Winter can be rough on your fence. As the frost leaves the ground and you start to wander around the backyard, you may notice that some of your fence posts have moved around.
Is your fence leaning? Are their sections snapped off or threatening to? Does your gate take heavy machinery to open? All of these conditions are a result of frost heaving the concrete around the post and doing a number on your fence.
With some sweat, a sledge and a shovel, you can fix these up before the summer hits. Here's how.
After a long, nasty winter, temperatures in Kansas City climbed near 60 degrees yesterday, causing a widespread outbreak of spring fever (which was soon remedied by the announcement of impending snow through the end of the week.)
In the spirit of the coming warmth, there are a handful of late-winter outdoor tasks that make spring gardening and other related projects much easier when the season officially turns. To start? Consider your home's command center, also known as the garage.
The beauty of a path is that it directs you (obviously). But a well built and properly designed path can do so much more for your home.
Pavestone is the perfect material to use for your walkway. These handy, pre-formed cement pavers can give you the look of anything from flagstone to contemporary geometric shapes. They're also usually more economical than the real deal.
Pick colors to match your landscape, shapes to startle or simply blend in and textures of all kinds.
Did you know that bamboo grows faster than any other plant on earth? The owners and tenders of this perennial evergreen understand this fact all too well. Not only can giant varieties reach heights upwards of 100 feet, but also bamboo has been known to surge two feet or more in just one day.
Before you try to tame this unruly beast by cutting and discarding, consider an application that is sustainable, practical, attractive, and virtually free.
In three simple steps, you can create a decorative edging for your plant beds (the one shown above came from a 20-foot high Golden Bamboo plant):
If you have a sloped backyard, don't despair. You won't necessarily be destined for terraced gardens or mowing sideways for all time. Consider using some of the space for a shed. Transform barely usable lawn into much needed storage by following these six steps.
1. You need to start with a base. Think of it like a small deck or platform that you'll install the shed on top of.
2. Lay out the shape and dig posts or pour piers. Design in the same way that you would a free standing deck - posts no more than 6 feet on center and around 8 feet of space between beams.
Opt for a cantilever of no more than 2 feet, but that's usually not an issue with a shed floor (unless you're building a mansion-type shed - then make sure to bring power over for a big screen TV).
3. Build your frame onto the posts. You may need to dig in the front a little, so that the opening or door will be fairly level with the ground. Alternatively a ramp can be built up to the door.
4. Deck the frame with treated plywood. This will be your shed floor, so go with something sturdy and long lasting.
If you have the need to retain soil or prevent erosion, a wall may be just the thing. Any projects under 18" in total height are simple and straightforward. Once you go over that height the project becomes more complicated, but with the proper machinery and prep, it's still entirely doable.
Prepare the Site Dig back the soil and level the ground for the entire length of the wall and also about 3 - 4 feet back for anything over that magic 18" number. This may require some of that machinery or just a bunch of generous friends.
The Base Lay a gravel base about 6" deep along the line of the proposed wall and pack it down well. This helps with drainage, so don't skip it and don't skimp on the depth. Make absolutely sure that your first course or layer of wall is level. Whether you're working with stone or wood, use a level to double and triple check.
We're full of fall maintenance tips these days and hope to get everything accomplished this weekend which will be hard to do as we're headed to Seattle to bring in the new season and enjoy a few days in the PNW.
But if you're home these are some simple tune-ups you can do for your home that will save you time and money now and are much easier to perform in the mild post-summer weather.
1. Tune up your heating system. For about $80 to $100, a technician will inspect your furnace or heat pump to be sure the system is clean and in good repair so that it can achieve its manufacturer-rated efficiency. The inspection also measures carbon-monoxide leakage. And you minimize the chance of being 200th in line for repairs on the coldest day of the year.
2. Buy a programmable thermostat. Or, if you already have one, double-check the settings. Energy Star says that, on average, for an initial investment of $50 to $100, you will save $180 annually on heating (and cooling) bills if in winter you keep the thermostat set to no higher than 70 degrees
3. Hit the roof. Or at least scan it closely with binoculars. Look for damaged, loose or missing shingles that may leak during winter's storms or from melting snow. If need be, hire a handyman to repair a few shingles ($95 to $125, according to www.costhelper.com) or a roofer for a larger section ($100 to $350 for a 10-by-10-square-foot area).
We caught this week's episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! in which they dive into the American fascination with lawns. We thought it appropriate to share this with you since we recently highlighted artificial lawns (which Penn & Teller show aren't totally maintenance free).
Beyond the ridiculous HOA restrictions that some homeowners must deal with in regards to maintaining a proper lawn, the environment and health concerns for maintaining a lawn are raised. The D-4 poison is a major active ingredient in many lawn care products and was used in Agent Orange during Vietnam. D-4 has been known to cause cancer and is definitely nasty stuff. But this is still spread across lawns throughout the country with no thought of the harm it is doing to ourselves or the environment.
If you are going to maintain a lawn like many of us still do then please consider a responsible way to do this.
We love the smell of fresh cut grass like the next person and taking pride in a well manicured lawn is an accomplishment, but in the current age of water conservation there are alternatives to natural lawns that outweigh the real stuff in every aspect (except being alive).
Recently we spoke with Duane Ruth of SYNlawn which is one of the leading installers of high-quality synthetic grass. They've been in the business much longer than their competitors and have the jobs and reputation to back it up. They recently installed a commercial stretch of SYNlawn in Santa Monica which is notorious for having perfectly kept public landscapes that are always natural and thus take a lot of water. For all installations including commercial and residential they recommend a professional installation even for small jobs.
