Real Estate

Dos and Don’ts of Painting a Wooden Playhouse Like an Expert

What better way to make an immediate change in your child’s wooden playhouse than with a new paint job? When you’re ready to paint your kids’ playhouse and want to keep it looking great for years to come, there are a few things you definitely need to do and other things you want to avoid.

The following is a list of do’s and don’ts on how to expertly paint your wooden playhouse so it will last for years to come:

  1. Prepare your playhouse for painting ahead of time. Prepare your playhouse by gently scraping away any loose, dried or peeling old paint with a putty knife or sander, being careful not to damage the wood underneath.
  2. Seal cracks around windows or doors. If there are cracks where two wooden surfaces meet, use putty to seal the cracks. This will keep moisture out of the playhouse.
  3. Use a high-quality primer to paint all wooden surfaces in the playhouse. Using a primer helps increase paint adhesion to wood surfaces as well as increase the waterproof properties of exposed wood surfaces.
  4. Use an exterior grade paint. Exterior grade paint is formulated to withstand the weather that a wooden playhouse you will experience in your life. Interior paint does not withstand rain and snow. If an interior paint is used on surfaces exposed to the weather, a few months after painting, the paint will begin to flake and loosen.
  5. Paint over it with the same type of paint you used earlier. If a water-based (latex) paint was used last time, use a water-based paint this time to paint the playhouse. Use an oil-based paint to paint over a previously oil-based painted surface. When in doubt, use a water-based paint because it is easier to apply, dries quickly, helps prevent moisture problems, and cleanup is easier.
  6. Paint from top to bottom. Start with the fascia board and gables first. Then move on to painting the sides of the playhouse, followed by the windows and trim. The playhouse door is the last thing to paint.
  7. Plan your painting around the sun and the weather. Try to work your painting around where the sun is not. In the morning paint the west and south sides and in the afternoon paint the east and north sides in the afternoon.
  8. Do not prime or paint over filler that has not dried completely. As the wet caulking dries, it will crack and peel off along with the primer or paint you just applied.
  9. Do not paint over old peeling or chipping paint. Painting over dry or chipped paint with new paint will ensure that the new paint will chip faster in the near future.
  10. Don’t wait to paint new wood. New wood should be painted as soon as possible to prevent surface deterioration.

A good exterior paint job will prolong the life of your wooden playhouse. With these tips, you’ll be ready to paint like a pro. Your children will be extremely happy that their freshly painted playhouse will last for many years to come.

Shopping Product Reviews

2007 Nissan Sentra: For an Active Lifestyle

The automaker Nissan is the one who is quite responsible for the Nissan Sentra. A compact car made by Nissan, it is usually a rebadged export version of the Japanese Nissan Sunny. Her name, Sentra, is ironically not used in Japan, but she is known as Bluebird Sylphy there. According to the United States, this vehicle serves the compact model of its automaker. It competes directly with other compact models like the Toyota Corolla. Compared to its competition, the Nissan Sentra tops the list when it comes to price, which is why it’s generally considered the largest and most expensive compact car in its range.

In 1982, this vehicle was introduced under the name Nissan Sentra, instead of its Japanese name Sunny, in the United States. Currently, other countries have also had the Sentra name, instead of Sunny, and these countries include Mexico and Brazil. Currently, this vehicle comes with either a 1.8-liter QG18DE four-cylinder engine that is capable of producing 126 horsepower, or the 175-horsepower QR25DE 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is also being used by the Nissan. Altima. One of the things that Nissan and the Nissan Sentra are proud of is that it was included for four years, from 1991 to 1994, in Car and Driver magazine’s top ten list for those years.

The all-new 2007 Nissan Sentra is said to target the active lifestyle of the current generation. It makes its first world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It offers all the expected features of previous generations of the Nissan Sentra, including good fuel economy, high levels of durability, quality, reliability, safety, an affordable price and low cost of ownership. It doesn’t just bring these features though, as it couldn’t be called completely new if no changes were made to it. The 2007 Nissan Sentra adds a completely unexpected level of style, space, responsiveness and versatility that is what young, active and highly social buyers live for and need. It’s also very well equipped with power door and window locks, curtain side-impact airbags, and air conditioning. It has been designed to be much larger than previous models and offers one of the largest interior volumes in the compact car class. It is built on Nissan’s new “C” platform. It offers easier entry as well as increased headroom.

As for the interior of the 2007 Nissan Sentra, it has a new and spacious one that features a variety of innovative comfort and convenience. The list includes a 60/40 split fold-flat rear seat with a fold-down seat back angle to ensure better utilization of the wide trunk opening; a special trunk divider panel that creates a hidden storage compartment for the truck; and a compact disc holder built into the top.

Sports

10 Common Questions Men Have About Sex Addiction

1. Question: Am I a sex addict?

Answer: There are a number of warning signs that can indicate a sex addiction. A person who uses sexual activity, whether it be intercourse, viewing pornography, phone sex, chat rooms, prostitution, or masturbation as a numbing agent, something to keep them from feeling bad, may have a sex addiction. Other indicators that sexual behavior is causing addiction problems include that her spouse is upset by her behavior or that they have gone into debt from paying phone sex lines or Internet porn sites. Spending an excessive amount of time viewing porn More than 10 hours a week is another red flag, as this sexual behavior interferes with time spent with friends, family, or work.

Another key factor is that the addict has tried to stop engaging in sexual behavior but has failed. When all these things come together, it’s time to ask a professional for help.

2. Question: Can I be cured?

Answer: Many sex addicts have reported that they can control their sexual behavior through a variety of treatment methods. Some attend intensive rehabilitation facilities; others go to therapy sessions, attend 12-step meetings, or use medication and many other techniques to control their sexual behavior. This may include finding a trusted person to act as a “responsible partner.” Or for porn addicts, it may mean the use of porn-blocking software.

3. Question: Does being cured mean I stop having sex?

Answer: No. Unlike chemical dependencies related to alcohol or drugs, sex is recognized as a healthy aspect of life. Treatment for sex addiction, while involving a period of abstinence, seeks to control harmful and unwanted problematic sexual activity to the point where it is no longer causing harm. It can lead to stopping viewing porn, discontinuing soliciting prostitutes, and other “basic” behaviors or even illegal activities. The goal is to stop the harmful behavior, but certainly not to give up sex.

4. Question: Is sex addiction real, or just something people use to excuse their behavior?

Answer: Truth be told, there are some experts who don’t feel that sex addiction is real and say that it is more a product of conflicting social norms and customs. Others say that sex addiction exists, but they don’t feel it meets the definition of addiction in the same way as alcohol or drug addiction. For a sex addict seeking treatment, it can be a moot point. To get treatment, you first have to recognize that you have a problem and stop trying to use your own willpower to control it. Many people have sought treatment for sex addiction and reported results. Much of the criticism of its validity has been directed at celebrities involved in public sex scandals and it is hardly similar to the average person who does not live in the public eye. Sex addiction is real and someone struggling with unwanted sexual behaviors can certainly attest to that fact.

5. Question: What caused this? How did I get to be this way?

Answer: There is no definitive cause for sex addiction, and it will be different for each person. Many sex addicts report being sexually abused at a young age and growing up with a distorted view of sex and what a healthy sex life should look like. For others, it’s simply the rush of chemicals in their brain after discovering a parent’s porn stash or finding it in some other way. Still others indicate that the accessibility of Internet porn caused them to fall into a cycle, while there are those who turned to sex as a numbing agent during a difficult period of their lives and began to rely on it as a coping mechanism. For some, growing up with abuse, neglect, abandonment, and entanglement has led them to look for other ways to feel good about life and about themselves.

While it is important to know the cause of sex addiction, those on the road to recovery should not seek to dwell on the unchanging past; instead, they need to focus on their present actions.

6. Question: Does viewing pornography and sexual interaction on the Internet count as cheating on my spouse?

Answer: Not to be simplistic, but it may depend on the spouse. Certainly, many women feel that their spouses having cybersex or phone sex with another woman qualifies as infidelity. They may not react exactly the same way as if he had had physical sex with another woman, but the impact on a relationship can be told. First, the wife will feel betrayed. She will not trust her husband if he has been hiding her behavior. She may feel bad about herself, perhaps thinking that some failure on her part led her husband to pursue these sexual outlets.

Even watching porn can be a sore spot for women. Society puts a lot of pressure on women to be physically attractive and sexually desirable and they may feel that they are in competition with actresses in pornographic videos. This can affect their self-esteem, even if they don’t confront their husband about the behavior.

7. Question: Can medication lower my sex drive so I don’t have this problem?

Answer: Yes and no. There are medications that can reduce a person’s sexual desire and are often used to treat sex addiction. However, they have limited power to completely erase the problem. Some form of therapy is required, be it a 12-step program or another process.

8. Question: Will I ever be cured or is it a lifelong problem?

Answer: Many people report that they are able to control their sexual behaviors, sometimes over a period of months or years, and live relatively free lives of problems related to sex addiction. These people have addressed factors in their lives that they once tried to control through sex; now they have integrated multiple tools into their lives to avoid falling back into destructive cycles of addiction. For some, there is always the fear of relapsing, and some struggle with sex addiction for long periods of time. There is no quick fix for the problem.

9. Question: I am also addicted to alcohol. Is my sex addiction just a sign that I am susceptible to addictive behaviors in general?

Answer: In a way, yes. Many sex addicts report being addicted to alcohol, drugs, or behaviors such as gambling. They also claim relatives with various addictions. Certainly it has been theorized that a person may have a genetic predisposition to addictive behaviors. Regarding the treatment of multiple addictions, it should be noted that many sex addiction treatment programs are modeled after the alcohol treatment techniques developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. 12-step programs such as Sexaholics Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, and Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous model their programs and borrow their literature from that organization.

10. Question: Am I really a sex addict or is my sex drive naturally high?

Answer: The difference between a sex addict and a person who really enjoys sex has to do with why the behavior is sought and the inability to stop unwanted behavior as well as obsession and compulsion. A person with a high sexual desire is aroused and, in most cases, can control the action of that arousal. A sex addict engages in sex as a coping mechanism, isolates herself from others, even if she has a real-life partner for sex, and engages in sex compulsively. They may feel ashamed after completing the act, or some general feelings of depression. Real excitement is not the main motivator.

Tours Travel

The Elder Scrolls Online: Introducing the Combat System

combat principles

Any character in the game will have a skill bar with six slots: the first two are allocated for weapon skills, class skills occupy the next three slots, and players can slot an ultimate skill into the sixth slot.

Weapon skills are derived from the type of weapon the character is currently equipped with. There will be more than two available, but players can only place two on the skill bar for active use. The same goes for class skills. Basically, any skill from three classes can fill all three related slots on the skill bar. However, they must be chosen to support each other. All characters have a set of ultimate abilities that are suspected to be very powerful. That is precisely why only one can be used, so fill the designated slot on the skill bar.

Armor skills also exist in the game. They are passive, so they won’t fill any slots on your skill bar. These abilities will directly depend on the type of armor the player is wearing. Characters do not need to wear only one type of armor, but more pieces of the same type of armor will provide access further up the related skill tree.

In ESO, the main characters’ stats are health, stamina, and magic. Health is the character’s total number of hit points (how much damage the character can take before death occurs). Stamina is a necessary resource for weapon attacks, running, blocking, and dodging. Casting spells requires magic.

Targeting mechanics

ESO’s soft lock targeting allows the player to select their target through the use of a mouse-controlled reticle. That means the character has to face and aim at their target to hit them with a follow up attack. The target can only escape the attack using dodge or evasion skills. There is also a target lock option that allows the player to focus on a target, very useful during massive encounters (with many players and/or NPCs).

Damage prevention and combat

For these purposes, The Elder Scrolls Online has three specific abilities.

Dodge and block can be used to avoid being hit by an opponent, be it a monster or another player. By dodging, the player basically moves out of the way of an incoming attack. Using their shield or weapon, the player can also block an attack.

The stealth ability allows the player to move undetected in the vicinity of enemies without engaging in combat. Costumes will also be available in-game as loot. Players can wear these outfits to walk around enemies without restrictions.

All of these skills along with sprinting require various amounts of stamina.

Synergy and Delicacy

Synergy is a system in ESO that practically rewards two players for working together. This means that when one player uses a skill, the other player can interact with it at a certain time and improve it. In other words, players are rewarded for paying attention to the fight and reacting quickly at the right moments. Benefits range from simply helping the team kill faster, finesse points, to additional experience, loot, and special rewards.

Synergy is not limited to players. Monsters also use this system to increase the power of their abilities, making them harder to kill.

Finesse is the other system that offers benefits to players who can use their abilities efficiently during fights. On top of that, it maintains a fair reward system where no effort means no gain. As a result, successful attacks, interruptions, blocks, the use of synergies and other actions will generate finesse points. Finesse points are required for ults, so by earning them faster, players will be able to use their ults more often. Based on the amount of Delicacy Points earned, players will also receive additional loot, gold, and experience.

player vs player

PvP in ESO will be available in an organized way, but it can also happen naturally anywhere. Players will have unrestricted access to enemy areas. The developers created bottlenecks between the three alliance territories to increase the difficulty of advancing into opponent controlled regions.

During Alliance vs. Alliance battles, players will fight for resources and fortresses to reach the ultimate goal, taking control of the Imperial City. The highest ranking player of the winning alliance becomes Emperor and receives special abilities that significantly increase his combat abilities. Players, guilds and alliances will have leaderboards and achievements to show their progress and fighting skills.

ESO’s combat system is highly refined yet easy to understand. By rewarding team play and good fighting skills, players are encouraged to do the best job possible during fights. ESO fans are invited to share their thoughts and discover more combat-related facts on the Elder Scrolls Online forum.