Five Tips for Choosing the Right Auto Body Shop

Five Tips for Choosing the Right Auto Body Shop


Choosing an auto body shop doesn't have to be a frustrating experience. Estimates from different shops will likely fluctuate, sometimes to the point where you wonder if you are getting quotes for the same repair on the same vehicle. Consider these five tips to help guide you in making your decision:

1. Get Multiple Estimates

This one is obvious. Not only will multiple auto body shop quotes give you some idea of the "middle ground," you'll feel better knowing that you did your homework and you aren't simply going with the cheapest... or worse yet, the most costly proposition.

2. Are They Certified and Insured

Do they seem reputable and carry all the appropriate certifications insurance?

Is the location a direct repair facility for your insurance company?

If you are completely new to the facility and going in with very little information on them, check for appropriate licensing hanging on the wall near the register.

Things can go wrong with any repair shop and your vehicle will be living there for a while, so you want to make sure that the repair facility you choose is protected in the event of fire, theft, or natural disaster.

3. Parts and Warranty

What is the warranty on repairs? Depending on whether they are a direct repair facility for your insurance company, you will likely get anywhere between 1 year and a lifetime warranty. Comparing warranties between locations can be a big indicator of the quality of parts and workmanship. You want to hire someone willing to stand by their craft.

Do they use aftermarket or used parts? Used parts don't necessarily mean quality is bad, but when comparing quotes, you want to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If one location is offering used parts and another new, and their estimates are the same, look closer. What is making up the extra cost in the estimate for the shop offering the used parts? The per-hour labor costs may be higher at that particular shop.

What kind of paint matching technology do they use? You want to be sure that they can make an exact match of the paint code for your vehicle, and that they are using a high-quality coating.

4. Reputation

Do they have a good local reputation? Are they part of a social network where you can check for reviews? Ask around to friends and family; almost everyone has used an auto body shop at some point, and you'll be surprised how much information you can gather by listening to other people's experiences.

5. Trust Your Gut... and Relax

If you are searching for an auto body shop, you and your car likely just went through a stressful experience. Trust your gut after visiting the location; you want to leave feeling that the customer service seems knowledgeable about their industry and genuine about service. If anything about the experience seems not above board, keep looking, and use the tips above to guide you until you find a professional you can feel good about.


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Does Going to the Dentist Make You Nervous?

Does Going to the Dentist Make You Nervous?

I am writing this article based on my personal experience. I've always had issues with going to the dentist and as a result, would only go when I HAD to. After getting into the nutrition game and using one of my products, I found out that I don't have to be nervous or avoid the dentist.

Let me tell you a story about having to have some teeth pulled out a couple of years ago. Before going to the dentist I took six glasses - yes, SIX glass of my calcium and magnesium product. I hope this doesn't sound like I'm promoting my product because my whole purpose here is to enlighten you and if you're one of those people who can't go or stress like crazy when having to go to the dentist, there is a solution.

I got to the dentist, who happens to be a friend of mine who gives out single packets to his patients, and went through the start-up routine - checking my teeth, isolating what needed to be done and setting me up for it.

After opening my mouth and his assistant checking everything, I was sitting there for several minutes and then she got me to open my mouth for the injection. I didn't feel anything at all and was happy about that.

They then started fiddling in my mouth and doing the dentist thing. After about 10 minutes or so I managed to ask when they were going to actually pull the teeth.

To my surprise he said it was already done. I couldn't believe it. The injection, the teeth being pulled and all the additional things they do and I did NOT feel a thing and I was pretty relaxed.

I really wish I could have had that when I was a kid. Dentist visits were always traumatic and not my favorite pastime. I have subsequently had a few others tell me how it helped them to get over their dental treatment.

Here's one from a trucker. "Here a while back, Desiree and I were talking and I mentioned to her I was going to the dentist and that I had to have a tooth filled and crown put on one of my teeth. She said I should drink two glasses of the calmag (calcium and magnesium) and that it would help. I didn't put a lot of attention on it but I thought it wouldn't hurt. So, that day I drank a glass in the morning then a couple of hours later another two.

"So, I went to the dentist and I was very relaxed. Normally, I'm a bit tense from holding my mouth open and it's kind of not like I'm fighting the dentist but I'm not very comfortable. I noticed that it was a lot easier to hold my mouth open while he worked on the tooth.

"After the dental work was done, I went back home and the Novocaine started wearing off and I noticed that my jaw - the area around my jaw where he worked on my tooth - wasn't sore because normally it would be sore and it would ache from having to hold my mouth open in an awkward position. I didn't have any of that and I was not uncomfortable.

"It just felt as if I hadn't had the dental work done. The only way I could tell that I'd had it done was that my gum-line was a bit sore, which is normal, from him working on the tooth but I could not believe the difference it made not having those tense jaw muscles. I was really surprised. It was almost unbelievable but it worked really great.

Another thing, I felt so good I did my exercise routine that day. I normally wouldn't do my exercises after having dental work done like that."

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Top Seven Pest Control Tips

Top Seven Pest Control Tips


That line of ants can be bothersome especially when you have a party at home, or guests are about to arrive at your place. Mosquitoes, rodents, mice, spiders, flies, and bugs are another category of menace that can spoil your mood and the surroundings.

Keeping the pest away is the only solution to the concerned problem. The article highlights a few effective pest control practices to keep these problem creatures at bay.

Seven Effective Pest Control Tips

Block all their passages to your home - The simplest way is to restrict their entry to your home by covering all the open sources. With open sources, I mean all the holes and gaps. Get them repaired as soon as possible for achieving a peaceful ambience.
Clear all the standing water - Is there any standing water around your surroundings? If your answer is yes, then let me inform you that you are giving an open invitation to the pest in your place. Keep a regular check on your property to find out if there is some water standing in your vicinity. Clear it soon for ensuring a cleaner and bug-free environment.
The squeaky-clean kitchen is a possible solution - I advise you to get your kitchen rid of all the littered food as ants like to flock to the junk around. Wipe each corner of the kitchen, sweep floors, slabs, and countertops for the best results.
Inspection of outdoor furniture and yards - Regular examination of the yards and outdoor furniture is essential to find out if there are spider webs, snakes, and egg sacks. If you can see these developments in the outdoor surroundings, get them cleared quickly.
Consume fruits and veggies as soon as possible - We often store fruits and vegetables in a basket and forget to have them. In such a case, fruits and veggies get overly ripe and become a centre of attraction for the ants. The strong smell produced by such eatables works as a magnetic element to them and they get flocked to the same.
Make use of anti-allergens to clean the floor - Make use of anti-allergens like phenyl to wash the floor. It helps to keep the pest away.
Hire professional pest control services - If you feel that in spite of adopting all the precautionary measures, things do not seem to be working on a right direction, hiring professionals is the only choice left then. They are the only people who will come to your rescue during an emergency.


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Tours of Niagara Falls

Tours of Niagara Falls

When you visit the Niagara Falls area, there are two things that you will not lack - water and tours. Niagara Falls is indeed a popular tourist area, but this is a place that anybody who appreciates beauty and the wonder of nature must visit, more than once in most cases.

While tours in other popular vacation destinations are not always worth the time, the tours in the Niagara Peninsula - on both the American and Canadian sides - really are worth the time associated with them. It is through these tours that you will get as close as possible to the Falls, and also get a true sense of just how special the Falls are in terms of what time and nature can do.

The Maid of the Mist Boat tours are an absolute must - this is the oldest attraction in Niagara Falls, and will take you as close to the American Falls as possible.

You must follow up the Maid of the Mist with Journey Behind the Falls. Here, you will also get very close to the falls. In fact, you will get so close that special rain gear and footwear will be handed out before you are taken on the tour so that you don't get 'quite so wet' on deck.

While the Maid of the Mist Tour is fascinating and fun, if you want thrills, follow it up with Niagara's Fury, where you can experience the creation of Niagara Falls first hand in 4-D!

Visit the Niagara Falls State Park, and take the Trolley. This tour will stop at the most scenic places along the way, and a great deal of information is given about various spots, and the entire area in general.

Interesting Niagara Falls Information
If you are planning a trip to Niagara Falls, here are some facts that may interest you a great deal. These facts may also interest you even if you aren't planning a visit to Niagara Falls, and may entice you to visit just in order to see this natural wonder in person!

• The water that gives us these gorgeous waterfalls comes from the Great Lakes, which supplies 18% of the world's freshwater supply - enough water to cover the entire continent of North America with more than three feet of water. Water flows from rivers and streams into the Great Lakes.

• From the Great Lakes, the water flows to Lake Superior, over the Falls, and then through the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, to the St. Lawrence River, and then on into the Atlantic Ocean.

• While water flows downhill out to sea and the basin of the Great Lakes slopes downward from west to east, the Niagara River flows north.

• Over 6 million cubic feet of water pours over the Falls each minute during the daytime. It is less at night, as this is when the water is diverted for the preservation of the falls.

• The lower Niagara River is only about 36 miles long, and runs between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The change in altitude between the two rivers is 326 feet, with more than half of that altitude change occurring at Niagara Falls. The upper portion of the Niagara River runs for 22 miles, from Lake Erie to the Cascade Rapids. The Niagara Gorge runs for 7 miles downstream, and ends at the Escarpment at Queenston.

• The Horseshoe Falls is 170 feet, and the water falls into the Maid of the Mist Pool. The deepest part of the Niagara River below is also 170 feet. The American Falls height varies at different points, ranging from 70 to 110 feet.

• Niagara Falls does not hold the record for the highest water falls. There are approximately 500 other waterfalls that are higher. The highest is Angel Falls in Venezuela, at 3212 feet. Even so, it seems that no other falls can stake claim to having a higher amount of water volume than the falls at Niagara Falls, with more than 6 million cubic feet per minute.

• Niagara Falls has moved itself about 7 miles in the last 12,000 years through the process of natural erosion.

• Niagara Falls is a legacy given to us from the last ice age, and is believed to be about 18,000 years old.

• The water in the Niagara River has a green color. This color comes from the 60 tons of natural minerals that are dumped over the falls each minute.

• Niagara Falls serves as more than just a beautiful legacy from the ice age, it also provides drinking water, fishing, recreation, industrial water, and hydro power to more than a million people in the United States and Canada.

• Each night, after 10pm, water is diverted from Niagara Falls, with a series of diversion tunnels operated by both the United States and Canada. This has been the case since 1910. The amount of water varies, but the 1950 Niagara Treaty requires that 100,000 cubic feet per second runs over the falls during the daylight hours. It also requires that the amount of water may not be less than 50,000 cubic feet per second at other times.

• If the water was not diverted, the water would rise approximately five meters, and the natural erosion would occur at a much faster rate. It is estimated that at the current rate of erosion, the falls will be a raging river in about 50,000 years, as opposed to a series of water falls.


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