Author Archives: schatzi

Tips For Controlling Garden Pests

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You love to garden. You don’t like the pests that come with it. They can eat up all the vegetables you spent weeks cultivating in a short time. They can infect your garden with diseases that render it unfit for human consumption. Here are some tips to help you control garden pests so you can have a healthier garden.

The first tip is to actively monitor your garden so you identify pest problems early. The most common garden pests are insects, birds, rabbits and weeds. They can do a lot of damage to your garden if they are not detected early enough. The key to early detection is systematically checking your garden for evidence of damage. You should check at least three times a day or more depending on the size of your garden. Take action the moment you detect any pests. The damaging effects they create tend to spread rapidly throughout your garden.

The second tip is to plant strategically so you can attract your pests predators. What type of garden do you want to plant? What pests will likely be attracted to your garden? What predators can do them in? If you know the type of garden you want then you can identify which pests may pose the most problems. The most successful gardeners intersperse their garden with items likely to attract their pests nemesis. For example, if you want to plant vegetables then you may want to plant flowers with them. Your vegetables may attract certain bugs that will damage them so plant flowers that attract other insects that eat them. This is natures way of balancing the food chain and one way you can effectively protect your garden from pests.

The third tip is to use organic pesticides only when other pest control techniques have failed. There are times when you will have to use chemicals to treat major pest problems. A major infestation of various diseases can quickly spread throughout your whole garden living you little choice. This can happen when you do not identify pest problems early. It can also happen if other techniques fail to contain the problems. Organic chemicals may be a better choice because of the potentially damaging long-term side-effects of man made sprays. You should give careful consideration to the type of chemicals you decide to use. Remember to protect your skin when using these products as they can cause serious health effects.

These 3 tips can help you prevent the damage that pests can cause to your garden. Remember that early identification and action is always the best prevention.

Something About Outdoor Wooden Furniture

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Wooden outdoor furniture is known to blend well into the natural setting and can hold up to all types of weather. There are several woods that look best when in the construction of outdoor furniture. Cheap woods are known to crack and warp under extreme weather conditions. Finer woods like cedar and teak, on the other hand, are more weather resistant.

Consider the following points if you want to invest in outdoor wooden furniture.

The wood

Always consider the climate whenever you purchase wooden furniture for outdoor use as well as the care that would be needed for keeping the furniture looking nice. Cherry is a hardwood that’s very durable and can stand the rigors of climate for decades. Cedar is also another popular wood used in the making of outdoor wooden furniture. It’s insect resistant and often lasts over three decades in all types of weathers. Cypress, another common outdoor wood, is known for its durability. The wood doesn’t crack or age with time. It has a lighter shade and can hold varnish and paint well. Mahogany, though very expensive, makes for a rich looking piece that doesn’t warp over time. Finally, a porous wood like teak, when left untreated, holds up to any weather for nearly a century.

Care

Every type of outdoor wooden furniture needs cleaning. Teak turns gray if left untreated and weathered. But id retains its durability. The wood can be scrubbed with soap and water. The cleaning would however, remove the grain. All unthreaded wood change over time when exposed to the outdoor elements. Cedar wood turns to a whitish color while mahogany starts to sport a silver patina. When sealed with varnish and pant, outdoor wooden furniture can be simply wiped with a damp cloth.

Clear protection

Polyurethane and varnish is often used on outdoor wooden furniture for maintaining its natural look. Long usage and weather usually takes it toll on the sealer and the wood requires regular maintenance for retaining the protection and sheen. Ahead of applying the polyurethane or varnish, clean the surface of your outdoor furniture and allow it to dry completely. Sand the rough spots with a light 120-grit sandpaper. Apply the polyurethane or varnish with a foam paint brush and allow the coats to dry fully ahead of applying the next layer. Sand the steel wool lightly between every coat. The more number of layers you apply, the longer would the wood hold up to the elements.

The environment issue

Several people consider wooden furniture to be detrimental to the ecology and environment. Well, there’s hardly denying any fact that for centuries rich forests were cut down for wood. Of late, however, stringent government laws have imposed tremendous restrictions on the felling of trees. This has ensured the preserving of ecological balance of the planet. As a result, people have taken to recycling of furniture to cut down on costs. Such furniture are being extensively used outdoors as well. Recycled wooden furniture are increasingly being used for making barn doors, benches, swings etc.

Simple Care to Keep Bruce Hardwood Flooring Looking Great

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People worldwide are being impressed with the durable yet elegant hardwood flooring manufactured by Bruce. Their three grades of hardwood flooring, known as good, better, and best, all rate among the highest-quality flooring on the market today. The difference between the three grades lies in the number of natural “flaws” that are in the wood.

Actually, these so-called flaws do a lot to make your hardwood floors unique. You can expect the “good” hardwoods to contain more knots, pinholes, and mineral streaks which give the wood character. However, since every grade is made of wood designed by nature, you will find every category, including the best flooring made, contains marks that give it real personality.

Instead of choosing a Bruce hardwood floor, you might prefer their line of laminate flooring which is made with the same quality that you’ll find in all of their flooring products. Any of the Bruce floors will be easy to maintain, and generally no more will be needed than a good sweep or vacuum. When you do need to wash them, use a damp mop and be sparing with the water, since water could damage them. After you’ve finished mopping the area, you’ll want to dry the floor carefully with soft cloths.

Abrasive cleaners and scouring pads are definite no-nos when it comes to caring for Bruce hardwood or laminate floors. Using either of these products will damage the shiny, polyurethane coating the pre-finished floors are given during the manufacturing process. Along the same line, floor waxes will also damage this coating. Unfinished flooring is also available which you can finish yourself with stain and several coats of polyurethane to achieve the same shiny effect.

Even though Bruce hardwood floors are made to be as resistant to damage as possible, age and wear will eventually begin to show on any hardwood flooring. Heavy furniture can cause denting. If you leave mats or rugs in the same place on the floor for long periods of time, you’ll find that the exposed flooring has darkened, but the spaces under the rugs will not have done so giving your floors a mottled appearance. Therefore, it’s a smart idea to move any rugs from time to time to prevent this from happening.

These simple cleaning methods and tips are all you’re going to need in order to keep your Bruce hardwood floors looking their best for many years. In order to prevent staining, you’ll also want to be sure and wipe up any spills right away. One advantage of laminate flooring is that spills won’t damage it the way they can with hardwoods.

A Thorough Look at Electrical Engineer Jobs

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In the past, engineering was perceived as a job that is only limited to men. This may have been due to the traditional beliefs of the old generation. Now though we have reached the age of new technology. The development in careers in engineering involves a development in the views of who should cater to engineer jobs. As such, women are already widely accepted in the field of electrical engineering.

So what do electrical engineer jobs entail? What’s expected from you? Electrical engineers deal with problems regarding electronic devices. They are the ones who are responsible for trying to understand the mechanics of electronic devices like television, cellular phones, DVD players, and many more. Similarly, they are also the ones who develop new ways of creating similar devices that offer other unique features.

By studying engineering and getting a specialization in the electrical aspect, you can easily land a job in this field. Some people get lucky because they can enter the industry even without an engineering degree but this shouldn’t be the case. The best way to land electrical engineer jobs is to obtain formal education in electrical engineering. In some cases, there are people who have studied other branches of engineering that may also enter electrical engineering careers provided they have excellent background and experience related to the field.

A typical industry that electrical engineers get into is in automotive, communications and computer manufacturing. Digital gadgets are also a large portion of where engineering graduates get into when they finish college. There are many local and international companies out there which are more than willing to accommodate engineers like you.

Improving your chances of getting hired is easy by obtaining your license. An engineering license is a proof of your qualifications and eligibility to practice your line of expertise. Most engineers get their license to prove their worth in their field. You can get a license when you pass the exam that is exclusive for electrical engineers. Getting a license will enable you to increase your stature as an engineer. More often than not, it is the licensed engineers who become rich and achieve a level of high esteem from their colleagues.

Electronics have always been an important part of our lives. It will continue to do so for the next years to come. This is a good reason to study electrical engineering since it’s a guarantee there’s a regular demand for your profession. So if you are interested in what it takes to be an engineer, go ahead and start your future in this career path today by having an engineering degree, a license and a few years of exposure and experience.