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Decking is installed on many surfaces, from backyard patios to docks in piers on the water. There are some important steps to keep in mind to ensure that the finished product looks professional and lasts a long time. An important beginning step to keep in mind is that the installation of the decking should begin from the outside edge of the frame. Doing this will account for any overhang and notching that is necessary to accommodate a railing. Make your best effort to follow the age-old adage, measure twice, cut once; it will likely save you from having to purchase extra decking.

It is not hard to notice when decking is not actually parallel and it gives the decking a very unprofessional appearance. When you install the first piece of decking, make sure to measure the overhang along the length of the board to make sure it is consistent. Using spacers between each board will help to maintain an even gap. Natural lumber frequently has some curvature to it so you may need to use a chisel in order to lever the boards closer together. There are also deck lever tools that are designed especially for this task and they will save your chisel from damage and are a good investment for a large decking project.

Depending on the type of decking, you will need different types of fasteners to affix the decking to the frame. Soft wood can be attached with nails. These nails should be at least 3” long and if you purchase galvanized spiral nails, they will give you an even tighter hold. Cedar is one of the most common lumbers used for decking and because of its softness, you may not even need to use spiral nails. Pressure-treated lumber requires longer nails or even better screws to ensure that the joints stay firmly attached. Even though screws are more expensive than nails, it is important to use them with pressure-treated lumber because of this type of lumber’s extreme pulling power. If you fill in the holes with wood filler and then stain the entire deck, it will give it a uniform appearance. Another option even more durable than wood filler is auto body filler since it is harder and less likely to pop out of the holes.

Decking is usually installed wet and then allowed to shrink. The fact the boards shrink is important to keep in mind when spacing the decking. By spacing the wet lumber at an 1/8 inch, when the wood dries out you will have gaps around ¼ inch, which is reasonable for wooden decking. This gap will allow for the proper amount of expansion when it rains and allow the rain to escape and not pool on the decking surface and damage it.

Installing your wooden decking the correct way will help you to get the most out of your investment. Wooden decking will give your deck or pier a classic nautical finish and is also very durable, meaning it will last for generations and give you and your family years of enjoyment by the water.

• Data Recovery
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When buying new computer equipment, most people give little thought to their old equipment. The vast majority of outdated computers go to the landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2007, more than 82% of all discarded televisions and computers were sent to landfills, and only 18% were picked up for recycling.

Recycling your old computer has several benefits. It keeps dangerous substances out of landfills and ultimately out of the water table. Toxic substances used in computers include lead, cadmium, and mercury. Lead is found in a computer’s cathode ray tubes and in the solder used for putting the computer together. Cadmium is often found in the rechargeable batteries found in laptop computers. Mercury resides in the bulbs of flat screen and laptop monitors.

In the world of environmentalism, a step more eco-friendly than recycling is reusing. There is still life in many outdated computers and there are many charities that take in old computers and give them a new lease on life. Donating your old computer to one of these charities could allow a child to learn computer skills who would otherwise never be able to afford a computer. It could also allow adult students to upgrade their skills to get a better job or to provide smaller charities with the business tools they need to allow them to keep helping others.

Donating your old computer can pose some security risks, however, if you are not vigilant about protecting your data. Simply deleting files or even erasing the hard drive does not permanently eliminate the data. It only makes it inaccessible in the way it is normally accessed, much like putting the garbage bins around the back of the house so the guests can’t see it. The garbage is still there for anyone so inclined to go and find it.

With identity theft on the rise, donating a computer with data still on the hard drive can be a dangerous oversight. The data stored on a hard drive can include account numbers, passwords, banking or credit card information and other information that can allow a hacker to access and steal your financial resources.

The only sure way of permanently deleting the information stored on your hard drive, whether you donate your computer or send it to the landfill, is through a process called degaussing. Degaussing permanently scrambles the magnetic signature of your hard drive to render it completely inaccessible. Companies like IntelliRecovery.com specialize in hard drive degaussing for permanent data erasure. Simply remove the hard drive from your computer and ship it to IntelliRecovery.com. They will professionally erase the hard drive and ship it back to you (in the case of donation) or destroy it if you no longer need it.

Donating your old computer to charity can help in so many ways, especially in this tight economy. Being smart about it means protecting the integrity of your data and offering a computer with a clean bill of health.