Proofing - A Critical Function Not to be Overlooked

Proofing

Business people universally agree that mechanical mistakes detract from the professionalism of communications. However, those with proofreading responsibilities commonly experience real frustrations in producing error-free work. They typically identify certain specific obstacles to accurate proofreading.

1. Overlooking mistakes when proofreading
2. Making time for proofreading in a pressured environment
3. Lacking self-confidence in a reliable system
4. Providing helpful, non-critical proofreading support to others
5. Lacking certainty about acceptable guidelines.

In the rush and pressure of sending communications, writers are often tempted to skip the final proofreading step. They send it to their printer, and approve it without really proofing it. After all, if the content is clear, who will mind a few mechanical mistakes?

In reality, readers do mind. Many readers report that their opinion of the writer's professionalism goes down a notch with every error they see. Mechanical mistakes send a message that writers are not investing much effort in the communication -that, in effect, writers do not care.

In addition, overlooked proofreading errors can sometimes change the content -often with some significant financial results.

1. One government agency wasted $3 million by not catching a hyphen error when proofreading a purchase order. In originally writing the order, the agency had meant to say, "1,000-foot-long radium bars." The order was typed, "1,000 foot-long radium bars."

2. One insurance firm reported that an employee mailed a check for $2,200 as a settlement for a dental claim. Payment of only $22.00 had been authorized.

3. A magazine accidentally ran a cake recipe in which "3/4 cup" was printed as "1/4 cup." Irate readers sent complaint letters and cancelled their subscriptions.

Obviously, there is also the financial cost of having to reprint the project correctly.

A great writing that clearly depicts why live personal proofreading is so important is the following:

I have a spelling checker;
It came with my PC;
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes I cannot sea.
I have run this poem threw it;
I am sure your pleased to no.
It is letter-perfect in its weigh;
My checker tolled me sew.

(By: Penny Harper)

The Three Principles of Proofreading

1. Go over a communication several times -several quick run-throughs are more effective than one slow reading.

2. Look for one type of error at each step.

3. Check for large, non-text errors before checking for small errors in the text.

Proofreading Techniques

Step One:

Cool off -If you created the communications piece, proofread later what you work on now. Be sure that you have access to an easy-to-use, updated reference like the Gregg Reference Manual. Also, make sure that you have a recent dictionary close by.

Step Two:

Get a preliminary overview of purpose and content. Read over the communication quickly to make sure that all major parts/sections are present, and that they say what is intended.

Step Three:

Check for all non-text parts -
1. Check for proper format and layout:
- margins
- consistent spacing and headings
- placement of dates, names, addresses, and other parts of the communication
2. Check for correct spelling of names and places.
3. Check accuracy of dates, addresses, and numbers.

Step Four:

Check the text, looking for errors in these areas. Use a card or ruler to slow yourself down.
1. Check for typographical errors -read aloud, saying each syllable of each word carefully. Look for omissions of parts of words.
2. Check for spelling errors.
3. Check for obvious grammatical mistakes, capitalization, and punctuation.

Step Five:

Read the communication backwards -from bottom to top, right to left -to pick up any typographical mistakes you may have missed.

Step Six:

Ask someone else to do a final check if it has to be perfect.

Scanning Patterns

The purpose of scanning patterns is to provide ways to find mistakes without reading for meaning. When proofreaders try to find errors while reading complete, logical sentences, they can miss mistakes because they get caught up in the meaning. Each scanning pattern is helpful in finding certain kinds of errors; choose the best pattern for the kind of text you are proofreading.

Block Scanning

This method of scanning focuses on essential information.
* Accuracy of numbers, dates, amounts of money, addresses
* Correct spelling of names and places
* Correct capitalization of names and places

Using this method, proofreaders are not looking and sentence structure, punctuation, or other grammatical skills. With this pattern, they can scan sections of print for critical information.

Column Scanning

This pattern is useful when proofreading columns of information. Column scanning is also used to proofread text by dividing the text into several columns.

To apply this pattern, direct the eyes straight down a column of print.

Fixation Scanning

Fixation scanning allows you to proofread groups of words, but without getting caught up in the meaning of sentences. This pattern is particularly helpful in finding doubly-typed words, by looking at the end of one line of text and the beginning of the next.

J. Wentworth
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How To Compare Estimates For Roofing

How do you decide which roofing contractor to use based on the estimates that you have got? It's easy enough calling a few and asking them for an estimate. But once you have it, how do you choose? You have to start even before you get the estimate. When you ask a contractor for an estimate, tell him you would like a very detailed one. It is only if you have this that you will be able to take an informed decision. Also keep references of the contractor at hand. The best way would be to get references from him, call up the party and ask what they think about him. This is the ammunition you are going to work with.

Don't go straight for the lowest bid. (Of course, you might choose him eventually, but don't jump in and select him on that basis before you have examined all the factors.) Take a look at the various important areas in the estimate and compare one with another on each point. First of all, look at the material used and how much it costs. The estimate should ideally state all the materials that are going to be used. If one estimate is considerably lower than the others, it could be that the material that has been costed for is of a quality that is inferior to the others. This may sound good to you but are you sure that it will last as long as the others? It would help if you decided right in the beginning that you will not sacrifice quality at the altar of price.

Check to see if the contractor has estimated the correct quantity of materials. This could be a bit difficult as most of us have no idea how much of what you will need. You could perhaps check this online in a forum or try and call someone who knows who can give you a ballpark figure once he knows the area to be done. Some people could give you an estimate per running foot which might make it easier for you to judge. Pay attention to the sealants and insulation that are estimated too as these have to be of acceptable quality. Do remember it means not just a long-lasting product you will be looking at here but something that could be power-saving as well. Thicker insulation material could mean lower heating and air-conditioning costs. This is because your roof then allows less cold or heat into your home. These costs could add up to a lot in the long run.

Does the labor factor in the estimate seem too high? Most contractors who employ trained and certified labor do tend to cost higher in this area. Do check to see if this is the case. Or if all of them have trained labor and one is charging higher. This could also reflect whether or not the labor is insured or not. It would help to pay a bit extra and get labor where all the insurance has been looked after by the contractor or firm you will be employing. This would save you a fortune just in case there is a mishap while your work is being carried out.

Check for transport, pass-through and miscellaneous cost as well. Very often, this is where there is a lot of 'plumping up' done. Ask for the specific break down especially if you feel that the cost for transporting the materials seems too much. Find out from where the materials have to be brought from and do your own calculations. Once you've made all the comparisons against these various parameters, use your notes to take a practical decision of which person will be best suited for the job. Let it be a logical decision, one that flows from the notes before you.

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Soundproofing a condo or apartment from upstairs neighbors.

How do I soundproof my condo or apartment from my noisy neighbors upstairs? This is by far the most asked question I hear on a daily basis. It is a question asked by prominent architects, engineers, major developers, and contractors. We are now finding that this is also of major concern of individual homeowners who rent part of their house to tenants. Many factors need to be considered when assessing an upstairs noise issue. The first question you should ask is simply this, is the problem impact noise, or airborne noise (TV's, Stereos, telephones etc.) coming down from above.

Nine times out of ten, impact noise is the main concern. What is impact noise? It is the noise caused by people or animals walking across the floor above (generally hardwood). This type of noise is considered to be structure borne noise and is one of the most difficult noises there is to soundproof from. Impact noise is basically sound that travels directly through the joisting structure from the floor above, directly into the hard mounted ceiling below. Another term for this is known as "foot fall "noise. Impact noise travels through the floor joists structure at speeds of over 1200 times greater than the transmission of sound traveling through ambient air. Keep in mind that most home joist systems as well as studded walls are generally 16 inches on center, so not only do you get the speed of the impact noise shooting downward, but the perfectly spaced joists act as tuning forks thus causing the sound to sustain (last longer) compounding the impact problem. The best and most effective way to stop impact noise from above is to isolate the joist structure and the floor above (which is generally hardwood) from the ceiling below. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.

The most common is to float (suspend on acoustical sound clips or resilient channels) the ceiling using either resilient isolation clips and furring channels (hat channel) or the most common method of floating, RC-1 (resilient channel). The good, the bad, and the ugly of both these methods will be discussed in depth. First we have the industry standard, which is RC-1 or resilient channel. This is a flanged Z channel (generally with only one flange that attaches to the joist) and a larger flange to support the floated drywall ceiling. RC-1 can be purchased from a drywall supply company, or a contractors supply house.

The resilient channels are usually attached perpendicular to the joists and the rows are evenly spaced approximately 2' to 3' apart. The longer flange (of resilient channels) in a ceiling application will all face the same direction to obtain maximum resilience in the new ceiling assembly. Remember, that the longer flange is the one the drywall screws into. Always use screws when you drywall, never use nails. Once the RC-1 is properly installed across the entire ceiling, you are ready to drywall. The new drywall will be screwed directly through the drywall and into the resilient channel's (longer) 1" flange. You will use 1 to 1 ?" self-tapping drywall screws or in rare cases, sheet metal screws. If the resilient (floated ceiling) is installed as per manufacturers instructions, there will be approximately a ?" gap around the entire perimeter of the new floated ceiling. The floated ceiling must never make direct contact with the adjoining walls. This is NOT negotiable folks. The ?" gap is then filled with an acoustical caulking, (OSI 175 is a good caulk for this application) and then finally the new ceiling will be taped, mudded, and painted just like a like a hard attached joist mounted drywall installation.

The caulk is the interface between the resilient ceiling and the adjoining walls. There you have it, the common mans floated ceiling. Now if you are really serious about soundproofing your ceiling, you have the sound clip and furring channel method of floating. This installation is quite similar to the RC-1 installation, however, the sound clips system will more than double the soundproofing and impact isolation protection of a perfectly installed RC-1 system. Basically you will need one sound clip for every 4 sq ft of ceiling area. For example, if your ceiling is 400 sq. ft. total, you will need 100 sound clips to complete the installation.

Check with the manufacturers installations instructions for more detailed installation information. Once you have the sound clips screwed to the joists, you will then snap in the furring channel. We haven't talked much about metal furring channels or "hat" channel, as they are commonly called, so let me briefly describe this material. Furring channel, or hat channel is a galvanized steel channel that is 7/8" in height and measures 2 3/8" from flange to flange. When using furring channels in conjunction with sound clips, you always want to purchase the 25 gauge channels as opposed to the 20 gauge, which is too stiff for this application. The furring channel will be compressed by hand and will snap perfectly into the joist mounted sound clips. The channel rows will be spaced from 2' to 3' apart (check installation instructions).

The first row will begin about 4" from the adjoining wall and then each row will be spaced from 2' to 3' apart. Now comes the fun part! You will screw the new drywall directly into the furring channel, keeping the screw as close to the center of the hat channel as possible. If the drywall meets directly in the middle of a channel, make sure to stagger the screws down the length of the drywalls (alternate them one each side of the seam). Now, just like with the RC-1 installation, you must maintain a ?" gap around the perimeter of the newly floated ceiling assembly where the drywall does not touch the adjoining walls. Once again, this area will be sealed with the OSI-175 acoustical caulking material, and you will tape, mud, and paint the ceiling as usual. There you have it folks, professional sound isolation at a fraction of the cost that the "Big Boys" charge. A good analogy of the floated ceiling method is to visualize your ceiling as being like a trampoline. The new ceiling must not contact the adjoining walls and thus it is free to do its resilient thing exclusively. Keep in mind that the impact isolation is accomplished at the sound clip and joist connection where there is a thick neoprene rubber grommet on the clip that breaks the circuit between the sub floor above and the newly floated ceiling.

Lastly, if you are able to float 2 layers of drywall on the sound clips, it is recommended that you use Green Glue sound dampening compound between the 2 layers of drywall. I hope this article has been informative and gives you hope that you can indeed soundproof you apartment or condo from those stomping neighbors upstairs.

To learn more about Soundproofing and soundproofing materials visit our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/

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Extend the Life of Your Roofing--Gutter Care in 3 Easy Steps

Replacing your roof is expensive. Extend the life of your roofing with gutter care. The gutters and downspouts of your roof are the primary protection against water damage to your roof and your home. Allowing leaves and debris to accumulate in the gutters not only renders them less effective but can damage your gutters and ultimately your roofing.

Gutter maintenance can be a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it--really. Regular gutter maintenance is vital for keeping your gutters clean and working properly. Keep your house and roofing safe and dry through regular roofing and gutter care with these three easy steps.

Clean Out

Gutters need to be cleaned every year to remove leaves and other debris from the system. Use a sturdy ladder on steady footing to help you in your roofing and gutter care. Many ladders feature spans designed specifically to place you at the perfect distance from your gutters without resting or leaning against them, which could damage your gutters.

If you have gutter covers or screens and leaves have made their way underneath them, remove the covers before you begin to clean out your gutters to ensure that they're thoroughly clean. Carefully remove leaves, sticks and all other debris from your gutters and roof. This wet mulch may have already begun to decompose in your gutters. You can bag the debris as yard waste or trash or add it to your compost pile. Stubborn debris may require a tool, like a barbeque brush, to remove.

Rinse Out

Once the gutters are debris-free, use a garden hose to rinse them. This method is also useful in finding leaks or detecting clogged downspouts. A high pressure stream of water may be able to remove clogs, but it may also take shaking the downspout or even using a broomstick or dowel to remove it.

Once your gutters a fully clean, protect them with gutter screens. Screens keep debris from building up in gutters and drains, but leaves can still accumulate on top of the screens. Even with gutter screens, regular roofing and gutter care is still necessary. The leaves that accumulate on your roof can create weak spots and introduce rotting and leaking to your roof, both of which can require expensive repairs.

Check Out

Once your gutters are clean and protected, inspect downspouts, pipes, and gutters for rust, warping, damage and other problems. Check all connections along the pipes as well as the connections to the house to ensure that they are sturdy. Replace damaged connections or pipe sections to keep your gutters working optimally. You can patch holes in your gutters with roofing cement. A metal patch is necessary for larger holes, but these fixes can save you the expense of replacing an entire section of gutter--or your roof.

As part of your annual roofing and gutter check up, you should inspect the overall condition of the roof as well. You can do this by using a ladder to climb on the roof or using an attic ladder to get up close and personal from the inside of the roof.

Inspecting your roof from the inside out is probably a better alternative to keep you from falling through any extremely weak spots on your roof. Always exercise caution on roofs and in attics.

Look for discoloration, dampness, and other warning signs of water damage. If you do detect signs of water damage, immediately check the wood, insulation or other surrounding materials for signs of mold. Mold can be removed with chemicals, but extensive mold problems should always be handled by a professional to make sure that all the mold is contained.

Termites and other pests might also be a problem. Check for potential rodent and bird nests while you're inspecting your roof.

With these useful tips, you'll be able to extend the life of your roofing through gutter care and maintenance. Remember to always exercise caution when working on a ladder and use other safety measures to keep yourself out of harm's way as you protect your house from water damage.

Jordan McCollum is a content writer for 10x Marketing, an Internet marketing firm. To learn more about the best tools for roofing/gutter care, visit LittleGiantSales.com today

Roofing Nail Guns

Roofing nail guns are some of the more extreme of DIY tools and are often reserved only for the professional contractor. If you are putting together a small chest of draws or a book case you only really need the effective and affordable services of a standard hammer but if you are attaching a roof to a 2 story house it could take you weeks to put a few nails in. Roofing nail guns take the burden out of this chore and make your job much quicker and much simpler so whether you are an amateur or a professional you should bear in mind that you won’t get far without using roofing nail guns.

Why bother with roofing nail guns?

Roofing nail guns fire nails into wood or any other material they are specifically designed for meaning it takes a fraction of a second to ‘hammer’ in one nail. This takes away the hard work and the time normally involved in hammering large mounts of nails. While they are extremely useful they can also be quite dangerous if not treated properly.

Spring loaded roofing nail guns.

Spring loaded roofing nail guns are the simplest and most affordable nail guns that you can buy. They are really quite simple in their ingenuity and they use some very high tensile springs to fire the nails out of the chamber and into the wood. Crude maybe, but highly effective definitely! These roofing nail guns do still use a little electric power to pull back the springs to such an extent that means they will effectively fire with enough pace to lodge into the piece of wood.

Solenoid roofing nail guns.

Solenoid roofing nail guns are powered using electromagnetic polarization. When you pull the trigger the polarization in the gun reverses repelling the nail away from the mechanism and into the wood. This is a highly useful technique and is used in many different types of machinery and tools so are proven to work over long periods of time. There are very few pieces that are likely to break and leave you with powerless roofing nail guns, this durability is a distinct advantage over the relatively fast wearing spring loaded roofing nail guns.

Pneumatic roofing nail guns.

The most popular and widely used type of roofing nail guns are compressed or pneumatic nail guns. By compressing air in a standard air compressor it can gather huge amounts of power. In pneumatic roofing hammer drills the pressure is used to initially hold the hammer in place so that the nail is not fired but when you pull the trigger this opens a passageway that lets the compressed air out and dispels the nail at great speed. These are the most popular form of roofing nail guns because they only need an air compressor to run. Air compressors can be powered through a number of different means and you do not need to plug pneumatic roofing nail guns into the mains power. This cuts down and cost and makes it reliable and much more convenient, not to mention safe when it starts to drizzle.

As Northern Virginia Roofing Contractors, Roofer911.com takes great pride in maintaining customer satisfaction for all types of new roof installation and roof repair work for residential and commercial roofing accounts. Does your website need more exposure to the search engines? Add Your Site Today to our free directory.

Classic Roofing

There are quite a few advantages to using roofing shingles over other types of roofing design. While roofing needs vary depending on weather conditions in the part of the world you're in, shingled roofs are the most common type to be found in most of the United States and Canada.

Shingles are basically small roofing tiles which are used to cover a roof. They are stacked in an overlapping fashion across the length of the roof, allowing rain to slide off easily. One of the biggest advantages to using shingles over, say, a single metal sheet (a common roofing technique in some Asian countries) is that it provides the house with better ventilation and heat management.

In the summer, hot gases, with their tendency to rise, will seep out of a house via the gaps in the shingles, leaving the interior of the house cooler. In the winter time, however, the shingles become packed with snow, allowing the roof and the snow itself to become a heat-retaining layer of insulation which helps keep the interior of the house warm.

Shingled roofs are also generally sturdier than single-sheet or standard concrete roofs. The tiles are tough yet, because the roof itself is not made of a single piece of material, the overall effect is one of flexibility under pressure. Where a solid piece roof would crack under sufficient weight, shingled roofs provide a certain amount of "yield" under pressure that keeps the roof intact.

Lastly, one of the nicest advantages of roofing shingles comes during repair-time. Whereas one-piece roofs need to be overhauled almost entirely for repairs and can get expensive, shingles are small, easy to install, and cheap to replace if they get broken.

There are, however, two major drawbacks to using shingled roofs that make them inapplicable to some climates. The first drawback to shingled roofs is that their tiles are more vulnerable to thermal stress. Thermal stress does not mean merely extremes of heat and cold, but rather refers to sudden and drastic changes in temperature.

Being composed of small tiles, sudden changes in temperature from high heat to cold or vice versa leave the shingles more brittle and prone to damage, sometimes even actually causing them to suddenly crack under the rapid temperature change. This makes shingles inapplicable in certain tropical climes where a blazingly hot tropic day can suddenly be punctuated by an ice-cold rainstorm.

Daniel Roshard is a interior designer fascinated by garden architecture, he is currently studying interior design integration to public parks and gardens. Daniel is writing Roofing and Roof construction reviews for http://roofing.zupatips.com at ZupaTips.com