bermuda living
a special advertising section of the bermuda sun
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Family firm relocates to offer wider choice for customers By Amanda Dale adale@bermudasun.bm
Souza’s Carpets & Flooring has expanded its product lines through a relocation to bigger premises. The family firm moved from Serpentine Road to Mill Reach Lane, Pembroke, in April — adding another 4,000 sq ft of floor space to its showroom. Darren Souza, co-owner of the business with brother Jason, said: “This larger location gives us more room to be able to stock more items, which in turn means we can try to lower prices, by buying in bulk. “We’ve now got a larger range of wood and laminate flooring , with new colours and styles. “We’ve also expanded our area rugs. With more space, the showroom is laid out better and it’s more convenient for customers, with plenty of parking.
‘This larger location gives us more room to be able to stock more items, which in turn means we can try to lower prices, by buying in bulk.’ darren souza Co-owner, Souza’s Carpets & Flooring
Customer service
“We’re also getting a lot of drive-by traffic because of the PriceRite store down the road. “We moved to expand the business, but overall this is proving to be a better location for us.” Souza Carpets & Flooring was established in 1985 by Darren and Jason’s father Dennis Souza. It stocks a wide choice of carpet, vinyl, laminate and wooden flooring. If you want to refurbish your home, a new carpet or floor can be installed in just a few weeks. Whether it’s traditional or contemporary look, Darren and Jason have the knowledge and expertise to find what you are looking for. The company also sells Cypress wooden flooring specially stained to look like Bermuda Cedar. Laminate and wooden brands include Max Windsor, Ua Floors and Urban Wood Floors.
Flexitec provides the company with its vinyl sheet flooring. This is a ‘cushioned’ product which looks similar to wood or tile, but has the advantage of no grout to clean. Carpet brands include Mohawk, Shaw, Beaulieu, Southwind Mills, Godfrey Hirst, Sphinx and Bigelow. Souza Carpets & Flooring also has an extensive collection of area rugs, in more than 150 sizes, colours and textures. Suppliers include Surya, Sphinx and Shaw. The company also offers rug making, carpet binding and hallway runners. For commercial premises, it stocks hard-wearing VCT (Vinyl Composition Tile) flooring and carpet tiles. Despite the relocation to the former Arnolds Tile building on Mill Reach Lane, Darren said the company’s emphasis on customer service remains
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convenience: The new Souza Carpets & Flooring showroom on Mill Reach Lane. Below, a selection of area rugs. the same. “We treat everyone the same, whether it’s a fitting for one room or a whole house,” he said. “We value all our customers the same, and I think that’s what sets us apart. “We encourage people to come out and visit our showroom before considering buying overseas.” n
Souza Carpets & Flooring Ltd, 1 Mill Reach Lane (behind the BGA warehouse), Pembroke. Call 292-3438 or e-mail jason@souzacarpets. com or darren@souzacarpets.com. Website www. souzacarpets.com
Cleaning right by your side.
THE BERMUDA SUN
bermuda living: a special advertising section
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Home security — how to beat the burglars By Michele Smith OBM International
After the sounding alarm of a barking dog, security lighting fixtures are often regarded as the first line of defence for homeowners in deterring criminal activity. In order to prevent incidents michele such as burglaries smith or attacks, Sun columnist you don’t have to necessarily spend big bucks in protecting your family. When considering the safety of your family and property it is important to take your time in reviewing your options for the best indoor and outdoor security lighting products today. Outdoor flood lighting is used to illuminate large areas like a backyard or drive.
Deterrent
These lighting fixtures often come with motion sensors that turn on when they detect movement. They are an energyefficient instrument if you want to use lighting purely as a deterrent when a potential intruder approaches. Installing these flood lights at the corners of your home illuminates two directions. In lieu of the typical corner security lights, decorative fixtures can also be placed strategically and put on a sensor. Some motion detectors have a sensitivity control. This is useful because a motion detector that is too sensitive can be triggered by small animals or falling leaves. You do not want it coming on every time a toad hops in front of it. Some experimentation may be required here to find the perfect balance. When positioning outdoor flood lighting, take care where you aim the lighting fixtures beam.
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alarm: A burglar alarm can protect your home but you should also consider outdoor flood lighting with motion sensors and timer units. If the light from your unit intrudes into other people’s properties you may face problems from your neighbours. Both outdoor flood and spot lighting are available with solar batteries and motion sensors. These types of motion sensor lighting fixtures charge during the day, and normally have enough energy to last through the night. When installing security lights outside it is impor-
‘As thieves often “stake out” a property before deciding to rob it, seeing this kind of lighting activity can be an effective deterrent.’ tant to make sure that they are positioned out of easy reach.
This way they cannot be tampered with or disabled quickly by intruders.
Although positioning fixtures out of reach will make changing bulbs more difficult, energy-saving lamps and LED bulbs can last for years, so this should not be too much of an issue. Do you think that leaving a light on when you are out at night is a good deterrent for thieves? Many people leave lights on while they are away thinking that this is a reliable deterrent from intruders.
Police call a solitary light ‘the burglar beacon’. This is because thieves are wise to this technique. Instead of leaving a light burning until the wee hours, use a timing unit that turns lights on and off at preset times. To anyone who is watching it will look like your home is occupied. These timing units can also be connected to televisions and radios which See security, page 29
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november 14, 2012
bermuda living: a special advertising section
THE BERMUDA SUN
A quick call to Argus Insurance can help you estimate how much it would cost to protect your family home and ensure you are getting the coverage you need at a competitive price. Talk to one of our home insurance experts today to review your home policy.
Call 298-0888 to learn more.
insurance@argus.bm • www.argus.bm
Argus Insurance is the trading name for Argus Insurance Company Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Argus Group Holdings Limited.
The Argus Group 14 Wesley Street Hamilton HM 11
THE BERMUDA SUN
security Continued from page 27 will further compound the effect that someone is home. You should install indoor lighting timers on lamps and fixtures that are in close proximity to windows that are visible from the exterior of the building. Timing a light to turn off in one room and then have another light turn on in another room a few seconds later creates the impression of somebody being at home and moving from room to room. As thieves often ‘stake out’ a property before deciding whether to rob it, seeing this kind of lighting activity can be an effective deterrent. Timers are easy to install and set for when you want
bermuda living: a special advertising section them to come on and turn off. Installing solar light for outdoor lighting, whether the lighting is for security or for landscape purposes, has several advantages over hard-wired lighting. Firstly, it will not increase your electric light bill, and secondly they are easier to install on your property than hard-wired lighting. You can install solar lights yourself without having to hire an electrician. No trenching or laying of wires is required with solar lights. Whatever type of security lighting you install, it is a good idea to test it on a monthly basis. This will involve making sure that everything is working and that no bulbs need replacing.
Also observing your home from the outside, taking on a potential intruder’s point of view, will be beneficial in making sure your security lighting set-up is as good as it can be.
Storage ideas
We all have them. That junk drawer, or two, that you toss items into when you’re on a cleaning splurge. The old bakeware that belonged to grandma that you’re not going to use again but you cannot bring yourself to get rid of. We all have things that we just do not know what to do with but will not part with either. The solution is to put them to work. That’s right, give them a new job. Take that old accordion-
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creating space: Clean out your closet and try to ‘recycle’ items you no longer use, by repurposing them.
style wine rack that you no longer use for wine storage (‘it just does not hold enough bottles, but I really like it’) and repurpose it as a towel rack in the guest bathroom. Roll the towels up and slide them into the slots — an instant towel rack. Use the ‘half’ holes on the bottom for smaller hand towels. Remember that wooden wine crate you brought home? Turn it into a small shelf in the bathroom, a perfect look to go with the wine rack towel holder.
Create an open shelving solution by drilling holes in the bottom of the wooden wine crate and mount it on the wall. It makes a great narrow shelf in the bathroom and will even hold the large bottles of bath salts and shampoo. Use that old muffin tin to sort out all those small things in the junk drawer. Place the muffin tin in the drawer and use it to sort out all those little odds and ends, and keep them sorted. Paint it a bright colour and it’s just like new.
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If you’re like me, you have metal bakeware that you do not use anymore. That old loaf pan will hold all your cake decorating supplies in one place. Before you get more stuff to help you organize the stuff you already have, think about repurposing things that could do the job. Recycling is ‘in’ these days. n
Michele D Smith is managing director of OBM International/Bermuda. Contact 278-3550.
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bermuda living: a special advertising section
THE BERMUDA SUN
Bermuda Gas ‘How To’: Celebrate the season Members of the Bermuda Gas team are here to help you tackle a variety of issues in the monthly Bermuda Gas ‘How To’ column of the Bermuda Living supplement. This month, sales manager David DeSilva explains how the knowledgeable staff at Bermuda Gas can help you to make this holiday season enjoyable and stress-free.
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festive gift: Bermuda Gas is giving away a turkey with each kitchen appliance sold.
The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate this special time of year than by preparing and sharing meals with family and friends. With everything from desilva cooktops to wine storage from great brands such as KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Sub-Zero and Viking, Bermuda Gas has everything to make cooking and clean-up fun and easy. Come into our show-
room to get inspired for the season. See the latest technology and looks in electric and propane gas appliances. Not only can you bring your dream kitchen to life this Christmas with our extensive range of appliances — you can also find great gifts for the special people in your life. Our stylish range of KitchenAid countertop portable appliances are always a hit on Christmas morning and nothing says ‘you’re a great cook’ like a shiny new piece of equipment. You can also create the perfect holiday ambience
with one of our fireplace surrounds or inserts. These innovative products can give you the crackling fire that you have always dreamed of. And, in celebration of the season, Bermuda Gas is giving away a free turkey with every appliance purchase made between November 19 and December 22. You will also be entered into a draw to win your appliance purchase. Contact us for more information on the details of the contest. Get the turkey… win the appliance. And happy holidays! n
For more information visit Bermuda Gas at 25 Serpentine Road, Hamilton or call 295-3111/298-6113. Website www.bermudagas. bm