CBP dogs train at Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet August 24, 2010
Posted by Shannonbilby in : About Us, Uncategorized , add a comment
Check out this article about us in the Yuma Sun! Click here to see it live on their site.
For most, the thought of “training” might evoke images of foam cups of coffee, legal pads – and possibly a lengthy presentation projected onto a giant screen.
But for the four-legged officers with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), it couldn’t be more different.
Tuesday morning, the Yuma Sun watched as six officers and their canine partners used local business Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet for a training exercise, drawing some extra attention from the public.
Supervisory CBP Officer James McIntyre was one of the trainers involved in the exercise Tuesday morning.
The group is based at the U.S. Port of Entry at San Luis, Ariz.
He said they do a different exercise once a week in a different location to help the dogs participate in real-world situations.
In the past, McIntyre said they’ve used locations such as the airport and other businesses around town.
“It keeps the dogs proficient,” he said. “And it allows us to control the environment.”
Trainers help place indicators, said Supervisor Teresa Small, spokeswomen with the CBP.
The dogs involved in the exercise Tuesday are narcotics dogs, McIntyre said. That means they are trained to find marijuana, hash, cocaine, heroine, methamphetamine and ecstasy.
Small said from October 2009 to July 2010, the officers have helped seize about 2,600 pounds of cocaine; almost 700 pounds of meth; just more than 200 pounds of heroin and 107,646 pounds of marijuana.
For more information about the Customs and Border Protection, visit http://www.cbp.gov/.
Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.comor 539-6857.
Removing Cracked Grout – Reader Question August 2, 2010
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Ceramic/Porcelain, Reader Questions, Uncategorized , add a commentReader Question:
Whats the best way to remove grout and replace? We remodeled our shower, but due to foundation movement, the corners have cracked and now water seeps in. I am assuming i need to remove the old grout and redo. Anysuggestions or insight? – Daniel
Answer:
Grout replacement is one of the methods that can be used to correct minor moisture issues in a shower depending on the leak’s physical location within the shower itself. If there is grout cracking on the walls or in the vertical corners at a level of 4 foot or higher, a small hand sized grout saw can be used to carefully saw out the joints to remove the old grout. Thoroughly clean out the cavity with a shop-vac to remove any debris and reinstall grout where needed. On the other hand, when you have moisture seeping into adjacent rooms at levels lower than 4 foot high, this could be a sign of a much larger issue in the shower’s waterproofing system and should not be ignored. If this is the case, I suggest that an appointment is made with a professional to inspect and address for corrective measures. - Ernie Nogales, Installation Manager
Nylon Carpet Fibers June 10, 2010
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Carpet, Uncategorized , add a comment
60 years ago, the United States was in a wartime economy. Military fabrics producers were running out of the silk they needed to make parachutes – and the scramble was on to produce a synthetic replacement for silk. The result, originally created by DuPont’s chemical and textile engineers is the nylon we now utilize in myriad industries. Because of nylon’s incredible strength and durability, it made its way into both the commercial and residential carpet manufacturing markets.
Since its debut all those years ago, very little has changed in the essential chemical construction of nylon carpet fiber. Attendant processes though, like dye methods, carpet construction and finishing technologies have undergone regular improvements. The result has been consistent, incremental increases in performance, so that today’s nylon carpets perform exceptionally well, whether in plush (cut-pile) or loop pile constructions.
One of the keys to nylon’s popularity is its dramatic colorfastness. Solution dyed nylon – where the polymer is colored prior to extrusion into filament fiber – is virtually impervious to the effects of direct sunlight or bleach! Even nylon dyed after extrusion is incredibly colorfast, because of the latest stain protection technologies.
When they are constructed, installed and maintained properly, nylon carpets retain their original shape and appearance, providing years of useful life. Besides their ability to resist stain and soiling, nylon carpets also respond well to common commercial cleaning methodologies. Today’s nylon carpets will never actually wear out – they simply get ugly at the end of their useful lives.
Understanding Color: Color Blending from Room to Room May 20, 2010
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Design and Decorating, Uncategorized , 1 comment so far
Understanding Color: Color Blending from Room to Room
One of the challenges faced with a great room design is determining how to separate the spaces while still keeping the room cohesive. Color provides one of your best tools for accomplishing that goal. Planning your color palette ahead of time will keep you from taking the safe but rather dull one-color approach, but also protect you from too much color.
For the three spaces, choose three colors that work well together. You may already have color that will be part of the room through furniture, your flooring, rugs, paint or curtains. If not, start working with the colors you like best. One good source for ideas is your local upholstery fabric store. Take your time and discover fabrics in patterns that appeal to your color sense. Ask for sample swatches of those fabrics you like the best, and then bring them back to your space to see how they work with your flooring and other room elements.
Once you define your colors, assign one to each part of the great room: kitchen, dining and living areas. Think of which space could use brightening, and which space would benefit from the richest color in your arsenal. Make those colors the focal points of each room, using furniture and accessories, maybe even by painting an accent wall. Be sure to pull all three colors into each space in some way, to keep them interconnected.
Once you’re finished, stand back and look at the room from different perspectives. Does each space stand out, while still connecting to the rest of the room? Does the color flow well from space to space? You may need to move accessories around a to get the look you want, but it’s worth the effort to create a comfortable and inviting great room that works for you and your family.
Testimonial for Big Bob’s April 23, 2010
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Testimonial, Uncategorized , add a commentPlease read what others have to say about Big Bobs’!
“We recently made a large purchase with your store which included tile and carpet. We found Theo to be very helpful in all matters and was always ready to answer any questions of concerns that we had. We would gladly recommend him and your store to anyone. After making several purchases on our new home we have found that this type of service isn’t readily available these days.
We were also extremely impressed with the two carpet layers that came out to install our carpet. They were punctual, neat, clean, and did an extremely professional job. They went the extra mile and cleaned up as though they had never been here. We did not even to touch up a base board, which says a lot. My husband had a painting business for several years, doing residential, commercial and industrial work and has always had to return to touch up after the carpet was laid, so we do not make this statement lightly.”
We would be happy to recommend Big Bob’s to all our friends.
Thank you again for everything.
Mike and Gloria Anderson
What Your Christmas Tree Says About You December 24, 2009
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Merry Christmas from all of us at Big Bob’s. We hope you have a safe and healthy holiday season. Today’s post is simply to provide a little holiday humor. No matter what your tree says about you, we appreciate you taking the time to visit and read our blog. Thank you!
What your Christmas Tree says about you………
White lights: You ask your houseguests to remove their shoes and you professionally clean your carpet once a year like you are supposed to.
Multicolored lights: You’re an extrovert and probably have colored tiles in your home.
Blinking lights: You have attention deficit disorder and have no idea the last time you had your carpets professionally cleaned or where you put the phone number to call to have it done.
Homemade ornaments: You have lots of children and need to visit the maintenance sections on our website often.
Strung popcorn: You have too much time on your hands and will need to make sure you have a good vacuum cleaner to remove all of the popcorn that falls from your floors. (Don’t forget to empty the bag if you have one)
Red balls only: You wish you lived in a department store and like shiny floors.
Yellow star on top: You’re traditional and your floors are all neutral.
Glowing Santa on top: You shop at Kitsch ‘R’ Us. We have shiny things, too so feel free to come shop with us.
Cutoff top: You didn’t measure the tree and probably shouldn’t attempt to install your floors by yourself.
Vague evergreen smell: You bought a healthy tree and since you clearly make good decisions, you are already a Big Bob’s customer.
Strong evergreen smell: You sprayed your tree with Pine Sol and also your floors while you had the Pine Sol out.
Just plain smelly: There’s a dead bird in your tree. Sorry, maybe a new area rug would make you feel better.
Again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Big Bob’s!
Floor Care for the Holidays December 16, 2009
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Care and Maintenance, Uncategorized , add a comment
Holiday time can mean more traffic and wear on your floors. At Big Bob’s, we would like to help you protect your investment this holiday season. Below are a few simple things you can do to help keep your floors in tip top shape.
- Start at every entrance. If you don’t have walk off mats, be sure to place them at every entrance. If you do have walk off mats, be sure that they are clean and free of dirt and debris. This gives people a place to deposit the dirt from their shoes and keep it on the mat rather than on your floors!
- When doing your regular household maintenance and vacuuming, remember to check and empty your bag or canisters often and vacuum as often as possible. The more times you vacuum, the better your carpet will perform and the longer it will last.
- Invest a few minutes and check the bottoms of your chairs to see if they have floor protectors. If they do, check to make sure they are in good shape. If not, make it a priority to get these on there!
- When entertaining, be aware that guests in high heels can do severe damage to your floors. The average sized woman’s weight exerts 2000 pounds per square inch of force when wearing high heals!
- If you get a stain, don’t panic. Treat it as soon as possible and treat it properly! When in doubt, don’t try multiple cleaners. Visit our website and read the maintenance sections under the appropriate type of flooring.
- Check out the blog post from The Carpet and Rug Institute on 10 Tips for the Holidays. They have some great advice as well!
Community Involvement: Homes for Our Troops November 25, 2009
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At Big Bob’s, we make it a point to show our support for the community by donating materials and/or money to several local charities. In the past five years the contributions from Big Bob’s have exceeded $120,000. We would not be able to show this level of support to these worthwhile charities if it was not for the dedication and productivity of the staff at Big Bob’s.
Last week I attended the Creating Your Space annual members conference in Sonoma, California. Creating Your Space is the web site vendor partner for Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet on a national basis and they service our local site www.mybigbobs.com. At the conference I was presented with an opportunity to help support a charity in conjunction with the Creating Your Space team. Rather than try to explain it, we ask each of you to take 6 minutes out of your schedule before leaving for the Thanksgiving break and view the video clip below. I guarantee it will be the best 6 minutes you could spend at this time of year when you are giving thanks. – Brad Millner, CEO.
http://www.bridgewayinteractive.com/homesfortroops.htm
For those of you that are not able to view the video, Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2004. It is with duty and honor that Homes for Our Troops assists severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently. The homes provided by Homes for Our Troops are given at NO COST to the Veterans.
To learn more about this organization please visit: www.homesforourtroops.org
From everyone at Big Bob’s, we would like to wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.
