Wash Away Those Garden Pests With Soap Sprays
February 28, 2012 by Home Services Link · 1 Comment
For centuries, savvy gardeners used soap sprays to combat bugs.
Andrew Jackson Downing, a gardening celebrity of the 19th century (who would have designed New York’s Central Park if his life had not been cut short in a steamboat accident), wrote in 1845 that a “wash of soft soap is very good for many purposes … penetrates all the crevices where insects may be lodged, destroying them.”
Then, DDT and other harder-hitting, longer-lasting pesticides developed during World War II left soaps on the sidelines.
Yet here we are in the more environmentally conscious 21st century, and soap sprays are back in vogue – for the same reasons they fell out of favor. Soaps biodegrade quickly and are relatively nontoxic to most creatures (including us).
Pests on plants don’t always warrant calling out the sprayer, but when spraying is needed, soap may do the trick.
You could just douse your rose bushes with leftover, soapy wash water, an aphid remedy once popular among British gardeners. Or you could use soap more deliberately, dissolving some tincture of green soap or Ivory soap shavings into water to make up your own mix.
Add 1 to several tablespoons of soap per gallon of water, or enough to make suds. Test a little of the solution to make sure it won’t damage the plant as well as the bugs. Don’t expect consistent results, though, because washing soaps vary in composition. (Note that soaps and detergents are not equivalent; soap is one kind of detergent, but all detergents are not soaps.)
These days, you can buy soaps specially formulated for garden use. Garden soaps, like washing soaps, are made by combining naturally occurring fats with an alkali such as sodium or potassium. Advantages of modern garden soaps come from choosing specific fats and alkalis.
Soaps act by disrupting cell membranes, and depending on the formulation, those membranes might be those of insects, weeds or disease-causing organisms. Insects most affected by soaps are soft-bodied, slow-moving ones such as aphids, mealybugs, scale and mites.
Now is when these insects start to build up on houseplants.
Caterpillars and beetles are not generally bothered by soap sprays.
Different soap formulations are used against weeds. Soaps toxic to weeds are more or less toxic to all plants, so have to be directed right at the weeds. That’s easy enough with weeds poking up between brick pavers, but you’re better off with a hoe for weeding a bed of flowers or vegetables.
Disadvantages of soap sprays on paving are that they can leave a white residue and be slippery until they wash away.
Whether used against insects, weeds or diseases, soaps are contact poisons, effective only as long as target organisms are wet.
This is both good and bad. Sprayed perennial weeds often have enough energy stored in their roots to resprout, so need repeated treatment. Hand weeding might prove easier. Similarly, repeated treatments are needed to kill insects that hatch from eggs on treated plants to get each flush of hatchlings. Soaps have no effect on insect eggs.
On the plus side, beneficial ladybugs and lacewings hanging around houseplants and garden plants usually have enough time to up and fly away before being doused with a soap spray. Once the spray dries, all harm has passed and they can return.
For maximum effectiveness, spray either weeds or garden plants with soap when the weather is overcast or cool, and drying is slowed.
The best water for mixing up a soap solution is soft water, just as for bathing; rainwater is ideal. And once the soap is dissolved, no more shaking is needed – further shaking might cause too much foaming.
Avoid spraying a stressed or blooming plant.
Finally, thoroughly douse whatever plant you spray so that, to reiterate Mr. Downing’s advice of 167 years ago, the soap “penetrates all the crevices.”
Article from The Cincinnati Enquirer, 02/25/2012 by Lee Reich of the Associated Press.
Keep Cool and Warm with Recovery Ventilation System
February 27, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
So how do you reduce your energy consumption and reuse the heat and cooled air in your home without it being stale and unhealthy. James Dulley provides Cincinnati homeowners with an idea, a recovery ventilation system. Learn more and contact Home Services Link if you want an system installed.
Question: The indoor air gets stale and too dry or too humid during winter and summer when we heat or air-condition. Is there any efficient way to get fresh air indoors without opening windows and wasting energy? – Mike J.
Answer: The air inside an energy efficient house can get stale both summer and winter. Not only is it unpleasant and
The design of ERV unit uses a rotating heat exchanger to transfer both heat and moisture between two air flows. / Provided/Aprilaire
uncomfortable (too dry or too humid), but it can be unhealthy. Many of today’s products and household cleaners emit dangerous chemicals, especially when they are new. Actually, just opening several windows for cross-ventilation for a short period of time on a breezy day during winter is not very inefficient. Much of the air inside your house can get exchanged fairly quickly without a huge heat loss from the house structure. The heat content of air is relatively low.
This method is not as effective during summer in humid climates. The humidity from the incoming fresh air permeates the walls and items in your house. To remove it, the air conditioner must run longer. If the air conditioner does not have a variable-speed blower with humidity control, your house gets chilled.
For continuous fresh air inside your house in the most efficient manner, install a complete heat recovery ventilation system (HRV). During winter, heat from the stale outgoing warm air is transferred to the incoming cold fresh air. During summer, the stale outgoing cold air precools the incoming hot outdoor fresh air. Up to 75 percent of the energy can be saved.
A HRV is a simple system with a heat exchanger inside a cabinet and two blowers, one incoming and one outgoing. It has its own duct system drawing the stale indoor air usually from bathrooms and the kitchen. The incoming fresh air ducts often lead to the living room or hallway. The two air flows pass each other in the heat exchanger, but stay separate.
In many climates, indoor humidity levels are also a concern. For example, during summer, bringing in precooled humid air may not greatly improve comfort and may exacerbate allergies. Excessively dry air during winter can be uncomfortable for the skin and can cause other problems.
An energy recovery ventilation system (ERV) is a variation of a standard HRV. The design of the heat exchanger and its materials are different from a HRV. In addition to transferring heat, the heat exchanger in an ERV also transfers moisture. During the summer, the incoming fresh air is partially predehumidified by the outgoing cool dry stale air. During winter, the indoor humidity is recaptured.
There are various types of automatic controls which determine how long and how fast the blowers operate. An indoor air humidity sensor is common. You can also manually override the sensors and run it when you choose.
Article featured in The Cincinnati Enquirer, 02/24/2012 by James Dulley.
Structural Stability Requires Diagonal Bracing
February 22, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
So you want to build a deck, a house or an addition to your home then you’ll need to know about a diagonal bracing. First, you will need to check the building codes for diagonal braces. Second, you should contact a structural engineer if you haven’t done so or built diagonal braces before. Diagonal braces are used to keep your building project square and structurally solid thus the need for getting it right the first time.
We’re sharing the expertise of Tim Carter, Ask the Builder, to provide our readers with a basic understanding of diagonal braces, their importance and how to to construct. When you’re ready to begin a deck, renovation or addition project, contact Home Services Link. We’re here to help with all your home improvement and home repair needs. We have screened reliable contractors such as structural engineers, general contractors, remodelers, and foundation experts.
We’ll provide you with Tim’s “executive summary”.
Books have been written about diagonal bracing. Talk to any structural engineer and I’m sure he’ll tell you that entire college courses are offered on the topic. It’s a very complex topic, but I’ll do my best to give you the basics so you don’t have a failure on any of your projects.
Diagonal bracing is a structural component of just about any building. It provides lateral stability preventing collapse of a wall, deck, roof, etc.
Let’s talk about what happens when you don’t have diagonal bracing in place so you get a better understanding. Imagine if you were to build a wall using 2x4s 16 inches on center and you make it 8 feet tall. If you stand the wall up and nail the bottom plate to the floor to hold just that in place, the wall might seem strong if you put weight on the top. Don’t you stand on the wall to test this. It will collapse.
But here’s the scary test. Get on a stepladder at one end of the wall. Push on the end of the top plate as if you’re trying to move the 2×4 plate forward, not side to side so as to make the wall tip over. You’ll quickly discover you can collapse the wall down onto itself with little effort like you’d close an accordion door. In seconds you can have the 8-foot tall wall folded up on itself and only inches high on the floor.
This is an interior wall that's load bearing. See how the floor joists above rest on the wall? Photo Credit: Tim Carter
Now imagine what would happen if you built a home with no or inferior diagonal bracing and a severe windstorm blows against the house. Or imagine the violent side-to-side shaking that happens when the shear waves of an earthquake hit a house. Can you see how the house could easily collapse? When pro carpenters build a house, they install different types of bracing. One might be a metal diagonal bracing from the lower corner of a wall up to the top plate.
Plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) properly nailed will also provide excellent diagonal bracing. You typically only have to put one full sheet of plywood at each corner of a wall to provide the needed stability.
Deck collapses can also be traced to a lack of sufficient diagonal bracing. I’ve seen decks built where the outer support beam just rests on wood posts. If a group of people up on the deck start dancing and a harmonic motion builds up, the entire deck can collapse as the deck starts to shift sideways. Diagonal bracing prevents this side-to-side movement.
There are any number of ways to install diagonal bracing for a deck. One way is to put diagonal braces that connect the deck beams to the vertical posts. These braces are typically cut at a 45-degree angle. It’s really important to bolt these instead of relying on nails.
You can also install a flat 2×6 or 2×8 on the underside of the floor joists to give the decking great diagonal support. Drive no less than two 16d galvanized nails through the brace at each floor joist. Be sure the nails have the proper coating to match the treated lumber you’re using to prevent corrosion.
These two diagonal braces help prevent the deck from moving side to side. It would have been better if they had been bolted instead of nailed. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter
Diagonal bracing is really important if you’re working with roof trusses on that upcoming room addition. Many a carpenter has been killed or seriously injured when roof trusses suddenly collapse as they’re erected. Wind can easily push them over without bracing.
Large truss roofs often come with detailed drawings that show bracing that needs to be installed in the webs of the trusses. Always be sure to reference any drawings or talk with the engineer at the truss company if you have any questions.
Be aware there are very strict building code guidelines with respect to diagonal bracing. The code almost always dictates the type of nail, length, shape of the head, special coatings, etc. The reason is simple: Diagonal bracing is mission critical to the structural stability of a building.
I’ve always found it best to install diagonal bracing for walls while the wall is built flat on a floor surface. With the wall down on the ground, it’s easy to square it up. With the wall square on the ground, you can temporarily toenail the bottom and top plate so the wall doesn’t move while you nail on the plywood or OSB at the corners.
You can also nail on the rest of the wall sheathing if you like. When you tilt up the wall, it’s already square and you can move on to the next wall.
Preventing Water Disasters – Frozen Pipes
February 21, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
We have had a couple cold snaps thus far but nothing cold enough and long enough to freeze most pipes that are not adequately protected. The damage that can be done by a burst pipe is huge and it can happen very quickly. Several hundred gallons of water can be released into your home if you are not there to immediately shut off the water. So first and foremost make sure you know where your main water supply shutoff valve is located. Along with finding it make sure it will work when needed. An old valve may be corroded inside and very difficult to turn when the time comes so best to find out now instead of when water is pouring into your home.
So how do you avoid a water problem from frozen pipes? The most common cause is not removing water hoses from outside faucets commonly referred to by plumbers as hose bibs. Even a freeze proof faucet will freeze and burst inside your wall if there is standing water in the hose. So to never have a problem remove those hoses when the watering season is over and if you have them, close the shutoff valve inside your house. If you don’t have a shutoff valve and it is going to be very frigid, you can buy and insulated cover to put on the faucet or just cover it with an old wool sock and small plastic bag. Usually people don’t realize a faucet froze and burst until they turn it to use it later in the spring. The water will gush into your wall or into your basement causing a big mess. Many times in block foundations this shows up as a wet wall or water seeping out at the base of the wall. It goes away after the faucet has been turned off for a while only to return when you use the faucet again. Best to prevent this by just removing the hoses every winter.
The other areas, especially in older homes that are vulnerable, are pipes in cabinets under sinks on outside walls, pipes in outside walls and in crawlspaces. The most economical way to prevent problems if you have access to the pipes is to insulate them with foam pipe insulation. Make sure you seal the joints between each piece. Any exposed piping is vulnerable. Another trick is leave the doors of a cabinet open so room air circulates warming the area more or even using a small heater. Usually the situation is one where the pipes are inside walls that are not well insulated. Short of cutting into the walls to apply better insulation about the only option is to leaving some faucets that are fed by those pipes slightly open to keep water continuously flowing. That can cost you money with a higher water bill but it is much less expensive than repairing water damage.
Prevention instead repairing in the case of anything dealing with water is always better and much cheaper. If you need some help insulating some pipes just let us know. We can send you a plumber or a handyman to address the issue. HomeServicesLink is here to help you with any home improvement or repair. Just contact us at info@homeserviceslink.com or 513-271-1888.
Sink P-Traps Substitutes
February 20, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Plumbing problems and solutions can be a homeowners worst nightmare, but having the right connection to home improvement and repair contractors is what HomeServicesLink is all about. We’re here to provide you information and be your Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky contractor connection with insured, reliable and screened contractors.
So if you need a plumber, electrician, handyman or general contractor, contact us.
DEAR TIM:I saw a new device on a website that says it can replace the traditional p-trap under a plumbing fixture. It has a flexible tube-like membrane that is supposed to stay closed when no water is flowing down the pipe. I’m skeptical this thing would work over the long haul. I also wonder how things like this get approved by code officials? It seems the traditional p-trap under all my plumbing fixtures work well. What do you think about these mechanical plumbing products that attach to the waste and vent lines? Julie P., Rockford, IL
DEAR JULIE: Boy, oh boy, you sure know how to stir the pot! You also did a great job of touching a nerve I happen to have about plumbing devices and code officials. Let’s open the discussion with the fact that I’ve been a master plumber for over 30 years.
I’m pretty certain I’ve seen the exact plumbing waste valve you’re talking about. When I first got it, I immediately recoiled at the design. My years and years of dealing with sludge-encrusted drain lines screamed at me this was a possible disaster waiting to happen.
Let’s go quickly back in time to just after the American Civil War. If memory serves me right between then and the 1880′s, the medical community came to a consensus about the connection between bacteria and diseases. Plumbing standards rapidly advanced and believe it or not, plumbers back then were often more highly regarded than physicians when it came to protecting the health of the general public. Plumbers were seen as knights in shining white armor.
That said, you absolutely never want to underestimate what can happen to you or your family if a plumbing drain system malfunctions or you have a polluted water supply system. Entire books have been devoted to the subjects.
Well over 100 years ago, it was quickly discovered you could completely stop vermin and bacteria from spreading into your home with a simple water seal under each plumbing fixture. They used to come in two styles: the S-trap and P-trap. They got the names because the shape of the drain pipes look like those letters in the English alphabet.
I have huge issues with mechanical plumbing drain and vent products that try to supplant the time-tested p-traps and traditional open vent lines that lead from fixtures up to the roof of your home. A mechanical device is one that has moving parts. We all know that every mechanical device known to man has failed at one time or another. If you know of one that’s not, it will eventually fail.
You don’t want a mechanical trap under a fixture that will not close off properly. When the trap remains open sewer gas or vermin can enter your home. What can cause a trap to stay open? If you’ve taken apart used p-traps and drain lines like I have, you’ll quickly see biofilm, sludge, grease deposits, food chunks, gravel, etc. These can all interfere with a mechanical membrane that’s supposed to close tightly.
It gets worse in my opinion. I’ve never sat in on meetings where building code officials debate and discuss changes to the code. But suffice it to say that I’ve seen parts of the building code that make me shake my head. Some of the building code is not backed up with hard science, and/or the code officials have not seen as many old buildings I have that prove certain minimum standards must be always be adhered to.
You can’t hope things are going to work. Hope is the emotion of last resort. You hope for something when you can’t control the outcome. I can control the desired outcome in my plumbing system by using traditional p-traps and a real interconnected vent system that always supply air to the pipes as water rushes down them.
Realize the building code in your town is very possibly a hybrid of a national model code. The building and plumbing code can be different from state to state and city to city because local code officials can modify the model codes. I’ve also been told that some codes have provisions where a local inspector can approve an alternative material on his own. That’s a very scary situation indeed.
Talk to any seasoned plumber and he’ll tell you he’s able to make a living because mechanical plumbing devices fail. Backflow preventer valves, regular valves of all types, pressure regulators, anything that has a moving part fails on a routine basis. Ask that same plumber about how well-designed and installed vent line systems work. I’ve never in my career had one fail. Never.
Article courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer, 02/18/2012 by Tim Carter, Ask The Builder.
Ongoing Weed Maintenance: Saves Time and Your Back
February 17, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Hand weeding is one of the most demanding chores in gardening, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Mulching, spraying, plant crowding and inexpensive stand-up tools can ease much of the back-straining work.
With rounded, purple-red flowers and variegated leaves, they are healthy to eat in salads, as cooked greens, made into flour or blended as a tea. This long-blooming plant pops up most everywhere and is rich in protein. (AP Photo/By Dean Fosdick )
And the time to plan for it is now, before you use any of that homemade compost or build your budget for planting supplies.
“Weed control is personal,” said Barb Pierson, nursery manager for White Flower Farm, a mail-order nursery at Litchfield, Conn. “To me, there are two types of weeds. Those that spread quickly and look terrible, and those that don’t look so bad but if you leave them in your garden, it will appear messy.”
“Some people enjoy cottage or natural gardens that have tons of weeds but you don’t notice them because the flowering plants are so big and bodacious,” Pierson said. “Yet if you have a simple garden, those weeds will stand out.”
It pays to know your plants before uprooting anything, she said. “Otherwise you might pull up something you like – something attractive that’s trying to self-sow and naturalize, like violas or pansies.”
Weeds generally are considered the thugs of the garden because they steal sun, water and nutrients that you’re trying to direct toward edibles and ornamentals. They often appear unsightly and out of place.
But weeds have a positive place in nature. They can be used to prevent soil erosion, provide food and cover for pollinators, and supply organic matter to depleted ground.
Despite all that, it may be necessary to do some hand weeding around the yard. And there are ways to save time and effort doing it.
Weed after it rains, when the ground is softer and weeds are easier to pull. Weed when the plants are small. Weed whenever and wherever you see them pop up, at any time of year.
Or try:
- Crowding your favorite plants. “The lazy man’s guide to gardening is to plant your flowers so tight there isn’t room enough for any weeds to compete,” Pierson said.
- Mulching. “Compost and leaves can smother weeds while making your soil healthier,” Pierson said. Solarization, or spreading plastic sheets or “geotextiles” over the ground, also prevents unwanted germination.
- Using the right tools. Long-handled hoes, string trimmers and propane-fueled “flamers” have helped gardeners avoid many an aching back. But be careful about where you direct those flames. Leaves and wood mulch are combustible combinations.
- Spraying with synthetic herbicides. Weed-killing chemicals have proven effective, but don’t overdo it. Targeting the spray rather than broadcasting it, and timing applications for windless days should reduce some of the ecological hazards. “Many people are using corn gluten now, which is more responsible for our groundwater,” Pierson said.
Virginia bluebell is a shade tolerant perennial that can be found growing wild in woodlands across North America. They show pink as buds, maturing into their namesake blue blooms at maturity.
Finally, if you can’t beat them, eat them. One person’s eyesore is another salad.
Some of the most common edible weeds, such as Canada thistle, dandelion and wild mustards, can make appetizing side dishes or key ingredients in salads, said Emilie Regnier, a weed ecologist with Ohio State University.
“Remember, though, that like most other vegetables, weeds are most tasty when young and succulent,” Regnier said in a Weed Science Society of America fact sheet. “So time your harvest accordingly.”
Know what you’re gathering, however, because some weeds are toxic, the Weed Science Society says. And avoid anything that may have been sprayed with pesticides.
If you don’t have a green thumb, the time or the desire to maintain your lawn and garden, but want a well maintained lawn, let us know. We’re here for to assist. Simply contact HomeServicesLink.
Content courtesy of Dean Fosdick as featured on MSN.
Helpful Home Tips
February 16, 2012 by Home Services Link · 2 Comments
There are many ways to save money by choosing from a growing list of home energy improvements. HomeServicesLink is excited to provide you with a list of things you can do or call on our experienced handymen to take care of for you. These home improvements and home maintenance tips will help you save money year-round.
- If your home is more than 20 years old, chances are, it is missing important features such as upgraded insulation, energy-efficient windows, and water saving fixtures.
- Exposure to carpet mold is one of the leading causes of respiratory problems.
- The toilet accounts for approximately 30% of household water. High-efficiency toilets use at least 20% less water than standard toilets. Dual-flush, water-saving toilets save you money (about 20% of monthly water bills).
- To cut the water-heating bill in half, turn down your water heater to 50 degrees celsius and insulate it.
- If your gas water heater is more than 10 years old, it is inefficient and should be replaced, and get one with a timer so that it heats water only when you need it.
- Windows are thermal holes. An average home may lose 30% of its heat or air-conditioning energy through the windows.
- Insulate your water heater. But 25% of every dollar you spend on energy goes to heat your water.
- Install a low-flow showerhead. Low-flow showerheads & faucet aerators can reduce your water consumption and your energy cost as much as 50%, without sacrificing water pressure.
- Install natural insulation in your walls & attic. Between floor joists as well.
- Install a programmable thermostat with a timer.
- Test your home for radon.
- Insulate your roof.
- Install solar panels.
- Install a whole-house fan.
- Buy/Install a water filter instead of bottled water.
- Add insulation to the hot-water pipes.
- Install a solar attic fan to vent hot air from your attic.
- Weatherize your windows and doors. Use caulk, sealants, and weather-stripping.
- 1/3 of the heat in your home is leaking out of your ducts. Seal the joints in your duct work with low-toxic mastic compound.
- Clean your air conditioner filter regularly. If you shade your air conditioner, it will not have to work as hard.
- Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioners.
- Clean/replace furnace filters each month of use.
- Put a foam gasket behind your thermostat so that it reads the actual room temperature instead of the colder temperature inside the wall.
- Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and install occupancy sensors which turn off lights when people leave the room.
Gas Saving Car Tips
February 15, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Fill up with a lower-octane gasoline. Buy the lowest grade or octane of gasoline that is appropriate for your car. Unless your car requires premium gasoline, filling up your car with high-octane fuel is a waste of money. That pricey premium fuel won’t boost your car’s fuel economy or performance in the least, so skip it.
If you’re not sure what grade of fuel works best for your car, open up your owner’s manual and take a look. As long as your engine doesn’t knock or ping when you fuel up with regular unleaded, you’re good to drive on this much cheaper gas. Passing on pricey premium gasoline could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Don’t top off. Don’t bother topping off when filling your car’s gas tank. Any additional gas is just going to slop around or seep out. Why waste your money paying for gas your car won’t use? Stop pumping at the first indication that your tank is full when the automatic nozzle clicks off.
Tighten up that gas cap. Gas will evaporate from your car’s gas tank if it has an escape. Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year, according to the Car Care Council. So be sure to tighten up that gas cap each time you fuel up your car.
Go for the shade. The hot summer sun that makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna also zaps fuel from your gas tank.
“If you let your car bake in the sun there’s going to be a greater amount of evaporative emissions that take place than if you park in the shade,” says Jim Kliesch, research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and vehicle analyst for GreenerCars.com.
So park your car in the shade of a building or tree whenever possible. And buy a good windshield shade. A windshield shade blocks sunlight and helps to keep heat out of the inside of your car.
Use your garage for your car. Got a garage? Clear it out and make room for your car. Parking in your garage will help your car stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and you won’t have to depend as much on your gas-guzzling air-conditioning or defroster when you drive.
Pump up your tires. Don’t get caught driving on underinflated tires. Underinflated tires wear down more quickly and they also lower your car’s gas mileage.
“Tires that have low pressure offer more resistance so the engine is going to work harder to keep the car at 60,” says Brian Moody, road test editor at Edmunds.com.
Your car’s gas mileage may plummet by as much as 15 percent. Driving on underinflated tires may also reduce the life of your tires by 15 percent or more.
Check your tire pressure once a month. Buy a digital gauge and keep it in your glove box. Compare the pressure in your tires with the recommended pressure listed in your owner’s manual and on the placard in your car door. Then inflate your tires as needed. Be sure to check tire pressure when your tires are cold. A good time is early in the morning after your car’s been idle overnight.
Keep your engine in tune. Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can boost gas mileage by about 4 percent. So be sure to give your car regular tune-ups. You’ll also want to watch out for worn spark plugs. A misfiring spark plug can reduce a car’s fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
Replace air filters. Keep a close eye on your engine’s air filter. When the engine air filter clogs with dirt, dust and bugs, it causes your engine to work harder and your car becomes less fuel-efficient. Replacing a clogged air filter could improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent and save you 15 cents a gallon. It’s a good idea to have your engine air filter checked at each oil change. The Car Care Council recommends changing your car’s air and oil filters every three months or 3,000 miles or as specified in your owner’s manual.
Use the right oil. You can improve your car’s gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Opt for motor oil with the words “energy conserving” on the API performance label. This oil contains friction-reducing additives.
Don’t skimp on maintenance. Be serious about auto care. Your car’s performance depends on it.
“Always follow the manufacturer-recommended maintenance,” Moody says. “The car’s designed to run a certain way. If you neglect it, it won’t be as efficient.”
Obey the car-care guidelines outlined in your owner’s manual.
Information from Bankrate.com (http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/auto/fuel-efficient/5.asp).
Spruce Up Your Lawn and Plant Seeds
February 14, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
The very best time of the year to plant grass seed is in the fall, September into the first two weeks of October.
Looking back over the lats two falls, Cincinnati has had weather of the opposite extremes. Fall 2010 was very hot and dry with no decent rain fall until November. Last year we lived in a rain forest, setting record highs in rain throughout the year.
Those two extremes made it impossible to be successful planting grass seed at what should be the best time.
If you fit into this category or just want to plant some grass seed and thicken that lawn, take heart in the fact that the second-best time to plant grass seed (and the easiest) is during the month of February and the first 10 days of March.
It’s easier to plant now because the only labor necessary at this time would be to remove any leaves or other debris that would prevent your new seed form making good dead to soil contact.
No raking or other soil prep is necessary. Nature will finish planting the seed through its heaving and thawing process that occurs through mid-March. Your grass seed will germinate when your soil temperature reaches into the 50-degree range.
The only type of grass seed that I’d recommend planting would be a turf type fescue like Fine Lawn or Avenger to name a couple. Turf fescue is the best grass for sun and shade. It is drought tolerant. Turf fescue also blends well with other types of lawn grasses that might be present.
Place the seed on your lawn where the existing grass is thin to missing. A lawn spreader is the best and most even way to apply your seed. Adjust the setting on your applicator so for to five seeds per inch of lawn are being applied.
Ground moss should be removed before seeding. It rakes off easily. Do not apply and pre-emergent crab grass control until your new grass is up and growing.
For those using a lawn service, notify them that you have winter-seeded. Notify the service when the new seed starts to grow. No fertilizer is needed, especially for lawns that were fed last fall. You can apply a light feeding when you apply your pre-emergent.
Do not use a lawn roller. Lawns can be very bumpy coming out of winter due to the natural heaving and thawing that occurs, magnified by your existing lawn grass laying flat. This is nature’s free aeration and the lawn qwill smooth out naturally as it starts to grow new blades.
Keep foot traffic to a minimum, especially if the lawn is wet or frozen. Take you mower in for service now before the line gets too long. Get the blade sharpened professionally while it’s at the shop.
Article courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer, 02/04/2012, by Denny McKeown.
Selling Your Home? Maintenance Today Sells Your Home Tomorrow
February 14, 2012 by Home Services Link · Leave a Comment
Many times, we receive calls or emails from perspective buyers or sellers that need minor repairs or improvements to their future or current home. This is why we’re here! But as this article from cincinnati.com by Angie Hicks (Angie’s List) points out, preparing and maintaining your home today for that sell tomorrow, will allow you to enjoy your home and see a better return.
So when you need screened, reliable quality service providers, contact HomeServicesLink.
Clean floors, neutral paint and fresh kitchens and bathrooms are becoming bigger selling points than the price of the home for many home buyers in the current market.
With so many homes available for purchase – and most deeply discounted – the value of a home that’s in near-perfect condition and is move-in ready is at an all-time high.
“We’re in a price war and a beauty contest,” said Jason Bowman, a real estate agent with Re/Max Elite in Mason. “Taking the time to prepare your home before you list it is the single most important aspect to get to closing and find a buyer at the right price.
“Because there are so few buyers relative to the amount of supply, there’s a lot of inventory. On top of that, there’s a lot of distressed property inventory – short sales and foreclosures – selling at deep discounts.
For the buyer to pay a retail price, it pretty much has to appear move-in ready. It has to knock their socks off when they walk through it. It has to have that model feel.”
Bowman said his company pays for a staging consultation for every home it lists. A professional stager meets with the homeowner and coaches them on ways to maximize the home’s curb appeal. That includes deep cleaning the home, decluttering, removing wallpaper and painting walls a neutral color, and even doing small remodeling jobs.
Though no remodel is going to generate a 100 percent return on the investment, updating kitchens and bathrooms will bring the best return.
“Homes that have updated kitchens and bathrooms tend to sell quicker,” said Alison Moss, a real estate agent with Comey and Shepherd, Realtors in Cincinnati. “Obviously, a house that sells quicker is going to sell for more money. Homes that have newer furnaces, roofs, exterior siding and things like that, which are well-maintained, can bring in higher values as well. People (today) don’t have the extra money to be able to make improvements. The more move-in ready the house is, the higher value you’re going to get for it.”
Adding solid surface countertops – like engineered stone, such as quartz; or natural stone, like granite – can be a selling point that can help your home outshine competitors.
“Especially, when you get into the upper price points – the $200,000 and $300,000 homes – if you don’t have granite countertops, it actually works against you,” Bowman said. “Granite countertops can be a big game changer.”
Bathrooms don’t necessarily need wholesale changes. Changing out older fixtures can make a big visual impact to the potential buyer.
“If the home has older brass fixtures, lighting fixtures, faucets and plumbing hardware, upgrading that to a nickel or oiled bronze that a lot of homes now have really seems to help bathrooms out,” Bowman said.
Having a pre-listing home inspection can also help the seller find and address potential problems, be it issues with the heating and cooling system, or having the chimney cleaned.
“It’s much more cost effective to look at this stuff before the house even goes on the market than if you deal with it during the (buyer’s home) inspection,” Bowman said.
Whatever investments you make, large or small, will almost certainly help improve your home’s curb appeal; will bring you the immediate satisfaction of enjoying the improvement; and can help bring an increase in value when you eventually do sell.
“A lot of people who have been in their homes are trying make cosmetic types of improvements now to sell the house, but they never actually enjoy those improvements,” Moss said. “I think one of the key things that people should be doing is making improvements over time to their homes, so they can enjoy those improvements that they’re making.”
