Leaf Vacuum Designs Make Good Environmental Sense

There's something about fresh fall leaves and their colors that tends to bring out the kid in almost anyone. The exceptions generally lie with those who have to clean them up. Raking is a chore. Blowing is often a futile effort. Using a leaf vacuum, however, can be a dream.

The leaf vacuum design is not necessarily new, but it is a concept that hasn't caught on 100 percent. The idea behind one of these vacuums is to suck up the leaves into a bin or a bag, rather then blowing or raking them into a neighbor's yard, a sewer drain or even a pile that likely will scatter again as soon as the first good wind blows.

Although the apparent intent of a leaf vacuum system is to bag up the leaves for garbage disposal, this doesn't have to be the case. In fact, these handy little reverse leaf blower systems can actually be rather environmentally sound.

The advantages to a leaf vacuum rather than a rake or blower are many. They include:

* Speed. It is simply much faster to clean up a yard of dead, fallen leaves using one of these. While the bag or can might need to be emptied a few times, piled leaves won't have to be chased back down if a wind blows.

* Composting. The benefits of using a leaf blower to those who like to compost, rather than throw their yard trash away are amazing. Since they are pre-bagged or canned, the leaves can easily be moved from all over the yard to the compost pile. This beats trying to pick them up a barrel full at a time hands down.

* Water preservation. Many people think it is okay to rake or blow their leaves into open sewer gates. Although leaves are organic in compound, they might have pesticides or other chemicals on them. Putting them into a sewer system or storm water drain system can wreak havoc on a waster water treatment plant's ability to keep up with its incoming flow and disinfection requirements.

While this might seem of little consequence to a home owner or renter, the fact is it can end up costing money down the road if sewer rates have to be raised. One home's leaves likely aren't a problem, but 1,000 homes' messes would be.

* Simplicity. Using a leaf vacuum is about as simple as using a blower or even a wet/dry vac. While raking can be difficult for some people to accomplish, using the vacuum shouldn't be. This means kids can be brought into help and even those who aren't advised to undertake strenuous activity.

* Better appearing yard. Some people spend hours raking or blowing only to find the leaves returning back to their yards a few short hours or days later. When a vacuum is used, the leaves are removed permanent - either to the garbage or the compost pile.

Operating like a blower in reverse, a good leaf vacuum can make yard work a much more enjoyable task. When composting comes into play, one of these devices can actually pay off well for the environment, too.

Arians Snow Blowers

Arians Snow Blowers: Responding to Your Every Need

Keeping your house property clean in winters is a back breaking job. Thanks to technological development that Arians Snow blowers are a sigh of relief for all the hassles.

Arians Snow blowers: an ingenious necessity.

Arians Snow blowers come from the house of Arians Company, a well renowned name in the industry of outdoor power equipment. The company started operating from 1933. So if you are wondering about the credibility of this product, then the company leaves you with no doubt of suspicion, as the date brings forth generations of proficiency.

The company showcases two major type of products, the first being equipments for the lawn and the other being equipments for snow removal. Equipments for snow removal have been versioned into a variety of range namely the Professional, the Deluxe-Track, the Deluxe, the Compact, Pro-Track, the Single-Stage, and the exclusive Power Brush series.

The compact series as the name says is very easy to use and is best suitable for house purposes. It has small blowers which are suitable for light snow and is easy to store. The Power Brush series are large snow removal machines with large brushes to remove heavy and large amount of snow. Arians Snow blowers exhibit a wide range of products that consumers find it easy to locate exactly what they are looking for.

Arians Snow blowers also open its doors for industrial purposes too. Arians Single-Stage series are meant for light to medium snow intensity. So if you do not face heavy snowfall leaving your property underneath layers of snow, this product will be your value for money.

Arians Single-Stage series has two versions and it is up to you which product will suffice your need. The 5-HP Single-Stage Electric Blower comes with an easy electric start for smooth and easy function and is best suited for removing snow even at night. This smooth operator comes with a clearing width of 22inches and costs at an affordable price of $799, with a much more credible guaranty as compared to other like products available in the market.

Arians 7-HP Single-Stage model has the same features as the first but is a much more powerful version. Its price range is also a bit on the high side costing around $849. If you think that you need something more than a Single-Stage blower for your heavy snow clearing, then Arians Snow blowers gives you the option of a two-stage snow blower.

This monster is equipped with an engine of 6-HP and a clearing width of 24-inches. This machine has won a lot of reviews from consumers which give it a 5 star rating. Its full metal body gives it durability to withstand harsh weather conditions. Its features include pin lock wheels, a firm gear-driven shaft, and an adaptable throwing direction. The company website has made it easy to order parts of this machine. This smart machine comes in a price range of $999.

If you are on the lookout for something lighter, then the Arians Deluxe series priced at $169.99 is the pick for you. But if you are looking out for a much more powerful beast then the Professional series brings you the 9.5-HP capacity blower, with a 26-inch clearing width for improved performance priced at $2,399.

The 9526DLET version features high-speed 14-inch impeller, jagged augers, a metal THF shaft, automatic traction power, and a dual-handle interlock method. With a variety of products to choose from Arians Snow blowers are the best credible names when it comes to snow clearing equipment.

Aerobic Exercises Around Home

The Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise are well known to all of us...better circulation, more stamina, resistance to infection, more energy, better attitude, etc. But what if you're too busy with work and household duties to find the 2 hours per week? What if you can't afford the equipment or gym membership? This article is for you! We're going to take common household chores that you have to do, anyway, and transform them into an aerobic fitness exercise program. Ready...Set...Go!

Fitness Exercise Schedule: The key to an aerobics workout is to get your heart rate elevated at least 20 minutes, with warm-up and cool-down time of 5 minutes on either side of the workout. In order for the household activities to have aerobic value, then, they must keep your body in constant motion for 30 minutes. This requires some planning but there really are enough household duties to get the job done. In fact, if you develop the habit of doing these things aerobically you may actually gain extra time because of the much faster pace. Plan your aerobic exercises (chores) so you're doing them for 30 minutes, 3-4 days per week. To make it more fun and easier to keep active you can play some upbeat music while you're doing you're housework aerobics.

Indoor Aerobics: It's probably harder to get good aerobic exercise on foul weather days, so these exercises can help you even if you have time for the regular jog.

1. Jog Away is putting things away at a fast pace, but it requires a certain amount of messiness to get full aerobic value. If you have kids, this won't be a problem.

2. Vacuum-er-cise requires all furniture be moved and a plan of action (where plugs are) before you start because you're going to vacuum all the floors in 30 minutes, using long, strenuous movements.

3. Dust-er-cise requires all surfaces be ready for dusting before you start or things could get broken.

4. Tub aerobics can take 30 minutes if you include shower walls and faucets and dry all surfaces with a towel afterward. If it doesn't take long enough, add in the sink and toilet...it couldn't hurt.

5. Hard Floor Fever is a great workout. Move all furniture, place broom, mop water, mop and drying towel within easy reach before starting. Then, sweep, mop and dry floor without stopping. The hand drying is great exercise and removes any residual dirt.

6. Window Workout requires that you adjust all blinds/curtains, move articles out of the way and strategically place drying towels before beginning. If you've got as many windows as we do, this could be more than one workout.

Outdoor Aerobics: Just like indoor aerobics, only the weather is nice. As an added benefit, once you get conditioned for this, you'll save lots of money on car washes, mowers, trimmers and leaf blowers.

1. Window Workout: Same as indoor, except please only do this with windows you can reach while standing on the ground. Ladder aerobics produces too many personal injury claims. Also...don't use the hose or a squeegee...this is supposed to be exercise.

2. Sweep-er-cise is good for at least a couple workouts by the time you count porch, deck, driveway, garage and sidewalks. Just make sure to do it quickly enough to keep your heart rate up. You can pick up the debris after the workout.

3. Whack aerobics is done on all the weeds you used to use that string trimmer for. You'll have to buy a new gardening tool called an idiot stick. Basically, you swing it one-handed at the weeds until they're at the desired level.

4. Car Wash Workout requires the hose, bucket, towels, wax and buffer all be ready before you start. Make sure and jog in place while you're rinsing...otherwise your heart rate will drop.

5. Mowin' Madness is usually good for a few workouts. Do not use a power mower for aerobics...I can't afford the legal fees. Use a push mower!

6. Rake-a-robics is usually possible a few months a year.

7. Shovel-cise can be done occasionally if you have a yard, more often if you live in the snow belt.

Personal Workout: I know the language I used made these activities seem silly but the concept of using chores as a fitness workout seriously works. Five years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. Most of my life, I avoided physical labor by using power tools, like everyone else. When we bought our 20 acres for our home, I planned on getting bigger power tools. Fortunately, we couldn't afford to do that. I even had to do all the clearing and a lot of the construction to save money. After the heavy labor required for the tree and shrub clearing, hand digging and landscaping and building 700 square feet of decking, I had the best blood tests since diabetes began. Since then, I could have paid to have the 2 acres around my house fire-cleared, but I'm doing it myself. It's wonderful exercise. Yes, I use a leaf blower and a chain saw, but I move all the wood by hand...several tons of it. Not bad for a reformed city-boy. My point is this...you can save money and get a great workout around the house if you just change the way you approach housework.

Honda Snow Blowers

If you are in the market for a great snow blower then look no further. It is important to have a blower which helps you clear the snow and more so, the ice from your driveways or pathways, making it easier for you or your kids to walk on without getting injured or hurt. Honda blowers are the best snow blowers one could ask for and they will do the work in a matter of seconds and you don't have to worry about that heavy down pour again or have to lift a shovel again to remove the snow.

Honda snow blowers come in many varieties and it is always wise to shop around or to look for the best snow blower available from Honda as well as the design you may want because the design also matters and comes in different shapes and sizes. You can try the three best snow blowers from the Honda Company at the moment which includes the lightweight snow blower, which will help you blow the snow off your beautiful gardens and garden paths which is especially necessary after a snowfall of twelve inches. The lightweight also offers you the chance to blow snow off your sidewalks as well as your driveways.

All Honda snow blowers also come with ice breaking serrated augers and tires which resist the ice as well as give you a chance to get rid of the ice especially with the self propelled kind of snow blowers which can also move fifty five tons of snow and are made so tough that they can even withstand heavy snowfall and slippery conditions.

The choice is yours and only you can know what kind of snow blower you will need. The Honda company authorized stores are near you and you can go and view the variety of snow blowers available and choose the one you want.

Sow outdoors

Many vegetables do not transplant well, or require a long period of growth before harvesting can begin. Some lines can be sown directly in the garden. These include beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, corn, cress, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, melons, mustard, okra, parsnips, peas, radishes, squash, chard, turnips and watermelons. Lettuce is a flexible culture. Can be sown indoors or outdoors in a cold frame to get a crop early, or can be sown in rows andthinned instead of transplanted. be able to be managed in this way broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and tomato variety may not have been sown in open ground in mild climates, the growing season is long.

And 'know when to sow seeds in open ground. The first to be sown in the very cold-hardy crops such as peas or beans and onions. St. Patrick's Day is the traditional date in much of the northern United States. You can then issue a few weeks laterAnd at least two minutes before four weeks before frost-free days to place at the end - from beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, spinach and turnips.

Under the beans warm weather crops, Lima beans, corn, cucumbers, okra, soybeans, pumpkins, melons, watermelons, e. You are warmed by the soil and sowed the nights are freezing. At the same time, transplants of eggplant, peppers and tomatoes are put in the ground.

Some vegetables can be sown ten days of the week or on ainterval to give the gardener a crop more. Examples of early cultures salad, peas, radishes, spinach, and in warm weather crops, beans and summer squash. Place the peas and spinach, can not do well with the heat, be put on the beans and squash.

Most cold-hardy vegetables can be sown again from Midsummer Night's Dream to their maturation in cold weather, freezes arrive about six to eight weeks before the fall before. Kale and parsnips can bethe garden and what is amazing is that this will be collected throughout the winter.

Before sowing in open ground, remember that the plan should first be rounded up until the surface is fine. Then the seed packets will be reviewed for the planting depth, seed spacing in the rows and the distance between the lines. A line is stretched between two stakes used to mark the line with a stick or hoe, a furrow against the grain to be made. The seeds should be sown as thin ascan save at a later date to work thinning out seedlings that are too close together.

Garden Leaf Sweepers for Lawns, Paths and Borders - Which One for Your Garden?

Why remove leaves from the lawn?

Although heaps of crispy leaves are lovely to scuffle through when out for a walk, they are less welcome on the lawn.

Why? Because the grass suffers and may even die if the layers of leaves are not removed. A dense smothering blanket of leaves blocks the light and air, especially once the leaves become sodden with rain.

What to do with the leaves?

Fortunately, the chore of leaf sweeping is well worth the effort for the resultant leaf mould.

Just bag up the leaves, or pile them up within a wire netting enclosure (jump up and down on them to make more space), and two years later you'll have dark crumbly leaf mould for mulching around plants and improving the soil -- all for free.

What are the best tools for clearing up leaves?

A rotary mower

If your mower is a rotary with a grassbag, then you can easily use this to vacuum up leaves. They'll be chopped up by the blades too, to aid composting. However, if the ground is soft, you can end up making quite a mess.

Hand tools

If you only have a small garden, then a sweeping brush for the hard surfaces and a rake for the lawn should be sufficient.

Choose your rake carefully. The ideal leaf rake shouldn't dig into the lawn like a scarifying rake, but instead glide over the surface, containing the leaves within its curved shape so that you can gradually accumulate a heap. Most hand tool companies include these in their range -- choose tough wire or rubbery tines for longevity and expect to pay from around £15.

Then comes the problem of transferring the leaves to barrow or bag. The traditional two boards are fine for moving wodges of leaves, but if you don't like bending, a long-handled leaf grab (with plastic or metal blades from around £13-20) may suit you better.

Mechanical sweepers

A mechanical lawn sweeper collects leaves and other debris, so is a good choice for large lawns. As you push the sweeper along, its wide brush whirls the leaves off the lawn and into the collector. The working height is adjustable for use on paving or lawns, but don't be tempted to use one on gravel, because the brush picks this up and throws it facewards. For this reason, goggles are a sensible precaution if there's any chance of grit, stones or other small projectiles (eg acorns) lying on the lawn.

Sweepers are usually around 60cm or more wide (from around £100), but not widely stocked due to limited demand. There are also towable versions to go behind your garden tractor or ride-on. Look for both types on one of the online garden equipment sites.

A garden vacuum or blower

A much noisier but easier method of clearing lawns is to use a powered blower, garden vac, or both.

Battery, mains or petrol-engined hand-held blowers (to take the weight, most have a shoulder strap; some have wheels on the nozzle) and 4-wheeled blowers (from around £80) are useful for clearing large lawns and paving in broad sweeps, driving the leaves into a heap which is simple but time-consuming to move with a leaf grab.

It's speedier to suck up the leaf pile with a garden vacuum. The vacuuming process shreds the leaves a little, so they take up less space and rot down faster than whole leaves. Some blowers convert to vacuums, saving you the expense of buying two machines, but find out how easy it is to convert from one mode to another. Some have to have to be partly dismantled and reassembled, but Flymo's Gardenvac, for example, is simple to switch modes with a lever. Hand-held petrol-engined blower/vacs cost from around £90 and are made by a number of companies, which you'll see if you go to one of the online garden equipment web sites.

If contemplating clearing very large areas of lawn and other flat surfaces, then a wheeled leaf and litter vac is much easier to use. You might track down a mains electric version, but petrol-engined machines are more common and widely available from groundsman's suppliers and online (costing from around £450). Most have an optional extra wander hose (from around £100) for beds and borders inaccessible to the machine.

Useful links for sweepers and blowers

Copyright (c) Val & Alec Scaresbrook

Lawn Mowers - How to Save Money on Lawn Equipment

When purchasing new lawn care equipment you know that it can be expensive. It is important that you shop around and look for the best price. You may even be surprised that you can find deals on used equipment. In some cases you may get a piece of equipment that has been barely used.

Search online and compare prices on lawn mowers and other equipment. You should start with the Home Depots and Lowes to see who has the best prices. Before making a purchase you want to decide what size equipment you need because if you have a small yard maybe a push or electric mower will do the job for you.

It is important that you search used sites such as craigslist. There are lots of lawn mowers that are for sale and have barely been used. Think if someone bought a new lawn mower and they are now having to move and sell there mower at a big discount. You can take advantage by purchasing it for less than half of what it was brand new.

Make sure that you keep the ads that come in the newspaper because they usually have prices of lawn mowers and leaf blowers. You can get a Sunday newspaper and compare prices from several store in your local area. Check with your local store and see if they match or beat prices because this can be a great way to save money as well.

Remember that when you are in need of a new lawn mower or other lawn equipment you want to check prices before making a purchase. Be sure to look into the used market as well because there are some great deals out there.

Internet Marketing Success

What good is internet marketing without selling? Common sense tells us that if we're not selling, we're not surviving as a marketer. Why don't we succeed?

Many books have been written on the subject. Many courses have been taught on the subject, and yet most internet marketers fail by the first year. Why is this?

How can you achieve internet marketing success?

What is the key?

The key is good marketing strategies. Marketing is simply the process by which you engage the interest of others in your product. Marketing is the driver of traffic to your product. Marketing is the billboard, the newspaper ads, the commercials that grab peoples' attention. Most of all, marketing is the means whereby you convince people to pull out their wallets.

Let's examine two different marketing atmospheres to get some ideas.

First of all let's visit our local Wal-mart. As we approach we see hundreds of cars. That's advertisement number one. This must be a good place to shop. A full parking lot day after day, says "satisfied customers". If it's springtime, we walk past lawnmowers, garden plants, fertilizer, trees, patio stones, and lawn tractors on the way in. We're already in a garden mood because the birds are singing and the trees are budding. We go inside, and the atmosphere has changed from winter coats to sleeveless shirts and shorts. Barbeque grills and lawn furniture have replaced snow blowers and ice melt.

Isle centers are arranged with suntan lotion and straw hats. Are you getting the message?

Wal-mart provides an advertising atmosphere. They provide low prices and customer satisfaction that bring people back. They place items strategically in your path so that as you pass through the isles to pick up a few items on your list, you somehow arrive at the checkout with three garden plants that you had no thought of purchasing before you arrived. As you stand in line at the checkout, you reach over and grab a package of those handy picture hangers that go into sheet rock.

There is nothing random about the this approach to marketing. Many people arrive at the checkout with more than they planned for. Is Wal-mart successful? Do you see ways to make your business atmosphere more like that?

Now let's visit Sim's Jewelers. Why would I want to go there? You see, they are having a diamond sale and my wife's birthday is next week. I want to get her a matching set of ear rings to go with the necklace I bought at the same place for Valentine' day. You see, they are my family jeweler.

I've done business with them through the years. I like the way they treat me like an old friend. They even call on the phone periodically and let me know ahead of time of upcoming specials. I get the inside scoop before their ad comes out in the paper or on the radio. They never forget to send birthday and Christmas cards. They even sent flowers when Dad died last year. Occasionally the owner and I get together for golf. They are "my kind of people".

Do you get the picture? Do you see why these people have been successful in business for years?

So there you have just two of many different marketing strategies:

Number one provides a marketing atmosphere that relies on product arrangement and store layout for getting the most "mileage" out of each store visitor. Everything is arranged to grab the attention of shoppers as they approach the store as well as when they pass down the isles. A lot of their success results from impulse buying. there are ways you can arrange your website so that it functions in much the same manner. When customers come to your site have something extra available for them.

Number two relies heavily on building relationships with customers. You can set your marketing plan to operate like this with opt in lists and follow up emails. Both marketers use both customer satisfaction and ads to their advantage.

Advertise to generate traffic.

Make sure you have what your customer wants...plus a few extras.

Give your customer good value.

Follow up and build relationships.

Study successful businesses and copy their strategies if you want to experience your own internet marketing success. Hop over to www.internetmarketingsuccesssite.com for more good information to make your marketing successful.

Electric Snow Throwers - Advantages of Getting Electric Snow Throwers

Snow blowers are also termed as snow throwers. They do come in both gas and electric types. Gas blowers are popular as they are often used as compact throwers. Although this may be the case, there are some advantages to owning electric snow blowers. This article lists of the advantages of electric operated blowers. Hopefully, this article will help consumers who are still deciding on what type of snow throwers to purchase.

Portable

Electric snow throwers are more compact and easier to operate. They usually weight up to 25 lbs and are used to throw snows at the depth of one (1) to eight (8) inches. It takes it weight from the fact that they do not have elaborate engine where you store up the fuel unlike gas throwers. Unfortunately, their power is less than gas snow blowers and thus they only work well for loose snow and not the compacted or wet ones. Since they are compact and portable, they can be stored in very small spaces. You can even hang them on the walls if there isn't any room for your storage area anymore.

Cost

The best thing about electric snow blowers is that they are cheaper than gas operated throwers. This is due to the fact that their circuitry is very simple unlike the gas blowers that run on different types of engine. Aside from the cost, they are also environmentally friendly as they do not produce noxious by-products while the fuel is being burnt. Aside from this, they are also quieter than gas snow throwers.

Maintenance

Since this type of blowers do not run on any type of fuel, they require zero maintenance unlike the gas operated one that need to be cleaned every year.

Safety With Gardening Equipment

When gardening, take the following preparations before embarking on your work.

Right before starting machinery, it's a smart idea to remove any external objects from the area that could whip off and hurt someone or damage property nearby. Check for safety devices on your equipment and ensure they are turned on and operating properly. Objects to look for are things like wire, stones, toy cars,

When gardening it's important to wear the proper clothing. Even if hot, try to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to avoid injuries from objects thrown from your gardening tools. Jewelry can cause many life-long injuries in the form of cut off fingers and other injuries. Where appropriate anti-slip rubber soled shoes can provide a good balance. Eye protection is essential to avoid eye injuries caused by loose debris. Goggles made for gardening and construction and not swimming goggles should be used. Hearing protection should also be considered when operating gardening equipment like mulchers, lawn mowers, and hedgers to avoid longer-term ear drum damage.

Garden equipment can be dangerous even if you aren't actively using them. Crowded garages and sheds with sharp equipment can still inflict cuts and grazes. Maintain your equipment by checking oil (if required), loose lawn mower belts, missing guards, build ups of grease, and faulty wiring.

Common sense would say this, but to be on the safe side, never let a child rid or operate a tractor, ride on mower even if the child is supervised. Teenage children should employ caution if allowed. Whenever children enter the area, it's a good idea to stop the motorized garden work. Motorized garden tools tend to act like magnets to children who abound with curiosity. The best solution is to keep children inside and supervised when work is going on with power equipment.

If your power tool is gas powered, handle the gas carefully. Never fill gas tanks when the power tools are still hot or running. When storing gas for your power tools, be sure to keep the gasoline in a certified container, this preserves the fuel and ensures it does not leak.

Garden equipment can be dangerous even if you aren't actively using them. Crowded garages and sheds with sharp equipment can still inflict cuts and grazes. Maintain your equipment by checking oil (if required), loose lawn mower belts, missing guards, build ups of grease, and faulty wiring.

Mostly common sense will be your friend as you garden, however, some of these points may even escape the most adamant of safe gardeners.

Motorcycle Tips - How to winterize your bike

Sad but true, is that time again ... Time to winterize your bike. However difficult it may be, partly because the bike out during the months of hard forward is a must to keep it secure. They live in harsh climates must take special precautions, especially to ensure that it remains in good shape to ride a bike once the weather breaks and spring back.

The bike is in perfect shape to form at least a whole day to get to itprepared for storage. Follow these simple tips to keep the bike during the winter, so be ready to hit the road again come spring:

-Change oil and lubricate all moving parts.

Add the purge Carbs, always thinking about it, gasoline stabilizer, the fuel tank before storing.

-Wash and dry your bike thoroughly before storing. A leaf blower works water in large frying off the excess.

-Check the belts for signs of wear at the end ofeach riding season.

Wax all painted surfaces and the frame to keep moisture from causing problems in the winter months.

-Clean and polish all chrome rims and chrome with a coat of enamel or silicone grease.

Adjust and lubricate your chain drive.

Special care-battery from them for the winter months. Clean the terminal and check the liquid (add more if necessary). Shop at a plank of wood only - no concrete!

To avoid side-Guests from the cleaner in your house exhaust pipes, you must order an end to the flap or cover with a plastic bag. Always remove before starting your bike in the spring!

-Do not drop your bike, if stored with a good quality motorcycle cover or cotton sheets.

-Remove all removable media and store in a relatively warm (dipstick, temperature, etc.

-Leave a note for yourself, all components must be replaced or recheck or recallMaintenance will be the first on the road again.

Motorcycles can be large powerful machines that seem to need a little loving care, but the truth is a bike needs a great care to ensure they are safe rides smoothly and stays for years to come. They live in warmer climates can dispense advice filing listed here, but people in colder climates of the Northeast and Northwest mountains step should take the timecarefully prepared their bikes for the winter season.

Evaporation Rates Explained

Are you interested in prices for evaporative cooling? Some people find it strange when they begin to compare their offers. There are a wide range of evaporative coolers available, the price delta more or less wide. You can pay anywhere from $ 100 to several thousand dollars for this device. Internal drives are usually moderately priced compared to external models, but there are quite a large price range. An evaporative cooler, often as a swamp cooler can be a good way to be coolmoisten and at home, and save significant amounts of electricity than the price of central air conditioning or a single air conditioner.

Why is there such a price delta?

If you want a cheap cooler, you find that are compact in size and sometimes laptop around $ 100 or less. There are several possibilities, the characteristics, including those with additional gadgets such as air pollution, and other large tanks. SomeModels can also be used at times in winter and summer, so do a humidifier for your home.

A middle of the road could evaporative cooling of about $ 200 to $ 1000 in the framework, but contains more water and perhaps to cover a greater amount of square feet. Might provide more cooling power fan to create more, the greater strength.

Larger or higher-powered swamp cooler may be more than $ 1000.00 and beyond that depending on certain factorssuch as size, power fan, water and the number of absorbent pads cooling. Some units can blow a lot of fresh air and a wide area.

Are commercially available solutions?

There are coolers commercial grade large or evaporation to cool a large building or even an outsider can. Some of these devices are for several thousand dollars, but have many characteristics that make it an attractive proposition. There is only a saving in cost, butsome high-end devices are the most durable materials that do not require much care, and have longer warranty periods. Features like the fans of durable plastic and water-absorbent cellulose pads may mean that there is no possibility of rust or corrosion, with the lower end models do.

If you do a bit 'of homework, if a choice to make for your evaporative water coolers or swamp coolers, can lead to better performance for you. In view of the area is needed for cooling and whatDo you want more features, and the amount of maintenance you are willing to run on the device may help determine which end of the scale you want to make your shopping a.

Sealing a Deck

A deck is an extension of your home's living space and where you will spend much of your time during the summer months. Consequently, it needs to be treated and cared for as much as your home's inside rooms.

Most important to the care of your deck is regularly sealing it. This is particularly true if you want your deck to maintain the natural color of the wood.

Sealing a deck is critical in order to preserve the life and look of the wood. The sealant preserves the beauty of the natural wood by protecting it from both water and sun damage.

When to Apply the Deck Sealant

In order to preserve the natural wood look for many years, I typically apply the sealant every year. Also, I usually apply it in late summer/early fall as I live in New England. I do this because of the concern of snow lying on the deck for long periods of time during the winter months. My concern is in the acidity of the water in the snow. By putting on a sealant just prior to snow season, I can provide peak protection against the prolonged damaging effects of the acid contained in the water. In hotter climates, where there is less snow, I would suggest applying the deck sealer in late spring.

Clean the deck prior to Sealing

First, remove all of the deck furniture off of the deck.

Prior to sealing it is then best to power wash the deck and let it thoroughly dry. You may need to use a stiff bristly brush to get off any material that is not being removed by the power washer. Pine pitch frequently requires the services of this tool. There are also a variety of products offered by sealant manufactures that can also assist in the deck sealant preparation.

After power washing it may take 24-48 hours, or even longer, for the deck to thoroughly dry, pending weather conditions. Make sure the deck is completely dry prior to applying the sealant. Otherwise the sealant may not be appropriately absorbed into the wood's surface.

Once the deck is dry, and you are about ready to begin sealing, use a leaf blower to remove any debris that may have fallen onto the deck's surface since you power washed it. If you do not have a leaf blower, than simply sweep the deck.

Sealing the deck

First, the deck sealer should not be applied if the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and if rain is forecasted in the next 24 hours. Otherwise the sealant may not absorb properly, nor dry properly.

Using a brush apply the sealant around all the deck edges and posts. Once the edging is complete, use a sprayer, brush or roller to apply the sealant to the deck surface. Make sure that the sealant is firmly pressed into the wood surface to maximize the penetration of the sealant into the wood.

Typically only one coat is recommended by most deck sealers.

Though most manufactures suggest the deck is ready for walking on after 24 hours, I would recommend waiting a little longer if the weather has not been ideal for drying conditions.

Once the deck is dry, return the deck furniture and enjoy the beauty of your deck for another year.

Nutgrass Infestations - Minimizing it With Inexpensive Spot-Treatments

Nutgrass infestations of lawns and gardens are difficult to eradicate or control. This annoying condition is caused by the plant's extensive tubular (nutlet) root system that goes deep and wide underground. These rhizome or chain-strand roots are the main source of nutgrass renewal, more so than from the seeds of their flowers. Because nutgrass keeps a continuous reservoir of dormant roots (nutlets), it has an endless supply future growths. Thus, when one growth of shoots is treated or removed, another growth or two will sprout up nearby. To minimize nutgrass growth, its root system must be destroyed, which is not a simple one-time-treatment task.

What is nutgrass or nutsedge?

Nutgrass is a heavy perennial grass of the sedge family. Technically, two common varieties of it (purple and yellow nutgrass) are called cyperus rotundus and cyperus esculentus, respectively. Nutgrass is also called water grass because it likes moisture, tight soil, and lots of hot sunshine. It's often recognized as the fast-growing taller grass that appears shortly after mowing a lawn. Its course grass-like shoots (three-to-five or more per plant) are each slightly triangular or V-shaped with a strong vertical vein going down the middle of each. Often, the yellow variety is a lighter green than the surrounding lawn. Nutgrass is invasive. It will spread without some kind of controlling treatment. It goes dormant in the autumn of winter climates, but will reappear the following late spring.

Nutgrass Treatments.

Five common treatments for controlling nutgrass are available to the homeowner and consumer. Each one, listed below, can be done in a safe manner. But none of them are effective one-time cures. Overall, the two herbicide treatments listed below (4 and 5) appear to be effective means for controlling it at this time. However, the chemical treatments must done safely by following the product's written directions for use. Herbicide appliers could also read and know the products material-safety-data-sheets (MSDS).

1. Mechanically disturbing it. Plowing, cultivating, tilling, or digging-up the ground, and then sifting out the nutgrass roots. This treatment works. But it has to be repeated often, which eliminates it as a lawn treatment, and makes it impractical for treating crowded gardens.

2. Pulling or weeding it. This treatment will make the shoots disappear for a while. However, most of its original roots are still submerged underground. Thus, these plants will soon return, often more of them than before.

3. Smothering it. Covering the infected area with sheeting, e.g., cardboard, plastic, plywood, canvas, or mulch. This treatment will slow nutgrass down for a while, but won't stop or kill it. Nutgrass will pierce its way through cardboard, cloth, plastic, and mulch. Also, its covered roots will remain dormant for return growths once the covering is removed or wears thin. Additionally, the nutgrass will spread to the outside of the covering, underground.

4. Spraying it with a diluted herbicide solution. Spraying the infected area with a chemical formula purchased at local gardening outlets is a common choice among busy homeowners. This treatment works okay with repeated applications, done at consumer's risk. The applications generally are done when no rain or dampness is in the forecast. Also, commercial lawn-care companies can do this treatment effectively; actually, they are a good choice for a safe, more expensive cure.

Still, the main herbicide chosen for the treatment must be compatible with the infested yard in question. For example, one herbicide will work well with some grasses, but will harm others. Also, a lawn-compatible herbicide could harm the lawn if applied too often or too strongly. Additionally, another herbicide can be used on the lawn, but it cannot be used near vegetable or ornamental plants. Thus, the applier of the spray must be careful both in choosing the herbicide and applying it.

Also, the more recent urea-type herbicides, like, halosulfuron-methyl, appear to work well on the nutgrass infested lawns if applied regularly and seasonally for two or more years. It can take that long to minimize the nutgrass root system, depending on how well its start is. This kind of spraying can reduce infestations over large areas of ground.

5. Spot-treating it with a strong herbicide solution. Applying a strong herbicide solution to the individual nutgrass plants can be done with a narrow-stream spray-bottle or a thick artist's paint brush. This treatment is best suited for mild infestations of nutgrass or fairly small patches of it. (Note: if an entire lawn is heavily infested, it might be best to 1) kill the whole yard with a total vegetation killer, 2) plow or till up its ground while sieving out the nutlets, and 3) reseed it after a short waiting period. Vegetation killers do not destroy the ground itself, rather, only the vegetation growing on it. If in doubt about this step, obtain a professional opinion first.)

Yet, during the spot-treatment of nutgrass, the herbicide solution must be applied to the nutgrass leaves directly, again at the consumer's risk. The herbicide will then translocate from leaves to the stem and roots. Also, applying a daub of the solution onto the plant's leaf-crotch at the stem helps to kill the plant, but the bulk of the application must go onto the leaves for a good uptake that will reach the roots. Additionally, the applier must keep the solution from touching the surrounding grasses or plants as much as possible, especially if the chemical is a kill-all herbicide.

Glyphosate (organic-salt), a well-known main ingredient of kill-all-vegetation herbicides, can be used here. A 12-to-16-oz bottle of 41% liquid concentrate can be purchased for about $10 at local outlets. Glyphosate is fairly nontoxic to humans, but it must still be handled safely by wearing rubber gloves and other apparel. This concentrate can be applied to the nutgrass shoots by first diluting it with water anywhere from a 1:1 to 1:20 concentration in a small capped container. First-time users might want to start with a 1:20 solution to test how the process works by trial and error, while working up to a stronger concentration. Also, home owners having delicate grasses and ornamental plants will want to use a dilute glyphosate solution to start with, like, 1:20 or more, which is much closer to the diluted spray concentrations. Furthermore, the halosulfuron-methyl herbicide mentioned above in #4 can be used for spot-treating nutgrass by following the product's directions for diluting it to a powerful spray concentration (0.9-g granules/gallon) for about $15.

Certain sources suggest adding other ingredients to these kind of solutions, like, the adding of a surfactant (dish soap), hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, or a particular salt to make it stick to the leaves better, or to help it absorb through them faster. But, none of these additions are necessary. Also, such mixtures can yield slight chemical alterations over time, which will give undesirable results by not working well at all, or by the killing of adjacent grasses and plants inexplicably. Yet, when freshly-made spot-treatments are done carefully, the nutgrass will die in about one-to-two weeks without causing excessive disturbances to the surrounding vegetation.

Six-day appearances of yellow nutgrass after spot-treatment with 20% glyphosate solution.

Shoots slightly limp; no color change
Shoots more limp; slight color change to amber
Shoots touch the ground; overall color is more amber
Shoots start to wither; color is still more amber
Shoots lay on ground and begin to curl; only slight yellow-green color left
Shoots are withered straw-like stalks lying on the ground or lawn

 

Spot-treating nutgrass with a strong herbicide solution is time-consuming, and requires substantial patience to carry out, especially when the home/yard owner does it alone. Undoubtedly, his/her neighbors will ask, "Hey! What are you doing there?" But, this fairly inexpensive treatment works well for minimizing nutgrass infestations if the solution is handled and applied carefully at the owners discretion. Once the main infestation is under control, it's fairly easy to suppress any new growths with continued spot-applications.

At this time, the spraying or spot-treating of common nutgrasses with carefully selected herbicide solutions appears to be an effective means for minimizing its infestations of yards and gardens. These treatments can be done by the yard/garden-owners themselves at their own risks, or by hired professionals.

3 Common Misuses of Blue Tarps

Everyone is familiar with blue tarps. They are inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes, both with and without grommets. They are useful in hundreds of ways around the home and workplace, as well as on camping, boating, and hunting trips. Lightweight, water resistant, and flexible, these tarps can protect everything from lawn furniture to motorcycles, delicate flower bulbs to designer carpets.

These lightweight tarps provide excellent temporary protection against water and sun damage under many circumstances and conditions. They are frequently used to protect furniture and flooring when painting is being done. However, there are specific limitations to the ways blue tarps should be used. Understanding the specific applications for which they were and were not designed helps consumers be sure they are selecting the appropriate tarp for their need.

Long Term Cover

Blue tarps were not designed for long term cover. These tarps are intended only for use as temporary covers. They are lightweight enough to be easy to use, but they cannot provide long term protection. If an item must be covered for more than two or three months, a heavy duty tarp would be a better choice. A heavy duty tarp is made with more fabric and is thicker, making it more durable and weather resistant.

Unlike lumber tarps, or a heavy duty tarp, the blue material will begin to break down after a relatively short period of time due to exposure to sunlight and extreme weather. While blue tarps provide excellent short term protection under most circumstances, they should never be counted upon to last for extended periods of time, or to withstand rough treatment or severe weather. Sharp Edges

Blue tarps should also not be used to cover loads or materials with sharp edges, such as steel wire, concrete, rocks, tree branches, or glass. The material used to make these tarps is simply not designed to withstand that sort of treatment. As wind moves the tarp against any sharp edges, the material will rip and tear, exposing your items to sun and rain.

If something with sharp edges needs protection, lumber tarps can provide that protection without requiring you to build a structure. Lumber tarps are specifically designed for use over wood piles and for covering truck loads of lumber. Their heavy gauge material and heat-treated seams are better able to withstand the rough nature of the materials they are covering. A more heavy duty tarp will resist tears from twigs and branches, keeping your wood dry and secure. There are many varieties of lumber tarps and other heavy duty tarp products to choose from, depending upon the application.

Disposal

Most people make the mistake of throwing their damaged or worn out "blues" in the trash. But these tarps are actually made out of polyethylene plastics and can be recycled in the same way as your plastic soda bottles and milk jugs. As handy as these lightweight tarps are, they won't last forever.

Realistic expectations and an understanding of a material's capabilities can help ensure that your possessions are kept clean and dry in any condition by using the proper tarp for your application.

Clear Your Driveway With Snow Blowers

Buying A Snow Blower

The snow blower, which can sometimes be referred to as a snow thrower, is a tool that you may well want to consider investing in if you spend a lot of time and effort shoveling snow every year. It most certainly can limit the amount of strain you put on your back, with the potential to save you both pain and expensive medical bills.

There are many kinds available to buy, but before you pick the kind that is right for you, you may want to consider the following:

o How snow you get will affect the type you choose, and you should answer the following questions: how many inches of snow do you really get, how many days of snowfall do you get every year, and does the snow tend to be on the lighter side or harder and more compact?

o Try before you buy: it may be possible to try the machine at the dealership. It's always worth road-testing it before you part with your cash, if at all possible.

Cost Involved

These can vary widely but on average you should expect to spend between $350 and $800 for a single stage blower, and over the $1000 mark for a two stage machine. Specifications like power and blowing distance will have an impact on the price tag.

Kinds Of Blowers Available

In addition to having the choice between single and two stage blowers, you can choose how your machine is powered. Blowers are usually available with gas-powered two-stroke or electric engines. While the gasoline option can be louder and less environmentally friendly than its electric counterpart, they usually pack more power and can be made as two-stage blowers. If you live in a heavy snowfall area, the gas-powered blowers may be a better option.

Safe Use

As with all machinery, basic precautions are essential to operate the blower safely:

- Snow blowers are not toys and therefore not designed to be operated by kids. Injuries caused by a two-stage blower's impeller, for instance, can be very serious.

- As these powerful machines can be quite cool to watch in action you may find that kids are rather attracted by them: make sure they do not stand in the way to the snow being thrown, and that they keep at a safe distance

- Use the same precautions with electric blowers as you would with other electric tools

Environmentally Friendly Garden Tools

People can be so funny in our day, they will pay hundreds of dollars for membership to a gym, so that they can keep in good physical shape, but wouldn't dream of mowing their own grass, especially with an old fashioned push-mower. They will even buy a low emission car that gets great gas mileage because they are conscious of the environment. Our lives have become very confusing, more than any other generations. Just by re-evaluating our living habits, we can make reasonable changes in our life-style decisions. Using environmentally friendly garden tools could be an excellent way to start making more earth friendly decisions in our lives.

Opening a website, and/or a store, that offers these old-fashioned tools could choose to be a very successful 'business idea'. Why not become one of the first to offer these tools to the public. Making 'green' decisions in our lives today is becoming a popular new idea and many people are searching for new ways to make these changes. Take advantage of this new fad by offering 'green ideas and products'; this will make you popular quickly.

Using a push mower is much better for the environment than using the numerous gas mowers offered on the market today. Remember those simple push mowers that didn't use gas? You had to use your muscles to get them going and cutting the grass was sometimes a hard job if you didn't keep the grass mowed on a regular basis. Make these mowers available for people to purchase, they sometimes can be very hard to find.

Do you remember what gardening was like before there were leaf-blowers irritating the majority of the neighborhood? They are such a nuisance, except to the person using them. Offer people good old-fashioned, well-made brooms and rakes to accomplish these jobs. You might even have to educate some people in how to go about using these earth friendly tools instead of relying on leaf blowers, vacuums, and all.

You could even help the world economy and green movement by offering simple hand tools made from natural products by people in very poor countries. Let your customers decide if they want to choose to help-out by purchasing some good quality items that will be earth friendly, when they eventually need replacing. The world market is also an extremely popular concern today for many earth conscious people. Take advantage of this new movement, for good quality products that can help your customers do their gardening with tools they are happy about purchasing.

Educating customers about how to go about accomplishing gardening tasks could be a great idea for you to make important on your website, even offering new ideas and possibly offering a newsletter about these products on a regular basis. Adjusting these articles according to the seasons would be helpful too. Help your customers not only use earth friendly tools, but also; plant containers, fertilizers, insecticides, your product offers could be endless.