Monthly Archives: September 2023

Hillside Landscaping – Properly Watering Hillside And Sloped Landscapes

September 30, 2023   Matt

Hillside Landscaping – Properly Watering Hillside And Sloped Landscapes

Sloped and hillside lawns and landscapes tend to develop dry dead spots during the hot part of the season. This is primarily due to water run off before it has a chance to saturate into the soil. Deep saturation is a key to a healthy lawns and plants. Deep watering helps establish deeper roots that can handle Summer heat stress.
Water that runs off or just barely breaks the surface, obviously does the lawn or landscape very little good. So how do you give landscaping and lawn on a slope better saturation?
Split your water cycle duration into two or three short cycles. If your water cycle is 30 minutes, you might split the cycle into three 10 minute cycles. So on watering days, you’ll run the system for the specified amount of time, let it soak for a few hours, then repeat this for the number of times needed.
To determine the exact amount of time needed, turn on the lawn sprinkler and watch for how long it takes for runoff to begin. This is the maximum of how long each cycle should be.
Don’t just split your cycles into different days. You need deep saturation for healthier plants. Plants and lawns like infrequent deep waterings much more than frequent shallow waterings.
Landscaping and specimen plants on a hillside will also benefit from better saturation. Plants should be planted in larger holes filled with good soil that absorbs water easily. Also, dams and water wells should be built on the downhill side of the plant. This will help give the water time to soak straight down to the root zone before it runs off.

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Tips To Help You Keep Your Plumbing Running Smooth

September 28, 2023   Matt

Tips To Help You Keep Your Plumbing Running Smooth

If you are a first time homeowner or maybe someone who has just moved out of Mom and Dad’s humble abode, you may not know a lick about plumbing, but there are certain things that you should know. This article will discuss some of them, and you will be more knowledgeable after reading the tips below.

To make sure there is no accident or sudden rush of water when you tackle a plumbing project, make sure you are ready for a cleanup. If you go into the work with a huge stack of towels and blankets ready to absorb water, the prospect of needing to actually do it will keep you alert enough to avoid triggering the accident in the first place.

For the most effective plunger to use on a toilet, choose one with a flange that sticks out from the end and fits into the hole in the bottom of the bowl. These typically work better than the classic cup-style plungers, since they create a tighter seal in the drain.

Do not pour hot grease down your kitchen drains. It can build up in the pipes and cause your plumbing to back up. Allow the grease to cool in your pan or in a can and then dispose of it in the garbage. This consideration is going to reduce the amount of backups that occur in your kitchen sink.

The truth to DIY plumbing is that you’re taking your life on the line when you start a project. You may drive yourself nuts, cost yourself an arm and a leg, and end up having to call in a professional to fix the mess you made – at double the price. Consider a professional first unless you really know what you’re doing.

It’s important not to dump harsh chemicals into your septic system like drain cleaners, but are you also considering the other chemicals you use to clean? Toilet cleaners, dishwasher soap, and even laundry detergent can kill off the healthy bacteria which is taking care of your waste. Try to use natural products for all cleaning jobs in your house to keep your septic system in good shape.

To prevent the most common kitchen sink clogs, avoid putting any sort of solid foods down your drain. Many foods, such as eggs and vegetable and fruit waste actually harden with exposure to cold water and over time can form clogs that are next to impossible to remove without professional help.

To avoid sediment buildup, drain gallons of water from your water heater to flush any corrosion. This will help your heater to run more efficiently therefore saving you regular energy costs. Make sure to read your heater’s instructions before attempting this, and do this periodically to make sure that your heater is running as well as it can.

Now that you have read these plumbing tips, you should feel a little more comfortable about looking after that scary hardware that lurks in some rooms of your home. Follow the advice above and you are sure to do the right things when tinkering around with any of the pipes.

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A Wish List From Mom To Dad

September 26, 2023   Matt

A Wish List From Mom To Dad

Here is just a little wish list I put together for you. First, I feel I should tell you that I greatly appreciate all that you do for me and our family. Feel free to grant any or all of my wishes time permitting. They can be fulfilled in any order. I will gladly accept them on any given day. No need to wait for a special occasion or holiday to grant any of the following:
A thorough house cleaning preferably when the house is dirty. I will gladly show you where the cleaning supplies are kept and will provide a detailed list for you if needed.
A night out. Just about any activity will do. This would include everything from a simple picnic to a night on the town. Oh, I almost forgot, no kids. So you will need to arrange for a sitter.
A few diaper changes. For the baby of course, I’m past that stage. If you really want to impress me, you can change a few of the pooh pooh ones. That would be great!
An occasional morning to catch up on my beauty sleep. So I can remain the beautiful woman you adore. This can be arranged around your days off of work.
A night free of dinner duty and clean up. I trust you, so anything you decide to prepare will do just fine. I know you wouldn’t even consider serving me a TV dinner. And don’t worry about getting dish pan hands from the clean up. I use a wonderful dish soap that will moisturize your hands while doing dishes.
A couple of late night feedings would be nice. Not for me, I’m watching my weight. But, the baby is known to wake up a time or two hungry for a late night snack.
A bedtime round up. This would consist of rounding up all the munchkins and getting them tucked in their beds. Really its good exercise. All the repeated trips to the restroom and the kitchen for last minute drinks.
A thank-you for a job well done. It really boosts my self esteem and shows me how much you appreciate all that I do.
Now this was just a small list. Feel free to add anything to it or repeat any of my wishes. I will accept most graciously.
Love,
Me

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Hillside Landscaping-Proper Watering

September 25, 2023   Matt

Hillside Landscaping-Proper Watering

Sloped and hillside lawns and landscapes tend to develop dry dead spots during the hot part of the season. This is primarily due to water run off before it has a chance to saturate into the soil. Deep saturation is a key to a healthy lawns and plants. Deep watering helps establish deeper roots that can handle Summer heat stress.

Water that runs off or just barely breaks the surface, obviously does the lawn or landscape very little good. So how do you give landscaping and lawn on a slope better saturation?

Split your water cycle duration into two or three short cycles. If your water cycle is 30 minutes, you might split the cycle into three 10 minute cycles. So on watering days, you’ll run the system for the specified amount of time, let it soak for a few hours, then repeat this for the number of times needed.

To determine the exact amount of time needed, turn on the lawn sprinkler and watch for how long it takes for runoff to begin. This is the maximum of how long each cycle should be.

Don’t just split your cycles into different days. You need deep saturation for healthier plants. Plants and lawns like infrequent deep waterings much more than frequent shallow waterings.

Landscaping and specimen plants on a hillside will also benefit from better saturation. Plants should be planted in larger holes filled with good soil that absorbs water easily. Also, dams and water wells should be built on the downhill side of the plant. This will help give the water time to soak straight down to the root zone before it runs off.

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Things You Need To Know About Plumbing (2)

September 23, 2023   Matt

Things You Need To Know About Plumbing

Were you aware that water pressure above 80 psi can actually cause a loud hammering sound to occur in your plumbing system? This can be easily resolved by installing a valve that can adjust the incoming water pressure. For more great expert tips, check out the rest of this article.

If water is backing up into multiple fixtures all over the house, it is no longer going to be effective for you to use chemicals or a small hand snake. This is evidence of a blockage in the main line, and you must contact a professional to take care of this problem for you.

If you’re planning on connecting galvanized steel to copper pipes you need to use a dielectric union to make sure that the steel doesn’t corrode. It is made of both steel and copper and will ensure that the union is tight, safe, and lasts as long as your house is standing.

Before embarking on a plumbing project, make sure that you’re aware of where the shutoff valve for water in your home is, as well as the valves for shutting off individual structures like sinks, toilets, etc. This way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to stop the water flow.

Make sure any plumber that you hire can handle the type of job you have. There are many aspects to plumbing and many contractors can do almost all of them, but some are better suited to doing work involved in specific areas. If need a plumber for your septic system, get one that specializes in septic systems.

If your sewer is backed up, there are things you can do to troubleshoot and clean, including renting equipment like a main line cable. However, often times this does not fully take care of the problem. A professional needs to assess the issue then, using a camera method, and thoroughly cleaning the main line.

You should consider getting a stainless steel sink if you are in need of a new sink. Stainless steel sinks are much better than other ones for many reasons. They are more durable, they absorb shock, they are easier to clean, and they go with almost any decor.

Coat your sinks with expanding foam to deaden sounds. If you have to sinks side by side, sounds will resonate strongly between them and create vibrations. This is not good for the pipes. The expanding foam will reduce the vibrations and protect your pipes. You might find it easier to apply foam before you install the sink.

If you have to shut off your plumbing system for maintenance, fill up a few buckets of water so you can still flush your toilet. Fill the bowl with a full bucket to flush it. This will prevent your toilet from clogging if you need to maintain your plumbing system.

In conclusion, you want to be sure that you know what all of the noises you hear coming from your basement are. Some noises could be normal, some could mean that are more serious problems. Hopefully this article will help you determine what sorts of issues require your immediate response.

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Death to Fleas

September 21, 2023   Matt

Death to Fleas

Summers here in Texas can be brutal! The intense heat, the humidity. Not a summer passes without hearing of at least one person collapsing from heat exhaustion. I am fortunate to possess what every Texan aspires to own: air conditioning. Now that might seem as mundane as, say owning an indoor toilet, but truth be told, there’s still many people here in Texas today who do not have A/C. In fact, until I was thirteen, I also lived in a house with no A/C.
But I digress from the subject of this entry, which is FLEAS. I only mention that about the heat here in Texas as an example of however bad it may be, it does not even come within spitting distance of the horrors of FLEAS.
See, with the coming of summer, the heat and humidity, we also get, you guessed it, FLEAS. Humans might dislike excessive heat, but these blood-sucking creatures LOVE the heat. It’s their breeding time. People may do most of their conceiving during the winter months, but not FLEAS! Oh no, they like it hot, apparently a fan of the movie.
Anyways, we have three cats, one inside cat and two outside cat. Now, dealing with these fleas every year, you’d think that we would have become smarter about it. But no, each June when the FLEAS start hatching, we do nothing to take any precautions until it’s too late. What can I say? We’ve slept since last summer.
So, our outside cats pick up the fleas, and presents them to our inside cat. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: Why don’t you keep your outside cats outside? Like I said, the FLEAS only get bad in early summer. The rest of the year they are not a problem; so we forget their existence until, you guessed it, it’s too late!
For the last two weeks, I have been cleaning my house much more than normal. I’ve been vacuuming my WHOLE house every day! Constantly shaking flea powder on the inside cat, Brat. I should just throw her fleabag butt out the door, but she’s just too pretty! A holy terror for sure (hence the name) but beautiful nonetheless. Besides, she’s just a baby still, and it’s not her fault she has FLEAS. Poor thing, she runs and tries to hide whenever she sees me coming toward her now!
So, back to cleaning. My house SHINES, it SPARKLES! Not a dustbunny anywhere. Martha Stewart would be proud. But the FLEAS remain. I’ve spent at least fifty dollars on flea and ant death powder to put on carpets and floors. The darn things won’t sit still long enough to be killed. They jump and jump and jump all over my SPARKLING house, evading the death powder. How inconsiderate is that? My daughter, complaining of killer dust clouds in the house, ran away to a friend’s house last weekend where she could, presumably, breathe without gasping.
But still they’re here.
I was tired. I was discouraged. I was just about to admit defeat and remove myself to another lodging and let the FLEAS take over this house.
THEN the fleas crossed the line. All the time I had been engaged in open warfare with the FLEAS, I had not felt any personal animosity towards them. They did their best to suck my blood; I did my best to stop them. Just the way of nature, right? I didn’t hate them; not them personally. Of course, I hated it when they bit me, but I didn’t hate them, even though I was doing my best to kill them.
But then, like I hinted at above, they crossed the line. They, in their arrogance and perceived superiority, committed an error they will soon regret. One of their bloodsucking soldiers, either ignorant of or completely disregarding the rules of warfare with humans, that is, to stay within the bounds of feet and ankles, decided to reconnaissance my son’s ear. He quickly paid for his transgressions.
But it does not end with only the one transgressor dying a horrible death (being squashed between my fingernails). Oh no! Because now my blood is boiling! My hatred is rampaging! I will hunt down every single flea and make them ALL pay for the sins of the one!
DEATH TO ALL FLEAS!

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