Landscaping
- Splinter removal: pour Elmer’s glue on splinter. Let dry, then peel glue off and splinter is stuck to glue.
- Get your lawn mower ready. Change the oil and sharpen the blade. You’ll lengthen the life of the mower and look of your lawn.
- Keep a dry erase marker in your bathroom so you can write reminder notes or your To-Do list on the mirror.
- Water lawn & plants in the early morning or late evening (Soil maintains moister better.)
- Plant a tree to create shade for the house (Cooling effects can equal to 10 A/C operating @ 20 hours a day.)
- Keep weeds under control (Weeds are water thieves.)
- Mosquitoes…avoid wearing clothing that is damp or colored blue. They say mosquitoes love damp or blue clothing.
- Don’t wash your exterior concrete with cold water from an outside faucet when temperatures are high and the sun has been shining on the concrete. The change in temperature can damage the surface bond.
- Position your sprinkler system so the water does not hit your windows and doors.
- Occasionally, a white powdery substance called efflorescence may appear on masonry. This is a normal occurrence and does not indicate that there are any problems with the product. While efflorescence can be removed, it will usually disappear over time.
- Do not allow ivy or any other ground cover to grow on brick or stone walls. The tentacle-like roots of the ivy will work their way into tiny masonry cracks, promoting deterioration.
- Trim shrubs and hedges regularly. Do not allow shrubs to become overgrown. Overgrowth can encourage decay around your foundation and siding. Allow at least a foot or more between shrubs and the finished exterior surface of your home.
- Regularly check your downspouts and splash blocks, if applicable, to make sure they are aimed away from your foundation.
- While trees, shrubs and other plants are used to define borders, allow several feet between your home and any plants. This rule also applies to sprinkler heads. Allow 10 feet between your home and trees so root growth does not disturb your foundation.
- Edge your lawn with a trimmer to keep grass from encroaching on driveways, patios and sidewalks. Encroaching grass will harbor moisture that may damage concrete. If grass roots work their way into small cracks, these cracks can become larger.
- Survey the outside of your house to make sure soil around the foundation is properly graded. Soil should slope three to six inches for a distance of three feet out from the foundation walls
- Fertilizer should be applied a minimum of 3 times a year for turf. In the winter months 2 applications are necessary and one should be a weed and feed. In the summer months 1 application should be applied. Spray insecticide every other month. Do not spray immature grass with chemicals to kills weeds. The best approach is to use pre-emergent weed control when grass is stronger and more mature.
- Lawn fertilizer left on the driveway, sidewalks and patios will stain the concrete and cause rust spots. This can be prevented by immediately hosing off the driveway, sidewalk or patio after applying fertilizer.