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Spring Cleaning Your Garden – the Essentials

If you love your outdoor space, chances are you'll be out in your garden on the first warm day of spring. Surely, there will be some work for you to get your garden up to a standard, but besides removing fallen branches and debris, don’t rush with the clean-up. Wait until the soil is drier so you can work on it easily but again, don't wait too long to start. It will be much easier for you to prune plants before the old growth gets entangled in the new growth.

Here are the essentials of spring garden cleaning and getting it ready for summer days of outdoor joy and relaxation.

If you love your outdoor space, chances are you'll be out in your garden on the first warm day of spring. Surely, there will be some work for you to get your garden up to a standard, but besides removing fallen branches and debris, don’t rush with the clean-up. Wait until the soil is drier so you can work on it easily but again, don't wait too long to start. It will be much easier for you to prune plants before the old growth gets entangled in the new growth.

Here are the essentials of spring garden cleaning and getting it ready for summer days of outdoor joy and relaxation.

Remove mulch and prune your perennials

The first task is removing any dead plants and foliage left behind over winter, and composting them. You’ll clear up the space for new growth and any self-seeding plants will already have done their job.

If you had left your perennials unpruned last fall, they'll be an unattractive sight by now. Many perennial plants prefer to be left untouched throughout the winter, as it gives them extra protection. If you did take this course, once you see new growth at the plants base, you can begin removing winter mulch and pruning.

Certain shrubby plants with hard, woody stems such as Artemisia, buddleia, and lavender need to be pruned each spring as they only bloom on new branches. Spring pruning will minimize winter damage and encourage the growth of those new flowering branches. However, you should wait until the danger of a hard frost is over.

On the other hand, some perennial plants never quite go dormant, but they still need some tidying up. Spring is the ideal time to cut back the rugged foliage and boost new growth.

Pick the right time to prune the trees

Most spring-blooming trees set their flower buds in the summer or fall of the previous year. If you prune them in the spring, before they start blooming, you’d also prune off this year's flowers. If you’re unsure about what to do, it’s best you rely on  professional help from tree services in Sydney who are experts in maintaining the health and beauty of trees.

Trees need regular pruning and light trimming to manage their shape and growth, as well as to encourage strong bud formation and branch development. However, pruning needs to be performed at specific seasons so the trees get the best chance of surviving the summer and the winter weather.

Give your roses some TLC

Caring for your roses in spring will greatly depend on your climate. In warm climates, roses never really go dormant, so they will benefit substantially from good pruning and the removal of most of the piled-up leaves. This will give the rose a kind of a shock to start feeling as if it was dormant and now it’s time to wake up and start growing. In places where they do go dormant, you should begin their TLC right when the leaf buds begin to appear.

Tidy up the evergreens

Most evergreens require very little to no spring care except some tidying up. You should fertilize them because they are in the process of active growth at this time. However, if the soil is healthy and rich, you can skip a season and feed your evergreens every other year. Use a well-balanced fertilizer marked particularly for evergreens.

Begin weeding and composting

Early spring is the perfect time to tackle weeds with some pro-active gardening and cultivating. Soft and damp soil makes it easier to extract young weed seedlings but don’t throw them in your compost as they’ll come back and mess up your work!

Apart from weeds, most of what you clean up can be put into your compost pile. It's recommended you start a new pile in spring and use your old pile in the garden. If there’s any plant material exhibiting signs of disease, make sure you dispose of them.

Divide and transplant

If you’re planning to move your plants, spring is the best time to divide some of your plants and transplant them. They have an amazing capacity to recover if you manage to catch them early when the weather is still mild, and they're just waiting to sprout out!

Bring in the fresh mulch

Finally, it’s time to bring in the mulch – it can do wonders for your garden! It conserves water, feeds the soil, cools plant roots, and most importantly, smothers weeds. Every garden deserves a rich layer of mulch, but wait until the soil dries and warms up a bit before you replenish your mulch. When putting it in, make sure you keep it away from the stems and crowns of plants because, if you’re hoping for some self-seeding annuals, this will give them a chance to germinate before the bed is covered with mulch.

A proper spring garden clean-up doesn’t have to be a tedious task. By taking your time and doing the right steps, you will reap all the benefits of a gorgeous, healthy and thriving garden with beneficial pollinators and pest-munching insects.

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5 Benefits of Professional Drain Cleaning

If you are experiencing trouble with your plumbing system, it is strongly recommended for you to work with a specialist as soon as possible. Not only will you enjoy a fast and easy solution to your plumbing needs, but you can also expect to enjoy a variety of long-term benefits that would not be possible in most do-it-yourself capacities.

If you are experiencing trouble with your plumbing system, it is strongly recommended for you to work with a specialist as soon as possible. Not only will you enjoy a fast and easy solution to your plumbing needs, but you can also expect to enjoy a variety of long-term benefits that would not be possible in most do-it-yourself capacities.

Efficient Clog Removal

To begin, a professional drain cleaner will be able to remove any clogs that are blocking your pipes. This will help to improve the flow of water and prevent backups. The experts have specialized tools that allow them to get the job done more efficiently than if you had been using your own materials at home.

Reduces the Risk of Future Water Damage

If a clog is not removed correctly, it can eventually lead to water damage. A professional drain cleaner can prevent this from happening by clearing out the clog before it becomes a bigger problem. Because of their specialized techniques and equipment, you can look forward to fewer long-term issues with your pipes, especially if they are prone to plumbing issues.

Deeper Cleans are Possible

Professional drain cleaning can also help to keep your pipes cleaner than they would have normally been. This will help to prevent future clogs from forming and will improve the overall performance of your plumbing system. If you have an older plumbing system that gets finicky around seasonal changes, you will want a specialist to inspect your system and determine how to maximize its function.

It Saves You Time and Money

Professional drain cleaning can save you time and money. By clearing out the clogs, it can prevent water damage from occurring and will help to improve the performance of your plumbing system. It also helps reduce the need for future repairs and cleanings because of how efficiently the pipes are cleaned the first time.

Safe and Effective Solutions

Professional drain cleaning is a safe and effective solution for clearing clogs and preventing water damage. When done by a qualified professional, you can look forward to a procedure done with compliance and protocols in mind. This reduces the risk of damage to your pipes, which means they will require even less work to function well in the future.

Conclusively, be sure to shop around before finalizing your contract with a plumbing company. You will want to work with experienced specialists and get an idea of what rates are like for the procedures you need to be done.

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Guest Post - 7 Hacks to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

Whether you want to save money or interested in reducing your impact on the environment, making your home more energy efficient is always a great idea. If you’re looking for a few ways to transform the efficiency of your home without making any major changes, there are several simple life hacks that can help.

Whether you want to save money or interested in reducing your impact on the environment, making your home more energy efficient is always a great idea. If you’re looking for a few ways to transform the efficiency of your home without making any major changes, there are several simple life hacks that can help. 

Check out this list of seven suggestions that could transform your energy bill without forcing a remodel!

1. LED Lighting

Energy efficient lighting is one of the easiest things you can do to make your home greener. While LED bulbs used to be really expensive, accessibility and reduced production costs have made them a lot more affordable. 

Some of your light fixtures are probably modern enough that you can just swap out the bulbs, but you may have to upgrade a few of your lamps or wall sconces with new ones that are compatible with LED bulbs. From LED table lamps to compact fluorescent (CFLs) accent lighting, there are tons of lumens, wattage, and style options to explore.

2. Upgrade Your Windows

One of the biggest reasons your house may be losing heat in the winter and cold in the summer are the windows. The right kind of windows can make a huge difference to your heating or cooling bill! 

Any double-paned glass will be better than single pane options, but the best choice is a double-paned style with argon gas between the two panes. Swapping your current windows for those with a low-emissivity coating can save you up to 50% on your energy bill!

Once you get your new window panes installed, decorate them with glass decals to add color instantly to any room.

3. Change Out Your Curtains

Another way to redecorate your space and make your home more energy efficient? Curtains! While this tip might be unexpected, it really works. In the winter, swap out your regular curtains for thermal insulating curtains in a heavy texture. As soon as you close these curtains over your windows, they add another layer of insulation to any room.

4. Focus on Insulation

You’ve already seen a lot of tips about insulating your home with better glass and thicker curtains, but now it’s time to talk about your literal insulation. Every home has layers of material within the walls to maintain the current temperature in your house. However, the quality of the insulation makes a difference. 

Upgrade to fiberglass batts in areas that have standard joist spacing, use loose fill for areas with odd spacing or frequent obstructions, and make sure attics and basements have insulated floors and rafters. Just make sure to leave the soffit vents open to ensure appropriate airflow.

5. Upgrade Your Thermostat

While programmable thermostats are new and groundbreaking, many people have yet to transition to these easily controllable units. You should also consider which spaces should have their own independent thermostat to ensure you aren’t heating up the entire house if you’re just sitting in one room. 

You should probably break up your HVAC placement by room utility. The kitchen, living room, and dining room can be on one system, while the bedrooms and bathrooms should be on another. Even the guest bedroom should get its own thermostat.

6. Choose Green Appliances

Your big appliances use a lot of energy and you probably run them on a regular basis. Consider replacing your dishwasher, fridge, and washer and dryer with Energy Star certified options. Taking care of your appliances also helps ensure they’re running efficiently. 

For example, you’ll need to check the filter system on your dryer for lint regularly and clean the cooling coils of your fridge at least once a year to ensure they’re operating at full capacity!

Some other appliance tips that may enhance your home’s energy efficiency include:

  • Using a front loading washer to use less water.

  • Using a front loading dryer that dries more quickly.

  • Leaving about an inch of space around your fridge to improve air circulation.

7. Fireplace Inserts

Not every home has a fireplace, but if you do, you probably aren’t even aware that you’re losing heat and cold through it. 

An insert fits right into your fireplace and reduces air loss during every season. Inserts can come in a number of different styles and aesthetics to ensure it adds to your home decor while improving your energy efficiency.

Which Hack Is Right for You?

While some of these changes are quick and easy, others might require professional installation or a substantial investment. You can start small by changing out your curtains or installing a fireplace insert right away, and move on to bigger remodeling projects later, like replacing your windows or enhancing your installation. 

You may find that you don’t even need to apply all these hacks, as you already have some in place! Analyze your home to find its weak spots and adjust accordingly!

Author Bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer, enthusiastic DIYer, and content strategist. She has a passion for home decor and interior design, but also enjoys covering health and wellness, fitness, and holistic living.

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Home Maintenance Ben Soreff Home Maintenance Ben Soreff

Concrete Surface Preparation Tips For Coating

A lot of people don't realize that the surface they are coating needs to be prepared before they start. Apparently, preparing the concrete is a must if you are planning on coating them anytime soon. This is crucial if you want to ensure a longer-lasting coating.

A lot of people don't realize that the surface they are coating needs to be prepared before they start. Apparently, preparing the concrete is a must if you are planning on coating them anytime soon. This is crucial if you want to ensure a longer-lasting coating.

However, we understand that it is not easy to do concrete surface prep if you have no idea how a professional does proper surface preparation in the first place. Some might think that surface preparation can be done quickly and easily. However, for proper surface preparation to work, you need to take your time to understand how to execute it properly for the coating bonds to adhere and ensure a successful coating application properly.

So, to help you in the preparation process, here's a step-by-step guide plus some tips that you need to know for better results.

Preparing Your Concrete Surfaces For Coating

You might not be a contractor yourself, but definitely, you'll still be able to do proper concrete surface preparation as long as you follow these steps for a properly prepared surface, whether you're working on a home improvement project for polished concrete floor coatings or any other concrete surface.

1. Safety Equipment Is Your Friend

Learn how to use and wear proper safety equipment like masks and gloves when handling coating materials. Depending on the coating job, some projects may require added protection. Since you must remove all dust, dirt, and residue from the concrete surface, it is important to use proper protective gear, especially because concrete can cause irritation if inhaled or absorbed by the skin, so don't forget this step before beginning any coating job!

On the other hand, if your concrete surfaces are rusty, be sure to sand them down first before washing away any dust or debris that might be on them as rust stains could stay behind on the surface, giving it an unsightly appearance once the paint is applied.

2. Clean The Surface First

Before you start concrete surface preparation, you would want to start by cleaning the concrete or removing any dirt and debris on your concrete floors. You can do this by using a pressure washer and cleaning solution and rinsing it afterward with water. This will ensure that your top surface is free from any contaminants and will help ensure a better bonding of the coating.

Note that you need to know how to properly use pressure washers as they can be very dangerous if used without proper training or knowledge on how to handle them.

Depending on how dirty the concrete surface is, you can pressure wash it using low or high-pressure spray heads to clean your concrete. Another thing you need to remember is never to leave any electrical equipment near wet surfaces or let water pool around them so it doesn't accidentally cause electrical shock, which may lead to fatal accidents.

Moreover, it is also highly advised to rinse your surface with a garden hose before using the pressure washer, as this will help remove loose debris and dirt. But if you don't have a pressure washer, but your surface is still really dirty and has lots of debris stuck on it, you will need to remove that debris before you can proceed with concrete surface preparation. To do so, use a broom and brush away as much of the concrete dust.

3. Let It Dry

Now that you're done with surface cleaning, you need to let it dry before you do further preparations. Concrete needs time to breathe and "cure" itself after being wet from pressure washing or rinsing, so allow it to dry first. You can speed up the drying process by using fans and dehumidifiers.

However, if you pressure washed the surface too early before it had dried completely and there is still moisture on your concrete floor or surface, solidifying the concrete coating will become challenging, if not impossible. Since concrete absorbs water easily, experts recommend that these areas be left for a few hours so water can dry out completely after cleaning it. This will set up your surface for a better curing process and make it more resistant to damage caused by chemicals used in coating products. Concrete surfaces are naturally soft, so keeping them damp can cause small cracks if insufficient drying time is given.

4. Start Preparing The Ground With A Brush

Next, you should start preparing the ground surrounding the area with a broom using a stiff-bristled brush. This will remove any loose particles that may have been stripped during the cleaning process. You can then sweep up these particles and throw them away in a disposal bin before doing further prep work.

5. Check Areas For Cracks And Cockles And Repair Any Unsound Concrete

Now that your surface is free from surface contaminants, it's time to check the exterior surface for cockles or small cracks you need to fill in using a concrete filler or patching material, so they don't leak out when you apply coating products over it.

Unsound concrete should be removed and any surface defects, such as holes, spalls, cracks, and other surface flaws, filled with a commercial cement-based grout, epoxy compound, or other proprietary patching materials. The best way to know what kind of material would work well with your concrete surface is to do some testing first. Apply small amounts on your test area underneath your concrete pavers or blocks before going all-out.

6. Do Some Clean-Up Using A Wire Brush, Then Cure For 24 Hours

Use a wire brush to remove small chips left on your surface after applying the concrete filler. By brushing it, you can ensure that the patching compound is smooth and even with the rest of the surface so you can apply coating products better onto them later on.

Now that all preparations are done, you need to let it cure for 24 hours using a curing compound or product to protect your new fresh coating from damage due to moisture.

Make sure to use painter's tape for proper masking when preparing the edges surrounding the area you're coating. Then, you can remove the tape once your concrete is thoroughly dried and hardened before cleaning up any excess compound with a vacuum cleaner.

7. Surface Profile Your Concrete By Roughening The Slick Surfaces As Much As Possible

In addition to removing all dirt, dust, and grime from the surface, you should also roughen up those slick surfaces as much as possible too so that they can bond more effectively with the floor coating. Shot blasting, acid etching, sandblasting, scarifying, and grinding are the most common techniques to profile concrete surfaces properly.

Acid Etching

Acid etching is a more gentle method of roughening up your concrete surface since it uses a diluted acid solution to eat away at the top layer. It works best for sealing and preparing new or old poured surfaces that have been stained or deteriorated by chemical exposure or those with no bond coat on them, to begin with.

Shot Blasting

On the other hand, shot blasting uses a shot blasting machine or hard steel balls to blast away your concrete's top layers. This is effective for removing paint and rust from old surfaces or large surface cracks because it can easily reach them through its aggressive abrasion power. However, this method might cause damage around the edges of your concrete pavers, so you need to handle them with care.

Sand Blasting

If you want to use a more advanced and controlled method, sandblasting is your best option. This is more versatile and can be done on a large scale than other methods because of its air blasting power. It works by using pressurized sand to blast away the concrete's top layers without damaging it or stripping off too much material in one go. Still, you need a constant water supply nearby since this method generates a lot of heat from friction.

Grinding/Scarifying

If you're working with large areas, grinding and scarifying are the best methods to use for surface profiling. Grinding is usually done with a vertical grinder, which can be as wide as your floor, and works best for removing paint from large surfaces. Scarifying also uses abrasive power, but it does so through rotating blades or disks instead of blowing dust particles at the surface like sandblasting does to cut away from its top layers.

Once you are finished, rinse off the entire surface to remove any remaining dust or particles before applying your coating product evenly.

Use Tsp For Better Results

TSP or trisodium phosphate is a powerful cleaner that breaks up grease and grime. Still, it has a strong chemical smell, so you should only use it outdoors with plenty of ventilation going on to keep fumes from being harmful to anyone working around them.

If you don't own a pressure washer, you may want to use a wire brush or steel wool pad to scrub the surface. People have also used sandpaper for this purpose. Still, many prefer using steel wool because it does a better job of scuffing up their surfaces without scratching or harming any part of them under normal circumstances.

8. Check The Surface And Ensure That It's Dry

Make sure that the concrete surface is dry before applying any coating product over it. If you're going to apply multiple layers, make sure that there's enough drying time between each layer. Leave it for at least 24 hours after finishing your final coat before doing anything else with the newly-coated concrete floor.

Make sure to remove all wires and lines from the area, as painting over them can be difficult due to how thick coating products tend to be. To remove such things, you'll need putty or a knife for this purpose so you can cut those objects out of your area before covering them up with paint later on.

9. Always Use A Primer First Before Painting Your Concrete Surface

You may want to use a primer first before applying any paint onto your concrete surfaces if they're particularly porous and rough because primers usually work well for various types of surfaces, including concrete.

Use only one thin coat, though, as applying too much primer will result in drips and runs, which can ruin an otherwise professional-looking painted surface that you could've saved yourself by using less primer in the first place. Most people don't like using primer anyway. Still, surface preparation matters because inadequate surface preparation would show on concrete floors or any concrete slab if surface cleaning is not done beforehand. From air pockets to a poorly profiled surface, the finished product will never look as polished as it should be if not adequate surface cleaning is done.

Final Thoughts

Every square inch of your concrete surface is very important. Whether it is your garage floor, a concrete porch, or a patio, you want to ensure that your surface is properly prepared before applying anything over it. While there are many methods, you can apply to have a flawless concrete floor coating and an aesthetically pleasing finished product. These tips should help you achieve the best results possible.

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