Monthly Archives: August 2022

Plumbing Like A Pro: Tips, Tricks, And Techniques 5

August 21, 2022   Matt

Plumbing Like A Pro: Tips, Tricks, And Techniques

Plumbing is a lot more that just fixing a leak under the sink. It is truly a huge system that needs to be maintained. It has so many techniques and equipment that require research and hard work. Do you have what it takes? Regardless of your answer, here are some tips to help you.

Try to limit the amount of hair that goes down your drains. Hair can become tangled up in the pipe and end up blocking up the them, preventing water from flowing smoothly. Buy a cheap screened drain cover to put over your drain to stop any hair from going down and clean it off regularly.

Set the temperature on your hot water heater to a temperature that does not exceed 120 degrees. This helps to save energy and prevents the water from becoming too hot and potentially scalding someone in your household. Older models that do not have a temperature setting should be set on Medium.

One of the things that you can do to safeguard your home from any serious plumbing issues is to install a flood alarm. This is a device that will sound when it comes in contact with water, alerting you if there are any issues in a particular area in the house.

If water backs up from one sink to another, it is because the lines are connected. The part of the branch line for one device might be higher than another, but most likely there is also a blockage in the branch line connecting the two devices as well. This blockage must be cleaned.

Check the plumbing in your home. If your home has the flexible gray polybutylene water pipes, you need to have a plumber come out and assess their condition. These types of pipe are prone to failure and can lead to very costly repairs if they have a failure within your home.

Always keep your garbage disposal clean. You can do this in many ways. Pour some dish soap in and let the disposal run for a few minutes with some cold water. Be sure to run it regularly, if not, it can cause rust. To eliminate foul odors, grind lemon or other citrus peels. You can clean the walls of the disposal by grinding small fruit pits or egg shells.

Tank-less water heaters are a great space saving alternative to traditional tank units. They are available in many models, some for indoors and some models are capable for outdoor mounting. Tank-less water heaters are known as great money savers when it comes to your water bill.

Got a leaky pipe? In many cases you can repair this yourself without the expense of a plumber. If a joint is leaking, tighten it with a pipe wrench. If the leak is coming from a damaged section of pipe, you can try repairing with a store-bought patching kit. One method involves applying waterproof tape to the section of pipe where there is leakage. Before applying the tape, make sure the pipe is thoroughly dry. Make sure that the tape covers two to three inches on either side of the breakage in the pipe.

Now you see that plumbing is a lot more than haphazardly fixing a tiny leak. It takes skill and work. You don’t want to create more problems, so why not take some time to learn how to do it right? The above tips should have given you some pointers on how to do that.

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Plumbing Problems? Solve Them With These Top Tips 8

August 19, 2022   Matt

Plumbing Problems? Solve Them With These Top Tips

Now is the time to finally learn more about plumbing. You have considered it before but just never set the time aside to do so. Read the great advice in this article and you will be happy that you finally took the time to do so if you ever have any plumbing issues.

It’s important to know how to turn off the water in your home in case the worst happens. For example, if your bathroom sink started leaking, do you know how to stop it? Walk around your home and find all the shut-off valves for each set of pipes and write them down. Create a map so you can always have a reference if necessary.

Run dishwashers and washing machines at night, or during times when people are not using that much water. This will keep water pressure strong for showers and other things, while making sure that dishwashing and laundry still takes place in a timely manner. It also preserves energy costs and use.

Tub drains can get clogged by hair and debris easily, but may be hard to access. Make use of an afghan hook to reach in and snag clogging materials. These hooks are available at most craft stores. Use slow, measured movements to avoid breaking the hair as you are pulling it out.

If you are considering a plumbing improvement in your home, consider the costs of hiring a professional vs. doing-it-yourself. After thinking about how much it will cost you to figure out what the appropriate pipes to use are, the time it will take to learn the trade and the time needed to learn the mapping of your plumbing system, you may find it cheaper to hire a professional.

To improve the efficiency of your water heater, you need to determine what size hot water tank your household needs. Knowing the number of people and appliances that use hot water in your home will let you know what size hot water tank will be the best for your home.

If one of your water pipes freezes, turn on the tap to the faucet nearest the pipe so that the water has somewhere to exit as the pipe thaws. This helps to relieve the pressure in the pipe and may prevent bursting, which can cause further damage to your home.

Garbage disposals are convenient kitchen accessories but you have to take care to use them properly. When rinsing food down the drain, always use cold water, as hot water can liquefy the grease, which can coagulate and build up over time. You can help to clean the disposal by grinding egg shells or fruit pits in it from time to time. In addition, avoid putting items such as bones, glass, paper, potato peels, cooking oil, coffee grounds and harsh chemicals in a disposal, as these can cause a variety of plumbing problems.

In conclusion, it is extremely valuable that you know your way around a plumbing system. You will be a great resource to your family and friends and potentially save yourself quite a bit of money as well. Hopefully you were able to understand all of the concepts covered here and found it to be interesting.

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How To Make Money By Starting A Carpet Cleaning Business

August 17, 2022   Matt

How To Make Money By Starting A Carpet Cleaning Business

If you want to make money working for yourself and be your own boss carpet cleaning is an easy business to get into. When you start up a business there are two key components that you need, a product to sell and someone who’s willing to buy it. Carpet cleaning is not rocket science but does require knowledge on general carpet cleaning, stain removal and knowing the limitations of what your equipment can handle.

There are three main types of carpet cleaning; dry foam carpet cleaning, liquid extraction carpet cleaning, and hybrid liquid extraction using a bonnet to thoroughly scrub the floors. Most carpet cleaners use the liquid extraction method because it most cost effective. When starting your business you need to lay out a business plan. To develop a carpet cleaning business you must have money for start up because your business is equipment based.

When you first go to purchase carpet cleaning equipment you’ll be amazed at how many different types of extraction equipment is available. To find carpet cleaning equipment it is advisable to shop at a local cleaning supplies and janitorial equipment distributor or look on line at vacuum cleaner and carpet extractor websites. There are many types of carpet cleaning units available, some of these types include carpet spotters, portable carpet extractors and truck mount carpet extractors.

Carpet spotters are made for cleaning smaller spaces and areas that are not flat like cars, boats and furniture. Carpet spotters are also great at removing small spills and stains and are light and easy to transport. A great way to expand what you offer in your carpet cleaning business is to offer mobile auto detailing. Mobile auto detailing is quickly catching on and people will pay good money for this extra service.

Portable carpet extractors are what you are probably going to be looking at if you’re just starting out in the carpet cleaning market. There are two types of portable carpet extractors, tank and wand units and portable walk behind. Tank units are the best if you are going to be cleaning a lot of carpets frequently. Tank units allow you to attach carpet wand tools for a variety of jobs and are the most versatile. Tank extractors also come with heaters that super heat your extraction solution which in turn yields a cleaner carpet. Tank portable carpet extractors usually range from 00 to 00 dollars new and are available with many options.

The third type of carpet extraction unit is the truck mount. Having a truck mount unit for commercial carpet cleaning is the ultimate way to go. Truck mount carpet extractors are usually mounted in a truck, van or trailer and contain very large suction motors which are run off the vehicles own power. Truck mount carpet extractors come with super heating heaters that heat the carpet extraction solution up to high temperatures. Truck mount units are usually self contained so the both the solution tank and the waste liquid tank is contained in the vehicle. Truck mount setups can range any where from ,000 to ,000 dollars depending on the options you choose. If you are starting out your own carpet cleaning business a used truck mount systems is a great way to go.

The basic equipment needed to start your carpet cleaning business is a vehicle to get to your carpet cleaning location, a carpet extraction unit and carpet cleaning chemicals and cleaning supplies. After you have acquired all your cleaning equipment it’s time to get insured. It is not recommended that you clean someone else’s carpets without insurance and most people who hire you will require proof that you are insured and bonded for their own protection. Knowledge of carpet cleaning is required for cleaning carpets. There are many books and internet sites that are devoted to commercial carpet cleaning from which you can gain knowledge about the carpet cleaning industry.

After you have learned and practiced with your own equipment its time to get some clients. A great way to learn and get experience is to offer to clean your friends and relatives carpet for free or at a discounted price. This is a great way to gain experience and knowledge about carpet cleaning and sometimes learning by making mistakes is the best way to perfect your carpet cleaning skills. The most cost effective way to get clients is networking. Tell people about your carpet cleaning endeavors and ask them to spread the word. Advertising in smaller local newspapers is also a great option because ads are usually cheap and they are targeted to specific communities. When you first start out you should run some good deals even if you are breaking even on the actual carpet cleaning costs at your jobs. You will want to get the word out there as much as you can, and if you do a great job word will spread fast.

When you are cleaning your clients’ carpets it is important that you look and act professional. Remember that you are in someone else’s house and that you are being paid as a service to clean their carpets. Before you start cleaning your clients’ carpets, have them show you all the trouble spots and let them know if it is possible to get stains out. Many people believe that professional carpet cleaners can remove every stain from carpeting but this is not true because some stains can be ground in and permanent. It’s ok to let the client know if you are unable to remove a stain. After you are done cleaning the carpets take the client around and show them any trouble spots before you leave. Explain to them why you can’t get the stain out and what other treatments such as dying can be done to the carpet. Make sure before you leave that the client is happy, just as good carpet cleaning spreads by word of mouth news of bad carpet cleaning will spread even faster and could give you a bad reputation in the carpet cleaning world. Make sure to keep a list of all your clients and follow up with them over the year to see if your carpet cleaning skills are needed again. Over time you will build up repeat clients to add to your new clients which will in time expand your carpet cleaning business.

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The Challenge of Landscaping Small Yards

August 16, 2022   Matt

The Challenge of Landscaping Small Yards

Landscaping projects, no matter how big or small, requires thorough research and advanced planning. This is also true in landscaping small yards. One should be meticulous in doing such because of the limited space requires just the exact and perfect fitting ornaments so that the project would look good despite its size.

Modification
Landscaping is all about changing the land’s appearance, modifying such for personal satisfaction or to upgrade the land’s value in the market. The change could vary from simply changing the plants in it or arranging the structures in the area to hauling up, digging further and constructing materials that could really drastically change the landscape.

Perfect Fit
In doing the modifications for small yards, one must first assess the size or the part of the land to be used. Based on the calculated size, you may proceed with research first and then you can plan.

In researching, the same rule applies as to those projects with big landscapes. You must first know about the place well enough, its weather conditions, the type of soil in it and the plants that would grow in the place.

Information as abovementioned could be gathered in landscaping books and magazines. The Web has also vast information and pictures for such projects that you may want to see first to have an idea of the different styles that you may opt to replicate or combine one or two styles. You may also create your own if you are knowledgeable in the process. And asking around will also a lot, especially when you get to talk with people whose landscaping are excellent. You would really get an idea of what to do and also what not to do in the process so that you’d have minimal errors once you sit down on your project.

When you have a small yard, planning should be simple yet very detailed. The type of plants that you may opt to use should be placed accordingly. Be mindful of the color and the sizes of the plants, as well as the positioning of each because you can actually make the land appear larger than it is through the use of such ornaments.

Structuring Each Element
When you plan on landscaping for a small yard, you need to have a structure for everything. You need to know how much space would each ornament consume because in the process, you need to maximize everything. You need to utilize each free space to make the land appear larger than it really is and so that no one could actually fault the place as to having to much at such its small size.

You may still have other materials in the area like some fence or a water element such as a small pond or simple fountain maybe, this just depends on the placing of each material. All these could be laid out in the plan, but you can still do minor changes once you’re already into the process and is actually seeing what the blueprint looks like in reality.

Landscaping small yards may be quite a challenge. But when one is equipped with the right knowledge and the proper materials, mistakes would be minimal. The advantage of having a small yard is that it is easy to maintain so you are free to choose from a wide variety of ornaments as long as you’re sure that those would survive in the place’s conditions.

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Issues With Plumbing? Try These Simple Solution!

August 14, 2022   Matt

Issues With Plumbing? Try These Simple Solution!

Anytime you have a plumbing problem, you do not need to get stressed out. This article will give you some tips to learn how to handle plumbing problems. Remember to take your time when fixing anything yourself so that you do not cause any further damage from happening to your pipes.

Make sure overflow holes are cleaned out. This can help to prevent any water damage. Overflow holes are a way to stop water from overflowing if a sink is left on by accident. If the overflow hole is clogged it will not be able to do its job.

When getting plumbing quotes for your home, make sure you receive them in writing. Your quote should have the material and labor costs so that both parties know what to expect from the job. If you do not get it in writing, when the job starts, you have nothing to fall back on.

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.

Many people complain of low water pressure. While there are several things that can cause this, one must not be overlooked when starting your investigation. What kind of pipes do you have? If your piping is galvanized, you are better off just replacing your piping which will eliminate the issue.

Never flush menstrual products, such as pads or tampons, even if the box says it’s okay. These products can cause major clogs in your plumbing that cannot be removed with a simple plunger. Ensure that all women in your household understand the importance of placing these items in an appropriate receptacle.

Before the cold season hits, check out the condition of your gutters on the roof of your house. Remove all debris, leaves and branches so that you can have a smooth flow of water and easy drainage. Caretaking in advance will help to prevent serious issues with plumbing down the road.

Insulate your pipes well to avoid winter freezing in your pipes. When your pipes are frozen, you have no water, so you want to do all you can to prevent this from happening. If you have any pipes that aren’t insulated, you can find various household items, such as newspaper and foam to be effective in insulating the pipes to protect from freezing.

Check your toilet for leaks. Once a month, put a couple of drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. After half an hour, check the toilet bowl. If the water is slightly colored, the tank is leaking. You can fix the leak by replacing the stopper in the tank. People waste a lot of water through leaky tanks, without even knowing it.

You have learned many ways to handle a wide variety of plumbing problems. Take the advice in this article to use as a guide. If you have any further questions, make sure to take the time to find the answers using the internet or a professional so that you know exactly what you are doing before you start.

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How To Make Gourd Bird Houses In 9 Easy Steps

August 12, 2022   Matt

How To Make Gourd Bird Houses In 9 Easy Steps

Bird houses can be a great way to attract birds to your yard and if you want a unique natural look, the gourd bird houses may be the way to go. The first thing that comes into mind when it comes to creating bird houses is to find the perfect gourd. This can surely help in saving effort and money.

Gourds can be easily found or grown in the garden. Gourds are distinctly identified by their eye-catching colors and markings. They can even be said to resemble alien forms. This happens especially during the late summer and they can be very entertaining to the eyes.

Gourds will normally be something that have to be intentionally grown. To grow one, certain steps have to be taken and regular tending must be done. Apply fertilizer in the soil where you plan to plant the gourd. For a plant grown in the space of the garden, a half dozen seeds should be placed. Then follow properly the directions in the seed packet. Thereafter, the plant should be regularly watered and the fertilizer reapplied every month. For creating bird houses, a large gourd has to be cultivated. This type normally takes 130 days to mature.

Turning the Gourd into a Bird House

Once you have the right gourd at hand, it can be easily crafted to make a good bird house that you can put in your yard or garden space to attract the birds.

Working with the gourd is relatively easy. It is just like working with the wood. However, doing so will require some tasks to be fulfilled. These steps are necessary to make a bird house successfully out of the gourd.

1. Put hot water with soap in a pail. Get the gourds and soak them. When at least 30 minutes have passed, take out the gourd and clean it.

2. Cleaning the gourd will require the use of a scrub. Do this until the gourd is entirely clean. Just take into account the possibility of discolorations in the gourd. This will not normally take off so do not fret over the stains.

Dry the gourds after cleaning.

3. Select the dried gourds that have the right length for your bird house. a diameter of 8 to 14 inches will be proper enough.

4. Make sure that the walls of the gourds are properly measured so as to make it most comfortable for the birds. It should be at least quarter of an inch thick so as not to make the bird house too warm.

5. Next detail to work on is the hole for the birds to enter. Most of the gourd bird houses are created for martin birds. A hole of two and a half inch are normally sufficient for the martins to enter into.

Drill a hole also at the bottom of the cage for the drainage system.

6. Clean out the insides of the gourd. Scrape out the seeds inside. You can also pour water inside to make sure that the dusts created by drilling are removed.

7. Preserving the gourd is also necessary. Purchase copper sulfate from hardware shops and follow the instructions on how to prepare the mixture. Soak the gourd in the preparation for 15 minutes and let it dry.

Make sure your hands are properly protected with gloves in preparing the mixture.

8. Paint the exteriors of the gourd house. White house paint is normally used to make the bird house to easily attract the birds. Just ensure that no drain holes are left unclogged.

9. Then, make a hole on the top neck of the gourd. This is to give way for the wire that will be used to hang the bird house.

Being closer to the birds is not a difficult task. Again, you only need the gourd at hand and some handy skills. Build a gourd bird house and the birds will come to you.

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