Home Improvements: Maintaining fences and gates a smart move
Good fences really can make good neighbors and neighborhoods. When was the last time you inspected fences, gates and gate hardware around your property to ensure they're still in good working condition?
Ignoring this maintenance can be extremely costly. Taking measures that will help protect your home, property, children and pets is inexpensive, quick and easy to do.
Fences help protect children from danger, keeping toddlers out of swimming pools or keeping them in the yard, away from busy traffic. Fences can help keep your own pets in your yard, and other animals out.
Fencing around the home is especially vulnerable to weather-related damage, including rust. Ground freezing and thawing, wind and general abuse can damage the gate, affecting alignment.
Rusty metal hinges and latches or gate misalignment can lead to gates that no longer close securely, rendering them ineffective. Many of these problems can be solved by replacing the gate hardware with rust-free, adjustable products. D&D Technologies latches and hinges are adjustable, self-lubricating and include stainless steel mounting hardware.
It's simple to install new hardware, and doing so can update the look of your gates and enhance the effectiveness of your gate and fencing.
Aluminum, vinyl or wood fencing can protect against rust on the fence itself, but the hardware must still be rust-free and adjustable to ensure the gate will be in working order.
As we head outdoors to enjoy spring and then summer, gate maintenance will help keep your yard beautiful and safe.
-- ARA
Decorating Tip: Love stainless steel sinks
Glistening metal discretely mounted beneath acres of gleaming granite - this is not the utilitarian stainless steel sink your grandmother washed dishes in decades ago.
Stainless steel has transitioned from industrial applications to residential use for very good reasons. Stainless steel offers exceptional hygienic and durability qualities, and it ages gracefully and beautifully.
Gleaming, clean-looking with elegant lines, stainless steel easily pairs well with a range of decorating styles - from modern to contemporary to country. Stainless steel sinks also develop character as they age.
Design options range from two- and three-bowl sinks and the ability to be mounted beneath countertops to the capability of expanding a cook's usable workspace.
-- ARA
Home-Selling Tip: Check carpet and flooring
Unless your carpet appears old and worn, or it is definitely an outdated style or color, you probably should do nothing more than hire a good carpet cleaner. If you do choose to replace it, do so with something inexpensive in a fairly neutral color.
Repair or replace broken floor tiles, but do not spend a lot of money on anything. Remember, you are not fixing up the place for yourself. You want to move. Your goal is simply to have few negative impressions upon those who may want to purchase your property.
-- www.realestateabc.com
How T Maximize space in your bathroom
Whether you're remodeling, updating or just need to make the most of the square footage you've got, there are creative ways to maximize the space in your bathroom to keep clutter in its place and create a relaxing, spa-like atmosphere.
- Keep counters clear: Your bathroom will feel larger. Bins and shelving will help store as many supplies as possible. Neatly organized baskets in under-sink cabinets are also a good alternative.
- Use awkward spaces: Many bathrooms have awkward spaces that remain unused because people simply can't figure out what to do with the nooks and crannies. Measure your space carefully and search secondhand shops or garage sales for dressers or armoires that fit.
- Add niches: Lightweight and waterproof, the unique in-wall design of niches allows them to be tiled with the same tile as the surrounding wall in showers and baths, making an attractive and functional nook.
-- ARA
Did You Know …
You can use coffee filters when stacking your good china dishes to prevent scratches or chipping. -- East Bridgewater, Mass., Council on Aging
Garden Guide: Catch orchid fever
This spring, look for new phalaenopsis mini-orchids that are only 12 inches tall and come in decorative pots with gift tags for less than $15. Calzadillia offers these tips to help you have success with orchids:
- Water your mini-orchids thoroughly by drenching them in a sink or watering container until the pot feels weighted. After a few days when the orchid becomes very light in weight, it's time to re-water. Remember never to leave your orchid in standing water.
- Feed your orchids with a good high-nitrogen fertilizer weekly, but remember to dilute the fertilizer as instructed. This will help to bring blooms back the following year.
- Orchids enjoy indoor temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and above 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
- Remember to place them in a well-lit area, but not in direct sunlight.
-- ARA
Backyard Buddies: Record backyard bird count
The 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count saw a whole new crop of citizen-science participants.
Bird watchers shattered last year's record by submitting more than 93,600 checklists during the four-day event, held February 16-19. Participants also identified 619 species and sent in thousands of stunning bird images for the photo contest.
Top 10 most-frequently reported birds in the 2009 GBBC:
1. Northern cardinal
2. Mourning dove
3. Dark-eyed junco
4. American goldfinch
5. Downy woodpecker
6. Blue jay
7. House finch
8. Tufted titmouse
9. American crow
10. Black-capped chickadee
Visit the "Explore the Results" pages on the GBBC Web site at www.birdcount.org to find the list of Top 10 birds reported in your state or city.
GateHouse News Service