November 19th, 2008 — Clean, Handy Man, Refresh, Refurbish
Your deck is subject to all kinds of weather, and within a few years, it’s easy to end up looking like you need a completely new one. If you want to keep your deck looking brand new for years to come, there are a few techniques that you can use. Some should be applied when you first install the deck, but the rest can be implemented as simple maintenance chores.
Let’s start with picking the right kind of wood for your deck. If you love redwood or cedar, keep in mind that these woods are going to need to be sealed more often. Pine is the most durable, but then again, it will end up looking the roughest over time. The key is finding the right kind of sealant that is rated for your area. If you get a lot of rain, look for a heavy duty waterproofing sealant. If sun is the main issue, look for a sealant that is fade resistant. When you apply the sealant to your deck, make sure that you use enough and let it dry completely between coats for the best effect.
Now, let’s move onto maintenance. The first step you’re going to need is powerwashing on a regular basis. Don’t blast off your sealant with too much pressure, but make sure that you do keep your deck clean. Light woods in particular will need some extra care to make sure they don’t end up looking dingy. Aim for washing it at least once a month and more often in areas that are prone to more wind and dirt.
If your deck is already in trouble, don’t worry! Fixing it is a snap. Most people can do this on their own and will not need the help of a professional. First, you’ll need to completely clean off your deck and then sweep it to make sure that all dust and debris has been removed. If the wood is cracked, misshapen or overly rough, you’re going to need to sand down these spots. This has the added benefit of revealing the healthy wood under the surface.
Once you’re ready with either clean or sanded wood, you can either restain your deck or add new sealant and keep it the same color as it already is. Once again, allow for enough drying time in between coats and do it on a day where there is no wind to avoid bubbles in the finish. After the stain is dry, apply a least a few coats of sealant to give it a great shine and protect it from water.
If your deck never got these benefits in the first place, it’s not too late to seal it for the first time. Clean it, sand it, stain it and then seal it. It will look like new in just a few hours. Decks do best when they are regularly cared for, so make sure that you schedule more than enough time in to do your part.
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November 11th, 2008 — Aesthetics, Clean, Outside, Yard
If you are trying to find some quick and inexpensive ways to get the outside of your house shaped up, there are numerous options. We’re going to cover three of the best that can transform any home into a showpiece, with a minimal investment of time, effort and money. You want your home to look its best, but that doesn’t mean that you need to spend a lot of cash to get it there. Let’s look at three ways that you can fix up your house on the outside.
1. Powerwashing cement surfaces.
This is one of the cheapest ways to make your home look like new. After a few years, driveways and walkways can start to look a little dingy, especially if you are not frequently washing them. You can rent a powerwasher from your local hardware store, or even hire someone to do this for you. Take your time and thoroughly clean the driveway, walkways and your porch if applicable. Once it’s dried you’ll be surprised at just how significant the results are.
Powerwashing should take care of most stains, and will leave you with a clean slate. You should try to do this at least twice a year, and more often if you have a lot of high traffic, both foot and car, in these areas. By keeping up on your powerwashing, each time will be much easier.
2. Organize your yard.
Many yards start out great, and then become holding grounds for mowers, rakes, bikes, leaves and everything else under the sun. Take a weekend to completely pick up everything in your yard and then organize it all neatly in a shed or in your garage. Not only will your yard look a lot better, but you’ll find it easier to locate tools and other items when they are all neatly put away.
If you have an outdoor grill, or other outdoor fixtures that really can’t be put away, do what you can to make them look as tidy as possible. This will have an immediate effect of making your home look more cared for.
3. Blast through weeds.
Even the best yard can look a little ratty if you have weeds running around. Whether they show up alongside the house, between cracks in walkways or in your actual yard, it doesn’t take many to junk up the yard. Take the time to either pull these by hand, get them with a weed wacker, or you may also want to consider using herbicide to get rid of them if they are particularly bad.
Try to set up a schedule for weed removal each week so that you can stay on top of the situation. Your home will not only look better, but you’ll also be reducing your risk for a fire.
These are three simple steps that are practically free and easy to implement. We’ll be covering more ideas for the inside and outside of your home in future posts.
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October 28th, 2008 — Air Conditioning, Cheap Alternative, Energy, Handy Man, Heating, Low Budget
As home heating costs rise, and energy in general gets more expensive, many homeowners are turning to alternative means to power their homes. While many systems require a lot of effort to implement, there are quite a few that can be easy to install and quite economical. Whether it is simply cutting back on the power you use, or getting a whole house generator powered by a wind turbine, there are many ways that homeowners can make use of alternative energy.
One of the most common alternative energy solutions for homeowners are solar panels. This are relatively easy to buy and install, and will not take up much space. Most can be placed either on the roof, or on the side of the house where the most sun reaches. They will need to be hooked into the home’s electrical system through a small panel where the electricity that is generated will be stored. It is highly recommended to have a professional electrician set up solar panels, especially if they will be tied into the main home’s electrical system.
The next most popular source of alternative energy that is quickly gaining more users are personal wind turbines. You may have seen the larger versions up and down the coasts, or at wind farms. The home sized models are quite a bit smaller, but can usually provide more than enough electricity for one home. As the name suggests, the wind turns the interior mechanism, which in turn generates electricity.
This is then stored and can be used to run the whole house in an emergency, or as a complete alternative solution. The main downside to home sized wind turbines is their cost, which can be in excess of $3000. However, when you add up what you would be saving in electricity, this can easily be recouped. They may not be appropriate however for some neighborhoods, since they do make a little bit of noise. For areas that do not have a lot of wind on a regular basis, they may also not be quite as functional as they could be in other areas.
For those that are looking for a simple heating solution, corn pellet stoves are another popular alternative source of energy. These work like a traditional wood stove, but instead of wood, they use actual corn. The high price of corn this year however may affect those that switched to this mode of heating, and the other main downside is that they can produce quite a bit of dust and can be hard to keep clean.
Whether it is adding a simple wood stove, using solar panels or getting your own wind turbine, there are many different ways that homeowners can save money on electricity and heating by turning to alternative energy. As the costs for regular means of powering homes go up, more solutions will undoubtedly be made available. In the meantime, simply turning your heat down, sealing your home in the winter and relying on less power can have a big impact on your overall energy costs.
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