The brakes on your vehicle work hard every time you drive. When you slow down in traffic, stop at a red light, or must maneuver a quick hard stop because of an obstruction in the road your brakes are at work. Over time the use of your brakes causes normal wear and tear, which can render them ineffective or useless. It’s important to have regular maintenance performed on your braking system to keep it in tip top shape, and provide safe driving conditions for you and your family.

What Makes a Brake

The brake system in your vehicle is comprised of a disc, also called a rotor, a caliper, and the brake pad. From inside the car, it seems like all that happens is a push on the brake pedal, and the vehicle stops. But inside the car, this depressed pedal sends brake fluid through the brake lines as a piston moves in the master cylinder. As pistons in the caliper are initiated, the brake shoe pushes against the rotor, causing friction on the brake drum. Essentially, this pressure caused by your brake pad on the drum will slow the roll of your vehicle, and eventually cause it to stop.

In this way, you can see that your brakes are powered by much more than a simple pedal on the floor of your vehicle. It takes many working factors to make your car stop safely and timely on the road. Which is why it’s super important to keep every part in working order through continued preventative maintenance.

Why Choose a Mechanic?

Brake pad replacement is one of the minor jobs that many DIY car owners decide to try themselves. While it’s certainly one of the easier fixes to master over time, it’s important that you know exactly what you’re doing if you attempt this at home. When it comes to something as important as your brakes, we at Glenn’s Auto Repair, always recommend a certified mechanic over a DIY job. You may save yourself a few bucks, but if the pad isn’t fitted properly, or damage occurs to the caliper or other brake components during the fix, your vehicle may be rendered unsafe on the roads.

If your brakes are squeaking, sticking, or seem to take much more pressure than usual to engage, it’s time to see a mechanic.

Fitting a Square Building

According to the World Green Building Council Trends Report, commercial builders expect more than 60 percent of their projects to shift toward sustainable building practices this year. That’s up 13 percent from 2008. While we all know environmental concerns are one of the drivers behind the development of new green building products and sustainable building design advancements, the economic benefit of sustainable building practices is now undeniable.

Arguably, there’s no reason not to build green, especially since green building products have become more readily available. In fact, sustainable building design starts with some of the simplest considerations, like natural lighting, ventilation solutions and cool-roof technologies.

Green building products are no longer viewed as add-ons and luxury features. For most companies, going green has become a necessity in improving operations. Clients have begun to focus on sustainability at the beginning of their commercial project, enabling builders to incorporate green building products and sustainable building design from the foundation up, and all without increasing costs. Our primary markets are:

How do you decide?

• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Manufacturing & Industrial
• Hospitality & Resort
• Education & Campus