By admin On January 28th, 2010
The history of artificial or fake grass is to say the least an interesting one and arose out of the social desire to in-effect ward off what could be seen, as far back as the 1950s, as an increasingly unhealthy tendency by youngsters not to exercise.
History has it that birth of synthetic grass began through attempts by scientists trying to develop a type of grass that would not only allow children and adolescents to play on regardless of the weather condition but encouraged them to do so, in other words, a surface that they enjoyed using or a user friendly surface. Hence the advent of fake or artificial grass. 
The result was one of the early prototypes of what we now know to be fake or artificial grass. The earlier types were not only hard under foot and made for impracticality especially where sports and children were concerned given the tendencies to fall but were very unpopular. Conversely, however, in terms of workability and endurance this surface proved itself worthy, with the originally playing field where the fake grass surface was installed lasting twenty years of solid wear.
Claims that in terms of practicalities due to poor drainage and its tendency to rot fake grass has limited applicability are unsubstantiated. Furthermore, highly contentious arguments revolving around the argument that artificial grass causes more on-field injuries when used in sports-grounds is again Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Exterior, yard | 29 Comments »
By admin On January 11th, 2010
Greenhouses provide a warm, humid atmosphere and are home to a variety of different plants and flowers which is why they are a perfect target for insects. There are numerous types of insects which will want to live in your greenhouse and feed off of the wonderful plants and flowers which you have put so much time and effort into maintaining. The information below will provide you with tips and guidelines to follow in order to ensure you are doing everything in your power to ward off any unwanted pests.
The first step in learning how to prevent and eliminate insects from entering into your greenhouse is to understand and become familiar with the types of insects which are likely to reside there. The following is a list of the most common types of insects which you will likely find in your greenhouse:
Aphids, Fungus Gnats, Flies (many forms), Bloodworms, Thrips, Caterpillars ,Mites, Slugs and Snail.

Now that you are aware of the different types of bugs and insects which may have taken up residence in your greenhouse, it’s time to learn how to prevent and/or eliminate them from remaining there.
Here are a number of things to keep in mind in order to ensure there are no bugs in your greenhouse:
1. Always keep all doors, screens and windows shut when not being used for specific purposes.
2. Inspect all new plants to ensure there are no bugs on them to begin with. Bugs have the ability to multiply quickly and can potentially cause a huge infestation in your greenhouse.
3. Make sure there is no water lying around whether it is in jugs, cups or in a puddle on the floor. Insects are attracted to wet areas. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in DIY Tips, Gardening | 24 Comments »
By admin On January 5th, 2010
If your basement leaks I am sure you are tired of the headaches it causes. But what can you do? You have basically 2 choices: either call an expensive contractor, or do it by yourself. Do it yourself basement waterproofing can be a simple task if you choose the right product, and it will help you save time and most importantly, money.
Don’t let waterproofing your home without the aid of professionals intimidate you. There are many different products out on the market to assist you in waterproofing your basement. Here are some of the choices to help you decide:
Basement Dry: To use this product a hole is drilled into the basement floor, a probe is then inserted into the hole. The probe is essential for detecting ground water. Once water is detected, the probe will suck up the water into the self-priming pump. What makes this product effective is, when the water is removed from under the floor, the pressure is removed also. If the water was never removed, pressure would still be present, resulting in the water being pushed into any crack in the floor or wall.
Aqua-Stop Crystalline basement waterproofing: Used all over the world for many years, brought to North America for residential use by Aquasealusa.com. Highly effective as it penetrates deep inside your walls/floor where the crystals expand over the years sealing it permanently! Withstands extremely high pressure. Can be applied to any concrete surface. Comes as a powder in bucket, you just mix it with water and apply with roller or brush according to instruction. What can be easier than that?
SquidGee Dry: This fabrication works on poured and block walls. With block walls water is trapped in the holes of the block. To drain the water simply drill small holes on the bottom layer of block, using the SquidGee Dry. It is not necessary to drill in every single block. Once the water is released it goes to the SquidGee Dry. With poured walls the process is also simple. Unlike block walls, poured walls are not hollow. Water comes through the cracks and goes to the “cold joint” (where the floor and wall meet.) Seal these cracks from top to bottom. But leave the very bottom unsealed, so the water can then go to the SquidGee Dry.
Another alternative is to go to your town’s hardware store, and buy some Concrete Water-proofer. This method may be the least expensive route to do it yourself waterproofing, but also the least reliable. The process is also quite easy, but this is where the time consuming part comes in to play. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in DIY Tips | 66 Comments »