Category Archives: Yard & Outdoors

Swimming Pool – The Various Types

July 17, 2023   Matt

Swimming Pool – The Various Types

Swimming pools are artificially prepared water body containing chlorine to control bacteria. A swimming pool can come in various size and shape. The water inside the swimming pool is pumped from the pool and chemically treated, before sending it back to the pool. The swimming pool requires certain components like a basin, motorized pump, water filter, chemical feeder, drains, returns, and proper plastic plumbing.

There are various types of swimming pools depending on the construction of the basin. It is easy and economical to build the Above-ground pools with the help of prefabricated kits. Molded fiberglass-reinforced plastic, in the shape of a basin, is used to build the Fiberglass pools. A Vinyl-lined in-ground swimming pool is cheaper than the other in-ground designs, but the liner has to be replaced every ten years. The durable Gunite swimming pools with tile or fiberglass finish are the most popular. The Poured-concrete swimming pools are harder than the Gunite pools.

The public swimming pools include an indoor heated pool, an outdoor saltwater pool, children’s and toddler’s pool. Some of the public swimming pools have exciting features like an artificial waterfalls, fountains, splash pads, isolated bars, and wave machines. There are various lockers resent for storing clothing and other belongings.

The exercise swimming pools, also called swim spas, have various modes of resistance swimming. Swimming helps to tone the muscles, improve strength and flexibility, increase blood circulation, control body weight and enhance body contours. Various kinds of water exercises that can be done in a swimming pool are water walking, water jogging, water toning, water therapy, water aerobics, and water yoga.

It is extremely important to keep the swimming pool clean of pathogens and maintain a perfect chemical balance. A wrong chemical balance can cause damage to the pool, and can irritate the eyes and skin. Thus it is essential to disinfect the water in the swimming pool by adding chlorine, and other bromine compounds. Purifying the water of the swimming pool is essential to maintain proper health and hygiene.

For safety measures, avoid swimming for an hour after heavy meals. Eating heavy food and then going for a swim in the swimming pool or any other water body can be risky. Chances of developing cramps are higher, thus swimming after meals should be avoided. A swimming pool provides not only recreation and fun, but also keeps us fit and healthy.

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Landscaping Stones That You Can Use

July 12, 2023   Matt

Landscaping Stones That You Can Use

Landscaping does not only involve planting flowers, shrubs and tress. To make it look pleasing, you also need to use natural stones. These are better known as landscaping stones.

Landscape stones comes in different shapes and colors. For instance, sandstones can be found in blends of blue, buff, black, brown or pink which are often used for wall making.

For those who will be making a fish pond or a fountain, they will need to use the slate type which is available in black, green and red. Stone marble is another alternative because these stones are finely grained. You can find these in pink white and yellow and have a high absorption of water. These can also be used for paving and wailing.

Limestone is very similar to stone marble because it can also absorb water. It is used primary also for making walls.

You can also use granite since these are fine to medium course and are very strong that are found in colors pink and red.

Apart from the big stones, you will also need some small ones and there are 5 types.

The first is called the river bed pebble. These are usually round and each one measures 2 and 75mm. in diameter. These are often used as decorative borders, ground cover, dry garden beds, swimming pool decks and patios.

Next is the stone circles. The nice thing about them is that they are low maintenance and used for large patio areas, winding paths and creative edgings for those who will be installing a fishing pond.

There are also stone cobbles which are hand chiseled. They are environment friendly, non slip, does not require any maintenance and are recyclable. These are available in big and small sizes and can be used on a pavement, outhouse and on pool sides. They are very decorative and can be mixed with other types of stones.

Stone steps is another option. From the name itself, you can already tell that these are usually used to make a flight of stairs. There are four types around namely the normal, mortared, pitched and capped stone steps.

Next is the stepping stone that is used on walkway areas and is very easy to install. All you have to do is plan the path and then put in each one. To keep them in place, you should put some builder’s sand, wait awhile for everything to settle then add another layer of sand and mulch as a finishing touch.

As you can see, there are different types of stones that are used for landscaping. You can choose what will work best based on their color so it matches with the rest of the house as well as their characteristics. You can even use a few stones which you find near your house. But since this isn’t always enough, you will really need to order them.

In case you did not know, stones can also be used to prevent weeds from growing. This is done by placing them around flowers.

When you are looking for landscaping rocks, the most important thing to remember is to get those that have similar shape, size and texture. This will give your garden a natural look which people will appreciate when they are invited as guests to your home.

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Landscaping Pictures for Your Home

July 07, 2023   Matt

Landscaping Pictures for Your Home

A picture says a thousand words and it is up to you to find out what it means. When you need ideas on how to improve your garden or backyard, you should look at landscaping pictures and then incorporate this into your project.

You can look for landscaping pictures from a variety of sources. These can be found in books and in interior design magazines. Some release a new copy monthly so there is always something new for you to anticipate.

Another source of information is through the web. Some contractors post their accomplishments while some websites give amateurs ideas.

If you go around the neighborhood and like what your neighbors have done, why not take a picture or ask them how this was done.

When you are looking at the images, pay attention to the details because in most cases, there is nothing written there on how they did it. You can probably print the images and then show this to someone knowledgeable who will be able to tell you what was done and at the same time advise you if this can work in your home.

Once you have an idea of what you want to do, draw this on paper and then try and work it out. First, you will have to buy the plants and the other accessories from the store. When they are brought home, it is time to put these all together.

If somewhere along the way you decide to change your mind, go ahead and do it. After all, plans change all the time and what you have on paper is simply a guide.

One thing you must not forget about landscaping is that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to beautifying your home. You will also realize later on that not everything you see in the pictures can be applicable because of various constraints like the weather and the plants you want may not be available from the store. When this happens, just think outside the box so you are able to overcome this obstacle.

If you suddenly run out of ideas, maybe it is time to hire someone who does this for a living. This will surely save you time and money so your dream garden will not be put on hold.

In order to keep costs down, this has to be done in phases. This will give you time to buy the right materials during the lean season. For instance, wood is much cheaper to purchase during the winter. Plants, shrubs and trees are often sold at a lower price during the latter part of the current season.

You may also check online for some of these items because it is possible to get them here than the nearest home improvement store.

There is nothing wrong with copying every single detail from the landscaping picture. However, you should remember that your neighbors and even you will be much happier when you know that the idea for your backyard or front yard also had some ideas from that brain of yours.

So use your imagination and see what happens. The only thing to do now after everything is finished is regular maintenance so all your hard work will continue to show in the coming months.

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Can Your Home Insurance Stand Up To The Weather?

June 27, 2023   Matt

Can Your Home Insurance Stand Up To The Weather?

In 2004, the insurance industry estimated that about 45% of their settled claims were for damages caused by weather. This past January, that percentage climbed as high as 60%, with a possible £300 million worth of damages being claimed by homeowners for weather related incidents.

Is your home covered against damage from high winds? Will your insurance company pay out to repair damage caused when your plumbing freezes? How much will you have to pay out of pocket for repairs if heavy snow takes out your rain gutters or damages your roof?

If you’re not sure of the answers to those questions, it might prove enlightening to pull out your home insurance policy and have a read. According to an industry spokesman, too many homeowners find out what their buildings insurance does and doesn’t cover after they have incurred a loss and submitted a claim. That’s the case for many homeowners who suffered damage to their homes during the high winds of the past January who found, to their shock, that they’d be bearing the brunt of the repair bills from their own pockets.

In fact, the most recent figures suggest that over one third of homeowners have no home insurance at all, and many more are paying out for policies that don’t adequately cover the damages that they might face from adverse weather.

Home insurance policies vary widely on precisely what weather damage they cover, and how much you’re expected to pay out before the insurance company will pay its share. That’s why it’s important to sit down with your policy or your broker – or both – to discuss precisely how much coverage you have for weather-related damages, and if there are limits and exclusions to that cover. Some of the most common exclusions and limits include:

Damage from floods

If you live in an area with a high possibility of flooding, you may need to purchase separate cover to deal with damage from flooding. It’s vital that you not neglect this, say insurance spokesmen. The cost of repairing damage after a flood can easily run to £30,000 or more. Compare that to the average weather related claim of about £500.

Water damage from burst pipes

Watch for limits on the amount of damages you can claim if your pipes freeze and burst. A burst pipe in your loft can quickly damage walls and ceilings, and result in unhealthy growth of mold and mildew if not cleaned properly. The cost of all those repairs can easily and quickly mount above typical limits on damages.

Contents cover

If you only have buildings insurance, you may find yourself out of luck when damage to your roof results in the destruction of your expensive draperies, carpets and furnishings. Even if you carry cover for your home contents, you may want to carry extra insurance if you own expensive items like Oriental rugs or fine artwork.

Outdoor and garden items

Many policies only cover items inside your home from weather damage, while other policies will even pay to replace plants damaged by storms in severe weather. If you’re an avid gardener, or have outdoor patio and yard equipment, consider a policy that includes garden cover.

Be sure to review your policy periodically to be certain that you’ve kept it up to date, especially when you make new purchases or add an extension to your home.

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Landscaping at One’s Fingertips

June 17, 2023   Matt

Landscaping at One’s Fingertips

There was a time that landscaping was done using some paper and a pencil. It would also entail the help of a professional who specializes in that field but the age of the computer has made this task easier for an individual, since there are programs readily available for an individual to use and specifically designed for ones specifications.

Since there are many systems available, the first thing the person needs to determine is the system requirements that are needed for it to work in his computer. He can check this by looking at the packaging of the software program which will help the person avoid buying something that will not be able to work for him.

The project one will do may use up a lot of memory on the computer. So, it is advisable for the person to check to make sure there is enough space in his computer to accommodate the workload.

Some computer programs allow the user to inject pictures into the program but this is only been available in the newer computers. There is also software available that is not programmable which puts limitations when one is doing work on the his computer.

One of the things some people want to do when planning the landscape is view it in a 3 dimensional perspective. There are also programs that can do this but learning how to do it will take some time and will require one to attend classes and learn from a professional.

Old software that was purchased in the past can be upgraded later to the more updated version. Visit the website of the computer manufacturer to find the needed information, or consult a computer technician.

Computers have made it easier for people to do things since programs designed for landscaping cater to landscaping professionals, or for those who just want to update their own landscape. These programs can be found on the internet and are sold at a reasonable price. All the person has to do is order it will delivered in a few days.

Whatever the purpose, the price of these programs varies according to what the software can do. Should one want to have special effects and other things, this will cost more so it is best to determine the objective your desire before starting and determine if it within your budget.

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Home Gardening

June 12, 2023   Matt

Home Gardening

Over the last few years home gardening has become an increasingly popular past-time and hobby. In fact, studies show that home gardening is at an all time high in America right now. In the United States 8 out of 10 households take part in some type of home gardening activity. Obviously from the number of people that are doing it, home gardening is one of the most popular recreational activities in nation.

Most people that try their hand at home gardening plant flowers; at least they start out planting flowers anyway. Roses will probably be the first thought into any gardeners mind, but roses will take extra time and work, and should probably be left to those who have gardened before. When planting flowers many choices are available, such as bulbs, perennials, and annuals.

Edible plants are another big thing in home gardening. Perhaps the best thing about edibles is the reward of eating them. The list of edible plants that gardeners can grow at home is endless. Some of the most common edible plants in the vegetable arena are, potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, squash, and cucumber. Many gardeners opt for fruits, such as, watermelons, tomatoes, peaches, plums, apples, pears, and apricots. Small fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries usually require less work and less space, making them much more feasible for home gardening. Herbs, most often used as spices in cooking, are growing in popularity every day; some of the most grown include basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, and cilantro. One of the most important things to watch for when planting edibles is insects and disease, after all, you don’t want to miss out on the feast you will get to enjoy from healthy plants.

Many people don’t realize it, but landscaping is a form of home gardening. Landscaping covers many different areas and forms of gardening. You can even classify mowing your lawn as landscaping! Keeping in the line of grasses, landscaping nearly always involves decorative grasses, and the great thing about them is they don’t take much work for upkeep. Types of grass include monkey grass, pampas, buffalo grass, flame grass, and ornamental millet. Landscaping is not just limited to plant life, but also includes anything done to a yard for decoration, such as adding rocks or stones, putting a small pond, statutes, or a waterfall.

There isn’t much difference between home gardening and gardening anywhere else. Plants still need to be planted in a good location. The plants still need water and they still need the same nutrients. Home gardening shouldn’t cause anyone to get nervous. If you do decide to try homing gardening and finding out that you don’t have a green thumb, don’t get discouraged. Get some information, read up on gardening, and try it again the next planting season.

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