellite cameras usually connected to a base station, giving the cameras their own dedicated wireless connection so their feeds are less likely to be disrupted. The base station will perform some of the smart functions, and usually has the option of local storage, so if your internet drops out, the footage is still recorded centrally. These camera systems often have a lot of features beyond just recording footage that help them function more like larger security setups theyll have motion detection, and may have features such as spotlights, built-in sirens, two-way communication and more.

See all of the best smart security camera systems

(Image credit: Arlo)

A smart security camera system that does a lot more too

+Loads of great security features+Totally wireless camera design+Excellent image quality

-Quite expensive-Options may be overwhelming for some

This is an expensive setup to get into, but thats because its so comprehensive. The Arlo Pro 3 gives you totally wireless cameras that mount magnetically (starter packs will come with some mounts, but you can buy whatever you need) and are weatherproof, so you place them absolutely anywhere.

An Arlo starter system will give you a base station to connect to your router, and a number of cameras that connect to it over its own wireless connection. You can choose packs that come with two, three or four cameras to begin with, but you can also buy Arlo cameras individually and add them to your system later its designed to be really flexible.

The reason we rate Arlo Pro 3 so highly is that it does so much, and it does it all excellently. The simple business of recording images is handled really well HDR recording means it works great in bright sunlight, colour night vision means it gives you really useful images at night. A spotlight on each camera means they can be used as mini-floodlights (and will scare away some would-be intruders). Two-way talk on each camera means you can hear whats going on, and yell at people. Each camera can also act as a siren, which you can trigger manually easily. But the cameras also listen out for things that sound like alarms, so can tell you if your fire alarm has gone off even when youre out of the house.

Theres motion detection, of course, but the cameras can detect whether something is human, animal or another kind of motion, so you dont get worried just because the cats in the garden.

And you can impressively customise what features should automatically activate themselves and when. Its an in-depth system in terms of what it can do, but if you want comprehensive home security with nothing to install other than screwing a few mounts in place, theres no better option.

It also works with Apple HomeKit, and with Alexa and Google Assistant, for viewing your camera feeds on compatible devices.

If you want to keep an eye on your home, but dont need the depth and elaborateness of the kind of system mentioned above, you can grab a smart camera designed with security in mind, but that isnt so heavy on features. A standard smart home camera will have motion detection, night vision and cloud recording, which are the key things you need to be able to watch your home from afar. As you go up in price, more options will be added. Theyre usually plugged in, rather than battery powered, and though some can be wall mounted, most are designed to sit on a shelf or side. If you want more security, you can usually add more than one of the same kind of camera to their apps with making things much more complicated.

See more of the best smart cameras

(Image credit: Ring)

The perfect smart starter cam

+Flexible design works anywhere+Excellent image quality+Simple-to-use app

-Not the most advanced image recognition features

Rings products are very easy to set up and the app is really simple to use, which is a big part of what makes this our top recommendation. You get really solid security features, but you dont have to work for them. On top of this, this is more flexible than a lot of rival options: its designed to sit on a shelf or be wall-mounted, thanks to a flexible hinge system, and its available wired or wireless. Its also weatherproof, so you can use it outdoors, if you choose.

It can detect and warn you about motion, and it has excellent Full HD image quality day or night.

Its biggest downside is that it has no local storage option it only stores videos in the cloud, and it costs 2.50/$3 per month for the privilege. It also has a slightly limited field of view at 115 cameras like this can offer 180, meaning they can watch a much wider area. This certainly won't be a problem for everyone, though.

It also might cost more than some are looking to spend if youre looking for a cheaper option, we thoroughly recommend the Neos SmartCam. For under 30, this also includes motion detection and night vision, and 1080p recording. It comes with free cloud recording, but also the ability to install a microSD card for local recording instead (or as well). It can also be wall-mounted, or can sit on a shelf.

A smart security system is a lot like the classic style of home security system, but extra connectivity can make it easier to control, and means it tells you when there's a problem with a notification on your smartphone wherever you are and it can tie together with other smart home tech. A system will include a control pad for arming and disarming, a siren that usually doubles as a hub for communicating with accessories, and a number of additional sensors, such as door and window opening sensors and motion detectors. Some include additional smart options, such as wireless tags to disarm the system with no effort.

(Image credit: Yale)

A comprehensive smart security starter set

+Great set of core security options+Highly expandable+Works with other smart home tech

-Fairly expensive to get into-No cellular backup

There are smart security system options from many manufacturers, and actually a lot of them are very similar in features, so it may be worth thinking about the ecosystem you want to go with if you like the look of the Ring camera mentioned above, the Ring Alarm Security System might be your best choice, for example. But assuming you're not coming into it with any kind of existing ecosystem pull, this is our recommendation.

Obviously, Yale is a trusted name in security, but its security system gets our nod for being a really well thought-out setup in its own right, both in terms of the original kit and the expansion options.

This Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm Family Kit is built around a base station, and all the other accessories connect to it wirelessly.

The accessories include a siren, of course, plus a keypad unit for arming and disarming the system, and three sensors: two motion detectors, and a door/window contact sensor. The motion detectors are exactly what they sound like, and you can tuck them into the corners of the ceiling to look over key areas of the house. The door/window contact sensor fits on the frame of a door or window, and can tell if it's been opened. They can all talk to the base unit over a range of around 200m, so distance is no problem.

The extendability is what we really like here: you can add more of the same motion sensors or door/window sensors, of course, but you can also add motion sensors that are smart enough to ignore pets, or a smoke/heat detector unit, or a panic button, and even special key fobs that turn off the alarm without you needing to actually bother with the code.

It also works with other smart home gear for example, you can ask Alexa to check the current security status or to arm the system, and you can connect it to your Philips Hue lights, so they might come on or change colour when something unexpected happens.

Our only real issues is that, for telling you on your phone when something has happened, it relies totally on your Wi-Fi so if that goes down, it becomes a regular 'dumb' alarm system. This is true for most of the competition too, though the Honeywell Evohome Security system does include a cellular backup communication option, if that's a dealbreaker for you.

The idea of smart door locks is to keep your home as secure as ever, but to help avoid situations where someone with a key just cant be home when needed, or to skip having to get a mass of spares cut for guests. With a smart lock, the door can be accessed by other means, which will depend on the lock. Some have keypads, and you can set up a code that will last only for a limited amount of time (or even single-use). Some have wireless access, and you can share the authority to unlock a door with someones phone (and, again, time-limit it or revoke it whenever you want). And they can be handy for locking and unlocking remotely, so that someone comes without their keys you can open it for them, or if someone tries to deliver something, you can open the door just to let them pop the parcel inside (this pairs really well with a smart doorbell see below).

(Image credit: Yale)

The best smart lock, taking full advantage of the possibilities

+Clever keyless design+Really flexible ways to provide access

-Only for multi-point locks (see below for alternative)

The Yale Conexis L1 Smart Lock is designed for multi-point locks (the kind where you lift the handle) Yale also makes the Keyless Connected Smart Door Lock for nightlatches. This is totally keyless, in the traditional sense of something you insert in the door. You can still use physical objects to unlock it, but theyre little tags you place on the door. Otherwise, you can use your phone to unlock the door and give guest access to other peoples phones for as long as you want them to have it, then their access stops. That actually goes for the physical key tags too you could give one to your neighbour so they can feed the cat while you're away, but only have it function when youre actually gone. You can order more physical tags if you need them.

Because every access type is personal, you can keep a record of exactly who is unlocking the door too, and when.

The Keyless Connected Smart Door Lock also has these options, but adds a numerical keypad too both locks are designed to balance flexibility and security well.

Smart doorbells are a major convenience getting a notification on your phone whenever someone presses the button no matter where you are, and being able to see and talk to whoevers there, means youll never miss a parcel or an important visit. But they can also be part of your home security setup, keeping an eye on the front of your house from eye level.

See all the best video doorbells

(Image credit: Ring)

Easy to install, and works wired or wirelessly

+Great video quality+Good battery life+Some clever motion-detection features

-Smarts are a little limited-Fairly expensive

This is the most advanced doorbell from the company thats become synonymous with the field it includes intelligent motion detection (including being able to discern close movement from far away, and to tell when movement is a person rather than something else), Full HD video, two-way talk and, of course, it will notify you when someone presses the button or when it detects motion (your choice).

It can record video to the cloud (which requires a subscription) or you can use it solely to view live video without a subscription. The key feature thats only available in this Plus version is Pre-Roll Video, which enables you to see four seconds of black and white video of what happened before the motion detector triggered or the button was pushed, as well as what came after.

It runs on batteries or a wired connection, and its easy to pop the battery out for recharging, but it will last around two months anyway. It comes with all the major things you need to install it, including two optional wedge mounts to get the optimum viewing angle. Installation and setup are really easy, too.

For the privacy-conscious, a useful new feature is the ability to black out sections of the screen, blocking the cameras views of those sections entirely you could use this for your neighbours garden or windows, for example.

Security systems are usually based on a couple of key types of sensor: motion and contact. Motion sensors passively detect whether someone or something is moving about in range. Many smart cameras have this functionality built in, but you dont need anything so techy for it there are options that are more passive. These can then send a notification if they detect something, or can be set up to talk to other smart home tech. For example, a motion detector in the hallway could turn on some lighting when it detects someone walking past or it can trigger a smart alarm to start blaring. Contact sensors are used on doors or windows, and they simply have a couple of units that can tell you whether that door or window is open or not. Again, they can be set to tell you when this happens (if a door opens when youre out, for example), or they can trigger other smart home gear when this happens.

You'll have noticed that these sensors do feature as part of our smart security system choice further up the list, but here we're looking at getting the same functions without the siren and keypad and so on.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Great sensors for doors/windows, and motion detection

+Inexpensive sensors+Some extra useful functionality+Wide smart home platform compatibility

-Require a hub to work

Samsungs smart home system is called SmartThings, and encompasses a broad range of product types. Its the sensors were interested here, though it sells both a motion sensor (called the SmartThings Motion Sensor) and a contact sensor (called the SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor) that also detects temperature and vibration, so it can detect if a door is being knocked on, or if someone is attempting to force a window.

The SmartThings system works with a wide range of other products, so theres lots of other smart home tech these can tie into, or you can just use them to get notifications if anything changes.

They require a hub of some kind you can use an official SmartThings hub, but they can also connect directly to the Amazon Echo Plus built-in control hub. This SmartThings Starter Kit is really good value it's a hub and a number of sensors, plus a smart plug control unit.

There is a whole smart security alarm system that works with them, very similar to the Yale system above, too. However, if you just want the sensors rather than the alarm and the rest of the gear, you can do that with SmartThings and save some money.

They may not be security products in the more traditional sense, but smoke detectors are definitely vital to the overall safety of your home, and actually they can feature as part of a security setup, because some will function as the noisy part of a burglar alarm-type smart system. Were mostly focused on their core functions here, though: detecting smoke (and, in many cases, carbon monoxide) and warning you when thats the case, even if youre not at home.

(Image credit: Google)

So much better than a regular smoke alarm

+Wired or wireless+Gives warnings before it goes off+Loads of really thoughtful features

-Nothing major

This sleek box keeps a watch for both smoke and carbon monoxide, and what has always impressed us about it is that its smart in the clever sense as well as the connected sense it feels like it was made for real-life, not to tick things off a spec list.

For a start, when it first detects smoke, it doesnt go straight to a blaring alarm. It sends you a notification saying smoke has been detected, and announcers out loud in a friendly voice that smoke has been spotted, and that the alarm will sound if nothing changes. If the problem is just burnt chips, this gives you a grace period to open the window and clear the smoke, or you can just manually silence the alarm, knowing that youve got the situation under control. If you have more than one Nest Protect, it will also tell you exactly which room the problem is in when all this happens.

That feature alone makes us never want to go back to normal smoke detectors no more false alarms that terrify the cat! but it does lots more still. It self checks, for example, testing its own components multiple times per day, and running its own sound check once per month (in which its own microphone listens out for the sound, so it can run this while youre out of the house). And when you turn the lights off, it gives you a single gentle flash of a green light to let you know everything is working correctly before you go to sleep.

It can also discern steam from smoke, so you dont get false positives from a steamed up bathroom being opened. And it even functions as a night light: when someone walks under, it gives the perfect gentle glow to help you see your way.

And you can buy it to be battery powered or cabled in your choice, and its the same price either way. Its actually the smart home product wed recommend most people should start with its a truly undeniable upgrade over the dumb old system.

See the original post:
Best smart security devices 2020: what they do, and which ones to buy - T3