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Though the flashlight is of a very simple design, it is a relatively new invention. It came into being after the incandescent light bulb and the dry cell was invented.

The name “flashlight” has a humorous background. In the early days of the dry cell, the power of a dry cell battery was very limited. To save the it from discharging quickly, the flashlight was operated intermittently and just long enough to check out the environments, hence the name “flashlight”.

There are many flashlight designs available in the market today. Like dry cell flash lights, rechargeable acid type flashlights, rechargeable dry cell type, LED (Light Emitting Diode) type, solar charging type, electromagnet type, head lamp type, underwater type, rifle or gun light etc.

The flashlight is the simplest design and used in most households and consists of batteries to power the electric bulb. As the batteries discharge the illumination dims in these flashlights.

Rather than buying a flashlight, which needs battery replacement frequently, a better design is to use rechargeable batteries, which can be lead acid type or dry cell type.

Some use solar panels for recharging during daytime. Electromagnet type uses a clockwork arrangement or a knob arrangement. In clockwork arrangement a spring mechanism is used to power the flashlight and has to be wound as required. The knob type arrangement has a moving coil or magnet which moves when the knob is pressed and charges a capacitor, which provides power to the bulb.

LED type flashlights are of a recent design. Though LED:s have been around for decades, the LED flashlight was not available till late 90s because the LED:s could not be operated continuously and their luminosity was very poor.

LED flashlights consume very little power compared to the conventional electric bulb as LED:s do not produce as much heat as electric bulb. These flashlights usually have a metal body to dissipate heat by conduction since LED:s do not dissipate heat through the light beam like electric bulbs do.

A headlamp type has a flashlight on a helmet so that the hands are free. Underwater type is a special flashlight, which is used for illuminating underwater objects and is waterproof. Rifle or gun lights are special flashlights used for illumination of target.

Flashlights are fairly cheap and available in attractive designs. The price ranges from a few dollars to a couple of hundred dollars.

Wooden decks, roofs and even interiors can really take a beating each year, simply by being exposed to the sun. For those of us who live in permanently sunny areas, the damage can be inflicted quickly and it is a known fast that roofs do not last as long in desert areas.

What of other areas? We know how to protect the exterior, but in order to apply stain and paint but we have to wait, because it is too damp and then suddenly the sun is here – and its hot! We are getting sunburn trying to stop our homes from getting sun burn!

The good news is that some protection is more thorough than others, and if this is applied at least your labor will be paid off. Some of the well recommended stains are Cabot’s, Total Wood Protection (with UV protection), and Penofin.

Also beneficial is a yearly check on your roof and woodwork. The woodwork inspection, you can probably carry out yourself, but often the roof inspection often gets a quick upward glance and that’s it.

Tiled roofs that need attention can often be spotted by close observation. Get up on the roof and look carefully for tiles with corners lifted, tiles slightly askew, curling edges or ones with a tear. If you see substantial damage, it is best to call in a roofing contractor.

Home repairs are only recommended for minor problems. Check that the roofing felt underneath is not cracked or damaged, if it is, you will need to repair this, usually by re-tarring it, before replacing the tile.

It is fairly easy to buy a packet of roof tiles at the hardware store and replace a damaged tile. Simply position it and nail it on by attaching the tile at each corner. It is recommended to ‘waterproof ‘ the nail head by painting it with roof tar, or try the USA Topcoat designed for asphalt shingle roofs (a three coat process).

It is more difficult with flat roofs covered in rolled asphalt. One easy way to check it is to have someone ’spotting’ in your attic and get up on the roof with a flashlight. If there is a light showing through, there must be a crack in your roofing.

Another indicator is moisture on your one of your beams, not that this will necessarily tell you the whereabouts of a leak, as water runs along beams etc. You could follow the trail, and if you think you have found it then try the flashlight test.

There are many products on the market to patch up an asphalt roof, but obviously a roofing contractor is your best bet. However, if you are toying with the idea of a new roof, and just want to stop the leaks for a while longer, then spot repairs may do the trick!