In Home Painting

How to Keep Birds From Building a Nest in Your Gas Grill

Author AnderpriedPosted on
How to Keep Birds From Building a Nest in Your Gas Grill

Finding a bird’s nest after opening your gas grill in the spring or after a lengthy hiatus can certainly put a damper on your outdoor plans, especially if the eggs have hatched. Birds are known to build their nests in gutters and ports around your home, and sparrows can enter through holes as small as 1 1/4-inch in diameter. Any quiet, sheltered area such as the inside of your grill can be inviting to get your little bird. Protect your gas grill during winter and when not in use for long stretches of time to avoid uninvited feathered friends appearing in your next backyard barbecue.

Clean out the inside of your grill, removing any previous indications of birds, such as grass, straw and twigs. Clean the outside and inside of the grill with soapy water. Rinse the grill using clean water and let the grill dry.

Wipe the grill grates and burners using coconut oil to prevent rust. Wrap the burners in a plastic garbage bags and tape the bags shut with duct tape.

Close the grill lid. Inspect the grill for any tiny openings. Use utility shears to cut parts of copper mesh from a roll and stuff them into any tiny openings on the grill. The copper mesh will keep birds from going into the grill.

Wrap the grill in bird netting if you live in an area with a tall bird population or have had problems with birds nesting in odd areas around your home in the past. The bird has little opening that birds cannot pass through.

Cover the grill in a grill cover that has an elastic bottom and also a pull strings to fasten it. A good cover will avoid the birds accessing the inside of the building and grill nests.

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In Tropical Style

Issues With Reed or Willow Fencing

Author AnderpriedPosted on
Issues With Reed or Willow Fencing

Willow cuttings and reeds are attractive natural solutions to fabricated fencing materials. Willow and reed fences are relatively simple to build and preserve, but thanks to their minimally processed character, they present a few issues that are unique to fences made from these close-to-nature materials.

Decay

The most frequent problem with fences made from willow, reeds or other bare natural materials is decay. When exposed to weather, the following materials will naturally deteriorate over time if left untreated. Preservative treatments, like linseed oil-based preservatives, help control natural decay and deterioration. Willow ought to be allowed to dry thoroughly before it’s treated with a preservative. Depending on weather conditions, decent drying can take up to a year from the time that the fence is installed.

Sprouting

Willows spread extremely readily and their vigorous propagation can be a problem when willow branches or trunks act as fence posts. Given sufficient moisture, a newly cut willow post is very likely to sprout if it’s pounded into the ground as a portion of the fence structure. A remedy for this dilemma is to use just thoroughly dried willow for posts or to use commercially milled lumber posts.

Living Fence Growth

Living willow fences are a popular choice to cut willow fences. Fresh willow cuttings are shoved into the ground and then woven together to form a fence. The cuttings sprout and grow and leaves fill in the fence, providing shade and privacy. But if the divisions are not properly implanted, the growth can be irregular. Cuttings that are implanted vertically tend to sprout just at the ends, leaving gaps in the middle of the fence, so cuttings should be implanted in a 45-degree angle, which encourages them to sprout along their whole length.

Unbraiding

If not properly tied and braided, willow or reed branches tend to unbraid over time. This may be exacerbated by exposure to wind and weather. Regular maintenance of the fence, such as retying and rebraiding any divisions that have come free from their place in the fence, which will help to maintain the fence structure from substantially degrading over time.

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In Home Cleaning

The Way To Wash Bamboo Fabric

Author AnderpriedPosted on
The Way To Wash Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo fibers form a silky-soft yarn that supplies an easy-care fabric for bedding, clothing and undergarments. The fibers also include natural antibacterial properties which help stop odors and prevent mildew and bacterial growth. Resistant to ultraviolet rays, the fabric is frequently used for daily wear and for sportswear, notably as an underlay because it wicks perspiration and humidity away from the human body. Properly washing your bamboo things prolongs their life and keeps them looking almost new.

Separate light and dark fabrics as you would for any laundry room. Dye can bleed from dark bamboo and stain lighter fabrics or make them look depressing.

Place the fabric in the washing machine. Add the quantity of nonbleach powdered or liquid detergent recommended on the jar to get the load size.

Wash the bamboo fabric on the soft with cold water. Allow the cycle to finish.

Dry the fabric on the reduced or fragile setting in the dryer. Do not use fabric softener sheets when drying. Alternatively, line-dry the bamboo things.

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In Tropical Style

Plants to Boost Winterberry

Author AnderpriedPosted on
Plants to Boost Winterberry

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous native shrub that grows from 6 to 15 feet high and nearly equally broad. It’s hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 through 9 and thrives in sun to partial shade. Although winterberry loses its 1- to 3-inch green leaves in the autumn, it’s prized for its bright red berries that stay on the bare stems. Given the space it needs to develop, it partners well with a number of other plants.

Pollination

The most significant plant to develop having a winterberry holly is just a winterberry of their opposite sex. Berries are produced on female plants, but pollen from a nearby male plant is vital for the fruit formation procedure. Plant tags often carry information regarding great pollinators for a particular selection. For example, the male number “Southern Gentleman” is a suitable pollinator for female varieties including “Cacapon,” “Shaver” and “Sparkleberry.” “Red Sprite,” a compact, 3- to 4-foot selection, can be pollinated by the male “Jim Dandy.”

Shrub Companions

Tall varieties, such as “Winter Red” and “Jolly Red,” belong at the rear of the edge. Since winterberry is deciduous, companion plantings should incorporate some evergreens for construction. Another holly variety, “Sky Pencil” Japanese holly (Ilex crenata “Sky Pencil”) is evergreen, hardy in zones 6 through 8 and also comes with a columnar shape that makes contrast. For the front of a mixed shrub or shrub/perennial/annual border, the evergreen boxwood “Green Gem” may work. It’s hardy in zones 4 through 9, rises 1.5 to 2 feet tall with an equal spread and is easily clipped to shape.

Perennial Companions

Winterberry pairs well with perennials that like the same sunny or lightly shaded conditions with somewhat moist soil. A mixed planting of daffodils (Narcissus) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) may provide long spans of attention from spring through early to midsummer. Both are usually hardy in zones 3 through 9 or 10. Garden stalwarts such as tickseed (Coreopsis), coneflower (Echinacea) and asters (Aster and Symphiotrichum) create suitable companion plants during summer and into autumn. Many tickseed and coneflower varieties are hardy in zones 4 through 9, and many asters are hardy in zones 4 through 8.

Grasses

Grasses can be companions to winterberry. Striped eulalia (Miscanthus sinensis “Variegatus”) is a tall grass, with feathery seedheads that persist throughout the winter. It’s hardy in zones 5 through 9. Purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea subsp. Arundinacea), also hardy in zones 5 through 9, features purple-green summer flowerheads and yellow fall foliage. Slightly shorter, at about 3 ft, is fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides), with narrow, arching leaves and purplish, bottlebrush-like flower panicles. It’s hardy in zones 6 through 9.

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In Home Cleaning

Olive Oil to Polish Hardwood Floors

Author AnderpriedPosted on
Olive Oil to Polish Hardwood Floors

Olive oil hydrates and polishes wood flooring without leaving behind the dirt-attracting movie common with store-bought products. It can clean and polish your floor at the same time or permit you to rapidly buff dull places back to a stunning sheen. But the applications don’t stop there: Olive oil turns any cleaning solution into a semi-polishing product, hydrates bare wood floors and enthusiasts outside scuff marks.

Polish While Cleaning

Sweep the ground thoroughly, vacuum with the beater bar increased to the maximum setting, or sweep with a dry dust mop.

Fill a 2-gallon bucket into the halfway point with hot water; the hottest atmosphere from your tap is fine. Add 3/4 cup of olive oil along with 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Wet a string or wax mop at the method, wring it out thoroughly and mop the floor, starting in the other side of the room in the exit.

Work your way out of this room, re-wetting and wringing out the mop as you go. Be mindful of working the solution into the ground, going over each section a few times; because the cleaning solution doesn’t contain soap, you do not need to think about leaving a deposit. However, too much moisture is awful for timber, and thus do not over-saturate the ground.

Let the floor dry completely. The diluted vinegar or lemon juice will soften, leaving behind the moisturizing olive oil. If the floor feels abnormally slick, later on, buff the extra oil out with a cloth and reduce the amount of olive oil used to 1/2 cup.

Buffing Dull Areas

Wipe the area you are going to be polishing with a dusting cloth and turn on an overhead light.

Apply a few drops of olive oil into your lint-free cloth. Buff it into the dull area of the timber, adding more olive oil into the cloth as needed. Don’t pour olive oil right on the ground.

Wait one hour. Buff the area with a clean cloth to remove the excess oil. If needed, repeat the process until the dreary area reaches a shine very similar to the surrounding ground.

Other Olive Oil Uses

Add a few drops of olive oil into your normal non-polishing floor cleaning mix to hydrate timber and leave behind a wonderful sheen.

Condition bare wood floors by filling a bucket with warm water, adding a few drops of olive oil and mopping the solution on the ground. Do this once per week to remain wood hydrated, especially during dry weather.

Remove scuff marks and polish floors by mixing baking soda with a drop or two of olive oil. Apply to this mark, then wait a few minutes to allow it to soften and then buff the solution into the ground with a soft sponge. Wipe away residue with a damp cloth.

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In Home Painting

How to Remove Carpet Backing In the ground

Author AnderpriedPosted on
How to Remove Carpet Backing In the ground

When old rug remains on the ground for long time, the rubber capital eventually deteriorates, and it often sticks to the floor when you remove the carpet. Cleaning off this financing can be a real chore, but you don’t have to resign yourself to simply attacking it with a floor scraper. Solvents help, and in some cases, it might be better to sand it off with a sander or a floor buffer and sanding display.

Solvents Make Scraping Easier

The residue left on the floor after you pull an old rug is usually latex — the exact same rubber compound discovered in hexagonal paint — and it also adheres with the tenacity of paint. No magic solvent dissolves it completely, but you can find seams which loosen the bond well enough to create scraping tolerable. The best solvent to use is the one you use to remove dried latex paint, but spray lubricant will also do the job. These solvents are safe for any flooring substance, but they leave a oily residue which you have to wash off when you are done scraping.

Spray, Wait and Scrape

Before softening carpet financing with a solvent, it’s ideal to remove as much of it as you can by pulling and scraping it off. Backing becomes brittle with age, and you need to be able to get a fair amount off this manner. When you use the arc, it’s ideal to work in tiny sections. Spray the financing and give the solvent time to function — latex paint remover needs more time compared to spray lubricant — as far as an hour. When the financing has softened, it should come off easily with a floor scraper.

Wash With Floor Cleaner

After you’ve removed all the residue, it’s important to wash off the arc, which leaves an oily residue which makes the floor slippery. A solution of warm water and a standard floor cleaner functions, or you can create your own solution by adding an ounce of dish soap and a cup of vinegar to a gallon of warm water. Wash the floor thoroughly, using a scrubbing pad or plastic scrubber to remove any rubber financing you were not able to scrape off. Dry the floor with a rag once you are done.

Sand Away Old Carpet Backing

Oftentimes, it can be more appropriate to remove the financing by sanding with a floor sander or a floor buffer and a 36-grit sanding display. The sander leaves deep scrapes on the floor, but those don’t matter if you’re planning to lay more carpet or install a floating floor. You can also remove those scrapes from a hardwood floor by sanding with progressively finer grits of sandpaper. Sanding off financing is a one-step process which saves time, but it can be messy, so be certain that you seal off the room in which you are working from the remainder of the home by hanging plastic sheeting.

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In Tropical Style

What Is a fantastic Yellow Trailing Plant for My Summer Window Boxes?

Author AnderpriedPosted on
What Is a fantastic Yellow Trailing Plant for My Summer Window Boxes?

Window boxes full of trailing plants create beautiful summer displays, and there is no lack of plants to select from. Garden centers and nurseries sell packs of bedding plants that bear prolific flowers all summer, and you can sow annual flower seeds in window boxes in spring. Ensure your window boxes have drainage holes, and fill the boxes with a lightweight, soilless potting mix. Water the plants regularly so that the soil remains moist — in hot, dry weather you may want to water twice a day.

Bedding Plants

Bedding plants typically provide temporary displays in garden beds, borders, hanging baskets, containers and window boxes. Million bells (Calibrachoa spp.) Is named because of its profuse blossoms, which also come in colors of yellow. Also called trailing petunia, million bells grows 4 to 9 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide, and prefers full-sun websites. Even though thousand bows grows outside year-round in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, it’s generally treated as an annual. Another perennial usually grown as an annual bedding plant is hybrid tuberous begonia (Begonia tuberosa), which rises in USDA zones 9 through 11, that comes in forged, yellow-blooming varieties. Growing 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, depending on the number, hybrid tuberous begonia grows best in bright, partial shade.

Annual Flowers

Sowing annual flower seeds directly in window boxes avoids the bother of transplanting, and provides new displays each year. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.) And creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) are just two annual flowers that grow readily from seed sown in spring. Nasturtiums arrive in a range of flower colors, including yellow, and bushy or trailing forms that can grow up to 10 feet, depending on the variety. Creeping zinnia rises 3 to 6 inches tall and 9 to 18 inches wide, and contains yellowish to orange-yellow, daisylike flowers on weeping stalks. Both plants grow best in full sun.

Trailing Vines

Trailing vines create long, cascading displays from window boxes. Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata), which rises in USDA zones 10 through 11, produces dark-throated, orange-yellow late-summer blossoms. Growing 3 to 8 feet long and 3 to 6 ft wide, black-eyed Susan does best in partial shade or full sun, but is deemed invasive in some places. Below USDA zone 10, treat this vine as a warm-season annual by planting seeds in spring. Yellow mandevilla (Pentalinon luteum), that rises in USDA zones 10 through 11, attributes trumpetlike, neon yellow summertime blooms on stems up to 8 feet long. Growing best in full sun, yellow mandevilla is an evergreen vine.

Cascading Perennials

Perennials develop in window boxes year old, and several are trailing plants. Creeping Jenny “Aurea” (Lysimachia nummularia “Aurea” ), which rises in USDA zones 3 through 9 is named because of its yellowish foliage and bright yellow, cup-shaped, early summer blooms. This vigorous perennial can spread aggressively and can be invasive in some places. “Aurea” rises 3 to 6 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, and thrives in partial shade or full sun, though in partial shade that the leaf is lime green. “Trailing Yellow” gazania (Gazania mitsuwa “Trailing Yellow”), that rises in USDA zones 8 through 10, bears bright yellow, daisylike flowers on plants 6 to 8 inches tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Preferring full sun, “Trailing Yellow” can also be deer-resistant.

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In Tropical Style

How Do I Stop Grass From Growing in My Brick Sidewalk?

Author AnderpriedPosted on
How Do I Stop Grass From Growing in My Brick Sidewalk?

Grass growing in a brick sidewalk is unsightly and a tripping hazard, but it is possible to control it using a variety of methods. The loose sand mortar that’s often used in the spaces between brick pavers, and the dirt and plant debris that collects there over the years, provide suitable conditions for grass seeds to sprout. As the grass grows, its roots spread to the cracks, and when the grass is pulled out, the roots can remain behind and re-sprout. Annual and perennial grasses can develop in a brick sidewalk, and the control procedures for both are the same.

Removing Grass

Remove the existing grass working with a systemic herbicide that targets grasses, like a product featuring fluazifop, which controls the grass roots in addition to the leaves. On a dry, daily, wear a long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and gloves, and gently spray on a ready-to-use 0.48 percent fluazifop-p-butyl merchandise on the grass when it’s actively growing. Spray the grass again after seven days, and pull out the plants when they’re brown, dry and withered. Do not spray herbicides for grass near ornamental grasses.

Replacing Mortar

Grass thrives in loose sand mortar between brick pavers, so replace the loose sand with mud. A mortar that sets hard after it’s been wetted, polymeric sand provides conditions in which grass struggles to develop. Remove the loose sand and dirt from between the brick pavers, and sweep the sand and dirt off. Spread polymeric sand above the sidewalk, and sweep it to the gaps between the bricks until the cracks have been filled into the surface. Business the sand with your gloved hands, or use a sheet of wood to firm it, and spread more sand to fill any hollows that appear. Brush off loose sand. Fit a soft spray attachment to your garden hose, and carefully spray on the sidewalk to wet the sand but never wash it out of their cracks. Use an old cloth to wipe off any sand on the sidewalk surface before it sets.

Keeping a Brick Sidewalk

Regular washing and sweeping maintain a brick sidewalk grass-free with herbicides. When plant and dirt debris builds up on a brick sidewalk, grass rapidly colonizes the region. Brush the sidewalk every week using a stiff broom, sweeping the surface clean. If the dirt is really hard to remove because it’s dried on after rain, then spray it using a high-pressure jet of water from a garden hose and scrub it with the broom at the identical moment.

Applying Long-Lasting Herbicides

Long-lasting herbicides control grass in a brick sidewalk and protect against grass seeds from sprouting. Apply long-lasting herbicides on a dry, daily when the grass is actively growing and the daytime temperature is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Wear protective clothing, and spray a ready-to-use 0.016 percent imazapyr and one percent glyphosate product at a rate of 27 fluid ounces per 10 square feet. Using herbicides on paving is risky because they can get washed into storm drains and ground water during heavy rainfall, so always apply them based on the manufacturer’s directions.

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In Saving Water

The Average Repair Costs for a Roof

Author AnderpriedPosted on
The Average Repair Costs for a Roof

A roof allows water to infiltrate your house, resulting in annoying drips, wet ceilings and damaged property. These leaks may contribute to rot. The expense of restoring your roofing may vary from a couple of hundred dollars for a repair that is simple to tens of thousands for a replacement.

Fundamental Repairs

Repairing a roof leak that is simple in an metal or asphalt roof costs just $350 on average, according to the Lehigh Valley Roofing Company. Different materials can cost more to fix, with concrete or clay tile repairs averaging $360, wooden shakes at $420 and basic slate roof repairs averaging $500 as of 2014. Of course, hard-to-access areas or more-severe harm of the roof may increase the price of the fix. Homeowners in greater areas may also find increased costs for roof leak repairs.

Repair or Replace

You may only patch a roof so many times until it makes more sense to replace than fix yet again. The National Association of Realtors recommends inspecting the inside and outside of your house to determine whether another fix will do or it’s time. From within the house, look for water stains or moist spots, both of which may signal leaks. From the exterior, use binoculars to inspect your roof from the ground. Missing or damaged shingles, cracked or caulk, rusty worn or flashing spots on the roof are all signs that it’s time for replacement. A roof reaching at the end of its life span, generally 20 years for most asphalt roofs, ought to be replaced, not repaired.

Roof Replacement Prices

Asphalt shingle roofs are used by roughly 75 percent of all homes. The average asphalt roof replacement project in the U.S. costs $18,913 as of 2014, according to Remodeling Magazine. This figure includes removal and disposal of the old roofing, new flashing, underlayment and drip edges, in addition to new asphalt shingles. Such as the West South Central area, in reduced areas that are cost-of-living, the price can dip as low as $16,229. From the Pacific area that is high-cost, the average roof replacement soars to $22,716.

Alternative Materials and Price

Asphalt roofs dominate the market in the U.S. mainly as a result of their low price. Plan to pay a premium to get a total replacement if your roof is created from some substance. As of 2014, Bankrate.com estimates the price of asphalt shingles at $82 to $112 per squarefoot, a roof measurement equivalent to 100 square feet. Whereas vary shakes from $175 to $275 per square clay tiles price between $250 and $500 per square. Metal roofs vary between $110 to $250 per square, while slate roofs price $450 to $750 per square.

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In Fireplaces

What Physical Feature Would Plants Use to Attract Insects?

Author AnderpriedPosted on
What Physical Feature Would Plants Use to Attract Insects?

When most individuals visit a area covered at boldly colored flowers, they see beauty. Insects cruising over that area see and smell lunch. The stems and leaves may be the workhorses of the plant world because they make and store food, but it’s the flowers that set out the pest buffet and utilize a number of tricks to attract eager pollinators.

Flowers

Flowers are the marketing signs that draw insect pollinators into the sexual organs of plants. Although they can differ, all flowers have the same essential structures. The stamens are the male parts that carry pollen. The pistil is the female component. The pistil’s top is the stigma, a sticky pad where pollen is gathered, and the pistil’s bottom is the ovule, the location where seeds kind. All of these parts are surrounded by petals of various sizes and shapes.

Scent and Nectar

Moths and butterflies are among the insects attracted by a flower’s fragrance. Scent detectors, or organs known as the labial palpi, are about the insects’ minds. When an insect lands on a flower, it automatically goes for the nectar, which usually pools round the base of the petals. The nectar’s fragrance leads the pest in the ideal direction. Since the insect passes the stamens, a little bit of pollen brushes on the insect’s body. A number of that pollen may have moved into that flower’s posture, but most of it’s transported to the next flower the pest visits. Whichever way it happens, the flower is pollinated when pollen transfers to the stigma. The feces makes its way downward into the ovule, the flower petals wilt and drop off and the ovule produces seeds. Based on the plant species, the seeds could be within a fruit, a nut or without a covering.

Hue and Kind

Flowers’ colours and shapes attract different pollinators. For instance, butterflies prefer yellow and red flowers. Butterflies have a long, curly proboscis that unwinds, developing a flexible “straw” to suck nectar from tube-shaped blossoms, additionally they favor. One flowering plant that attracts butterflies is the trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), that can be hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10 and slightly toxic to mammals, like people, when ingested and causes skin redness and some swelling on contact. Moths have a feeding tube comparable that of butterflies, but moths favor white- or alternative light-colored flowers since they feed at night and those colours are more visible than others then.

Ultraviolet Color Spectrum

Many insects can view colours at the ultraviolet light spectrum. A white flower is no more than a white flower to people. To a bee, that flower has lines that may act as “landing lights .” These lines are sometimes known as “bee purple” since they’re visible to mammals. Sometimes a flower’s stamens and pistils are barely discernible under normal mild to humans. To an insect, they may look like dark-blue threads to a light background.

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