Tag: landscaping

Maintenance Minutes: Clearing Vegetation Away from Your Home

July 25, 2022

Whether you’re preparing for an inspection or just doing your own outdoor beautification project, clearing vegetation away from your home’s exterior is crucial for both cosmetic and maintenance purposes. Excessive shrubbery around your property can cause clogged drains, damaged roofs, and trapped moisture pockets. These issues can cause problems to your home’s interior and could even lead to insect infestations. To prevent these problems and more, we’re sharing tips on the best method of landscaping maintenance for a healthier home. Choosing a TechniqueThe most common technique used to clear vegetation away from a home is the by hand method. This is the safest way to clear unwanted debris from your home. However, this technique is the most time consuming, so you’ll want to block out a half day just in case. For the purpose of clearing light branches and smaller shrubs away from your property, the clearing by hand method is your best bet, as it’s the most cost-effective, safest, and easiest method to manage. While clearing smaller plants and trees, you’ll want to make sure to follow a few handy tips. Tips for Clearing Trees, Plants, Shrubs, and Bushes While clearing vegetation, it’s important to remember a few essentials

Pet-Friendly Plants to Incorporate into Your Space

July 5, 2022

If you’re a pet parent looking to become a plant parent, there are some things you should consider before selecting the perfect plant addition to your home. Many plants that are not poisonous to humans can be incredibly toxic to your furry friends. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), over 233,000 pets are accidentally poisoned each year from plants in their homes. Consequently, it’s essential to know which plants may cause harm to your pets to avoid any potential issues. In addition to learning which plants pose a threat, it’s good to be informed of which plants provide health benefits to you and your furry friends as well. First and foremost, let’s review which plant characteristics pose the greatest threat to animals. Characteristics of toxic plants include plants with: Plants with these traits are toxic to both dogs and cats, causing various health-related issues depending on the weight of the animal. The degree of toxicity varies in each situation depending on the type of contact your animal had with each plant. For instance, shrubbery can lead to as little as mild skin irritation in pets that have perhaps just brushed up against them.

How to Properly Tend to Trees

May 9, 2022

Trees are a great addition to any yard. They provide shade, a home for local wildlife, and even delicious fruits. But you do need to give your trees the right care to avoid them becoming a giant pain. Here’s what you can do to keep those saplings strong and healthy. Know your tree species better. There are close to 1,000 species of trees throughout North America, each one requiring different care instructions. If you haven’t had to care for trees before, it may seem a bit overwhelming. The good news is that a little bit of research can give you a better idea of how to care for the ones at your home. The internet, books, and even local lawn care professionals are great resources to reach out to. You’ll be able to find the best information on what to do and what not to do to keep your trees growing strong. Care for the ground around. Poor soil conditions can impact a tree’s root system and its ability to get the nutrients it needs. Avoid compacting the dirt at the base of the tree too much. This is common when people frequently park their cars underneath. Move your car

Protect Your Home from a Flooding Disaster

August 23, 2021

Water damage has cost homeowners billions of dollars in repairs. Hurricanes, flash floods, and other natural disasters can leave you homeless and wondering how you’ll pay for damages. While you can’t control the weather, you can prepare yourself and your home. A little water can be a big problem. Even if you’re not expecting heavy rainfall, a small amount can create a large issue for your home. Backed-up gutters can cause water to collect around the foundation of your home and make its way inside. If the ground around your home is too saturated or even too dry to hold rain, you could experience more rushing water than usual. Any time you’re supposed to get stormy weather, it’s best to watch the forecast and have an emergency preparedness plan. Understand how your home drains. Knowing how the land surrounding your home is graded gives you an advantage before the rain comes down. Ideally, you want any water to be directed away from the base of your home and towards a storm drain or nearby runoff. If you notice that water tends to collect around your home and not go anywhere, chances are you need to fix the grading. You can

Fencing in Fido: What Material and Style is Best for Your Dog

February 1, 2021

Creating a safe home extends to the furry friends that you have under your roof. Your yard is their playground, and making sure that it’s properly secured is necessary in keeping them out of harm’s way–you never know what lengths they might go to to chase that squirrel. Picking the right fence design is important in providing your pet their own safe place. Why Does “Buddy” Break Out? There are several common reasons why your dog turns into a “hound-dini” and disappears out of your yard: • Boredom or frustration• Anxiety• Fear• High hunting instinct• Disobedience• Breed type Luckily, you can be proactive to reduce your dog’s urge to run off. Regularly exercising, training, and playing with your dog can help alleviate the reasons for these conditions with canines. But letting your dog enjoy some fun in the sun while you’re away is still a nice treat. The Paw-fect Match Just as there are multiple reasons for your dog running away, there’s a variety of choices when it comes to the style of fencing. You should try to get to the bottom of what it is that’s causing your dog to get out, as fences are not a one size

Adding Value to Your Home with a Weatherized Porch

August 18, 2020

A screened porch can be the perfect place to relax and entertain guests during the warmer months of the year. But if you live in an area with freezing winters or muggy summers, your porch may sit empty the majority of the time. If this sounds like a problem you currently have, then it might be time for an upgrade. An all-weather porch will allow you to better utilize this part of your home, while adding both beauty and value. DIY or Hire Once you’ve made the decision that changing to an all-weather porch is right for you, you have two options. You can either hire a contractor to do all the work, or you can try and do it yourself. While you might manage to save some money with a DIY, hiring out may better fit your remodeling timeframe. The biggest factor when making your choice is ultimately how confident you feel in your own handiwork. You could even try and merge the two options by doing what best fits your skillset and leaving the rest to a professional. Layout The next step is trying to configure the layout of your new enclosed porch. You will want to stay

Have an Old Tree in Your Yard? Look Out for These Hidden Issues

August 10, 2020

Older trees are highly desirable for adding greenery, shade and a certain “stateliness” to any yard. But just with any landscaping in your outdoor space, tall, old trees bring their own set of challenges. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for when it comes to your yard’s oldest trees. High Wind Risks No matter an area’s climate, high winds are a given from time to time. Wind gusts can reach 60 miles per hour or more, tossing around debris and branches. If a tree’s trunk or limbs reach too close to your home, they can cause severe damage, sending branches or even the entire tree through your roof or windows. They can also knock out power lines, causing long outages that extend to neighboring homes. Branches should be kept trimmed 10 to 30 feet from your home—we recommend the higher end of this scale for added safety. Far-Reaching Roots Older trees often have far-reaching roots, which can cause extensive damage to your home’s structure and major systems. Some roots can harm your home’s foundation by reducing moisture in the soil, causing it to contract–this can cause your home to start shifting, often inward. Roots can also

How to Clean Outside Your House the Right Way

April 30, 2019

Spring cleaning season is in full swing, but if you’re like a lot of people you don’t pay a lot of attention to the outside of your house. Sure, you can get away with just focusing on the inside, but if you’re thinking about selling your house any time soon, it pays to spruce up your home’s exterior, too. From power-washing your driveway to taking care of mildewed siding, here are our top tips for cleaning the outside of your house for maximum curb appeal. 1. Start By SurveyingIf it’s been a while since you’ve taken stock of what’s happening with your home’s exterior, start by taking a little walk around the yard, taking note of areas that need attention. Pay special mind to areas of wood rot, mildew, loose fixtures, shifted downspouts or fallen tree branches (these you can clean up as you go). Once you have a list put together of areas that need cleaning, fixing or touching up, it’s time to strategize your cleaning methods. 2. Windows and Power-WashingIf your windows are dirty (and let’s face it, they probably will be), your first thought might be to drag out the power-washer. To be sure, a power washer

Common Home Fixes: When You Can DIY and When to Hire a Pro

March 6, 2019

By Bret Engle of the blog DIYGuys.net Being a homeowner can be confusing these days, at least when it comes to DIY projects. With so many shows, guides, and experts seemingly ready to walk you through the most difficult of undertakings, is there any limit to what the average homeowner can do? Well, in actuality, there are a number of jobs where most people are better off connecting with a pro, and here’s how to determine what projects those are, as well as what you should expect to pay for them. Before You Jump InThe last thing you need is to be tripping over supplies and materials while you’re in work mode, and neither do you want a contractor damaging your belongings. Whether you DIY or hire a professional, consider budgeting for a storage space to boost elbow room. As an example, you can rent a 10’x10′ self-storage unit for just $20 at Affordable Family Storage on L Street in Omaha. It’s a smart and inexpensive option for preventing both injuries and broken belongings, so include that when crafting your project budget. Timelines and LimitationsWhen it comes to home repairs, having a good understanding of your personal skills and abilities

7 Weird Tricks for Dealing with Ice and Snow

February 6, 2019

You don’t necessarily need a traditional shovel and salt to deal with snow and ice. Instead, these unconventional tricks might just do in a pinch. Keep in mind that none are meant to be a long-term solution—they’re just designed to get you out of a jam when you need to be out of the house and on the road quick. Melt ice with warm water.To clear away ice fast from sidewalks, windshields, porch steps, locks and more, good old-fashioned lukewarm water should do the trick. Just be sure that you’re not cutting corners by filling your bucket with hot water. Water that’s too hot can crack glass and even concrete over time. It can also damage locks and warp metal. If you use warm water on your car’s windows, it’s a good idea to grab a squeegee and take care of the run off as soon as you can so it doesn’t refreeze. Use clear alcohol.If you have a spare bottle of vodka or rum left over from New Year’s, it’ll definitely come in handy when the weather gets tough. Put a little clear alcohol in a spray bottle and use it to quickly melt ice on your car’s windshield—just