Lawn Care Service

Archive for March, 2011

Have you ever seen a home that has a dilapidated deck on it? It can ruin the whole appearance of a house. If a deck is constructed properly to begin with, and then properly maintained, there is no reason for this to happen. Following are ten important ingredients to building a deck that will last.

1. Post foundations – The foundations supporting your deck posts are critical to the life of your deck. The type of foundational support needed for your deck will be determined by the area of the country you are building in and the soil conditions. Cold climate areas need deeper footings, below the frost line, to provide a truly stable footing for your deck posts. Improper footings can cause the deck to shift and compromise the integrity of the entire structure.
2. Support posts – The posts setting on the footings are another important element to the support of the deck. Proper sizing and selection of material are critical. Concrete pier footings should be poured to provide a solid base between the foundation footings and the support posts. The more support posts under a deck the more stable the deck will be.
3. Attachment to house – Using proper techniques to attach the deck to the house will keep the deck from pulling away from the structure. The piece of lumber used to attach the deck to the house is referred to as the ledger board. The ledger board should be attached to the rim joist of the house with flashing behind it to prevent moisture seepage into the wall of the home. Making sure that the ledger is perfectly level and securely nailed into the floor joists of the home is an essential part of the deck construction.
4. Fasteners – Using the proper fasteners for attaching the joists and posts is also important. Strong elements that are not well connected can cause shifting.
5. Deck joists – The size and placement of your deck joists will determine whether a walk across your deck feels solid or springy. The narrower your joist lumber, the closer together you should position your joists. Lumber for your joists should be selected carefully to avoid any joists that are not perfectly straight.
6. Joist support – Your joists support your decking but what is supporting your joists besides the posts and rim? With a typical small deck, proper spacing of the joists and posts should be all that you need. However, in a larger deck, a cross beam will usually be installed to provide additional support for the load. Blocking between the joists can also strengthen the entire floor structure of the deck.
7. Decking lumber – Once the basic framing is completed, it is time to apply the decking lumber to create the floor of the deck. The materials used for your decking will make a big difference on the life of the deck. There three primary decking lumber types to choose from: pressure treated pine, red cedar and redwood. All three are excellent choices but each will provide a different finish for your deck.
8. Weather protection – In spite of the fact that the woods used for exterior decks stand up to the weather better than other types of lumber, they still need preservative treatments applied to them to maintain their condition.  The wood decking material needs to have a stain or a clear sealant applied every couple of years to maintain protection against sun and water.
9. Vinyl decks – Natural wood products are no longer your only choice for decking materials. As with your siding, you now also have the option of finishing your deck with prefinished vinyl materials. For a long lasting clean look that is maintenance free, vinyl decking is a great choice.
10. Composite decks – Another maintenance free decking material is composite decking. This decking is very dense and sturdy and has a closer resemblance to a wood deck than the vinyl. The deck components are bolted together to form a very sturdy and durable structure.

Whether you choose to go with the traditional wood decking or the newer prefinished options, it is the structure underneath that is going to be the most important. If you get the foundation and framing done correctly, the rest of the deck should stand up as well.

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House plants are such a beneficial means of adding natural beauty to any room’s décor. There are certain plants that are also easy to maintain and that adds to their appeal.  So here is a list of ten house plants that fit that description.  Each offers its own qualities of beauty, if you are wanting to add some extra color or floral element to a part of your house.

1. Angel Ivy Ring Topiary. Also known as wire vine, this plant will festoon with a topiary ring that can measure up to twelve inches tall and eight inches in diameter.  It requires a soil that is moist, but not to the point of being soggy.  Using a mister is recommended for watering.  This green plant does best in temperatures between sixty-five and eighty degrees.
2. Braided Ficus Tree. This plant is one of the most popular foliage plants used.  It is  very adaptable to many indoor climates and that has been part of what makes them so desirable.  The Braided Ficus Tree has leathery dark green leaves that cover its branches.  For best results it is important to provide a consistent moisture level to keep the leaf loss to a minimum.  It thrives and grows most successful when placed in bright indirect light.
3. Cactus Combo Bonsai. Many have found the cactus combination very appealing and satisfying as a house plant.  It creates unusual forms with light gray, dark gray and dark green colors. The benefit of temperature and moisture adaptability has made these plants very desirable house plant options for many homeowners.
4. Chamaedorea Palm. This bright to medium green plant does best in any room that offers bright indirect light. It has arching, graceful looking branches that will definitely add to the mood or ambience of any room.  Properly located they often add a certain elegant aspect to any room.  When fully grown, they can vary in height from two feet to six feet.
5. Chinese Evergreen. For anyone just starting out with house plants, this is a wonderful first choice.  This is an excellent plant for beginners because it can survive on low light. As long as you watch the soil’s moisture level, it will thrive under very little illumination.
6. Miniature Herb Standard Topiaries. With its trio of tiny topiaries, this plant has the ability to increase the appeal of any sunny place.  Each of its topiaries is formed into the usual tree or standard shape.  It has a fragrance that can be very like lavender and its dark green or white versions have colors that fit into many different surroundings.
7. Moth Orchids. This is a very beautiful plant with petals that have streaks of fuchsia or white. It will definitely light up any room where it is added.  The Moth Orchid will bloom for as long as two to three months, twice a year. It is considered one of the best air purifying plants you can add to your home.
8. Ponytail Palm. The green whirl of the foliage from the Ponytail Palm rises from its stem.  It produces leaves that are leathery and like ribbons in shape.  This plant will do well in bright light and even direct sunlight.  In terms of low maintenance it would be harder to find any option that requires less care.  Even watering is easy since it has been known to go as much as a year with watering.
9. Tropical Combo Bonsai. In its pre-designed shape, this is a great way to combine a tropical plant with a rock garden.  It will give a hint of the tropics to any home.  Placing it in a ceramic bonsai container can give it a very classy appearance.
10. Amaryllis “Yellow Goddess.” This has a breathtaking yellow color with seven inch blooms.  Its color and beauty makes it very desirable as a house plant, which is part of the reason why it has the name “Yellow Goddess.”  The bulbs should bloom in approximately six to eight weeks after being planted.

With all the options available for house plants that require little upkeep, it makes it very easy for anyone to add them to the house.  Most plants are available with their own care instructions that, when followed, will keep your plant healthy and strong for many years.

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Perennials are an excellent addition to any garden that will give it great color and add sparkle to its appearance.  They are easy to maintain and come in a variety of choices that allow you a chance to transform any space set aside for your garden into something special.   With so many types to consider it will allow you the chance to enjoy a very beautiful garden with a limit of upkeep.

1. Mum Matchsticks.  These are a new variety that is just now available to the consumer in 2011 as part of the new sun perennials.  They are a composed of red and yellow quill petals that unlike other mums require no staking as part of their maintenance.  Once they are cut they will survive for more than three weeks.
2. Echinacea Summer Suns. This is another flower that came available in 2011.  Its stunning petals come in tones of apricot and reddish orange.  The cut blooms have a very wonderful and long lasting fragrance.  When full grown they can be as tall as forty inches. These coneflowers come in more than thirty versions.
3. Phlox Shockwave. As one more of the new options for 2011 this plant has very intensely fragrant blooms.  One of the benefits to this purple flower is being highly resistant to mildew.  Its leaves will look colorful all season long.  The plant offers over two months of fragrant blooms making it a very ideal addition to any garden.
4. Rose Knock Out.  There are several different types of these plants available to the purchaser.  The Rose Knock Outs of the red tint make wonderful choices for landscape since they cultivated in shapes that fit any size of garden.  It does very well in heat and humidity and resistant to Japanese Beetles and powdery mildew.  With a blooming season of up to five months, the Rose Knock Outs are a wonderful addition to your flower purchases.
5. Budlesia Black Knight.  Its deep purple flowers cluster on the eight to ten inch stems.  The scent of this flower is one that often attracts butterflies.  This is a plant that does very well in both heat and drought.  During the first year of planting it will flower for a very long period of time.
6. Echinacea Green Jewels.  The Echinacea Green Jewels have large flowers that are a bright green color.  Those petals will hold that color and not fade as they age. Its fragrance will last up to two weeks once they are cut.  The blooms will last eight weeks during the mid summer season, which is a very desirable factor when picking your choices for your garden.
7. 7. Stokesia Peachie’s Picks. This plant provides a bounty of petals in  hundreds of three inch blue flowers.  They are considered to be deer proof and very attractive to butterflies.  It is completely suitable for very poor soil conditions even clay.  The petals have a blooming season that can last up to fifteen weeks. 
8. 8. Coreopsis Crème Brulees. These yellow flowers bloom non-stop from frost to summer.  It makes them an ideal long lasting type of ground covering that is drought resistant.  The petals of the Coreopsis Crème Brulees are very attractive to butterflies.   Having a multi-seasonal appeal allows them to be a very worthwhile consideration for any gardener’s needs.
9. Geranium Rozannes. This is one of the most longest blooming of any geraniums.  Its blue petals will bloom for months at a time.  They have been known to still be in bloom in Michigan as last as October.  Plus the plant is one that will attract butterflies.  Once planted they will provide a rapid spreading ground cover.
10. Festuca Boulder Blues. The plant’s steel blue foliage is semi evergreen in nature.  It is drought proof and thrives in full sunlight.  This is a type of plant that does great in heat and humidity.  It is a great choice for a flower to plant by walkways and in containers.

With all the selections you can find for your garden that vary in blooming times and colors there is no problem making your space so picturesque.  Just stopping by a nursery or visiting one of the many web sites that offer perennials will allow the means to pick out the options that best fit your situation.

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