Get your home spring ready with SCPL
It's time for a spring refresh! With the sun shining and new-found energy, it's time to tackle your home to do list. The library can help with your simple DIY projects too. From improving your home efficiency to finally fixing the wobbly handle on the kitchen cabinet, we've got some helpful tools to get the job done quick and affordably!
Borrow tools for your home repair projects
After a long and chilly winter, we're putting down our cozy books and picking up our hammers to complete all the tasks we have been putting off. Luckily, the library's tool sets come with everything we need to get the job done. Install artwork and family photos with the tool set hammer, select from a variety of screwdriver bits to fix a wobbly table leg, and grab the measuring tape to find out if your new sofa is going to actually fit through the front door (preferably before you buy it!). Before you know it, you’ll be right back to reading that book again – just how we like it!
Research the best appliances, home security, building materials, and more with Consumer Reports
Spring is a time of renewal for you and your home! If you have been thinking about replacing old appliances, refreshing your home with new flooring, or a home update project somewhere in between, make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck with Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports takes all the guesswork out of selecting the right appliances, building supplies, and technology for your home and your family. Their experts test all kinds of products, consider costs, and provide you with their professional recommendations. All this expert advice can be accessed for free with your library card membership! Just make sure you're logged into a library network (our Wi-Fi or by using one of our free computers) to access the library's Consumer Reports subscription.
Improve your home energy efficiency
Before you know it, it’s going to be A/C season, and all our electrical bills are going to skyrocket again. That means, now is the time to make sure all your home appliances work as efficiently as possible with a Kill a Watt monitor from the library. Simply plug it into your home appliance to measure how many kilowatt hours (kWh) are used over the period of time.
The device will measure energy use in watts and translate that into kilowatt hours (kWh) for you. 1000 watts = 1 kilowatt; a 100-watt device running for 10 hours = 1 kWh.
According to the Ontario Energy Board, the average Ontario household uses approximately 750 kWh per month. This includes anything from the constant use of your refrigerator, the weekly use of your clothing dryer, and your frequent but temporary use of your A/C unit during summer. Remember, most of your appliances aren’t operating at 100% capacity all the time – your coffee maker is plugged in even when it is not brewing coffee; your microwave is consuming energy to power its little clock even when it's heating up your lunch. A Kill a Watt monitor will measure your appliances energy usage while in-use and while inactive to give you a full picture of its efficiency.
Find energy inefficiencies in your home to start lowering your electricity bill today.
At the library, we’re proud to offer more than books in our collection. Through our Library of Things collection and Digital Library, we strive to improve the lives of our customers. Check out all of the digital resources and cool items you can access for free with your library card.
Contact Us
St. Catharines Public Library
54 Church Street
St. Catharines, ON, L2R 7K2
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