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Why You Should NOT Fertilize Your Lawn in Spring

2012
03.09

I think the first thing I should say is that less is more and that is true in terms of fertilizing lawn.That is not true if you look at it from the point of big business they want you to use more or they make less. What I mean is that lawn fertilizer companies are mot giving you the whole scoop when it comes to growing a healthy green lawn.

According to research conducted by the University Of Minnesota shows that the best time to fertilize your lawn is between Labor day and Thanksgiving. That of course is for zone 5 lawns down to zone 2. An application at the beginning of September followed by one at the beginning of November is sufficient unless you are growing improved bluegrass the a late May application is recommended as well.

If you fertilize in the spring you are actually do more harm to your lawn than you are good. Early spring applications of nitrogen the first macro nutrient on the lawn fertilizer bag gives grass it’s kick which stimulate shoot growth. When you stimulate shoot growth you are actually depleting the energy reserves built up in the root system the previous fall which will reduce the health of the turf.

You are probably wondering why then we are bombarded by commercials and advertising by the big fertilizer companies about the importance of feeding your lawn four times a year. Well think about it if you were running a business and all of a sudden you started selling only half the amount of product as you use to would that not make you a bit nervous. The lawn fertilizer companies do not want you to switch off the four time a year program because they have spent millions each year to get you to buy their products.

The truth of the matter is that if these large corporations wanted to really help you to have a healthy lawn they would have you start out by testing your soil. The amount of N-P-K ( nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium ) is what the major nutrient your lawn requires in order to to keep it strong and healthy. In the past few years the research has shown that you have enough phosphorus in the soil of the average lawn to meet the needs of the grass plants for the next ten years. Unlike nitrogen and potassium the phosphorus actually binds to the soil and is not depleted quickly so you are actually paying for something that in most cases is totally unnecessary.

Why would these companies not tell you this? The fact is that if you are more educated about what really is necessary for your lawns nutritional needs then you will know that you only need a half of the product you are now buying. Not good for their bottom line.

It is not only your pocket book that should concern you here it is what is dumping all these excess chemicals into the ecosystem doing to the environment. All these extra nutrients that are not being used are leaching out of your lawn and getting washed into the water shed, this throws off the system and creates even more problems.

As a professional grounds keeper, part of my job is to keep the lawns looking lush and green, the other side of the coin is they want me to do it as economically as possible. By cutting the fertilizer order in half I do believe that I am not only looking out for the best interest of my employer but the interest of the environment as well.

Tags: , Category Lawn Care |

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Useful Tips For Pool Fencing

2011
08.18

Enclosing a pool with a fence is good pool insurance. It keeps children, pets and non swimmers out of the pool when it’s not in use and also provides security and privacy when you are not swimming.

Indeed, many apartment communities require fencing with self-closing and self-fetching gates around swimming pools. Check your local building department early in the landscape planning stages. Even if there’s no code to this effect in your area, a fence is a good safety measure for your own children and those of your guests – even for non swimming adults.

Besides providing a safe environment, fencing can be used to separate your lot from your neighbour’s, to designate space, to conceal pool support environment, and even to store hanging pool maintenance equipment. A fence near the pool can keep debris from blowing into the pool and reduce maintenance. It also provides more specific climate control in your pool area. You can orient the fence panels to block out cool winds and admit sun when you want it.

Under no circumstances can safety or property line fencing be less than 3 feet from the edge of the pool; that’s the minimum width required to permit safe passage around the pool.

The type of fence you build will be dictated by cost, location, the architectural style of your home, and the visual effect you want to achieve.

Whether you purchase a prefabricated kit, build the fence yourself from scratch, or have a professional do it, you will find that advice from a landscape architect or fence contractor can help you decide what style and type of fence are best suited visually and functionally to your pool landscape.

fencing materials include wood, chain link, wire mesh and wrought iron. For pool fences, choose pressure-treated wood or rust-resistant and noncorrosive metals.

The style of your fence can affect the amount of wind protection you receive in the pool area. For example, wind rushes over a solid fence like a stream of water. Such a fence provides little or not wind protection past the distance equal to its height.

Angling a baffle of 45 degrees into the wind, extends maximum wind protection to a distance almost more than twice the fence height. Or, you can eliminate the downward crash of wind by using a baffle angled 45 degrees with the wind. You will feel warmest in the pocket below the baffle and at a distance equal to a little more than the fence height.

To break the wind flow, use fencing with operating at least 1/2 inch wide, or use plant screens. Up close, this type of fencing offers little protection; temperatures are warmest at a distance equal to twice the fence height. Dense plants offer even more protection.

Tags: , , Category Home Renovation Tips |

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Flood Damage Myths and Facts

2011
07.16

Flood damage is very serious stuff because it can severely alter your life. Some says:

“Right, it’s water. How much is the damage can water do?”

Wrong!

Many people don’t realize that water can do a lot of damage. Especially for this, people sometimes take precautions such as getting flood insurance and doing whatever possible to flood proof their houses and avoid water damage.

Some others go as far as elevating their houses to avoid flood problems and some other peoples will have a plan in place that involves sandbagging, weather proofing homes and other pre-trouble measures. So it pay to learn about flood damage in advance even if not in any danger of flood damage, at least not right now.

It’s not important what you do or what you don’do, there are studies about flood damage that you really need to know.

We have collected the most popular myths and facts about flood damage:

• It can happen that your homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage. The principal thing that homeowner’s insurance protects against is loss due to fire.

The truth is that flood damage is incredibly prevalent than fire damage.

• Not a single person lives in an zone that will be prepared to manage flood damage. Water flows from lakes, streams, ponds, rivers, the ocean, and from the sky, don’t forget about precipitations. There is water around us, in some way shapes and forms. According to FEMA, no zones are spared and flood damage free.

• All it takes is an inch to two inches of water to cause problems of flood damage. Believe it or not but are necessary just two feet of water your precious car can be carried off. Yes, the car that you usually use to go working.

• It is true that you can receive federal disaster guidance, but finally this is just a loan. It is absolutely something that can really take the place of Flood Insurance. Fact says, it can take as little as 5 minutes on the net to sign up for flood insurance, which is really one of the best ways to combat flood damage.

• If becoming one of those individuals who receive flood damage, it is better to be the person who actually has some kind of flood coverage.

• The primary way to combat flood damage is only to be prepared. This means having a plan in place that allows you and your family, or worker to protect your house or office against flood damage the best you possibly can.

• When flood damage occurs, so can mold and mildew, which can be terrible. These are both very intrusive growths that can make your family sick and mold and mildew usually are not covered under many insurance plans since they are pointed as secondary to flood damage.

So as you can see, flood damage is nothing to mess with, think it as a serious business, a serious business that you need to take care of as soon as possible only contacting a skilled business. If you don’t, then you must be prepared to have even more troubles to deal with, especially in the long run.

Yes, means that flood damage is going to take a huge toll on you, both psychologically and economically.

Tags: , , , Category Emergency Repairs, Flooring |

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Decorating Styles: What’s Your Attitude?

2011
05.30

Making your bedroom fit your personality isn’t a matter of choosing and duplicating a particular style  – 18th century. Victorian, or Bauhaus modern, for example – but of putting things together to reflect your personal decorative attitude. How formal or casual are you? Do you like to surround yourself with cozy clutter or do you prefer to display only a few objects in more artistic, gallery-like fashion?

Formal or Casual? Take this Pillow Pop Quiz

To visualize how different attitudes affect decorating choices imagine for a moment a sofa toped with a pile of pillows – some matching and some not – and ask yourself how you’d edit and arrange them.

  • Formality and symmetry go together. Would you pick two matching toss pillows and place one at the end of the sofa? If so you lean toward formality.
  • Casual calls for asymmetrical balance. Would you be likely to place a large pillow at one end of the sofa and two or three smaller ones at the other? And would your fabric choices probably be pattern-free neutrals? If you answered yes, you are the casual type.
  • Slick means paring down. Would you toss out all but one or two exquisitely shaped, handcrafted pillows, or perhaps eliminate the toss pillows entirely for a cleaner look? If so, you lean toward slick, minimal schemes.
  • Eclectic means mixing styles – as long as they are equally formal or casual. Would you group pillows covered in mismatched but color-keyed fabrics – say, blue striped pillows with some in blue and white patchwork quilt fabrics? If you would, you are the eclectic type.

Don’t be hemmed in by decorating attitude labels; few people fall exactly within the bounds of one category. Instead, relax and use this information as a guide not only in arranging such things as pillows but also in choosing and arranging major bedroom furnishings. By knowing your attitude and using the following tips, you can create a bedroom that comforts you and your eye.

If you prefer formality, you simply won’t feel at ease unless you center the bed along a wall or between two windows then flank it with matched lamps and tables.

If you are more casual, you may feel distinctly uncomfortable with such symmetry. Try moving the bed to one side of the room or place it on an angle in a corner. Then balance the off-center bed with a storage piece, reading chair and lamp, or bold artwork.

If you lean toward slick minimalism, you won’t relax unless you pare down. Start with a bold bed, then add a handful of well-designed accents. Provide plenty of closed storage to keep clutter to a minimum.

Category Decorating Ideas |

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Savvy Ideas To Increase Home Value

2011
04.30

1) Slapping on Paint

This is the #1 home improvement project  homeowners can try to do themselves. There are 2 keys to a good paint job: choosing the paint and prepping the surface. Splurge on quality paint as well as brushes and rollers. If you are not sure of the color you want, rent a sample (yes, most hardware stores will let you do this).

Prep the surface by cleaning walls, sanding them, and patching holes. This accounts for the majority of the work and will make your house show better.

2) Finish the Basement

A family can add as much as a third of the space to a 2story house for a moderate cost by fixing the basement. This is a smart investment strategy that can recoup as much as 80% of the investment upon selling.

Here’s How to Fix Basement – DIY

3) Lose the Kitchen Wall

Many older homes used to have a wall separating the dining room and the kitchen. By knocking down the wall, the space is opened and viola! This kitchen remodeling project and a new kitchen look that can allow to recover 70-80% of the cost of renovation.

The rest of the kitchen may need to be updated with wood cabinets, non-laminate countertops, and non-vinyl flooring. Additional extras popular with home buyers would be island seating, industrial look appliances, and heavy duty hardware.

4) Try Bathroom Remodeling

Keep up with today’s amenities by updating your bathroom with double sinks, brushed nickel fixtures, powerful multi-head showers and toilets in their own alcoves. Rather than spending $30,000 on a complete overhaul, you can purchase a new toilet, sink and bathroom fixtures for $6,000 to $7,000.

Consider getting an acrylic mold shaped in the curve of your existing tub and slipped over the top. Install a new drain and have everything fitted together with a professional looking finish. Make sure there’s no water damage behind existing walls before you go with this bathroom remodeling idea. It can save you a couple of thousands of $$ over the price of purchasing and making room for a new tub.

5) Window Treatments

Name brand windows can be a huge selling point to potential buyers. Investing in window treatments will pay you back a 75% recoup upon selling.

Tags: , , , Category Home Renovation Tips |

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