Posts

Opening Your Pool for the Summer: A Definitive Checklist

May 16, 2018

Opening the pool for summer can certainly seem like a daunting task. After all, you just never know what you might find under that cover, and it’s easy to let your imagination run wild. But we promise it’s not so bad! We’re here to give you a quick refresher course and break down the process into manageable chunks. All you’ll need is a friend to help you, start-up chemicals and a list of items you should have on hand from your pool’s previous season: Get your start-up chemicals ready. Most pools will need their chemical makeup adjusted after being dormant all winter, so a trip to your local pool supply store is probably in order. You can buy a start-up kit for about $30 that contains everything you need, including algaecide, water clarifier, chlorine, pH increaser, pH decreaser, metal sequestrant, alkalinity increaser and calcium hardness increaser. Depending on your pool’s size and unique chemical composition, you may need to go back for an extra dose of one or more of the above. Clean off your pool cover. Chances are, your pool cover is holding standing water, leaves and other debris. This is where your pool cover pump and soft broom

10 Barbecue Safety Tips That’ll Save Your Eyebrows

May 11, 2018

Grilling out is the quintessential summer pastime, up there with baseball and slip n’ slide. Outdoor grills have become a common appliance (61 percent of households own a gas grill and 41 percent have a charcoal grill), so it’s not surprising that we tend to take our safety for granted when we use them. When you think about it, though, grills can be dangerous—in fact, gas and charcoal grills cause over nine thousand home fires per year. The good news is, mishaps like these are easy to avoid if you follow a few simple barbecue safety tips! 1. Keep the grill away from your house. This may seem like it goes without saying, but seriously, keep your grill away from the house. At least 10 feet is a must, but even more if you can. The last thing you want is a gust of wind blowing stray embers at your siding or up into the gutters. Also, be aware of pergolas, trees or other things above your grill, and move it so you’re cooking out in the open. 2. Keep your grill stable. You’ll also want to make sure that your grill is placed on a level, hard and stable

8 Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home This Spring

May 2, 2018

Some of us are in the throes of it and some of us are just starting to experience the first twinges. For many, spring means allergy season and dealing with irritating symptoms for weeks on end. Today, we’ll let you in on our best tips for creating an allergy-proof home during pollen season and well beyond. 1. Find out what you’re allergic to. Don’t take a stab in the dark when it comes to allergies! For red, itchy eyes, sneezing, shortness of breath and other symptoms, you’ll need to consult with your physician about testing and treatment options. Not only can finding out exactly what you’re allergic to help you save significantly on medication and health care costs, it’ll let you know precisely where to start when it comes to making a more allergy-proof space for your family. 2. Allergy-proof your mattress. Dust and dust mites are a leading allergen for many individuals all year long. Dust and its mites are more likely to gather and multiply in and around your mattress, bedding and bed itself than almost anywhere else in your home. That’s because a dust mite’s favorite food happens to be skin flakes. As humans, we’re constantly shedding

Your Simple Spring Lawn Care Guide

April 27, 2018

Everyone wants a lush, green lawn when springtime comes around, and luckily it’s easy to accomplish with some simple care and maintenance. Here’s your spring lawn care guide to help you get the best grass in the neighborhood! Clean Up Your Yard Your grass has been lying dormant all winter, so to give it the best environment possible for healthy growth in the spring, you need to do some simple cleanup. That means picking up branches and other fallen debris, raking up any leaves you may have missed last fall, and clearing any thatch that’s accumulated. Wait, what’s thatch? As individual blades of grass die, they fall and form a matted layer on the soil of your yard. If the thatch layer gets thick enough it can cause real problems for the health of your lawn, so it’s important to get rid of it periodically by giving your grass a deep, thorough raking. Address Bare Spots in Your Lawn Whether you’re dealing with dog pee spots, heavy traffic areas or insect larvae infestations, you want every square inch of your yard looking its best. This starts with overseeding your lawn, or applying grass seed to the bare spots. Spring isn’t